What traditions have you not kept that your parents had?
Now that I think about it, I don’t think that I’ve dismissed any of my parents traditions… and that makes me smile. You would have thought that I’d have discounted at least a few, but that’s not the case. Then again I’m really big on passing along culture.
Silhouettes sprinkle the horizon
As geese flock down below
Children observe as they gather
It’s the only world that they know
~ E.M.
Was today typical?
Today was not typical as I had some dental work to be done. There’s nothing like a dentist appointment to put a wrinkle in your perfect day. Over the years I’ve adopted a line of thinking where I focus my attention on what I’m going to do after the disruptive wrinkles, instead of the wrinkles themselves. It seems to work for me, and it helps me keep things in perspective.
How would you describe yourself to someone?
I’m a prayer whisperer in need of a Gethsemane wink; I’m a soul searcher seeking a sacred link; I’m a dust debtor desiring a divine drink; I’m a broken blessing believing on the brink; I’m a troubled temple treasuring a wink.
If you could bring back one dinosaur, which one would it be?
I freely admit, I googlized this, as my knowledge of dinosaurs is very limited, but the Stegosaurus would be my choice as it’s recognized as the friendlist, and it’s herbivorous. I guess the last thing the world needs is the return of a dinosaur, but if it happened I’d want the most compassionate one I could find.
Down in the valley together
Down in the valley with love by our side
Down in the valley together
My imposition crucified
~ E.M.
If you won two free plane tickets, where would you go?
Well, being a man of faith, if I won two free plane tickets anywhere I’d travel to the Holy Land …ahh to walk in Canaan.
Walk in Canaan
When your shadows grow long
Walk in Canaan
When you’re tempted by wrong
When hate is ushered in
When the broken fall to sin
When you don’t know where to begin
Walk in Canaan
Walk in Canaan
When you fashion your whisper
Walk in Canaan
When your essence is tender
When hate is ushered in
When the broken fall to sin
When you don’t know where to begin
Walk in Canaan
When the world is running wild
When you heart feels defiled
When you don’t recall the last time that you smiled
When you move irrelevant
When you’re the hued elephant
When you hear yourself exclaiming, “I can’t!”
Walk in Canaan
© 2015 Eddy Mann
Hissongs | ASCAP
What’s the story behind your nickname?
My father was a jazz pianist who had a Be-Bop quintet. He played under the moniker of The Eddie Mann Quintet. So it was in honor of his influence on me that I decided to use the slightly different Eddy Mann brand. I love answering the question, it never gets old.
Though you’re gone, you remain
In the whisper that hopes
In the longing for springtime
In my unfolding November rose
~ E.M.
What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?
My father imparted some wonderful nuggets of wisdom in his time. Not the least was that if I ever wanted to be happy in this life, I needed to find a way to deal with all the trappings of this world, that there were always going to be problems and that I needed to find a way to deal with them. Over the years I have, though not without collecting some scars along the way, but I find myself embracing those words every single day. It’s why I’m a faithful man, I’d be a pretty unhappy guy most of the time without it. Thanks Pop!
There’s another, and another, and another too!
There’s always a reason to quit
I was warned, I was warned, I was warned what to expect
You gotta learn to deal with it
~ E.M.
What are your future travel plans?
As autumn arrives I’m really excited to begin the first leg of a long awaited discovery of our country. My wife and I have experienced very little in the way of our land’s cultures and lifestyles. We’ve made many excursions up and down the east coast between our homes, but haven’t ventured west except on occasion. Our plan is to travel with very little or no itinerary. The only certainty is that our heavenly pilot will be our constant travel companion.
What would you change about modern society?
One mann’s opinion is that we’ve lost our compassion for each other. We’ve diminished the value of a life. We’ve gone so far as to remove arguably the design of life. Life’s experiences have led me to a place where I’m much more aware of those around me who need to know my gratitude. They need to hear me say, ‘I don’t know what I’d do without you.’
What do you listen to while you work?
Since I’m a musician, I’m listening to whatever moment I’m in. To be done well it’s my belief that I’ve got to listen to those around me first, and then listen to myself as I support or lead the flow of notes and rhythms. The actual process is an automatic one at this point of my creative life. Though after stepping back and thinking about it, it might be a pretty good way to walk through the rest of my day. What a novel idea, to humble myself to listen to others first, and then to react in the best way to support or lead them. It surely couldn’t hurt to try.
Works 