Some of you know that in addition to various outdoor adventures, and the flying aspect of Flying Squirrel, I’m a musician. Whether I’ve said this outright or you’ve noticed some of the background music on my YouTube videos being performed or arranged by yours truly, it’s something that’s always been a good artistic outlet and another necessary counter-balance to making a living as a serious individual.

Recently, the long-term band I’ve performed with dissolved. Our singer announced a needed retirement, and the tensions that were pushing us all in different artistic directions suddenly released. It’s unclear what will happen here among those of us who continue to play in various other capacities. I’m hoping for a rebirth, something new.

While that group sits idle and new plans gel, I’ve been sitting in with a local college jazz band, helping hold down their rhythm section and filling in a spot that wasn’t occupied by a student. We’ve got an upcoming performance this week (end of semester).

I’m supporting about half the shows of the winter musical (stage) production at the local community theater – I’d normally have done a full run, but timing this year around the holidays made that impossible. Still, getting all my gear in and out of the pit under the stage for two or three days per weekend is obligation enough.

I’m continuing to play with a big band, with some upcoming holiday gigs.

I had an absolutely WONDERFUL show last week supporting some talented vocalists doing a tribute to Women of Country Music. Country has not (typically) been my primary genre, but we pulled a backing band together in which I played electric guitar, acoustic, banjo, and mandolin in a great venue with all the lights, fog machine, professional sound – and of course several hundred country fans that sang along to almost every word. That was a fantastic night and I’m grateful to have been a part of it.

AND, I just got out of my second studio session recording tracks on a nice R&B love song/ballad for a good friend who is an outstanding percussionist with an impressive touring resume with well known bands from the late 60’s to present day. That single will be out on Spotify in time for Valentine’s Day. That’s gone well enough that we’re going to work on some other tunes, hopefully getting more in to his sweet spot of Afro-Cuban/Latin jazz.

AND, I just committed to a spring stage production where I’ll be playing (mostly) mandolin in a bluegrass score…

So, if you’re keeping track, this is losing the long-term group, but supporting 5 simultaneous other projects with commitments to new ones after the holidays. This means that, lately, I’ve been the stereotypical musician – packing $5000 dollars worth of gear into a $500 car and driving 50 miles to make 50 bucks – hauling gear to a different rehearsal every night and playing different venues every weekend. It is seriously fun, and really does have the potential to be an extremely low-paying, high travel-to-performance ratio set of “full time” jobs, if I let it.

This can’t last – and certainly won’t – but while it does, I’m working with some incredibly talented people and playing middle-aged rock (country) star in a way that I’d never anticipated. Saying “no” has always been a challenge for me, but that weakness tends to open doors to a lot of opportunity. I’ll ride the wave while I have the time to do it!

Get Out There