INSPIRATION

Etymology: Middle English enspire, from Old French inspirer, from Latin inspirare ‘breathe or blow into’ from in- ‘into’ + spirare ‘breathe’. The word was originally used [applied] to a divine or supernatural being, in the sense ‘impart a truth or idea to someone.’

When I was a kid my family had the Collier's encyclopedia. Each year we'd get a supplement volume, and sometime in an early '60s yearbook I read a section about Joan Baez which mentioned her repertoire of English/Scottish/Irish ballads. Soon after, I came across an LP – her second for Vanguard Records in NYC. I have to admit that right away I was captivated by her bohemian vibe, but I really fell in love with the ballads. I had graduated from ukulele, and after a brief stint with piano lessons I decided to learn guitar. I was determined to find out about these ballads and to learn how to play them. Soon I discovered a folksong magazine, “Sing Out.” I immediately subscribed. Through “Sing Out” I found “The Folksingers Guitar Guide,” from which I learned many basics which underpin all of my own playing.

INSPIRATION. I don't know that I recognized exactly what it was at first, but I gradually I figured out that what I loved about the ballads was that many are musical vignettes of ancient archetypal stories – deep, yet common – which refer to a universal, inherited idea, pattern of thought, or image that is present in the collective unconscious of all human beings. Archetypes are thought to be the basis of many of the themes and symbols that appear in stories, myths, and dreams across different cultures and societies. For decades now, I've been curious about that realm which I am convinced lies behind our daily reality . . . the place of the archetypes. I guess writing – songs, and now a novel – is the way I explore this for myself.

To my thinking, when we gather to hear or tell a story or a song which imparts such a message, we become united in that place as if sharing the same dream. It's a peak experience for me. Inspirational.