Ever notice music is taking a backseat to other new, exciting interests in your life? That's what I'm seeing here. I'm really excited about all the new things I'm involved in, but I just want to say THANK YOU to music (especially the Gospel music and spirituals I've plumbed these last 10 years) for the huge and wonderful part of my life it has been.

I've made up enough songbooks for me and the Band. I've listened to enough Gospel looking for band material. I have enough Christmas and Advent, Lenten, and Easter music, as well as songs for the whole Biblical shebang. I've managed and binderized more than enough piles of paper for arrangements. I have plenty of lyrics. I have plenty of the fingerpicks I like. I like my autoharp setup just fine. I do not need another amp, or any other gear. We're playing for our own Band anniversary party, the sound system is set up in my living room so we can be sure to leave an important cable or adaptor home Friday night, and I know the best way to unload it all from the van, how ALL the gear goes together, how it packs down, where it fits in the van. I even finally have speaker stands, and a mic case, and I do not long for any bigger, louder, or clearer sound equipment!

I even FINALLY found the perfect roadie who will actually (I think) become our paid-when-there's-a-gig Equipment Manager! (Turns out HE's been right there for over a year and I didn't even SEE that!)

Of course I'm not chopping ALL music out of my life, or leaving the Band I founded. We'll coast on all of the above, for some time to come. But the intensely creative phase is over-- "for now."

~Susan