Recently, I went to a show at a venue that I play often. At the end of the night, I was hanging around talking to people. One guy in particular was having a rough night. I knew him from previous shows I’d done there. Anyway, he opened to me and anyone who’d listen about a lot of stuff. It was very emotional.
Later on that night, He overdosed on some drugs and died. Literally, hours or les after our conversation. I’m really moved because tonight was his memorial service at that same venue. As I reflect on that situtation and upon our last conversation, I’m reminded of a similar situation that Bassnectar went through last year. A fan of his went to a show and then afterwards that fan died after OD’ing. Bassnectar then wrote a blog post about health and safety.
I think that is great. Bassnectar was able to seize a teachable moment and then use his blog to educate his fans. Once again, here’s the link to that.
http://www.bassnectar.net/2010/11/health-and-safety/
This is big because artists often see the world in a way that is unique to everyone else. That is why art is exists. In some ways, I think that art is just an expression or communication of ideas in a way that is not easily seen by most of the world. So artist’s job is to reveal things about the world that are hard to see. Also, the job of an artist is to share experiences that are not easily had in every day life.
The majority of people who read this blog are artists in some shape for form. Most are DJs; others are creative people who are interested in the creative lifestyle. I mentioned this in another post, but I think it’s important for all musicians (or creatives) to be blogging. After an incident like the Bassnectar one, he has a great opportunity to speak on a very fresh and relevant topic.
Again, I think we have a responsibility to use our platform to share what we know or believe. I think this responsibility is especially magnified for artists and musicians; especially DJs. I leave you with a quote from that same article I mentioned.
“It is also a good thing because as we make progress as a civilization and learn ways to positively tweak and improve the way life works, we can pass on that information to others, and gradually increase the quality of life for everyone.” – Bassnectar
