Taylor Road Show at Grapevine Guitar Works

The Taylor Guitars Road Show will be at Grapevine Guitar Works on the evening of April 24th.

Check the Grapevine Guitar Works website for more info.

My Lenten journey continues . . .

Here we are in week this 4th week of Lent.

I've put some extra effort into the journey of Lent this year. I have tried to partake of multiple devotional readings each day. I'm trying to pray more each day. I have taken on a couple of things for Lent that just need to remain private and personal, extra projects if you will. My office has never looked better, as I have paired down a bunch of books from my shelves, and paper from my files. My office is lean. I have been on a diet, and have lost over 24 pounds so far (along with dropping down 2 waist sizes). Guess I am getting lean as well.

Most of my pants are now too loose!

So . . . Lent this year has been a time of taking on and leaving off . . . and all done more than a year out from Ken Diehm's death. Part of Lent this year has been to come to grips with how Ken's loss has affected my life. I am on the recovery / moving on side of it now, but I know now how much it all weighed on me last year.

Those kinds of self-discoveries are all a part of what the season of Lent is really all about. They may hurt some, but they are for good.

Jesus has come close this Lent. And I am trying to listen to what He is saying.

All without doing much singing . . . and I find I have appreciated the rest from singing. I do need to say that I am looking forward to starting singing in the hospitals again in late April. But I am going to be more structured. It's time to choose how I am really going to make a difference as a Therapeutic Music Entertainer. Glad I have Jim Newton, Paul Hill and Larry Dykstra to guide me in that.

God's grace, and this special Lenten journey, still amazes me . . . ><>

Hugworks on TV . . .

Below is a video of Jim Newton and Paul Hill of Hugworks (my Therapeuitic Music Entertainment mentors and good friends) when they appeared in a recent local TV program.

With all my heart, I believe that music heals the body, soul and spirit.

Enjoy!

The Healing Power of Music . . .

The Healing Power of Music . . . below is a PBS report on the healing power of music as identified by music therapists and other professionals. A good report.

God's grace still amazes me . . . and music still empowers me . . . ><>

Watch The Healing Power of Music on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

Cranking up the Strat . . .

During this season of Lent, my responsibilities here at the church require that I spend a lot of my time on people and programs as we prepare for our annual Easter Sunday services.

Which means . . . I'm not singing much in hospitals or nursing homes until the middle of April. Still singing during the Children's Time, and getting to spend quiet time playing and rehearsing some songs I need to get memorized.

However, I have been playing my Strat more. I think I have a version of Joe Walsh's "Walk Away" about done . . . except the solo . . . I need someone else to play that. I get chords . . . and bass line walk-ups and walk-downs . . . but scales have been a challenge for me for years.

I am using a set of jazz strings on my Strat, meaning I'm using a wound G string. For a strummer like me, it makes a lot of difference.

Other than that, nothing much to report music wise . . . I miss sining to the kids in the hospitals . . . but this time of spiritual focus for me is going to bring about something good.

God's graces till amazes me . . . ><>

Doyle Dykes now playing Guilds . . .

Heard from my music connections that Doyle Dykes is now part of the team at Guild Guitars. He played and F-30 and F-47 at NAMM in California last month.

One of my favorite fingerstyle players. This should all be fun.

God's grace still amazes me . . . ><>