February, 2004 Cute Dog Music Newsletter
Happy New Year from Cute Dog Music! I hope your holidays
were a time of relaxation, reflection and renewal! For Christmas, we
visited Brandy's sister and her family in Chattanooga, TN. It was
a relaxing and fun time.
After we got back, we had family
in from Ohio and California to stay with us for the week after Christmas - one of our daughters,
Elisabeth, and our son, John and his wife, Alecia and their son, Colum. And of course, Charis, having just graduated from
Western Carolina, was home, too. So,
Grandpa Rick, Grandma Brandy, Aunt Elisabeth and Aunt Charis all got to see Colum, who was 4-1/2
months old at the time, in person for the first time. You can see pictures of Colum meeting
Cute Dog at our new Pictures page by clicking on "Here are some pictures of Colum meeting
Cute Dog" at:
www.CuteDogMusic.com/cdm_pix_index.html
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 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, Brandy and I have been up
to musically 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 January:
As you know from the last newsletter, I turned in my
notice of resignation from my day job on December 10, effective December 31. (If
you missed the last newsletter, you can read the short story by clicking
on the link at the bottom of this page for the January 2004 newsletter.)
So, the first part of January has been exciting and interesting already for me.
Changing from being in a technical field employed by a corporation to being in an artistic
field and being self-employed is not a trivial move. The adjustment has been major, and will be
for at least the first year, I expect. But things are moving along, though not much can be seen
publicly at the moment. As well as being a major adjustment, the last two weeks have been
rewarding in a number of intangible ways. But, I'll get on with the things you want to
know about - what I'm really doing these days.
The CD project:
I have been cleaning up and clearing out an area in the music room in which to set up the recording
studio equipment so I can learn my "new" recording equipment (remember the
V-Studio I bought in the Fall of 2002? I'm finally learning how to use
it!) and in order to do the recording for the CD. It has already been a bit of an adventure as I've
moved my dulcimer to the room and started finding out about mic placement, recording levels, etc.
The effort to make this area one in which I can work is ongoing (Can you say lots of junk to
go through and put somewhere else or get rid of?). But progress is being made, and slowly, but
surely, we will overcome the clutter! I actually got half my desk cleared off!
MP3s for the website:
Related to this effort is my continuing struggle with equipment and software to get some decent MP3s recorded and
on my web site. Hopefully, this will provide a way for me to put some short clips of my playing for demo purposes
on the repertoire page. But the old laptop is just not cooperating they way I'd like it to.
However, I think I've made some progress.
Workshops:
I am holding a New Beginners' Workshop this coming Saturday, January 24, in Raleigh.
I now have a couple of rental dulcimers of my own available (another cool thing to occur this month!)
if anyone is interested in taking
the workshop but does not have a dulcimer. Please check out the
Dates page for times, and to email me for details.
School and Community Programs:
I am awaiting receipt of my application to do school programs
which is supposed to come this month and 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 am also working to further
develop my school and community program ideas.
I am also available to do school programs on a volunteer basis for now.
If any of you have any opportunities available to do a program for a class or group of classes
or a homeschool association on this basis, please let me know.
Performances:
There are no performances scheduled for the rest of January. I am currently seeking
performance opportunities, so if you know of any venue or event that would like traditional and
original music played on hammered dulcimer, or would like a duo playing traditional style music,
please give them my email address or website address.
So, coming up in February:
The CD project:
I will continue working on the demo CD project, then go on to a full-length CD project. I am
compiling a list of those who are interested in being notified when I have a CD available.
Of course, if you get this newsletter already, you'll be notified. But if you
know someone who would be interested who you know doesn't get this newsletter, please let me know.
Workshops:
I am considering doing another local New Beginners' workshop in Raleigh in February for those who cannot
make the January 24th date. The possible date is Saturday, February 28th.
If you are interested in this, please
email me.
In addition, I other workshops on "Starting to Play Backup" and "An Introduction to the Modes
used in Celtic and Old Time Tunes". These workshops are for advanced beginner level and up. Please
see the Workshops page for information on the workshop content.
Private Lessons:
I am continuing to offer private lessons on Hammered Dulcimer in the Raleigh,
NC area. Having a more flexible schedule for this in the new year, I am
able to offer lessons during the day on weekdays or in the late afternoon or early evenings.
If you are interested, or know someone who is interested, please pass along my email address, or have them
email me from the Lessons page.
That's it for now. Stay warm and dry.
We hope to see many of you during the coming year.
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