SUNDAY SELFIE SERIES #75

Joe McMahan

SUNDAY SELFIE SERIES #75: The magnificent Joe McMahan. I’ve traveled quite a few miles with this man during the last 20 years. He is kind, forthright, and one of the best musicians I’ve ever had the pleasure of making music with. Check out the solo on “Should I Be Concerned,” on “Crows” - that’s him. He’s a truly soulful cat in so many ways - I’m lucky to call him my friend.

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1. What has humbled you more than anything else?

At risk of sounding pretentious I suppose and yet it’s truth, I feel humbled every morning when I pour a cup of coffee and sit down with the guitar. Not in a tragic way but in a way that confronts me with who I want to be and how I will get there. Then I am forced to go into that without ego because that can only be a distraction from the direct connection. The act of working and doing and focusing can set you free from the ego, if only for a little while. 

2. Do you feel like you’ve gotten a good education?

Life has given me a beautiful education. I was never really an academic type so unfortunately I didn’t really get as much as I could have from public schools. I will say that I feel like I took away a good bit from my time at Berklee College of Music. Of course, much of that was time that was spent with other students. 

3. Do you believe that forgiveness benefits the forgiver or the transgressor?

The forgiver definitely. Carrying around anger and bitterness is a constant barrier to one's own internal peace. It’s like having that rotten asparagus in the back of the fridge that you know is there but are procrastinating cleaning it up. And then you realize that the transgressor has the rotten asparagus too..

4. What is your proudest accomplishment?

Living a life of being mostly “in” the music. And for the most part doing music that I’m a fan of with people that are nice and talented and are often much better at it than I am (back to the good education part). 

5. How would you like to live out your golden years?

Continuing to work on music in various ways. Maybe investing more time in the writing/composition department. Also living somewhere a little more rural and quiet might be nice.