Teachers very rarely glimpse concrete evidence of the impact they have on their students. Musicians aren’t present when people play, and are changed by, their recordings. Volunteers don’t often experience the fruits of their love’s labors. Everyone is sending out ripples, like stones tossed into a pond.
At Cory and Lara’s wedding the other weekend, I received some Furious-related ripple-back and affirmation, that this waste of time might be a holy one.
I finally got to meet Nate (aka Bike) (!!!), and we had a long, free-floating conversation about Kid A, the purpose of music, and facial hair. He talked about the motivation it gave him to be a part of MFR, the purity of both making his music and knowing how listeners were receiving it (freely!), and how pumped he is about the number of people who have heard his records.
Chad, who has done some amazing artwork for us (The Silent Woods, Shacker and R,CC! posters, etc.), talked with me about Robot, Creep Closer!’s upcoming EP. He openly offered his art for future MFR projects on the basis that we give our music away, so he’s 100% up/down for giving his work too. Ripples. Inspiring.
The communal aspect is what resonated with Corbin. Corbin is all about the community – the family – the kin-dom that pools its resources and gifts and uses them in a way that turns capitalist economics on its head. I bring my noise, you bring yours, we bring ours and throw it down together for its own sake. I talked with Corbin for a long time; you can imagine. And I loved that he really got it, and was affirmed that he really loved it.
Thanks, all. I’m grateful for you, and grateful we can be MFR and a tiny sliver of your lives.
-h