Let’s say you have skills in the field of performance. Maybe you sing, tell jokes, write and recite poetry, or dance. You’ve practiced in front of a mirror, taken videos, posted them on social media and gotten plenty of likes. But that isn’t the same kind of feedback you’d get from a live audience. So where do you go from here? An open mic night might just be the answer.
Dance like no one is watching. You know – don’t worry about what others may think, just jump around and wave your arms with wild abandon in an exuberant statement of self-expression. What if you sang like no one is listening? Or played a guitar or kazoo, or beat out a rhythm on a drum or box with a complete lack of self-consciousness, just for the sake of making music?
Here we are in the 12th week of the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying shutdown, with a return to normal—whatever that was—still far away. We’ve worked from home, done our best to keep our kids mentally stimulated without going flat-out mental ourselves, practiced social distancing on those rare occasions when we braved going out in public, and embraced facial coverings as a fashion accessory.
We all follow our own unique path in life, but few people’s paths take them across three continents and culminate in Fresno, California. Musician Pieter Moerdyk’s did. He has spent five decades following his love of music wherever it may lead, and it has led him to some remarkable places.
