Goodbye Davy

Today, I was very saddened to learn of the death of Davy Jones. We take for granted that those people who are woven into the fabric of our childhood will be with us forever. It stuns us when they leave, a cold reminder of the inescapable passage of time, especially when it is sudden and unexpected.

I'm not old enough to remember "The Monkees" when it originally aired, but I grew up on the re-runs. One of my siblings had a couple of their albums, which I played constantly and still have in my vinyl collection. There are baby pictures of me, still in a diaper, playing with maracas and beating on a tambourine. At some point, I graduated to a cheap kid's drum kit. My best friend Shawn and I started a band (if you can call two singers playing drums and percussion a band) and dubbed ourselves "The Mustangs." My first attempt at lyric writing came when I rewrote the lyrics to The Monkees theme song to fit my band ("people say we horse around").

Sometime in the late 1980's, Shawn and I finally saw The Monkees live at Great America. Though it was just Davy, Micky, and Peter at that time, it still ranks up there as one of the best concert experiences I've had as far as the "feel good" factor. Everyone in the audience was friendly and sharing childhood stories before the show. It felt like a reunion. During "Daydream Believer" we were all swaying and singing along, arms over the shoulders of complete strangers, all united in a moment of joyful nostalgia.

I am always perplexed by people who dismiss The Monkees because they were a manufactured band, created by television executives. Their songs were written by others and they weren't allowed to play instruments on the tracks. But they sang the songs, and later wrote, recorded, and performed their own music. There are hundreds of artists I can name today who "only" sing songs that are written and produced by others, and some bands that were formed by outside sources (managers and promoters). Do people ever question whether they are "real" musicians or bands? Hell, in this age of auto-tune, it's impossible to tell if a singer can even carry a tune outside the studio!

Regardless of how the songs or the band came about, The Monkees gave us some of the best "feel good" music of the late sixties and no voice in that band could make you smile like Davy's. There was a joyful innocence in his voice mixed with a hint of impishness. And of course, there was that British accent.

If I were to put together a CD of tracks that pick me up no matter how low my mood, "Daydream Believer" would be on the list. Thank you for sharing your voice and enthusiasm, Davy. You brought great joy a generation. You will be missed.

Songwriting class begins March 14, 2012

On March 14, 2012, I will begin offering a monthly songwriting workshop. Each class will focus on a different aspect of writing songs. The topic of the first class will be how to craft compelling lyrics. Each class will be two hours (7:00 - 9:00 pm) and will fall on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. The workshops are geared toward beginning songwriters or intermediate songwriters looking for new ideas and approaches to spur their creativity. The cost is $20 per class and the location is at a home in Westminster near 88th and Lowell Boulevard. If you'd like to attend, please contact me at trinity@trinitydemask.com and I'll forward the exact address.

In addition to the monthly workshop, participants are invited to attend a free monthly song critique group. The purpose of this group is provide constructive feedback on participants' songs in a supportive environment. It also encourages participants to put into practice the techniques and ideas they gained in class, and to share their own thoughts and insights on the work of others. There is no cost for this group. It will be held on the 4th Wednesday of the month (March 28th) at the same location and time (7:00 - 9:00 pm).

Space is limited for both the workshop and critique group so if you are interested, please contact me soon. I look forward to sharing my knowledge and insight to help you express yourself through song!

My New Bible: The War of Art

Last Saturday, Andy Ard and Lauren Brombert suggested I check out "The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles" by Steven Pressfield. I picked it up Sunday afternoon and just finished it today.

This book is an absolute must-read for anyone who feels they are not living their life's purpose, especially artists. It details all the ways the Ego/Resistance keeps us from doing our work and clearly and concisely explains how to overcome this dragon in each of its aspects.

Ironically, the act of reading the book can be a manifestation of Resistance if you're doing it to avoid your work. But if you're feeling stuck about how to proceed or need some inspiration, this is the book for you. Hell, even if you are using the book to procrastinate, it's worth the read because it will expose all the ways you are sabotaging yourself. And it won't sugar-coat it, either. Sort of a tough-love therapy session.

Get it. Today. You won't regret it. www.stevenpressfield.com/the-war-of-art

Writing is part of my work, and if you look at the last time I blogged you'll see that I've been shamefully negligent. Since I last blogged, I've managed to acquire 8 jobs (in addition to my music career which brings the total to 9) and balancing them has been challenging. Some of them are on a set schedule while others are more irregular which means my income is still pretty inconsistent.

Believe it or not, I'm still open to other work if something comes along that fits my skills and my schedule. I would like to offer my organizational, writing, and marketing services to other artists and entrepreneurs who have need of some part-time assistance. I'm also considering offering some workshops. More on that later.

If you're curious, here's the run-down on my jobs: 1) my music career, 2) a weekly open mic on Tuesday nights at Forza in Westminster, 3) a weekly open mic on Thursday nights at Highlands Cork & Coffee in Denver, 4) marketing copywriter for National Geographic Maps, 5) bookkeeper for Epiphany Lutheran Church, 6) bookkeeper/office assistant for Colorado Law Enforcement Officers' Association, 7) executive assistant for St. Patrick's Distributing (surgical equipment), 8) soloist (twice a month) at Living Water Unity Church, and 9) host of Stage C Arvada, a community variety show.

I'm so grateful for all the opportunities that have come my way, for the friends I've made, and for the courage I found to create jobs for myself where there weren't any. I know there are a lot of people out there struggling as I was (and still am, to some extent) and if I have any words of wisdom to share, they are: have confidence in your strengths and find ways to be of service using your gifts, don't be afraid to ask for help, and think outside your prior job experience. It's very empowering to focus on what you can give rather than what you can receive. Try it and let me know what happens.

How You Can Help

If you've checked my schedule lately, you'll have noticed that I've got a lot of shows booked. You may be wondering why I'm playing out so much these days. You might assume that all these shows means things are going well financially. But I'll let you in on a little music biz secret. Most of the venues I play do not pay.

There was a time when coffeehouses would pay a small amount to their acts or give them a portion of sales, but that's not the environment we're playing in these days. Artists are playing for tips only. Every show is a gamble when it comes to whether or not it will even pay for the gas to get there or the promotional expenses, let alone the time to set up, perform, and tear down.

Even when venues do pay, it's a very small amount. The bottom line is, musicians have to have other means of income to pay the bills. Some can piece together a collection of music related jobs (teaching, gigging, CD sales, studio work, etc.), but most need a day job. The artists who can make a living at it in my genre spend their time on the road playing at "listening rooms" like Denver's Swallow Hill Music Association or house concerts.

Currently, performing and CD sales are my only income. While I hope to continue to perform and even expand beyond the Denver area to tour other regions this year, I'm in a dire situation financially at the moment. I've been an independent contractor for nine years, but am currently between jobs. It's been shocking to see how difficult the job market is right now. With over twelve years in admin support as an executive assistant, admin assistant, and office manager, I thought I'd surely be able to find something, even if only an entry level secretarial position, but so far that hasn't been the case.

So, I'm on my soapbox now to put the word out that I'm looking for work. If you have any leads on full-time, part-time, temporary, or contract work, please contact me at trinity@trinitydemask.com.

And for the sake of my fellow musicians who were struggling even before the economy took a nose-dive, I'd like to invite to you read an educational hand-out that I wrote many years ago to educate audiences on what they can do to support independent musicians: http://trinitydemask.com/howhelp.html

One of the ways you can help artists is to hire them for private parties or house concerts. To learn more about house concerts, read my October 2010 blog entitled "Your Living Room Was Made For Live Music."

I love Cedaredge, Colorado!

I can hear you now: "Where the hell is Cedaredge?"

Cedaredge is on the western slope at the foot of the Grand Mesa, near the town of Delta, and about an hour from Grand Junction. It's a rather large town for not having a single stop light, but it does have one of the best guitar stores I've ever seen. Starr's Guitars is worth the trip alone. Cedaredge is also known for its apples. I had some wonderful cider while there and hope to get back next fall for AppleFest.

The best thing about my trip to Cedaredge was the wonderful friends I made there. Ann Knutson was a fantastic MC and the reason I was asked to play in Cedaredge in the first place. She's done quite a job as a one-woman street team! It was an absolute delight getting to know my hosts for the weekend, Shari and Ralph Owens who own the historic Lovett House Bed & Breakfast. It was like getting to know family I didn't know I had. Shari's cousin John came up from Denver for the show and he was great fun to hang out with. It's strange to have made a new friend who lives in your area at a place so far from home.

My partner in crime, Sean Gill, joined me for this little excursion to the west and we got in a day of hiking on the Grand Mesa in addition to a lot of general relaxation. We both desperately needed a vacation so wandering around Cedaredge and Delta was a treat. We had one ugly technology moment when we found ourselves on a spectacular overlook on top of the mesa checking our email on our cell phones. The shame! I just couldn't resist looking to see if I had service. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!)

We had the pleasure of meeting Roy Martin, a fine singer-songwriter/guitarist who opened for me, and his lovely wife Dea. They gave us a tour of their off-the-grid home, an Earthship! I've been interested in Earthships for years, but never saw one in person. Roy and Dea are in the process of adding another room on to their property so we got to see both the finished product and a work in progress. If you're into green building, you simply must check out this design concept which utilizes used tires and adobe-style mud to create unique, earth-friendly homes.

It's always amazing and humbling when I play a show in a town I've never even been to before and a bunch of people show up to hear me. What a gift! It's really a joy to be able to share my music with new folks and the reception in Cedaredge was just overwhelming. I was also able to give back to the community since the show was a benefit for the Cedaredge Chamber of Commerce. It was a win-win all around. I'm so grateful to Ann and Shari for all their hard work organizing and promoting the show, to David Starr at Starr's Guitars for selling tickets, and to Jim and Candy Barber in Lakewood who started all this by turning Ann on to my music. It's surreal to think that the simple gift of a CD can generate so many wonderful relationships and experiences.

Shari did such a great job of promoting the show I don't think I went in one single shop that didn't have a poster with my mug on it. She even arranged to have the concert promoted on the Howard Johnson's sign (the show was NOT at HoJo, it was at the Chapel of the Cross in the Pioneer Museum). How often can you drive through a town for the first time and see you name on the HoJo marquee? Priceless!

Your Living Room Was Made For Live Music

I love house concerts. As a singer-songwriter, I love to perform to room full of people who are there to listen to music. These days, the commercial venues that attract listeners are dwindling. And let's face it, playing to a room full of people who are there to socialize with friends or drown their sorrows in alcohol can be downright demoralizing.

As a music lover, I love house concerts because they present the most intimate concert experience. Forget front row seats in a concert hall. There's nothing like having the performer feet away from you, hearing stories they might not share on stage, and being able to talk to them after the show. There's an energy exchange that happens between performers and audiences during a performance. It's invigorating, sometimes transcendental, and never more intimate or memorable than at a house concert.

I hosted a house concert once for S.J. Tucker when she was traveling through Colorado. Though I've seen S.J. perform many times, this was by far the most memorable, fun show I'd witnessed. I didn't have a very large living room at the time, but with some creative furniture staging we managed to fit 25+ people. There were even some folks who drove up to Superior from Colorado Springs for the show. It was a great fun for all involved.

People often ask what it takes to put on a house concert. The most common misconception is that you have to have a very large living room. An average sized room will do, or some other space like a barn or a back yard patio (if the weather is good). Often the artist plays without any amplification, though a small PA is often utilized when the room is very large or the acoustics aren't good.

Typically, a suggested donation of $10-20 is set with the proceeds going to the artist. Some hosts provide snacks and drinks while others ask guests to bring a dish to share. Lodging is sometimes provided to the artist if they are a touring act and the host has room to accommodate them.

Many folks host regular house concert series and over time build up their own mailing list of guests who attend their events. These established house concert series attract well-known national acts who tour regularly. Other people choose to host house concerts only for artists they know on a rare occasion.

Privacy can be a concern for some would-be house concert hosts, but events can be private with only the friends and family of the host invited. If a show is public or open to the artist's mailing list, the address of the event is often not posted and guests get the details when they RSVP. Sometimes hosts wish to present the show for free to their invited guests and they work out a flat fee for the artist to perform. There is no right or wrong way to do it and artists are usually happy to work with you to create an event that meets the needs of all parties involved.

With the technology we have today to communicate we can easily feel connected to our friends and family without any face-to-face interaction. And there is so much available on cable TV and the internet, we don't even have to leave the house to entertain ourselves. While there's certainly a lot of benefit to these technologies, there is also a lot we're missing when we don't get out of the house and socialize with the ones we love. A strange sense of loneliness and isolation can creep in no matter how often we call, email, or skype. We are missing that human connection that feeds our souls.

Live music events are a great way to spend time with friends, make new ones, and nurture your right-brain/creativity. It can be healing, inspiring, transforming, relaxing, and just plain fun. And, of course, it helps artists make a living sharing their gifts and introduces new fans to their music. Consider bringing that live music magic into your home or attend a house concert to experience it yourself. I invite you to watch this short introduction video to learn more: http://concertsinyourhome.com

If you have any questions or comments to share about your personal house concert experience, please post them or email me at trinity@trinitydemask.com

A little miracle bloom

When I was a child, there was a Passion Flower vine growing all along our backyard fence. I was always fascinated with the unusual flowers. They looked plastic, too thick-petaled and perfect to be real. Occasionally, I'd cut some and float them in a bowl on the kitchen table like Water Lilies. A few weeks ago, upon moving into my new apartment, I saw some Passion Flower vines for sale at the grocery store. I was shocked because I'd never seen them anywhere since I was a kid and I'd actually forgotten they existed.

I'm pinching pennies these days, so I resisted the first urge to buy one. But several days later, I just became certain that I had to have one so I sprang for the $12.99. The poor thing sat on the porch for weeks before I finally got around to shopping for a cheap pot. The vine has these little feelers that wrap around things in a corkscrew manner so I knew I'd need to get something the vine could climb permanently. All the trellises were way too big and expensive so I bought some bamboo stakes and made my own trellis.

Two days ago, I finally got around to planting the vine in its new pot. I gently extended its tendrils up my home-made trellis. I handled every inch of the plant and never saw any sign of a bud, nor did I expect one. The plant was so small, I assumed it would be next year before I saw one of its unusual flowers.

Imagine my amazement today when I noticed a fully opened flower on the vine. It's not the best looking flower, small and a bit spotty, but it's a purple and white Passion Flower just like the ones that grew in my backyard when I was a little girl.