Some Time to Breathe
It may seem silly for me to mentioned the busiest time of a musician’s year as “some time to breathe.” Normally it is. Normally, I can’t get a breath, either metaphorically OR literally (God, I hate humidity.) But this year is a bit different. In the month of May, I had some obligations hanging over my head - exciting obligations, to be sure, but stressful nonetheless. Well, May has gone now, and we’re into June. I feel a great sense of relief and accomplishment at the completion of those obligations, and now it’s a smooth (albeit busy) ride until June 22, at which time I LEAVE FOR ITALY! We’re going for two weeks, and I could not be looking forward to it more! I’ve been on this continent far too long. I’ll be home in the beginning of July and then it’s back to the normal summer grind.
You’ll probably hear me complain about how much I work, and how much I dislike playing in the heat, and blah blah blah. I’m a cynic by nature, and I can always complain about something. But the fact of the matter is, I love my job in the summer. Despite the heat, I get to spend beautiful days on the water, playing songs and helping everyone have a good time. There are WAY worse problems to have. I’m often joined by my musical friends, and we get to make some noise together and talk nerdy things and laugh. No, I don’t like the heat or the bugs, but if those are my two biggest problems, I’m doing alright. This time of year, I play so many shows that some of my standard songs DO get a bit stale, so if you have a request, or a song you’d like me to learn, go ahead and sound off. I’ll see what I can do!
Of course, I’m not always joined by friends, fans, or family, so you may see me writing on my breaks. I’ve been picking away at a few things for a while, and I find I actually get a lot done on those breaks. You may also find me reading. Yup, I’m still at it, although, I’ve made a couple of bad book choices recently, and May was a little slow on that front. But here’s what I did read:
Belgarath the Sorcerer - David & Leigh Eddings
Promise of Blood - Brian McClellan
Band of Brothers - Steven Ambrose
Winter King - Bernard Cornwell
Sword of Shannara - Terry Brooks (DNF)
