Hey Folks,
As always, hope you are all doing well! If you have some time for reading, viewing and listening, here's what I have for you this month.
We're back at it again regarding our "Back Porch Videos!" "Last Man Standing" is a ballad describing how an aging WWII veteran spends his days. The idea and details come from discussions I have had with my father over the past three years. During these talks, he has reminisced about various stages of his life. He has shared details about his growing up in Queens, NY, running away to join the Marine Corps, meeting my mother after WWII, bringing his family to Saugerties, NY, spending many memorable times with my mother and his life-time friends from Saugerties, and coping with being the last one left in his immediate circle of friends. This small group, composed of my mother, Dot and Phil Breithaupt, and Marge and Tom Tynan really knew how to enjoy life. My father often wonders how they are all doing, and he looks forward to catching up with them as soon as he can.
The song, a slow moving sensitive story, depicts an aging man listening to his old records while sitting in his easy chair. As he listens, each tune triggers his memory back to a special moment in his life. Here is a link to the song. As always, any suggestions or feedback will be greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoy it!
The "Singer/Songwriters in the Side Room" concerts at Buffalo Bill's in Shortsville, NY, continue to grow each month. The concerts are on the third Thursday of the month from 7 to 9 PM. In my last post, I played you a video of Jed Curren doing one of his songs, "My Name Is Peter Biss." In this post, we have a video of Rick Hoyt and Cool Club playing his song, "I Can't Be Any Better Than I Am." Rick, who describes his music style as a blend of jump jazz blues with a mixture of boogie woogie swing, ignites the room with help from Tom McClure and Oscar Yuan. The musicianship in this piece is simply fantastic. Here is the video. Hope you enjoy it, and I hope it encourages you to check out this venue. We have some great songwriters in this area, and if you like original music, you owe it to yourself to experience some of these artists. Stay tuned for more videos of other songwriters we have showcased.
Since I am on the topic of the songwriters' series, I want to thank Shawn Middlebrook and some of the members of Misfit Karma for the great show they did for us in July. Shawn and his band are a well-known acoustic folk rock jam band in the Finger Lakes Region, and it was great to see him in an intimate setting sharing his original music. On August 15, we are having Pat Maloney return to the side room for another show. Along with being one of the finest songwriters from this region, Pat is a very entertaining story teller. Here is Pat doing "Good Night Irene Again" at a show he did for us in March of 2012. You can learn more about Pat right here! Hope you can join us on August 15!
Since songwriting seems to be the main focus of this post, here is a link to "Seasons With You," one of my original songs. You can read about the development of the song, check out the lyrics, and listen to the song. If you like the song, you can download the MP3 right here at the iTunes store. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you may have seen this one already. If this is a new song for you, I hope you enjoy it!
For those of you who have stumbled upon this post accidentally and have no knowledge about Meyer and McGuire, here is a link to our web site. Hope you enjoy learning about us!
Well, once again, it's time for me to stop babbling. Since it is summer, I replace my regular evening walk with a late-night swim in our pool. Swimming under the stars and moon in the quiet of the evening has to be one of the most peaceful experiences there is. As I do my laps, many of you pass through my thoughts, sometimes for a fleeting moment and other times longer. I want to thank you for being in my thoughts. You have contributed to my life much more than you will ever know. So, see you back on the streets sometime in late September!
Monday, July 29, 2013
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Off Stage With Meyer and McGuire
Hey Folks,
As always, hope you are all doing well! If you have some time for reading, viewing and listening, here's what I have for you this month.
Sorry. Still no "Back Porch Video for you. We have the material, but the health issues of our aging parents are keeping us very busy. We do, however, see a little light at the end of the tunnel, and we hope to have one for you in the August post.
The "Singer/Songwriters in the Side Room" concerts at Buffalo Bill's in Shortsville, NY, continue to grow each month. The concerts are on the third Thursday of the month from 7 to 9 PM. In my last post, I played you a video of Joe Dady doing one of his songs, "My Conesus Cabin Home." In this post, we have a video of Jed Curren playing his song, "My Name Is Peter Biss." Jed met Peter Biss, a homeless person from the Streets of Washington D.C., while visiting his daughter. Curren's daughter, a social worker, has a great ability to connect with Peter and people like him, and Jed was very inspired by his daughter's talents. Here is the video. Hope you enjoy it, and I hope it encourages you to check out this venue. We have some great songwriters in this area, and if you like original music, you owe it to yourself to experience some of these artists. Stay tuned for more videos of other songwriters we have showcased.
Since I am on the topic of the songwriters' series, I want to thank Jeff Riales and Mike Wittek for the great show they did for us in June. Jeff and Mike were our guests last year, and their return performance was terrific. On July 18, we are having Shawn Middlebrook as our guest in the side room. Shawn is the lead singer and guitar player for Misfit Karma, a well-known acoustic folk rock jam band from Phelps, NY. In the side room, Shawn will be doing an evening of his original material. You can learn more about Shawn and his group right here! Hope you can join us on July 18!
Since songwriting seems to be the main focus of this post, here is a link to "I just Try To Move the Chains," one of my original songs. You can read about the development of the song, check out the lyrics, and listen to the song. If you like the song, you can download the MP3 right here at the iTunes store. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you may have seen this one already. If this is a new song for you, I hope you enjoy it!
For those of you who have stumbled upon this post accidentally and have no knowledge about Meyer and McGuire, here is a link to our web site. Hope you enjoy learning about us!
Well, once again, it's time for me to stop babbling. Since it is summer, I replace my regular evening walk with a late-night swim in our pool. Swimming under the stars and moon in the quiet of the evening has to be one of the most peaceful experiences there is. As I do my laps, many of you pass through my thoughts, sometimes for a fleeting moment and other times longer. I want to thank you for being in my thoughts. You have contributed to my life much more than you will ever know. So, see you back on the streets sometime in late September!
As always, hope you are all doing well! If you have some time for reading, viewing and listening, here's what I have for you this month.
Sorry. Still no "Back Porch Video for you. We have the material, but the health issues of our aging parents are keeping us very busy. We do, however, see a little light at the end of the tunnel, and we hope to have one for you in the August post.
The "Singer/Songwriters in the Side Room" concerts at Buffalo Bill's in Shortsville, NY, continue to grow each month. The concerts are on the third Thursday of the month from 7 to 9 PM. In my last post, I played you a video of Joe Dady doing one of his songs, "My Conesus Cabin Home." In this post, we have a video of Jed Curren playing his song, "My Name Is Peter Biss." Jed met Peter Biss, a homeless person from the Streets of Washington D.C., while visiting his daughter. Curren's daughter, a social worker, has a great ability to connect with Peter and people like him, and Jed was very inspired by his daughter's talents. Here is the video. Hope you enjoy it, and I hope it encourages you to check out this venue. We have some great songwriters in this area, and if you like original music, you owe it to yourself to experience some of these artists. Stay tuned for more videos of other songwriters we have showcased.
Since I am on the topic of the songwriters' series, I want to thank Jeff Riales and Mike Wittek for the great show they did for us in June. Jeff and Mike were our guests last year, and their return performance was terrific. On July 18, we are having Shawn Middlebrook as our guest in the side room. Shawn is the lead singer and guitar player for Misfit Karma, a well-known acoustic folk rock jam band from Phelps, NY. In the side room, Shawn will be doing an evening of his original material. You can learn more about Shawn and his group right here! Hope you can join us on July 18!
Since songwriting seems to be the main focus of this post, here is a link to "I just Try To Move the Chains," one of my original songs. You can read about the development of the song, check out the lyrics, and listen to the song. If you like the song, you can download the MP3 right here at the iTunes store. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you may have seen this one already. If this is a new song for you, I hope you enjoy it!
For those of you who have stumbled upon this post accidentally and have no knowledge about Meyer and McGuire, here is a link to our web site. Hope you enjoy learning about us!
Well, once again, it's time for me to stop babbling. Since it is summer, I replace my regular evening walk with a late-night swim in our pool. Swimming under the stars and moon in the quiet of the evening has to be one of the most peaceful experiences there is. As I do my laps, many of you pass through my thoughts, sometimes for a fleeting moment and other times longer. I want to thank you for being in my thoughts. You have contributed to my life much more than you will ever know. So, see you back on the streets sometime in late September!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Off Stage With Meyer and McGuire
Hey Folks,
As always, hope you are all doing well! If you have some time for reading, viewing and listening, here's what I have for you this month.
Unfortunately, Siobhan and I do not have a "back porch video" for you this month. Many health issues for our aging parents have kept us hopping with a very hectic schedule. We have the material ready. So, stay tuned! We hope to have one for you for our next post.
The "Singer/Songwriters in the Side Room" concerts at Buffalo Bill's in Shortsville, NY, seem to be getting better and better each month. The concerts are on the third Thursday of the month from 7 to 9 PM. In my last post, I played you a video of Scott Regan doing one of his songs, "The Marriage of Time and Money."In this post, we have a video of Joe Dady playing his song, "My Conesus Cabin Home." In a bluegrass style, Joe delivers an upbeat tune about the beauty of living in the western Finger Lakes Region near Conesus Lake, one of the smaller Finger Lakes. His flat picking in this one is simply outstanding. Here is the video. Hope you enjoy it, and I hope it encourages you to check out this venue. We have some great songwriters in this area, and if you like original music, you owe it to yourself to experience some of these artists. Stay tuned for more videos of other songwriters we have showcased.
Since I am on the topic of the songwriters' series, I want to thank John Dady and Joe LaMay and Sherri Reese for the awesome shows they did for us in May and June. John Dady had a full house and LaMay and Reese were the first performers to have a standing room only crowd, a sure sign the venue is growing. On June 20, we are having Jeff Riales return to the side room with Mike Wittek. Last year, Jeff and Mike dazzled the audience with Jeff's terrific original country songs and Mike's outstanding guitar playing. Shortsville can't wait to have them back again! Here is a video of the two playing Jeff's award winning song, "The Ticket."You can learn more about Jeff right here! Hope you can join us on June 20!
Since songwriting seems to be the main focus of this post, here is a link to "Ridin' Down the Back Roads," one of my original songs. You can read about the development of the song, check out the lyrics, and listen to the song. If you like the song, you can download the MP3 right here at the iTunes store. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you may have seen this one already. If this is a new song for you, I hope you enjoy it!
For those of you who have stumbled upon this post accidentally and have no knowledge about Meyer and McGuire, here is a link to our web site. Hope you enjoy learning about us!
Well, once again, it's time for me to stop babbling. I often go walking at night, and much to the chagrin of Siobhan, I am a daydreamer who should be paying a little more attention to my surroundings. Many of you pass through my thoughts, sometimes for a fleeting moment and other times longer. I want to thank you for being in my thoughts. You have contributed to my life much more than you will ever know. So, see you on the streets somewhere!
As always, hope you are all doing well! If you have some time for reading, viewing and listening, here's what I have for you this month.
Unfortunately, Siobhan and I do not have a "back porch video" for you this month. Many health issues for our aging parents have kept us hopping with a very hectic schedule. We have the material ready. So, stay tuned! We hope to have one for you for our next post.
The "Singer/Songwriters in the Side Room" concerts at Buffalo Bill's in Shortsville, NY, seem to be getting better and better each month. The concerts are on the third Thursday of the month from 7 to 9 PM. In my last post, I played you a video of Scott Regan doing one of his songs, "The Marriage of Time and Money."In this post, we have a video of Joe Dady playing his song, "My Conesus Cabin Home." In a bluegrass style, Joe delivers an upbeat tune about the beauty of living in the western Finger Lakes Region near Conesus Lake, one of the smaller Finger Lakes. His flat picking in this one is simply outstanding. Here is the video. Hope you enjoy it, and I hope it encourages you to check out this venue. We have some great songwriters in this area, and if you like original music, you owe it to yourself to experience some of these artists. Stay tuned for more videos of other songwriters we have showcased.
Since I am on the topic of the songwriters' series, I want to thank John Dady and Joe LaMay and Sherri Reese for the awesome shows they did for us in May and June. John Dady had a full house and LaMay and Reese were the first performers to have a standing room only crowd, a sure sign the venue is growing. On June 20, we are having Jeff Riales return to the side room with Mike Wittek. Last year, Jeff and Mike dazzled the audience with Jeff's terrific original country songs and Mike's outstanding guitar playing. Shortsville can't wait to have them back again! Here is a video of the two playing Jeff's award winning song, "The Ticket."You can learn more about Jeff right here! Hope you can join us on June 20!
Since songwriting seems to be the main focus of this post, here is a link to "Ridin' Down the Back Roads," one of my original songs. You can read about the development of the song, check out the lyrics, and listen to the song. If you like the song, you can download the MP3 right here at the iTunes store. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you may have seen this one already. If this is a new song for you, I hope you enjoy it!
For those of you who have stumbled upon this post accidentally and have no knowledge about Meyer and McGuire, here is a link to our web site. Hope you enjoy learning about us!
Well, once again, it's time for me to stop babbling. I often go walking at night, and much to the chagrin of Siobhan, I am a daydreamer who should be paying a little more attention to my surroundings. Many of you pass through my thoughts, sometimes for a fleeting moment and other times longer. I want to thank you for being in my thoughts. You have contributed to my life much more than you will ever know. So, see you on the streets somewhere!
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Off Stage With Meyer and McGuire
Hey Folks,
As always, hope you are all doing well! If you have some time for reading, viewing and listening, here's what I have for you this month.
Since Siobhan and I received some great feedback for our first "back porch" video of our song, "Just One," we decided to share another one of our new songs with you, "When You Were Cute and I Had All My Hair." Before you watch the video, here's a little background information as to how the song got its start.
Many years ago, somewhere between ten and fifteen I think, Siobhan and I met up with our Friends Jim and Margie Hastings. Jim, Margie, and their youngest son, Danny came to see our show at Borders, a bookstore in Henrietta, NY. Unfortunately, we were double booked at Borders. Yes, you heard it right, double booked at a bookstore. Since Danny, about eight at the time, was with Jim and Margie, we decided to get a bite to eat at Chucky Cheese, a restaurant with many games to keep young kids occupied.
As we sat in the restaurant listening to the high pitch laughing and screaming of little kids and the bells and whistles of numerous games, Jim told a story of an event that occurred for Margie and him somewhere back in the early 1980s.
Although I do not remember the event, I do remember Margie being unable to recall it. Jim tried triggering her memory with several different approaches, but all of his efforts were in vain. Finally, after being totally frustrated, Jim threw up his arms and said, "It was back when you were cute and I had all my hair."
Well, needless to say, Jim's line imprinted itself somewhere deep in my memory bank, where it remained dormant for several years. When it resurfaced a couple of years ago, the song unfolded rather quickly, as so many of my songs do. The song is a biographical depiction of Jim and Margie's life with their children, but on a larger scale, it is a fairly close description of the lives of many of our friends who are in their 50s, 60s, and 70s.
Here is a link to the video. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoy it!
The "Singer/Songwriters in the Side Room" concerts at Buffalo Bill's in Shortsville, NY, seem to be getting better and better each month. The concerts are on the third Thursday of the month from 7 to 9 PM. In my last post, I played you a video of Leslie Lee and Steve Gretz doing one of Leslie's songs, "Til September."In this post, we have a video of Scott Regan playing his song, "The Marriage of Time and Money." In a somewhat John Prine fashion,
Scott delivers an entertaining ballad about the issues that quite often create conflict within a relationship. His use of irony, metaphor, and personification is simply exquisite. Here is the video. Hope you enjoy it, and I hope it encourages you to check out this venue. We have some great songwriters in this area, and if you like original music, you owe it to yourself to experience some of these artists. Stay tuned for more videos of other songwriters we have showcased.
Since I am on the topic of the songwriters' series, I want to thank Steve Piper for the awesome show he did for us in April. Word about Steve's easy going performance style must have spread around Shortsville since his performance last year, because the room was nearly full for the second set of his show! On May 16, we are having John Dady of the Dady Brothers. In addition to being an outstanding musician, John is a terrific songwriter. He has performed all over the United States, Canada, and Ireland, and has shared the stage with such greats as The Clancy Brothers, Tommy Makem, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Rick Danko, Bill Staines, and many more. Like his brother, Joe, John has many great stories of the road that I am sure you will enjoy. You can learn more about him right here! Hope you can join us on May 16!
Since songwriting seems to be the main focus of this post, here is a link to "The Ballad of Bruce Weaver," one of my original songs. You can read about the development of the song, check out the lyrics, and listen to the song. If you like the song, you can download the MP3 right here at the iTunes store. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you may have seen this one already. If this is a new song for you, I hope you enjoy it!
For those of you who have stumbled upon this post accidentally and have no knowledge about Meyer and McGuire, here is a link to our web site. Hope you enjoy learning about us!
Well, once again, it's time for me to stop babbling. I often go walking at night, and much to the chagrin of Siobhan, I am a daydreamer who should be paying a little more attention to my surroundings. Many of you pass through my thoughts, sometimes for a fleeting moment and other times longer. I want to thank you for being in my thoughts. You have contributed to my life much more than you will ever know. So, see you on the streets somewhere!
As always, hope you are all doing well! If you have some time for reading, viewing and listening, here's what I have for you this month.
Since Siobhan and I received some great feedback for our first "back porch" video of our song, "Just One," we decided to share another one of our new songs with you, "When You Were Cute and I Had All My Hair." Before you watch the video, here's a little background information as to how the song got its start.
Many years ago, somewhere between ten and fifteen I think, Siobhan and I met up with our Friends Jim and Margie Hastings. Jim, Margie, and their youngest son, Danny came to see our show at Borders, a bookstore in Henrietta, NY. Unfortunately, we were double booked at Borders. Yes, you heard it right, double booked at a bookstore. Since Danny, about eight at the time, was with Jim and Margie, we decided to get a bite to eat at Chucky Cheese, a restaurant with many games to keep young kids occupied.
As we sat in the restaurant listening to the high pitch laughing and screaming of little kids and the bells and whistles of numerous games, Jim told a story of an event that occurred for Margie and him somewhere back in the early 1980s.
Although I do not remember the event, I do remember Margie being unable to recall it. Jim tried triggering her memory with several different approaches, but all of his efforts were in vain. Finally, after being totally frustrated, Jim threw up his arms and said, "It was back when you were cute and I had all my hair."
Well, needless to say, Jim's line imprinted itself somewhere deep in my memory bank, where it remained dormant for several years. When it resurfaced a couple of years ago, the song unfolded rather quickly, as so many of my songs do. The song is a biographical depiction of Jim and Margie's life with their children, but on a larger scale, it is a fairly close description of the lives of many of our friends who are in their 50s, 60s, and 70s.
Here is a link to the video. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoy it!
The "Singer/Songwriters in the Side Room" concerts at Buffalo Bill's in Shortsville, NY, seem to be getting better and better each month. The concerts are on the third Thursday of the month from 7 to 9 PM. In my last post, I played you a video of Leslie Lee and Steve Gretz doing one of Leslie's songs, "Til September."In this post, we have a video of Scott Regan playing his song, "The Marriage of Time and Money." In a somewhat John Prine fashion,
Scott delivers an entertaining ballad about the issues that quite often create conflict within a relationship. His use of irony, metaphor, and personification is simply exquisite. Here is the video. Hope you enjoy it, and I hope it encourages you to check out this venue. We have some great songwriters in this area, and if you like original music, you owe it to yourself to experience some of these artists. Stay tuned for more videos of other songwriters we have showcased.
Since I am on the topic of the songwriters' series, I want to thank Steve Piper for the awesome show he did for us in April. Word about Steve's easy going performance style must have spread around Shortsville since his performance last year, because the room was nearly full for the second set of his show! On May 16, we are having John Dady of the Dady Brothers. In addition to being an outstanding musician, John is a terrific songwriter. He has performed all over the United States, Canada, and Ireland, and has shared the stage with such greats as The Clancy Brothers, Tommy Makem, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Rick Danko, Bill Staines, and many more. Like his brother, Joe, John has many great stories of the road that I am sure you will enjoy. You can learn more about him right here! Hope you can join us on May 16!
Since songwriting seems to be the main focus of this post, here is a link to "The Ballad of Bruce Weaver," one of my original songs. You can read about the development of the song, check out the lyrics, and listen to the song. If you like the song, you can download the MP3 right here at the iTunes store. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you may have seen this one already. If this is a new song for you, I hope you enjoy it!
For those of you who have stumbled upon this post accidentally and have no knowledge about Meyer and McGuire, here is a link to our web site. Hope you enjoy learning about us!
Well, once again, it's time for me to stop babbling. I often go walking at night, and much to the chagrin of Siobhan, I am a daydreamer who should be paying a little more attention to my surroundings. Many of you pass through my thoughts, sometimes for a fleeting moment and other times longer. I want to thank you for being in my thoughts. You have contributed to my life much more than you will ever know. So, see you on the streets somewhere!
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Off Stage With Meyer and McGuire
Hey Folks,
As always, hope you are all doing well! If you have some time for reading, viewing and listening, here's what I have for you this month.
Well, here is a first for Siobhan and me. We're going to be on the radio on April 3 at 10 AM. The name of the show is "Open Tunings," and it is hosted by Scott Regan. Scott's show was named the best show in Rochester for 2012, a well-deserved honor.
Along with playing a few songs, and promoting some of our upcoming shows in Rochester, Siobhan and I will be talking with Scott about the concert series we host at Buffalo Bill's in Shortsville, NY. With that said, I want to warn you ahead of time. I met Scott for the first time when he did a show for us at Buffalo Bill's about six months ago. (By the way, Scott is a great songwriter who has a great feel for irony and a tremendous ability to present the truth with an uncanny sense of humor. Check him out!) Anyway, after his show, we hit it off, and started jawing easily about anything and everything. So, while we have a tentative plan for his show, we just might end up discussing the outcome for the Red Sox and Yankees in the upcoming 2013 season.
On April 3, if you are near a radio and in the Rochester area, tune into WRUR 88.5 FM at 10 AM. If you are not in the Rochester area, here is a link where you can stream the show from the internet. When you get to this page, you want the player for "Open Tunings" (WRUR 88.5, Different Radio). Hope you can tune in! If you miss us, check out "Open Tunings" when you get a chance! It's on Monday thru Friday from 9 AM to Noon. You won't be disappointed.
The "Singer/Songwriters in the Side Room" concerts at Buffalo Bill's in Shortsville, NY, seem to get better and better each month. The concerts are on the third Thursday of the month from 7 to 9 PM. In my last post, I played you a video of Jim Clare playing his song, "Jumpin Sam Patch." In this post, we have a video of Leslie Lee and Steve Gretz doing their song "'Til September." With the sensitive sounds of Steve's acoustic guitar and Perry Cleaveland's violin, Leslie and Steve's exquisitely blended voices present a beautiful song Leslie wrote about waiting for the fall, one of her favorite times of the year. Here is the video. Hope you enjoy it, and I hope it encourages you to check out this venue. We have some great songwriters in this area, and if you like original music, you owe it to yourself to experience some of these artists. Stay tuned for more videos of other songwriters we have showcased.
Since I am on the topic of the songwriters' series, I want to thank Connie Deming for the awesome show she did for us in March. It was Connie's first time in the side room, and we can't wait to have her back! On April 18, we are having Steve Piper back for another show. Since his first concert in the side room, about a year ago, I've gotten to know him a little more, and I can't say enough good things about him. He is a crazy, sensitive guy who tells bad jokes, writes awesome songs, and plays phenomenal guitar. He has been on numerous recordings, and when he is not playing a gig, you'll find him hosting the open mic at The Flipside, a local bar in Rochester. Here is Steve at last year's performance doing his song, "This House," one of my favorites. You can learn more about him right here! Hope you can join us on April 18!
Since songwriting seems to be the main focus of this post, here is a link to "The Road Less Traveled," one of my original songs. You can read about the development of the song, check out the lyrics, and listen to the song. If you like the song, you can download the MP3 at the iTunes Store right here. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you may have seen this one already. If this is a new song for you, I hope you enjoy it!
For those of you who have stumbled upon this post accidentally and have no knowledge about Meyer and McGuire, here is a link to our web site. Hope you enjoy learning about us!
Well, once again, it's time for me to stop babbling. I often go walking at night, and much to the chagrin of Siobhan, I am a daydreamer who should be paying a little more attention to my surroundings. Many of you pass through my thoughts, sometimes for a fleeting moment and other times longer. I want to thank you for being in my thoughts. You have contributed to my life much more than you will ever know. So, see you on the streets somewhere!
As always, hope you are all doing well! If you have some time for reading, viewing and listening, here's what I have for you this month.
Well, here is a first for Siobhan and me. We're going to be on the radio on April 3 at 10 AM. The name of the show is "Open Tunings," and it is hosted by Scott Regan. Scott's show was named the best show in Rochester for 2012, a well-deserved honor.
Along with playing a few songs, and promoting some of our upcoming shows in Rochester, Siobhan and I will be talking with Scott about the concert series we host at Buffalo Bill's in Shortsville, NY. With that said, I want to warn you ahead of time. I met Scott for the first time when he did a show for us at Buffalo Bill's about six months ago. (By the way, Scott is a great songwriter who has a great feel for irony and a tremendous ability to present the truth with an uncanny sense of humor. Check him out!) Anyway, after his show, we hit it off, and started jawing easily about anything and everything. So, while we have a tentative plan for his show, we just might end up discussing the outcome for the Red Sox and Yankees in the upcoming 2013 season.
On April 3, if you are near a radio and in the Rochester area, tune into WRUR 88.5 FM at 10 AM. If you are not in the Rochester area, here is a link where you can stream the show from the internet. When you get to this page, you want the player for "Open Tunings" (WRUR 88.5, Different Radio). Hope you can tune in! If you miss us, check out "Open Tunings" when you get a chance! It's on Monday thru Friday from 9 AM to Noon. You won't be disappointed.
The "Singer/Songwriters in the Side Room" concerts at Buffalo Bill's in Shortsville, NY, seem to get better and better each month. The concerts are on the third Thursday of the month from 7 to 9 PM. In my last post, I played you a video of Jim Clare playing his song, "Jumpin Sam Patch." In this post, we have a video of Leslie Lee and Steve Gretz doing their song "'Til September." With the sensitive sounds of Steve's acoustic guitar and Perry Cleaveland's violin, Leslie and Steve's exquisitely blended voices present a beautiful song Leslie wrote about waiting for the fall, one of her favorite times of the year. Here is the video. Hope you enjoy it, and I hope it encourages you to check out this venue. We have some great songwriters in this area, and if you like original music, you owe it to yourself to experience some of these artists. Stay tuned for more videos of other songwriters we have showcased.
Since I am on the topic of the songwriters' series, I want to thank Connie Deming for the awesome show she did for us in March. It was Connie's first time in the side room, and we can't wait to have her back! On April 18, we are having Steve Piper back for another show. Since his first concert in the side room, about a year ago, I've gotten to know him a little more, and I can't say enough good things about him. He is a crazy, sensitive guy who tells bad jokes, writes awesome songs, and plays phenomenal guitar. He has been on numerous recordings, and when he is not playing a gig, you'll find him hosting the open mic at The Flipside, a local bar in Rochester. Here is Steve at last year's performance doing his song, "This House," one of my favorites. You can learn more about him right here! Hope you can join us on April 18!
Since songwriting seems to be the main focus of this post, here is a link to "The Road Less Traveled," one of my original songs. You can read about the development of the song, check out the lyrics, and listen to the song. If you like the song, you can download the MP3 at the iTunes Store right here. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you may have seen this one already. If this is a new song for you, I hope you enjoy it!
For those of you who have stumbled upon this post accidentally and have no knowledge about Meyer and McGuire, here is a link to our web site. Hope you enjoy learning about us!
Well, once again, it's time for me to stop babbling. I often go walking at night, and much to the chagrin of Siobhan, I am a daydreamer who should be paying a little more attention to my surroundings. Many of you pass through my thoughts, sometimes for a fleeting moment and other times longer. I want to thank you for being in my thoughts. You have contributed to my life much more than you will ever know. So, see you on the streets somewhere!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Off Stage With Meyer and McGuire
Hey Folks,
As always, hope you are all doing well! If you have some time for reading, viewing and listening, here's what I have for you this month.
Siobhan and I are in the process of recording some of our new original material. So, since most of you never get to see us play because you are spread all around the globe, we thought we would share some of it with you here. This first video, shot on our back porch, is a song called "Just One." Before you watch the video, here's a little background information as to how the song got its start.
A couple of years ago, Siobhan and I were visiting with our Friend Ray Hackett at the Canandaigua Brew Company, a local tavern here in Canandaigua. Ray tended bar there in the evenings, and often Siobhan and I would stop and see him while we were out walking. Anyway, during this visit, Terry Beyea, one of the well-known patrons, shouted over to me, "Hey, you need to write a song called "Just One." He told me that whenever someone tries to leave a bar, they are always enticed by the other patrons to have just one more drink. He figured nearly everyone could relate to this idea, and I agreed with him. So, I stored it in my memory bank where it was destined to be forgotten because I am over sixty now.
When it comes to songwriting, there is no real format for it. While some writers are very disciplined and write every day, others let their ideas blossom when they are ready to come out. Although I would like to be a disciplined writer, I must admit, I am lazy, and I let songs come to fruition when they are ready. Some of my songs have stayed in my soul for years, while others have materialized immediately. Fortunately, "Just One" came to me a few days after Terry gave me the idea.
The characters in this song are real, and I want to thank them for their unforgettable contributions. Here is a link to the video. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoy it!
The "Singer/Songwriters in the Side Room" concerts at Buffalo Bill's in Shortsville, NY, continue to go well. The concerts are on the third Thursday of the month from 7 to 9 PM. In my last post, I played you a video of Lisa Winter playing her song, "Roadkill Cafe." In this post, we have a video of Jim Clare doing his song "Jumpin' Sam Patch." With his acoustic guitar and Perry Cleaveland accompanying him on mandolin, Jim delivers an entertaining ballad about Sam Patch, a dare-devil who traveled around the country in the early 1800s. Sam met his demise when he jumped into the Genesee Gorge in Rochester. Here is the video. Hope you enjoy it, and I hope it encourages you to check out this venue. We have some great songwriters in this area, and if you like original music, you owe it to yourself to experience some of these artists. Stay tuned for more videos of other songwriters we have showcased.
Since I am on the topic of the songwriters' series, I want to thank Maria Gillard, Perry Cleaveland, and Elaine Verstraete for the awesome show they did for us in February. It was a perfect start to Season Two! On March 21, we are having Connie Deming, an awesome singer/songwriter who started her life with music in New England. After many adventures, Connie landed in Rochester, where she continues to dazzle her fans with her insightful lyrics and unbelievable voice. People quite often compare her to such greats as Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Carly Simon, and Sarah McLachlan. You can learn more about her right here! Hope you can join us on March 21!
Since songwriting seems to be the main focus of this post, here is a link to "Caught in the Middle," one of my original songs. You can read about the development of the song, check out the lyrics, and listen to the song. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you may have seen this one already. If this is a new song for you, I hope you enjoy it!
or those of you who have stumbled upon this post accidentally and have no knowledge about Meyer and McGuire, here is a link to our web site. Hope you enjoy learning about us!
Well, once again, it's time for me to stop babbling. I often go walking at night, and much to the chagrin of Siobhan, I am a daydreamer who should be paying a little more attention to my surroundings. Many of you pass through my thoughts, sometimes for a fleeting moment and other times longer. I want to thank you for being in my thoughts. You have contributed to my life much more than you will ever know. So, see you on the streets somewhere!
As always, hope you are all doing well! If you have some time for reading, viewing and listening, here's what I have for you this month.
Siobhan and I are in the process of recording some of our new original material. So, since most of you never get to see us play because you are spread all around the globe, we thought we would share some of it with you here. This first video, shot on our back porch, is a song called "Just One." Before you watch the video, here's a little background information as to how the song got its start.
A couple of years ago, Siobhan and I were visiting with our Friend Ray Hackett at the Canandaigua Brew Company, a local tavern here in Canandaigua. Ray tended bar there in the evenings, and often Siobhan and I would stop and see him while we were out walking. Anyway, during this visit, Terry Beyea, one of the well-known patrons, shouted over to me, "Hey, you need to write a song called "Just One." He told me that whenever someone tries to leave a bar, they are always enticed by the other patrons to have just one more drink. He figured nearly everyone could relate to this idea, and I agreed with him. So, I stored it in my memory bank where it was destined to be forgotten because I am over sixty now.
When it comes to songwriting, there is no real format for it. While some writers are very disciplined and write every day, others let their ideas blossom when they are ready to come out. Although I would like to be a disciplined writer, I must admit, I am lazy, and I let songs come to fruition when they are ready. Some of my songs have stayed in my soul for years, while others have materialized immediately. Fortunately, "Just One" came to me a few days after Terry gave me the idea.
The characters in this song are real, and I want to thank them for their unforgettable contributions. Here is a link to the video. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoy it!
The "Singer/Songwriters in the Side Room" concerts at Buffalo Bill's in Shortsville, NY, continue to go well. The concerts are on the third Thursday of the month from 7 to 9 PM. In my last post, I played you a video of Lisa Winter playing her song, "Roadkill Cafe." In this post, we have a video of Jim Clare doing his song "Jumpin' Sam Patch." With his acoustic guitar and Perry Cleaveland accompanying him on mandolin, Jim delivers an entertaining ballad about Sam Patch, a dare-devil who traveled around the country in the early 1800s. Sam met his demise when he jumped into the Genesee Gorge in Rochester. Here is the video. Hope you enjoy it, and I hope it encourages you to check out this venue. We have some great songwriters in this area, and if you like original music, you owe it to yourself to experience some of these artists. Stay tuned for more videos of other songwriters we have showcased.
Since I am on the topic of the songwriters' series, I want to thank Maria Gillard, Perry Cleaveland, and Elaine Verstraete for the awesome show they did for us in February. It was a perfect start to Season Two! On March 21, we are having Connie Deming, an awesome singer/songwriter who started her life with music in New England. After many adventures, Connie landed in Rochester, where she continues to dazzle her fans with her insightful lyrics and unbelievable voice. People quite often compare her to such greats as Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Carly Simon, and Sarah McLachlan. You can learn more about her right here! Hope you can join us on March 21!
Since songwriting seems to be the main focus of this post, here is a link to "Caught in the Middle," one of my original songs. You can read about the development of the song, check out the lyrics, and listen to the song. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you may have seen this one already. If this is a new song for you, I hope you enjoy it!
or those of you who have stumbled upon this post accidentally and have no knowledge about Meyer and McGuire, here is a link to our web site. Hope you enjoy learning about us!
Well, once again, it's time for me to stop babbling. I often go walking at night, and much to the chagrin of Siobhan, I am a daydreamer who should be paying a little more attention to my surroundings. Many of you pass through my thoughts, sometimes for a fleeting moment and other times longer. I want to thank you for being in my thoughts. You have contributed to my life much more than you will ever know. So, see you on the streets somewhere!
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Off Stage With Meyer and McGuire
Hey Folks,
Hope you all had a great holiday season, and 2013 is a good one for you! Here's a story and some news if you have time for some reading:
Since we are starting a new year, it is only fitting I share with you one of the themes by which I live. It emerged somewhere in my soul back in January of 1967, and it has been reinforced over the years by people and characters I have met in literature. The concept is simple. Facing a hopeless situation, some people choose to maintain their integrity, and they get busy living instead of dying. Most recently, this idea caught my attention a few weeks ago when Siobhan and I watched Shawshank Redemption, one of our favorite films. The film, based on Stephen King's novella, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, inspires the viewer to maintain hope in the midst of devastating conditions.
If you did not see the film, and you don't have the time to check out the lings I gave you, here is a brief synopsis of the story. Andy Defresne, a successful banker, is convicted of killing his wife and her lover. He, despite being innocent of the crime, is sentenced to two consecutive life terms at Shawshank, a state prison in Maine. While in prison, Andy befriends another lifer, Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding. Red," who narrates the film and the novella, describes many of the horrific experiences Andy encounters. Andy remains tough throughout his many agonizing defeats and disappointments, and Red, along with several other inmates, is inspired by his unwillingness to give up.
At one point in the film, Andy and Red engage in a discussion about hope. Red claims it is dangerous to hope in a place like Shawshank, but Andy disagrees. Andy believes we have the option to either get busy living or get busy dying regardless of our situation in life, and it is hope that drives us to get busy living. When I heard Andy say this, it took me back to a point in my life when I was confronted with this exact choice.
It was late January of 1967. I just returned to my home in Saugerties, NY, from the retina clinic associated with the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Hospital in Boston. After four months and five long operations, the doctors informed me there was nothing more they could do for me, and the news felt like a cell door slamming shut on a prisoner facing a life sentence. Stunned by this news, I sat by the window in my bedroom. The window faced the backyard that led to beautiful dense woods. Not far into the woods there was a railroad track, and the sound of the train whistle was a frequent visitor to my room. As I sat staring into nothingness, I realized I would never see this peaceful scene again, and the tears began to roll. I don't know how long I sat there, but at some point, the sound of the train whistle interrupted my thoughts. The whistle was the only part of this scene that still remained for me, but it was at least something. For some reason, and to his day I don't know why, the sound of the whistle triggered a sense of hope in me, and it told me it was time to move on. I vowed to myself I would figure out some way to cope with being blind, and to this very day, I continue to figure out ways to cope. Like Andy Defresne, I keep it simple. I just get busy living every day.
Over the years, I have thought about the sound of that whistle. Was it some kind of sign from God? Since I have a deep faith, I believe it was, but I am not here to talk about God. He's just a friend of mine, and I don't push him on anyone. I am here, however, to talk about maintaining hope and getting busy living. If you are doing that, keep doing it! If you are not, it means you are getting busy dying, and I implore you to consider a change. . You have way too much to offer yourself and the rest of the world!
The "Singer/Songwriters in the Side Room" concerts at Buffalo Bill's in Shortsville, NY, continue to go well. The concerts are on the third Thursday of the month from 7 to 9 PM. In my last post, we played you a video of Steve Piper playing his song, "This House." In this post, we have a video of Birds-On-A-Wire (Brooke Pevear and Elaine Verstraete) doing their song "It Is What It Is." The song suggests the narrator will maintain her identity in the midst of a world she cannot control. With impeccable voices, Brooke and Elaine deliver the message with the exquisite sound of Perry Cleaveland's mandolin accompanying them. Here is the video. Hope you enjoy it, and I hope it encourages you to check out this venue. We have some great songwriters in this area, and if you like original music, you owe it to yourself to experience some of these artists. Stay tuned for more videos of other songwriters we have showcased.
Since I am on the topic of the songwriters' series, I want to thank Jed Curran for the fine show he did for us in December. On January 17, we are having Rick Hoyt and Cool Club do a show in our side room. Since I don't have a web site for you to explore, you'll have to rely on my description here. Rick and the guys play some awesome, in-your-face original jump jazz blues and boogie-woogie ragtime swing. The group varies in number. At the January 17 show, Rick will have the trio with him: Rick, lead guitar, vocals; Tom McClure, clarinet, flute, saxophone, egg; Oscar Yuan, bass. You might get the guys to do a standard or two for you, but they will be there to deliver their original music, and it's great. Trust me. You'll walk out of their show with a smile on your face and lots of energy. Hope you can join us on January 17!
Since songwriting seems to be the main focus of this post, here is a link to "Saturday Morning," one of my original songs. You can read about the development of the song, check out the lyrics, and listen to the song. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you may have seen this one already. If this is a new song for you, I hope you enjoy it!
For those of you who have stumbled upon this post accidentally and have no knowledge about Meyer and McGuire, here is a link to our web site. Hope you enjoy learning about us!
Well, once again, it's time for me to stop babbling. I often go walking at night, and much to the chagrin of Siobhan, I am a daydreamer who should be paying a little more attention to my surroundings. Many of you pass through my thoughts, sometimes for a fleeting moment and other times longer. I want to thank you for being in my thoughts. You have contributed to my life much more than you will ever know. So, see you on the streets somewhere!
Hope you all had a great holiday season, and 2013 is a good one for you! Here's a story and some news if you have time for some reading:
Since we are starting a new year, it is only fitting I share with you one of the themes by which I live. It emerged somewhere in my soul back in January of 1967, and it has been reinforced over the years by people and characters I have met in literature. The concept is simple. Facing a hopeless situation, some people choose to maintain their integrity, and they get busy living instead of dying. Most recently, this idea caught my attention a few weeks ago when Siobhan and I watched Shawshank Redemption, one of our favorite films. The film, based on Stephen King's novella, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, inspires the viewer to maintain hope in the midst of devastating conditions.
If you did not see the film, and you don't have the time to check out the lings I gave you, here is a brief synopsis of the story. Andy Defresne, a successful banker, is convicted of killing his wife and her lover. He, despite being innocent of the crime, is sentenced to two consecutive life terms at Shawshank, a state prison in Maine. While in prison, Andy befriends another lifer, Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding. Red," who narrates the film and the novella, describes many of the horrific experiences Andy encounters. Andy remains tough throughout his many agonizing defeats and disappointments, and Red, along with several other inmates, is inspired by his unwillingness to give up.
At one point in the film, Andy and Red engage in a discussion about hope. Red claims it is dangerous to hope in a place like Shawshank, but Andy disagrees. Andy believes we have the option to either get busy living or get busy dying regardless of our situation in life, and it is hope that drives us to get busy living. When I heard Andy say this, it took me back to a point in my life when I was confronted with this exact choice.
It was late January of 1967. I just returned to my home in Saugerties, NY, from the retina clinic associated with the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Hospital in Boston. After four months and five long operations, the doctors informed me there was nothing more they could do for me, and the news felt like a cell door slamming shut on a prisoner facing a life sentence. Stunned by this news, I sat by the window in my bedroom. The window faced the backyard that led to beautiful dense woods. Not far into the woods there was a railroad track, and the sound of the train whistle was a frequent visitor to my room. As I sat staring into nothingness, I realized I would never see this peaceful scene again, and the tears began to roll. I don't know how long I sat there, but at some point, the sound of the train whistle interrupted my thoughts. The whistle was the only part of this scene that still remained for me, but it was at least something. For some reason, and to his day I don't know why, the sound of the whistle triggered a sense of hope in me, and it told me it was time to move on. I vowed to myself I would figure out some way to cope with being blind, and to this very day, I continue to figure out ways to cope. Like Andy Defresne, I keep it simple. I just get busy living every day.
Over the years, I have thought about the sound of that whistle. Was it some kind of sign from God? Since I have a deep faith, I believe it was, but I am not here to talk about God. He's just a friend of mine, and I don't push him on anyone. I am here, however, to talk about maintaining hope and getting busy living. If you are doing that, keep doing it! If you are not, it means you are getting busy dying, and I implore you to consider a change. . You have way too much to offer yourself and the rest of the world!
The "Singer/Songwriters in the Side Room" concerts at Buffalo Bill's in Shortsville, NY, continue to go well. The concerts are on the third Thursday of the month from 7 to 9 PM. In my last post, we played you a video of Steve Piper playing his song, "This House." In this post, we have a video of Birds-On-A-Wire (Brooke Pevear and Elaine Verstraete) doing their song "It Is What It Is." The song suggests the narrator will maintain her identity in the midst of a world she cannot control. With impeccable voices, Brooke and Elaine deliver the message with the exquisite sound of Perry Cleaveland's mandolin accompanying them. Here is the video. Hope you enjoy it, and I hope it encourages you to check out this venue. We have some great songwriters in this area, and if you like original music, you owe it to yourself to experience some of these artists. Stay tuned for more videos of other songwriters we have showcased.
Since I am on the topic of the songwriters' series, I want to thank Jed Curran for the fine show he did for us in December. On January 17, we are having Rick Hoyt and Cool Club do a show in our side room. Since I don't have a web site for you to explore, you'll have to rely on my description here. Rick and the guys play some awesome, in-your-face original jump jazz blues and boogie-woogie ragtime swing. The group varies in number. At the January 17 show, Rick will have the trio with him: Rick, lead guitar, vocals; Tom McClure, clarinet, flute, saxophone, egg; Oscar Yuan, bass. You might get the guys to do a standard or two for you, but they will be there to deliver their original music, and it's great. Trust me. You'll walk out of their show with a smile on your face and lots of energy. Hope you can join us on January 17!
Since songwriting seems to be the main focus of this post, here is a link to "Saturday Morning," one of my original songs. You can read about the development of the song, check out the lyrics, and listen to the song. If you have been reading my blog for awhile, you may have seen this one already. If this is a new song for you, I hope you enjoy it!
For those of you who have stumbled upon this post accidentally and have no knowledge about Meyer and McGuire, here is a link to our web site. Hope you enjoy learning about us!
Well, once again, it's time for me to stop babbling. I often go walking at night, and much to the chagrin of Siobhan, I am a daydreamer who should be paying a little more attention to my surroundings. Many of you pass through my thoughts, sometimes for a fleeting moment and other times longer. I want to thank you for being in my thoughts. You have contributed to my life much more than you will ever know. So, see you on the streets somewhere!
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