{"id":28619,"date":"2025-03-01T00:11:05","date_gmt":"2025-03-01T08:11:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sandiegotroubadour.com\/?p=28619"},"modified":"2025-03-21T12:12:18","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T19:12:18","slug":"its-an-honor-just-to-be","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sandiegotroubadour.com\/its-an-honor-just-to-be\/","title":{"rendered":"It\u2019s an Honor Just to Be"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s that time of year, San Diego! Time to celebrate the San Diego Music Awards<\/a>, an annual event that showcases so much beautiful music being made in this town while also raising funds to donate guitars to local schools. Huge props to Kevin Hellman and the team who put in an incredible amount of time and energy behind the scenes to pull it all together. This year\u2019s show takes place Tuesday, April 29, at Humphrey\u2019s by the Bay.<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"

Lindsay, the Winner, huffing anxiety-relieving aromatherapy in my car (2022).<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

Lindsay, the Winner, right before I almost ate shit on stage (2018). Photo by Alex Matthews.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

If you were nominated, congrats! As I enter into my Dinosaur Era in the SD music scene, it warms my rickety old heart to see rising and established musicians alike celebrating news of their nominations because it means they are feeling validated not only for their talent but also for their hustle, much of which goes unnoticed throughout the year. It always feels good to be acknowledged in a community that struggles to find a level of support congruent to the value they add to San Diego and the music industry as a whole. Plus, good news these days is hard to come by; it should be relished. And mustarrrrrrrd<\/a>. Sorry, I couldn\u2019t help myself.<\/p>\n

If you weren\u2019t nominated and feel bummed about it, I encourage you to take the approach I\u2019ve taught my daughter when something doesn\u2019t go her way: make like Bluey\u2019s dad Bandit, say \u201cOh, Biscuits\u201d<\/a> and get on with your day. Perhaps the Universe decided to give the spot you wanted to someone who really needs a lift. We\u2019re all connected like that, and it\u2019s a beautiful thing. Remind yourself how arbitrary awards and contests are. Tweak the judges or criteria any which way, and you will have a different group of nominees every time. Being a working musician requires a bit of skin-thickening, and the quicker you learn not to compare yourself to other artists or calibrate your sense of worth on what others think or don\u2019t think about your work, the better off you\u2019ll be. Take it from an old dinosaur like me: I\u2019m grateful when I\u2019m nominated and relieved I don\u2019t have to badger folks for votes when I\u2019m not.<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"

Lindsay, the Loser, with Veronica May (2013).<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

Lindsay, the Loser, with Jeff Berkley (2014).<\/p><\/div>\n

\"\"

Lindsay, the Loser, with Julia Sage (2023).<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Which brings me to the next order of business. Any awards-style event since the dawn of time is always accompanied by rumblings and grumblings about things like fairness, inclusion, and representation. I approach these conversations with a lot of respect for the folks running the show\u2014it\u2019s no small feat to coordinate something like this, especially on a limited budget. I know what it is to steward community projects with a robust suggestion box and a lackluster volunteer list. That said, reflecting on community feedback is a critical and worthwhile part of growth for any project. This isn\u2019t about nitpicking; it\u2019s about exploring ways to make a great event even stronger. I am not interested in armchair quarterbacking the SDMAs and then scurrying away, but I did poll my social media following on what to write about this month and SDMAs was the top request. In that spirit, here are some ideas (some silly, some serious) that I would also be happy to help implement if any seem germane to future planners.<\/p>\n