It’s funny the things you contemplate over a pint of Chaser Pale at the tail end of a tough week. Like just last night, it occurred to me…every moment holds within itself the meaning of life. The key, then, is to be alive and present in the moment as it happens. Man that was some seriously good beer!

Guitar Center and MusiCares Partner for Nashville Flood Relief Efforts

Nashville and its surrounding communities were unexpectedly struck by a major disaster on Saturday May 1st. Many in this music community experienced significant loss – homes, cars, equipment, and rehearsal space – ruined by the unprecedented flooding in several communities. It has been estimated that only a fraction of those who experienced significant loss had adequate flood insurance to cover their damages.

Guitar Center and MusiCares understands the effects of this disaster in a unique way and are poised and ready to help the Nashville music community get through this crisis. Operation High Ground – Nashville Flood Relief is designed to directly assist music people affected by the Middle Tennessee Floods.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW!

Flood Victims

If the Nashville floods have directly affected you, Guitar Center is here to help. We have a dedicated team of specialists from Guitar Center that are available to interface and advise flood victims on the best way to either repair or replace their musical instruments and recording gear as quickly as possible.

Guitar Center has established a special Tennessee direct hotline to the High Ground Emergency Team for musicians who have experienced catastrophic loss.

By calling 877-687-5405 you will be connected to a dedicated support team to ensure rush access to musical gear, along with personalized priority shipment and delivery logistics.

Professional musicians and studios can also utilize this line to be connected with Guitar Center Pro for replacement value quotations, on-site support, equipment damage evaluation, recommended replacement solutions, special leasing opportunities and general support.

In 1959 Johnny Cash sang, “How high’s the water, Mama? Five feet high and rising”. Those words rang true throughout Nashville and Middle Tennessee last weekend. Now, as the waters recede, our community must begin the work of rebuilding lives and homes devastated by this disaster and reclaiming dry land.

To help in this effort, Guitar Center is accepting donations on behalf MusiCares. All proceeds will go to MusiCares Nashville Flood Relief Fund to assist music people affected by the Middle Tennessee Floods. MusiCares’ initial assistance will provide funds for food and clothing, gasoline and transportation, clean up efforts, relocation costs, medicine and other critical supplies. Guitar Center Nashville is also accepting donations of water & food for the Second Harvest Food Bank. Please stop by and give what you can!

Day 7 of what my doctor deemed an upper respiratory bacterial infection. No fancy “something-or-other-itis”. Just a run-of-the-mill, no-name infection.

The homemade chicken soup was hot but ineffective. Gymnastika, an unpleasant Russian regimen of alternating facial massage and snorting cold water up my nose, only temporarily relieved the congestion in the most painfully annoying manner I can imagine. Nyquil is mind-numbingly pleasant, but it leaves me with the guilty feeling I should check into rehab. “Hi, my name is Wayland and I’m a…I’m a…I…can’t remember what I am.”

It’s time for more drastic measures. Azithromycin, one of the many miracles of modern medicine. Fancy name for a man-made pill devised to combat a nameless bacterial infection. But oh well, let the Z-Pack begin.

In a perfect world, a grocery store would carry replacement blades for every razor it sells. Today I discovered the name of that utopian supermarket would not be Harris Teeter. That is unless, in a perfect world, it would be infinitely more important to have a bitchin beer selection than a full line of razor blades. I suppose that could be highly likely. Paradisiacally speaking, I mean.

The only thing good about being under the weather is homemade chicken soup. I can’t smell it or taste it, but I know it’s good.

Another snowy day. I don’t remember a winter in Nashville with as many days of snow and biting cold. Of course, there was The Ice Storm of 1994. But that just lasted a week. Though I admit it seemed longer without electricity.

Yesterday I went to an exhibition of my friend Toni Swarthout’s paintings. I can only describe Toni’s art as passionate and impactful. She reaches for the abstract emotions hidden deep within the heart and subconscious mind and draws them out into the light of the more tangible world as color and texture on canvas. Her work is really quite beautiful and stirring.

Toni’s paintings will be on display for the next two weeks at Nouveau Classics located at 3201 Belmont Boulevard in Nashville. If you can’t make it to the exhibition, check out Toni’s website located at http://www.toniswarthout.com/