By Mandy Feder ?
Tom and Val Nixon”s front room, filled with talent, hugs and appreciation honoring a diverse cross-section of musicians who had only two common characteristics; they were all local and they were all gifted.
Local is a word that gets tossed about and often loses its meaning.
Not in this venue.
A DVD made at the Singer/Songwriter Festival in August at the Soper-Reese Theatre was carefully edited by Allen Markowski ? a beautiful collaboration of tone, personality and region exemplified Lake County”s specific personality.
Back when Nirvana came out on the music scene, I remember Bruce Springsteen giving accolades to Kurt Cobain for the creation of his sound. He respected the new genre and gave credit to the young artist who found his voice and led the way for others to express themselves through music.
That”s the way it felt with this fine group of Lake County musicians. They applauded each other. A teen accompanied by her grandfather listened intently and commented, “Oh I love this song.” Bluegrass and country met rap and indie. It ranged from upbeat to down home. There was parody and macabre. Academics cheered blue-collar, as I watched the generational and socio-economic gap come to a close.
No scoffs or snarky comments passed anyone”s lips or crossed anyone”s minds.
It got me thinking more about what local cohesion can accomplish.
I”ve recently received emails urging me to shop with community in mind for the upcoming holidays. It makes sense, too. Instead of loading up on loot from other countries or even out of the county, consider some of these suggestions instead: Haircuts, gym memberships, car detailing, massages, gift certificates or gift cards to Lake County clothing and grocery stores.
Sensible gifts are probably welcome for many people on your list. Lots of folks are hurting for the basics right now.
Tickets to shows at the Blue Wing or Soper-Reese support your community venues and aspiring artists, not to mention elevating self-esteem and creativity.
The possibilities are endless.
There are plenty of fantastic Lake County authors to purchase books from for those who love literature.
For the big spenders perhaps you could gift landscaping or painting services, golf club memberships, wine club memberships, tours of the lake with a guide, kayaking trips, dinners to favorite restaurants or even a catered dinner at home.
Lake County boasts fantastic wines. Check out the many tasting rooms or if you”re not sure what kind of wine to buy, perhaps visit Susan at the Lake County Wine Studio and she”ll steer you in the right direction.
Children would probably enjoy miniature golf, bowling or the movies; gifts that offer experiences and memories that last much longer than electronics. For the tangible items consider something from the local game, lake accessories or bike shops.
This holiday season presents the opportunity to show the people you love that you care about them enough to lift the community, financially, and emotionally, right where they live.
Those are suggestions for the consumer to foster elevating this area to greatness.
Obviously there is another side to this coin. Business owners and those marketing wares or services will need to reciprocate by providing shoppers with a guarantee of reliable and professional service.
Thommy Price, my favorite drummer, once explained to me why he stopped working for a number of years.
He said, “I was partying. I was unreliable. You could be the best drummer in the world, but if you don”t show up to the studio, people stop calling you.” And they did stop calling. It was a long road back to redemption after the trust was severed.
Twice in less than two months, work that was scheduled locally at my office was simply ignored without as much as a phone call or explanation. Both businessmen materialized more than a week late without apology. Both were the owners of their businesses.
Lesson learned with those two. But I still have faith in the many other valuable and wonderful businesses in Lake County.
Friendly, welcoming and prompt service coupled with competitive pricing should serve to not only have residents frequent your business during the holidays, but also create relationships with potential clients and customers in the future.
“But it is a cold, lifeless business when you go to the shops to buy something, which does not represent your life and talent, but a goldsmith”s.” ?Ralph Waldo Emerson, Gifts Essays, Second Series, 1844
Mandy Feder is the Record-Bee managing editor. She can be reached at mandyfeder@yahoo.com or 263-5636 ext. 32.
