This Saturday, Oct. 25, the Third Street Center in Carbondale will host a special concert by local musicians. In “The Power of the Seed,” singer-songwriters and longtime locals Jan Garrett and JD Martin, together with Marcy Baruch, aim to plant ideas and sow community. The concert is co-sponsored by The Center for Human Flourishing.
Garrett and Martin, who are married, both have music resumes spanning decades. Songs written by Martin have been recorded by major pop and country artists including Reba McEntire and Terri Clark, and many have held top 10 positions on music singles charts. Garrett toured with John Denver and Steve Martin early in her career. In the Roaring Fork Valley, she has enjoyed a career as a music teacher and is also an avid yoga practitioner. Together, Garrett and Martin have produced nine albums of original songwriting and been recognized at the Indie International Songwriting Competition and Positive Music Awards. Baruch, based in Arizona, is also a singer-songwriter and specializes in harmonizing.
The Sopris Sun spoke with Garrett for more details about the concert. She shared that the title, “The Power of the Seed,” comes from one of her newer songs of the same name. She drew inspiration from writer Shannon M. Willis’ posts on Substack. “There is great wisdom and innate power in our own aliveness,” Garrett said, “gifts and talents and skills we can be planting in the midst of the madness.” She explained that she and Martin see music as a way to stay grounded and connected to community. “JD and I feel like we need to get centered in the heart, write new songs, sing, play and speak up for the ones who don’t have a voice.”
Garrett shared that she thinks music can sometimes reach people in a way that other art and communication cannot. “Songs [are the] combination of music and lyrics. The music takes you on the ride. The words carry the message, tell the story,” she elaborated. This form of expression, she said, is “direct heart communication,” and people have “effortless emotional response to music” where “all parts of the brain light up.”
Inspiring integrated action is important to Martin and Garrett. “How might we engage and contribute to well-being?” is a goal they consider when making music. Garrett quoted Jane Goodall, explaining that one of the pair’s objectives is to motivate listeners to take positive action. “‘We all came here for a reason. Even if we don’t know what that might be, every little thing we can do to help makes a difference.’”
Garrett said they hope the concert will inspire presence and connection. “The music itself can tune us up, calm us down, energize us, bring us into the present moment in the body,” she explained. That embodiment can be a metaphysical portal, she asserted. “[It] can effortlessly trigger and sustain a sense of beauty and joy beyond thinking, mental compartmentalization and words.”
One of Willis’ Substack writings that inspired Garrett and Martin was a piece titled “Soft Rebellion,” which explores notions of social change. “We need a different strategy — one that doesn’t just burn, but smolders, spreads, takes root. One that knows endurance is its own kind of rebellion,” is part of Willis’ assertion. Garrett shared that while she finds the idea inspiring, she doesn’t love the word “rebellion” because she finds it too connected to reactivity.
“I like the idea of soulful, heart-centered innovation rather than outright rebellion,” Garrett declared. “Of course, it’s critically important to stand up for our rights, show up … but this is not just a two-sided struggle. There is always a third thing. Or, more accurately, infinite options” when it comes to social change and harmony. “[There are] so many other ways to create positive change, by thinking and acting outside the box. Being smart, connected, tuned in.”
Garrett, Martin and Baruch hope that the music they share Saturday evening will help the audience to do just that. Sharing creative expression is vital for people in “getting grounded, getting centered, tuning into the aliveness in and all around us,” Garrett concluded.
You can learn more about Garrett and Martin’s musical offerings at www.garrett-martin.com
The Center for Human Flourishing hosts several events per month in the Roaring Fork Valley, often at the Third Street Center. Learn more about their work at www.thecenterforhumanflourishing.org