Love, loss, and faith renewed as only Janis Ian can tell it.

[Kerbie]

It's great to see Janis here adding her 2 cents to her own story! I've had a great time during the last 7 or 8 years learning some of her guitar parts as much note-for-note as I can possibly get. It was tons of fun learning, "Welcome to Acousticville," "Take No Prisoners," "Breaking Silence" and "From Me to You." Outstanding guitarist, singer and songwriter who can also tell a great story...

[Dave_PA]

A quick "me too" reply. I was also at the Phila Folk Fest in '14 when Tommy Emmanuel came out at the end of Janis Ian's set and accompanied her on two songs.

I've seen a lot of live music, and countless performances that I loved. But this is maybe the only one that I'd call transcendent. It was absolutely magic. I watch the YouTube from time to time, and it gives me goosebumps every time.

http://youtu.be/6w5dsiXwxok

[Bronsky]

Originally Posted by janisian

Thanks, all, for the kind words. I apologize that I didn't post sooner but I somehow got locked out of the site, and it took until today to straighten out my credentials!

Bronsky, I don't normally care much about possessions - I've lost everything and then some, and the only two things I regretted were the stolen guitar, and having to sell my Bosendorfer piano. The Bosendorfer because it was an extraordinary instrument, the kind I never thought I'd get to own. I spent three years trying out every Bosendorfer that came into LA County, and I won't see its like again.

The Martin was given to me by my father, and you'd probably have to read the article to understand why it was so meaningful. Not just to me, but to half a dozen big-name guitarists I could mention here. It was, and is, an amazing instrument. Even for a pre-war D-18. Yes, Pastor Steve, I cared about it because my father gave it to me, and it was and is a strong link to him, both as a parent and as a musician. I also learned to play guitar on that instrument, wrote my first songs on it, made my first records with it, did my first shows with it.
I think "intrusion" is an excellent word, by the way. If you've never been robbed, arrived home to find everything in disarray and things you cared about suddenly gone, it's difficult to understand.

By the way, Bronsky, not to be challenging but I didn't "subject myself to misery", and if it came across that way, either I didn't write the article well enough to convey what I wanted to convey, or you haven't read it. Okay in either event, of course, but "misery" is a very strong word.

I've experienced a fair amount of losses in my life, at now at 65 experiencing them more and more, I agree that a thing is only a thing. (Although to be honest, if my house burned down tomorrow with everything in it, there are "things" I would miss, that hold meaning for me, and are not replaceable. Still, it's true that they are things, not people.)
But I would also argue, as a writer and player, that saying "the loss of what is only a guitar after all" is like saying "it was only first love, after all." Or "It was only an affair, after all." Or, to be extreme, "It was only a house, after all."
I think for a artist especially, the first of pretty much anything is something to be cherished, be it your first instrument, your first song, your first performance, etc. When you give it away yourself, that's one thing. But when it's taken from you, that's another.
Just my two cents!!

Thank you for your answer.
If the term "misery" wasn't appropriate, it's probably because English isn't my first language.
Rest assured that I read the article before I made my comment.

Anyway, I think your visit to this forum is a great opportunity to thank you for the great music you've put in this world.
"The Friday night charades of youth were spent on One more beautiful"... Brilliant stuff.