2nd SEATTLE TV COVERAGEPEDESTRIAN SERENADE CONTINUESGOING LIVE THIS SATURDAY ON FACEBOOK
Hi everyone,
I hope this newsletter finds you well and you are managing through these unbelievable times. Please stay connected with family and friends and feel free to get in touch with me any time. It is not “social distancing” that is important, but “physical distancing”. We need “social closeness”. Here are some things that are keeping my wife and me busy. While, she is extremely busy with her work as director of the Alliance of People with disAbilities (LIKE them on FACEBOOK), she always has time to help me with my crazy music ideas.
KING 5 TV in Seattle ran a story about my Pedestrian Serenade on their “Evening” magazine show. It is similar, yet different from the one that Q 13 did two weeks ago. They were here at our house at the same time, but covered different angles and interviewed different people. It was very well done.
Here is the link for the KING 5 story:https://youtu.be/kh9XEM_OtEA
Here is the link for the previous story on Q13:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDWcavg34QI
JOIN ME LIVE ON FACEBOOK
I am going live again this Saturday at 9:00 eastern time (6:00 out here in Tacoma). I do this from my Facebook page Jim Meck (musician) but we discovered you do not have to have a FB account to watch because it is a public page. Simply go to www.facebook.com/JimMeckMusician and when prompted to log in or create an account, simply click “Not Now” and you can watch live as well as see my previous shows and posts. If you do have a FB account, you can join in the conversation and make requests. We love it if you comment to let us know you are watching. My wife Kimberly does an amazing job letting me know who is tuned in and what they want to hear. It gets really busy at times so we occasionally miss requests, so just comment again. It really is like the old days of gigs back east and we are all having a lot of fun.
For those interested in supporting me through my “Virtual Tip Jar”, I thank you so much. Please use Paypal – Paypal.me/JamesMeck956 – or Venmo – www.venmo.com/Jim-Meck – and be sure to confirm the link is correct by finding my picture on the page. Some folks opt to send a check instead, and my address is 3105 N. 29th St. Tacoma, WA 98407. Again, none of this is expected by any means, but certainly appreciated.
PEDESTRIAN SERENADE: Next one – Friday, April 24 5PM PDT
I am continuing to do shows from my front porch when our schedule and weather allow. The neighbors and people walking by really seem to enjoy it, and I love playing for a crowd no matter how many there are. For those in this area, Kimberly posts it in the Next Door app and on my Facebook page. This is not intended to be a gathering as we are all trying to stay safe, but there is some room to spread out in the yard . Sometimes I do it as a solo show, and sometimes a drummer, Glenn Hummel, sets up in the grass away from me. Kimberly and our nine-year-old Blaine advertise with sidewalk chalk. I have met so many more neighbors through all of this.
That is the latest from here. Enjoy the news stories and I hope you can join us this and every Saturday on Facebook.
Cheers!
Jim
Tag Archives: pandemic
Q13 Fox News in Seattle covers Jim’s Pedestrian Serenades, plus Staying Home In Tacoma SHOW continues live on FB every Saturday…
Q13 FOX in Seattle Covers Pedestrian Serenades
I have been performing live from my front porch to entertain those who are out and about walking through the neighborhood. Response has been amazing and word is spreading like wildfire. This is not intended to be a concert for people to gather, but there is space for pedestrians to pause a while and keep a safe distance from each other. There is even room for Glenn Hummel to set up his drums on occasion.
Check out the news story by Michael Driver from Q13 Fox News in Seattle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDWcavg34QI
I heard about people putting Teddy Bears in their windows, but as I walked through my neighborhood, I thought about how people who are blind like me can’t see them. So I wondered what kind of audio encouragement could be given to help relieve some of the effects of isolation. Why not play my piano on my porch? I had already started doing live Facebook shows from my living room every Saturday night. The weather got nice, so the next logical step was to do something outside.
I firmly believe that it is not “social distancing” we need, but “physical distancing”. We need “social closeness” where we stay in touch and communicate with each other more than ever, whether outside across the lawn or calling those who are isolating alone and having a nice conversation and see how they are doing. We all have an effect on each other. We just need to decide what kind of effect we have.
Staying Home In Tacoma SHOW Live on FB
I am continuing my Staying Home In Tacoma SHOW every Saturday night. Join me LIVE on Facebook starting at 6PM Pacific time (west coast) which is 9PM Eastern time (for my PA friends). Get in on the conversation and make requests; that is what drives the show. Some folks have also been hosting “Watch Parties” where they have their own circle of friends in a comment thread. This has proven to be a wonderful way for me to connect with family and friends back east, but I am receiving feedback from several people who are isolated due to disability or other reasons and I am told it is making a big difference for them. It sure seems like a win-win because I love to share music and others are enjoying it.
Please LIKE my FB page Jim Meck (musician) found at www.facebook.com/JimMeckMusician and enable the notifications for when I go live.
For those interested in donating to my efforts, please go to PayPal.me/JamesMeck956 for a PayPal transfer or if you prefer Venmo, use my email address jim@jimmeck.com. I appreciate all the love and support.
Cheers!
Jim
LIVE FB Shows, Pedestrian Serenades, and Private Zoom Parties, plus “Quarantine”, Jim’s new parody
Apologies in advance since Word Press is not fully accessible for people who are blind like me, so formatting, etc. may be messed up.
During this time of Social Distancing I am offering live shows every Saturday evening from my Facebook page, Jim Meck (musician). They start at 9PM if you are on the East Coast and 6PM if you are on the West Coast. If you are somewhere in between I’m sure you can do the math. Please LIKE my page and indicate you are going so I can invite more people. FB has an algorithm that limits my invites. Join in the conversation and let me know you are tuning in.
For those who have been asking about how to support me in this time of gig cancellations, please consider using my “Virtual Tip Jar” at PayPal.me/JamesMeck956 for a PayPal transfer or you can use Venmo and my email address jim@jimmeck.com. Some have also requested my address in order to mail a check. Please email me for that. Thank you to all who have graciously put digital “bread in my jar”!
In addition to Live FB shows I am also offering live music from my front porch each week to hopefully brighten up the day of those who are walking outside through my neighborhood. I am calling these my Pedestrian Serenades. At this point there is no consistent schedule, but I will announce them through my FB page. If you live in Tacoma, take a stroll in the North End on N. 29th Street between N. Alder and N. Cedar. The next one will probably be Wednesday, April 8th around 4PM.
I am exploring Private Zoom events that you can host and book in advance so you and your friends might enjoy your own virtual party with live music that is exclusive to your friends and family. If we do this through private invitations and password, we should avoid the latest “Zoom Bomber” threats. Why do people need to ruin things like this? If you are interested, please contact me. This can be anything from a get-together with friends, or a presentation and question and answer event concerning my music, my experiences, and/or my life living with blindness and the transitions throughout the phases of vision loss that are unique to my life. So this is an opportunity to have fun with friends, or design a presentation for your organization or company.
Finally, I was challenged by a friend to think about what Billy Joel song I could change to reflect the current situation in which we all find ourselves at this time. hAt first I refused, but as I kept thinking about it, I had an idea that I could not shake. In about an hour and a half I created a song called “Quarantine” based on Billy Joel’s “Honesty”. My apologies to him. I did not want to be disrespectful of him or the seriousness of the current pandemic as many people are dying and losing friends or otherwise suffering tremendously, not only medically but also through job loss and income. So while I mention a few lighter notes about our isolation, my main point is how much I miss getting together with friends, family, other musicians and all those who support my music. As of now it is not on YouTube, but you can find it on my FB page Jim Meck (musician). As of this writing it has about 3,000 views which is outrageous to me. I am pleased to know that some friends who have actually lost people close to them through this virus have affirmed that this song is respectful and some said “funny yet very classy”. That is quite a compliment. So check it out and let me know what you think.
That’s it for now I think. I hope this finds you well. Peace and love to all of you!
Cheers!
Jim