Why I Sing The Blues

The reason that many people love the "Blues" is that we find spiritual commonality in the music that shares the universal human trait of having "troubles". Listening to the Blues makes us realize that we are not alone. Misery loves company, and hearing the blues is cathartic in the sense that we find others have gone through what we all have to deal with.

Blues music is not sad music. It makes us happy, if even for just awhile. That wailing saxophone, the cry of the harmonica, the beat of the drums and the almost human sound of the guitar...all these come together with words that describe so many daily tribulations. Whether it is money trouble, or a cheating spouse, or loneliness; or something as complicated as legal problems or as simple as just having to go to work everyday.... we have all been there.

I will share thoughts and experiences these next couple of weeks during the 7th Annual Bud Light Ferndale Blues Festival. The festival runs from Friday January 25 thru Saturday Feb. 1st. I will write about highlights (and low points?) and thoughts on how and why we organize this annual music series.

More than 80 separate concerts and events will occur during this festival over nine days in 22 venues in two cities. I hope you will consider coming out and joining your friends and neighbors at a club or restaurant. Several venues are smoke free, and family friendly. In any case, I hope you will realize how important music is to surviving, and thriving, in the human condition we know as life in Southeast Michigan.

Check out the web site at www.FerndaleBluesFestival.org to see the schedule. That info will also be in all our sponsors publications and web sites. these media sponsors include MetroTimes, Daily Tribune, WDET FM, Metra Magazine, Mirror Newspapers, Woodward Talk, and other local papers such as the Free Press and Between the Lines.

Please feel free to post your own comments to these musings, good or bad, positive or negative.