Dear Elders, Youngsters, and All in Between,
I write to you from a little patch of stolen Duwamish land, not far from the sea, in the quiet corner of a city I’m lucky to call home. We are in the thick of spring. The rhubarb I thought I’d killed last year has burst forth its broad leaves. Young bunnies chase each other through the yard. Many of us are hugging loved ones for the first time in over a year. The world remains a chaotic and dangerous place in which life, in its endless forms, defiantly persists.
I’m writing to share some exciting personal news. I have been admitted to Oregon State University’s MFA program in creative writing! In September, I’m moving to Corvallis to study the craft of fiction.
It’s a bit of a detour from my primarily musical path. But literature and creative writing were the focus of my undergraduate studies, and I’ve been writing fiction since before I even knew that’s what it was called. This dream has been simmering on a back burner for many years. Now I get to pour my focus into writing stories and take this lifelong pursuit to a higher level.
I could use your help. Do you know anyone in or near Corvallis? While I will have the instant community of the MFA program, I won’t know anybody else. Specifically, I am hoping to connect with fellow musicians in the area. Though I will be heavily focused on writing, I will always need to feed the part of my soul that thrives in musical collaboration.
I will also be needing a place to live. In my experience, the best rental situations are often found through community networks, rather than on Craigslist or Trulia. This is another reason I hope to be put in touch with friends of friends before I arrive.
With each new adventure comes many goodbyes. I’m sad to be leaving my Seattle community behind. I’m sad to be pausing or ending several projects in order to make the most of this opportunity. That said, I’m happy that I’ll only be a few hours away, and able to come up from time to time to see family and friends and get my music fix. Also, the program is only two years long, and I intend to spend many more years living in the Puget Sound region.
Still, it is a departure, and I feel its approach keenly. I plan to savor the remainder of my time in Seattle, see friends, play music, and enjoy the bounties of a Salish summer.
Speaking of which, want some music for your backyard barbecue? My housemate and longtime collaborator Robby Seager and I have a band called Lord Ladybug. We formed during the pandemic to offer Beatles sing-along livestreams. Now, we are excited to make the virtual physical. We are primarily a Beatles cover band, though we also play jazz and pop standards (and some non-standards). We are hoping to bring our upbeat vibe to as many people as possible this summer. In that spirit, we are offering our services on a sliding scale: we will gladly play for tips, or whatever form and amount of payment feels right.
What about North City Almanac? For the last few months, I’ve bombarded you with updates about the livestream musical variety show I created with my housemates. This project has been a great channel for my creative energy this year. I’ve learned so much and have been delighted by the number (and quality) of contributions I’ve received from artist friends. I hope the show has meant something to you as well.
In light of the coming shift, I’ve made the difficult decision to do just one more episode.
This final show promises to be a special one. I'll tell you more about it soon. It would mean so much if you tuned in!
After May 20th, the show will go on an extended hiatus, but I do not believe it is over. I’m planning to continue it at some point, if in an altered form. So, if you had hoped to submit to the show, there will likely be more chances.
What about Patreon? Some of you became Patreon supporters at the start of the pandemic. That support has been a huge help to me through lean times. This year, I shifted the focus of my Patreon page to be all about North City Almanac. What purpose will it serve now that I’m headed to grad school?
I plan to always be making art and sharing it with my community. I will keep making videos and occasionally live-streaming. I'm still falling in love with film-making. I’m still working on an album that I recorded in November. I have more music already written that I plan to record, eventually, with a band.
My Patreon income will continue to fuel these projects and more. I understand completely if it is time to end your monthly contributions. But for those who wish to continue with your support, please know that it means so much to me, and goes a long way!
Enough about me. I want to share some exciting news about my partner, Erin. A few months ago she was contacted by NPR. They wanted her help producing an hour-long radio special to mark the network’s 50th anniversary. The special came out on Monday. You can listen to it here! Or you may have heard it on your member station this week, or on the Up First podcast, or seen it shared on social media. Erin was instrumental in every part of making this piece; she wrote much of the script, conducted interviews, found archival tape and music, conceived of and put together various segments, and more. It has been a thrill to witness this process unfold. Give it a listen, it's well worth your time!
One last thing: thank you! Many of you are dear friends and members of my family who have supported me for years. Others of you saw me play once and decided to check out my website. Regardless, I’m grateful that you’re here reading these words.
The stated excuse for these blog posts has been to keep you informed about my musical projects. In reality, I’ve also written about my travels, my experiences with a chronic illness, my observations about how humans relate to one another—and the more-than-human world—across time and space. It has been a blessing to write directly to an audience. When you respond with even just a few words, letting me know that something I said resonated with you, it means a great deal to me.
As I shift my focus toward writing and, dare I say, publishing fiction, I may be writing fewer of these posts. But I’ll continue to check in from time to time to share my work and my thoughts. As always, I invite you to do the same.
With love,
Jonas
