Texas Here We Come

So much drama, so little time. Suleiman (my non-English speaking Somali friend) got the job! He starts tomorrow assembling electrical switches 40 hours a week. We have resurrected our faithful Tahoe for one last drive to TX, where we will give her back to Jodi's parents. An era in our lives has ended. I played at the Americana Folk Festival on Saturday, and felt like a real musician. Here is a clip for you broadband folks...

CLICK HERE

And, I have pretty much decided to officially pursue a publishing deal. This means spending next year focused on writing songs and getting them recorded rather than on touring and selling CDs. A difficult decision, but one that I hope will allow me more extra time to develop my charitable life goals. You'll still be able to purchase the CD of course, and I really am very proud of it.

In the meantime, it's half past midnight and we're about to leave for Texas. The Tahoe is still illegal (tags expired in April), and we're hoping to sneak her out of Tennessee under cover of dark so we don't get towed. Wish us luck, come see us if you're in the Dallas or Abilene area... Peace,

Yippee.

It's 6 PM. I'm about to drive 630 miles from Nashville to West Bend, WI, sleep a few hours in my van, play for an hour in a school cafeteria, and then turn around and drive home. I feel like I should haul a load with me while I go---you know, paper clips, liquid nitrogen, hogs, whatever---just a little something so I'm contributing to society somehow. Ahh well, I'm not complaining, just felt like sharing.:) Z

The Big Picture

Jodi and I went to the IMAX last night and saw the new Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. When the credits were finished, I was sitting there thinking how the theater with its huge screen and subtle mood lighting reminded me of one of Willy Wonka's imaginative rooms. Suddenly, a small window popped out high above us and a little head poked out. "Oh, sorry...I didn't know anybody was still here," said the head, and disappeared. Yes ladies and gentlemen, I'm now convinced that the Opry Mills IMAX has turned to Oompa Loompas for cheap labor. Perhaps they found they could pay them in popcorn...

However, the IMAX is not the big picture I'm wanting to talk about---actually, I want to zoom WAY WAY out and talk about the big picture of my entire life. If you don't know me personally, I may not have talked your ear off about how my goal in life is not to be successful in the music business, but to help people who can't help themselves. I don't talk about this a whole lot publicly because I don't feel it's a very entertaining subject, and I figure actions speak louder than words on this subject anyway. But I need to talk about it now, because it's affecting some big decisions I'm having to make about my music career.

I got into music because I figured it would be a good vehicle to help me help people, by providing money and visibility most non-profit workers don't have. It's the Bono model, I suppose---get famous and rich, then you can make a bigger difference.

But sometimes when I spend my entire day practicing the guitar, or researching venues, or working on ideas for CD art, I realize I don't CARE about acoustic country music, I want to be HELPING PEOPLE. Like right NOW. I helped a man who can't speak English apply for a crappy factory job today, and it's a small thing but it makes a difference, and I want to make a difference like that every day.

Then about a month ago, I had a brainstorm...I had an idea for a book called Living the Non-Profit Life which would be a practical guide for people who want to make more of a difference in the world but don't know how. I thought maybe I could sell the book instead of CDs, and I would be able to make a living doing something that was more in line with what I want my life to be about. Suddenly some choices started to emerge...

One: Just do it. I quit music, Jodi gets a nanny job (something she likes anyway) and I start writing the book and working full-time on charitable efforts.

Two: Steady as she goes. I keep doing music since I'm about to hit it big (ha). I'll have time for that charitable stuff in 15 years when I'm on top of the world.

Three: Middle ground. Forget getting an indie deal and touring with a band. Focus on songwriting, which is less time consuming and more potentially lucrative. Continue doing some solo dates, but mainly settle for selling the new CD to my existing fan base only. Start working on the book, and stay uncommitted enough that I can go wherever it takes me.

I confess I've bounced around between these three options a lot in the past month. So much so that I have a mild case of ideological whiplash, which of course can only be treated with marijuana. Or golf, which is lucky since I don't smoke.

And there have been developments, for instance that Jodi took a temporary nanny job (something she did all on her own, since we don't have many shows this fall), and I've met with a music publisher who MAY be interested in hiring me to focus on songwriting next year.

Which brings me to today. Today I finished up a new song that I'm hoping the publisher will like, and I helped my friend apply for a job. I realized that it's pretty nice to stay home and do those kinds of things, and filed that observation away. I ALSO uploaded the demo of the new song (called "The Big Picture") to my myspace page, where you can listen to it along with three finalized tracks from the soon-to-be-released CD...just click here.

Thank you all so much for your understanding and support---I'm gonna keep on truckin' the best I know how and see where life takes me from here. Keep on keepin' in touch... Peace,