The Legacy of Michael Hedges
By John Beaudin
Where do we go when we die? It's a question guitarist Michael Hedges
and I had fun with ten years ago backstage at the Centre of Performing
Arts in Calgary. Hedges, always was one to push the envelope, warned me
in jest that if I didn't dance with my demons willingly, "the little
buggers could tattoo themselves to my soul and sneak a free ride into
my next lifetime." It gave a whole new meaning to travelling light
and dealing with the real stuff, and that chat with Michael Hedges so
many years ago is still re-aligning my beliefs.
"I try to live my life like I play my guitar" said Hedges, "asking,
'what happens if I press this?' I'm always pushing the boundaries of comfort."
For the last 20 years, Hedges has encouraged us to grab new toys in life,
to not always say the right thing, and to play guitar like a chainsaw
in a hurricane. Just before he went on stage that night in Calgary, he
grabbed my album, signed it, and waited for a reaction. Beside his autograph,
he had written, "Where am I?" Seeing my blank stare, he explained,
"I am so very much here right now, unlike alot of musicians who complain
about touring because they find thier grounding where they live. For today,
I live here in Calgary, 100%. I haven't left part of me back home, so
that tug of war around separation anxiety doesn't affect me. When I die,
I'll do the same, I'll do what comes naturally-I'll let go." Here
he was a few feet from the stage and he still had time to inspire me.
"Death is not that different from life, I think we do the same damn
things, it's just easier."
Hedges was able to let go of attachments and live the life of a true
travelling troubadour, with a little Zen in his pocket.
He was killed in an auto accident outside Mendocino, California on December 4, 1997. He was 43. Guitarist Don Ross heard the news about his old friend while on tour in Nanaimo, B.C.. "I was incredibly saddened," he said. A long-standing friend, Ross always felt a special connection to Hedges who wrote the liner notes for his first album. "I always felt Michael was more courageous about dealing with his personal issues than a lot of us are" he said quietly. "He would admit things in interviews that would always amaze me." Thier last meeting was in Buffalo one year ago. "I have very fond memories of it. French guitarist Pierre Bensusan, Michael and I were all in the same city, so we just hung out, talked and played music together. Michael was as happy as i've ever seen him."
Interestingly when I get hungry for new Hedges material, I turn to the latest Don Ross album, both have very similar percussive hammer-on technique's and very open-minded guitar tunnings.
During another interview, this time in Vancouver, Hedges seemed to sense
that I was distracted and ungrounded. "Do you meditate?" he
asked, I could almost see a wink in his eye. "I'm always curious"
he added quitely "on whats out there, tell me how you do it?"
. Without ever sensing that I was being re-directed Hedges had me demonstrate
my meditation technique right there in the middle of our interview. At
first I felt a little awkward, especially since he seemed to be joined
me in my breathing to the heavens demonstration. Within a few minutes
though, whatever we were doing seemed to working. I was relaxed, I felt
a certain sense of peace and most of all I had my focus back. "Thanks,
John, I needed that" he said leaning back on his chair. Yeah sure,
I thought we both know who really needed that. Still I appreciated that
his subtle helping hand didn't come with him needing me to know that he
did me a favour. A guy who doesn't need a hero-cookie, I thought, this
guitar bohemian is light years ahead of me on this road. 
Sometimes, late at night, when I play my favourite Michael Hedges album Aerial Boundaries, I think about how incredibly comfortable he was to be around. I only met with him twice but I always came out of our meetings feeling a little more like a hippie, in spite of myself but more importantly I was reminded not to make the unimportant so damn important in my life. I'm not sure if nurture or nature made Hedges the way he was but just hanging with him for a few hours brought me more of a sense of the present moment. Who could deny that Hedges was so incedibly present when he wrestled, teased and tickled his guitar on stage. To make a guitar sound like it's ready to give birth, you kind of have to pay attention, yet Hedges, like all the true masters before him, made it look effordless.
Where is Michael Hedges? He is seeing what else is out there, and he's travelling light.
