This was the first trip with my Flip Video camera so I made a little movie of our weekend. Hope you got to see some of the shows. If not, come see us soon!
on the road 7/4/08

Have you always wanted to do something, but you’re scared or stopped in some way?

Are you up for having a breakthrough in some area of your life?

If you even think you might say yes to any of these questions, I have something awesome for you to check out.

It’s called The 45 Day Boundless Living Challenge.

You can find out all about it here: Boundless Living Challenge

I’ll be writing a lot more about this in the coming weeks. It’s something that I’m taking on in a big way. Check it out.

All in all I found the experience of going through my songs VERY confronting. I got positively freaked out thinking about not having enough songs for the project. I have to send a big thank you to Chris for being so great with me. I haven’t been “The Artist” on a project in quite some time. I’ve either been producing, engineering or working with my fellow Mystiqueros. I forgot how scary it can be to open your heart and the heart of your songs for public inspection.

So, now I have good homework to do. Writing, rewriting and collecting more songs for what will be an amazing new musical journey. I’ve also been gathering financial support from family, friends and fans. If you haven’t been to my pre-order page, you can check it out here: New CD

Thanks for all the great support so far and a big thank you to Chris Gage for his unfailing belief in me.

As a singer and a coach of singers, the one thing I’m always looking for is honesty. Sometimes it doesn’t matter whether a person has an incredible singing voice or not. Bob Dylan is a classic example. Best singer? Maybe not, but I believe every word he sings and that makes him a great singer. So many young singers out there are trying to sound like some version of some singer in their heads and not finding the voice that is theirs. Their true voice. Or they are blessed with a great instrument and can’t stop singing long enough to say something. Tell me something true. That’s all I ask.

Listening to Joss’s CD in the car I was reminded again that what makes a singer truly great is if they can find their true voice and let you hear it. If they can express themselves fully. Say something. It’s what makes it all work. 

Thanks for the reminder Joss.

For people who primarily know me as a musician it raises a question or two when they find out that I also work as a coach. One of those questions is, “What is this Law of Attraction stuff anyway?” Simply stated, like attracts like in the universe. That’s the Law of Attraction. What does that mean to us and our lives? Well, look at it like this. What you put out is what you get back. What you focus on is what you attract. The Law of Attraction is at work all the time. We are creating our lives, our reality all the time. Sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously. You might ask again, “So what does that mean to me?” Well, it means that you have the power to create your life, your work, your relationships any way you want. This can take some effort. It’s not the way most of us are used to looking at our lives. Sometimes it helps to have someone outside of you to speed the process. That’s what I do as a coach.

If you want to know more about the Law of Attraction, there are some great resources out there. If you haven’t seen the Secret, that’s a great place to start. I’ll keep writing about it here and I also recommend books by Bob Doyle, Joe Vitale and Eckhart Tolle. There are many more as well. Look into it. You may like what you see.

I’ve been performing in front of audiences for 31 years. I remember seeing a performance of our school chorus half way through 5th grade. They did a Beach Boys song. I knew immediately I wanted to be a part of that. I sang my first solo in front of an audience during our end of semester choral show that year. I sang “Where Is Love” from the show “Oliver”. I’d never felt anything like that before. It was amazing.

I’ve spent the majority of my life learning how to perform, write and record music. It’s been and still is a gas for the most part. But, I’ve also made a living as a musician. And sooner or later the question of value always arises. What is the value of my skills, my experience, my talent, my voice as an artist? In a world of failed record companies, digital downloads and American Idol it can be a hard question to answer. 

Much of my experience comes from playing in nightclubs and bars where the primary goal, from the venue’s point of view, is how much alcohol they can sell. It’s about volume. It doesn’t really matter whether the performer is of a high caliber. What matters most is sales. How many people in the door and how much beer sold. This “volume” model is pervasive in the music industry at large. For the major record labels that still exists it’s always about big numbers. Even at the mid level of touring around Texas, most booking agents run the same bands through the same clubs for the lowest amount of money they can get away with. It’s not about creating an experience. It’s about volume. More bands, more shows = more money.

So what is the value? I meet a lot of very dedicated music fans while traveling with my band the Mystiqueros. People who are moved by music. People who get in touch with how amazing this life really is when they hear music. I know there are people out there who greatly value music and the people who create and perform it. So now the question becomes: 

How do we reflect that value in the business itself? 

How do we create a music business that honors the value of an authentic and moving artistic expression? 

I met Tommy at the Saxon Pub in Austin in 1990. I was blown away by his voice. He was playing with his longtime friend and producer Stephen Doster. I’ll have to write a whole post about Stephen.

I’ve had the great fortune to share stages and microphones with Tommy over the years as well as make some beautiful noise in a few middle of the night living room throw downs. When you sit in a room with Tommy singing, it’s like there’s another person in the room. There’s Tommy and then there’s Tommy’s voice. It fills space. It transcends. It moves you. 

While living away from Texas in the early part of the decade, Tommy’s “King of Dixie” CD, produced by Stephen Doster, was never far from my stereo. It would bring tears of joy and longing to my eyes. It still does. This man’s voice calls to a deep part of my soul and if you haven’t heard him it’s way past time.

I found this video clip while surfing around today. Hope you enjoy it. It’s just a small taste of the hugeness that is Tommy. He’s also got a website at www.tommyelskes.com

If you see his name in a town near you don’t hesitate. Go to the show. You won’t be quite the same when it’s done.
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I’m very proud of this place. I had the opportunity last year to join with amazing artists and friends Chris Gage and Christine Albert and move our studios into a duplex in south Austin. It’s the first time I’ve been able to build a studio outside of my house. Chris and Christine call there place Moonhouse Studio. So I figured Small Moon would be an appropriate name for mine.

My room was built primarily to be a place where I can create and record my music, but I’ve already very successfully recorded some other folks there. I’m also taping a new internet only show from there called “Small Moon Sessions”. (more about that later)

My friend Terry Allen Smith took the pictures on the new site. Thanks Terry!

Drop by the site. I’ll keep you posted on updates. And if you have some recording to do, keep me in mind.

Small Moon Studio

I saw Neil Diamond on American Idol recently. Yes I watch american Idol. I like to see if the judges and I agree. I find I agree with Simon a lot. I read this quote today and it really struck me. I’ve performed a lot in the last several years and written less than ever. Performing is an art in itself which I can and will go on about, but sometimes I get out of the habit of songwriting. Why is it that the things we love the most, that can give us joy, that express some wonderful piece of us, are so easy to not do?

Sometimes writing does feel hard, but that’s just the noise in my head. It’s that noise that gets in the way of the words. Sometimes the first step is to just get quiet. Be available for something to come.

I’ll be recording a new record in July, so I’m thinking about writing right now. I’ve been going through old songs, both finished and not, looking for gold. I found a thing or 2. I’ll be creating a few demos in the coming weeks and I’ll post something. And I’ll be writing.

Speaking of posts, if you go to www.hi-iqmusic.com you’ll find 2 live performances from my studio in Austin. we’ll be launching more fun stuff on hi-iq soon, so stay tuned for that. One of the songs here is “Houston” which I wrote several years ago in Nashville. The other is “18 Days of Rain” written by Liz rose and my good friend and Walt Wilkins. I’ve been proudly sharing stages with Walt Wilkins and the Mystiqueros for 2 years now and when it comes to the art of songwriting, Walt is up there with the best.

So, what’s the point? Well, I think agree with Neil. At least today. I guess It makes me feel better that Neil has to work at it too. And now it’s time to get to work. I’ll share whatever songs and insights come along the way. And I’ll think of Neil Diamond on American Idol. A lifetime. A legacy of music. He was poised. Peaceful and gracious. I can only hope to be that cool one day.