A Bigger Toolbox

I took that. Oh kids. It's been a long week. Why is it that the 4 day weeks after a holiday are always longer than the usual 5 days? Not that I'm complaining, 3 day weekends rock. It's just getting to the NEXT weekend that hurts. But I got a lot done this week...more on the website redesign, some new gigs, some old gigs, lots of grad skoo' work. Folk Music Grad School has taken on the form lately of dismantling and re-building. It's horrific and good. It's not to say you won't recognize my voice or playing style, but I will have more options in my toolbox as a singer and a player when I am done. Which means totally ignoring my old habits and predilections for the time being and starting over. For instance...have you ever tried to sing only as loudly as you talk? Those of you who know me know I don't talk very loudly, usually. After years of playing in markets and stores and other places with no PA, I've really worked on the projection and volume thing. But this week, the task is to sing only as loudly as a normal speaking voice, which is weird but oddly good. It opens up a vocal palette that works well within folk music. On the opposite side of the coin, it's hard to let go of all your pre-formed notions of How You Do Things...because you generally do them for a reason. I guess grad school is supposed to knock your pride a bit before it pumps you full of knowledge, otherwise you'd never think you needed the knowledge anyway. Collecting new tools, that's the name of the game. And right now, the only tool I want is a bagel. Mmm bagel. Happy Friday!!!