Writing has been my lifelong passion, and I like to think (or delude myself into believing) I’m pretty good at it. It’s a gift to be able to express myself as I do and it comes pretty naturally. The downside of having a talent is that it’s easy to take it for granted. No matter where you live, there you are. It becomes the baseline, the day to day norm, something familiar that’s always there with you. It’s easy to forget that not everyone is able to do what I do in the way I do it.
The creativity I vent daily has always been a big part of me, but writing, while satisfying in many ways, has never completely satisfied my artistic predilections. I’ve always harbored a love for music, and for close to 30 years I carried a Yamaha acoustic guitar around with me. Everywhere I moved, the guitar traveled with me…I always hoped that someday I’d realize my dream learn to play it. Life always seemed to intervene, and trying to carve out consistent practice time on a daily basis seemed a daunting prospect. The dream never left me, but I found myself wondering if would ever happen.
A little over four years ago, I met a musician- Ian Mackintosh- who lived upstairs in the apartment building I lived in. He’d walk his basset hound/chick magnet a few times per day, and after a few months we struck up a conversation (Ian and I are both pathologically introverted, so it took awhile). I found out he’s a musician, had his own band…and taught guitar lessons. Suddenly, the door opened, and while 50 may be a bit late to try to learn a musical instrument, I recognized that if I didn’t do it then it might never happen. Four-plus years later, no one would ever mistake me for Eddie van Halen, but I can hold my own. With some rehearsal time, I could play rhythm guitar in a band…perhaps even without embarrassing myself. The additional creative outlet and passion has given me yet another way to blow off steam and express myself. I’ve toyed with the idea of playing solo or with the band at my wedding in August, but that decision has yet to be finalized. Having never performed on stage before, I know that would pose a significant challenge, perhaps more than I want to tackle on my wedding day. Still, that’s one thing that’s on my bucket list, so who knows?
My friendship with Ian developed through a mutual love of music, and as time’s gone by I’ve tried to do whatever I can to support him and his partner, Ben Braun. I’ve seen their band, Mackintosh Braun, several times over the past few years, and each time I see them perform I’m more impressed. The genre of music they play (one critic described it as “electro-pop”) isn’t my favorite, but I’m a fan of talent and hard work, and the results showcase both virtues in ample quantities.
MB’s new album, Arcadia, comes out on June 16th, and it seems that Ian and Ben might be on the verge of finding a broader audience. Ben’s done a great job of cultivating MB’s sizable online fan base, but they haven’t been able to attract much attention outside of Portland. Arcadia, which has been getting some positive press (outside of the prima donna music critic at Portland’s Willamette Week). It would be nice to see Ian and Ben experience some commercial success, because I’ve seen how hard they work and how passionate they are about their music. It’s a case of wanting good things to happen to good people in the hope that someday I’ll be able to say “I knew them when….”
As an aspiring musician myself, I have an appreciation for what it takes to get where Ian and Ben are, even as it’s several orders of magnitude above and beyond my humble talent. Being a professional musician is anything but an easy or lucrative lifestyle in most cases, but Ian and Ben have accepted the challenges and taken the risks involved in chasing their dream. It would be nice to see them become an overnight success, especially after the years of hard work and being treated as an afterthought by their label. They deserve nothing less.
