The Music Box Micro Stage
It is amazing what one ray of sunshine can do to one’s soul.
F.M. Dostoevsky
Do you believe in Magic? Personally, I don’t. I don’t believe, I know. I see it happening, all the time, and I chance upon magicians and miracles every now and again. Here’s a short story of one of them.
The Music Box Micro Stage was not pre-planned, it was born incidentally. Just like Papa Carlo chanced upon the profile of Pinocchio in a log of wood, so did William (aka Billy Stobo) see a stage and hear the music coming out of a cupboard. The idea that impregnated his mind, was implemented in less than 9 months as Billy happens to be a carpenter, as well as a prolific musician, poet, singer and composer. Step by step, or rather light by light, and speaker by speaker, a wooden box was turning into a micro-stage, which so beautifully illustrates the transient nature of the material world – it becomes what we want it to be, at times a box is a coffin, at others - it is a stage. The Music Box Micro Stage, that was born at the turn of the pandemic was destined to become the sole live music performance venue in the whole of LA, and, most likely, well beyond, not only for its creator but for many musicians to come.
Its birth place – eclectic Venice, the hub of the free and creative, and its God Father – Michael Jost, a guitar wizard and composer, and a music producer, who’s given his full-hearted support to this brainchild – every ingredient was just right, to bring to life something much more than was initially envisaged by the author and well beyond his most daring expectations.
The Music Box not only provides a chance for musicians to perform live, gives voice to young artists and budding stars; it creates space that brings people together, a space of sharing and kindness, of genuine joy and warm embrace, at the times of estrangement and alienation.
‘Billy does not just play music or organize shows, he has created a community. I’ve met a lot of new beautiful friends within those two years, Laura, my friend, met her boyfriend here. We are all birds of a feather, and we gravitate to each other – thanks to Billy and his Music Box - it truly works miracles.’
Billy (aka William of Orange (County), Brother Billy, I.Ron William and many more alter-egos that you can find here (all within one physical body – www.forktonguerecords.com) refers to himself as the fixer, and indeed, he has been fixing what needs fixing the most - people’s hearts. He fathered and mothered The Music Box Micro Stage, which now seems to have grown up enough to have a life of its own and be independent, while Billy remains its heart and soul.
A small wooden box with the rainbow lights embodying the key human values that this world needs the most, quenching the thirst for what makes a human being – human.
It is magic and it is real. Seeing someone changing the world in front of your eyes.
It doesn’t take much, does it? One humble heart and music…or, maybe, it takes everything that truly matters.