I went to an extra Sandbox session this morning. I went into the session thinking that it was about fundraising, but the more appropriate title would be “Pitch Practice and Ego Destroyer.” I came home with a hopeless feeling in my heart, heaviness in my chest, and a lump in my throat. You will feel…
Category: music
Talk to everyone because you just never know
There are many people who have walked in and out of my life and had a formative affect on the person I am today, how I engage with the world around me, and the values I try to embrace and infuse into the work I do, particularly with regard to sustainability and songwriting. I wonder…
Speak like you are a Fortune 500 Company, but don’t quit your day job just yet
Don’t call us, we’ll call you. It’s not you, it’s me. These clichés were ringing in the back of my mind during one of our recent evening sessions at the Sandbox. There were two gentlemen seated at the front of the room. They were entrerpreneurs with startup businesses in the Boston area. They each introduced…
Getting to know Story-to-Song
Songwriting can be a challenge to describe in words only, particularly a method like Story-to-Song. So, I thought it might be helpful to share a couple of informational videos I put together. In the first video, I offer a definition of Story-to-Song: In the second video, I describe how I discovered Story-to-Song: The third video…
Who is Story-to-Song?
When I begin working with a participant on their Story-to-Song, I hear a few comments on a regular basis: I have a terrible voice. I am not an artist. I am not creative. I do not have any stories that are interesting. This is where I come in and assure you that your stories are…
How much is that doggie in the window?
What kind of person is interested in a Story-to-Song experience? Could it be you? A friend? A family member? An organization? Would you pay to hear your own story in song? I am in the beginning stages of learning about all things having to do with starting a business. In place of melodies, my head…
A week in the Sandbox
Story-to-Song is an experience and an abstract one at that. For this reason, it can be difficult to describe in written words alone. When applications I have submitted for grants, conferences, and research opportunities are turned down, I try to lift my spirits with the reminder that I simply have to improve my skills at…
Playing in the Sandbox!
Good news for Story-to-Song! We have been chosen as a finalist for this year’s Merrimack Valley Sandbox Winter Accelerator Program: http://merrimackvalleysandbox.org/entrepreneur-program/accelerators/sandbox-2014-winter-accelerator/#tabs2-html This means, we will be learning about how to give our songwriting business a kickstart in Lowell and beyond. Thanks to all of our supporters from near and far for helping us get to…
Alternate Reality and Alter Ego
I promised that I would be pushing the proverbial envelope with regard to my music and songwriting career, and I am a keeper of promises! This past Thursday was Halloween. I have not dressed up or gone out for a Halloween event in over a decade. For Halloween 2013, I decided to dress in the…
Karma and Song (Revisited)
A few weeks ago, I wrote about being invited to talk about Story-to-Song and my work with songwriting on the Underground Radio station 91.5 WUML at Umass Lowell. It was a wonderful opportunity to talk about my experiences writing songs from stories and the work I have been doing here in Lowell. The show was…
Guiding Song 