Sometimes it is good to pretend like one is a visitor to one’s own town. One might note things, previously noticed perhaps, but quickly forgotten. One might find magic in that which otherwise seems ordinary.
I engaged in a little such activity a couple of weekends past, becoming a visitor in my own town during the Big Ears Festival.
Yes I listened to a lot of music. Although I think that generally I may not have been as adventurous in some of my selections as some years, I also think I heard more performance than at any prior festival. It was the first year I was truly comfortable with the “sampling” mentality, of walking in or out of something that wasn’t grabbing my attention. It was also the first year that I didn’t worry about what I might be missing, rather just allowing myself to enjoy whatever I was listening to at the time.
And although I walked around town a lot, averaging 7 to 10 miles most days, I also took the new trolley service to some venues, and this proved to be better for my back as well as my stamina. I think previous years I would walk 14 miles or more a day, if I was able to do so. An added benefit of the trolley proved to be the way it allowed me to engage in conversations with other attendees, to meet people, to observe and explore opinions and attitudes other than my own.
The fact that the trolley was available, as well as other options such as Uber and Joyride Mobile, I was also able to relax more during my walks up and down Gay street and around downtown. I was able to stop and pay attention. Hence the collages above, from the three full days I spent at Big Ears. None of the photos are of anything particularly significant in and of itself, but I am also realizing that is the way I take photos, not necessarily of significant things, but of details that catch my eye.
When I left he festival my head was filled with music and a new appreciation for this little city I call home.