Tryin to Get the Feeling Again

Just before Christmas, I was invited to sit in on a pre- concert sound check for Peter Mayer.  The photo featured in this week's blog was one of several taken during that session. Since 1988, Peter was the lead guitarist for Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reefers Band.  He is a talented singer and phenomenal guitarist. Peter continues to write music and tour with his own band performing at many national venues.

As I watched him prepare for that evening's concert, my mind wandered to what life on the road must be after so many years.  I thought about all the microphones and tangles of wires and speakers that were anything but glamous. I watched as sound techs held conversations among themselves and with other musicians as the practice proceeded.  Mostly, I thought about what kind of mental discipline it takes to perform those familiar songs as if they were being performed for the very first time. However, from within all this present chaos, a polished performance will emerge in just a few short hours.

Attending this sound check got me thinking about photography in a way that Peter Mayer may feel as he prepares for a concert.  Behind each beautifully finished print, stands a period of repeated distractions, failures, and moments of self doubt prompting us to wonder if we can ever get the feeling again.