Did you ever see anyone perform who felt they had to introduce every single song they do?   Sometimes,  the introduction is longer than the song itself.  I can't really complain too much about this because there have been times that I've been guilty of it myself.   It does make me think though.   Is the song really communicating the message you want it to if you have to explain it for five minutes before you play it?   I actually like hearing what the inspiration for a song is most of the time,  but I can't stand it when a performer tells you a long story about what inspired the song,  then the song says the exact same thing as the story the performer just told.   

I think that if the audience is left to their own interpretation of what a song means, the chances are better that  they will connect with it more strongly than if the performer spoon feeds them everything.

I've always been impressed with people who write songs easily.   I find it to be a difficult exercise.    I'm pretty good with melodies or coming up with interesting arrangements to other songs,  but lyrics have always given me trouble.

I think it's partially because songs tend to be so personal.   I'm sort of shy by nature,  and it's hard to overcome the anxiety of letting people see into your soul through your songs when you're shy.

Some recent events in my life have brought out some song ideas that were burried somewhere deep in my mind.   Whether or not the songs ever see the light of day remains to be seen,  but I'm at least working on them.

Have you ever been listening to the radio when a song comes on that takes you back to a place or time in your life that you wouldn't have thought about if not for that song?     Songs can do that.   The associative properties they have are powerful.

"If You Leave Me Now"  by Chicago always makes me think of the roller skating parties they'd have at the school when I was in 5th or 6th grade.   For some reason,  they always played that one when it was a couples skate.   "Purple Rain", by Prince takes me back to high school in an instant.     Then of course,  there are the songs that remind me of "her."    "Her"  is different for each song.  Sometimes the memories are wonderful,  sometimes they're painful.   You probably have a "her"  or maybe a "him"  that you think of when that special song pops up on the radio.

As a musician,  I find that certain songs become difficult to perform if I've associated them with someone too strongly.   I get to thinking about things other than the performance,  and I mess up.   Occasionally I even take them off my set list altogether for a while.   Other times,  doing that special song is just what I need to get me inspired.

Here's to hoping that when that one song comes on the radio,  the memories it brings to mind are pleasant ones.

John Lennon said, "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans."

In the last week or two,  life has thrown me an unexpected curve ball or two,  and frankly I haven't done much of what I thought I'd be doing.    My music studio and my schedule have basically taken a back seat.      Hopefully,  that will be changing very soon.    I've got a few gigs coming up that will get me back on track,  and I expect to get working on my studio soon too.     I hope you'll join me for some music somewhere along the line. 

It's been a great summer.   Technically it's not over just yet,  but I think the spirit of summer pretty much ends when school starts up again.   I think I will remember the summer of 2007 as one of my best in quite a while.  

One can only hope that when Autumn is over,  I'll be saying something similar.

It was a sunny Tuesday morning.   Right around the time I'm writing this, as a matter of fact.   My mom called me and told me to turn on the TV.    A plane had hit the World Trade Center.    I turned on the TV just seconds before the second plane hit.    I remember thinking how horrible,  but it didn't quite sink in yet what was happening.   I started to go on with my day.   I had things to get done.

A little later,  I was at the hardware store,  and the lady there said that another plane had crashed in Pennsyvania,  and one at the Pentagon.    That's when I realized what was going on.   The rest of the day was spent in front of the TV.  As the towers started to come down,  our minds raced through anyone we might know in New York.   My oldest sister quite often worked in Manhattan,  and it took us a while to reach her.   Thankfully,  she was not in the city that day.

In the next day or two,  you were hard pressed to find a house that wasn't flying the American Flag.  Democrats and Republicans joined hands on the capital steps and sang "God Bless America"   There was a sense that it didn't matter what your political beliefs are, what color you are, or what part of the country you come from.   We were attacked.   It was time to stand up.

God bless those who died in the attack.  God bless those heroes who lost their lives trying to save others.  God bless those who have since served and lost their lives lives trying to fight those who would do us harm.   God bless America.

Saturday was a great day.  I was helping my (ok, I'm going to say it in public) girlfriend, Amy move.   It wasn't really what you'd call fun,  but it felt good to get some work done,  and the move is really going to be good for her.   Then the whole tone of the day changed.   I spoke with a friend of mine who came home from the hospital that day.  Out of respect for his privacy,  I won't mention his name,  but many of you reading this may know who it is.   I was hoping that the fact that he was home was good news.   Sadly,  that's not really the case.   In a best case scenario,  he'll be in for a tough battle.     It just makes me sad.   Friendship and prayers are about all I can offer.  

Warren Zevon said that you learn to cherish every sandwich.  That's a nice reminder,  but I'd prefer to take them all for granted,  and share them with my friend for a very long time.

Seems like I wrote the same front page last year.   Last Thursday my friend Deborah Herbert performed a gig at The Big Tree Inn.   It was fun.    We started off a little slow.   Deb showed up with a migraine that just made it difficult to perform.   After a couple of excedrin started kicking in,  we really got going.   Her spirit on stage is remarkable.   This year,  I got a couple of different musicians to back her up.   In addition to myself on guitar,  Dave Sharman, Gary Holt, and Andrew Laughton  really added a lot to the evening.   

The good news is,  the manager liked the show so much that about three songs into the night,  he came over and asked us back for next week.   So,  if you want another chance to catch Deborah Herbert,  you better come to the Big Tree Inn in Geneseo  on Thursday, July 26.   Otherwise,  you might have to fly to Copenhagen for another chance.

I invited my friend Amy to our Independence Day celebration next week.   She mentioned that as she was telling her kids about the invitation,  it dawned on her that she wanted to explain to them why the 4th of July is more than hot dogs and fireworks.     That got me to thinking........reflecting,  actually.

What an absolutely amazing country we live in.   231 years ago a group of brave men and women got together and declared that they had had enough.  It was not right for them to live under the thumb of a dictator.   That government should be a reflection of the peoples' will.   You have to remember what a radical idea this was at the time.  But it was one that they were willing to die for.  Many of them did.    Once they won their freedom,  they didn't simply install another king or dictator.   No, the revolution wasn't about someone else wanting power.   They started this great experiment called democracy.   They made, to borrow a phrase, a contract with America.   The the rights of all men were guaranteed.   The structure of government was defined.   The transition of power was spelled out.

I've spent time in other countries where the people don't have the same freedoms that we so often take for granted in America.   To this day,  there are places where you can't so much as express your displeasure with a governmental policy for fear of being arrested, or even killed.   Remember that the next time you hear some rich celebrity whining about how unfair it is that she sold a few less cd's because some people don't like her politics.

Is America perfect?   Far from it.   But it is still the most desirable place in the world to live.   That's because of those brave men and women 231 years ago who were willing to die to gain their freedom,  and all those since who have been willing to die to protect it.