Piano

When I first started this blog, I told the story of my path to becoming a musician, a singer, a songwriter.... that story starts  here, but is continued throughout this blog.....

One of my first music memories is taking lessons on the piano. I wanted to learn SO BAD, and the music teacher in elementary school, Mrs Rumpke, kindly taught me at school for a while, but then the lessons moved to her home (not so great, gas was expensive, my father's time was limited, and he did not like to drive 'all the way to germantown' to pick me up.... but he did).

What he would NOT do, is buy a piano.... the house was too small (it IS), pianos were too expensive, and they made NOISE..... so I got a tiny toy piano only two octaves long. As you can imagine, that did not work as time went on, and the paper piano I tried to practice on did not work either.....

So, she dropped me from lessons. I can't blame her, how could she teach when I could not practice? It did break my heart, though.....

And I grew up. I bought guitars and learned how to play them. I bought a keyboard and used it mostly to teach myself rhythm. I do remember the notes on the piano and I do remember all my major scales and I love the sound of a piano..... but I never had the opportunity to own one.

A year or two ago, I saw a piano advertised on Freecycle (check it out if you don't know about it!!!). At the same time, my buddies also saw the same piano and we independently 'put in for it'.... but I got it first, and tried to find someone to bring it to my house.....

My friends and I figured out that we had all 'put in' for the same piano, but they had wanted to get it for REV, the coffeehouse we have Song Circle in!!! The REV was getting redone, and we had to move the piano right away, so they moved it to my house for me to hold while the REV was getting made over.....

Time went on and on, and it became pretty obvious that that piano was not going to make it to REV, and finally we decided I could keep it. However, it was in a tiny room and no one ever went in there to play it.....

This weekend, I had the piano moved to my living room, and tomorrow she will get fine tuned. As I sat and looked at her today, I realized that I had at LONG LAST gotten something I have dreamed about almost my whole life..... a PIANO!!!!  And, inadvertently, I had decorated the top with a picture of my grandparents, the grandparents that inspired my song 'Dancing Tonight'. My grandfather is the only relative I have that was musical, and everyone tells me he was VERY talented..... and I remember fondly the piano in his home that was unused and out of tune, but still loved....

I feel like I have completed a circle.

Just wanted to share that.....

And here she is, at HOME!

Save Me

Tequila

This is Tequila. The cat. She is afraid of this: So. I feel like I torture her regularly. And now, back to the torture..... Hehehe!!!!

Summer Fun

Busking.

Campfires.

Patio song circles.

Summertime is the time to sit (or stand!) around and make music, just for fun, with your friends, to your friends. I am fortunate to have bunches of friends, from all over, who like to just make music for the fun of it.... cause it sure is a LOT of fun!!!

I hope you do too.....

KickBack-HELP!!!

Every time I get paid to make music, that money goes into an account that will pay for my next record. I am getting antsy about it now, because I have the songs, and I have the sounds in my head that I want to hear on the record, and I have the people to come into the studio with me that will create that sound.... AND we have the energy to make it work.

What I don't have, is the money.....

There is KickStarter.... some of my friends have used KickStarter and gotten their projects paid for with a lot of help from their friends. But, well, for some reason, that does not feel right for ME to do, though I support the idea and LOVE the community feel to these kickstarter programs..... So I have tried to think of other ways to get some money into the 'Dreamer' account.... And of course, that means I need to ask my friends, relatives and fans for some assistance......

There are two ways of helping me that I have been thinking of.....

1)  let me come to your home and do a show for you. You can pay me a set fee or whatever gets collected 'at the door'. I can give you original music or folky covers or a sing along or ???? A house concert, or just have me over for your BBQ to sing some songs..... I have done this a few times, and it is ALWAYS a good time-- for me, the hosts AND the guests!!!

2) OR.... if you have not bought my current record, Nighthawk, consider supporting my NEXT record by purchasing THAT one.....  If you look immediately to the right of this note, you will see at the top of the page, a 'name your own price' download opportunity from BandCamp.... I would truly appreciate every dollar, as that is one dollar closer to being able to lay down my new songs. You can also consider buying the CD from CD Baby, if you still like to hold your music in your hand....

In case you are wondering, I am looking to do an album very much in the style of my cover, Travel On, which you can hear HERE, with BetsiK and Mike and hopefully, a few others (who I have not even asked yet, see how much just a dream this still is??... but, with your help.....)



Please support MUSIC!