Gentry Bronson Plays Piano

The first time I saw Gentry Bronson was at Jesse Brewster’s PKD fundraising event where he pounded the heck out of “Heads on Fire,” from his No War CD, jumped around the stage barefoot and made the audience laugh with various quips of one sort or another.

Gentry was nothing short of memorable.   I kept saying to myself, “Who is this guy and why haven’t I seen him in town before?”

Gentry Bronson received a Sacred Rose (a rose given as a sacred medicine ritual) that night, along with Jerry Hannan, Jesse Brewster and the cocktail waitress – who had waded through equipment,  children and music fans all night in an effort to take care of everyone singlehandedly.  The PKD event was standing room only, after all.

The cocktail waitress was grateful to receive some love in return for her efforts.  The guys were like – who is this woman with the rose thing?  Ok, Jerry Hannan had been introduced to me through Krickie.  Jesse Brewster and I had corresponded about my covering the PKD event and well…Gentry was a complete stranger.  Until the rose.

Gentry took the rose, very carefully and he may even have blushed.  I admit that it’s never been my strong point to call attention to myself quite so intimately to a stranger – but there I was, white rose in hand.

“This is just something I do for the music community,” I said.  “Well, thank you,” Gentry responded.

The Relationship Continues…

That same week, I thought it would be a great idea to add Gentry’s voice to my newsletter on PKD. He agreed to be interviewed.   How was I to know that we’d end up conversing on the nature of community for so long, that I had far too much material for one newsletter?

So here we are.  Gentry Bronson gets his own edition.

Who is Gentry Bronson?

Gentry’s biography on his website is lengthy and varied.  He was born in Bemidji, Minnesota.  He learned to play piano by making up stories between the white keys and the black keys.  He has travelled extensively worldwide.

Gentry has taught and produced music and multimedia, played in bands, washed dishes, DJ’d and bartended.   He has self-confessedly been “ridiculous” at least once – and I am certain, that doing so is a requirement for the true artistic/ creative soul.

Gentry has lived the preverbial artist’s life never quite fitting into that 9-5 box that pervades most of the world.  What did he learn?  What does he have to teach us about community and music?  And where will the Sacred Rose ritual take Gentry next?

While I know the ritual I perform as sacred medicine has changed some people’s lives already (including mine) – the medicine has a nature of its own.  Only Gentry will know, perhaps for the internal shifts of community are so often personal.

In the end, I am certain that someone with a life already as varied as Gentry’s will most undoubtedly have interesting tales to tell as the future unfolds.  We can look forward to witnessing where the road of life takes him next.