January, 2004 Cute Dog Music Newsletter
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Cute Dog Music! May your holidays
be a time of relaxation, reflection and renewal!
Newsletters are online:
A reminder that Cute Dog Music's Newsletters are posted online.
Each month we post the newsletter on our website when the email is
sent out. Links given in the newsletter are active on the online version, and
past newsletters are be available by following the links at
the bottom of the Newsletter page. So if you're just now
finding us, you can see what Cute Dog and Rick have been up
to in the recent past.
If you wish to sign up for the Cute Dog Music Email Newsletter,
please
email me
and I will add you to the list.
What happened in December:
As you know from the last newsletter, I (Rick) was "taking December off"
to prepare for next year, and I have done just that. Changes for 2004
have been in the works behind the scenes, and there is more about that below.
Exciting News.....
We have some exciting news for everyone. Some of you have already heard this,
but for the rest......
On December 10, I turned in my notice of resignation from my day job,
effective December 31. There is, of course, a long story to go with this, but
I won't bore you with it here. If you wish to hear about it all at
length, and haven't already, let me know and I will send you the long
version. However, the short version is as follows:
I have, for decades, desired to work full-time in music, but the time never
seemed to be right for me to do this - until now. Brandy and I have
struggled with this decision, looking at alternatives. We have prayed
and asked our church to pray with us about this. I have had many issues
about doing this that have stemmed from my family's attitudes toward music,
that I should not be a full-time musician, but an engineer. So this was a
very terrifying move for me to contemplate.
After several years of dealing with those issues, with the changes that
have occurred in me during that time, and with the changes in my day job over
the last couple of years, it became apparent this Summer and Fall that the only
thing I could do to remain true to who I am was to resign from the day job and
go full-time into music. I have received a flood of encouragement from
friends, some of whom are
musicians who have taken the plunge themselves, and from family. Thank
you to all who have shared their stories with us, and given us their
encouragement.
We have a number of new ideas and directions in music for me to explore, and a
number of existing areas, as well, in which to work further. Between them all,
I have more than enough to do to keep me off the streets in the coming year.
;-)
So, coming up in 2004:
The CD project:
Beginning in January, I will be working on my first CD project - a demo CD.
This will require me to learn my "new" recording equipment (remember the
V-Studio I bought in the Fall of 2002? I'm finally going to learn how to use
it!) in order to do the recording, so I'm sure this will be an adventure (lots
of adventures are in the offing this next year). That's the first effort.
School and Community Programs:
Also in January, I will be working on my application to do school programs
which is due in April. This application is for me to be allowed to present a
showcase at the Wake County Cultural Arts Festival next August in the hope of
being hired to do school and community programs and concerts in the 2004-2005
school year. In relation to this, I will also be working to further
develop my school and community program ideas.
Performances:
I will be seeking out more performance opportunities than I have been in the
past - since I will have the time to prepare for them adequately and the
emotional energy to pursue them. I will also continue pursuing
collaborations with some other musicians for performances in 2004, so that's
pretty exciting for me. More details will be forthcoming about upcoming
performances and collaborations.
Workshops:
I am planning to do some local workshops in the Research Triangle area of North
Carolina throughout 2004. These will be my own Hammered Dulcimer workshops as
well as possibly multiple workshop events featuring several dulcimer teachers
and other instrument teachers. The possibilities are plentiful. I
will also be available to do workshops at festivals, so if any of you are affiliated
with a festival or Summer Music/Folk Art camp, please let the powers that be there know I am
available.
House Concerts:
There is also the possibility of holding house concerts in Raleigh for local
and traveling acoustic musicians.
Private Lessons:
I will continue to offer private lessons on Hammered Dulcimer in the Raleigh,
NC area. Having a more flexible schedule for this in the new year, I will be
able to offer lessons during the day on weekdays as well.
And Back to Ireland:
And all that doesn't even take into consideration a trip to Ireland again this summer!
The dates for the Cork Dulcimer Fest have been set - June 25, 26, 27 - so
our minds are turning to plans for the next trip to Ireland, which also tentatively includes
the Second Annual Black Nun Fest in Ballycastle, No. Ireland and other possible gigs there.
So, as you can see, there is a lot to be done in 2004, and it promises to be an adventure!
That's it for now. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Ours will be exciting, and we hope yours will be, too. We hope to see many of
you during the coming year.
|
