Mark Cullen: Blog

Well I'm finally "back in the saddle" so to speak. I just finished my latest effort "Leave The Light On" and it's now posted at the top of the music page and available for download - FOR FREE! If you like the song and choose to download it, all I ask is that you drop me an email to let me kow what you like or don't like about the song. I'm already planning a shorter "radio friendly" version but maybe you think I should leave it as it is. Either way -let me know! Your opinion is important to me :>) If you'd like to read the lyrics as you listen, just click on the title. That will also give you some background on the song. I hope all of you are having a wonderful summer! Until next time......

Ironic I should pick Halloween to write this, huh? Obviously it's been quite some time since I've written anything here. The road I've been traveling has been a long and hard one for me. My life completely changed overnight -everything - and recovering and adjusting to the loss is not an easy process. And the process may never end. Memories never go away. I've been told I just "need to move on". I wish that was as easy to do as it sounds. I can say, however, that in this process I have discovered myself again. Who I am and what I want and need. Knowing what I know now I wish I could go back and do it all over again the right way. The pain and grief I could have saved myself and everyone else. But I can only take what I've learned and not make those mistakes again. It's funny that while you're losing touch with yourself and acting or reacting to things without much conscious thought, it all remains subtle, silent, and below the surface - while love is slowly buried. And yet when I went through the process of rediscovering my true self, my motivations and feelings, the awakening hit hard. Like being torn apart and made to examine all the tiny little pieces of my life and then being reassembled. I guess that must be why some people avoid feelings or avoid feeling very deeply. It's easier to go through life, as Pink Floyd so aptly put it, "Comfortably Numb". The feelings are still there though - just unacknowledged. But along with the pain of reviving some of those feelings there's life and hope. So I think there will be a lot of music that will come from all of this when the time is right. Maybe that's when the real healing will begin.... I'll keep you posted.

Geez, that was the title of the final "Star Trek - The Next Generation " episode. But in my case it is somewhat appropriate - all good things must come to an end. I'm not refering to music here but to my relationship with Aleksandra. I won't go into details here but just suffice it to say it's over. I've purchased a home and am in the long and tedious process of getting settled and putting the studio back together. I've been away for that reason only but will try to get back into the swing of things again now. Thanks to all who have sent emails and shown so much patience and understanding in my long delay in responding. You all are wonderful. Now go hurry up and finish those taxes! Until next time.....

Overall it's been a pretty mild winter for us folks up north. Yeah, we did have a few weeks of some pretty nasty subzero temperatures but that's to be expected. We just got dumped on last night with about a foot of snow and supposedly more on the way. So yep...winter's not done yet. In Minnesota, March is traditionally the snowiest month. So that brings me to the subject at hand. Since we're all still cooped up inside with the furnace running, I thought I'd say a few words for all those guitar players and other stringed instrument owners out there. One of those words is humidity - or I should say the lack thereof. Winter is a very rough time for wooden instruments. They crave humidity. Not excessively but enough to stay healthy. With furnaces running all the time, in most homes you're lucky if relative humidity is 55%. Acoustic guitars and such like it much better around 60 to 70% - the exact number depends on who you talk to of course. The consequences, though, are a clear and present danger - cracks and warping in worse case scenerios. Why take the chance? My recommendation? Humidifiers. There's all sorts of cool little guitar humidifiers out there. I won't get into any specific brand endorsements here (unless of course they come up with a suitcase full of money at which point I will certainly consider it!) but rather just say that you'll be doing yourself and your axe a big favor. In my experience, electric guitars are not quite as susceptible to the ravages of low humidity as acoustics are but it sure can't hurt. The other thing is leave them in the case. I love to display my instruments as much as anyone else but in the winter the acoustics stay in their cases. So take my advice and go check it out on the web. There's all sorts of info available out there so you can make an informed decision and do what's best for you and your instrument. as the old saying goes....an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! See ya next time...........

I hope everyone is enjoying the new year so far! I certainly am - nothing has worn out or broken down over the past few months (except for an effects processor in the studio and that's now been replaced) so I consider that to be a pretty good start. The main point I wanted to mention in my current blurb here is that recently I've received a few guestbook entries with invalid email addresses. Now don't get me wrong. I see the humor in it as much as the next guy and some of them are pretty clever but when I'm asked to stop by and check their website, it helps to know what the address is! Typically website addresses posted in the guestbook itself are removed by the adminstrator but if you'd like me to check out your site and return the favor by signing your guestbook, drop me an email! I promise I won't hound you with spam or give it to anyone else. As a matter of fact, I usually respond only once and if I never hear anything back - well - I kind of assume you'd rather not correspond. And that's OK! Only those who sign up for my mailing list will receive semi-regular emails from me. So I'm just asking very nicely....please leave valid info or leave the email address box blank. You can still sign anonymously for all the world to see . I really don't mind. Of course it goes without saying that you gotta keep it clean - that means you MOM! Now with that said, I'll ponder what subject I should write about next time. In the meantime, have a wonderful day!

Welcome 2007! A new year, a new start - resolutions, revelations, and revolutions........

And with that said, I'd just like to wish everyone (one more time) a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. Let the fun & music begin!

Well OK, so it's not the night before Christmas but it's very close! This year is a special one for me. My new album "Indigo Moon" has been officially released and is now available on CD Baby and also directly from Io Music Ltd. (the links will be up on the site very soon but in the meantime if you'd like to check it out, just go to http://cdbaby.com/cd/markcullen3)
AND....I'm now expecting TWO new little ones this coming year. My daughter Melissa ("Starving For Affection" though obviously that's not quite true anymore) who just got married last Sept is expecting her first in August and my other daughter Mallory is expecting her third in April. Now that's some Christmas present!!! I just sent an email to eveyone last week on the mailing list with the latest so if you haven't signed up yet, there's no time like the present! (pun intended). I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and a beautiful and wondrous New Year. See ya in '07!
Ho ho ho!!!!!

...To be jolly, right? Well of course! Overly crowded malls & stores, frightful traffic, and thin wallets sure make me want to jump for joy! But it isn't really all about that stuff is it? It's about family and friends and remembering what's really important in life. I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. At our household we, of course, ate and drank too much but certainly had a very nice time. And now the Christmas season is upon us. It's unbelievable how fast the past year went. But it has been a productive one and I'm happy to announce the new album, "Indigo Moon", is in post production and will be released soon! I'll be sending out letters to everyone on the mailing list right before the official release so if you haven't signed up yet, there's no time like the present! So I'd just like to end here by wishing everyone out there a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. "Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight......"

First, I'd like to get all of my excuses out of the way. Between bathroom remodeling, and various other projects (including trying to finish up the new album) I realize I haven't been around as much as I should. Shame on me. I find it amazing that as life moves ever onward, it becomes more of a challenge to keep up with those things closest to our hearts. Instead, I allow all the mundane business of life to move to the top of the 'ol priorities list. Again shame on me. But concerning the subject with which I began this latest blurb, isn't art a matter of looking at the everyday and mundane things in life from a slightly different viewpoint?
Derek Sivers (founder of CD Baby-The world's greatest and coolest retailer of independent music) said something in one of his inspirational emails that he periodically sends out to all the members that bears repeating here. I love this quote and I think it's captures the essence of art perfectly. "A toothbrush is just a toothbrush but mount it on the wall and shine a light on it - that's art". Derek, that is as eloquent a statement as I've ever heard - and right on the money. So, you're asking yourself at this point, how does that apply to music? Well....in my opinion, music takes that same perspective and just applies it aurally instead of visually. So imagine the toothbrush on the wall surrounding you with an addictively pleasant sound. (Sorry, the latest gizmos parading as singing toohbrushes that vibrate your jawbone to your ear don't count) It would kind of give you a different perspective on all toothbrushes wouldn't it? So what is art? Just a different view of the same world we all know and love. How's that for simple and profound? On the flip side, my friend Biff (name changed to protect the innocent - mainly me) feels that art is a fallacy propagated by those who have an aversion to actually working and making an honest living. They instead would rather take money from those people who like to think that their appreciation of the arts sets them above the rest of average humanity. It's not that he doesn't like art, (well ok, so he's not into the visual thing- he does like to listen to music as long as it's loud and thumpy) he just thinks it's overrated. A tune's a tune. What does art have to do with it? So there you have it - two different perspectives. Wow, I guess that makes this little blurb a piece of art. What do you think? Let me know would ya?

Ok OK...I know you've probably been wondering where I've been and what I've been up to. Then again - maybe not. Either way I thought I would once again make an appearance and let everyone in on the current happenings. It's been a busy summer and I find it unbelievable it's almost over. The big signal around these parts is the Great Minnesota Get Together - commonly known as the State Fair. And since I'm in somewhat close proximity to the fairgrounds, the family and I are treated daily to the almost continuous rush of traffic and the window rattling booming of the nightly fireworks. But I digress. I have almost finished another couple of tunes for the album between bathroom renovation and family visits. The house is a mess and another budding adult in our household is preparing to leave for college. And the time has flown by so quickly that I'm often left wondering where it went. The word "tired" is now a more than commonly used term in our collective vocabulary and another birthday is looming near. Nothing like a birthday to remind one that we're not getting any younger. Wow-did I really SAY that? But the music project continues and although the finish date has been pushed out several times now there really is a dim light visible now at the end of the tunnel. Once again, thanks to all that have written and my apologies for sometimes not getting back with a prompt response. That's it for this installment folks. Exciting wasn't it! I promise I will not stay away so long next time. And while I'm at....have a wonderful Labor Day!

It seems this has been a hot topic lately and with the feds getting deeply involved in the whole deal, I thought it might be a good time to weigh in the subject myself. Granted, the opinions about to be expressed are mine alone. They are shared by other artists in varying degrees from what I've read but for the sake of argument, I'll take full responsibility for the diatribe that follows. So here goes...... First, the definition so we're all clear about what's being discussed here. File sharing: making available free of charge to the public, copyrighted musical works for which the artist(s) receive no financial compensation..... Sounds kinda ugly doesn't it? For those artists whose incomes are counted in the millions or even hundreds of thousands, file sharing may not be that big of a deal. Of course it could be argued that those who fall in this category and are against file sharing are simply motivated by pure unadulterated greed. But is it fair, even if one is rich, to be denied payment for a product? Those that own Target and WalMart are certainly wealthy but yet shoplifting is still against the law. Is file sharing any different?Do artists deserve any less? From my own perspective, the sales generated by my music enables me to continue to do it. I guarantee you I'm not getting rich but I do it because I love doing it. I love writing songs and am hysterically happy that people out there all over the world like it too. But I can't do it for free as much as I'd like to. The income generated by my music goes back into making more music. As long as I break even or maybe make an extra buck or two, I can continue to do this. The day that I'm forced to operate at a loss is the day that only my family will be hearing what I do. That day may still come regardless of file sharing or not but do I want to hasten to that end? So at the end of the day I'd have to say I'm against file sharing. Sure - everyone loves getting stuff for free. But what if getting all that free stuff meant that eventually there would be a vastly smaller range to choose from? Limited choices. Mainly the stuff the big boys churn out. The little guys will have all eventually disappeared. Think about it. Regardless of whatever kind of work you do, do you want to give it away? Work for free?
I wouldn't think so. So there's some food for thought until we meet again. And if anyone out there has any comments or differing opinions they would like to share with me, please drop me a line. I'd like to know what's on your mind, really! OK, now that's out of the way, grab your blanket and beachball and let's go have some fun in the sun! See ya next month!

Yes that's right. Spring has sprung.....a leak. I don't mean to sound too much like my last entry but after 4 continuous days of rain I was starting to get a Noah's Complex. For those of you who have been stopping by my little corner of the web for a while now, you may remember the infamous studio flood of last year. Well, I'm holding my breath and keeping a cautious eye out for leaks this go around (while turning a dark blue from lack of oxygen). Our ever reliable weatherman here in the twin cities is saying another chance for storms tonight so I'm hoping the lifeboats will remain in their places. We shall see. So now, in the tradition of my monthly musings, I will attempt another sojourn into the psyche of music creationism.....The new album finally has a title - "Indigo Moon". While the song of the same title may not be the best song on the album in other's opinions, it is one of my favorites so there. There are at least a couple of tracks remaining to be done and I admit that the required energy levels have been waning over the last month. Time opportunities present themselves and I do not take advantage. I could cop out on the usual excuses of just being too tired, over-extended, or whatever. And there is some truth in that. But the real underlying reason has not revealed itself to me so as these writing and recording opportunities pass, I feel a measure of guilt. Maybe that's what is often referred to as angst. So I suppose I will just have to save up enough angst to finish this thing up. I know I've talked about this before but it bears mentioning again. Any musical project consists of a mix of about 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. And it's the sweating part I guess I'm struggling with right now. I do want to take a moment to thank all of you who have written for the kind and encouraging words. They mean more to me than you can ever know. So, by golly, I think I'll get up off my lazy butt, crank up the equipment, and get busy again. Springing into action as they say.....but hopefully skipping the leaking. Thanks for listening! I sure feel a lot better now. Stay tuned!

Unbelieveable. A little over a week ago there was a lot of snow on the ground and now thunderstorms and rain! I'm finally beginning to truly believe that spring is on the way. It actually motivated me to the point that yesterday I went out into the fresh air and raked the yard. Now don't get me wrong here - I'm not a big fan of yard work (ugh) but when the weather breaks it's a nice excuse to get out and do something. Oh yeah, I know I could've gone to the park or taken a leisurely walk with my honey but I guess there's something about stirring up the snow matted grass that is almost, dare I say, inspiring? And I do like the lawn to look nice. Soon it's going to be turning very green and growing fast and before I know it, the old lawnmower is going to be getting it's spring tuneup.
Now if you've read this far you're probably wondering "so what does this have to do with music? " The answer is very simple - nothing. But that really isn't completely true. Back when I was growing up, at the back of our place behind the cornfield, there were some railroad tracks. I used to walk down there and sit and play my guitar and write songs. On occasion, some of my buddies would join me. Some played and some didn't but it didn't really matter. It was our place. I'd have to say between 1968 and 1972 of the time I wasn't in school about 70% of it was spent hanging around the old tracks. Rain or shine - hot or cold. I have a poster hanging in the studio that a good frend of mine, Bill Huntington, took of me down at those tracks with an old Polaroid Swinger B&W camera and sent it off to one of those places that used to advertise on the back of matchbooks to have it enlarged. Now after all these years it's taken on a sepiatone appearance but still serves to remind me of a wonderful time in my life.
Met a few interesting characters down there by those tracks too. Of course that was long before we knew we were supposed to be afraid of hobos and the like. Long before we started worrying whether or not we were going to end up in Vietnam. Long before we had to grow up and take responsibility for ourselves and our future. Hmmm, must be spring fever for sure because it's when the earth starts coming alive again that I remember those days spent down at the railroad tracks. Spring fever is always chocked full of fond memories and it's so nice to know there are always more memories to be made. Next sunny day that comes along, think I'll sit in the backyard for awhile with a cool drink and just strum nothing imparticular-just for the sheer joy of it. That's really what it's all about isn't it?

I was just reading in one of the music trade mags that "My Space" is one of THE hot places to connect with people and get heard. But according to this same article, the down side is supposedly that "My Space" is predominantly populated by 15 yr olds to "twenty somethings". That meaning that unless the music you're doing is currently the "craze", a "baby boomer" artist doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting heard or appreciated there. In the music biz, age discrimination is supposedly alive and well. With the major labels, American Idol, and such I would probably agree. But from the wider perspective I'm not sure I agree with that. It's my belief that people who truly love music are generally not that narrow minded. If the music is good and connects with someone, why would the age of the artist matter? I freely admit the stuff I do does have a 70-ish style which is due to the fact that I'm a product of that time and embrace it. But it hasn't seemed to matter to all the people who have bought my music or payed to download it on the web. The music of the 70s still has a lot of appeal. Music is a pretty personal thing - and ageless. In the Feburary Rolling Stone there's an article entitled "Teens Save Classic Rock". Among other things it discusses how todays teens are rediscovering the music of the 70s. I guess that explains the on-going popularity of groups like the Stones, Aerosmith, Dylan, Pink Floyd, & Led Zeppelin? These guys are either in their 60s or pushing it anyway. Not that I'm so presumptuous as to put myself in the same class. But it does kinda prove the point. I'm always flattered when I get emails from people less than half my age, older than me, and eveything in between, telling me what the music I write means to them. Age doesn't seem to matter to them. And it doesn't matter if what they percieve the meaning of the music to be is different than what I originally intended. That's the beauty of music. It's personal. It becomes what it needs to be to every individual. So enough of the age crap. I may be middle-aged chronologically but it's how old the heart is that really counts!

Admittedly out of all the places on the web where my music is available "My Space" has garnered the least interest. Is it possible that the "trade experts" could be right? Should I not be a part of My Space just because of my age? In this enlightened age is the prejudice against age alive and well? Should I not enjoy the music by younger artists out there? I sure hope someone will prove them wrong! Regardless, I'll keep doing what I do-I really have no choice anymore than I have a choice as to whether to breath or not. It's who I am.....a "baby boomer" who's traveled a long road, suffered through mistakes and hardships, learned a lot, experienced even more, and am proud of it!

Wow...where does the time go! As the the title says, I've been remiss in my duties. What a strange word. It sounds like I missed once and then missed again...or remiss as it were. Isn't the english language funny. But there have been some big events as of late so I shall use that as my excuse. The big event, by the way, was the birth of my granddaughter, Lily Fae Jensen on January 24th. What a cutie though I am admittedly biased in that regard. Mama and daughter are doing fine by the way. Ummm...as far as the new album is concerned, I got a little sidetracked. So to make up for that I will very shortly be putting a few of the tracks here for your listening pleasure. So definitely keep checking back. And I promise to try not to be away so long next time!

I know, I know. It's not politically correct to use this term. I am acutely aware that "Happy Holidays" is the approved greeting but what can I say-I can't get over calling holidays by their actual name. If I've offended anyone, then I offer my profound apology. It was not intentional. It just happens to be an occasion that I personally celebrate along with many others and so, to me, it's perfectly natural just as it would be for someone who happens to celebrate a holiday that I don't happen to observe. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't find it offensive. See, there I go again on the philosophical track. So I'll just make this short and sweet....
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOODNIGHT!

It seems my random sojourns have now stretched to about once a month. But with good reason. There are nine tracks "in the can" so to speak with two more to go. So once a month isn't bad I think.....
During the processes of recording and mixing all the music, it kinda dawned on me one day in the car that what I do artistic-wise goes far beyond the ol' singer-songwriter bit. I control, manipulate, and shape the sound of the recording like a sculpter creating a statue. It truly is another facet to what my "sound" is. One of my goals is to always try to give the recordings a "combo feel",as if it were four or five people in the studio. Afterall, I'm still just one guy. In considering what would be involved to recreate all this live, I think it would be nearly impossible - it would require different people, each with their own inherent playing styles, to try to bend and blend with the sound I created in the studio not to mention different instruments and equipment. The music changing with these additional talents and influences would definitely not be a bad thing-just different. Actually the music would probably be greatly improved in many aspects. But it remains that at the end of the day there's still just me. In the context of all that I do in my daily life, it's not feasible at this point to seriously consider the time investment to assemble a live act. It would take away too much time from writing and recording. So I guess I'll be content to refer to myself as a "sonic sculpter" the next time someone asks. If nothing else it's good for a few laughs don't you think?

Geez, does time fly or what? But hey, it's been a nutsy kind of month. We finally got eveything dried out with only a few hints of mustiness remaining. I think that experience will likely go right to the top of my "things I least like to do" list.
And now Fall is upon us. I have to admit that I really love this time of year. Actually, that sounds pretty trite doesn't it? (Us former southerners sometime say - dudden it)
OK, so enough about the weather. The important thing is that I did resume working on the new album and have made some nice progress.
Before I go any further, I would be remiss in my duties to not say hello to my new friends in New Zealand, Italy, and Sweden. It's been great hearing from all of you. Do remember that you can always email me here in addition to Io Music and
please, please feel free to sign my guestbook along with any comments your heart desires. Your email address will not be displayed or disclosed. I promise. And signing the guestbook does not automatically put you on my mailing list. You'll get one email asking if you would like to be added. If you don't respond-that's it. Period. This all just suddenly occurred to me
so forgive my ramblings :-) here. It just seemed like a good idea to kind of clear the air around that whole ugly guestbook thing (in case that's been holding you back!) Enough said. I guess I'll wrap this up with a quote I found recently that I really liked: "Nothing in this world can take the place of persistance-talent will not-nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not-unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not-the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistance and determination alone are omnipotent."....Calvin Coolidge

Good 'ole Calvin. He wasn't such a dummy after all eh? Hey, thanks for stopping by. Until next time...

As someone famous once said, " Even the best of well laid plans go awry "....or something to that effect. Just as I was gaining some momentum towards completing the new album a minor catastrophe occurred. Up here in the twin cities on Tuesday the 4th we got approximately 6 inches of rain in less than 24 hours. And since the studio is located in the lower basement, we took on some water. Now this was no where near the magnitude of the hurricane Katrina disaster but I guess it's disaster enough for me although I have to admit I feel somewhat sheepish relating it to you in light of the much bigger disasters as of late. But with that said I'll go ahead and relate some of the infinitely fascinating details....With my handy dandy 12 gallon wet vac I've sucked up just shy of 40 gallons of water out of the carpeting so far. I can hardly believe it could hold that much water! So a minor inconvenience has kinda put everything else on hold. But here I am, happily floating in my life raft in front of the ol' PC with a beer in hand, relating my latest adventure to you. So does anyone happen to know where I can get some plans for an Ark? That way, maybe next time I'll be a little better prepared?

It's hard to believe that summer is over. I'm amazed at how fast the time goes sometimes. Seems like just yesterday the trees were budding and the flowers blooming. But in reality Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. Being the hot blooded person that I am, I welcome the cooler temperatures. But it's also a reminder that I am behind in my self imposed schedule for completion of the new album. Thankfully, I don't have to answer for that to anyone but myself. But it does bring to mind one question I've been ask a lot lately - " So like when you write a song, man, does the music come first or the words? " To be honest, it's most often the musical idea that actually comes first although most of the time the lyrical ideas are there with the music. They just don't flesh out as quickly as the music does. It's the melody that sets the stage for the lyrics. And for me, that's where most of the work in writing a song is done. Fitting the lyric ideas in a form that not only works with the music but compliments it is usually my biggest challenge. It's not that I don't know what to say so much as it is finding the right way to say it. That's the artistic part I suppose. Sometimes the words that seem to fit best what I want to say are words that don't necessarily sing well. Consequently, the old thesaurus gets quite a workout. In the end, the listener gets to decide whether or not I was successful. So now with winter just around the corner, I think I'll take the time to find the quiet inspiration in the changing of the season and revise my deadlines a little bit. After all, as the late Harry Chapin wrote in his song
" Greyhound ", " It's the going, not the getting there, that's good ". Until next time.......

For a short week it sure seemed like a long one didn't it? But the weekend is here once again which brings me to the current subject at hand......
It seems to me that writer's block is an often misunderstood term. What it means to me personally, in my experience, is that it is not so often a lack of ideas but rather the inability to bring them to fruition. Ideas are like seeds - the potential is there to bloom into a full sized, beautifully mature plant. But without water and the right temperature they fail to germinate. In my personal case, the requirement for germination is basically inspiration. It's such a fleeting and intangible thing. Like it almost has a mind of it's own. Many times the ideas pop into my head while I'm driving to and from work or when I'm doing something else totally unrelated to music and something happens to spur the spark so to speak. It could be an incident, a random memory, or something just imagined in a daydream. But by the time I'm back in the studio and ready to start fleshing out those ideas they just seem to kinda fall flat - and fail to germinate. Inspiration is not something, I've found, that can be coaxed or coerced. It's either there or it isn't. Trying to force it just results in something that sounds contrived and hollow. Whoever it was that said songwriting is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration was pretty much right on target. And without that little 10% the recipe is incomplete. Actually, I'm not really sure the statement was made just regarding the art of songwriting but it sure fits in my case. But hey, when the inspiration is there, I revel in it. It's an alternate reality for me. The ultimate escape - and sometimes - relief. What can I say - it's a rush like no other. Aleksandra, oftentimes in her encouragement and loving support, provides a great deal of inspiration but I still have those moments when it seems like nothing is working no matter what. The up side to all of this is that regardless of when the inspiration strikes, in the meantime those seeds just lay there waiting to germinate. They don't disappear or go anywhere. They just wait. And this is one of those days. I have the time to spend here in the studio today but it just isn't happening for me. Maybe I'm just distracted? I dunno. So I guess I'll just goof around with other things in the house and wait until it happens. It's always worth the wait. Ok, so maybe I should go out and mow the lawn now? That's pretty productive (not to mention inspirational) isn't it?

Here it is again. That one day of the year in which it is my turn to be embarrassed, pampered, fussed over,etc. And now another candle on the birthday cake. I can't help but wonder when there will be no more room left for the cake! But it's also a time to reflect on the years that have come before and how lucky I am to have lived this life full of family and friends. And how lucky I am to be doing what I'm doing. I remember a time when having a studio and being the one man band as it where, was outside the realm of my reality. The technology didn't exist then to make it possible (without having thousands of dollars at my disposal) but now it does and I am so fortunate to be alive at this time in history. Ah, the miracle of multi-tracking!

I'm also so very grateful for ALL of you out there. YOU make all that I do worthwhile. While it's true that I would be doing music anyway, it's your support that really takes me to the next level of fullfillment. The fact that the music touches people creates a feeling of satisfaction in me that I can't describe. Like maybe I've made some small difference in the world and will leave a legacy that others will remember fondly. That's a very nice feeling. So now, on to the celebration. Until next time......

It's truly unbelievable. We knew hurricane Katrina was going to be bad didn't we? But little did we know how bad. While sobered at the thought of the widespread destruction and suffering, another thought keeps nudging away at my conscience. "You're pretty lucky to be where you are. And you should be thankful beyond words." And I am-thankful that no one that I love is caught in the midst of this disaster. Thankful that all those little insignificant things I take for granted - like running water, electricity, food in the fridge, a dry comfortable bed, sentimental keepsakes - will still be here tomorrow when I wake up. Geez, I'm even thankful that I'm most likely going to wake up!
What I've decided to do, through the generosity of CD Baby, is to donate all the proceeds from my music sales to the Red Cross for at least this month and possibly more. I hope it helps someone....

Aleksandra took some nice new pics yesterday. A multi-talented woman to say the least. They're on the photo page for your amusement or bemusement. Guess it was time - the last ones were about 3 years old but I haven't changed much in that time (yeah right)...
Well, the last time we spoke, I promised I would elaborate more on my musical goals so here goes.
When this whole venture started there were basically two goals: I wanted to write and record songs and I wanted the endeavor to be pretty much self-supporting. I'm not really interested at this point in my life in going back out and doing the touring thing (although that could change-never say never!). That can be quite grueling and I would miss my family whole bunches. Afterall, I just want to do music. I don't have a burning desire to be obscenely rich (though I have to admit it would be nice!) or famous (well, I guess that would be nice too!). I just want to make enough to support my habit as it were. And that I'm pretty much doing. I would be doing better if it weren't for the fact that I have an addiction. Let's call it a music gear addiction. I get several music catalogs in the mail frequently and of course there's always something newer and better out there. So the craving begins. What was good enough last month just isn't the same this month so I just have to have that new gadget, instrument or whatever. Pretty sad huh?
Ok, so maybe I'm stretching it a bit here. I don't buy stuff all the time but if I could I sure would! So boiling it all down, I just want to keep doing music without breaking the bank. Thanks to a lot of you, that's what is happening. When I began I never dreamed that the goal was even remotely possible. But it's a big world out there and countless musical tastes abound. Which reminds me...I would be remiss in my duties if I didn't say a BIG hello to all my old and new friends in the U.K., Australia, Italy, China, and Yugoslavia. And of course all of you here the U.S.! Thanks for supporting what I do-you make it all possible. So that's it for this installment. Do come back and see me. Ciao!

Today's Matt's birthday - Happy Birthday Son. It seems like just yesterday you were our first little bundle of joy. Little did we know what the long road of life held in store. More than anything else, I wish you happiness and peace of mind...

At dinner this evening a random thought occurred to me about my musical goals. I'm not really referring to where it is I want to take my music and how far I want to go with it - that's crystal clear to me and I'll elaborate more on that at a later date.

No, it was more like a sudden realization of what my goals are in writing the music itself. I'd never really thought about it in depth before or ever attempted to analyze it much. The drive to be creative and write was, just simply, there. Oh sure - I've had conversations with friends, family, etc. about specific songs and my feelings and motivations behind them. And I've always known that music is my lifeboat when things get tough, my consolation when the daily stuff of life weighs on me, and my expression of joy when all is wonderful. But beyond that, I had never seriously considered it. But in a flash of internal insight, I realized just what it is that I want to accomplish when I write a song. Any song. And it's quite simple. I just want it to sound good - to produce an emotion in the listener. Even if they hate it. Better that than no reaction at all. I realized that my intent is not to attempt to dazzle with technical brilliance when I play each of the instruments I write and record with (and I think I'm pretty safe there) or to necessarily come up with a catchy "hook" (although maybe I should). Or when I sing, to try to sound like someone else instead of singing the way "I" sing. Nor is it to try to emulate the sound that's currently the rage. No, I just want it to sound good and to sound like me. And unconsciously, that's the way I've always approached the writing, recording, and mixing.

Lord knows there are enough technical viruosos and studio magicians out there to cover those bases. Does the world really need one more? And to take these musings one step further, it occurred to me that some of the music that has seemed to last the longest isn't necessarily technically perfect - it just managed to touch people. Touche'

It seems my philosophy (if that's what one would call it) must be working for me to some extent because a lot of you wonderful people out there are buying the CDs or downloading them and enjoying the music. Maybe by following my own star in trying to create a unique sound and style by just being me, I'm doing something right after all. And so to all of you out there (and you know who you are!) - thank you for validating what I do. It means more to me than you could ever know...