Two +1 Debuts at Bordertown Jam

On Wednesday April 6, 2022, two years and two months after I performed at my first ever open mic (and about a month before COVID cancelled even the idea of an open mic), my dad (Murray), Aldon and I got up on stage for a 6-song set at the mall in Amherst, Nova Scotia for the Bordertown Jam.

We’ve been playing music together since Aldon and I moved back to Nova Scotia in July. We’re heavily influenced by my dad’s love of old country (and our growing appreciation for it), and we all felt ready to try it out in front of an audience, and it was really fun!

Mom came along to cheer us on, and the audience was welcoming and kind. Although there was definitely some nervousness at play, we had a blast! The good folks at the jam recorded some videos to post on their Facebook page. While I can’t bring myself to actually use FB, I’ll embed (nope, stupid FB no longer allows embeds?!) link to the videos below.

The exciting news is that the organizers were impressed enough to offer us a spot on their Saturday afternoon musician series (!!!), so now we’ve got an official gig (dates TBA)! We’re calling our trio Two +1 and I’m pumped to have something to work toward this summer.

Bad Moon Rising

Walk the Way the Wind Blows

Blue Kentucky Girl

Flowers on the Wall

Back Home Again

C’est le Way

Some people wanna fill the world
With silly love songs
And what’s wrong with that?

Paul McCartney

Goals:

2019: learn to play ukulele
2020: learn to play guitar
2021: learn to write songs

Press Play to Listen:

C’est Le Way by Marsha Amanova

My first song! It’s simple and silly, but I made it, and I’m pretty proud of that.

This is just an iPhone recording, nothing fancy, but I wanted to share it. I hope it makes you smile. 🥰

C’est Le Way

by Marsha Amanova

I know it might sound sappy
I can’t help but feel happy
Whenever I am close to you

We adventure together
Sit quietly and do whatever
That’s how I know our love is true

Don’t need no Valentine’s Day
To say what I want to say
I Love You
Mon amour, all the ways
...C’est le way.

We’re a team, that’s effing awesome
We work together on problems
Pick each other up when we’re feeling blue

You tuck me in at bedtime
That’s how I know you are mine
And you know that I am yours too

I choose you every day
When I feel it I gotta say it
Je t’aime beaucoup
Even more than yesterday
... C’est le way.

I’m so glad we found each other
You’re my best friend and lover
I fell for you watching Doctor Who

Now we’re partners in love and life
Planning what’s for dinner tonight
Let’s start with wine and a corkscrew

We’ve made it to today
And there’s still so much to say
I love you
All ways
Allons-y... C’est le way

Ukulele and a Microphone

Wow. That was… exhilarating!

My first time will not be my last.

It didn’t go as well as I hoped, but who cares! It was SO MUCH FUN.

I ended up going 8th/last (insert long story about how I wanted to make sure Aldon would be able to make it on time).

I had so much nervous energy, I felt like I was going to blast off through the roof. But it felt amazing, not scary.

I fucked up each song in it’s own way, getting worse and worse as my tempo sped up and up and up (BLAST OFF)! I lost my place, forgot the lyrics, rambled on and… it was not good musicianship, but maybe it also wasn’t a terrible performance.

And I learned so much from that 10 minutes of doing-a-thing-I-had-never-done-before.

Not just about the feeling of doing-a-thing-I-had-never-done-before, but about doing that particular thing. Do I need a list? Probably not, but why the hell not.

Lessons I learned last night about playing at an open mic:

1. Slow the fuck down.

Nerves lead to energy and an increased heart rate and I need to slow down (i.e. keep the tempo) if I’m going to be able to play the right chords and sing the right lyrics at the right time. Timing is huge! Can I hear it for percussion?! And breathe, dammit! Allowing little moments of silence and stillness will serve me well.

2. Crutches are there to support you.

Yeah, so when I first came up with this challenge to myself it was: play a 3 song set at open mic with 100% memorization. Well, that’s all fine and good, but maybe not for your first ever performance in public. It was a lot to ask. Yes, I know those 3 songs 100%, but when I’m in a very particular environment: i.e. at home, alone. Next time I will not be so stubborn. I will allow myself to bring so-called cheat sheets. It’s not cheating!

3. Practice smart.

I practice a lot. It builds my confidence, it makes me better and it’s fun! But next time I’m practicing to perform at a different time and place, with varying environmental factors, I will consider the effects each of these things might have, and try to include/account for them in practice. I never play uke with a pick. But I did last night my first time playing in front of strangers! See #2 above.

4. I really love performing.

It’s probably a good idea to find more opportunities to do so, and keep practicing so I can get better. I’m not looking to be a professional musician (or actor or anything else), but that doesn’t mean I can’t put time and effort toward it.

5. It’s scary, and that’s why it’s awesome.

Push, push, push those boundaries. Keep searching for that thing you haven’t found yet. Maybe it’s out there, maybe it’s in here, maybe it doesn’t even exist, but keep looking. It’s not the finding that matters, it’s the seeking.

Curious about the set? I played:

  1. Ain’t No Reason – Brett Dennen.
  2. Bad Moon Rising – CCR
  3. Mr. Jones – Counting Crows (to be fair I messed this up so bad I don’t know if I can count it, but I tried)!

The Evidence

Courtesy of my friend, SM ❤️. The view from the couch!