happy 19 year anniversary
quite a feat
it’s a life and lifestyle for many of us
where our social circles and professional lives blend
currently i am the number one employer of musicians in canada
not so much in the states - with the theme parks / cruises etc
but i’m working my way up the list
sincere thanks to my assistant
cynthia cake
she keeps us all organized
and content
to my friend and road manager eric
keep fighting old friend
I will see you in a couple days
nick walsh is going to be our general manager going forward
it’s his vision and integrity that will help steer the company
he’s a good person
and he understands what needs to be done
he’s been there for us in many different ways
i trust him with my company
nick - make sure to have fun
in a years time you’ll have a brand new set of skill sets
i hope they carry you through the remainder of your life
and help to confirm that a lifetime of music
is a life well lived
there’s a lot of talk about mental health
some people close to me are aware of my struggles
all of them based on the loss of my son lucas
lucas passed five years ago
he had a rare and aggressive cancer
he was eighteen
since then i wrestle upon waking every morning
i spoke to a couple shrinks
but it really didn’t help
how do you fill a hole like that?
a parent should never outlive a child
lucas did leave behind what i call ‘gifts’
small life lessons that help put things in perspective
i don’t sweat about things going wrong
pandemic?
missed flights?
cancelled shows?
no catering backstage?
none of these kind of things bother me
i’m instantly able to contextualize any situation based on it’s severity
and deal with it
i thank my son for that
but i’m short fused when it comes to people complaining
and i lose my shit if there’s ever a sense of entitlement
that’s why i need to take a step back
and let nick run things
i’ll always be the founder
and the ceo
and i will guide CAL on all the big picture stuff
i like playing guitar in some of the bands
on the east coast tom petty tour
i felt moments of joy being on the road with my friends
and being in a band inside a van
so more of that
providing it doesn’t take work away from a musician
mostly i paint
i think i’m getting good at it
at the beginning of the pandemic
my relationship with amanda ended
her parting words were ‘make art everyday’
i took that to heart
and i do
everyday
in these moments i find peace
and the truth of my life opens up before me
in these silent moments of brush strokes
i make life decisions
i wrestle out whatever is upsetting me
confront it on the canvas
and deal with it directly the next morning
last night
i was at massey hall
wade called me late and insisted i meet him at the stage door
he was playing in the opening band
i was in my painting clothes
but he wouldn’t take no for an answer
so i walk down to the hall
go in the stage door
and steve mcgrath is there
he’s the hall’s media guru
he gives me a warm smile and a big hug
and tells me i’m family there at the hall
then as i was making my way to my seats
a number of people stopped me
to tell me how much they enjoyed the graceland show
and how much they’re looking forward to the aretha show
those brief moments are enough to fill ones soul
and share a sense of purpose
i care about the music we perform
i believe this is classical music and that we are the modern day orchestra
i care about the people that come to our shows
they connect on the socials about how much the music means to them
and thank us for performing it note for note
i care about the venues we perform in
and the crews that get our shows up and running
i’m always content to see a stage full of workers
all doing their jobs with an eye on the finish line
and
i care deeply about the musicians i work with
thank for a remarkable nineteen years
i hope you feel a sense of accomplishment today
craig martin
ceo and founder
april 10, 2003 - april 10 2022
(coffee and toast)
