Michael Santamauro

Michael Santamauro | Simply Being | Santa Fe, NM

I simply love music, and often fantasize about playing it.  My imagination allows me to pick up a guitar and strum out a perfect tune….It seems so natural.  When I actually do pick up the guitar, the fantasy turns to reality, and I pick away aimlessly for about 2-3  minutes before the ego silences my fingers.  Surely, one cannot simply be free and play the guitar without proper lessons and understanding of finger placement and chords.  When I pick up a drum, my hands begin with the mind in waiting….It sits, waiting for that first missed beat, so it can tell my hands they lack rhythm and suddenly I’m silenced.  My fantasy of playing music is never allowed the chance, as fear and ego take control.

Michael  has the rhythm and knows his chords, but in no way does he allow that to get in the way of his playing.  There’s a freedom to what he does, a fearlessness in experimenting.   He creates his own music and it works.  He allows his hands to simply dance upon the instrument, creating something new and unique.  Now, while that alone is truly wonderful, the thing that most excites me, were his mistakes.  He allows them.  You hear it….That single note that doesn’t quite fit, you quickly move to his face, looking for the shame and embarrassment.  No, nothing.  You discover he has moved on to the next note, seemingly unaware that he’s made a mistake, fully immersed in the making of music.  It’s a beautiful thing.

Michael is not a musician, though he does play beautiful music.  Michael is not a jewelry maker, though he does make beautiful jewelry.  If you ask Michael what he is, I don’t know what his answer would be, as he seems to be nothing yet does everything.  He seems to approach life much the same as he approaches music….Simply doing a dance.  Like his music, if you believe he makes a mistake, you won’t find him apologizing for it, as he’s simply enjoying the current moment.

He makes his Jewelry year round, and only sells on weekends during the flea market season in Santa Fe.  It allows him to live the year as he pleases.  I asked him if he considered setting up something online, as his work is beautiful, and certainly he could make more money in doing so…After all, that is what  we’re supposed to do, right?  Build, succeed, make more money and gain more recognition.  Well, his response was without hesitation.  No.  To sell online means he would have to work more, and his life does not require him to do so.  It works just the way it is.

Simply put, the man inspired me like nobody has in my life….