Workin on it...

wow, it's been a while! It is not out of a lack of events that I have not written a blog in a while, but rather a lack of time to right about the events due to the frequency of them. huh? yah, anyway.

Well, it's October, and the leaves are changing colors. The temperature is dropping. The sun has gone into hiding for a while. It's a little dreary, but life is good!

Since I last wrote, I have picked up 2 more jobs. I have been the school age director at For Kids Only, and now I also work at American Eagle in the Opry Mills Mall, as well as serve at a small restaurant/sports grill 2 nights a week. The jobs are keeping me busy, but I have managed to still take bass gigs, rehearse and perform. Lately the gigs have been paying a bit more and it seems that every show I play, another opportunity presents itself. Which is great!!

Recently I played with Ben Sturgell at his album release show. We worked on the music for months and I think the show went really well!! We had a full band including brass, strings and even a clarinet solo! Hopefully the I will get my hands on the video soon and the live audio tracks. It was a lot of fun, and I was really proud of Ben and the band that night for such a great performance. I had a ton of fun!! Now that his album is out, he has been in several meetings with booking agents, publishers, and labels to get this project going. Hopefully we can book a tour soon and hit the road!

In the meantime, I have been playing with several different artists all over nashville and surrounding cities and states. Just last weekend I took a road trip to Monroe Ohio to play a gig with the Michael Gordon band. So much fun!

What I love about this business is that you are constantly meeting new people. And not just meeting them and moving on, but building friendships! Most of the time now, when i play a show, there is either someone I have already played with in the band, or when we show up to play, I know/have played with someone in the band before or after us. Small town! I finally feel like I am in the pool of hired musicians here in Nashville, and it feels pretty good.

Prior to Ben's album release show, I was suffering from carpal tunnel. It scared me because I know how bad it can get, and I also know that bass playing is a career choice for me, not a hobby, and I am going to need to keep my limbs healthy! I wore a brace for a while and took ibuprofen to keep the swelling down. It was annoying. Ben prayed for my wrist often, and I am thankful for that! My wrist is much much better now! Sometimes in long sets or rehearsals it will still tighten up a bit on me, but I am working on my technique to prevent this from happening.

All in all, I feel a bit settled in this town now. I can now get around town without getting lost EVERY time... I have friends... I have a church... I have jobs... things are going well! I still miss home very much. I miss my niece Riley like I've never missed anything before, and it makes me sad that I cannot be there to watch my nephew Ethan grow up. I am thankful for video chat! when it works... but it's just not the same. I can't wait for my sister to come out and visit next weekend!!! and then I will be home for 10 days around Christmas. So excited!!

You have been briefed.

Ben Sturgell Release Photos

Lake House Weekend!

There are a bunch of Birthdays among my friends here in Nashville that occur in May. For this reason, we all decided to celebrate them collectively at a lake house on Center Hill Lake. There were about 16 people who were up for it so we rented the house and set off for a fun filled weekend at the lake. Of course... cuz it's nashville.. it rained the ENTIRE time...

It's ok though! We still had fun! We spent... well... i spent... a lot of time in the hot tub outside.. even while it was raining! which was pretty awesome. We ate amazing food all weekend and watched movies and played tons of games. It turned out to be very relaxing and really really fun! There were a few of us that turned up with a rash when we got home.. i guess when that many people are in and out of a hot tub, you're supposed to add more chlorine... who knew?? gross! Here are some glimpses of our weekend at the lake. Luckly, it stopped raining just long enough for us to go down and skip some rocks.

First Professional Gig in Nashville

I am excited to share with you the experience of my first professional gig as a bass player here in Nashville. Although I have been playing for a couple different artists here and there, nothing had payed me any money, although all of it is good exposure and experience. Well I got a call during church one day, which I of course didn't answer. When I checked the message, it was a girl by the name of Erika Jo who was looking for a bass player to play a show in Arkansas that very next weekend. I called her back as soon as got her message. It had only been about 45 min since she called, but she said she had already found someone but that if it fell threw she would give me a call. BUMMER!! I felt like it had slipped through my fingers. In addition to me wanting to play a professional gig, I was really low on money, and needed something just to earn my rent. So ... I took it to prayer. And I told sarah to pray too, because she is God's favorite. I had almost given up on the thought... and I got a call on monday afternoon while i was at work. Apparently the other bass player couldn't make it to the rehearsals, so she called to offer it to me! Yes! The Lord came through once again! I told her I would absolutely do it, and i went after work and met her at a cracker barrel parking lot to pick up 2 cd's worth of music to learn for the show that weekend. She explained that the show was in Fordyce AK, we would be taking a tour bus to get there, food and beverage were taken care of, the show payed $300 and each rehearsal payed $25. I was sooo excited! but I tried to play it cool. haha!! when I got home is when it hit me... OMG... I have 26 songs to learn and memorize in 4 days!!! So I got to work... I stayed up late... drank red bulls... woke up early... putting hours of practice time in to chart and learn the music, and then get off the charts. I came to the first rehearsal pretty nervous. I got through it ok with my charts, and then went back to practicing... by the second rehearsal, I had everything pretty much nailed into place, and by the time rehearsal was over, I felt pretty confident! I didn't use any charts at the second rehearsal, and I did pretty good! I also started feeling more comfortable around the band mates, which was good, since we had quite a bit of time on a bus ahead of us. We Caravan'd to a kroger where we met and loaded the bus at around midnight on a friday night. We drove through the night, and I slept in my first tour bus bunk, hopefully the first of many! Erika Jo and I hit it off right away. I loved hanging out with her and she made me feel very welcome and comfortable. We played to set's, and apart from shorting the fuses a million times and dodging the rain... I think it went pretty well!!! then we got to eat some corn dogs and funnel cake. Can't beat that!!!! Erika and i plan to hang out and eat some sushi! although, being this far away from any ocean makes me a little nervous about sushi! Anyway, I did it. I played my first show and got payed, and met some really amazing musicians in the process. I hope it leads to more in the future!!

Show Time

So a lot of people wonder what I"m actually doing here in Nashville. Am I actually playing? Am i playing in a band? What kind of music? How do i get gigs? Well, I wanted to share a little taste of what my musical life is like out here! Tonight I finally got a perfromance on video. It's just one song, and we only did 3. It's what is called a writers round. It's when a bunch of writers come out and showcase their songs. Everyone does about three songs with an acoustic set and it's really fun! I played and Sang with Steve Virginia tonight. He is the artist I play with the most out here so far. In addition, I try to get gigs wherever and for whomever I can! I do this by meeting people who pass my name on, or knowing other bass players who may pass my name on or need me to cover a gig for them, and of course, Craigslist! So here is a video of Steve and me playing at a little place called the Edgehill Cafe, playing for a writers round put on by Jennifer Adan, who wrote Blake Shelton's latest "she wouldn't be gone"

I will Survive

On the days when I feel lonely, even in a room full of people, I will survive.
On the days when it's sunny and I want to wander to the beach with my sister or girlfriends, I will survive.
In the moments when I am lost, and home seems even further away than the moment before, I will survive.
When I am practicing my instrument and start to feel inadequate, I will survive.
When I check my bank account and there is, by no stretch of my imagination, enough in there to meet my obligations, I will survive.
When gigs require my time and energy but don't pay a dime, I will survive.
When the cupboards are bare and my tummy is growling, I will survive.
When the kids I take care of have nothing nice to say to me, I will survive.
When I feel like I am not good at my job, I will survive.
On the days when the weather is relentless and seems that it is out to harm me, I will survive.
When everyone and there mom wants my money, but no one wants to pay me any, I will survive.
When my favorite pair of jeans gets a whole in the knee, I will survive.
When trying to learn guitar makes my fingers bleed, i will survive.
When I book a gig and the tip jar is empty at the end of the night, I will survive.
When I play a gig and it does not go well, i will survive.
When I write a song that nobody likes but me, I will survive.
On the days when I can't get out of the house on time and seems I am rushing to EVERYTHING, I will survive.
On the days when the tour bus breaks down in the middle of the south, i will survive.
On the days when the paparazzi are in my face, I will survive.
When I can't decide which major country artist to sign with, Keith, Taylor, Carrie, or Rascal Flattts, I will survive.
When all the fashion magazines want to interview me and get my beauty secrets, I will survive.
When my hand starts cramping from signing autographs, I will survive.
When one of my song hits number one, and comes just shy of the record holder, I will survive.
When my dressing room has poor lighting, I will survive.
When I can't see the audience because of the bright lights on the stage I will survive.
When I can't decide which charity to donate millions of dollars to, I will survive.
When I fly my friends and family out to see me and cant help but smile on stage, knowing they are in the audience, proud as can be of me... I will survive.

Thank God for creating me to be a dreamer. Thank God for giving me the strength to endure all that comes with being a dreamer. Thank God for giving me a family and a network of friends who support my dreams. Thank God for the constant reminder that no matter what the situation, I am not in it alone, He is there, and I will survive.

Bunny's, Tornadoes and Ducks! OH MY!

The Easter Bunny finally made his way to Tennessee!! And with him he brought some of the worst storm weather and tornadoes I have ever seen in my life!! He definitely made an entrance! BUT! he didn't leave without leaving me a package!!!

Thank you so much Bob, Sally and Sarah! Your generosity knows no bounds! I love you all!!! THANK YOU!

In other news....
Today there was another severe tornado warning. Tornadoes touched down in a few surrounding areas killing 2 and injuring at least 35. The storms that blew through today were like nothing I have ever experienced. In some areas there was hail the size of baseballs. Rain poured down almost all day, thunder and lightning joined with a sky of dark clouds made for an exciting and scary day. Sirens sounded downtown at least 5 times today. It's scary, but God is good and my friends and I are all okay. This is tornado season, and we still have a few more months of it to go, with the peak months being May and June. At least it makes life a little more interesting!!

In other, other news...
Today is also good friday... and what made it an even better Friday was the Ducks clinching their spot in the playoffs this year! Way to battle boys! What a game against the STARS! they really needed this win, and they pulled it off in a sudden death shootout! Thanks to Getzlaf and Selanne being unreal!!!! and HILLER!!! IT"S HILLER TIME!

My First Tornado Warning

It happened today. A tornado in my area. It touched down a few miles away, and fortunately did not pass through my immediate neighborhood, but I will admit, I was scared. The weather was stormy most of the day. I was home by myself all day getting a kick out of the thunder and lightning going on. The rain was really pouring down! I asked a friend who lives a couple of towns away if she was gettin all this stormy weather too? she said it had passed her but that the news said a tornado had touched down in Davidson.Well... I live in Davidson County! So I got a little nervous!