Signal Mountain Middle School

I played for a gymnasium full of middle schoolers yesterday. While I was setting up my gear I overheard a conversation that reminded me of the the daily soap opera tweenagers live:

Girl - "like today at lunch you sat all the way across the cafeteria and didn't even look at her."

Boy- "So."

Girl, obviously frustrated - "so like how's she supposed to know you still like her if you don't even talk to her."

Boy, obviously frustrated, stares at the floor and puts hands in pocket without replying.

Girl - "I don't think you fully understand what it means to 'GO WITH' somebody. If you're not careful she's gonna break up with you. Is that what you want?"

Boy - "No."

Girl, waves her arms and yells - "Then talk to her!"

I wanted to tell them they'd probably never understand what it means to "go" with someone, but it sure makes the trip a lot more fun. I opted for staring at the floor and hooking up my wires instead.

The kids were a great audience and asked intelligent questions. Quite a few teachers and a few students as well bought CD's. That was a nice surprise. ¶ 12:15 PM

Hannah's Recital

Congratulations to Hannah Pratt who sparkled in her hammer dulcimer senior recital at Bryan College last night. She began the recital with two of her students, Will and Marianne before performing a few complex solo compositions and inviting me to join her in playing songs from our upcoming CD. It was a wonderful night of music and Hannah has a great musical future ahead of her.

I was scheduled to do a live television appearance at 6:30 this morning up at Rock City, but while enroute received a call that the television station was having trouble with their remote broadcast equipment. Since I was already up and out I decided to find a mountain side perch to watch the sunrise and listen to my new L.J. Booth CD called "Big Hourglass."

Click here for pictures from last night's recital and this morning's sunrise. ¶ 12:36 PM

Light Hammers, holiday gigs and tour schedule

Thursday night, 11/20/03, marks the culmination of four years of hard work by my student Hannah Pratt. She takes the stage for her senior recital at Bryan College in Dayton, TN at 7:00. The recital is open to the public and will feature solo and ensemble arrangements for hammer dulcimer. If you're in the area come on down and cheer Hannah on!

The next leg of the ongoing Yanni tour has been announced. Check it out on my calendar page. We'll be on the road for about two months counting rehearsals. This is a much shorter schedule than we had last time but the number of back to back shows has increased. I still remember what it felt like to do four shows in a row with long overnight bus rides.

I officially start my holiday gigs one week from today at the Rock City Enchanted Garden of Lights.

Several years ago I started painting the ends of my hammers with phosphorescent paint so they'd glow as I played in the dark in the Tennessee Aquarium. It was a great effect but never lasted more than a minute or two before the glow dimmed. This year I'm taking the idea to the extreme. With a little help from Mike Gudgus at Coolightwest.com I've put together what I'm calling my light hammers. Click the link below for a short movie I made in my studio tonight.

Light Hammer Movie ¶ 12:49 PM

Light Hammers, holiday gigs and tour schedule

Thursday night, 11/20/03, marks the culmination of four years of hard work by my student Hannah Pratt. She takes the stage for her senior recital at Bryan College in Dayton, TN at 7:00. The recital is open to the public and will feature solo and ensemble arrangements for hammer dulcimer. If you're in the area come on down and cheer Hannah on!

The next leg of the ongoing Yanni tour has been announced. Check it out on my calendar page. We'll be on the road for about two months counting rehearsals. This is a much shorter schedule than we had last time but the number of back to back shows has increased. I still remember what it felt like to do four shows in a row with long overnight bus rides.

I officially start my holiday gigs one week from today at the Rock City Enchanted Garden of Lights.

Several years ago I started painting the ends of my hammers with phosphorescent paint so they'd glow as I played in the dark in the Tennessee Aquarium. It was a great effect but never lasted more than a minute or two before the glow dimmed. This year I'm taking the idea to the extreme. With a little help from Mike Gudgus at Coolightwest.com I've put together what I'm calling my light hammers. Click the link below for a short movie I made in my studio tonight.

Light Hammer Movie ¶ 12:43 PM

Hammer On!

I've been back in the studio for the past few days working on a project that I started several months ago. Mark Wade drove down from Ohio last Thursday to join me in completing some of the songs we've written for our new band "Hammer On!." This is the most exciting music I've ever recorded and we're having way too much fun. Mark is going to stay at least two more days and we'll be around 75% done when he leaves. We hope to complete this recording before I head to Yanni tour rehearsals in mid-February.

I'm about 90% complete on my cd of hymns on which Hannah Pratt and I've been collaborating. We're going to perform most of the cuts for her senior recital at Bryan College in Dayton, TN, November 20th. It is open to the public if you'd like to attend. I don't think the cds will be available by then but they should be ready by early December - sounds like a good Christmas present to me. Look for them on my web site.

As to the Christmas cd that Alfreda and I worked on early this summer. I'm sorry to say that it won't be completed in time for Christmas 2003, but hey, there are only 418 days until Christmas 2004. This cd gets top priority next year. I lovethe tracks we've already recorded so I'm anxious to continue.

Here's a link to pictures from recent performances. I taught workshops at the Autumn Acoustics festival near St. Louis and did a concert in Kennett, Mo., my old home town. I'll put pictures up of our swimming pool project when I complete the tile work around the pool. ¶ 12:50 PM

Hammer On! 11/02/03

I've been back in the studio for the past few days working on a project that I started several months ago. Mark Wade drove down from Ohio last Thursday to join me in completing some of the songs we've written for our new band "Hammer On!." This is the most exciting music I've ever recorded and we're having way too much fun. Mark is going to stay at least two more days and we'll be around 75% done when he leaves. We hope to complete this recording before I head to Yanni tour rehearsals in mid-February.

I'm about 90% complete on my cd of hymns on which Hannah Pratt and I've been collaborating. We're going to perform most of the cuts for her senior recital at Bryan College in Dayton, TN, November 20th. It is open to the public if you'd like to attend. I don't think the cds will be available by then but they should be ready by early December - sounds like a good Christmas present to me. Look for them on my web site.

As to the Christmas cd that Alfreda and I worked on early this summer. I'm sorry to say that it won't be completed in time for Christmas 2003, but hey, there are only 418 days until Christmas 2004. This cd gets top priority next year. I lovethe tracks we've already recorded so I'm anxious to continue.

Here's a link to pictures from recent performances. I taught workshops at the Autumn Acoustics festival near St. Louis and did a concert in Kennett, Mo., my old home town. I'll put pictures up of our swimming pool project when I complete the tile work around the pool. ¶ 12:42 PM