By Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer 
Bennett
WESTERN BUREAU:
ABOUT TWO years ago producer Mikey Bennett of EMG on Grafton Road in Vineyard Town, had a life and death experience when he was leaving his businessplace.
It was not Bennett's life that was on the line, in a community where he has been for 10 years and feels safe, but that of a man who ran onto the music production house's premises, seeking refuge from another who demanded 'sen him out'.
Bennett had seen the two men together before and, upon investigating the dispute, found that it was something trivial. After talking about the dispute, the two men left together and at peace.
There were more talks at the studio as well, as many times after a recording session informal discussions would go into the early hours of the morning.
In the latter part of 2004, the informal conflict resolution and discussions were given a regular time and place at EMG, with 'Reasoning with Seasoning' on the third Thursday of every month, starting at 7:00 p.m. and going until 9:00 p.m.
COMMUNITY DIALOGUE
"It is to encourage community dialogue and it is the only way we are going to survive, if we talk to each other," Bennett said. General invitations have been sent out to schools and churches in the community.
The 'reasoning' comes from a guest who presents information on a particular topic, which is then explored by those who attend the session, while the 'seasoning' is soup and music, unplugged style, without a band, although there is a microphone and a system to facilitate performance as well as discussion. The reasoning goes on until it is decided to call it a night.
Courtney Walsh provided the 'reasoning' at the first session, with Dean Fraser tipping in the 'seasoning'. 'Football' was juggled on the night that Jamaica dropped out of the runnings for the Germany World Cup, with Howard McIntosh and Russell Bell in the house, and there was straight seasoning for Christmas.
BLACK HISTORY
Tonight black history will be up for discussion, along with Bob Marley. "It is about getting people together. Right now, in Jamaica, everything is failing," Bennett said "We want to make it information based, so people can bring facts to the table"
So far the response has been good and Bennett says that "you get the feeling that it will soon be good for the community, to come in on a third Thursday."
"It is a place for them to air their views and it is something that is so simple that it can happen in any community," he said.
