This letter from musician and composer Renee Blue O’Connell is the latest in a series we’re running from my Planet Waves co-creators (introduced here). Music has become an integral part of my Planet Waves FM broadcasts, and last year I decided to integrate music into the audio portions of the annual edition readings, called LISTEN. Both Renee’s story and her music were a prefect fit; you can listen to her musical selection for the Aries LISTEN here. — efc
Dear Friend and Reader:
My name is Renee Blue O’Connell and I am a musician who has been reading Planet Waves now since the late 1990s. This past winter a friend told me that Eric was looking for original music for the audio segments of his 2013 annual edition, called LISTEN. I immediately stopped what I was doing and sent him about five songs.
Our ‘meeting’, although through email, was for me like reuniting with a long lost friend. He responded right away, saying that my music was perfect for the LISTEN project.
As I told him more about myself, we found several synchronistic things about our connection. One is that I became profoundly deaf in my teens. Finally at the age of 50 I got a cochlear implant — and had to relearn to hear again. So, I know how to ‘listen’ deeply.
I also am called by the nickname of “Blue” — Eric’s photography business / fiction project is called “Book of Blue.” I was given the name “Blue” at Omega Institute one summer; Eric is also connected to Omega and lives right near there. Thus began my collaboration with Planet Waves.
Working with the Planet Waves team was one of the most meaningful projects I have ever had the honor to be a part of. I would be sent the audio file for a sign and my task was to put one of my compositions to it. As I would listen to Eric’s voice and words, I took notes on themes I heard or words Eric emphasized and from there I would choose a song that best reflected the overall message in the reading.
Then I edited my songs for intros and outros and sent them on. It was quite an incredible process for me. I’ve always wanted my songs to have more of a purpose than to be just entertainment. I would think of a potter whose beautiful work could be made into cups and bowls that had a purpose, beyond being a thing of beauty. When I heard my songs paired with Planet Waves LISTEN audios, I felt like that potter; my songs now had a new meaning and purpose to them: to serve alongside the guidance and inspiration Eric put into his astrology readings.
I have one last synchronistic story to relay that was quite astounding to me. During this phase of working with Planet Waves, an old boyfriend from high school contacted me on Facebook. It was the first time in over 30 years that we have had contact. He did so by commenting on my photo using the words of my favorite song back when we were together. He wrote, “Don’t surround yourself with yourself, move on back a square. Send some instant karma to me.”