Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1184230
A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 9 M A C O N M A G A Z I N E . C O M 6 1 making positive contributions." And he's found outlets to share that inspiration, too, like Travis Jean and The Society Garden. "Brad (Evans) was the first guy in town to give me a shot, and now I play (at the Garden) pretty often. That place just has a great vibe," he said. "I love that there's kids running around having a good time while the adults can hang out and have a beer." Worsham has enjoyed soaking in Macon's musical history. Taking a Rock Candy Tour when he first moved to town opened his eyes to the depth and breadth of our past; but he, too, notices that sometimes we tend to get stuck on stories of our icons, to the detriment of our existing original artists. "There's not a lot of momentum here when it comes to original music," Worsham said. "I feel like Macon could learn from a town like Memphis – celebrate and cherish the history while supporting the musicians working now. Songwriters and musicians almost seem like background music for people drinking in bars, and I can remember some of the most powerful moments of my life have been at shows where bands were playing their original material. The industry and our society have changed so much, though. It can be tough to find your place." Local news personality Amyre Makupson took note of Worsham as he played outside Travis Jean one First Friday. Intrigued, she invited him to play a few songs and discuss his experiences as a newcomer to the scene on the "Macon Music" show she co-hosts with percussionist, producer and Macon Pops founder Steve Moretti. "Macon Music" is a fledgling production with goals to generate awareness of and support for local musicians and to create a platform for artists to perform their music on air. As the show grows its audience, the dream, according to Moretti, would be a segment with artists performing for a live studio audience on 13WMAZ. "Eventually bimonthly – maybe even once a week," Moretti said. "At this point, I'd be happy with once a month, though." Add Moretti's voice to the chorus urging our city to work harder at looking toward our musical future. "We have a rich music history and we need to support that, but people can tend to live so much in the past that they're reluctant to try new things," he said. "People are opening their eyes to the talent that's here in the community, though. And there are more opportunities for live music now, so we're getting that right. "I'm inspired by authenticity. I get pretty worn-down by how generic and fake so much of what we make and consume can be, but I love hearing stories of real people genuinely caring for each other and making positive contributions." -JAMES WORSHAM JAMES WORSHAM PHOTO BY @SOULFULDEPICTIONS