NOT-WHAT-I-MEAN-BY-WRITING WRITING

(I wrote this to a friend.)

Dear F,
Sorry that writing the fluff stuff didn't lead to more.

Non artists can't understand that writing something you don't feel passion for is DRUDGERY!
I can not even write a thank you card if I don't mean it! I get all weak and whiney like a 2 year old in need of a nap. hah ha.

If you can, find something you can feel passion for. I don't think the job around it matters, if it's fairly pleasant.

When I was a receptionist in the 80s I had Real Passion for real estate.
Cuz I wanted a house so badly! So I made a great real estate receptionist. But it would have bored me to do the same type of job for mutual fund companies or such.

Of course, you don't have to listen to me since the only work I can get lately is at a skin care cart in a mall! (very nice work, actually. you'd be surprised.)

I am uber passionate about skin care. I had HUGE passion for selling clothes but the pay was too low. But now I am working towards selling my own silver jewelry so learning cart selling is a good experience.

I just really wanted you to know that I totally understand if doing the NOT-WHAT-I-MEAN-BY-WRITING WRITING is dragging you down.

Each classroom and subject is different. You may still find a good situation like that with more fun and ooomph. A class YOU would want to attend.

Our band would play to some clubs and just fall flat!
Then later in a small coffee shop we would have people in the palm of our hands...

Location
Location
Location

Passion
Passion
Passion

Venue
Venue
Venue...

If you need a few quiet minutes to get centered, watch this video You Hide

You Hide by Michael Tiernan


More about Michael

Michael Tiernan - played at Swallow Hill March 3rd.

I went to his show since I had chatted with Michael for a few weeks on Whole Wheat Radio many years ago.
Allen ran sound.
Michael is sweet to the core. And still very human. Seeing him play live - acoustic - was quite the special experience. His older stuff has more edge. But his newer stuff was a total hit with the crowd. Somehow I didn't get bored. It must have been the chemistry and the night.


Found out at the show that Michael had been very close to being ordained a priest!
But when we met his wife we understood the reason he did not go thru with it.
I'm not into religion but people with true spirituality are amazing to be around.
Anyway the show was full of people he knew thru the Colorado Seminary in Crestone Colorado.
And he invited everyone to an aftershow party and played there some more. After we left the crowd was still going strong.


If you ever run into Michael, you'll be happy all day the next day. Just cuz he passes along that kind of energy.
Dependable on the music business side too.
http://www.myspace.com/tiernantunes

The Eagles

So I was earning a little cash doing a survey/video shopping thing so stores can see what brands I like.
ORGANICALLY GROWN BRANDS, people, ALL ORGANICALLY GROWN!

Pretty cool experience, actually, using a joystick that acted like a shopping cart handle.

The lady running the video said I could pay for my groceries.
But I was not to try to leave the computer generated store thru the doors.
Since that would severely crash the system.

"Ah", I said, " so you can Check Out Any Time You Like but..."

The lady didn't react, but her young, much tattooed assistant totally cracked up.

hee heee.

Hawk

A small, stocky hawk was in our big cottonwood, a still finch caught in his talons. When I realized what it was, I gasped then clapped my hands on my mouth to hush up. Right/Left/then Right hand again quickly to cover my sound. Shhhhhh....

He gave me an entire show on the beauty of a hawk with a very big fan of dark brown/black tail feathers and wing feathers.

The finch was mercifully killed quickly and then the hawk forgot his prey and kept showing off and staring at me.

He kept jumping/flapping/hovering from branch to branch in the huge tree. Guessing it was a yearling really excited to catch things but not feeling hungry. The hawk finally left, the poor finchy bird still un-eaten, lying on the big branch. I had not wanted to move, thinking I would scare it away. Now I'm not sure if my continued presence made it leave.

A while back, when an eagle caught a snake from our front rock garden, it flew up to a lightpost and tore into it immediately. We were very visible, watching in awe!

I see hawks and eagles flying when I lie down on the back porch but this is the first time one has been so close.

Dear Pushy Seller

Dear Pushy Seller of [company that feeds off of bands],

I adore returning emails however it has only been a day since you sent your first email. A day in which I was away. I was simply trying to catch up with a deluge of daily tasks such as laundry first.

As for Violet Edge, we're rock musicians hiding in folk musician bodies. The house concert path is best for us. Without the budget of someone like Tori Amos there is no way I can enjoy playing loud music. It's a sensitive ear issue. All venues are torture for me. With house concerts my guitarist/engineer can give me pristine perfect sound on stage AND for the audience. And I love talking to each listener after the show in a low key setting.

Thanks for your interest and I am hooked up thru myspace to stay in touch this year. I can forward your info to other musician friends who actually want that kind of life.

Three days before he appeared at the Metro station, Bell had filled the house at Boston's stately Symphony Hall

Somewhere there is a place where people don't need to be told when something is beautiful.
We don't live there, apparently.

We already found out for ourselves the hard way.
We didn't realize until recently that few hearts and eyes and ears are actually connected.
But it still hurts to see it in the article and video below.
There are enough nails in the coffin of the arts that there is no more room to pound in any more.

So that's why when we find that rare, connected person, it's a special event.
- C


*****************************************
A onetime child prodigy, at 39 Joshua Bell has arrived as an internationally acclaimed virtuoso.
Three days before he appeared at the Metro station, Bell had filled the house at Boston's stately Symphony Hall,
where merely pretty good seats went for $100.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html

Heart-throb Fiddler!

Heart-throb Fiddler! Alex Depue
He looks young but this guy's been playing for 25 years.
He can do ANYTHING. Classical, bluegrass, pop covers. Beautiful tone and also wicked fast chops that never stopped.

Last Saturday night we saw Alex Depue play as a duo with Michael Tiernan, a real sweetie in his own right.

Alex didn't steal the show because the musicians could read each other's mind.

This means the song and singer Michael Tiernan got the spotlight. But Alex ran in and out of that spotlight. His playfulness and sly looks to the audience at just the right moment kept us laughing.

My guy ran sound for his Swallow Hill Music Assoc. show and the reverb and sound was rich and full and everyone fell in music-love. Completely packed house-concert sized venue. 80 or more. A house concert on steroids but still an intimate feel.

Video: Alex Depue cover of a YES song some years ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHC_Qyov2Xc

Website: http://www.thefiddler.org/

Classical music on his myspace: http://www.myspace.com/alexdepue

Sure would be nice for me to be able to PASS for ordinary.

I don't believe anyone is ordinary.
Plenty are repressed, yes.
Ordinary, no.


Sure would be nice for me to be able to PASS for ordinary.
If you know what I mean.
Then I could get a chance at those snazzy jobs.
Make it past the interview phase, that is, and pretend to play the game.
But the people are holding out for the ordinary.
It's easier for them to keep up the act, it seems, with supporting actors.
And they see right thru me.


So...nevermind. They are defending their homeland and I don't stand a chance.

Unless I find another musician-turned-business person.
THEN, I'm good to go. Cuz we understand each other. :)

C

Who wants to be a Rock Star?

If a counselor came to your school's Career Day and asked "HEY, who wants to be a Rock Star?", nearly every kid would wave their hand yelling, "YEAH! ME!"


But let's say the counselor asked: "Who wants to travel around in unsafe vans, stay in grungy motels to sell beer in creepy dive bars. Try to use the bathrooms without touching anything. And SOMETIMES YOU EVEN GET TO SLEEP IN THAT VAN! And - And - AND you get to come home in soul-crushing debt! Whoo hoo! "

How many kids would jump up and raise their hands?

Same damn thing, people.

I love MUSIC. After all that hassle, music is the last thing that gets created. Sound always sucks anyway so it's not like anyone can hear it. No point in killing myself with exhaustion. It kills the Muse quickly. Ever wonder why your favorite band's CDs start to suck after that first killer release?

Luckily I was naturally distrusting of everyone and didn't bother to ask for anything like a record contract. But the LIE still pisses me off. I greatly appreciate the musicians who tell their true stories, now that the internet lets us communicate. Otherwise convincing band mates not to "pay to play" would have been impossible.

*********************
That distrust also helped me during the Dot.Com era:
"You want me to work for less money as a web developer to receive the promise of stock options? "

"Puh... Ha ha ha ha ha. Good one. "

One guy was very impressed I was adamant about not tying myself down. He said he was glad I wasn't giving up the dream. They asked many times one year yet not even a hint of stock option greed hit my gut.

Truth was, I didn't trust either business.

Still don't.

For good reason, it turned out.

And the music is still beautiful.