I was thinking through all of the people I’ve come to know through the years. It is notable how many of those people are a part of the local music scene. You see, there was a time when my kids were in a band that came out of nowhere and caught the attention of the gatekeepers of our local music scene.

At the time, they were in their mid-teens. The band they were in had a fantastic run. They accomplished quite a bit and made a name for themselves in a very short period. All these years later, much has changed.

Both of my kids — jointly and separately — made their way through various bands. They had a lot of great opportunities and were always well-received. But, at some point, there was a shift in the energy. Nothing quite matched the dynamic of that original project.

Today, with little fanfare, they have moved on to different endeavors. The reasons they have moved on are not mine to tell. Suffice it to say, however, that as one who had a front-row seat to their experiences with our local music community, it saddens me to see two beautiful and talented artists decide to move on from a scene in which they brought so much joy to others.

Make no mistake. I am immensely proud of who my kids are. They each follow their hearts in ways that reveal a courage I never possessed. Their individual decisions to move forward from something they once loved also expose a strength of character to draw hard boundaries in the interest of self-care and with a sense of their own worth, also something I lacked.

Since they departed from the music community, I have made my way to a handful of events. As I wander through the crowd and watch the bands perform, the exhilaration I once felt is gone. Sadness and disillusionment are all I feel.

After the recent passing of my dad and, just weeks later, my best friend, I watched as life went on all around me, everyone oblivious to what happened.

Doesn’t anybody care?

Don’t you know what the world has lost with the passing of these two people?

What’s the matter with all of you?

Don’t you care?

Did you ever?

Those questions run through my mind as I roam around the old haunts of the past few years. The spaces once occupied by two gifted artists are empty now, and no one has blinked an eye. 

It’s a tragedy to see an artist — any artist — get their heart so trampled that they decide they cannot continue while the bands play on. I guess what Amos White said to Guy Patterson is true:

“It’s a very common tale.”