The lyrics were written by my friend, BJ Novack.

Technorati Tags: Music, Musikfest, the Wildflower Cafe

Technorati Tags: Music, Musikfest, the Wildflower Cafe

Technorati Tags: Music, Musikfest, the Wildflower Cafe

I can play the guitar again! Not perfectly, but I can play enough to practice some and to perform! All I had to do is wear a hand brace while I play. This supports my hand enough that it can stand the extra stress. Horray!

While I’m at it, why not finally share some of my music with you all? My brother Billy recorded me in the interests of helping me share my music with people who could play guitar for me because of my injury. Since I don’t know how to write music down or read music, I can’t share it in that way. Anyway, here are a few songs. Clink on the links and download, if you want to.

Bursting

Groove

New Way

It can be really interesting how events fall into place sometimes. Here I have the opportunity to play a little gig in a big music festival and I can’t play the guitar. So I have to find people to help me. Again. You would think I would be good at accepting people’s help by now. I guess in some ways I am. But this is more complicated somehow.

I had no idea how much a part of me my practicing has been. How do I practice my musical processes without the guitar? OK. Well, I ask people to back me up. I seem to have a few people willing to help. I am really grateful for this. But people are busy in their schedules and I am still so hesitant: I ask for help tentatively. . . my voice isn’t very loud. So good people offer help, but they don’t understand my need. . . maybe I should talk louder. Maybe I am not clear. Maybe my expectations are too high.

You see, for so long I practiced for two or three hours a day. Not because I want to produce some outwardly pleasing product. Well, not mostly. Because I almost have to to remain clear. Like something has to come out. But now, I am hoping that other people can become my tools through which I can do the same thing. This is totally unrealistic.

I have to become clear in my own expectations and express myself in understandable language what I need. What a challenge for me. Life does that, doesn’t it?

I only have about six weeks left before I am supposed to perform, and I still don’t have much to show. I’ve got to get it together. I will keep trying to figure out how to communicate with those people who may be able to help me perform, but since it seems tough to touch base, I’d better learn a new way to play the guitar without using my left hand much. Like maybe slide with open chords?? I may just try that. But in the mean time, another call. . . maybe this time a practice session will work out.

Technorati Tags: guitar, Music, Spirit

I learned from my dear friend Kim today that I may have to forgo my guitar playing for a long while. The joint where my left thumb joins my hand needs lots of time off. I spent a few years playing hard, getting out all of the old feelings and bringing in the new. Now for six months I have avoided the guitar. But my thumb needs a lot more time to heal. I still have more to express. It has gotten to where I love the groove that I find myself in when I am playing, especially when I am performing and it is working well.

I guess I can find that groove without my guitar. Adapt. Go with the flow. Step with the dance.

Technorati Tags: adapt, dance, flow, guitar

Here is an interview with Michael Franti. What an inspiring human being he is!

Technorati Tags: art, hope, Michael Franti, Music, Spirit

Tonight is a birthday bash at the Wildflower celebrating both Bill’s and Michelle’s birthdays! Come on out to 316 South New Street in South Bethlehem, PA to join in the fun. Sign up for the open mike usually starts at 7:00, but this is a different deal tonight, so I guess the show itself may be central instead, starting probably at 8:00. I think I will go a little before that.

The Wildflower has had a lot to do with me feeling free to open up into all possibilities with my music. Both Bill and Michelle are instrumental in the openness at the Wildflower. There is a lot to celebrate here.

Technorati Tags: celebrate, Music, the Wildflower Cafe

Hey Everyone:

I received an e-mail from Bill Medei about something happening at the Wildflower tonight. Here is the text of the message:

“Mr. Imagination always encouraged everyone around the Wildflower Cafe to create and enjoy something new. The music that comes from the Cafe has a direct connection to the tangible art that he creates from society’s discards. Tonight’s Open Mic will be dedicated to Mr. I and our feelings for him. Let’s allow Southside’s healing to begin.

This is my invitation to you to attend Wildflower’s Open Mic tonight. There will be no signup sheet. Just talk to me with your ideas and instant combos and we will make them happen.

Bill”

I am certainly going to try to make this one. Come on out, anyone who is reading this! They are at 316 South New Street on the south side of Bethlehem, PA.

Technorati Tags: Mr. Imagination, the Wildflower Cafe

So much of my life in the past couple of years has been in change. The process of change has made it necessary for things to be fluid. My music has been no exception. It has only been in the past couple of years that I have been playing the guitar and singing again. There was a twenty year gap when I did not create. I think the music I created a long time ago would be called folk music. Please forgive me, folks as I go along. I am an expert at nothing but my own present experience. I don’t know much about genres, I just have a general impression about things. In any case, my music has always been folky and acoustic. And I have pretty much stuck only to my own music and to my brother Billy’s music.

I self-pollinated for a long time. Actually in every sense. Not just music. But now I am reaching out. I want to learn about myself and the world. I’m done with being scared and not taking chances. So my music is following suit. It is changing. Much of it has been very fluid for a while. I am sort of afraid of committing to much structure. I feel that way generally about my life. I have been cast into a heavy mold for so long, I am afraid of being pinned down again. But my fear is lessening and form is surrounding the creative core. Yet in the process of traveling through parts of myself that I hadn’t allowed myself before, I am letting new kinds of expression out: still very fluid: grunts, shrieks, a language that seems to have a life of its own. But it is forming itself into something very new to me. And I am finding beauty in this new form.

I have found a wonderful place to perform my music, no matter how weird my music gets. The Wildflower Cafe in Bethlehem Pennsylvania is owned by a wonderful lady who has created this space where people can feel free to be themselves. It has attracted some amazing talents, and a lot of wonderful accepting people, where respect for each other is central. Come out on a Monday or Tuesday night to join in with the open mike. Sign up starts at 7:00 PM.

Technorati Tags: fluidity, folk music, Music, Spirit, the Wildflower Cafe