I don't need to do it
If I know that i can.

Jamming at my house

Paul came to visit me Thursday night and we played at the Card Lake Inn Open Mic....it was real good to get up and play with Paul....we played Dead Flowers, Pocahontas, Rocking in the Free World, Star of Bethlehem and The Night They Drove Ol' Dixie Down (not in that order, thought!!!) One of my friends who comes each week to the OM brought her daughters, who each individually sang a song, backed up by Sammy Brown, the leader of the evening. It is really neat to see these young people discover how cool it is to sing...

After a couple hours at work the next day, i returned home and Paul and I went out to breakfast at a French cafe type place in Hudson, before visiting the local music store and heading back to my place to play some tunes outside, accompanied not only by the birds and bees (yeah, LOTS of bees....) but also the neighbor, backhoeing his lot....LOL

Before long, we were hungry again (i am not much of a cook) and headed out to the local pizza place for a bite to eat. Ended the night with hours more of playing songs and singing....it was really cool. I appreciate Paul's contribution to Open Mic and I really enjoyed playing with him all day....Paul also sang quite a bit and I really liked hearing that!

I am still hoping that Robin will make a rapid recovery (she had planned to come today, but feels ill...) and end up getting together with me today and play some more!!!!!....if anyone is wondering what to do with their day, i would surely love to feed this addiction to guitar playing that i have and hook up with you!

There is nothing that i do that feels quite as good as playing guitar for hours....

The Perfect Car

The Values of 'LincVolt'......'We want to build a zero emissions automobile that eliminates roadside re-fueling entirely, a safe powerful automobile that is comfortable and economic on both long trips and the commute to work, an automobile that can generate power to the home when it is parked, potentially creating an income stream for the owner.'

It may come to pass that Neil Young won't be remembered much for the music, but for his contributions to the environment. His plan for a car sounds to me impossible, but....what if he CAN do it....he sure does sound like he thinks he can.

Definining Art...by Karen Barry

Meet my friend, Karen.
She introduced me to this idea of blogging....and so far...i am having a good time. This link will bring you to her blog, and her comments on art...well, those inspired my comments on art last week..but i didn't credit her...so here she is...enjoy...
(and thank you karen)

Call out the magic

I found this piece that I wrote last summer, while trying to find peace....feeling that what I doing musically was not worthy of shit, but having some real kindness shown to me by some very talented people on one hand and on the other, being looked up to by some other folks as their inspiration to make music. So this is what I wrote....
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It is good to 'know my place'- to recognize those before me in honor and help along those behind me in joy. It is a journey we are all on, us musicians.... and where we meet and mingle and create, we call out the magic together.

Together, and each in our place. There is honor and no shame in every station on the road. This is the miracle of creating music.

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I had a hard time at the open mic this past week. I couldn't find the connection to the music or to the audience or to myself. It wasn't coming together at home, either, before I left. Just couldn't connect. So, I stopped playing and got down. Couldn't remember chords or words to songs I can play in my sleep...what is UP with that??? How can the fear just take it all away from me? And why can't I judge what I am doing, and see it the way the audience sees it? How come there are times that I think my vocal tone and my guitar playing are spot on, but I get all the favorable comments about the song I felt was a throw away?

Performing is just such an odd experience....

Neil at Hammersmith 2008

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This is a picture taken by Chris (meadowdust_22@yahoo.co.uk)

His suit is way more painted up than it was in the states here!!!

Neil Young - Spirit Road - Amsterdam 20-02-2008

This is my favorite of Neil Young's new songs...'get back home to peace again....where you belong my love lost friend'....

Keep Making Art

"Keep Making Art,
and when you get tired; eat,
and/ or watch movies, every kind

make tea and then Keep Making Art."

Ryan Adams says this on his blog, Froggy. I haven't read through his stuff there, but his sidebar certainly caught my eye. I find him very inspiring...i have read a bunch of articles on him, and he is very devoted to his art.

This quote makes me think that perhaps much is art that is not considered art. For instance, I spend a lot of time arranging my house....and the fact that folks comment on how pleasant it is to be here makes me think that that, too, is art. Of course music is art. Making it and creating it. They say medicine is an art, and as a practitioner, I have to say that yes, that comes from that place in me, too, although it also resides well in my logical, thinking side.

Just some musings.....now back to practicing that C Major Scale and all it's modes, all over the fretboard. It may not be art, but it prepares me for art....let me see how artfully i can play them. There is a way to touch the strings that just makes the sound so perfect.....

Magic

“ spirit, come back to me
give me strength
set me free
let me feel the magic in my heart”

~ny~

•

Every Thursday, at some point, i wonder aloud if anyone from the office is going out tonight.

They all know that I mean, coming to the Open Mic. Linda will tell me who she expects that night. If there is time, we may tell a story or two….Sammy giving her daughter his cd, Linda singing ‘Me and Bobby McGee’, Dr. I showing up!!!…..

So, if they are going, that means i HAVE to go. Which is bad and good. Good, cause it means i HAVE to go. Bad, cause it means i HAVE to go.

I don’t like HAVING to do much of anything. I do like getting up there and singing for folks. But…

Every thursday night, i go home and check my email and putz about and get my guitar in her case and maybe play it a little before i do that…..and contemplate NOT going. But i have to. They expect me to be there. What do I say in the morning if I don’t go?

So, always later than i planned, i get into my car and drive east….that is when the mind starts working…..something along the line of….

I am such a fool for doing this. People are laughing. Why the FUCK would someone my age be heading out on a thursday night, thinking ANYONE would want to spend precious moments of their day listening to me singing some neil young song. Shit. People are so kind, putting up with that. Really. They must be laughing at me. I am such a fool.

I go on that way for most of the half hour drive, trying to figure out why these folks from my office go to this thing. Must be to see Sammy or Fred, they are soooooo good. Yep.

So i sit out in the parking lot for minutes, deciding to go in or not. Now, i notice, they wait in the parking lot for me……lol.

———————

I still don’t know why they come, but i do know that i am soooo appreciative that they do. Cause i do love to get up there and sing for people and bang that guitar, and i don’t think i would get myself there if i didn’t have that ‘They are there, i GOT to go’ thing.

There are really not many things in this world that equal creating music…..the spirit that music brings into a space is so special. The high is so very high. To be a part of helping that spirit get out there is a real privilege.

Hello!

Welcome to my New Blog.
Perhaps i am getting too bloggy these days, but tumbler just doesn't have (or i can't figure out) the options that the regular blog sites have these days....so i am going to try this out for a bit...Thanks for taking a look!