Thoughts about Trayvon and Zimmerman...1

There's been so much of a focus on the actual action that took place in Zimmerman's heinous killing of Trayvon Martin that some of the psychological aspects of the crime have been missed or pushed to the side. For instance, consider the fact that Zimmerman had recorded 46 calls to 9-1-1 prior to this one, providing a record of his bias and mistrust of Blacks. Granted, I haven't heard the calls, so I can't truly speak to the content. However, I would bet money on the likelihood that in most of the calls, Zimmerman reported that the suspect was likely Black. And if that's the case, then the facts suggest that Zimmerman had some sort of racial bias that caused him to view Blacks as a threat, whereas he viewed other ethnic groups as non-threatening.

Now it becomes important to explore more of Zimmerman's background...to look at his home environment, the attitudes and beliefs expressed by his parents and family, the beliefs he came to embrace over the years about various ethnic groups, and the other ways messages were reinforced, as well as the opportunities that were missed to help him develop a more moderate and realistic view of other ethnic groups. Plus, given Zimmerman's Hispanic heritage, cultural views have to be explored.

I'm not suggesting that this needs to be done in order to create some sort of excuse for why Zimmerman did what he did. Quite the opposite...this information would help create a profile of a killer and maybe it can help open the eyes of...somebody...to see that there are still interpersonal and intrapersonal issues that haven't been addressed, but that are boiling just below the surface. Problems and issues that, if continually ignored through a focus on punishment versus prevention and education, will likely result in more and more hate crimes masquerading as self-defense and ignorance.

The Blockbuster Conspiracy…

The other day, I was having a conversation with a friend lamenting the fact that more and more Blockbuster stores were closing in favor of the smaller electronic kiosks found in and around various grocery stores. Sure, there could be more kiosks placed in more places, and with no employees to pay, Blockbuster could save a bundle in expenses. But it seemed that they were missing something. What was it? Oh yeah...the ability to rent movies that just might catch your eye while wandering around the store.

What I mean is that one of the joys of the Blockbuster (or similar video rental) stores was walking around and spotting movies that have never been heard of. Let me put it like this, my friends and I frequently enjoyed the opportunity to walk around Blockbuster perusing various movies, picking them up, reading the back, laughing at the ludicrous premise of the films, or finding ourselves fascinated by the concepts and intrigued enough to rent movies that we would not have otherwise seen. But now, with the stores closing, the odds of us finding those movies that sometimes surprised us has diminished significantly. The kiosks really only carry the latest movies to come out, so searching for the old classics has been relegated to online searches and hoping that the movies are available through the online services. Either that or spending money to buy movies that we may or may not actually want in our collection.

But what if there was more to it than that? What if there was a larger issue afoot? Not following? Okay, try and stay with me.

By limiting the number of movies that are available to rent in the kiosks, the movie rental industry and their parent companies are exercising control over what people at large get to watch. Gone is the creativity and curiosity associated with viewing older or little-known movies. Gone are the opportunities to effortlessly expand one's horizons. Gone is the intellectual curiosity sparked by the visual double-takes. Now, you have to know exactly what you're looking for, and if you don't know, well then you're just out of luck. But in limiting these avenues for exploration, the movie rental industry is also forcing the viewing audience to conform. And the more we conform, the less trouble we're likely to be. Why? Because we won't be watching the independent, revolutionary movies. We'll be watching the pandering and pedantic movies that cater to mindless entertainment while rejecting critical analysis. We'll be force-fed a diet of explosions, stereotypical and unrealistic romantic comedies, stilted dramas, and pseudo-horror slasher movies that emphasize gore instead of the psychological thrillers that used to scare the crap out of us. We'll be one step closer to being the mindless drones that don't ask questions but that go to work and do what they are told without asking why.

But hey, maybe I'm just rambling...maybe I'm totally off-base...maybe we're already stuck in the Matrix and it doesn't matter which pill we take, we'll never get unplugged.

Zo's Tofu Chitlins...

What a great name for a band. Good thing I know the guy that came up with it, and I'm glad I do. Lorenzo Sands is the frontman for this jazz group out of the Baltimore, MD area...but we'll just go ahead and claim him for the DMV (that's the abbreviation for the DC/MD/VA area for those that don't know...and don't hate because it took me awhile to figure it out...but I digress). Lorenzo has been around for more than a minute and has a storied musical career of people that he has played with...but that's not my story to tell. Me? Well, I've had the privilege of getting to know him and learn from him while playing next to him (and Reginald Reid and CV Dashiell) at RPC, and let me tell you, it is an awesome experience. Right now, I just wanted to share some thoughts I had after catching one of his performances with his group.

Quite simply...the boy is BAD! Whether they were performing original songs or covers of classic tunes, the groove they found was something...inspiring. I couldn't help but have my head nod and doing a little dance in my seat while listening. And all I could think about was "don't stop playing...or at least let me know where you'll be playing next because I am NOT ready for this to be over."

Anyways...I just wanted to give a quick shout-out to Zo's Tofu Chitlins and say "Lorenzo...quit messing around and put out the CD man!" LOL ;)

One last thing, for those of you that want a sample of Lorenzo's skills, check out this clip from a tribute concert: http://youtu.be/x2CtqH5YiAI

(No, I don't have a video of his band...I'm still getting the hang of this newfangled technology)

The Release...

Wow, it really has been a minute since I updated this blog...and for that, I need to apologize. My bad...work and life got in the way...but I guess I shouldn't be surprised should I? I mean, life happens...we're supposed to learn from it and grow from it and pass on the lessons we learn. Now, whether that happens in THIS particular post remains to be seen, LOL...but we'll see, won't we?

There are so many things I want to share...but I think I'll start with the easy one and then come back and fill in the blanks. And the easy one is this (drumroll please)...

I released my first song on iTunes!!! After almost a year in the works, going from a rough idea of a tune...development of a background track...the approval and encouragement of my friend and producer (Reggie...check him out at http://www.rreidproductions.com) ...studio time...creative financial management...mixing...and a whole lot of prayer...a song has been born. The song is called Hear Me Calling and is available on iTunes (you can search by my name: Ekwenzi), and it's a pretty smooth little ditty if I may say so. (http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/hear-me-calling-single/id438316108)

Not that I'm trying to be conceited...and this is where I'm going to say some things because this is MY blog and I can say what I want to (LOL)...because I'm not. Not when it comes to my playing. I consider myself an average player due to a lot of factors...time away from my instrument, a disrespect for the foundations of music during my formative years, honestly listening to other really talented musicians...and I get lost in my head. I know there are guys and girls that could play circles around me...but then I remind myself that it's not a competition. It's about doing what we love and doing the best we can at it...and growing more and more each day so that every time we play, we're better than before. SO, that being said, I have to get out of my own way when it comes to my song, which is a GOOD song. If it weren't, Reggie would have never suggested that we try and record it...and he's a person I trust. 

Okay, I've been rambling for a minute, so I guess I should finish up with this thought about the song because I'm sure some of you are dying to know what the song is about. Quite simply, it's a song about prayer. It came out of a time in my life when I was searching for answers and asking God questions and wondering if He heard me? He did, I just wasn't always perceptive enough to understand His answers. (Oy...the rough lessons I learned...yeesh!) And now, well I still pray for a spirit of discernment and all the wisdom I can muster...and I never stop praying. Even when it doesn't feel like anyone is listening, even when the frustration is setting in, I continue to lift my voice (or my instrument) in prayer and praise because I believe someone is listening and someone will understand.

So...if the spirit moves you, check out the song...and if you like it, tell a friend. And of course, let me know what you think. ;)

Peace be the journey...

Every song has a story...

...And my first song, Hear My Call, has 2. I was thinkng about this post and what I wanted to share and how I wanted to do it. Being the person that often struggles with indecision and commitment, I figured..."why not just say all that I want to say?" And so I shall. lol

Story 1 - Behind the Song

I've been working on this song in some way for a few years. But it wasn't until recently that I realized I was really just carrying it around like a seed in my pocket when it needed to be in fertile ground. But I'll come back to that. The seed of the song was created years ago when I was struggling through a really dark period in my life. My heart was awash in pain and heartache, and there was no peace to be found. What really created the essence of the song though, was that I felt really isolated and alone. I had friends and family around but I still felt cut off...and most importantly, I felt cut off from God. I prayed because that's what "good Christians" are supposed to do, but I didn't think that my prayers were being heard. It's like I was calling out to God, crying out for Him, but not getting an answer. So, when I picked up my guitar to try to pick out a few notes, they formed a basic bass line, then a few chords, and finally, the melody came to mind. But beyond playing those few notes in the comfort of my home, there was nothing else there. I wasn't ready to share my struggles with anyone...and so, the seed went into my pocket. Until now...

Story 2 - The seed finds a green thumb

For the better part of the last year, I've had the opportunity to play with the praise team at RPC...or more accurately as one of the musicians for the praise team, under the direction and leadership of Reggie Reid. I have to keep lifting his name up because I can't thank him enough for creating space for me to get my chops back and grow as a musician. He pushed me and challenged me and, when the time was right, he took the seed of my song and nurtured it into a full-blown musical tree. And for all of those things, I have to give him his props, even as I give glory to God...recognizing that there must have been a plan for things long before I could even conceive of them.

Now...I'm left with one short-term goal as I prepare to unveil the song tomorrow night: Don't mess it up. LOL! Tomorrow night, at Ellington's at CPC (www.cpcsda.org), the song will be played and the story will be told again. Maybe not with words, but with melodies and harmonies and rhythms intertwined. And so...until that time...peace be the journey... 

The intent behind the words...

Ok...in my last blog, I'd alluded to my performance back in San Francisco. Well, here's the follow-up that I promised...

The performance itself went relatively well. At least to me. "Center of My Joy" and "His Strength is Perfect" were the songs that were speaking to me that day. (Ok, Center of My Joy was speaking to my mother, but since I'm an extension of her...) I closed my eyes and just played. Now, anyone that knows me knows that I tend to add a few riffs and runs while I play...tapping into that jazz essence that seems to have ingrained itself into my heart and soul. And I have no problem with that. But I also try to tone it down a little for church. But I'm still going to freestyle a little bit. I mean, if I was a singer, I would do that too. But I digress.

Anyways...after church was over, I had a number of people come through and tell me that I did a good job, and I appreciated that. But there was one person that...well, here's a paraphrase of the interaction that we had.

"You played well, but you sounded like you were in a nightclub."

"Thank you."

"You like sounding like you're in a nightclub? I wouldn't think that would be something you would be thankful for."

*pause...the thoughts are starting to run around all helter-skelter*

"Well, I'm thanking you for the compliment anyways."

"Okay then." And they walked off.

NOW...it took me a minute to realize that they were criticizing me. And I admit, I was a little hurt at first. But then I thought about it some more and here are some of the things I came up with.

• I'm not upset that I sounded nightclub-ish because I've been working on that for years. So, I guess some of the work is paying off. And if you thought this was too much, what if I hadn't tried to tone it down?
• Why does the church have to be so close-minded about what music is "appropriate" for church? Who says what's appropriate and what's not?
• Well, the majority of people that spoke to me liked it, and they know me and my heart, so I'm not going to sweat the critique.
• If people that have gifts that don't fit the traditional church mentality, should they be discouraged from using their God given talents? That is, if the church doesn't encourage them and accept them, won't that just push them further into the secular arena and possibly result in the loss of a soul?

So...in the end, I could have really had my feelings hurt by this, but I realized that it was just something that I needed to think through a bit more in order to find a lesson. Whether the lesson I take from it is "right" or not is a matter for each person to think through on their own. Me...I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing, and looking for venues where I can continue to share my gifts and talents. I can't make everybody happy. But that doesn't matter. The things that do matter...am I happy with what I've done? Did I give glory to God in all my efforts? If I can answer "yes" to those questions, then I'm good. ;)

Anyways...on to the next thing. And as always, until next time...peace be the journey... 

Upcoming Performance...8/28/10 Ellington's Christian Cafe (Alexandria, VA)

Well, I think I've been a tad remiss in my posts. The performance in San Francisco went okay (I'll say more on that later on). I had a performance last weekend at a youth fashion show at the Suitland Community Center where I debuted a new song, believe it or not. And now...I'm getting ready for my performance at Ellington's Christian Cafe, taking place this coming Saturday at the Community Praise Center Church. I'll post a few more details below, but I wanted to say that this is an exciting opportunity for me and I hope that anyone that is able to come out and support not just me, but the whole event and venue, will come out and do so. Opportunities like this...where Christian artists can come and do what they do in personal and intimate settings...need to be supported. It's hard to be a musician (and I'm only a part-time one), so imagine how much harder it is when you're trying to walk a path that many fear to tread because of the sacrifices required? But I'm getting ahead of myself again. ...On to the details:

Location: Community Praise Center SDA Church

Address: 1400 Russell Road, Alexandria VA 22301
Phone: (703) 548-5998

Website: www.cpcsda.org

Flier: http://www.cpcsda.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=30128 (and that's also where you can find instructions on how to purchase tickets)

I hope some of you will be able to come out and join us for this wonderful evening of entertainment and fellowship.

Until next time...peace be the journey...