As I was having lunch today in the quiet of my home, I thought to ask my Echo, “Play 89.9 FM.” Whether question or command, my Echo always does what I say. So I wondered how lucky I am, to casually command, while others fight for their lives half a world away. What does this mean for me?

I think the best thing is to remind ourselves how fortunate we are. Relatively speaking, we are all fortunate to be alive, to be breathing. Actually, many may not agree with that. But this is my blog, and perhaps we’ll touch more on that topic later (being and non-being). So as I was saying, because of the challenges that life can present to each of us, I should be wary in saying that I am as fortunate as the next person. Of course I am not! But what I find interesting is that I think having gratitude can bring joy despite one’s circumstances. In other words, finding positivity in life just feels good. Of course, we all know this! At least we should…

Taking it a step further, I am making moves toward living a life of minimalism. We’ll see how that goes! What I’m really after is a form of decluttering that I hope will bring more appreciation for the things I cherish and use most often. In other words, I’m going to get rid of the shit that gets in the way of shit I like more! Hmm… I will be keeping my Echo.

With that said… I’ll be rehearsing with friends tonight!!! The goal is to rehearse the songs I have recorded and also to develop more tracks that will complete my upcoming album. I’ve been meeting with my friend, Tim Bullock, on Fridays for the past couple of weeks. He plays bass on the newly recorded songs. It’s been really fun! We’ve been meeting at my place, but tonight we’ll meet at my friend John Capito’s studio. Our friend, Dallas, will join us on drums.

Rebecca Gurnee will join us as well. She’s been working on songs of her own and playing gigs recently, so we’ll probably mix up the content. But! I want to try out an idea for a vocal duet with her on my song, Maybelline. We’ve already recorded this track with her singing backing vocals during the chorus, but I think taking it a step further will be worth it in the end. She has such a nice voice!

Also, as I was winding down to sleep last night, an idea struck me for another song that I recorded, Coming Home. First off, I’m not totally satisfied with how I sang vocals on that song. When I recorded them, I wasn’t feeling my best. So part of the pondering here comes with the territory. But also, I’ve always thought the song lacked something. It has kind of a rootsy-rock vibe with pedal steel. The idea that I have is to add choral Oooh’s and Ahhh’s, blended with Gospel choir gusto and Rock psychedelia that brings to mind elements similar to The Beatles’ Because.

Yes, that sounds easier said than done. But what I am hearing in my head feels attainable.

If you’re reading this, thank you for reading. Please feel free to comment and interact with me. I like interacting!