Big thanks to Mary Brace for recording “I Talk to God”, a song I wrote a while back with friends Lauren Sanders and Doak Turner. It’s the title cut to Mary’s new record. It is now available for streaming on Spotify and should be available for purchase elsewhere soon. Check it out!
Category: Top Stories
New Music, New Shows
I am so thankful to have shared the stage at The Bluebird Cafe with E Marlowe, Elliot Collett, Jon McElroy, and Leah Blevins. Packed house and good vibes and music all around!
Pretty soon there should be some new music up. I hope you will check it out.
There will be a couple of more gigs in May – the Shows page and the schedule to the right should set y’all straight on the where and when.
See you soon!
Technology and Me and Music and Food and WTF
My mornings seem at the moment to be pretty stable, predictable to a certain extent. Coffee is a must. It takes a while to get the juices flowing, to get moving. I am sure there’s room for improvement. Any productivity consultants out there? 🙂
I am floored by technology. Part of it is the eternal child in me. Hitting a button and seeing something, anything, happen is still miraculous. “How can this possibly happen?” I ask myself. Even though I have a bit of an inquiring mind, some technological know-how, the wonder of it all still wins. I embrace the technology from the vantage point of one who wishes to find true convenience and improvements in personal and professional effectiveness as well as one who is simply curious.
Among other things this morning, I used Google Reader to aid in Music Discovery. Learning of folks who are enthusiastic about songwriting is way high on my list, so I sift through the noise to find some gems. Among the great material was “Rest Your Head on My Shoulder”, from PGO. It’s got a great acoustic Celtic groove, a hypnotic melody and heartfelt lyric and performance. The song made it into the Top 10 Finalist Stage in Broadjam’s International Songwriting competition. What do you think?
This is what leveraging the technology is about–discovery, to enhance your life, to find what is rewarding, what makes you feel something, to make this an engaging, positive journey.
Then, as the morning continued, in my haphazard way I grabbed one of my favorite foods, a Chocolate Chip Clif Bar. They can be a healthy part of your diet–Calorie Count gives it an A for nutrition. Not bad, I’d say! This is where more of the technology comes in: I go to my Android Calorie Count app and try to enter the item–but the search does not yield the result; but with the new version of the app, you can now *scan the bar code* on the product, and the nutritional information will appear. I did this using the Android QR Code app, and instantly the info appeared and I was able to log it. If only the technology could get me to enter everything I eat at all times (I’ll keep hunting that app down)!
The WTF reaction was instant. The child in me came out and froze in amazement, transfixed at what happened on that Android G2 screen. My wife, though, saw it more on the 1984 Big Brother side. I acknowledged that, but I stated how this could be put to good use. Let the tools and technology be your servant. Maybe your partner. I seek to be and stay the master of this mind-obliteratingly, ridiculously intense, futurisic magical technological stuff–but it seems to get more difficult by the minute!
Holla!
Holiday Songs to Leave You in Stitches and Tears
I hope all are having a great holiday season so far! The spirit is certainly in the air, and it will no doubt become even more evident as December moves along.
Did you get your shopping done?
Just in case you did not know, two original Robert K. Wolf holiday songs are available for download!
| IN LIMTED QUANTITIES – Cross-Dressing For Christmas PHYSICAL CD Single This is bound to become a collectors’ item–makes a great stocking stuffer/gag gift! ALSO AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD on iTunes |
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You can reach the Holiday Songs page with more details HERE
Veterans Day and Three Heroes
On this day in 1919, President Woodrow Wilson said, “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations,” in his remarks about Armistice Day. In 1954, the holiday was changed to Veterans Day, to honor all veterans. With this solemn pride I do thank and salute all veterans of our armed services.
My father was a veteran of The Korean War, having served in the Air Force. He spoke of his experiences, shared photos and slide shows and tole me how the highest casualties came on the day before the end of the war. His contriubtion to America’s defense went well beyond these years. Dad, I thank you and I miss you.
Jonathan Long served in the Vietnam War. He is another hero, living here in Nashville and singing of love of America and Freedom, what life here represents, the greatness in people, their generosity, their decency. Jonathan, though, is a brilliant man who uses his First Amendment rights better than just about anyone I’ve known. Thank you, Jonathan, for giving so much to protect these rights for all of us.
My good, late friend Don Wayne also served in the Korean War in the Army. Don was one of the greatest Americans I’ve ever met. He walked quietly and carried the biggest of hearts and songs, a humility, a kindness I will not forget. Don, I am proud to be able to honor you this evening at the tribute concert your family has planned . You are deeply missed.
To these three heroes and to all veterans, I do hold this solemn pride and thanks for you, and I always will.
Three Sessions, One Day: Today
Pen, paper, MacBook Pro, smartphone and me–all are at the ready to help me get through what is going to be quite a full day here in Nashville. Three songwriting sessions lie ahead. Cheley Tackett, Trevor Finlay, and Janell Wheeler–each a great talent and friend.
A book comes to mind: Stephen Covey’s The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Within one of the early chapters, Covey discusses Production and Production Capability (P & PC). It would be great to have both of these in abundance. All senses open. Intuition present and accounted for.
Where will the ideas come from? Notebooks? The MacBook? My memory? This morning’s paper? Hard to say. The paper may be out of the question. I don’t know who sells them anymore. Oh, we get a local one on the lawn just about every week. There could be a gem or two in there.
I remain grateful for every day given, to have these opportunities to practice the fine art of songwriting. And the fine art of life. To the most of it, to the best of my ability.