A huge thank you to anyone who has attended and supported the Concrete Fitness Performances in the Park — this season or at any time in the past. This is a great venue and a great opportunity to bring our community together with music as the catalyst.
Few things are as accessible to as broad a spectrum of society as is music. At any of these shows you will witness people who wouldn’t normally be seen in the same places or even speak to each other, clapping their hands and singing along to the same tunes. They dance around socializing with their friends and families and pretty soon any negativity and tension associated with their busy lives in these strange and turbulent times seem to vanish.
As a lifelong musician I have observed this phenomenon from many stages and it is always humbling. How and why our simple ability to combine sounds and rhythms in a somewhat pleasing way could help bring so many people together remains as mind-boggling to me as ever. I’m sure most musicians feel the same way if they think about it a little. Mostly, however, it’s not that complicated for us. We just love to get on stage and play.
So , I say again, thanks for coming out and supporting live and local music in our community.
The musicians playing at the Saturday farmer’s market, the performances in the park, the Stampede Street Party and all the other shows that take place throughout the year at various venues are among the most non-partisan, feel-good events we can share with our neighbours.
There’s a line from a song — can’t think of the band off the top of my head — that says “Come on in and leave your troubles at the door.” I know there’s not actually a door on the Gwen Ringwood Theatre but it’s still pretty good advice.
Dean Fulton is a freelance columnist for the Tribune and a local musician.
