Site Notes: I've finally come into the 21st century in this website design... for a long while I disdained using "frames" because at the time there were still browsers that couldn't handle it, but at this point even my cell phone browser is okay, so it's much better than having to update ALL the footers on every page when I make a change. I've upgraded the "Performing" area, too, b/c the one-page format was much too long/scrolling when I constantly have 10-20 shows listed - so there is now a sub-page for general performing/recording/samples/discography information. And for all those corners "you can't get to from here" on some pages, there's now a site index. And all of this is handily to your left. Life Notes: I never did get around to writing about goals for the year after January, but one thing it would not have occurred to me to list anyway (since it wasn't even a possible event in my head) is happening next week: I'll be studying at a performance workshop with Deborah Henson-Conant, the composer/storyteller/harpist who happens to be one of my top inspirations/role models for my musical career! I'm not normally one to get "star-struck" by performers/authors/sports figures/et al. - I admire them when they work for their success, but don't feel like they are "better" than me. If they are doing something I have NO skill in (and/or physical aptitude for... say, football) I think it's great that they are using their talents; if they ARE doing something I could see myself doing, then I assume that if I'm not at their level it's due to my choice not to put my energy into getting there. Because when I DO put energy into it, I progress (e.g., looking at some of these blogs from 2004, when I was pleasantly surprised to be gigging once a month, then later 2-3x a month... now that would seem like a major vacation from music!). So when Deborah Henson-Conant called me today at work (she was checking if anyone driving to the workshop in Maine had room to tote a spare harp or two), I was surprised to find myself a bit breathless afterward... as in "Whoa! I was just talking to DHC!" Not sure where that came from - I guess perhaps it's because she's someone who's really working on a lot of things careerwise that are directly meaningful to me, and has progressed to a level that I'm not sure I could reach, and also b/c working with her could possibly boost me to a level I haven't quite thought about reaching. Sort of like when I was really wanting to work with Marion Woodman about 10 yrs ago - I had no idea I would end up as a major player in the creation of a non-profit foundation to carry on her work! Thus next week should be very interesting, and probably a bit scary. No, I'm not taking up the harp there - it's a workshop on "performance" in the general sense, not limited to harpists. But as frequently seems to happen, I will be the "odd" person in the group: from emails, there seem to be 12 participants, and all the others except one are obviously harpists from their addresses or websites. That's apparently one of the "themes" in my life: the violinist in the rock band, the 6-string violinist among the 4/5-strings, the logical computer geek amongst the Jungians, etc. Fortunately I seem to like it...

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