I don't think many people have really had the opportunity to hear real music — with real people playing. What most music people hear is studio music, some recorded live performances, and the even rarer live performance of their favorite recording artist. This isn't how people used to listen to music. The music people used to hear was performed by their family and friends in parlors, living rooms, and kitchens.

Recorded music changed that. This is not to decry recorded music or to rail about the evilness of those that produce it. Although there is much to decry and rail about there is certainly so much that is wonderful in the black vinyl, the skinny tape, the shiny plastic discs, and the bits and bytes that deliver so much. But something has been lost too. That something is real music.

Every other Monday evening a group of musicians gather in my living room and plays real music. The reason for the gathering is a webcast called TestingTesting. We started this little goof of a program over four years ago. We didn't know what we were doing or where we were going but it quickly became a show of real music. One of the people who helped start TestingTesting, and give it direction, was my friend Derek Parrott. He is a singer/songwriter originally from London. Derek records and is very precise and polished in the studio but has always seen TestingTesting as being a chance to play music that he calls authentic, or real. The other two long time members of the TestingTesting House Band are Steve Showell and Joanne Rouse. They play mandolin, guitar, fiddle, banjo, dobro, and just about anything that will make music. Recent additions to the TT House Band have been Tishia Malone with her conga drums and singer/songwriter Lisa Toomey. Yes, they all have day jobs. And they all play well together.

The format of the show is that the TT House Band will open and then that week's special guest will play with the TT House Band backing them up, or not as the case may be. (Derek likes to tell our special guests to imagine that they are playing in a living room with their friends.) The House Band members usually do a couple of songs during the show, depending on what is happening or what strikes their fancy. It's pretty free form. It's not about polished performances. This is live music with musicians playing and sharing. It's trying to take the ego out of the music. It's trying to put the fun back in music. It's not about being perfect; it's about being real.

Last Monday's show captured it so well. There wasn't a special guest — we featured the TT House Band. Everyone brought a couple of songs and everyone shared their music. It was a wonderful hour of friends playing and laughing. There were two little kids running around (my daughters were up from Tacoma) and one of them (Robyn) was invited by Joanne to sing, which she did — a TT moment. I am the announcer but I never know what is going to happen. I just go with the flow and try to nudge it here and there.

While I'm talking about TT, there are two other people who make TestingTesting. While it is mostly music, we have Barton Cole who does an always amazing spoken word piece he calls "Commentary from the Wires" — his thoughts about life in general and life on the island we live on. And Zoe Gillman, digital photographer, TT cruise director, and my LOML.

I would love it if everyone that reads this would click on in to TestingTesting on Monday nights or listen to our archives of real music. But it would be even better if everyone would just invite some musician friends over to their own living rooms and listen to what they have to sing and play. Invite your friends and family. If you play, play. If you don't, listen. After all, musicians need listeners. Participate in real music.