Hope Community Center

Today was my first time at the Hope Community Center in town --Mary Williams Center's new (temporary) location. I sing with a  group there once a month. I really liked the colorful paintings and graffiti on the side walk in front. Here are a couple of the photos:

64 Crayola's colors

Today I was sent to a little girls' room in Pediatric ICU to play music for her.  Her mother was also in the room with her.  After I asked if I could play for her, the girl asked her mother if she could color while they listened to music. "Sure" came her mother's answer and she handed her a box of 64 Crayola crayons and a Unicorn coloring book. I told the girl that when I was young, I so much wanted that big box of crayons with 64 colors and even a sharpener on the box. It seemed too good to be true. Then the girl showed me a color called Macaroni & Cheese-- have you ever heard of such a thing? It's probably a good thing they didn't have this color when I was a child, I was the kind of girl that would have tried to eat one.

We had such a nice visit. We talked about country music, stuffed animals, favorite movies in between songs I played.

A Valentine luncheon

Today I played my guitar for a luncheon at one of the nursing homes where I work. The residents dressed in red and pink blouses and I got to meet some of their friends and family. I played background music as you hear in restaurants, to give the lunch a formal atmosphere. I was struck by how much the staff did for the residents. They decorated the tables (see the photo above) and the everyone's door has a Valentine on it. We began the lunch with a prayer and grace. Afterwards we played a word game and a guess how many Hershey's Kisses are in the jar?

All just simple things that make a rich experience. Later a women in a wheelchair asked me to take her to her room.  Once we got there and I settled her in the bed, she said, "wait--I want to show you something." and she lifted her legs up and moved them like she was riding a bicycle in the air. Then she smiled and laughed and gave me a look as if to say, "well, what do you think of that?!" I said, "wow, that's really something!" She said, "for an old lady! do you know I am 94 years old?" and with that she reached for my hand and we held hands and talked awhile longer.
I can only hope to be that spritely at that age!

Yankee songs

Today I played over at JABA with my friend Ben who is the activities director there. It's a lot of fun because I so rarely get to play with someone. Ben sings harmony so well and he plays a lot of guitar solos and the harmonica, which adds a lot to the sound. What I love most about it is that the folks there dance to our music. That is something new for me and something I like a lot.
I mostly do sing alongs and so at some point I was singing some that other folks like to sing.  After leading, "Battle Hymn of the Republic" Ben said that he was told not to sing that song here in Virginia because it was a Yankee song.  That's a new one on me!   So to balance it out, I sang "Dixie"  (which by the way I only learned in the past year as a request. I never learned it growing up in Chicago)

My favorite song Ben sings is, "Big Boss Man". Here he is playing for the camera:

Oasis Gallery in Harrisonburg, VA

I had such a nice time playing at this gallery in Harrisonburg last night! It was a small but very appreciative audience. It is such a good feeling when people really resonate with what my songs are about.  Something I love about doing gigs are the surprises that surface.  In the case of last night, I had written down a couple of ideas for songs to play and I nearly scratched an idea to do an Am medley.  This medley includes a few of my own original instrumental pieces as well as some known ones like "Classical Gas" and "Shine on Harvest Moon".    So it was a pleasant surprise when I decided to go ahead and play it that the audience really liked it.

Quite often when I play out for people, I do a fair amount of talking in between songs. Many times things i say are not at all planned out and I find myself surprised by what surfaced. Last night I told them that as a girl I dreamed of being  a detective.  I was influenced by TV shows growing up such as, "Mannix," "Mission Impossible", "Perry Mason", "Man from U.N.C.L.E.", "Get Smart", etc. You get the idea. I told them that being a performing musician was the closest thing that would resemble being a detective. This is because from gig to gig, I never know what will happen. Who will show up, how they will respond, what the place will be like.. etc. Each time I am often surprised by something.

I am glad I found a way to live an adventurous life! Here's a photo from Oasis last night:

VSA Annual Art Exhibit MLK Performing Arts Center, Cville Jan. 13, 2012

I am so lucky to work with the folks of VSA, which is an organization dedicated to promote experiences in the arts for individuals with disabilities.

I work with groups of young adults with intellectual disabilities leading sing alongs. In the spring we put on a big recital here at the MLK Performing Arts Center. Each January, we also have a big art exhibit here. There are lots of very talented artists in VSA.  I often play music during the exhibit opening and it's a great gig.

Check out the beautiful colors of the artwork on the walls behind me:

Fiddler's Dream gig Phoenix, Jan 2012

I had a gig in Phoenix the first week of this new year and that was a lot of fun.  A few people from an online guitar forum came out to see me.  We have "known" each other online for well over a decade but I met them in person for the first time at my gig. That was very special!

Fiddler's Dream coffeehouse is a really unique place. It's very small and all acoustic (no amplification used) and it reminds me of my days working in a folk club in Chicago when I was in my 20's. This was my second gig there and I hope to do more!  It's these small unusual places that made me fall in love with the folk/acoustic music scene when I was in high school. (mid 70s)

Here's a photo from the gig, check out the hand painted sign behind me: