I’m someone with considerable experience listening to sports talk radio over the course of the past 35 years. The week leading up to the Super Bowl has always been something I’ve kept on my personal radar. This year, the strangest year ever, things about sports (even the Super Bowl) seem to have been pushed to the fringes, shoved there by all-things-COVID.
Perhaps it has something to do with not really running with a tribe anymore. Or, not working in a physical space with other humans. Every workplace I’ve ever been part of would have had someone running a Super Bowl pool, soliciting predictions with a pot of cash going to the winner. Maybe New Englanders were depressed because their favorite son had found success somewhere else, out from the constraints of the Krafts and the Hoodie Man.
But this year, nothing: nada! Working from home, the daily Skype was filled with the usual inane banter about dogs and things people didn’t know about how to do their jobs. Nothing about Tom Brady, or thoughts about how New England’s favorite son might fare in the land of the sun. No openings to insert, “I just wrote a song about Tom Brady–check it out.” Actually, no one at work gives two shits about anything related to my life–I learned that all-too-well the week of the fourth anniversary of Mark’s death. Not one note or inquiry like, “how are you doing” from a team leader or manager. Oh well.
But the JBE rolls on, undeterred. Last Monday morning after scribbling and waiting to start my late morning phone shift, I scribbled a few rhyming couplets down on a piece of scrap paper. Many of the songs I’ve written commenced like ‘dat. Then, after taking calls in my corner office until late in the afternoon, I retired to my bunker and tuned up my acoustic. I had an idea for a chord progression. By dinner, I had a framework of a song.
Like many songs I’ve written, this one was in the key of D. My scrap paper notes had been transferred to a note book I use as a sketch pad for lyrics once I have the makings of a song. The framework for “In Tom We Trust (GOAT)” was in process.
Twenty-four hours later, I had something worthy of playing for Miss Mary. She’s a capable sounding board for my songwriting and run-throughs of potential new songs. I had an idea about a role for her in my new song. That’s how my creativity rolls.
During COVID, the one thing people have more of (in many cases) is time. Time spent being a part of an organization, or attending board meetings, or simply hanging out at the local bar are all things that have been put on hold.
Being locked away at home, it’s easy to feel blue, or worse. Social isolation isn’t healthy for anyone, but isolated we remain, with policies dictated by people who may not have our best interests at heart. But having time and wisely using that time aren’t one and the same.
Because I talk to more than 100 people a day in my job, I occasionally ask a random client what they’ve been doing during this past year of social distancing. More often than not, I’m told “nothing, really,” or something similar. That’s a shame.
I have spent a minimum of two hours each weekday (after work) playing, practicing, and yes, writing songs. On weekends, it’s not unusual for me to spend five, six, or more hours playing. The weekend I launched my first EP, “All You Stupid Sheep, on Bandcamp, I spent 16 hours recording, mixing, and creating cover art.
My basement has been transformed into a bunker of creativity. This level of productivity has been gratifying and so much more. To say it’s been my refuge from sadness and hopelessness would not be a stretch.
Writing a topical song about Tom Brady and Super Bowl LVI prompted me to “seize the opportunity.” How was I going to do that? At the very least, if I could have my Brady-centric song up on Bandcamp by midweek, I could possibly get some run for my efforts (or so I thought). Wednesday night, I had a track but the mix wasn’t right. I decided to re-record it. I added a snippet of Mary doing a Tom Brady “cheer” at the end. I got it up on the Bandcamp platform on my JimBaumerMe page.
Thursday is my usual day off from work. I had an early morning appointment with my eye doctor in Lewiston, an hour away. Luckily, I’d booked the appoint for 7:30. Afterwards, I came through the old home town and stopped to see my sister. I’ve been making time in my life for the few people who matter to me. We had a nice visit. Then, it was home to make a video.
I got home, wolfed down a piece of cold pizza and dragged my gear up from the basement to the Double Deuce, our saloon in our home. I ran through the new song a couple of time. I started the video camera and got a take. I didn’t like it. I did another one. The sound was good and I decided it was good enough to post to YouTube. By 4:30, my video for “In Tom We Trust (GOAT)” had been posted.
Despite my efforts to gin up a little interest and buzz around the song on Bandcamp and the video on YouTube, it was basically ignored. Those things happen. It wasn’t for lack of effort on my part.
I had fun writing the song and performing it, too. The lyrics really speak to Tom Brady’s past year and his overall career. I’m not surprised that my hopes came to fruition: Mr. Brady is now sporting seven Super Bowl crowns. The Hoodie Man and the Krafts disrespected arguably, the greatest QB of all time. He took his talents elsewhere and led a new cast to the promised land. And is ‘ole friend Gronk caught not one, but two TD passes from the GOAT.
Creativity isn’t something that arrives on the breeze. I believe that making music, like writing, is work. Granted, it’s work that I wish I could monetize better so I didn’t have to give up 30+ hours a week doing something for a paycheck that’s way less fun than playing guitar or crafting an essay (or a song). But I’m going to keep working at these creative endeavors and we’ll see where things are in another year.