A story about kindness
In about a week, we’ll find out if Will Play For Food is nominated for this year’s Emmy Awards (SF/NorCal Chapter).
When we received our nomination in 2018, we didn’t have enough funds to put everybody’s name on the ballot. So a couple of us were left off, despite the show being a team effort.
This time around, we had enough money to submit all three of us into every category we submitted to. But there’s another part to this story.
A show like this only happens with an immeasurable amount of trust, love, talent, grit, and understanding. All for one and one for all. It feels good to be in a band that cares about that.
The week before submissions were due, we had less than $100 in our band account. This usually happens when we book travel before playing the shows that would cover those costs. It’s part of the business of touring.
We decided we would buckle up, sell some things, and give at least one good submission because we wanted to honor each other’s hard work, regardless if we won.
Jon and I had a rough phone call (as brothers sometimes do) over the stress it had taken us to get to this point. Was it all worth it? We listened to each other, encouraged each other, and by the end of it had found an overwhelming peace of the kind that makes you feel more human. It was late. We needed that talk.
Not even a few hours later, in the middle of the night, Jon calls. He’s frantic. I get out of my bedroom and ask what’s up.
An old friend, someone who we haven’t talked to in years, just out of the blue had given Jon a call asking how the band was doing. He was honest. A few moments later, the band’s Venmo account increased by a substantial amount of money. Enough to cover all of our names on every submission we had dreamed about for this year’s Emmy Awards. It’s chump change for a television network or streaming platform; for an indie band, however…
So we used that gift for the reason it was gifted, submitting all three of our names in ten separate categories for the episodes we think are truly deserving.
Even if we get nominated, or by some miracle win an Emmy this year…it’s the generosity of our friend who called that will be the truly life-changing moment. We’ll be in that position someday. Thank you, friend, for showing the world that kindness makes an impact, even in the context of our self-produced TV show. Maybe that’s the whole reason why we even got to make the show. At least I’m inspired. I hope you are, too.