The Living Legend, MELANIE Safka's Summer 2010 Press Page

Oh God, I Love People
May 29, 2010

So my dear ones,

Life goes on ~ without being sappy, I will just say that the people here are to be highly commended for their actions taken to help neighbors or in so many cases, complete strangers.

I am moved beyond words. They took action without credit, attention, votes or getting anything in return. Oh God, I love people, and how mostly they're so good. Well, they keep dogs and cats don't they? Isn't that proof? We are however in a place and time in this world where politics/media are dangerously powerful in that their influence is being exerted on us. Lots of people are actually afraid to think. Especially out loud because they might look as if they are one of those, or worse, one of "those". I suspect the real thinkers are going underground, so to speak. We live in an age of marketing and categories. We must rise above categories. We're humans with imaginations, whims, thoughts of endless possibilities and so on.

For those who might wonder, when I return from England's Isle of Wight festival and all that goes with it, I'm planning a concert series. Neighbors helping neighbors. Grassroots. As little in "organization" as possible, one on one. I'm doing my first for a family. An artist I know who lost all his ways of making a living. Instruments, computers, of course everything else. His wife and child managed to get out at 5AM, rescued by a friends canoe. So all the proceeds will go to Tony and family to help rebuild their life.

I've been involved in so many charities and supposed not for profit efforts where the amounts raised don't exactly go to those wonderful humans I spoke of previously. So the idea is, one family at a time. Raise money to help them rebuild. At the end of the show, the audience will be told how much they raised for the family. Of course Beau and I will donate our time and performance without the need to recover expenses because we live here. What I'm hoping is that other artists take this idea and run with it. Because artists are usually givers and nurturers, but things happen in between. The administrative costs and expenses outweigh the profits, or worse, get "diverted". I am intending these concerts to bypass the pitfalls. It's me and Beau Jarred, maybe Leilah and Jeordie and friends. Johnny Ellis, a lawyer from these parts, helped me when Peter had a heart attack last October. There are only two lawyers out of the hundreds I've been involved with that I would trust with my life, and Johnny Ellis is one of them. He has freely given his time to support our efforts in helping flood victims.

So that's it for now. I haven't played out since, well, November. So I'm terrified, feel unqualified and feel entirely to "woman of size". I think that is the most politically correct way of saying fat, but I'll get over it - I always do. My dear one's remember, who knows what's good for you.