Website refresh launched
12.01.2011
This has been a long time coming! Karl and I have been working on it for months, on and off, and now it’s finally here for others to see. I’ve re-written almost all the content on the site, some of which has been streamlined and redesigned. Please let us know your thoughts via the contact form. The biggest addition to the site is the artwork section, showcasing my photography, art and crafts. Enjoy!
Rocktober
10.30.2011
This was a cover song challenge month. My plan was different depending on the day. I asked for requests, a few of which I managed, but otherwise played versions of songs I loved. Of all the collaborations I wanted to do, I only participated in one. I think for next year I should remember that three months of 50/90 followed immediately by this does not make for a happy songwriter/performer.
Haliburton Concert
10.02.2011
The band headed up to Haliburton Hills for four days, slept in the bunkhouse, set up the stage, drank by the bonfire, and practiced. Saturday was the day of the annual horseshoe tournament, and people started dropping by and hanging out well before the first match began. The band played two sets that night, Debs and I won the musical smut contest, and we had loads of fun. Can’t wait to do it again next year!
50/90 ends
10.01.2011
The challenge ended early for me this year. Practicing with the band split my focus and songwriting took a backseat for the month of September. One collaboration is still to come, but otherwise I’m done. I wrote/helped to write 32 new songs this summer, and so many of them are real favourites of mine. I’m so proud of the genres I tackled, the collaborations I was part of, and the songs I brought to life on my own.
Asperger’s diagnosis
09.20.2011
Finally, after months of visits, tests, and far too much waiting, I have an official diagnosis: I have Asperger’s. Incredibly, I hadn’t heard more than a passing reference to it prior to this past year, and only started looking into it in detail in June. So many pieces of me have fallen into place in the light of this new perspective. I am so relieved to have this part of the puzzle solved.
Curse U Gravity
09.10.2011
I’ve happily joined the cover band made up of my friends and fellow musicians Devin, Mark, Carlos and Debs. We’re spending the month of September practicing for an annual performance up in Haliburton at the start of October. I have around 20 songs to learn in the meantime, melodies and harmonies, and most of them I’ve never heard before. Practice, practice, practice!
FAWMstock 2
08.23.2011
Thankfully I decided to head down to Emlenton PA with a bunch of other FAWMers so I could have a blast meeting musicians, learning about jazz chords, coming to the conclusion I need to learn more cover songs, writing, recording and performing together. We held a concert on the last night for the town, earned some free ice cream, and wished it wouldn’t end. What a road trip!
50/90 begins
07.04.2011
There are a lot of emotions flowing through me at the moment, as I step from one path onto another. Songwriting helps me sort my experiences and confront my feelings about them. I let the songs take me where they want to go. I have no idea what to expect this year, but I’d like to write as much as I can. No more long, air-conditioned train rides to work every day. It’s hot, but at least I’m home!
No longer a teacher
07.01.2011
After a decade of teaching Montessori, and another decade prior to that of tutoring, coaching, mentoring and running day camp programs, I am closing the book on teaching as employment. It’s hard to fathom what it will feel like to approach September without having to prepare for the coming year, meet new parents, children, staff, and all the stress that comes with that life now behind me.
FAWM (February Album Writing Month)
02.28.2011
This was my first FAWM done properly. I felt driven to write songs about letting go all month, and that’s what most of them are about. I managed to participate in a couple of song skirmishes, where the challenge is to write a song in an hour. Everyone receives the same title at the start of the hour, and all post their songs by the end of it. There were too many highlights to mention, so listen to them here!
Couple of songs to start the year
01.31.2011
I wrote “Floating” during a prolonged fever I just couldn’t shake. I thought I may as well take advantage of the feeling, explore and describe it while it kept me dizzy for more than a week. The result is a song I really like. Also, in preparation for Imbolc, I reconfigured an old moladh (that’s a song of praise in Irish) I’d written years ago in honour of the season. A blessed Imbolc to all who celebrate!