The Shrinking World and My Expanding Heart

In the past 14 months, my life has moved into an unexpected, and wildly exciting direction. Through ccMixter.org, I have felt the world shrink as I have started to develop relationships with people from all over the globe. My children think it incredibly odd that I can feel so connected, so close and so trusting of people I have met through the internet, especially as I took great pains to indoctrinate them with “internet safety” speeches as they entered the virtual world of the web via myspace, facebook, youtube and various forums that they visited. Of course, if they started corresponding regularly with folks they met on-line, my protective mother-bear guard would be activated. If they actually met someone they encountered on the internet I would have them traced by special forces.



Nevertheless, I have found some of my internet friendships to be particularly satisfying. Several of the people I have met through my internet activities have become my dear friends. The fact that we are connecting through music and engaging in creative collaboration establishes a common ground and interest that seems to foster genuine feeling. In some ways, these relationships have become the most important friendships as we reflect to each other our creative aspirations, the insecurities and passions that inform us as artists, and our mutual delight at finding each other – our differences in lifestyle and background fascinating and our common ground binding.



I have had the pleasure of meeting some of my “virtual” friends “in real life” including the remarkable Ciggi Burns who traveled all the way from London to visit. I have met MC Jack in the Box who treated us to lunch in Santa Cruz. I met Snowflake, Spinningmerkaba and Goldfish who spent the night at my house and with whom I played music into the wee hours of the morning.

And most recently, I had the pleasure of meeting Gurdonark. Gurdonark lives in Texas but he was in my home town and after many invitations through our correspondence (i.e., “Next time you are in town you better call me, or else. . . “) it finally worked out that we could get together. Gurdonark is one of the first artists to remix my voice at ccM. After that, we worked collaboratively on a piece for Independence Day – God Bless this Land – which was just a joy to work on, as Gurdonark is an informed mixter who generously shares what he knows about electronic music making and resources for tools, distribution and source material. Later in the year, he and I spearheaded The White Cube Remix project together, redefining our collaborative relationship, and sealing his place in my affections. The White Cube was a profound creative experience that impacted me in deep, deep ways – and our relationship as partners in that project will always be special to me.

When he came over, we spent some time in the garden, appreciating the flock of finches that made their way into the butterfly bush. I spied hummingbirds in the sage. Lemon blossoms were gently fragrant. We shared a meal. Before dessert, we Skyped with Snowflake and Spinningmerkaba, who included their new kitten Charles Wallace in the conversation. We tried contacting Spinmeister but he was not available.

Afterward, Gurdonark showed me new places where SackJo22 might be found on the internet, blowing my mind completely as we discovered my voice in previously unknown videos, and learned that hundreds of people are listening to me on last.fm. I had no idea! That was thrilling actually! And the fact that Gurdonark had been watching out for me was incredibly touching. His support and encouragement is incredibly heartwarming – makes me feel excited and hopeful about my musical future.

(All photos courtesy of Gurdonark)