Nova Ahead 24
Joy is real; it’s not a myth, but attainable here on Earth, not to be merely sequestered beyond our deaths. We should always chase it, though sometimes it can be scary to try something new; we’re afraid of disappointing people, or even just an unfamiliar feeling. It’s easier to be comfortable than to really feel the world against your skin. So I want to take this opportunity to tell you that whether you make this leap or not, whether it feels impossible, though you still long for it, or maybe you change your mind; regardless, it’s fine. You can do a thing, or not do a thing, and either way you are loved and you matter, to the person you are thinking of, or even someone you didn’t know you’ve reached to this degree. It feels good for me to put this positivity out into the world; this writing practice has made it easier to more explicitly spell out what I’m thinking, rather than my usual abstract transmissions of songs and freeform music, projecting, sometimes wordlessly, out into the galaxy. As crazy and strange as things are, this world we’ve created fills me with love and hope for what is to come.
I need to address, before I leave, how frustrated I get when people talk about inclusivity and empathy as if they are some awful tears in the fabric of this country, or some way that “liberals” are trying to force their agenda. A lot of those who would complain claim that people should be judged only by their character, and that all of these efforts to amplify voices, help folks out, level the playing field are a form of mind control, an American antipathy. These, along with the Ayn Rand set, argue for an objective reality that, coincidentally, lines up exactly with their own experience in the world and does not acknowledge the possibility of an alternative narrative, or that we do not live in a vacuum (remember, Ayn Rand’s most influential works are fictional). This liberal agenda by the way, is that people should be treated with dignity and respect, and that the murder and blood on which this nation was built upon should be revealed and reckoned with. How could anyone be angry at people wanting to find closure after scores of generations of trauma and violence? Where were these objectivists at the dawn of the slave trade, at the architecture of the chattel south, the beginning of redlining, Jim Crow, the murders of Dr. King, Malcolm X, Fred Hampton, and literally COUNTLESS Black people leading up to this very moment? Where was their argument that people should be judged on their character alone? My diagnosis is that these folks grew up being lied to by sad, hurt parents who preferred to blame their challenges, struggles, and faults on other people, because most likely they themselves had been lied to as well. I want to have compassion for these folks, but they consistently act like they would rather be aggressively ignorant in service of an ideal that only has roots in hatred, lies, and violence. I will always stand up against this nonsense.
This week is our last livestream only event, as after that, we are going to be welcoming folks back to seeing concerts live on our stage. I’ve walked around this space, imagining the room full of people, music careening around the room, connecting everyone, tuning them all to the same frequency. It’s dizzying really, and haunting to have gone this long without something so essential. I’ve gotten to see the livestreams in person of course, running back and forth across the empty venue, checking cables and feeds, adjusting controls and conferring with my fellow pilot Caitlen Brown; but it still feels incomplete. We’ve got about 25 shows booked already, along with a number of free / donation only opportunities for you to engage with art and music. We’ve got a membership option and would love to talk to folks about underwriting events as well as partnering with other organizations on future presentations. Everyone that works at Brewbakers, Terra Nova, and Nova Arts takes serious pride in this place; we are all so excited about the space and about what it brings to Keene. I want to thank you for spending some time with me every week while I rattle off my thoughts and dreams, it has meant a lot to be able to feel like they’re hitting someone and not just rocketing beyond the Earth’s gravitational pull, sputtering and floating aimlessly into oblivion. To know that you’re there is a gift, and I’ll trust it, like I trust the stars in the sky. This is Eric Gagne for Nova Arts, signing off.
Eric Gagne is the Programming Director at Nova Arts, and has spent the last thirteen years booking The Thing in the Spring. He also played many shows over the past decades with Death to Tyrants, Sisters and Brothers, and Redwing Blackbird, and is actively recording and performing with his band Footings.