We arrived during the special hour of sunset. I breathed in the crisp air with a feeling of freedom. I remember having to walk our gear a ways away to a field to the campsite. By the second trip I was giddy with laughter, holding a big black trash bag full of blankets and comforters that couldn’t stay still in my arms. They kept falling out of the bag. I was useless in setting up the tent. Night quickly approached while my friends kindly helped to set up the camp. I was happy and I was free.

I remember feeling a wave of spirit. The stars began to appear one at a time and a woman on stage howled like a beautiful creature I had never before heard. Laser lights flashed and there was a ripe feeling in the air that I have come to know well since then. We found our way down to the music danced for a while to some odd funky tunes. I think there were horns involved. The night then loses its linear memory in my mind.

Walking past the village of vendors that was set up I heard a voice yell “If your spreading light, Your doing right!” instantly someone recalled from a distance “It’s alright it is!” I felt a ripple in my heart. In that moment, for the first time really thought about light. I realized everything was light, vibration, music, sound, stars. I also was all that, and it is all spreading around in one big beautifully orchestrated mess. That night my mind opened up. I saw the stars for their true glory. I felt a string of ancestors supporting me in that night sky. Everything was right at the deepest core of my being. The warmth of fire, the acceptance of community and the pleasure of sharing it all with friends encouraged me to express myself. I was on to something big. My friends got annoyed with me because I was so elated and fascinated with light, turning my flashlight off and on rambling about how that’s “the answer”.

Drums were always my musical medium, but guitar was something new to me. Lying on my station wagon, 16 years old gazing up at the stars, the universe displayed itself. Noodling on my Martin backpacker guitar, , the stars in my brain bounced around as I played. It felt good. My friend even said to me “it sounds good”. I always loved music but never really believed that I could be a musician. I’ve always taught myself and just looked at it as messing around. But in that moment, I knew I could actually play because I put my heart into it. I knew if it felt good then that’s all that mattered and if I was spreading light I was doing right.



This short story about going to my first music and camping festival is partially what inspired this short song “Spreading Light”. I always wanted to write a song with those lyrics in it and this song is what came out. The light is in everything, and if your sharing in it, spreading it and honoring it your doing alright.