November 2007
Fall is here!!!!!!
Hey Everyone,
Hope this finds you all healthy, happy and smiling your days. Well, the holidays are fast approaching and I want to send you all some love and hugs to finish out the year. LOVE and HUGS, LOVE and HUGS!! There is still time to take care of things unsaid and undone. So, just in case you didn’t know, I love you all.
This year has been amazing and beautiful, but harsh and sad as well. Births, deaths, new growth, old decay, the cycle of life and nature in full swing. Just to live and be is a challenge. Sometimes up is more than down and down is more than up. Step right up for the yin-yang roller coaster ride of life. Well, on my ride this year I’ve gotten to meet more people and go more places and play more music than ever. Truly inspiring to share my music with you all and have you all share your love back. The challenges that have come this year have taught me to learn and love and grow and reach and stretch and hold and let go more than I ever have.
In September, my great friend, “Harold”, my 1999 Martin HD28 LSV acoustic guitar, was stolen from backstage at this year’s Yarmony Grass festival at State Bridge Lodge in Colorado. The loss of my friend has taught me much and I have battled and grown through all the emotions that come with losing a friend. I have learned how hugely intimate the relationship is between an artist and their instrument. I thought I understood, now I truly know. Harold is one of my best friends and a mentor and teacher to me. I am hoping that wherever he is that someone will love and play him with care and tenderness. I am also hoping that one day he comes back. His serial number is 676045, so if you see him, please contact me at bw@bigwater.cc. All I want is to have him back.
It has been a difficult stretch for me from this curve ball that was thrown. But, life will do that, won’t it? People will do that, won’t we? Shit happens, doesn’t it? Or does it? I don’t believe life is random. I believe there is meaning and purpose in everything, whether we get it or not. So in the end, it is how we handle it all and what we do to come through it to learn and apply our experiences and keep ourselves moving. I was definitely on my ass with dirt kicked all over me from this loss. Down, but not out. And in the true sense of nature, we have to contract to expand and expand to contract. All of everything lives and breathes on this planet.
So, I picked my self up, brushed my self off, gathered up my pieces to cocoon and contract to work through my situation and feelings. I am contracting to expand again and come back even stronger and better than ever. Through sadness and circumstances, there is always light and love and hope. For me, this came through love and help and support from my family to put together a trip to the Martin guitar factory in Nazareth, PA to get a new guitar. Rising from the ashes, I went to Nazareth and had an amazing trip to Pennsylvania and brought back a new friend.
The opportunity to go directly to the factory and pick out something new is rare and overwhelming. I called Dick Boak, the Artist Relations Director, to set up an appointment and then did some homework by stopping at Wildwood Music in Coshocton, Ohio to pick on several models and find one that I liked. I drove from Columbus to Nazareth, about 9 hours, and went through Gettysburg on the way. Gettysburg is a very somber place, but a worthwhile visit. Got to Nazareth, met Dick and his assistant, Chris Thomas and proceeded to have one of those ‘great’ days! I got to meet lots of folks from the factory, get shown around and just get the red carpet. I told them which models I was looking at and Chris went to the warehouse and picked a few from the shelves. We went to a small sound room and I played and sang with them all and I fell in love with a beautiful Martin D42. She’s a singer! Chris picked out a beauty. She’s different from Harold, sounds different, plays different, looks different and she’s obviously a girl. She is the sister to the missing brother. In the short time I have had her, she has told me that her name is Audrey and that she loves to sing. We’re already writing some new tunes and getting acquainted. Audrey, an amazing gift to the world, created by amazing people in an amazing place. Thank you Martin guitar for helping bring music to the world!
Thank you to my family as well for making it possible for me to replace my lost brother, Harold. Music is my sanity, my healer and Audrey has brought me all of that. Thank you to all of you that have offered your help and support in trying to find Harold. The search goes on and I am grateful for the effort of all of you helping me. So, I am still in contraction and cocoon mode for a bit. I have a few fall shows and am gearing up for my winter tour in Montana and Colorado. I’ve been busy here in Ohio readying for a transition to the west coast as I am moving my home base from Ohio to somewhere on the west coast. I’ve been working on music, education and writing with school kids, art projects, my family, my friends and making my dreams come true. Life is incredible and there are many miracles every moment of every day. The choices are many, to see them or not, half empty or half full. And then it’s all temporary and moves right on by anyway. Enjoy the ride, our lives are short and simplistically complex!?! Life comes and comes and comes and doesn’t let up. It is laughing at all of us tumbling like clothes in the dryer. I’m learning to laugh on back and love even more, have faith even more, let go even more.
When I think about my life, I’m born to die, to laugh and cry And all the while the world is spinning round. What is this feeling, this time traveling to be? I take a trip around the sun and then come back again. And I will not bury me, I will not live my life in fear, I will not deny my truth to me. Yes, I will fly high, higher than the trees And live my life just being me……!
Well, thanks for checking in. We’re sending you all love and hugs and great things for the rest of this year and phenomenal things for next year! Come say hi if you see me out there somewhere. Audrey and I look forward to seeing you and sharing a song or two. I want to really thank everyone for all your love and support and help that you all give to keep me going. Life is no easy road and when we help each other, it sure makes a great ride even better. Thanks for letting me lean on you all and be me and share it with you all. Life is one heck of a journey and I hope you are enjoying yours. Have a great holiday season. Best wishes to you all. Love you.
Big Water
I've got some new things out and would love for you to check them out! I have a new song and recently had some fun making a video of it and you can now check Big Water singing "Everything'll Be All Right" on YouTube!! Hope you like it and it eases your day.
You can also pick up my latest cd, "In the Garden" in several places. If you are looking for an mp3 version, just click here: MP3. If you're looking for a download, just click here: DOWNLOAD. If you would like a hard copy, just click here: HARD COPY.
I'm truly thankful to all of you for your support. Life is hard and Life is easy, but together and sharing sure makes it a whole lot more fun. You all take care out there and have a safe and awesome Summer! Let it all hang out! Hope to see you soon out there somewhere. Love and Big Hugs from Big Water!
From Big Water Base Camp, Bye, Bye for now.
Links for Big Water:
Big Water now on the Live Music Archive, click here,Big Water live at Yarmony Grass '06
Summer on y'all...
...keep checking in!
Love all day, every day! Take care of your Selves.
Breathe. Smile. Be.
Big Water
Click here on The Guitar Story and read how Big Water and his guitar were meant to be!
If you're interested in browsing the Road Notes for Big Water's 2001 European tour you can find them here: Road Notes 2001
And if you would like to read the Road Notes for Big Water's 2002 London and Wales trip you can find them here: Road Notes 2002