Hello again from the CMC (part II)

Hello again! It is time for my next installment of life at the CMC. It's a dreary Monday evening, I just got back from a 2 hour rehearsal with a couple artists who are performing at a local club this Friday. One of the artists I am managing is performing and we are all pretty excited to play a show for the island "regulars." The club that they are performing at is the one Carly Simon previously owned which is pretty cool. I just hope my "sniffles" are gone by this Thursday. I will be producing the 4th CMC LIVE show this Thursday. (We hold 1 live concert a week with 7 of our artists in the "Barn": a small venue on campus) I was stage manager 2 weeks ago and the MC at last weeks show. They are always rockin' and full of high energy and introspective performances. We have an amazing group of artists this semester; all have a unique sound and genre, including folk, rock, hip-hop, country, alternative, pop, jazz and many more. To give you an idea of how crazy they get: this week Jon came out in a old ripped wedding dress and enough eye make-up to rival Tammy Fay-Baker! :) I had an esspecially fun time at this last concert because I got to do some back up vocals and play my violin for a hip-hop set. It was a blast! And we had a dance party in the cafe' as a post-party.

Lately, us executives are getting press releases ready for each students school's newspaper. Also, we have been busy in the studio with our artists and engineers getting the first master track for each artist ready! It can be a long and tedious but extremely fun process; doing the final mixing, laying the last tracks whether that be gang or back ground vocals, or that last minute glockenspiel part!! Us executives had the pleasure of sitting in on the artists songwriting class today to see what goes on and the process of picking apart the raw form of a new being/song.

At our weekly "family meeting" with everyone involved in the CMC program, we get to talk to each other about our problems (personal, professional, maintenance, etc.) with each other and "sort through our feelings", etc. It is a good place to let out our frustrations and concerns as well as laugh at each other and talk about how crazy, stressful and fun things are that particular week. There was discussion this week of the "honeymoon phase" being over and how we are all getting to the point where it is easy to get frustrated and annoyed with each other. But we have such an amazing group of people here that it has not been a problem and we can actually talk it out with each other and move on.

I guess the only thing i have left to say right now is kind of a reflection on how amazing and perfect this place is for me and others like me. I can't imagine any other place where a community of people who live for music are put together to make music and talk about music and live in one place where creativity thrives. There is a constant aura of goodness in the air that comes only with the harmony, peace and emotion of people creating music. It is a glimpse of the Creator and what is still good on this earth. God is here, in this place, in these people...and it is beautiful. I am grateful for this experience every day I am here and we are all finding ourselves already dreading the day we have to leave!! But we must live in the moment and enjoy every minute we're here. As I write this I am listening to Joni Mitchell's new album "Shine" and am reminded of a lyric from her old song "Circle Game.":

"And the seasons they go round and round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game."

This is a little glimpse of how I feel now as I am living in this intentional community of musicians. I urge any one at Bluffton who wants a career in music to COME TO THE CMC!! It is truly a chance of a lifetime!

Well, this is a bit of a long entry, so sorry for that! Hope I didn't bore you too much! thanks for reading and I will not write as much next time!!

Peace,
jordan

The Contemporary Music Center Semester 13

Well, this is my first blog and it has already been almost a month since being here on Martha's Vineyard at the place we call the CMC, or the Contemporary Music Center. I came into this experience knowing nothing of what the semester away from Bluffton was to bring me. Looking back at how nervous I was before arriving, I can laugh at myself for I immediately felt at home with the 35 other students who are sharing this experience with me. I will not go into specifics about the CMC: 1) I would bore you with all these things i think are amazing and you would have no idea what i mean AND 2) you can go to the AMAZING website that tells what the CMC is and gives you pictures, quotes and an in depth schedule of what a typical week is like for a student here. That website is www.thecontemporarymusiccenter.com
Just a few things about my experience so far: I arrived after a LONG 15 hour drive from Lima, OH with Dad. The ride went surprisingly fast! We had luckily made a connection with someone on the Vineyard who picked us up after we got off the ferry and let us stay the night at her house. She even took us on a tour of the island that night and the next morning before I moved on campus. Anyways, I moved in the next day, thanked Laura for her hospitality and said goodbye to Dad. I was about the 10th person there to arrive and it felt a little like arriving at summer camp! (the property that is used is a camp in the summer)
*I am skipping through so much, but this blog would be 10 pages long if I wrote everything out!*
The next few days were full of getting to know people and being prepared for what was going to be going on the whole semester. Class started on Monday and let me tell you, class (for us executives) takes place in the loft of a log lodge in comfy leather office chairs, and a sweet sound system. Other classes for all of us takes place in the cafe with a fireplace and a wrap around porch. The other "classes" that we have take place in the recording studio with over $500,000 worth of equipment. Let me just say, the sounds we make in that studio are amazing!
I quickly found myself sharing a lot more about myself and my beliefs/views with the other students and friendships were kindled very quickly. We keep telling each other that we all feel like we have known each other for years! it's pretty amazing how music can bring very different people together. It's a very beautiful sight actually. I know these friendships are going to last a lifetime! I can truly thank God for bringing me to this place! It is obvious that these 35 people are suppose to be here. no question about it.
The MUSIC: I can only tell you that the music we are making here is phenominal. Many of the artists here (in the artist track mostly) have experience in writing, but many of them haven't. It is the same for us in the executive track. Some of us have no experience managing artists or bands and some have. But you learn quickly everyone has a lot to learn and at the same time everyone has a lot to teach everyone else.
I think I will leave you here for this first entry and talk a little bit about the concerts we've had so far.

Peace
~Jordan