On October 8th, 2004, I arrived home from Pape Station on my first morning of singing for Toronto subway passengers, and I found a note on the kitchen table from my husband Dave.
It said "Congrats!! Now start writing."
So I did. And you started reading.
As I've arrived now at a stopping-point for this leg of the "Subway Music" journey, I'd like to thank Dave for being so encouraging throughout the writing of this blog, even as it's kept me tied up at the computer for many hours a week.
It's not over yet, of course. In response to many readers who have said all along, "It's not a blog, it's a book", I'd like to take time now to edit and shape it with an eye to publication. (One particular reader has brought my attention to its potential literary elements and encouraged me to strengthen them.)
This seems like a good time to say "Intermission!" or "End of Part One".
Why now? Well, first of all, I'm not stopping the actual singing. The TTC busking year runs until the beginning of October, and by that time everyone has learned whether or not they are accepted for next year. (I'm planning to re-audition.) Although I've slowed down because of family summer schedules, I'll be re-auditioning and singing regularly through September and hopefully into next season.
But the writing project began when I set out to audition last year, and so it's just beyond the one-year mark now. This is probably a good time to pause and navigate a bit. (And write some songs, too.)
I'd like to thank each of you for reading and offering your thoughts along the way. You are writers, musicians, teachers, painters, filmmakers, thinkers and doers...and you are an inspiration to me.
Among the many "lights" I have found in those tunnels, the most shining one may be that we each provide landing-places and junction-points for each other. We need each other to get our bearings, no matter where we think we're headed. If our work helps anyone move in the right direction, it's good work.
We can do it wholeheartedly, with love and confidence and gratitude.
The last time I was at Pape Station, several day-camp groups of small children came through, as did several families. There were more children than usual that day, and as you know, children have always been my favourite subway listeners. On this particular day though, I was so moved by their presence, I had to look away from them lest I start crying in response to their un-edited and generous looks of fascination. One of them, as she passed, saw my CDs in my guitar case and called ahead to her teacher, "Her name is Lynn!!!" as if that alone were a discovery of great importance.
Simply our presence is of great importance. While we're here, we cannot help but love.
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I will update the blog again after the auditions for the 2005-06 season, which take place at the CNE on the weekend of August 20th. I have to take time to prepare my 7-minute audition medley! I'll also let you know how the results come out.
I do hope I get in again...and at the same time it's a highly unpredictable process. Whatever happens, this year has taught me more about myself--and what songs are for and about--than I ever would have predicted. Also, although I haven't done a final tally, I've earned several thousand dollars at it, which has made a big difference in completing my CD, called "Broadview", which will be released in November. Four songs on the album ("Music Town", "Music Everywhere" and "Creature of Habit" and "Pennies") were directly inspired by my subway experiences, a number of other new songs have been written but are not yet recorded, and "I Would Recognize You" and "Luminous Veil" took on much greater meaning as I sang them for subway passengers.
Eagle-eyed readers will notice that I never did run into Billy James, the original subway musician I met twenty years ago. I tried to call him yesterday, and got his machine. I'll try again.
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Note: A manuscript version of the project does exist, and article-length excerpts are possible too. Suggestions are welcome, particularly if you have ideas about possible markets or other ways to bring the project to a wider audience. Not that there's anything wrong with self-publishing, of course! --lh
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