Melissa G Clark

Happy Independence Day! One of the silliest questions I ever heard was "When do we celebrate the 4th of July?" I must have looked like Bill Murray in Ghostbusters, when he asked, "Is this a trick question?" (in response to Sigourney Weaver's snarling 'Do you want this body?' when she was possessed by one of the villanous ghosts), when I tried to answer the July 4th question, with a straight face!

Similarly, about a year ago I was asked about a song I'd played, "Secret Agent Man," by Johnny Rivers. The fellow listening remembered the song, but couldn't remember the name of the television show it was from. I tired to be diplomatic by saying, "Well, the original title was Danger Man, but they changed it to Secret Agent Man about the same time they intorduced this song as the theme song." For those of you who might be interested, Patrick McGoohan was the English actor who starred in that series. I believe he was also in the movie Ice Station Zebra, around the same time. The song, Secret Agent Man, always brings a smile to people listening, especially since I get that same rockabilly opening, except on an acoustic guitar; also, for some odd reason, the kids seem to love the song. It is a pretty cool song, and one of the songs that people just stop and listen to, when they hear it!

The trick, of course, is to get that sort of reaction with every song, but the truth is there is a much higher probability of finding songs that simple resonate with the most people by panning through the early rock gold! Sam Cooke, Elvis, Carole King, Carl Perkins, the Drfiters, and of course the Beatles are among the artist's whose music dominates that era. Coupled with latter day offerings from Marc Cohn (Walking In Memphis), Mary Chapin Carpenter, and an all around assortment of Dylan songs can simply dress up a performance with everyone keeping the beat to the songs, as well as singing along!

I was fortunate enough to have played in the Munson Williams Art and Music Festival, this past Monday, and had the absolute pleasure of sharing these songs with the folks who dropped by for lunch and the goings on. It was a beautiful day and I hope the folks enjoyed the music as much as I enjoyed playing it.

One last silly thought to leave with you: It is said that Yogi Berra wanted to take some friends to Stan Musial's Restaurant, in St. Louis, but couldn't remember the name of the place! (Hint, there's a reason Stan Musial's Restaurant was written in caps!) Thanks for stopping by, and please help spread the musical word!

Hey there! It's been a while since I actually sent out a blog; all the quick notes notwithstanding, and I thought this would be a good time to touch base with everyone.

To start, the summer is starting to "heat up" so to speak, with some offers. It looks like the regular spots are still quite steady, while some new opportunities are availing themselves! Hoo hoo! There is a full lineup on the Calendar page, here, but it looks like this month will keep me busy, while next month marks the opening of the Farmers Market in Canajoharie; I've been invited to play on opening day, perhaps throw out my "first pitch" of the Farmers Market season! A week later there's a cool Father's Day jam with other local musicians, here in Hamilton, at the airport. A pancake breakfast will accompany the music...or is it the other way around? ;)

July will see a new venue, as I've recently agreed to perform at the Munson Williams Proctor Arts and Music Fest, in Utica. This looks like a wonderful opportunity to let the folks in Utica hear what I'm up to!

August will see a return to Albany for an appearance at Emack and Bolio's on August 5th, a Sunday evening at 6:30, followed by a chance to play at the Earlville Summer Series on April 21st, at 7:00Pm in the Gazebo in the town park.

Addititonally, the Bohemian Moon has me scheduled for May 24th, and I'm hoping to continue throughout the summer at the "Moon," one of my favorite restaurants! It's a hoot and the folks are the best! Plus the food is fabulous! Also, right here in town at 22 Utica Street I'll be doing the sidewalk shows weather permitting, on Saturdays I have available. This is a cool little gig and the food here is terrific, as well! Are you starting to understand why I have trouble losing weight?

Finally, for whatever reason, I've recently been inundated with messages from folks at Reverbnation who have listened to some of my songs. This is feedback from fellow musicians and it's been positive! I have no idea why, but it does boost the self confidence, just a bit, especially in light of the gigs lining themselves up, finally! I sent off a copy of the new CD to WIOX, in the Oneonta area and hopefully Terry Doyle will find something he'd like to give airplay to from that disk. Things are looking pretty goodand I want to thank everyone who has passed a good word along, here or there! Being a whiny singer/songwriter can be its own reward, but I must tell you, it is a heck of a lot more fun when people are paying attention to you! Thanks to everyone for your support!

Weeks pretty much come and go. Monday morning comes knocking and before you know it, Friday has left the room. Most folks try to get enough work done to support their lives, between those two points. Others use that time to line up the work that will actually bring in the "life preserving" dollars. And, of course, there are some clueless characters who use that time running for president, telling us how they are "regular guys," and that their wife is a "regular person," as well and actually drives a Cadillac, or two! But this is not about that stuff...

This past week, two fellows who were responsible for  altering the American in house perception of breakfast, providing the concepts of a drip coffeemaker and frozen bagel (hopefully toasted), passed away. Sam Glazer and Murray Lender both died in the same week! But not before they each left their mark on us; an alternative to running down to the nearest Dunkin Donuts, like a cold turkey sugar junkie, standing in line for our next coffee/pastry fix! It could have been a better week, perhaps, for either of these two fellows, but you never know. Imagine who they might be selling a coffeemaker or bagel to, this weekend!

What could have been an uneventful end of the week, for me, turned out to be anything but, however! Friday morning I tried following a possible lead for a summertime gig, and received an immediate call back from the booking person, asking me if I was the "Melissa Clark" on YouTube...I hoped she had seen the Earlville Opera House clip that Greg Yates had posted, because that one was a very nice collaboration involving several very good musicians, and I sounded like I had a clue as to what was going on. As it turned out, that WAS the clip. Yippee! Even as we chatted and the friendly conversation cemented the gig, I was still thinking to myself, she had actually heard of me, before I contacted her! It seems I've made a bit of progress, finally, in this quest. The result is a new friend and supporter, Debi Pierce, as well as a booking for the summer concert series, in the park, in Earlville, NY. I'll be there, Tuesday evening, August 21st, starting at 7:00PM. And all tis was done before noon!

Friday evening marked a return, for me, to a Syracuse gig I originally played just over three years ago, Sparky Town, on Burnet Avenue. Since the first time I played, the original proprietor, Linda Mortimer, passed away, this past fall, very unexpectedly. Lauren Bristol, who has been running the business since "Sparky's" passing, has made a very good effort to keep things running smoothly. Last night's gig was a "pass the hat," quite literally, as the tip receptacle was a hat, and the folks who turned out were quite supportive of the music. Plus, the entire staff at Sparky Town made everyone feel very comfortable and welcome. It has the warmth of a home away from home, and it was such a happy experience to be able to provide music while everyone was having a good time. Thank you to everyone who made such a good Friday, for me!

This was truly a Super weekend! To recap, I was contacted last week about playing some good old rock and roll with a couple of folks at the Heritage Farms Center, in Munnsville. There we were able to share some of early rock's cool songs with an incredibly supportive audience of young people! What a happy feeling! Dave Folta and Mike Jaquay were the other two musicians and together we had a very cool jam session...We each look forward to returning and doing it again!

Saturday saw two opportunities, and I tried to get the mileage, both literally, and figuratively, from the opps! A bit late arriving, but nicely received, it was fun rejoining some friends at the Morrisville Indoor Farmers Market. From there we motored to Shoppingtown Mall to share some music at CNY Artists store, on the main level of the mall, near the food court. A simple entertaining of passersby has brought the promise of a return, in the near future. So three gigs in two days felt pretty good, but the best was yet to come!

Fab Melo, upon his return to the basketball court, showed how vital he is to the S.U. Men's Basketball program. Together, he and his teammates gave St. John's a rough night in Madison Square Garden, in a 95-70 drubbing! The even dispersal of points scored, and Carter-Williams' emergence as a power gave us S.U. fans something to feel great about! Then, when things couldn't get much better, and those of us who identify with all the other "Charlie Browns" of the world began to prepare for the predicted victory of "Tom Terrific" Brady, and his mentor, Bill "Darth Vader" Belichick over our beloved Giants; most notably the marvelous relationship between Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning looked like two nice guys relegated to finish behind the much lauded football gods from New England. After Sunday night's game, however, and the exciting finish to a well played game, on both sides, we were able to breathe more easily and realize this season of "Coughlin's demise," in which the Giants head coach was verbally relagated to the scrap pile, and the Giants written off, before the season even began, has ended 180 degrees away from the preseason predictions! I guess that's why they actually play the games, isn't it? I had my fun on Friday and Saturday, and watched with a sense of connectivity as the NY heroes pulled off another amazing win, on Sunday night! What a terrific weekend! My only disappointment came from my inability to comprehend why Madonna has such a fixation on ancient Egypt (perhaps some sort of longing for her youth?) and my equal inability to figure out why most of the commercials actually were able to attract the 3.5 million dollars per 30 seconds backing to be aired during this extraveganza. Clint Eastwood's commercial for Chrysler was powerful, but the rest was either cute or fluff; often indeterminate between the two! But neither cute nor fluffy enough to ruin my weekend! I hope yours was also enjoyable! Thanks for stopping by!

Now that the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a pleasant memory, it's back to the "everyday grind" of finding local venues and gigs. The new year is starting off in a somewhat promising manner, with some new venues as well as the return to familiar places!

This weekend saw a Friday night show at Java Chalet, in New Hartford. I was greeted at the outset with a "surprise double booking;" normally unnerving enough, but especially so considering the other act was a ten year old guitarist. As the old saying goes, "Never follow a child or animal act!" and there I was, attempting to deal with that very situation...However, things worked out, I've made a new friend and was able to entertain some new listeners, as well. Saturday saw a return to 22 Utica Street Cafe, right in Hamilton; the first performance there, in this new year, although a regular spot.

Next weekend sees the Morrisville Farmers Market, in Madison Hall, in a music circle with other local musicians, then a trip to Syracuse to play a two hour gig at Shoppingtown Mall. After that, probably a return, on the 11th to 22 Utica Street, then the next week at the Bohemian Moon, on the 16th, then to Emack and Bolio's, in Albany, on the 18th. Maybe it will be warm enough to make the ice creama refreshing treat! It's been a strange winter, hasn't it?

Thanks to everyone who recommends potential venues. I follow all the leads and sometimes actually get return calls from the folks at he venues. It is a slow and patience challenging process, but without it where would I play? It looks like I'll be adding a few places with "return potential," this year. The bottom lline, though, is people are listening and remembering the music!  Friday night, for instance, one fellow came in and asked for "Walking In Memphis," while another friend asked for the cat song ("I Talk To My Cat" thank you, Darlene!). It also looks like I'm finally sorting out the demographic of folks who enjoy the type of music I play (which was interesting, Friday, with the Aerosmith - playing little guy doing a set in the middle of mine! Imagine the thoughts in the minds of the folks who had come to hear something a bit more mellow...), and as near as I can tell, there is a strong presence among Baby Boomers and Bikers, no kidding, as per having a taste for the songs I play, as well as write. Thanks to everyone, and once again, if you like what I play tell your friends about me. If you don't then tell your enemies about me! See you next time!

Hey, guess who's going to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Sure, it's a teaser, but maybe you're reading the rest of this blog, now...This is the weekend we drove out to Ohio, into the teeth of one of this winter's rare snowstorms, and out in the countryside of Ohio; Middlefield.

We arrived at the Patio Tavern early Friday the Thirteenth, ahead of even the folks who operate the venue. As it turned out the evening was very light...but there was a chance to share some covers and original music with new ears to my efforts. The usual fare of bluesy covers started things off, followed by the surprising darling song of the night, "I Talk To My Cat." That silly little cat is still charming folks in verse! Other originals, including a brand new song, "Now and Forever," were also well received, with "Make Me Believe" receiving close scrutiny as I played the guitar riff. Also well  liked were such songs as "The Letter" and "Blue Suede Shoes," and "Runaway." The "surprise" that went over exceptionally well was "Act Naturally;" getting a rousing response from the country fans in the room.

After all was said and we were finally done, it was quite early, Saturday morning. Eventually we found a Motel 6 to stay, and are now readying ourselves for the trip to the R&R Hall of Fame; alas, the only way I'll ever get there is through the admission gate...does anyone know what the admission price is? See you all soon!

We've made it almost through another year; from last winter through the rain soaked spring, the sun baked summer, soggy fall and so far easy winter, to get to this "most wonderful time of the year." Hanukkah has begun, Christmas is Sunday, and the new year is only a week away. This is the time of year we generally take an inventory of the year we are about to bid a fond farewell.

If I may, I would like to take this moment to thank everyone for such a memorable year. 2011 has been a terrific experience, from the 6 On The Square show last winter, through several distant trips, to Florida, Deleware, NYC, and Virginia, the Syracuse Stage night in the spring, the Stone Mill show in September in Little Falls, as well as the regular chance to share music at the Bohemian Moon Restaurant, in Norwich. Additionally, the Saturday lunch stops at 22 Utica Street, as well as the Farmer's Markets and the Johnstown Mall Christmas show have all been a part of a delightful experience, the rare chance to do something I enjoy and to share that enjoyment with friends, like you.

We've seen a lot of wonderful places, this year, not quite as extensive as Johnny Cash's "I've Been Everywhere," nor anywhere near as jaded as that song. This is a good time of year to reflect, cherish the moments, and make plans for next year, as well. We're already looking at Friday the 13th, in Ohio, as the second gig of the new year. The first will be a happy return to the Bohemian Moon Restaurant on January 5th. There is also an Albany trip in February, at Emack and Bolio's (an ice cream store gig in the middle of the winter...you have to love the irony!), but beyond that the year is wide open. With any luck at all it might be as good a year as this one has been. And although I failed to mention every gig from this year, it certainly has been worth the effort, as I hope next year willl be, as well. I thank you all for your support and hope to be able to share more music with you in 2012. Now, to all, a good night!  -  Melissa 

Hi again! The last couple of weeks, things have begun to look a lot like we might be closing in on the end of the year. Certainly not in the weather, which has been quite decent to us, of late, but in the tenor of the various ads we encounter in day to day existence. Aside from the absolute banality of the autmobile ads, "for Christmas," everything else is flying at us with the usual subtlety of a tsunami. However, the grocery prices are the ones that intrigue me.

I managed to find a decent "per pound" price on frozen Honeysuckle turkey breasts, a couple of weeks ago. Oddly, I found an even better price the next week, in a much smaller grocery store, locally, of the exact same brand, so, as we usually visit family members for Thanksgiving, we're "bringin' the bird," this year, as we'll have a "backup" in case I screw up the first effort...Speaking of that, I'm trying something a bit different this year, by s-l-o-w cooking the turkey breast in a crock pot. Since it already takes several hours in the oven, I figured this would simply be easier, and could be started the night before (with apologies to the Beatles song of the same name!). This attention to detail reminds me of an Irma         Bombeck-esque moment my mother had, one year, as she had (before it became a "Thanksgiving secret technique) inadvertently cooked the turkey on its stomach; a process which has been proven to be a wonderful way to keep the breast meat nice and juicy. However, we were all puzzled that there were no visible appendages to the turkey, and we were initially stymied as to why there was also no white meat when we tried slicing into the...wait for it...back of the turkey! Once the "bird turned" we were back in business, and actually that was one of the most delicious turkey dinners I can remember! This year, though, we're sticking with the "mutant turkey;" the one with no wings or legs, as we have no Visigoth lineage to connect with the drumsticks, anyway! You can check the recipes for slow cooker turkey preparation, online. It looks to be a slightly different way to prepare the traditional meal, while also freeing up the oven for other important items; like pumpkin pies! The stuffing might have to be stove top, though! It's, indeed, beginning to look a lot like Thanksgiving! Enjoy the coming week, and thanks for stopping by!

November 11th, 2011; the snow seemed to call an end to the Indian Summer we've been enjoying all fall! And although I'm not calling for the Christmas shopping season to begin (which, they say officially has already started for most women, while for men it doesn't begin until December 24th, around 4:00PM!), it might be a good idea to consider some of the local vendors and artisans as people with who to deal, this year, when you do get around to holiday shopping.

I received an email from a friend, recently, supporting local and American made shopping, and it made perfect sense to me. In the central NY State area we have various farmer's markets, throughout the year and a wealth of local products, as well as a local harvest of produce and meats. There are wonderful holiday meals that can be prepared from this bounty, at Thanksgiving as well as Christmas meals!

Additionally, there are indoor farmer's markets, in the area, throughout the winter! Morrisville, Hamilton and Poolville each have localities have set for a rotating schedule of farmer's market weekends through next spring. Madison Hall, in Morrisville, has already hosted their first farmer's market and among everything else they had a healthy handful of musicians providing music throughout the three hour run of this inaugural attempt at an indoor market season. I was fortunate enough to be among the musicians playing, and we had a terrific time; additionally, the shoppers seemed to enjoy the festive atmosphere, as well.

On another front, Cosby Gibson, a friend of mine for several years, now, has several projects in the works. Cosby's musical projects, as well as performance dates may be checked out at her website, www.cosbygibson.com Please remember all of us in regard to planning for holiday parties or other events, as we approach the end of the year. And finally, yes we are American musicians and as such qualify for consideration when "buying locally!" Enjoy this frosty weekend as much as you can. And, as always, thanks for stopping by!

  I had my faith in human nature restored, this past week, at the Bohemian Moon, in Norwich. With a vast number of gigging horror stories about venues where one thing was "promised" and yet another situation prevailed, it was quite gratifying to report one of my own; one in which everyone acted like grown up people and the story has a happy ending.

  To start, as you might recall, we were blessed with our first measurable snow fall, on Thursday night; the Thursday, as luck would have it, I was supposed to play the "Moon" this month. As we all know, the one quirky characteristic of Central NY drivers is twofold, namely that when it snows we simultaneously freak out over the snow, and yet manage to drive like we've never seen the effects of wet roads on our alleged driving skills, ending up in front yards and cow pastures while simply attempting to negotiate the highways in the area. Thankfully there are no accidents to report, in this blog, but I must admit that after arriving at the venue and sitting down to dinner, prior to performing, there came an awkward moment when it appreaed that EVERYONE in Norwich must have packed it in for the evening by about 6:00PM! I mean if they hadn't also given up the game I'm certain that crickets would have been audible in the background. The folks have been so good at this venue I offered to simply pack it up and go home if no one showed up. We managed to re-book for the next available date, which will be December 8th. November was pretty much taken; something about one of the Thursdays not being available because of some sort of holiday, with a turkey dinner? Anyway...So as I finished wrapping the wires and packing the mic into the gigbag, everything being ready to go out the door, when lo and behold (now there's an expression I don't often get a chance to use!), people started walking in the door! Now, I was caught in that "No Man's Land" between performing or calling it a washout and going home. But with new and older friends among the folks who were able to drive to the restaurant, without hitting other cars or livestock, I figured, "What the heck," and offered to simply play unplugged near a couple of the tables. By that time we had about a quarter of the tables occupied with folks.

  While playing the "semi-private concert" I was able to share some stories and other silliness between the songs, as well as being able to play more of my own songs than I usually do, among the cover songs. Several were nicely received, and the owner of the venue came in while I was playing. We chatted a bit between songs, and although I didn't realize it, she insisted that I be paid for the entire evening. When I finally found out what was going on I thanked her for her understanding of the plight of the musician; the general uncertainty, and the unwritten agreement among many venue owners that musicians are simply "cheap labor," much like migrant workers, wandering from one venue to another. Her departure from that sort of approach amazed me, because it was a very small crowd, but she insisted that it is her policy to do right by the folks who come in to perform. As Aretha Franklin once spelled, "R-E-S-P-E-C-T " is a terrific thing, as well as a two way street! By the way, for you trivia buffs, Otis Redding wrote that song!

  So, the evening ended up a happy event. We have met so many very nice people, and we were able, last night, to enjoy great company among the folks who came out to dine and hear music. I guess my faith in myself was reaffirmed, as well, realizing that if I'd been a shrugging dufus about it and come home early, I'd have missed a chance to have such a warm experience on such a cold night. Thanks to everyone at the Bohemian Moon and to the loyal folks who turn out for the Thursday night music! You guys are the greatest! See you December 8th.

We recently returned from an overnight trip to Great Barrington, MA, just east of Albany, NY, in the Berkshires of western Massachussetts. It was a "quirky get away," as one of us had work to do, on Friday, while the other of us was pretty much a Boo Boo, to her Yogi. But it promised one more adventure in this year of marvelous drives, so, why not?

Upon arriving in Great Barrington, we decided on lunch, which we had at Friendly's on Stockbridge Rd, just down the street from our overnight quarters. I mention this because we went to Friendly's BEFORE checking in. It was nice, as Friendlys go, but we were later to see the error in our choice! After Sarah conducted her business, three of us asked the desk clerk about a place for dinner. Given a sheet with numerous places within walking distance we decided to try one. Still not entirely sure of the distances and all, we managed to get to the Adams Cafe, before we were able to get the car past third gear! So, we parked and went in, to find a "half hour" line of folks ahead of us. Rather than wait it out we opted for another place, which, it turns out, was nearly right next door; the Aegean Breeze. This Greek restaurant had quite a selection of foods, not the least of which were our selections, a cabbage and rice special (which two of our small group ordered, and loved) and the scallop kabobs which I tried. Wow! We were, all three, filled to overflowing with the delicious dishes and we enjoyed the atmosphere provided by the owners and attentive wait staff. A remarkably pleasant evening! We finished off the evening visiting with our new friend, and sharing some music. It was delightful!

The next morning we set out to enjoy some of the local flavor, which turned out to envelope much more than the strip of restaurants and accomodations we had found the day before. This dleightful community houses a number of tourist attractions as well as the sightseeing stops for a more "sophisticated crowd;" as was evidenced by well to do looking folks stumbling around town, in need of guide dogs or reasonable facsimiles, thereof! In our vagabond shuffle we were able to locate the Town Hall, which was near the site of the first outright refusal of English decree, over 240 years ago. Additionally, we were able to find more wonderful dining facilities, as well as the local music store! Hoo hoo!

I managed to sample several of the guitars they had on display as well as chat with the two folks who were working in the store. We had some fun with the morning lack of business, by filling it with camaraderie. We eventually purchased some guitar strings, and a pair of guitar shaped earrings (acoustic guitars, of course, to reduce the strain on the ears!), as well as exchanging information with the guitarist/singer, who was restringing several of the display instruments. His name is Dave Reed, and he has a very nice website, www.Tamboura2.com, which features his music.

From the music store to the Farmers' Market we continued our trek, encountering some very nice people as well as the expected knuckleheads who seem to pop up, like whack a moles, everywhere you go, these days. Still, they were not able to deter us, and we had a chance to sample the baked goods,as well as some produce and cheese at the market, before seeking out the Barrington Brewery, for lunch. It is a restaurant/tavern that brews its own beers, so we had an opportunity to try some of the local flavor; which didn't fail to impress! Both the food and drink were delightful! It was almost like being just a bit away from home, as this was the first state we've visited, in a while, where you actually cannot get wine in the local drugstore or grocery! It was humorous, in Florida, earlier this fall. I was getting ready to walk down to the Publix Grocery and asked Sarah if she needed any wine; Walgreen's also had a fine selection of $5.00 bottles! Not to mention the $1.99 mouthwash which was 21% alcohol! Anyway, buying alcohol in a package or liquor store seems so much more familiar to us, it was a welcome characteristic in this visit of the state that is home to the Red Sox! Hey, nobody's perfect!

Finally, after our lunch, and an exchange of silliness with a delightful waitress, we began our drive back home, happy to have found this gem of a place to visit. They have the Norman Rockwell Museum, nearby, as well as several colleges and museums, and no fewer than three ski resorts within close proximity to Great Barrington. Additionally, this area is the "second home" to a large number of folks from the metro NY area, as well as some from Boston. The NY and NJ license plates rivaled the MA plates, even this late in the year, because so many folks actually own homes in the area; homes which they live in for a good part of the year, in addition to their main residences. The area was quite involved with various commerce and tourist related businesses, but Sarah found a terrific price on a picninc table at one of the hardware stores. Although it had to be disassembled, we were able to reassemble it within five to ten minutes, after we brought it home in the back of the Mini Cooper! To be completely honest, the table was a glass surface with metal legs, which came apart easily enough to transport along with our luggage and the guitar which was riding in the back of the car. Still, this was an eye opener as for the flexibility of the Mini and how easily it can provide the necessary room and transportation for regional gigs! Hopefully, we'll be able to return to that area for just such a gig, sometime next year! Meanwhile, I have to admit that there is plenty to give the adjective "Great" to Barrington! It was a very nice time and place for spending part of the weekend!

Since the last blog things have been happening. Good things, and a vacation, as well! Cool...

To start, the Dewey Beach Music Conference was like a wake up call for my musical hopes. A three day musical event, complete with commercial connections and all the other musicians, provided an incredible background for the whole notion of "upping the ante" in promoting the music. We had showcases, and each of the numerous musicians had a half hour slot to present. One of the most uplifting experiences, for me, was to be able to have folks dancing to my presentation, of one guitar and one voice, "bringing them to their feet!"

This all began the day after my most recent gig at the Bohemian Moon, in Norwich. For some odd reason, my presentation went especially well, that Thursday nigt, and I hope to evoke a similar response, next Thursday (October 20th) when I return there.

Meanwhile, we drove to Florida, for nearly a week, followed by another "near" week in Chincoteague, VA. Just a novelty performance in the sunshine state, providing an actual instrumental accompaniment to my singing, in rotation with the karaoke performers, but Chincoteague continues to be the dream stop! This time there was an interview at the Island radio station, WCTG, 96.5 FM, with Robin Rothschild, who snapped some photos of the radio show during my chance to perform a couple of my songs. The Saturday night show was fun, as part of the Second Saturday walk around the downtown area of the island. We reconnected with several friends we'd made on previous trips, and look forward to seeing them again, in future visits.

Finally, after a typically long drive home, including two hours lost trying to get avoid the Baltimore traffic, we arrived in Hamilton about a half hour before midnight, on Tuesday. It was a terrific vacation, plenty of sun and warm weather during the entire trip; not unlike the wonderful weather in Central NY, while we were gone! Of course the dismal weather returned with us, all the way up from Virginia to NY, as the temps cooled off, as well. Welcome home!

Saturday evening in Little Falls; I hate to say "I told you so," but it was a wonderful evening. The Black Box Theater is a joy to play, with an intimate setting and every seat a good one. Additionally, the folks who turned out were a fabulous audience, as we played a two hour show. Everyone treated us so well, and we all enjoyed the special evening.

It would appear there is a "market" for this "Acoustic Blues Cafe" stuff, the combination of older covers, as well as original music, done in a primarily acoustic guitar backed singing style. At this point I wish to thank my friend, Faye Brooks, for the wondrous addition of an electric guitar without turning the program into a "heavy metal" wannabe. This approach to pop music has a certain appeal, especially to grown up adults...go figure. We may not be babies any longer, but the boomers still have a love for good music as well as an inclination to come, listen to it. These are "my people."

As I continue to write new music I will also add more cover songs, to vary the mix and keep things fresh. There has been an expressed interest, from listeners, in the blues songs, and of course that particular area will continue to expand, as well. I hope to be able to play a venue where you can give another listen, soon, and appreciate the kind words as well as suggested venues you have provided, already. The Bohemian Moon will have me playing this Thursday night, and I'll be playing outside the area for the next few weeks. However, I'm hoping to be back by mid-October, and continuing the effort. Thanks for stopping by, and for checking out this updated blog.

I'm about to date myself (who else would date me?), here, with this blog. Do you remember, as I do so well, Walter Cronkite, who followed the pioneer path of Edward R. Murrow, with the CBS Evening News? He ended each evening's broadcast with "And that's the way it is," on that particular date. Mr. Cronkite narrated us through the Kennedy assassination, Viet Nam, the Nixon presidency, and countless "smaller" news stories during his tenure at CBS. He didn't try to "sell" us the news; he simply reported it. At the risk of sounding either ancient, jaded, or both, my only concern is "Whatever happned to reporting the news?"

We see that the wisdom of the ages has one again skipped over our present generation of movers and shakers, as the evening news has descended into an endless fray between political factions; the "traditional" news agencies being portrayed as "The liberal press" and Fox news making it up as they go along. Nice blend! Consequently, the various political beliefs have been given equal weight when presented before the American public, which, on th surface sounds fair, but after further review (as they like to say in the NFL!), we notice that the most crackpot accusations get just as much weight as items that have been presented with supporting evidence! Imagine a court of law where a lawyer could rant on, without restrictions, trying to make a point that may or may not be valid. Without supporting evidence it would be disregarded. Plus, it is up to the judge to keep the discourse within the boudaries of sanity, for fear of "arguing with a crazy person" and the biggest setback being after a few minutes we forget which is the crazy person! That is exactly what has happened to American news reporting as well as the present idiotic political climate!

Whether we are talking about eight years of a clueless president being guided along a policy that we still are not certain of, or the three years of the next president getting absolutlely nothing done with the Congress, the bottom line is eleven years of the biggest mess we've seen in American history. And the news reporters have been presenting what, during that time?

The Today Show (as well as its rivals on ABC and CBS) has turned into Fluff Central, with American Idol and Dancing With the Stars contestants and results as "headline items" each morning, despite the intense news stories they push to the back burner. Anne Curry is much better than this! The local newspeople celebrate birthdays, and other non-newsworthy items with their computer generated broadcasts and podcasts, inviting Facebook and Twitter voting, to replace news editing for their programs! What the heck is going on? Do the only sensible newspeople left on the planet only appear in Mary Tyler Moore reruns ("Oh Mister Grant!") and is the only president to be remembered from the 21st Century, Martin Sheen's portrayal of President Josiah "Jed" Bartlet? After Hollywood imitated "real life" real life ecided to imitate Hollywood. Really?

Now we see extremists, from both sides, infuriated with the current president, trying to force  feed the American public with their own philosophies, and no one willing to compromise. How I wish we had someone like Walter Cronkite around, today, to simply give us straight talk, letting us know that this truly is "The way it is!" Will we ever figure it out for ourselves? It is not only our right but our obligation as voting American citizens. 

Wow! It's the end of July, already, and here I am, a day late on this week's blog... but wait a minute. Am I a day late, or simply "acting my age?" There is a certain privilege to age, like rank, as things go. When one gets "a little older" people cut some slack; believe me, after cutting slack for others I'm happy to be on the receiving end, finally!

As for my age, let me say this much about it. I'm old enough to have experienced the music of Elvis, the Beatles, Stones, Dylan, Clapton, Bee Gee's (each incarnation!), Michael Jackson, Milli Vanilli, Britney Spears, and Justin Bieber; also old enough to see the line "frays" somewhat, in places. There are folks I have heard and loved, folks I have heard and liked, and folks I have heard and wondered "what the...?" The music I perform falls, essentially, into two categories: Music I've Written and Music I Wish I'd Written. Pretty simple, with songs that all have a meaning for me and I've arranged to fit the way I perform them. Consequently, I have enjoyed support among folks who can be loosely grouped into the Baby Boomer category. There has been interest across generational lines, as well, but the Boomers remember most of the covers, firsthand, and my versions call upon the memories of life associated with those songs. The fact that some great music was written during the 1960's doesn't hurt the effort at all, either! So, why do I bring this up?

The answer is simple. Because I'm not a child, a rockstar, or a diva, I will not pretend to be any of those things, either. When you like good music, that's enough! I hope you like what I present, and I hope you can let your friends know about it, particularly when I'm playing near enough to give it a listen.

Speaking of that, the month of August looks interesting with the Blues Concept "Dinner Concert" coming up on the 6th, another Bohemian Moon gig, in Norwich on the 11th, and a recently added chance to jam, play, and hang out with Mark Zane and friends at Tiny's, in Utica. For acting my age, I'm getting around! There is also a concert style show at the Black Box Theater, at The Stone Mill, in Little Falls, on September 17th, and I have an accompanist playing electric guitar for that one! Hoo hoo! If you can make any of these it will be greatly appreciated!

And finally, to the few new folks added to the mailing list, welcome! I hope you take the time to read a few of these blogs and simply check out the site, here! Enjoy, and as always, thank you for stopping by!

It's been a few weeks since my last blog, and I thought it might be time to update, a bit. Traditionally, for me, things tend to s-l-o-w down in the summertime. However, this has been an interesting one, and we're only about halfway through it! The heat alone has been amazing...

July has been a decent month, with a couple of leads that came directly from the efforts of Tm Staudle and the Acoustic Coffee House, in Fultonville. The Farmers' Market in Gloversville was the site for a chance to play, on July 16, and on the 20 I'll be at the Canajoharie Farmer's Market, from 10:00AM to 1:00PM.

In August I have a new venue, right in Hamilton, Blues Concept (formerly known as Sushi Blues, new name, same restaurant), right on Broad Street, across from the Green in the middle of town. The food is exquisite, and the couple who owns the business are well known around town. It looks to be a fun night, and a strong possibility exists of it playing as more of a concert than simply dinner music. That's Saturday, August 6th, from about 6:30 - 9:00PM, and I'm looking forward to it! On the 11th of August I'll be playing at the Bohemian Moon, in Norwich; a staple on my schedule and the folks there are terrific! Also a very good restaurant, with delicious menu items!

September has one definite show booked, in Little Falls, on the 17th, at the Black Box Theater, at the Stone Mill. The theater is a 50 seat auditorium, all great seats that angle upward from the floor level; a terrific venue, somewhat isolated, but I'm looking forward to trying to fill the venue. I'll have a very good guitarist accompanying me, that evening, as we blend the "regular" acoustic pieces with some electric guitar backed songs, as well. After the Kansas City performance in Earlville, earlier this summer, I'm looking forward to some "cooperative ventures!"

October will see a bit of "extra" action with the chance to return to Chincoteague Island and see our friends, Robin and Chris, who are always so nice when we visit. We'll be stopping on our way back from our Florida with a chance to stay a little longer than our recent visit; the stop will include a Saturday night performance in Book Hounds Plus, with an afternoon, during the stay, playing at Ocean Pearl, a gift shop, right on Main Street. Also, I'm hoping to fit a Syracuse Stage preshow either into October or early November, as it, too, has been a very fortuitive opportunity!

The latest venue booked for this year, so far, is a show at Colgate. I've been invited to play on Tuesday evening, November 22nd. The details have yet to be worked out, but the gig is firm, and I couldn't be happier about it! It has been and promises to be a good year for a "parttime job!"

I just wanted to update what's been going on and what I'm loking forward to, for this year. Also, as I have said on the Home Page, House Concerts are always a possibility. The songs I play cover a varied range, from 50's & 60's rock and roll to acoustic blues to originals, but with a house concert, the chance to hear the stories and "inspirations" for the songs adds a little more depth to them. Thanks for checking in, and I hope to play some music for you, soon! - Melissa

Okay, maybe I'm just a little slow; it would seem, at least to me, that people would enjoy amusing themselves by watching or listening to something a little more entertaining than plain and simple crap. Am I wrong?

Because when I sit down, in the evening, the best I can watch on television includes reruns of Two and a Half Men and Jeopardy, though in fairness, Jeopardy is not reruns! Opposite these two programs are tabloid style gossip programs as well as some pretty lame attempts at sitcoms. As Prime Time begins, "Reality" shows begin to fill the airwaves, which is an irony, almost an anachronism, because the one thing reality shows aren't is realistic! Tell me I'm wrong! I dare you!

In addition to reality shows are the "competition" programs, such as American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, and So You Think You Can Dance, which, while showcasing some impressive performances, assault our collective intelligence with arrogant and irritating "judges" and others, all the while subjecting the performers to a voting procedure that is anything but fair; reminiscent of the old "Battle of the Bands" which "judged" the garage bands by whose "groupies" made the loudest noise. Entertainment with an "edge." Yeah, sure...

Additionally, the "sports" come into play, which, for some reason, include wrestling. Now, I understand the primal attraction of a performance that features people with bulging muscles (if diminished mental capacity), but really, a sport? No one believed pro wrestling was anything but staged way back when they used the same rings as the boxers, so why do we indulge ourselves in the present day with something as obviously phony? Got me, I really have no clue!

Which brings us to a "related" topic; phony news, reported by addle headed nincompoops as the "truth," when the copy isn't even close to accurate. Yet people all around the country listen to talk radio and watch hate mongers spew their poisonous rantings on television, under the guise of "news" and find such poison to be "entertaining." Yet, with all the other forms of "entertainment," the idea of people being spoon fed inaccurate news stories and the general message of "us against them" on every level, the idea of a political party making a mission statement of "doing nothing," and dedicating the four years of a man's presidency to opposing and degrading him at every turn, actually seems to flow in a logical sequence...

When our children were going through the public schools we complained that they were not getting a quality education; that perhaps the teachers were failing the children because the skill levels in math, science, English, and yes, history were painfully lower than when we attended school. Well, guess what? Now those damaged children are adults and as such they are making decisions, everyday, concerning programming for television and radio, and how low they wish to set the standard for news reporting. Remember Edward R. Murrow, who sttod up to Joseph McCarthy? Remember why? If not, you may have already been bulldozed by the failed education system. I'm sorry if this is not as upbeat as you might have hoped, but on this Independence Day weekend, it is good to think about where we've come from, really, not the spin doctor's take on what some misguided political hopeful may have stated in revealing her complete lack of any sense of history. People lived and died lives of courage to help make this the greatest nation on the planet, and all the BS in the world will never be a good substitute for that courage! Happy Fourth of July!

A number of years ago, when I worked in the Post Office in Syracuse, my boss shared this little piece of wisdom with me, "At Christmastime, Valentine's Day and Mother's Day this place is bursting with customers. For Father's Day you could fire off a cannon, in the lobby, and never hit a soul!" I've found that to be one of life's basic truths (along with Murphy's Law and all it's corollaries; such as Murphy was an optimist!), and thought I would make that observation on this Father's Day weekend.

There was a time when the haberdasheries were ablaze with business, just prior to this weekend, when dads used to wear ties (like Robert Young used to in Father Knows Best, as also did Ward Cleaver, to balance out June's pearls while fixing dinner), and some of the neckties were extremly comical, but it would appear even that ship has sailed, these days. While we still appreciate having our dad around, especially those of us who no longer enjoy that luxury, we find new and a little more creative ways to show our appreciation, such as the Father's Day Pancake Breakfast, this Sunday morning, right here in Hamilton, at the Colgate Inn. Now, if we just remember to pay for Dad's meal, instead of waiting for him to pay!

I'll be helping out by providing a little music, from 10:00 to around 11:00 or so, and hope we have a nice day for the dads! Maybe if any of you are around, you might treat that special dad to breakfast! It's from 7:00-noon, with music by Bruce Ward from 8-10, followed by an hour or so of me...As always, thanks for stopping by!

Hi again! After last week, in which I (for once in my life) had nothing to say, and took the opportunity off, I'm back with a few thoughts, this week. As we get into June, it feels like the middle of summer, rather than the end of spring! Where, actually, was the spring weather? Definitely not in the "late winter" type of cold and damp weather we had just prior to the sweltering blast of "summer furnace!" At any rate, it is now summertime, if not quite summer, yet, in central NY State, so let's enjoy it for the next couple of days, before something else hits us, head on!

While we struggle with the weather, there are a few things of interest coming up, of which I'm fortunate to be a part. Today there is a Relay for the Cure, in Saquoit, and many musicians are among the folks celebrating the small victories we (I) have enjoyed, against the disease, cancer, along with the hope of getting that disease under control sometime soon! I'll be a small part of this wonderful celebration, going on in many locations this weekend! Tomorrow, June 12, at 4:00PM, in Earlville, a consortium of musicians, known collectively as the Kaleidescope Orchestra, will celebrate forty years since the Earlville Opera House was saved from being torn down; and consequently, all the wonderful programs and displays they have hosted in that forty year period. In the manner of a kaleidescope, we will be switching in and out of the "lineup" of presenters, over the course of the program as we take our turn at leading and/or sitting in on other folks' presentations. Hopefully, this will be as impressive as the rather amazing rehearsals have been! Numerous local musicans (and two, Tom Staudle and Cosby Gibson who are coming in from much farther away!) will be included in this wondrous idea, brought together by Steve Blais. If you get a chance to catch this, it will be worth the curiosity! 4:00PM, Sunday, June 12th!

And next weekend, the 18th and 19th will see further activity, such as a fund raiser for the veterans, both days, at Sweet Ole Memories, on Rte 5, near Vernon, NY. Again, local musicians and merchants have joined together to help out our Veterans in the area. I'll be the "starter" on Saturday morning, playing at 9:00AM! I pity anyone nearby who has to hear me play, and has just emerged from a deep sleep! Hopefully, there will be a little room on Sunday for a "second set."

In the meantime, however, the aforementioned Cosby and Tom will be hosting a picnic in Fultonville, on Saturday (18th) afternoon, from 4-9 PM! We plan on attending and bringing the guitar (of course!) to share some time with our friends to the east! These two weekends will be full of fun and plenty of music! But what a "letdown" afterwards! Aside from a Thursday night at the Bohemian Moon, in Norwich, there is nothing scheduled for the rest of the foreseeable future! I hope to rectify that, soon, so if you have any ideas, regarding the music, please contact me, here! I hope to hear from you! As always, thanks for taking the time to read this!

Well, our snowy season (from October to April) has given way to our rainy season, and I for one am hoping for a break in the "humidity" pretty soon! After all this rain, constant flood alerts, tornadoes and extreme lightning and thunder storms, I'm ready for some "boring" weather! This is especially the goal of anyone who may be playing outdoors during the alleged summer that is approaching us...no one needs to be playing through an electrical sound system during an electrical storm! A few years ago there was an event in Sayville, when the village turned off the power as a precaution, leaving a lot of clueless musicans standing around, about halfway into the event. I took solace in the local diner, had lunch, then began the drive back home, which, inadvertently, took me through the Bronx! Talk about a culture shock! All those Hispanic kids, listening to Latin music, and here comes some knucklehead, listening to Mary Chapin Carpenter on the car stereo. I think "bewildered" pretty much described their expressions, as I smiled to myself...

The summer is a great time to have backyard parties and outdoor entertainment, particularly when the three holidays come along, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day. Hopefully, everyone has plans for this weekend (I played at the country club in Norwich, last night, and the acoustics were very strange...they say I did well, but I couldn't hear myself; I felt like Milli Vanilli! Or, worse yet, Ashley Simpson!) and can enjoy this one, despite the calls for showers! As they said in Young Frankenstein, "It could be worse, it could be raining," except in this case, it could be worse, by snowing!

Other than silly thoughts about bad weather and fun times, I've got nothing, this week. But, I wanted to touch base, and get something out, in light of yesterday's cyber blackout; Verizon had a problem with the night before's electrical storm, wiping out the computer service in this neck of the woods. It took several hours and I'm sure, plenty of coffee and donuts, not to mention the odd flag man and other assorted characters who watched the actual repairs taking place! But, after only about five hours of trying, they finally got everything back to the level of mediocrity to which our expectations are tied! Not unlike my own level of mediocrity! Enjoy the weekend and I'll see you next week!

Just when things were beginning to look pretty good, it would appear I have hit a "dead spot." Two prospective "foodbank benefits" have pretty much gone the way of the steam powered car as we have a snag in Oneida as well as in Hamilton. Seems down this way the Colgate students in a complete and totally oblivious act, have unwittingly donated a ton of canned food to the Hamilton Cupboard, simply because they didn'y bother to pick up after themselves when they went home at the semester's end. Even the most selfish act can end up having a silver lining of sorts, so I'll be holding off on the food raiser till sometime later in the summer, when the shelves start to deplete and the new students haven't broughtin the next load of "leftovers" yet! They say beggars can't be choosers, but apparently helpers can't be choosers, either!

This weekend we are in Chincoteague for our much anticipated visit to the eastern shore of Virginia. In two weeks I'll be playing at Canasawacta Country Club, in Norwich, as my previously scheduled evening of May 20th has been resceheduled. Am I feeling like a transient? You betcha!

But the season is young and there still are many opportunities as well as disappointments, lying in wait, somewhere down the proverbial road! I can't wait! At least the weather should be warm. Thanks for stopping by!

I've been out of town the last few days, covering a couple of different events in Albany. Each of the events was sponsoring efforts to help out two women's shelters in that area, and each event was energetic. I'm somewhat exhausted as I write this, but happy to have been able to be part of each effort.

While in the area a couple of potential opportunities for the music came up, so I'm hoping they will all pan out into nice events, as well. For now I'll just keep my fingers crossed, which of course makes playing nearly any guitar chord difficult, at best! But next weekend we'll be driving down to Chincoteague for our long awaited and much anticipated weekend in Virginia! We're looking forward, so happily, to the chance to return to the "Land of Misty!"

Coming up in the future should be the 21st in Oneida, although I'm still trying to get a definite time for that event. Beyond that the 11th and twelfth of June will mark a Relay for Life music event in Saquoit on that Saturday, around 1:00PM, and a 4:00PM Sunday show at the Earlville Opera House in celebration of forty years of good things at the EOH since the place was spared from being torn down! That will be an exciting celebration with a large gathering of musical folks and a very unique interacting of the musicians to pull off this musical celebration!

This coming Thursday night is a return to the Bohemian Moon, in Norwich, and I'm hoping to have a few of my golf league friends drop by, after their league play, to say "Hi" and listen to a few songs. The next morning we're off to Virginia, so there's no telling when next week's blog will be written! I'm hoping to bring the laptop along and write up a little something while the real world is still sleeping!

So that's abut it, for now...some things wrapping up while others are pening up. It's very encouraging and I can't wait to reunite with friends, all over the place! I hope we can all get together at one place or another as this warm weather finally wraps itself around us! See you all soon! 

Hi again! As April rumbles to a close, the faint hope of spring, kept alive through the early tornado season, across the country, may finally become a reality! May is looking prett decent for a number of things, including travel to far off places! My friend Marte is headed for Florida in May, and we're visiting our friends in Virginia, in two weeks!

Additionally, the idea of helping charitable causes has germinated into a lovely flower, with two "foodbank gigs" set foe the first two Saturdays in this coming month; followed by a Relay for Life/ relay for a Cure event in Saquoit, on June 11th, to help fight cancer. There are enough of us survivors to make this a much more fair fight than it has been in the past, and with each year of survivorship, we get get closer to gaining the upper hand against that disease! The next afternoon, June 12th, at 4:00PM there will be an event celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the "saving" of the Earlville Opera House; a beautful building with a magnificent history of art and music, just down the road from here! Very cool and I feel very fortunate to be part of the "kaleidoscope" of performers contributing to that show!

It seems reasonable to try for, at the very least, two charitable shows per month, and hope for the best with the rest, so that's become my new philosophy. If you know of a local foodbank and a chance to help them increase their resources, just let me know, and hopefully we'll connect! The May 21st performance, in Oneida, will be at La Vie Boheme Bistro, and only a definite time needs to be added to confirm this. As soon as we have established the time, I'll let you know. I hope to see some of you there!

Thanks for taking a peek, this week, at the blog!

There's an old saw about "staying hungry" in that it is the drive that keeps one focused upon any task. Athletes and entertainers are often referenced as "having the hunger" to keep on, even when most "reasonable people" have decided to cut their losses and walk away.

However, athletes and entertainers are not always reasonable, and often they are the ones who steal our hearts by defying the odds; the "Miracle Mets," The Namath led Jets, any of the "Rocky" movies, as well as various musicians. Rod Stewart comes to mind, because even he had no idea why he became and has stayed so very popular, for forty years! But, I digress...

The "hunger" I speak of, this morning, is real. It's not a metaphor or colorful expression of determination; it's a cold hard truth. Throughout our own area, as well as nearly every community in America, there are people who go to bed hungry, every night. This, despite the obscene wealth still piled up by others, while the poor get poorer. We are all one catastrophe away from homelessness, and the aching question "Where will I find my next meal?" Every Thanksgiving there is an outpouring of generosity to help provide food for the less fortunate. Traditionally that generosity extends through the end of December as various charitable organizations are able to coordinate and provide for many of the struggling families. However, hunger is a constant, it doesn't satisfy itself with the holiday meals, but rather keeps coming back, every day of the year.

For that reason it occurred to me that I might be ale to help in this battle against hunger by trying to coordinate a few "gigs," if you will, specifically to help restock the foodbank pantries in localities around this area. It seems like an incredibly simple but worthwhile endeavor, and so far, the handful of people I've spoken with have agreed with me. So, this will be known as the Starving Artist Tour, as dates will continue to be added, and hopefully, other singers will join me in their own areas. The deal works this way: a local foodbank or pantry agrees to having me come in and play music for an extended period of time. In lieu of an "admission" per se, a non-perishable food item is recommended as the means of "getting in." Otherwise a donation may be made, to the foodbank. At the end of the performance, all the "raised items" will be handed over to that local foodbank. Hopefully the audience will also have heard the music, and enjoyed it, and we will all come away in a"better place."

Here's the cool part! Already, the first two "stops" have been placed on this nebulous schedule. May 14, in Chincoteague, Virginia, the visit will include the initial effort to help folks out. Recently a tornado swept through their area and did some damage. In some small way this may be able to help alleviate some of the trouble. The following weekend, at La Vie Boheme Bistro, in Oneida, NY, the first "local" event will attempt to get things started, up this way. I'm open to any and all suggestions from anyone who either knows of or is connected with a pantry or foodbank that would be willing to try this little boost to their reserves.

So, there's the plan. You can be a part of it, and I hope you are! You know how to get in touch with me, and we can boost the spirits as well as help satisfy the endless hunger of many folks, by giving this a go. And, hopefully, it will be as "endless" a tour as Cher's Farewell Tour has been; only more focused on a real purpose! Thanks again, for reading this week's blog!

Hi Again! From the title you can easily determine what this week's blog is about...although the "Ms" part is definitely a bad pun, compounded by the events of the past week.

To start, I had two gigs set for the previous week, one on Thursday and one on Saturday evening. They were both set, everything was fine, but when I was finished on Saturday I was paid nothing, and told nothing. It was later "determined" that the venue owner had given "everyone's money" (there were two acts that played that evening) to one of the people in the other act...which would have been fine, except for the fact the person in the other act was told it was their money. What took several days to attempt to unravel was deemed a "miscommunication," which has left me still a bit suspicious of the way the entire thing was handled...from the other end. As I said, the other gig was a couple days earlier, but I didn't deposit he check until the following week. However, when I arrived at my credit union I was (more than) a bit surprised to find a fraction of the agreed upon payment, as the amount in the check. There are times you wonder about your ability to do this, and then there are times when you hope it is simply two errors in the same stretch of bad luck! I contacted the people from the venue of the Thursday night gig and found out there had, indeed, been a mistake; that my computer message had split on their screen (a whole other problem, from a not so hot word processing program I often use!), putting part of the amount at the end of one line, and the amount they cut the check for at the beginning of the next one. When I saw the copy of their printed out invoice I felt like a fool. However, we were able to amend the situation, immediately, and there was no "what do you want from me?" attitude either implied or inferred in the exchange. I would have to say the communication line was wide open in the one instance and not so great, in the other.

One of the reasons these things happen is because one side or the other simply screws up. However, in the shared venue case, the amount paid to the performers has shrunken, considerably, over the course of three performances by each of the two acts involved in "sharing" the gig. When a musician gets paid for a performance, people go, "Wow! That's quite an hourly rate!" or as the unnamed fellow in the Dire Straights song, "I Want My MTV" said, "Money for nothing!" but even those sentiments are a miscommunication, of sorts. When you consider the amount of time a person spends writing, arranging, practicing and smoothing out each song, the "money per hour" rate goes down, considerably. True, some of that time is very therapeutic for the person making the music, but then one also must consider tha "other" aspects of the "job;" such things as booking (aka begging) for a chance to play, searching for the people to ask, and covering the physical ground to approach the people. Let's face it, despite Facebook, Twitter, email in general and even the supposed resurgence of MySpace, it is much easier to ignore an email than an in person visit. Plus, if a person tells you "No," face to face, then you have a definite communication, not a silly "Oh we must have misplaced the note," or some other excuse, later on. And even then, the call backs remind you of the reasons those sales jobs weren't that appealling, years ago! Plus, I haven't even begun to describe the Walt Disney like world of promoting a gig. You feel like Mickey Mouse, in Fantasia, with animated nightmares of trying to make the various media contacts, and hoping for the best!

My point, it would seem, is that any endeavor worth doing is worth doing right. If one puts a half effort into it, one may expect a half return from that effort, or worse, none at all. It has always been a personal goal to give no less than what I expect in return. Hopefully, as this journey continues, I can figure out which venues are worth a full effort, and which simply are not. I guess that's a form of communication, as well!

Did you ever notice how things seem to come in bunches? Bunches of things happening as well as long stretches of emptiness! Geogre Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun" could have been written about Central NY weather, easily! It also could describe the long empty spells between gigs; followed, suddenly, by the rush of one after another! Last week I had the opportunity to play at the Bohemian Moon Restaurant, after not being there for nearly two months. This week I played at syracuse Stage on Thursday night and have the Tram, in Utica, tonight, with my friends Pick N EZ (actually, their names are Marte and Debbe!), a favorite duo in the Utica area, and very nice people. Feast or famine...

Lately, though, between chances to play, there have also been opportunities to chat with others; musicians, as well as normal people, and the one thing that remains fairly constant is there really are nice people around. I've been fortunate in finding so many, so very near to me. After their geographical proximity, they've also become close, as friends, too! The contact woman at Syracuse Stage, for some unknown reason, has a special place in her heart for what I play. It baffles me, but I must admit it makes me feel good to bring the songs there and share them! The other folks at that venue are so nice, as well; even the fellow in the parking lot had nothing but kind words about all of the folks who work inside. That's pretty rare!

The "norm," these days, seems to be to undercut your fellow human, in the attempt to make yourself look better in the eyes of others. Some folks call this "shameless self-promotion," and even if it is tongue in cheek, it still is rather shameless. It's like winning the rat race...you're still a rat! I have met many folks whose ego far exceeds their talents, yet they don't realize it! And still, there has been a wonderful circle of friends who have been true friends despite the fact we are all trying to get into, essentially, the same venues. Cosby and Tom are simply two of the nicest "go getters" I've ever met, and never too busy to have a nice chat or encourage folks around them! The aforementioned Marte and Debbe are also two of the sweetest people I know. I've been very fortunate to know these folks, for a variety of reasons. The main reason is they've kept me focused when I was having the deepest doubts about whether I should even be trying to do any of this. The jury is still out on how successful the effort is, but it is an honest effort, anyway. So, if I seem to "undersell" myself, just remember I'd rather surprise you, pleasantly, than by being a lot worse than you expected!

Having said that, tonight's show, at the Tram, will be a circus! Marte is an honest to goodness ringmaster in her ability to create and maintain a festive atmosphere. There are always little surprises, not to mention the "give aways" that comprise parts of Pick N EZ's performance. Even if they didn't have wonderful harmonies, and delightful guitar work (which, by the way, they do, very well!) their show would be so much fun, just having them to watch! Being able to follow them is not as much intimidating as it is a "calming down" period after they've donetheir performance. My new song, "I Talk To My Cat," has surprised me in its popularity; who knew the little guy would wow them simply by being himself? At any rate, there will be EP's available, tonight, featuring that song, and three other new ones, along with reprises of two songs I've been doing for awhile; "Heart of A Champion" and "A Little Time." Work continues on the full length CD, and I hope to have it ready soon. Also in the works is a plan for a "release party" sort of gig, hopefully, in Oneida. At least that is the plan, for now.

In the meantime, I'm still playing the "Saturday lunch hour" at 22 Utica Street, right here, in Hamilton. Anyone in the area is always welcome to stop by, grab a cup of coffee or a meal or a dessert or better yet, all of the above, and listen to a few favorite songs!

Every once in awhile one has to do some promotion. I hope this wasn't over the top and something for which I won't have to feel, or den, shame, later! Enjoy the week, and if you can make it I'd love to see you at a gig in the area! One more April shower reminder...there is a songwriters' presentation at Onondaga Community College, on April 21st. I'll be there, along with Mark Zane, Dan Cleveland, and Joe B. Henson, and it's a free show, along with free snacks... Everyone's invited! Thanks for dropping by!

Happy April! Spring, sunny weather, flowers, the occasional heavy snowstorm, it's all here, at last! Has this winter got an end? It's been six months long, and counting, in winterlike conditions, but what can you do?

I'd like to thank some folks who turned out, at the Bohemian Moon, Thursday night. I struggled with the sound, all night long, and all I accomplished was to finish the night, but sometimes those things happen! Sounds like a Forrest Gump observation!

April will be a busy month, almost encouraging me to believe the George Harrison song, "Here Comes The Sun," as there is an evening at Syracuse Stage, next Thursday, the Tramontane gig, on Saturday night, and an evening of sharing original songs at Onondaga Community College on April 21st. I'm working on filling in the "holes" between those gigs, and there is the weekly "lunch hour gig" right in Hamilton, here, at 22 Utica Street Cafe, as I provide some live (check my pulse!) music on Saturdays.

I'd also like to thank the new readers who signed up, this past week, to actually receive my emails and blogs; bless your hearts! I appreciate everyone who has lent support and hope you let others know, as well, if you like what you hear. Of course, if you don't like it, I hope you can keep it quiet! Kidding!

These blogs are much like the commentary style exchanges I do between songs in the "concert" settings; you know, where people actually come and give you a listen because they wish to hear you play. Other gigs (and I'm simply distinguishing, here, not complaining!) provide "audio wallpaper" for an evening out. I appreciate the dynamic difference between the two, and I can be as much a "wallflower" in those contexts, as anyone. A recent conversation with a musician who works at a music store brought out an interesting observation, on his part. We were joking about musical ablity and such, and he had noticed that many performers' ego exceeds their talent...I hope that is not the case for me, because if it is, I must not have any talent, whatsoever; my ego is pretty much in check, and I am more often than not the butt of my own observations in silly human behavior. The most difficult thing about self promotion is the "keeping it real" part. When people speak of themselves in superlatives, it is only a short step to beginning to believe one's own hype! We seem to have the "shameless" part of self promotion pretty well covered. And, of course, the problem is once the shameless self-promotion becomes the norm, then everyone is expected to be that way about themselves; something I find a bit discomforting. An example of "underselling" was after I first approached the folks at the Bohemian Moon, they agreed to have me play there. When I finished the woman in charge said she was "pleasantly surprised." While that is something of a compliment, albeit a left handed one, I think I understand that if I didn't really paint an exaggerated picture of myself, she was probably expecting "not much," and even though I may not be all that much, at least I was a little more than she'd expected...minimalist bragging! ;)

This is, then, a month that not only pays homage to foolishness, but also makes a fool of us all, with the weather. I'm already on the fast track to foolishness, most of the time, so I'm gonna enjoy this month, a lot! I hope you do, as well!

Remember when customer service actually referred to someone providing a service that had anything at all to do with the needs of the customer? If you do, you are either a Baby Boomer or a parent of a Boomer. What is casually hinted at as customer service, in this day and age, is nothing more than attempting to influence someone with the proverbial BS, until they acceed to the behavior which was found to be reprehensible, in the first place!

Case in point. Last November there was a man in the local grocery store trying to sell subscriptions to an area newspaper. I agreed to give it a try, and when delivery began, the delivery person asked me where I would like them to leave the newspaper. I said the front step was fine (as there is a roof over it, anyway, and it would be a...

I have a problem. Maybe you can help me with it, and maybe no one can. I have been playing music for most of my life, but haven't fallen into the trap of thinking I'm any different from most other people. At least I hope I'm essentially the same as everyone else. Lately, however, as I find more places to try to get people to listen to my music, I find that being shy and demure is not necessarily what anyone looking for musicians wants; however, the "shameless self promotion" route, though often alluded to in a humorous manner, seems to be the driving force behind everyone else's performance.

Recently I saw a good, young singer actually mention an upcoming show, during an instrumental portion of a song he was singing...is this the new generation of subliminal messaging; so obvious as to not lose the message on...

This past week began with a promise of strangeness...and fulfilled that promise, completely, as the week unfolded! From the 24 hour snowfall on Sunday/Monday to the incredible meltdown and flooding, folowed by the return of yet more snow, it is aweek that, despite all hopes and attempts, won't soon be forgotten! Yet, as we wallow in our own miseries, the Japanese people have both a tsunami and a nuclear reactor meltdown (possibility) to contend with! I guess it could have been worse, here, after all!

Meanwhile, in between he ridiculous weather patterns, locally, I managed a road trip down to the Kingston area, in the Hudson Valley, on Tuesday night. There are two cafes close to one another, there, the Rosendale and the High Falls cafes, and for this particular trip I signed up for the open mic in Rosendale. As luck would have it I blundered along...

I'm beginning to feel like a Madison avenue ad copy writer; everything is "new!" The last thee blogs, prior to this one, also had "New" in the title! This time, there is a new month as well as another piece of "new"s; I bid on and won an auction for a Taylor 114e guitar. While I realize this means little, if anything, to you, it is a happy addition to my extended family of guitars.

This new one is actually a 1998 model, so she, like me, has been around the block a few times. In fact, I have only two other guitars that are older, the beloved Martin, from circa 1992, and the Hofner electric, that I've had around since the mid 1970's. I do have an older Epiphone but it's pretty much in the Home for Retired Guitars, these days...I know, this stuff means even...

Hi Again! This website was meant to evolve, and I'm trying my best to evolve with it, so my next logical step is to ask the folks who read the bogs and other material on this site to let me know what you think. Last Saturday was a return to basics, for me, with a nice coffeehouse evening in an intimate setting; a chance to share, on a personal level, the music I've been writing as well as my humor and the good feeling of a warm environment with friends on a cold winter's night.

Similarly, the concept of House Concerts has steadily become a stronger and stronger force within the performing community. Obviously for a five piece rock band the notion of setting up in someone's living room would be disastrous; there's a reason they start out in the garage! However, for a solo or small...

Happy President's Weekend!

  Let me begin by apologizing for the delay in getting this out...there are two things that seem to "roadblock" my timetable for getting things done; my ability as well as my tendency to procrastinate! I've been told I do very good work under pressure, and what pressure is better than a deadline? Having said that much, let me explain. This past Saturda evening was a "gig night" for me in Oxford. Sharing the eveing with a very talented musician from Greene, NY, Jacqui Rayne, left me with a world of preparation so as not to stink up the stage when it was my turn. Things were looking decent in the run up to the weekend, but one by one everything started to turn sour. Friends who won't travel more than 10 miles to hear anyone sing began backing out of coming to this...

A good many years ago, Stephen Stills released a song titled "Love The One You're With," and while admittedly it was quite catchy, the idea of the song always bothered me, a bit. Very much like the Jackson Browne song done by the Eagles, a few years later, "Take It Easy," the point of the song was the ever popular "instant gratification" message that overwhelmed us in the 70's and became a cornerstone for the philosophy of marketing people everywhere!

Let me digress, just for a minute, and say that I've noticed some really nice guitars, of late, that are made by the Taylor Company; guitars with a beautiful sound and produced in Mexican factories. The notion of laying out even the "cut rate" price for such a sweet sounding instrument has been a temptation for me, indeed. However, rather than grabbing it and "falling in love with the...

This week I returned to Jango, the online radio station that provides a variety of usic, tailored to you tastes! I brought som of these songs of mine to play, and they asked for artists whose music might be compatible with my own. So, letting the usually well checked ego take over, I put my music in with folks like Mary Chapin Carpenter, Carole King, Eva Cassidy, The Dixie Chicks, Melissa Etheridge, and Lucinda Williams, Yeah, I know, they are much better, all the way around, but if I can't dream, what good am I?

At any rate, Jango has several of my songs liste, and for a while they'll play them in a regular mix with songs from those folks. However, it doesn't stop there. You can hear the songs by directly typing my name in the search panel. Cool!

Jango costs nothing, to...

Happy New Week! I listened to another local musician Friday night, and had a very nice evening. He was very "good" playing and singing. But what really made the evening enjoyable was the chance to chat a bit, afterwards. His "day job" is as a nurse, at a nurisng home, and the stories he shared were as compelling as the job he did, musically. Nice people can have exciting stories, especially when they are slices of somebody's life; slices that touch us, universally.

Other good people are all around us, including a friend, from Norwich, Linda Lewis-Moors, who is one of a number of sorority sisters, who attended Tulane University, and return to Louisiana each year to lend their time and efforts to Habitat for Humanity. Yes, people are still trying to put things back together from the Katrina disaster, as the "Fly over" made by the president, at the...

George Carlin once talked about "stuff." He really nailed the qualities of what we consider important, in the world of inanimate objects, and there's nothing i can really add to that. However, I've found the concept of "stuff" to be quite a necessity in trying to make sense of an otherwise discomforting world.

Here is where I keep my "stuff;" in reference to the music and everything that it touches. The upcoming dates are stored in one of these closets, and the "other stuff," the music itself, in yet another. There are places for storage of such information, and this is about as organized as I get! I don't have such convenient closets, or drawers, for storing anything, at home, here, and my "area of creativity" often resembles the corners of my mind...with thoughts and words scattered around the room!

I've been told that businesses need...

Hi!

  There are blogs all over the place, and the thing I find to be somewhat irritating is the way a person goes on and on about him or herself, assuming we all are waiting on pins and needles to hear the latest adventure in that person's life. I tend to think we really don't care, one way or the other, but sometmes need to hear that someone else is having a worse day than we are. If you agree, you'll probably enjoy reading these blogs. I feel like the love child of Andy Rooney and Betty White, put in a basket and tossed into the Cayuhoga River, flames and all, to enjoy the world around us!

  Each week I'll try to update what's making me scratch my head or express my disbelief in some other...