the mushroom farmer
April 12, 2005 by randomguru
on sunday i did a gig at a private residence in the foothills of escondido. i’d never been in the area before, and despite the fact that i went to google maps to get directions, i still missed the freeway exit and went several miles north looking for it. my cellphone had gone dead, my cellphone’s charger was nowhere to be found, i couldn’t contact anyone… and the fuel gauge very low… i was running on empty.
i eventually turned around and backtracked, found a gas station that was overly crowded with motorcycle enthusiasts, so i continued back down the freeway and found another gas station. i tried a pay phone, but found i didn’t have enough spare change!
things just seemed to be going wrong!
after getting gas at this gas station, i asked the mechanic where ‘deer springs road’ was, and he said it was just down the street at the next stop sign! ah, peace of mind.
if it weren’t for my habit of leaving extra early for gigs, i would’ve been quite late for the gig. it turned out that i was just in time. as i rolled into the driveway of the multi-million dollar home i saw the other guys in our trio just bringing their things inside.
the owner of the house had hired us, a jazz/standards trio to perform for a very small, private family get-together. right away i noticed the home was beautifully custom-designed by an architect, and the living area had bay windows that viewed the valley below and a swiftly approaching sunset. i heard that the owner of this beautiful home owns a mushroom farm. and i thought that was an odd business, raising mushrooms, but i must confess that if one had found a niche by raising and selling mushrooms to supermarkets, then that is a great business indeed!
i was just surprised that the party was so intimate. family members, perhaps 12 total, sitting and conversing, drinking red wine and eating gourmet foods while a jazz/standards trio played ‘the shadow of your smile’, ‘the way you look tonight’ and other classic songs.
it felt odd, yet at the same time felt nice to be a part of such an intimate gathering. the grandmother, i heard, had just turned 100! and the party was in honor of her birthday and a granddaughter’s moving away to the east coast. at one time we simply watched the sun setting behind the mountains to the west, the panaromic view feeling like a spiritual awakening.
i always enjoy playing music, to the point where i don’t think about the time, and only when i noticed that i was getting very sore from sitting that i suggested we take a break. and we drank red wine that was one of the best i’d tasted so far, but don’t know why i didn’t get the name from the bottle.
afterwards, the owner and host of the party thanked us and gave us a small crate of mushrooms to take with us. i thanked him for letting us play, and said that his home’s acoustics sounded so good that it was like being in a recording studio. of course, he said he didn’t think it was that good, causing me to wonder if i’d exagerated my claim. the acoustics did sound very good, and i’ve played in far worse places (acoustically) so i was pretty sincere in my compliment but worried that he thought otherwise.
as a musician, i’ve played in many homes of the wealthy. it’s sort of ironic that a poor musician is destined to perform in the homes of the rich. but at the same time it’s a nice privilege, especially to do what you love and in the intimacy of someone’s home. in a way it’s an honor. and a sign that those wealthy clients respect what we do. he could’ve just hired a DJ or played some CDs on his state-of-the-art stereo system, but knowing that he wanted real musicians playing jazz and standards is definitely flattering. just wish there were more rich, wealthy folks to hire us more often. well, i wish there were more folks in general who would hire us for the same reasons this mushroom farmer hired us.
before heading home i looked up into the night time sky. up in those foothills of escondido, those stars seemed so much brighter and unaffected by the city lights. the clearness of the night caught my attention as well as the gentle, earthy smell of the surrounding desert plants, and i gazed upwards for a moment in wonder and awe. then i drove away into the darkness, on my way homeward.
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6 Responses to “the mushroom farmer”
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I find that so very quaint and yummy.. a mushroom farm. Beautiful sunset and mushrooms and jazz.
i wish i had more opportunities for moments of serene *everything and nothingness*-ness … i can picture the scene in my head :) i enjoyed the story, and hey, if you ever want to try something else “on the side” mushroom farming seems to have a *few* perks ;)
A mushroom farm sounds so fantasy-esque. I could imagine little fairies hidden there. Of course I’m probably thinking of the colorful artsy mushrooms instead of the bland-tasting brown ones.
I got your e-mail, haven’t replied yet. Will give ya details about stuffs in a bit. ;)
I like to wear swimming goggles in dark lit rooms, and stare sideways while my webcam takes my picture. hello i am carlos, your webmaster. i also like star trek and star wars.
http://carlosrull.com/wp-content/me.jpg
I have too much time on my hands??? me?
last I checked, I’m just using this feature you called “comments” and leaving my opinions. if you can’t handle that, then be a man grow some balls and grow up man. what you expect everyone to kiss your ass? dude seriously can’t you take criticism? you really are weak.
if anyone has too much time on their hands, it’s you… YOU’re the one who updates/ keeps Ricebowl Journals online, and then you have your own blog to boot. I mean, it’s easy to say, that YOU have waaaay too much time on YOUR hands.
later Carla. that’s because you bitch too much when you said it didn’t bother you. liar.
i beg to differ, but the one who’s missing his cajones is the one the hides behind anonymous names and url’s.
be a man and tell me who you are!