This week we are in Lynbrook, NY, home of the Owls. I know this because we worked in three elementary schools writing songs with 4th and 5th graders who have the Owl as their mascot. Our goal – a new assignment for us – was to teach three schools in three days about John Lennon, …
Last Sunday, the Adult Children of Alcoholics and Dysfunctional Families (ACA) meeting centered on the 11th step: “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.” Some of the shares at the …
WARNING: this post gets political. This morning I thought about my friends and family members in Pennsylvania, some of whom are intent on voting for the former President. While in the shower, I thought, “What could I possibly say that might sway them to reconsider and vote for the Vice President?” Of course, my inner …
Per yesterday’s post, here are some life hacks to help us put down our devices and become more fully human: Put on comfy clothes. Brew some coffee or tea. Read a book. Have a cookie. Repeat as necessary. Pet your dog or cat. Tell them how much you love them. Feel the pleasure of their …
I’d like to collaborate with my fellow reader/writers on a post called “ Repeat as Necessary.” my vision is that it’s about healthy alternatives to being on a screen- kind of an instruction manual for digital detoxing! Here are two examples to start the ball rolling. Please send me yours, if you’re game. Go outside. …
This morning I was at my desk by 5:15 am. Beth, Gary and I are preparing a Request for Proposal (RFP) to provide professional development programs to a county in New York. An RFP is like a grant application. If you’ve never done one of those, it’s like filling out forms at the Department of …
Today, my longtime partner and spouse, Beth, joined me for a recording day at New Hope Community. I love working with my wife. Over the summer, Beth and I facilitated a lyric writing day with Gary Siegel and New Hope’s team of administrators. We then composed a melody and sent their music specialist a track …
Thank you for following me on these posts about my work history and discoveries. While some may find a memoir like this tedious, I hope that some of you find it interesting. I’ll try to keep this last part brief. Throughout our teaching artist career, we have focused on school assembly programs because that’s where …
In my late 20’s I realized that I didn’t want to be a businessman and that I preferred creating and playing music. What I didn’t know at that moment was that the two selves weren’t separate, meaning that if I wanted to have a family and a home and be a musician, it was in …
I’m 62 years old and I have been working on and off (mostly on) for 51 of those years. At age 11 my first job was a paper route, a starting job I now consider mild child abuse. Back then, the paper boy bought his papers and earned a profit when the subscribers paid their …