Optimistic Bits

Whew, been busy, time to catch up...

2010-05-31T19:30:00.000-07:00

I've been working long full days, so I haven't really had time to update the blog. Here's a quick review of some gigs I've had......

Borders Bookstore in Colorado Springs on Saturday May15th. I played solo Chapman Stick from 6-8pm in the coffee shop area. Not a very responsive crowd, most were there to peruse books and magazines or stare at laptop screens. I did get some nice compliments and the occasional smattering of applause. A fellow Stickist from the Denver Area came down for the performance. It was very nice to meet him in person and talk a bit during my break.
I got a call from the store manger this week, he said he got a lot of positive feedback about my performance. I'll be playing there again on June 19th.

On Saturday May 22nd I played at Cafe Dawn here in Salida. It was a reception for the Artists in residence for Colorado Art Ranch. The house was packed to the extreme, I found a spot to set up near the serving counter and played for about 40 minutes. The the residents gave presentations showing what they had been working on during their stay here in Salida. Toward the end there was a little time left for music so I invited Sarah Henson from San Francisco to play. She was one of the residents and played a couple of very lovely fingerstyle guitar pieces that she had composed.
I had been working out of town and rushed home for the start of the Colorado Art Ranch Artposium "Wade in the Water", which was a total blast! I was pleased that I was able to pick up my instrument for the first time in 5 days and play a good solid set. I'm also feeling way more comfortable performing in front of people than I have ever felt before. All in all, it was a fun evening.

Saturday May 29th I performed with Steel String Revue. Chris Nasca on vocals and guitar, Brian Pence on drums, Dave Sparkman on sax and yours truly on Chapman Stick. We played at the Fallen Bikers Memorial Rally here at the Chaffee County Fairgrounds. The stage was enormous! Three huge video screens, lights, lasers, fog machines, more decibels than really necessary! We played from 4-6pm, it was an absolutely gorgeous day outside, the problem was we were inside. There was a small crowd and at least we managed to get some folks dancing. I'm hoping to get some pics and/or video from this event, I'll post it here if I do.

It looks like another busy week, I'll be back at Adams Mountain Cafe in Manitou Springs this coming Thursday and Friday, more later, peace.....

Ark Valley Humane Society

2010-05-09T19:39:00.000-07:00

Last night (Saturday), I played a party at my friends Jan & Dan's house nearby. The party was for some cat's birthday, and by some cat, I mean an actual feline. The party was also a fund raising effort for new facilities being built for the Ark-Valley Humane Society.
As far as parties go, this was a great time, muy excellent food, drinks, and dessert, lots of nice, interesting people. Lots of very nice compliments on my playing and the music in general, as well as the numerous inquiries about the Chapman Stick.
I really do need to get some new cards together explaining the instrument and my contact info. I'm getting much better at talking briefly while playing, but it still throws me when someone wants to engage in conversation in the middle of a tune. I figure I can always nod towards a info sheet while playing and then talk after I'm done playing.
I'm really liking this new rig, especially for gigs like this. I played my Bamboo Grand through a Berhinger Xenyx 1202FX mixer into my Roland KC-300 Amp. The mixer has built in effects, so I used just a touch of reverb, and I have instant access to EQ and volume. Last night I could easily adjust my volume as the size of the crowd grew and then dwindled. I really like having the mixer at a height I can easily reach and adjust, plus it's a great clean sound. I got a lot of compliments last night on the sound as well.
I don't have any pets myself, but I do appreciate the good work the Ark-Valley Humane Society does. I donated my time and proceeds from CD sales to their cause.

Jailhouse Art Gallery

2010-04-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday April 20th I played an open house - wine tasting at the Jailhouse Art Gallery in Buena Vista.
It also happened to be Sherrie's birthday, so she tagged along and socialized as I was playing.

The Jailhouse is a very cool old building, long ago it once was actually a jailhouse, now renovated to be a gallery and working studio space for ceramic,glass, mixed media and digital printing. It's located just behind Mothers Bistro, one of my favorite places to eat and play in Buena Vista.

The call to play this gig was sort of last minute, but I really appreciate that they thought of me for it, thanks Cheryl! For a Tuesday evening I thought the turnout was great. Lots of nice people and the usual curiosity about the Stick. It was a pleasant way to spend the evening. Sherrie and I shared a delicious pizza from Mothers Bistro, soooo good!

Adams Mountain Cafe

2010-04-10T07:52:00.000-07:00

Photo by Ted Castro

Finished up two days of gigs at Adams Mountain Cafe in Manitou Springs Colorado. It was my first time playing at this venue.

Manitou Springs is a funky, cool little town just outside of Colorado Springs, lots of great shops and places to eat. Adams Mountain Cafe is on the main strip in a old historic building. The room I played had high ceilings and was long and narrow.

I decided to try out a new setup for my Stick, which was to just run it through a small mixer with built in effects into my Roland KC-300 keyboard amp. Usually, I have been using a Line 6 X3 floor processor to play through, but I like the simplicity and ease of this new setup, If I need to adjust EQ or levels the mixer is easy to reach and tweak. Nice clean sound with just a touch of reverb, the room took care of the rest.

It was quite interesting, I played at what I thought was a very low volume, but people said they could hear fine at the end of the room, even out into the building's marbled floored lobby, so I trusted their judgment.
Originally I brought a mic and stand, I thought I'd practice introducing tunes and interacting with the audience, but it became apparent quickly that I was there to provide ambiance, background music, which is somewhat my specialty. In other words, I kept my mouth shut!
I played Thursday evening to a pretty good crowd. I had been struggling with some kind of stomach bug all afternoon and my energy was definitely a bit scattered as well as my playing, but people seemed to enjoy it.
Friday mornings performance was much better, I felt much better. The wonderful servers made sure I had an unending cup of coffee as I played. I tried and tried to empty it with no luck, they're that good! The food at this place is great, specializing in slow food, with a large selection of vegetarian and vegan meals. I had the Orange Almond French Toast for breakfast on Friday, ohhh yeah!
Overall a great couple of days, Sherrie and I stayed with friends in CO Springs and had a chance to visit and do some shopping. The manager at the cafe told me she had lots of positive feedback on my music and asked me back, I have four new dates lined up, so I feel pretty good about that!

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T19:38:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I played some solo Chapman Stick® at Sugah's Cafe in Gunnison, CO. Sorry no pics :(

Easter Brunch

It turned out to be a nice day, still a bit too cool to play out on the patio so I set up inside. There was already a pretty good turn out when I arrived, so I opted to start as soon as I had set up my amp and effects instead of waiting till noon. This proved to be a good move, since attendance started to dwindle by 2pm.

This is such a great venue to play, I always have a good time here. The owners Matt and Charlotte and the staff are all just super nice people. There were many familiar faces, and lots of nice compliments from folks... and applause, which, I suppose is better than people throwing things at you! The applause thing always makes me chuckle, in a situation like this, I'm really just providing background music, ambiance, so I really don't expect people to stop eating or interrupt their conversations to applaud after tunes, but still it's nice to be embarrassed in that way.
I've been keeping myself pretty busy lately and had hoped to spend yesterday practicing for this gig, but alas, it was not meant to be. So I was pleased that I could play of the top of my head for 2 and 1/2 hours without having a song list or giving much thought to it. I even played three tunes that will be on the new CD live for the first time!
I have noticed that I am becoming more comfortable and relaxed with performing, I think I played well today. Used to be it would take me 15-20minutes of playing before I felt like loosening up and being comfortable. Today it felt great from the very start, something I hope continues as matter of habit.
Afterwards I hung around long enough to have an awesome lunch, the food at Sugah's is always a treat!

Recent Gigs...

2010-03-24T06:44:00.000-07:00

I've been neglecting this blog for sometime now, I guess between facebook, myspace, youtube and my website I've been asking myself, do I really need a blog? So I think I'll try this.. The blog is going to be primarily a sort of gig diary.

So to bring things up to speed, so far 2010 has been pretty slow gigwise, I'm hoping to make that change soon. At this point I've got a handful of gigs booked through August, I really want to play out as often as possible this year. So far this year I've played a few gigs, I did Valentine's Day at Sugah's Cafe in Gunnison, CO. I've played a a couple of house parties and open mics, and a last minute gig with singer-songwriter Chris Nasca at the Salida Cafe when that evening's act had to cancel.

March 14th I played at the Heart of the Rockies Bridal Show at the Steamplant here in Salida. It was a snowy Sunday afternoon, so my expectations were low. Met lots of nice folks and got some gigs!

I played a bunch of ballads and love songs on solo Chapman Stick. Lou from Celestial Event let me play through his Bose PA-1 system. I love the Bose set-up, great sound, one day I'll have my own : )

This past Saturday, March 20th it was Steel String Revue at the Salida Cafe. Chris Nasca on guitar and vocals, Brian Pence on drums, and yours truly on Chapman Stick. It was our first real time out as a trio and overall it went really well. It was another cold snowy evening but the house was packed We played a blend of originals, traditional roots, blues, rock, etc. Got some nice feedback, hopefully we'll be doing more gigs soon! These are great guys to play with, always lots of fun.

That's all for now....

(hire me for a gig so I'll more to write about : )

Namm 2010

2010-01-20T13:49:00.001-08:00

I was in Anaheim with my friend Matt from Patchman music for the Namm Show 2010
from January 14-17. What a blast! We got to see lots of great musical performances, new gear, plenty of celebrity sightings. I even found some fellow Stick players there!

Tom Griesgraber (Stick) and Ryan Moran (percussion) perform as Agent 22 on Sunday afternoon.

Stickist Steve Adelson jamming with a guitarist.

Besides all the cool stuff at the show, I was in sunny warm California (well it did rain some on the last day) , not bad!

New Bamboo Grand Stick is here!!!

2009-12-18T17:57:00.001-08:00

It's bound to be an exciting day when you know a new Stick® is on the way!
Last week, while I was still in California I got the call from Stick Enterprises that my new dark bamboo Grand Stick #5827 was ready for delivery. I asked them to postpone delivery until I was sure I'd be home to receive the package.

I ordered my first stick in 2000, since then Emmett Chapman has continued to tweak and refine the instrument. This new instrument has several new features not on my original one. Most obvious, its extended scale, meaning it's longer than my old Stick and can play some notes I couldn't before. It also has Fret rails whereas my original instrument had fret rods. The difference being that the frets now taper at more of an angle, the old ones are more rounded. Another difference is the flaps, two adjustable plates that act like the nut on a guitar. My other stick has individual set scews for each string. I got it with the ACTV-2 pickup module, which I like for its great sound and simplicity.

This instrument is made from dark laminated bamboo with turquoise linear inlays, and has black tuners. A thing of beauty! I think it is absolutely gorgeous. I like the light weight of the bamboo as well. It has light gauge strings in classic grand stick tuning.

My first impressions?
I think I'm in love! It arrived nearly in perfect tune and I played a couple of hours with it. The extended scale takes a slight mental adjustment, but I was playing tunes in no time. The set up is just the way I like. I'm feeling blessed, lucky and inspired. A huge thank you for everyone at Stick Enterprises, especially Emmett.

Update.. Big Sur, Tide Pools, and more!

2009-12-09T18:50:00.001-08:00

Still in CA and having a blast! Sherrie and I have been trying to take advantage of our time here. Today we went to Natural Bridges Sate Park in Santa Cruz. We roamed around exploring tide pools, and chatted with a surfer as those in the water were catching some gnarly waves.

Yesterday we drove down Highway 1 to Big Sur, wow! It was a great day, part sun, partly cloudy, and spectacular views! We stopped and had lunch in Lucia, CA , then made our way back north, stopping in Carmel by the Sea for a nice stroll.

We've also spent some time strolling and window shopping lots of interesting shops and restaurants in Capitola, which is just minutes from where we are staying. On Sunday we spent most of the morning and afternoon in downtown Santa Cruz, time is flying by, so much to see.

I am getting eager to get back home, especially since I got a call just a short while ago from Stick Enterprises. My new Bamboo Grand Stick is done and ready to be shipped! WOOT!!!

California...

2009-11-23T07:59:00.000-08:00

Ok, so it has been a while since I last posted anything on this blog, lots of catching up to do. Right now I'm in Soquel, CA (right next to Santa Cruz) with Sherrie. We're house-sitting for some friends for a few weeks. This is the view of some redwoods from the back patio...

We drove here from our home in Salida, CO taking our time and making some stops along the way. The first day we drove to Zion National Park and spent a couple of days staying with friends. Had a great day of hiking in the park and picnicking amongst the hoodoos.

After a wonderful day in Zion we drove to Vegas. Yup, I've had never been there and wanted to experience it for myself. We spent the day walking up and down the strip soaking it all in. I probably don't need to mention that going from the tranquil natural surroundings of Zion National Park to the hustle of Vegas was pretty jarring. We spent the night at the Luxor. I spent an entire two dollars on gambling machines, just for the fun of it. I think 24 hrs was just the right amount of time, very interesting place.

From Vegas we drove to Fresno, CA and then to Santa Cruz the next morning. So now we're starting to explore the area. Sunday morning we walked along the coast at Pleasure Point and watched the sufers.

Sherrie has more pics and stories about our adventure at her blog, check it out here!

The best time of the year...

2009-10-02T04:06:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago, Sherrie and I took a drive up Marshall Pass to check out the colors. I just love that we can be surrounded by such beauty only minutes from home.

The bigger the better!

2009-09-23T06:15:00.001-07:00

The bigger the better! Hot Dogs that is!
On our way to Denver last week Sherrie and I stopped at the Coney Island Hot Dog Stand in Bailey, CO. Ever since seeing a PBS special a few years ago about great roadside hot dog stands, I feel it is my civic duty to stop and support them. A bit of Americana.
The dogs were delicious and how often do you get to eat food from a building shaped like the food you are eating?

Nomad

2009-09-12T15:03:00.001-07:00

Last night Sherrie and I attended the CD release party for local Master Polyrhythmist Bones' latest release Nomad. What a party! Bones is known for putting on extravagant performances, but last night he outdid himself. The Steamplant ballroom was packed as Bones and a revolving cast of local musicians took the stage and got people hitting the dance floor.
I added some Chapman Stick to a couple of tracks on the CD, which snagged me the honor of getting a VIP pass. This meant, a free CD, free food and drink and the option of watching a video feed of the performance from backstage. Not bad, eh?

Green's Creek Revisited

2009-09-06T14:34:00.000-07:00

Sherrie and I spent some time this morning hiking up along Green's Creek. It's always nice to get out and enjoy the outdoors. We hiked this trail last year shortly after I arrived from Cleveland, it was a nice feeling to revisit it and to realize how much this place now feels like home.

Catching up...

2009-08-20T08:16:00.000-07:00

Wow! This summer is flying by. Here are a few of the things I've been up to...
This past weekend I had the pleasure of playing at The Salida Riverside Art Festival. Above I'm accompanying singer/songwriter Chris Nasca on Sunday afternoon. Earlier in the morning I played a solo set on my Chapman Stick. On Saturday afternoon I played bass with "Your Surrogate Cousin" (pic below). It was a great weekend, the festival was a great time.

The week before Sherrie and I headed up to Denver where I got to visit with my darling niece Lily visiting from Cleveland.

This coming weekend I'll be providing some dinner music for a benefit for Salida Backyard CSA. A great organization run by my surrogate cousin, Eric Belsey.

Weekend update....

2009-08-03T07:18:00.001-07:00

Once again another great weekend here in Salida, Colorado. Friday evening Sherrie and I hosted a informal get together at our place. We have such great friends! It was a fun evening, then early Saturday (me, still very blurry from too much wine the night before) we setup at the Salida farmers market. It turned out to be a beautiful sunny morning. Sherrie sold some of her gorgeous art and I played my Chapman Stick and sold some CDs.

Speaking of the CD, "Residue" is now the featured CD at Stick Enterprises. World renowned Stickist Greg Howard posted a great review. Needless to say, I'm pretty excited!

Sunday morning Sherrie and I went to the County Fair. Mutton Busting (small children riding sheep) was quite entertaining! We also saw an impressive display of antique steam powered tractors, since both of us are closet steampunks we found it fascinating.
Back at home, our street was closed down for the day for the Salida Omnium bike race. All day long cyclists went whizzing by the house, watching them fly by was making me dizzy!

Another Great Weekend!

2009-07-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

Sherrie whisked me away for the weekend to celebrate my birthday. We went to Boulder, CO and wandered around the Art Fair. Internationally acclaimed Stick player Bob Culbertson had a booth there, we ran into him moments after arriving on Saturday afternoon. I've attended several seminars with Bob over the years, and I'm always floored to hear him perform live, a wonderful musician. I gave him a copy of my new Stick CD "Residue", I'm eager to know what he thinks :)

Great Weekend!

2009-07-13T06:27:00.000-07:00

Some images from the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival. I made the trek from Salida to Crested Butte on Friday to join Sherrie as she finished teaching workshops. We had a wonderful meal at the "Ginger Cafe". As some of you may know, we're serious ginger junkies, so this was nirvana for us!

We had lots of fun, it was a great little getaway. Now it's time to play catch-up. Gotta run...

Residue Video

2009-07-12T20:40:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I've posted a video for the tune "Residue" from the new CD. It features photos taken by Sherrie here in Salida one foggy morning. Enjoy!

Wild Turkeys

2009-07-05T14:11:00.000-07:00

You may not be able to see them very well in the photo, but there were over 25 wild turkeys hanging out as we returned from a hike this morning. Sherrie and I took a trail along Bear Creek just outside of town. It has been a great 4th of July weekend. Last night we walked down to the park, Chase N the Dream had everyone dancing, including Sherrie and myself. Then we watched fireworks as they were launched from the top of "S" Mountain.

This is going to be a busy week, Sherrie heads to Crested Butte to teach during the Wildflower Festival. I'll be playing bass guitar Wednesday evening with the new and expanded version of "Your Surrogate Cousin" at Mother's Bistro in Buena Vista. We'll have Chris Nasca on guitar and vocals, Eric Belsey on guitar, vocals and harmonica, and Brian Pence on drums, should be fun for all.
I've been getting a lot of nice comments on my new CD: Residue. I've made myself a Myspace page to help get out the word. Next, Facebook seems inevitable, friends have been asking if I'm on, I'm feeling the peer pressure. I just can't bring myself to thinking about Twitter!

Sunday evening...

2009-06-28T17:10:00.000-07:00

Whew, what a weekend! Salida Artwalk took place this weekend. I had three gigs playing my Chapman Stick, one on Friday evening, and two on Saturday. I had the new CD with me and was very pleased to actually sell a respectable quantity of them. I've been even more pleased with all the kind comments I've been getting from people about my music. I know this kind of music isn't everyones cup of tea, it means a great deal to me when someone expresses how much they enjoy it.
Today, I've been doing my best to keep it low key and take it easy, but unfortunately I encountered this when I stopped home between gigs on Saturday....

That's our guestroom ceiling. It had been hastily patched before we had a new roof installed last summer. Good thing our potential weekend guests decided to go camping!
I got things cleaned up, in time we'll get it fixed up properly. Despite that, all in all, it was a good weekend!

The CD is now available from CD Baby for purchase or for download. Click here to go there.

Buy the new CD!

2009-06-21T05:44:00.000-07:00

I've just updated the website so that you can purchase the new CD directly from me. Go to my website to hear 30 sec samples and for ordering info.
Soon it will be available through CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon where you'll have the option of buying a downloadable version.

It's Here!

2009-06-18T18:55:00.000-07:00

The new CD arrived today! I'm very pleased with the way they turned out. I'll be adding a section to my website so it can be purchased via Paypal soon. I'll also be selling them through CD Baby and other online sources, very exciting! If you can't wait to get one, drop me a line and I'll let you know how to get it ASAP!
The CD features 14 original solo compositions performed on Chapman Stick, great music to sip wine or just kick back with.

Take a Hike!

2009-06-14T19:03:00.000-07:00

This morning Sherrie and I got up early and hiked up the Rainbow Trail here in Salida. T'was a great day.
I'm still waiting for the completed CD's to arrive, late this week at the earliest. In the meanwhile our summer schedules are quickly filling up. Lots of activities coming up, FibArk, Salida ArtWalk, I'll do my best to keep the blog updated.

Getting In Tune...

2009-06-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

A couple of nice shots taken by photographer Suzanne Shaff during the Colorado Art Ranch Artposium in Trinidad, CO.

Whew! CD News....

2009-05-26T15:03:00.000-07:00

I shipped the finished CD off to the duplicators today! It'll still be a couple of weeks before I get the finished product, but it feels good to know it's done on this end. The CD is called Residue and features 14 original compositions performed by yours truly on solo Chapman Stick. Expect more info when I have the actual copies. Keep your eyes on www.tiptonstick.com for info on upcoming gigs and CD news as well.
Part of the reason I was able to finish and get it sent off today is that it is raining out, so no window washing for me today. It's been raining the last several days here, which is actually unusual according to most people I've spoken to. It almost reminds me of Cleveland ; )

Feeling Froggy!

2009-05-24T08:50:00.001-07:00

I've been asked to play at the Salida Riverside Fine Arts Festival in August. I'm looking forward to this, lots of good music and art at Riverside park here in Salida. One of my favorite places to hang out.
Yesterday, I finished the final tweaks on the new CD, I'm hoping to have the graphics and packaging all set to go by Monday. Then it's off to the duplicators, I'll be making an announcement to all my friends and family when it's available.

Friday evening I had the privilege to play at an Art Reception for local artist Jon MacManus. Despite being a rainy evening the turnout was great. Besides being a talented artist Jon keeps me busy during the week washing windows and doing odd jobs. Had a great time playing, but realized I need to print out a card explaining the Chapman Stick. Everytime I'd start a song someone would walk up an ask me to explain the instrument to them! Got lots of nice comments about the music too!

Had a wonderful surprise this past week. The wonderful French artist Jean-Louis Verdier sent Sherrie and I a copy of his latest project, a Nature Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians. Jean-Louis is an amazing illustrator, imagine my surprise when I opened the cover and found he had drawn a frog jamming on the Chapman Stick! Many,many thanks Jean-Louis!

What a weekend!

2009-05-17T19:28:00.000-07:00

Just got back from Trinadad, Colorado.
I was there with Sherrie for the Colorado Art Ranch artposium entitled ... Sex & Sensibility. From the Art Ranch website...
"The Artposium is an event exploring the intersection of writing, art and sexuality. This Artposium is about how sexuality is portrayed in the arts, and how it affects our behaviors, relationships, societies and evolution."
We had a blast. The speakers were all great and I felt like I got some new perspectives on this challenging topic. I particularly enjoyed listening to author Joe Quirk's take on the biological aspects of sex.

Part of the reason we were there was that I was invited to play my Chapman Stick. I played on Saturday evening with Art Ranch treasurer Gavin Mauer, t'was a fun time.
I love these events and everyone I've met through the Colorado Art Ranch, looking forward to seeing what's next with these guys.
Sherrie and I took the long route home and I had a chance to see some more spectacular views of Colorado. I'm really digging this place.
On other fronts, I've been keeping busy working a lot lately. I still have a few finishing touches to put on the CD before it's finally released. So close.... I'm eager to get it out.

I'll be playing solo Chapman Stick this upcoming Friday (May 22nd, 6-8pm). I'll be at the Paquette Gallery at the Steamplant for a reception for artist Jon MacManus.
He has some really great stuff. Stop by if you can : )

And finally.... my fortune cookie from tonight's dinner...
"You have a deep interest in all that is artisitic"
well... duh!

Feeling better!

2009-04-29T14:36:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling under the weather for the last couple of weeks, but after seeing a doctor a couple of days ago and getting some meds, I'm feeling much, much better. Now I just have to keep away from the "Swine Flu" we've all been hearing about. Not sure how much to worry about that one.

I'm excited... today I wrapped up recording the final tracks for the new CD of Chapman Stick Solos.
I still have mixing and mastering to do, along with the graphic design, etc, so it'll still be a few weeks. But the hard part is done! I still need to name a few of the tracks, something which I find incredibly difficult to do. If I didn't think it was lame, I'd just name them "track #1" , "track #2", etc. I'm pleased with the way things have turned out, now I'm already scheming in my mind for the next CD.

I have work lined up for the next several days, so I'll be making some very much needed $$. As usual the weather has been gorgeous here, and after being cooped up in the house sick I'll be glad to be out and about.

Finally,
A year ago today I was driving from Cleveland to Colorado to start a new life. The past year has been wonderful, I'm healthier, I'm happier and I'm excited about what the future holds. I couldn't of done it without the help and support of my friends, especially Matt & Kim, Kristen & Andy, Kat and Deena. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I miss my friends back in Cleveland, especially my niece Lily and my old band mates.
Sherrie, thanks for setting out on this journey with me, as this first year passes, I know this is the path I want to be on. Here's to keeping it going!

Finally, a new post!

2009-04-20T10:03:00.000-07:00

Here I am playing my Chapman Stick ...immortalized in wax covered string!

Once again it has been way too long between posts. I've been keeping myself very busy, although I am being forced to slow down these past few days by some nasty little virus that has decided to take up residence in me. In the past several years I've hardly been sick at all, so I guess I'm due. I do find now that when I am not feeling well, if I slow way, way down and I usually recover pretty quickly. Whatever I have now seems pretty persistent, enough so that I've been camping out on the couch reading novels and watching Planet of the Apes movies. I feel like such a slug, even more so since today is Sherrie's Birthday! We celebrated with a little getaway over the weekend, but I wish I had more energy today, I'll have to take her out for dinner when I'm feeling better.

The Big News!
I've been working very hard on getting the new CD done. It is a collection of all original solo instrumental compositions performed on the Chapman Stick. I hoping to have it completed in the next couple of weeks, in time to celebrate my one year anniversary of arriving in Colorado.

Miscellany

2009-02-27T19:31:00.000-08:00

This is my fortune cookie prediction from lunch today. With a decent Chinese restaurant just a block away, we end up there on a fairly regular basis. We've started to save our cookie fortunes and now have a bowl dedicated just to them.

I haven't been keeping up with the blog much lately, but here are a couple of new discoveries..

Sweet, delicious Ginger Syrup! It's a heck of a lot cheaper than real Maple syrup, and oh so good!
Ginger pancakes with ginger syrup, need I say more? Tomorrow morning, french toast with ginger syrup. The obsession continues...

Sherrie and I spent a couple of evenings putting together this impossible jigsaw puzzle by
Alex Beard. Guess what? IT WAS REALLY HARD!

Happy Groundhog Day!

2009-02-02T06:06:00.000-08:00

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow Monday morning, predicting this winter will last for six more weeks. I'm not worried though. I'm finding the weather here in Salida way better than my old digs in Cleveland. It's been pretty mild compared to my expectations, and there is way more sunshine than I'm used to. I try and get outside some everyday.
This past weekend Sherrie and I drove over to Crestone, Colorado. It's a groovy little town. From Wikipedia:
The Crestone area, which includes the Baca Grande and Moffat, Colorado, is a spiritual and new age center with several world religions represented; including a Hindu temple, a Zen center, a coed Carmelite monastery, several Tibetan centers, and miscellaneous new age happenings.
We had a great lunch and wandered around town for the afternoon, it was nice to get away for the day.
I've been keeping busy with music. I've been laying down a few tracks with local musician Bones. I've also been getting some good work done on my CD of solo Chapman Stick originals. The weekly gig with "Your Surrogate Cousin"at Mothers Bistro in Buena Vista has been going well.

Dustin Heron Urban wrote this great article about us.

We play Wednesday evenings from 7-9pm and have a guest Musician join us each week.
Coming up we have:

Feb 4th: Bruce Hayes

Feb. 11: Matthew Coen (guitar, vocals) and Richard Longberg (bass)
upbeat acoustic singer/songwriter

Feb 18: Scott Adams (acoustic fingerstyle guitar)

Mar. 11: Andrea Earley-Coen and friends (old-time fiddle music from the best fiddler in the Ark Valley)

Mar 18: Chris Nasca (rock and blues guitar)

Join us if you can!

Giggin' in the new year...

2009-01-15T10:44:00.000-08:00

Hey all! So far in this new year, my Wednesday evenings are spent playing my Stick at Mothers Bistro in lovely Buena Vista, CO. I'm accompanying the talented Eric Belsey as we perform together as "Your Surrogate Cousins". The idea is to make this a weekly jam with us as the core and inviting other local musicians to join in the fun.

We're playing a mix of Folk, Rock, Blues, etc. I play the Chapman Stick and Eric plays guitar, harmonica and sings. At this point we are working on the song list, and getting the groove on. Super stardom is sure to follow.

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-26T13:35:00.001-08:00

Hi all! Had a wonderful Christmas day, Sherrie and I kept it low-key and stayed in all day yesterday. We cooked a wonderful meal, listened to music, just hung out, twas' nice. This morning we got up early and headed to the hills. As volunteers for the Division of Wildlife we got to feed Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. The weather was a bit funky, we almost got stuck in the snow, but all worked out.

Yum, apple mash and hay! These guys were pretty skiddish at first, but the free food won them over quickly.

Tis' The Season...

2008-12-14T12:18:00.000-08:00

Tis' the season, Sherrie and I have been preparing for the upcoming holidays. This pic was taken at the Paquette Gallery at the Steamplant yesterday. It was after I played a reception for local artist-quilter Lori Isenberger, that's her work in the background. T'was a busy day, I went straight from there to another gig at Apogee Studio here in Salida.

Can you spot the Chapman Stick player in the crowd?

Here I am practising for the gigs earlier in the week. Nice and cozy at home. We cut our own tree and spent numerous hours stringing popcorn. This of course is a great way to spend the evening when it looks like this outside...

Things have been going well. The odd jobs and window washing biz has been pretty slow but I'm still finding work to do. I'm looking forward to some time to do some hardcore practising and recording. I hope to have the CD together soon. Last weekend I played for the Tree of Life ceremony for the Angel of Shavano Hospice here at the hospital. It was quite moving to hear the names of all the people who passed on this last year and a reminder of how brief this time we are given is. It's a gift to be here. Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season.

An Old Fashioned Halloween!

2008-11-01T03:19:00.000-07:00

Since moving to Salida, CO from Cleveland , OH my life has changed in many ways. One of those ways manifested tonight, on Halloween. I was not sure if we'd get any trick or treaters but we bought a few bags of treats just to have on hand. Sure enough, there was a steady stream of vampires, pirates, ghosts and ghouls, even the three musketeers! We had just enough candy with a little left over for our private enjoyment : )
It had been years since I did the trick or treat thing, and it just reminded me again of what a wonderful community I'm living in. I love this place!
Sherrie and I spent the evening staying in, having pizza and watching some old scary movies. T'was a great way to spend Halloween.
This week I'm working hard on getting some tracks done for the new CD, more on this soon. I'll also be on the local radio this Friday. I'll be playing some guitars for local luthier Jeff Bamburg as he discusses his craft. Its been a while since I actually played guitar, since getting my Stick my guitars mainly collect dust. Its been nice getting reaquainted with my six stringed friends, I just may keep it up.

Then on Saturday afternoon I'll be playing Chapman Stick at a reception for my darling Sherrie at the Salida Cafe. She does gorgeous linocuts, check them out here.

Such Tourists!

2008-10-23T11:57:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week ( Monday & Tuesday) we headed to Grand Junction, CO to meet up with my friends Matt and Kim from Ohio, and their daughters Ava and Lana. They were vacationing in Utah. Grand Junction was a good half way meeting point. It was great to see them again!

We spent some time exploring Colorado National Monument, some awesome views, pictures just don't capture the grandeur.

Of course everyone wants to capture some images, after all, we need something to blog about! This is me playing dueling cameras with Sherrie.

Humor and Art

2008-10-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

Spent the weekend in Denver with the fine folks from Colorado Art Ranch.
What's So Funny About Art? The Artposium was an event exploring the intersection of writing, art with humor. I provided some background music during the reception playing my Chapman Stick. Had a great time! Lots O' laughs!

Catch-up

2008-10-01T06:48:00.000-07:00

Hi All!
Well, I've been neglecting my blogging duties, here's a bunch of pics to give you an idea of what I've been up to. Autumn is here and I'm loving it. I don't think I've ever said "What a beautiful day!" more times than since I moved to Colorado.

Hangin out at the Black Canyon of Colorado.

Standing in downtown Aspen. We drove over Independence pass from Salida, the colors were spectacular!

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-02T16:20:00.000-07:00

Had a great Labor Day Weekend. On Labor Day we got up early and went to the top of "S" Mountain overlooking Salida. It was cool to see the town from this perspective, we could even see the house! From there we drove a short distance to the trail head at Castle Gardens.

Lots of interesting rock formations, was a perfect day to roam around. As a bonus we saw plenty of lizards.

Batman, Indians and Rainbows!!!

2008-08-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

This awesome artistic rendition of "Batman" was sent to me by my niece Lily. Made my day in a big way. I think I'll hang it on the wall in my studio. Love that lil' gal.

Here I am standing in the middle of Indian Market in Santa Fe New Mexico. I got to hang out in Santa Fe for a few days while Sherrie taught workshops, had a great time.
Before heading to Santa Fe we had a downpour and this was the view from the front porch, cool eh?

Ginger, Ginger, Ginger!

2008-08-10T13:39:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I came home to a Fed-Ex truck out front, when I got in, there was a large heavy box on the dining room table. It was a case of Blenheim's Ginger Ale. It was a house- warming present sent to me and Sherrie by my friend Antoinette back in Ohio. Antoinette remembered that we are both serious ginger addicts, and this gift was a wonderful surprise for the two of us.
Neither of us had ever had this brand of ginger ale before... yikes!!! This stuff makes your throat burn, your eyes water, you feel your brain doing backflips, in other words, we love it! My discovery is that with some vanilla ice cream you can make the most indescribably wonderful Ginger Float!
Thanks Antoinette!!!

2008-07-27T13:29:00.000-07:00

Whew! This summer is passing quickly! Here's some of the things I've been keeping busy with.... Picking up where my last post left off, these are some wildflowers I saw in Crested Butte during the wildflower festival. What a beautiful town, spent a few spectacular days there.

This is me standing on the Royal Gorge bridge, the highest suspension bridge in the world. I was treated with a trip to the park by my sweetie for my birthday. We had a great day!

This is the view of the bridge from a distance.

Here I am playing my Chapman Stick during open mic night at the Salida Cafe. Lots of great local talent, looking forward to playing some more. Last night we went to a house concert sponsored by the fine folks at Weathervane Farm. It was awesome, rootsy acoustic music, with a twist, the theremin! Great performances by Cahalen Morrison and Sven Hoosen.

Today is the Salida Omnium. The house is on the race course, so cycles go whizzing by every few minutes. Thats all for now....

2008-07-10T08:56:00.000-07:00

Time to catch up. I've been super busy lately. I've been working a lot trying to make $$. In between I try and get out and explore my new surroundings. The UFO Watchtower in Hooper, CO. is a must see destination. Nice folks, lots of Alien memorabilia available there.

A couple of photos of me playing my Chapman Stick out during Art Walk in Salida.

I've been getting out and hiking in the mountains, awesome views, loving it here in Colorado.

Finally, on 4th of July, me standing in a snow patch in the mountains. Never got to do that in Ohio!
For the next few days I'm in Crested Butte, CO, for the wildflower festival. Awesome place, I'll write more soon.

It's a parade!

2008-06-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

The 60th FIBArk Whitewater Festival took place here in Salida this past weekend. There was food, rides, great music, and lots and lots o'people! Ohh yeah, and a parade!!

"S" mountain overlooks the city. They have an annual race, up and back down. Those spots are people running. I think its much more enjoyable to observe from down below.

My favorite event was the "Hooligan Race", this is where anyone can build a craft that is not worthy of being on the water and float downstream to their certain demise : )

Hiking Day!

2008-06-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday (Sunday) I got a chance to hit the trails and go hiking. It was fantastic!
Since we weren't sure about the weather conditions we stuck with a close and easily accessible trail. Greens Creek Trail is located about 13 miles from town. It turned out to be a beautiful day, it was great to be outside. The only snag was finding 4 ticks on my clothes. Afterwards we ran home and did a thorough inspection of our clothes, and selves. Happy to report, all were tick free, whew!

After hiking, tick inspection and lunch, we decided to take a drive to Buena Vista. Along the way we stopped at St. Elmo a historic "ghost" town. Lots of beautiful scenery along the way.

Things have been going well, I have my first paying gig on Friday June 27th, at a gallery as part of Salida Art Walk. I'm also awaiting word on a possible job, I've had a couple of interviews, keeping my fingers crossed! Lastly, a funny story. Apparently when my mother was asked what my blog was called, her response sounded like " Optimistic Bitch" to the person asking. Too funny!

Rushing water...

2008-06-02T14:19:00.001-07:00

Over the last couple of days I've stopped down by the river (the Arkansas River),which flows through town here. The locals tell me they haven't seen the water so high or fast in quite some time. Boaters seem to love it. In a couple of weeks is the start of FIBArk, the nation's oldest whitewater festival and Salida's signature event. Since 1949, every June during the Spring snow run off, Salida has hosted FIBArk, "First in Boating on the Arkansas".
Lots of great events planned and music, I plan on soaking up as much as I can.

It's official!

2008-05-21T15:04:00.000-07:00

This week has I've been addressing all the details that follow moving, such as getting my vehicle registered and new plates! I also got a new wireless plan since my previous carrier has no coverage here. A local bank account, new driver's license, you get the idea...
This place is starting to feel like home. So many kind, gracious, interesting people. I've started looking for employment in earnest, I hope to find something soon since funds are rapidly dwindling, moving ain't cheap no matter how you do it! I've managed to work some odd jobs but need that steady flow!
I'm really enjoying small town living. It's funny, I think many things are actually more convenient here than when I was in Cleveland. I can walk just about anywhere, for groceries, bank, library, etc..
I also have managed to get my studio mostly together. Last night I played my Chapman Stick for the first time in quite a while, whew, a bit rusty but it felt good. Time to get back to practicing, gigs await!

Getting Settled...

2008-05-15T07:08:00.000-07:00

Yay!!!! The move is complete. We've managed to get all our stuff moved into this charming old Victorian home. On Saturday morning the crew started arriving to help. I couldn't believe it, in total 12 wonderful people took time from their busy lives to help an old friend and a new friend start on a new adventure together.

Prior to the move we had been busy painting, this is the Master Bedroom in its original "Smurf" blue glory.

We like it much better now, a tinge of yellow. Each morning the sun fills the room, making it seem enormous.

Of course the most exciting part of the move is sharing a place with someone I truly adore!

A few pics...

2008-05-05T12:05:00.000-07:00

A few pics from downtown Salida...

Been having a great time here, meeting lots of really nice people. I'll be moving into a house at the end of this week, till then living out of my backpack. Found a new home at the Salida Cafe, great coffee, people, treats, and live music!

It's a do over!

2008-05-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

So, on Wednesday of this past week I arrived in my new home, Salida, CO. I moved here from Cleveland, Ohio. I sold most of my belongings, whatever I couldn't ship or fit in my car went bye-bye.
This past year has been full of change, personal, spiritual, financial, etc.. I'm hoping to start fresh here. So, basically, I'm looking for work, trying to live an honest, open life. I realize that people move all the time, it's no big deal, but to me it is.
I thought I'd start a blog so my friends and family can check out how things are going. I also thought it would be a good way to share my passions with others.

A few pics, a nearby lake...

Outskirts of town...

The view from the front deck...