Hudson River Festival 2026

I am sitting in a cheap room, 15 mins from  Tanglewood, waiting for the grounds to open so i can go in and eat and walk that beautiful grounds before seeing Paul Simon. I have had a bunch of music situations lately, and they are, well, musical, i guess. I want to talk about them...

I have had a bunch a gigs, sometimes twice a day, with a radio show coming up on the 4th of July. My first where I am singing. (I was interviewed once!) I am so nervous about that, so I will certainly be practicing. And tonight is going to be Paul Simon. 

And last  sunday was the Hudson River Festival.  Wow.

I am getting nervous these days about driving at night. Partly because of the deer, but also because i have a hard time staying  awake late at night as i am getting older. Sigh. So I decided to take the train. 

I love the train! I like not having to drive, for one. I can sleep, I can take a walk, the seats are  better than most airplanes. BUT, they do not wait for you, so i did leave way earlier than i had to. Next time.

I get off the shuttle, and NOTHING looks like the Croton park i remember from YEARS of going to this festival. I used to camp, spending the entire weekend on this bit of land. So, per my usual, I walk around. I want to know where everything is... the stages, the areas. I really like checking it out. Lots of food offerings, the beer is hazy, all the workers\volunteers are pleasant, the day  is warming up, the river is LOVELY. I finally figure out the schedule and go to watch my friend play with his group. 

Fantastic!! Seriously!! Most all the songs are about progressive causes, and i feel full of excitement over the idea of being in this space, with other people who are concerned about the world and where we are headed and what our priorities should be. And it is easy to believe that we all share the idea that we need to clean up our environment, feed people healthy food, make sure they have a place to live and good work to do. In other words, we are all about that idea of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness! 

Then it struck me... the way things are going, a festival like this could be called a terrorist activity under the current administation (they are currently arresting people for TOUCHING the reflecting pool, to remind you of the sin of the day, which is NOT about touching children, it is fine to do that, but dont vandalize the pool....)

And that is when i realized how special this show is. Pete said that we absolutely can change the world with songs, and i know that is true. He also said that a good song reminds us of what we are fighting for. YES!!  And every song i heard at the Hudson River Festival made me want to work harder for the environment, for peace, for taking care of our human family in all its colors and other differences that some folks want to separate us over. 

That part of the show got me up and moving. I ate well, had a few drinks, and got really excited about the future, that we  DO have a chance to make the changes that must be done. I saw and heard Tom Chapin and LOVED the set with Warren Haynes and the one with Jesse Welles (i have to find it and watch on YouTube i guess, because i left early to get the train.) I visited the booths and signed petitions. I bought a guitar strap that used to be a sail on the Clearwater! I sang along on all the sing alongs. 

I know it might get darker, but it will also get lighter. People are realizing that we have to stand up. I  thank the Hudson River Festival for happening and i am so thankful i was able to go. I wish anyone who reads this, an increase in hope. Sing some songs. It helps.

I like to make music for folks...

 I  had a gig yesterday. Yeah, I know, I have lots of  gigs. But this one was special.

It was in a tiny place in a small town where my mother's mother lived. As a matter of fact, the place was a pub back then too. But one of those places that all the adults yelled at us kids about, even though we never got close. Just to drive the point into our brains. Stay away from that place and anyone coming or going from it.

Well, last night, Rick and Marilyn rocked the place.  I imagine my songs about prison and turning tricks and  drinking for breakfast… you know, folk songs!! lol… would not have made my grandma very happy. I never did find out what she thought of her daughter, my mother, marrying a man whose parents were so poor, they had no electricity or running water. And the story goes, the only thing his father could do was play the fiddle. So, making music in my family of origin was a shady thing, at  best. 

But the place is redone now, expanded and although still a pub (The name is ‘The Pub’), the menu  is not restricted to typical pub food. I got the lobster mac and cheese, and it was really good. All reports are… YEAH, it is good!!

I was not feeling bad,  but not my most chipper, when I arrived at the pub. I was going to make two trips to  the car to get my gear, but I hear, ‘Marilyn! Hippie!’ and a couple walked over to me, looking familiar and smiling big, but I could not place them. However, he offered to help carry gear, so I gave him  the lightest thing. Already, things are looking better!

Getting in the door, I see Rick and Judy at a table. I am greeted by the staff, and Nicole, the owner, comes up to me and welcomes me. I put my stuff down and go to say hello to Rick and Judy, and then walk around the room and see if anyone else was there that I knew. 

Nope.

So I set up my gear and tuned and got otherwise able to  play some music for the folks. There were quite a few seats filled. Rick and I did our thing. It seemed that people were appreciating the music, and that is always good.  It helps me get even more into it and I found energy somewhere and sang our  first few songs. 

Then people started to come in that I knew. Some people that I used to talk to from my first  days of making music... At that time, there was an open mic there at the pub that I would go to every week. There were people who  would come often to listen and talk and drink. And they still do!!! And it was fun for me to AGAIN entertain them, this time sounding a whole lot better than back then!  Then there was a guy who once interviewed my dad and asked him about his ‘first time’ with my mother. Somewhere, I have that on tape.  And the owner, Matt. He did the woodwork in the place, and it is wonderful!! An artist in his work. My friends Todd and Vanessa. Oh yeah, and Vanessa told me who the couple was from the beginning of this tale… we met them the week before at another bar, LOL!!

That sounds bad, I guess.

So this gig was like coming  home. I saw people I had not seen in maybe a decade, and I certainly plan on going back soon (i would have tonight, and I love the band, but  the place is small, it always gets packed with them playing, and i really dont want to be THAT close to a lot of people) It also helped me remember how much I  love playing for people!!!

I wrote this piece after the gig, but i am just putting it on the blog now, after a few weeks… I SO enjoyed that evening!!!!

Winter Weekend thoughts

 Spring is on the way!!! It is 45F outside right now! The sun is shining, the birds are arguing at the feeder, the dog is watching out the window, and i am enjoying thinking about my upcoming travel to the West Coast, Seattle to be exact. 

I love Seattle!! When i land, I can expect springlike temperatures, flowers and budding trees! And I look forward to this greatly. I got a bad case of cabin fever.

It was relieved a little bit last weekend, when i was privledged to be able to attend Winter Weekend in Groton, MA. Yeah, the weekend of snow... but the snow came on Friday, sputtered all day and came back on Sunday, but pretty much left us alone on Saturday.

I travel by myself to these music camps. I get to know new people because i do not ask for a roommate and i sit at a different table for every mealtime. That makes me know everyone a little, and no one really well, and that suits me.

This year, I wanted to really be social, instead of sit in the back and not participate so much, so this year, i decided to get INTO the camp a little more than i do normally. It seems that each song I did in a jam or for the group went over really well, so i got a lot of recognition this year. I spent one class alone with Kate Campbell and that was great, talking to a teacher about learning about songwriting!!! I would have not allowed that to happen at past camps. One of my favorite moments was after my contribution to the student performance. A woman approached me and said, I was right in that diner with you. A gentleman told me that he, too, did a lot of underaged drinking. Finally, I found a song of mine that brought people into my world, just as i have been taught to do. And that was one of the first songs i every wrote!!! 

I feel like I must be a songwriter!!!

It is a wonderful thing to go to a music camp with other people on the same journey, and participate in the programming in a way that you can give and recieve from your fellow students. If you are able, it would be a wonderful thing for you to go to one of these camps... I know about a bunch of them, ask if you need help finding one!!!

Enjoy the spring time!!!!

Christmas Night by Marilyn Miller, Helped out by Mike Pagnani and Rick Warren, video by Judy Doyle

 

staying in the light

 

Staying in the light. 

 

When I went on vacation I spent time in San Francisco. I went to the public parks  and I noticed signage in the bathroom that had to do with washing your hands AND taking care of each other. You know, those types of themes.

 

 I went to Haight Ashberry the day before I was leaving. There you saw many signs about taking care of each other and if you need something, just talk to us, don't steal. Thinking back, walking around there had me remembering back in the late sixties when it seemed like the world was falling apart. 

 

And then we had the Summer of Love in San Francisco. And yes, I'm not innocent enough to believe that it was all love. It was not. Drugs did terrible things to people, and people cheated and stole and there were a lot of bad things happening. But there were also voices that spoke in favor of peace and love and getting along in a very open way. A teaching way, even.

 

That's needed and we need it now as much as we needed it in the past. Let's be there.