Today was a usual Tuesday; a triple: a senior facility in the morning, another in the afternoon, and a 5 hour restruant gig (Sullivan's) at night. As is often the case, my friend David Sparks came tonight. On this past week's radio show I installed him and Jonathan Mills (my good friend and former pastor at Chestertown) as the Joe Holt's Notes chaplains. David proposed an idea for a "chaplain's corner" on my show. I like it. He and Jonathan are way off center in their denomination (Church of the Nazarene). I'm out there with them.

Two in a row! This being Sunday, I spent the morning with my (somewhat) unique set of responsibilities at the Chestertown Church of the Nazarene. We've come a long way in my 3 1/2 years on staff as (now titled) Worship Arts Director. I regret getting sidetracked on my book about music in worship. The comprehensive premise (if that phrase means anything) that I am trying to develop is: that God's revelaton occurs with equal validity (to scripture) in creation, therefore music in the church should not be handled in any way as a cultural commodity, but as God's communication, and treated with the same care and respect as the pastor's sermon. The implications of this alternative outlook are deep and numerous to those overseeing music in worship, and begin with a call to substantive artistic expression with an underlying trust of God at work in all this. The rest gets more difficult to express, so I must trudge on.

At least it's less than 2 1/2 weeks (moving in the right direction). A week ago tonight was my first solo concert in a jazz venue (the Mainstay, in Rock Hall, Md). Weird; after 28 years of being a full-time jazz pianist, I finally start (at age 45, when life begins), presenting myself in that arena. It was well received. I've spent a lot of time promoting myself in churches, and over recent years (and successfully) as an entertainer for Senior Citizen facilities (in addition to the gigs that one picks up as one goes). The niches have succeeded in allowing me to make (elusive in this business) a living, which has always been my pragmatically-minded goal. Now it's time to step (even if just at times) out of my self-constructed heated pool (small, yet self-contained), and into the ocean (or wherever the sharks swim). I believe in what I am doing, more now than ever.

2 1/2 weeks again? I feel like I just blinked (actually, that's not so uncommon)! The pace is, well, not slowing down. I feel like I'm learning every day, and that "life begins at 45". There is always a danger with me of spinning many plates (I neglected to mention 2 additional recording projects in the last entry), and then walking away from the "maintenance" (leaving the plates in later need of reconstruction). I also have to discipline myself to simply "hang in there". I really feel that I need (want) an Administrative Assistant/ Office Manager. It's not time yet. Squarely related to the above, another danger for me is to get ahead of myself. I am shown again and again that God delivers the right provision at the right time. Did I mention that I can be impatient?
Tonight is my first solo concert at the "Mainstay"; a small venue (capacity around 130), but significant for me right now as a first step into a realm that I have heretofore not pursued (but life begins at 45). I expect to have fun tonight, and purpose that we all will.

Sorry that I've been "away" for so long. I was surprised to see that it's been 2 1/2 weeks since I last checked in. It's been pretty intense, and it's going to continue that way (it has to, at least for now) so I'm going to have to adjust. One "adjustment" is giving in to coffee drinking again (I love coffee, but it doesn't always love me) - now traveling up the yo-yo (or down, I have a bad sense of direction). It's really an exiting time; so much going on. Here's just the current recording agenda:

• Just released solo CD (Playing By Heart), now diving into promotion
• Producing a CD of original songs by Grace Rustan (a local songwriter)
• Beginning a CD project for Beth McDonald (watch out for this one)
• Beginning a (rush - for festivals in later spring) trio CD with the Midiri Bros.
• Planning a comedy CD with Brian Whitaker (what am I thinking!!!)

When I look at that list (which doesn't mention the Bryan Clark project or the solo Christmas CD that I plan to start soon), the thing that's different now is not so much the ambitious planning, but that the projects are actually happening! I still feel that this (2006) is my breakthrough year. We'll see.