On Thanksgiving Day, we acknowledge our dependence.
~ William Jennings Bryan

Take a moment to think about what William Jennings Bryan meant with that simple statement. While you’re pondering that, here’s a musical interlude from the genius that was Thelonious Monk and his wonderful Stuffy Turkey from 1964…

2020 is a year that will not soon be forgotten for the way our lives were abruptly upended, with factual information about the root cause of our troubles hard to find.

As the global pandemic of COVID-19 burned its way around the world, our country became even more polarized with Black Lives Matter protests, wearing a mask, and a presidential election as the icing on the proverbial crap cake that 2020 has become.

But, I’m not here to rant from the top of a soapbox. I’m writing this to reflect on what giving thanks truly means in this severely altered world in which we find ourselves currently residing on.

I’ve come to the realization that there are too many superficial items that we all get worked up over on a regular basis. Much of that went away for me on March 17, 2020. That was the day that I began the quarantine within my home. What’s unfortunate is that no one knows when we will get back to a semblance of what was normal.

The intervening 254 days have allowed a lot of time to reflect on many things that are truly important. Those 254 days, or eight months and nine days, equate to 6,096 hours of little to no physical interaction, such as shaking hands and giving hugs. For an extrovert like myself, this has been an excruciating existence.

I believe the music industry, especially the live concert segment, will be quite different from what we’ve come to expect. And while the bands and musicians are the face of the industry, the ripple effect of effectively turning off the lights have a had a vast, dare I say catastrophic, ripple effect throughout the “gig economy” as we know it.

By shutting down the live music events, the venues (and the people that are employed within them) are falling by the wayside, uncertain if they can emerge on the other side of the pandemic with a viable business. This also includes the myriad audio and video techs working within the live concert and touring sections of the industry.

We can’t forget the bars and restaurants (and their employees), either. They have been just as severely affected by all of this as the people that work in live music.

For me, on this day of giving thanks, I believe that we can all do some small thing to help our fellow citizens. Whether that’s purchasing a band’s merchandise, volunteering within your community, or simply doing good deeds for your neighbors, we all can make a difference.

Locally, the Mid-Ohio Foodbank is one of many organizations that need our help. According to their website, “since the COVID-19 pandemic reached Central Ohio, we’ve seen a 38% increase in food distributed, which translates to an estimated 200,000 meals per day. Over 22,000 families across our 20-county footprint have visited one of our partner agencies for the first time.”

Those numbers are shocking, to say the least. If you have the capability, I urge you to donate to the Mid-Ohio Foodbank by clicking HERE.

All of us at Music In Motion Columbus wish you and your family a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

And finally, this day would not be complete without the annual tradition of playing Arlo Guthrie’s timeless classic Alice’s Restaurant from 1967…

I cannot thank all of you enough for supporting what we do by visiting our website, and returning again and again. I have a feeling that 2021 will be a good year for everyone, especially compared to what we are presently living through. We have some new and interesting things planned for next year.

I hope we continue to give you a reason to keep returning to us for the scoop on the local music scene.

Thank you,
Rick Gethin, Founder / Managing Editor