Sunday, July 22, 2012
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Long Time, Lots See
Che Hun Ta Mo!
The blog has been rather unattended of late and I blame that squarely on the busy nature of my schedule. So, I've got a bit of a break in the action here at Patapsco State Park in Ellicott, Maryland to catch up readers of this blog with the latest.
First off, summer tour has been amazing in every way. Each show has been a revealing gem with lots of music, great visits and moments that I'll always treasure. Once upon a time, I dreamed of being a celebrity superstar; making the money, the headlines and doing whatever I felt like doing. But somewhere along the line, my true calling manifested itself and it's been a pure joy to not only perform across the country and see fans from all around the globe appreciate my music, but also to teach, and to learn from, people who are discovering their own musical voices. To be in touch and not removed from people is my reality and it gives me great purpose.
I've been on the road for three weeks now, living in Rita, doing laundry at the coin-op, cooking meals (and eating lots of Mexican food), playing shows and exploring both familiar and new parts of this country. I won't paint a completely pretty picture - reality is that we're fighting tough times, much like our predecessors did in the 1920's on the North American continent. One of the things that the folks of the United States won't give up is their music, and it's been a delight to help people explore, engage and enjoy the passion of melody, harmony and rhythm.
When I get back home from the Indiana Dulcimer Festival next week, I'll be starting a low-key period where I'll dig down deep into production and finally knock out so much of what has been caterwauling in my head, heart and soul for so long. Though I'll hit the road again briefly in October for an East Texas tour, I am planning to drop from the radar for a bit while I do some very important recording, writing, practicing and planning.
I'd like to thank every one of you who comes to this blog for believing in me and for all of your encouragement and support. In the interest of always looking for better ways to do what I do, I'm always in flux, or that may just be the ADHD talking. In any case - the past four or five years has been absolutely tremendous and I'm truly blessed to live this life. As summer tour draws to a close, I want to thank you all for your participation in this thing I call my life. It has enriched me and brought me to a higher plane. So much of that comes from meeting you folks on the road and at home. Even those who were unaware of that particular dulcimer festival or pub or cafe show still came up to share some of your life experiences with me and, you know what? I'm a better man for it.
Thanks again, everybody - for your texts, e-mails, phone calls, cards and posts. Thank you for trusting me with your questions; thank you for believing my answers. But above all, thanks for keeping it real. If there's one thing that I believe in with all of the craziness going on in the U.S. right now, it's that the beautiful, the skillful and the upwardly/inwardly seeking people are alive and well. To quote Doc Brown (and, parenthetically, Andrew Hagen) "remember, the future is what you make of it - so make it a good one!"
Sho na bish,
Bing
From iPhone with love.
The blog has been rather unattended of late and I blame that squarely on the busy nature of my schedule. So, I've got a bit of a break in the action here at Patapsco State Park in Ellicott, Maryland to catch up readers of this blog with the latest.
First off, summer tour has been amazing in every way. Each show has been a revealing gem with lots of music, great visits and moments that I'll always treasure. Once upon a time, I dreamed of being a celebrity superstar; making the money, the headlines and doing whatever I felt like doing. But somewhere along the line, my true calling manifested itself and it's been a pure joy to not only perform across the country and see fans from all around the globe appreciate my music, but also to teach, and to learn from, people who are discovering their own musical voices. To be in touch and not removed from people is my reality and it gives me great purpose.
I've been on the road for three weeks now, living in Rita, doing laundry at the coin-op, cooking meals (and eating lots of Mexican food), playing shows and exploring both familiar and new parts of this country. I won't paint a completely pretty picture - reality is that we're fighting tough times, much like our predecessors did in the 1920's on the North American continent. One of the things that the folks of the United States won't give up is their music, and it's been a delight to help people explore, engage and enjoy the passion of melody, harmony and rhythm.
When I get back home from the Indiana Dulcimer Festival next week, I'll be starting a low-key period where I'll dig down deep into production and finally knock out so much of what has been caterwauling in my head, heart and soul for so long. Though I'll hit the road again briefly in October for an East Texas tour, I am planning to drop from the radar for a bit while I do some very important recording, writing, practicing and planning.
I'd like to thank every one of you who comes to this blog for believing in me and for all of your encouragement and support. In the interest of always looking for better ways to do what I do, I'm always in flux, or that may just be the ADHD talking. In any case - the past four or five years has been absolutely tremendous and I'm truly blessed to live this life. As summer tour draws to a close, I want to thank you all for your participation in this thing I call my life. It has enriched me and brought me to a higher plane. So much of that comes from meeting you folks on the road and at home. Even those who were unaware of that particular dulcimer festival or pub or cafe show still came up to share some of your life experiences with me and, you know what? I'm a better man for it.
Thanks again, everybody - for your texts, e-mails, phone calls, cards and posts. Thank you for trusting me with your questions; thank you for believing my answers. But above all, thanks for keeping it real. If there's one thing that I believe in with all of the craziness going on in the U.S. right now, it's that the beautiful, the skillful and the upwardly/inwardly seeking people are alive and well. To quote Doc Brown (and, parenthetically, Andrew Hagen) "remember, the future is what you make of it - so make it a good one!"
Sho na bish,
Bing
From iPhone with love.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
Friday, May 25, 2012
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Gone Fishin'
I love being on the road and everything that it brings. The excitement of new places and the interaction with people from all across the country and around the world brings inspiration and a genuine sense of understanding. So many stories and so many melodies that spring out of them!
This part of the tour has had its share of inspiration and education; from the snowy mountains of West Virginia to the rolling, sunny pine woods of east Texas, where I'm currently in major chill mode.
Some music has been made, sure, as I continue my journey through America's state and national parks. But I've largely been fishing, something that I've only done twice in my life up to this point. Now, I'm eying every body of water and contemplating the returns on sitting with pole cast into the deep.
Heading there now, but thought I'd check in. I may post a picture if I think about it (or if there's signal.)
Hope you're having a great day!
Sho na bish,
Bing
This part of the tour has had its share of inspiration and education; from the snowy mountains of West Virginia to the rolling, sunny pine woods of east Texas, where I'm currently in major chill mode.
Some music has been made, sure, as I continue my journey through America's state and national parks. But I've largely been fishing, something that I've only done twice in my life up to this point. Now, I'm eying every body of water and contemplating the returns on sitting with pole cast into the deep.
Heading there now, but thought I'd check in. I may post a picture if I think about it (or if there's signal.)
Hope you're having a great day!
Sho na bish,
Bing
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Monday, April 09, 2012
Sunday, March 04, 2012
You Are Good Enough
My dad was a hard-ass.
Is it enough to even say that, in all the time I knew him before he died, I still didn't get to know him enough or understand him? He tucked a lot of shit away and didn't share. As a father, he really lacked some things. I understand; that kind of thing gets passed down.
But, as an artist, he did his best to pass on to me the secrets of the craft. Even though he never truly made his mark in that respect, he certainly tried to convey the importance of listening to your muse and going with that flow and surfing its waves onto the shore of the great unknown.
I've never quite known why the hell I'm bound to do what I do, but there's never been much of an argument as to why I shouldn't. It's never a question of wanting to. It's always a matter of simply how to make it happen and damn the consequences.
If you feel that way, then why don't you just do it?
If any kind of art is burning within you, regardless of why it's even an issue, then perhaps it's meant for you to pursue it. And if you're coldly calculating the artistry, well - you're dead in the water, mate. There is no heartless approach to this.
Where does this come from? Man, I'm only cracking the egg at this point; just wanting to lay some things out from a perspective. If you follow this blog, then you might just be a fertile bed of soil looking for a few seeds. Here's my contribution: go with it. Blow up and whirl like a haystack of ideas and let those ideas sink into the soil. Who knows? A bloom may sprout and form something in your heart. Wouldn't that be grand?
Who can even question why some people might find themselves possessed of the nature to expose, compose, repose and go to the ends of their abilities just to understand and comprehend the "why"?
Well, I just did - and why are you even reading this unless you want to do something about it? Don't bother unless you have the desire to move forward.
Art isn't something you "do." Art is something you "are." Modern times and media will pretend to associate the concept of expression with some kind of yearning, but honestly - it's in you already. Nurturing is the key - not some limp attempt to embrace an inner "you" that can only be expressed by the amount of pop culture knowledge that you cling to like a life preserver.
It can't be done alone. And the Feedback Fairy is waiting in more rooms than you even care to know.
Are you ready?
Is it enough to even say that, in all the time I knew him before he died, I still didn't get to know him enough or understand him? He tucked a lot of shit away and didn't share. As a father, he really lacked some things. I understand; that kind of thing gets passed down.
But, as an artist, he did his best to pass on to me the secrets of the craft. Even though he never truly made his mark in that respect, he certainly tried to convey the importance of listening to your muse and going with that flow and surfing its waves onto the shore of the great unknown.
I've never quite known why the hell I'm bound to do what I do, but there's never been much of an argument as to why I shouldn't. It's never a question of wanting to. It's always a matter of simply how to make it happen and damn the consequences.
If you feel that way, then why don't you just do it?
If any kind of art is burning within you, regardless of why it's even an issue, then perhaps it's meant for you to pursue it. And if you're coldly calculating the artistry, well - you're dead in the water, mate. There is no heartless approach to this.
Where does this come from? Man, I'm only cracking the egg at this point; just wanting to lay some things out from a perspective. If you follow this blog, then you might just be a fertile bed of soil looking for a few seeds. Here's my contribution: go with it. Blow up and whirl like a haystack of ideas and let those ideas sink into the soil. Who knows? A bloom may sprout and form something in your heart. Wouldn't that be grand?
Who can even question why some people might find themselves possessed of the nature to expose, compose, repose and go to the ends of their abilities just to understand and comprehend the "why"?
Well, I just did - and why are you even reading this unless you want to do something about it? Don't bother unless you have the desire to move forward.
Art isn't something you "do." Art is something you "are." Modern times and media will pretend to associate the concept of expression with some kind of yearning, but honestly - it's in you already. Nurturing is the key - not some limp attempt to embrace an inner "you" that can only be expressed by the amount of pop culture knowledge that you cling to like a life preserver.
It can't be done alone. And the Feedback Fairy is waiting in more rooms than you even care to know.
Are you ready?
Saturday, March 03, 2012
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Blues Method For Mountain Dulcimer 101: It is finished.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Love, love, love....all you need.
The wonders of Orlando in mid-winter; toasty warm sunshine and freezing breezes. Ironically, it's the coldest set I've ever had and judging from the responses of other artists on the bill, the feeling was mutual. Still, it was a great time at the 10th Annual Orlando Folk Festival, hearing great music, checking out the art, catching up with old friends and making new ones; ain't that what it's all about?
Saturday had a full slate of acts, so this was the second day featuring Highway 19, Flat Mountain Band (with Russ Gaspard and Carter Everett), Magda Hiller, Dish and Laurel Lee and the Escapees.
It got me to thinking about how little I perform in central Florida any more. Besides the monthly show at McWell's, I'm pretty much doing private parties and weddings when I'm home with the other shows taking place on the road somewhere. Not that I'm complaining, since seeing so much of North America last year was the highlight of a lifetime. Still, there's something to be said about getting home after every gig, so I'm starting to look at doing more shows here in the state. This was a nice taste of what is was like starting off in the local Orlando scene circa 1998. Everybody supporting everybody else, cool relaxed vibe, great music and passion and humor. I do suppose those days continue to exist inside all of us!
What Is Going On?
Just a general query, I'm sure. So, I'm about two-thirds through with the blues method book for mountain dulcimer - it's an intro method with an advanced method to follow probably in the late fall. Target completion and publishing is late-winter at which point I'll go into production on two books commissioned by Folkcraft: a beginner's method book and a chromatic method book. Needless to say, I'm recording in between the breaks of book copy and still drilling away at "Dive!", which gets weirder and weirder with each new bit of carving.
Next, and last, show in Orlando for a month will be March 1st at McWell's at 6 pm in the front room. This will be the first show with the new addition to the gear pile, the Handsonic 10. I've been lusting after one of these things for awhile now and am happy to have finally added one to the set-up. It's not a drum machine, rather it's a drum trigger with pads and a bank of killer sounds so I can set up a beat and layer it with the looper pedal, quickly providing any kind of backup percussion I need for a song. From standard drum sets to exotic hand drums and special effects, it's much more groovy for creating rhythms because you're actually playing on a rubber drum head like a conga or djembe shape. Much more organic and dynamic than trying to knock out beats on an iPad.
So, in between the cracks of everything else going on, I'm rehearsing with the Handsonic and experimenting with ways to implement it. It's quite incredible and more than a lot of fun, not to mention a good workout!
Shortly after the McWell's show - I'll be hitting the road for a couple of weeks. Looking forward to seeing the beginnings of spring across the country, as I'm sure are many of you as well. I know it's all relative but, cold to you is cold.
Love.
We don't need the retail industry to tell us how cool love is, and any day of the year I'd wish you love. So how about bold strokes of splashy, dauby love for this week? All the better to hang on a wall proudly and admire with appreciation for those colors and the soulful sentiments that go along with them. It's all you need. Love!
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