Pursuing the Muse : Season Wrap Up and Terry Anderson reprise

It’s a wrap. Season one of Pursuing the Muse is tied up in ribbon and bow. It was an absolute blast to talk to some of the best songwriters out there for the podcast. A huge thanks go out to season one guests, Andrew Bryant, Jon Danforth, Steve Dawson, Terry Anderson, Nathan Graham and Nick Dittmeier. I have so much admiration for all these guys and the chance to pick their brains about how they do what they do is a real treat.

I got the idea to do this podcast about a year ago when I had an influx of song ideas coming to me, almost too many. In the overwhelm came some doubt. Who am I to be writing songs? I’m not Bob Dylan. I got the idea if I could talk to songwriters about the craft maybe looking behind the curtain at how the sausage was made could help me see the universality of the undertaking to capture creative ideas. With that angle, I thought maybe other people who get creative ideas might benefit as well, hence the intended listening audience.

Over the course of talking to these six artists, I was encouraged to honor the impulse that drives me to make songs. Songwriting teacher, Judy Stakee, who wrote “The Songwriter’s Survival Guide” once tweeted “There are billions and billions of people on this planet. I promise you that someone wants and needs to hear your songs.” I saved that tweet because sometimes it’s what I needed to read after playing a gig at an empty bar or trying to get a record listened to while hearing crickets.

It’s not always easy, but the journey has its own rewards. I’ve learned things about myself. Sometimes I get surprised by a reaction, too. I recall once playing Phyllis’ Musical Inn in Chicago. I thought no one was listening. Then out of nowhere during my song “Des Plaines River”, a guy comes over right to the front of the stage, lets out a huge, “Whoo!” raising both arms. He pulled out his wallet and laid a 5 dollar bill at my feet. Another time, I was playing my songs at a farmers market in Wicker Park, and an old disheveled woman who didn’t speak English came by and was listening smiling. After awhile, she had some kind of lightbulb go off, and she gestured to me as if I should wait a moment. Then she left. 20 minutes later, she came back with a tube sock full of coins. She dumped the coins into my open guitar case.

Ultimately the more art we generate, the better the world is. Sometimes people hear something we never even know made an impact. We don’t always see the tube sock full of coins, but with the billions of people out there, songs get heard at the right time. So write those songs!

This episode includes a reprise visit from Terry Anderson, who just happens to have a great new record out, “Got to Be Strong”. You got to check it out. It’s on bandcamp now and will have a general digital release in April.

Thank for reading. Thanks for listening. Music is the best.

Listen to the season wrap up here…

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pursuing-the-muse/id1726940418
https://open.spotify.com/show/06Sy88banWQYHda9zbCc6h
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b21adeee-da54-4831-a487-e3671844ba3f/pursuing-the-muse

Get Terry Anderson and the Olympic Ass Kickin’ Team’s music here…

https://terryandersonandtheolympicasskickinteam.bandcamp.com/