WHENS THE LAST TIME YOU WROTE A LETTER?

May 13, 2011


I woke up this morning after a late night in the editing room and didn’t think much of the next several hours that awaited me; it was my day off… the only plan that I truly had was to take up space on my couch and to catch up on some recorded TV. It’s May, and all of the current shows are wrapping up, so it was a big day of plot twists, reality TV finalists, kitchen nightmares, and who really is Carmen San Diego? I was all set up, prepped the way you need to be when it comes to a day of doing nothing (candy, chips, my cell for calling take-out, and weed.) I wasn’t winning any health awards today… I planned to gorge my senses with tasty and brainless chaos. Then I saw it… a card.

There, amongst the flyers and monthly bills, was a card; A thank you card. Now as you all must find the only thing that you really get nowadays are statements from your bills, take out menus, real estate listings, political flyers, census forms, and cheesy advertisements for life coaches named Chazz… or is that just me? Getting a thank card today was a pleasant surprise and something that made me think… which in the end reluctantly put a pause on my couch potato moment. The words, the way this person expressed themselves to my wife and I put a smile on my face. It was truly thoughtful when the last thing we expected for helping a friend was a thank you beyond the one we got that day. It got me thinking about what I was working on in the editing room this week….....

The focus in the editing room this week was the beginning of the present state of the d-jay culture as it relates to the social media evolution that we’ve gone through so fast over the past 10 years. In such a short period of time the art of communication has changed with all of the technology advances. Coming from the generation that I grew up in I’ve embraced it and loathed it at the same time. How could something like the internet, specifically twitter and facebook, have connected us globally in such a way but disconnected us at the same time with so much overload? As I got to know more d-jays, producers, and promoters, I have been able to get their perspective on the digital age. Each perspective was unique but everyone was on the fence about the technological progress. Nothing could be taken away from the resource of this evolution but the connection sometimes would not be as deep to the way this scene represented itself in the past. I was fortunate to get to experience this culture during an organic time when the electronic scene was booming in the nineties… the internet didn’t play a part yet and it took real word of mouth to find out what was going on in your city. People spoke on the phone, one on one, they met at record shops to listen to music and check out flyers, and the social aspect amongst friends was personal. Texting and writing messages on one another’s facebook was done verbally. I’m amazed on a daily basis on how we’ve put up these walls up in order to communicate. When’s the last time someone left a voice mail for you instead of just hanging up (missed call shown on cell)? Who hasn’t had a 5- minute conversation through texting (specifically chosen words… hopefully)? How many email messages do you get or send that read like they just changed the name of the recipient? When’s the last time you wrote a letter or sent a card to someone through the mail? Now I know people do send cards or Hallmark wouldn’t have great stock options but does a holiday have to be the only day? I like the idea of getting these types of moments randomly like we did… it reminds me of another aspect of how we can connect on a more personal level with the people.

As I get closer to finishing this film I can’t help but have these types of questions and observations on the brain. Getting back to basics is something that can ground you and having a moment with what this simple thank you card brought to this particular day’s perspective. Going through a long journey like this involves patience and focus; something that I’ve grown to learn over time. Not letting the everyday set backs get to you over the years and understanding that the connections I’ve made through this production has shaped the person I’ve become.

This summer, 2011, is the finish line for the film and I can’t wait to share this with an audience… This will be my ultimate letter to friends, Toronto, and this music culture that has given so much back to me.

Until we meet again – ARE YOU LISTENING?

www.groovetheglobe.com
www.facebook.com/groovetheglobe