I love the idea of "the gift". It implies that we are providing something (of value to ourselves) with no expectation of reciprocity. It is partly what I like about blogging. Each idea is a gift. Each link. It is also what drew me initially to writing and to performance. When you write you do so for yourself (a gift to the self), but you also write for your readers (even the book that never makes it out of the bottom drawer has a secret future reader) … and to that reader, the writing is a gift. What the writer often does not realise (enough) is that the act of writing strips away and reveals the author to the glare of the readers. Sometimes this is difficult to bare.
Similarly, performance is a gift of self. My favourite perfomers (music, theatre, movies etc) give much of themselves in the performance. They reveal, or disclose, some deep truth that resonates in me. Or sometimes that disclosure is pure joy … so when I saw this clip I experienced also that joy of sharing and connecting. Nice.
Thank you so much for sharing this video, Gavin.
Can you imagine leaving your office at night, and your mind and soul are just tired from thinking about what you’ve been through that day and what you have to do that night and that it’s all just going to start over again the next day…and then you step on the subway, and hear/feel/see this performance.
It *is* a gift, and music has the power to heal and inspire. This clip brightened my day :-).
Lovely!
Have been musing recently on the difference between “gifting” and giving away. Gifting, I think, involves a sense of ceremony and added value – a gift is always more precious than it’s monetary value.
Hi Gavin,
Oh, the curses of commuting by car! Insular and controlled. And we learn to be self-sufficient or sullen in our healing and inspiration. If we put ourselves out to the public, become a bit vulnerable, we share more of our true self. Scary, uplifting, a growth opportunity.
I wish the 12 miles of light rail transit we have went near my office.
Glad you all liked it. There is a philosphical text by Derrida called On the Gift which I am reading this weekend. Brilliant.
love it!
Fantastic moment! Wish I were there.
I always loved artists sharing their performance in odd and unexpected places. It’s a gift to the improvised audience, indeed.
A smile is also a (simple) and easy gift, isn’t it? I always see it as a gift. : ) ) )