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I had never heard of Carrie Newcomer before a friend played one of her songs in an online gazing/meditation class. “The Gathering of Spirits” bounced around in my head until I finally had to learn it. I bought Newcomer’s album of the same name, and I have to say the other songs on it are, for me, an acquired taste. However, I’m glad I was introduced to Carrie’s music and to this song in particular. She’s a unique individual and an unusually talented artist, as you’ll see by clicking on the link above. Here’s my version of “ The Gathering of Spirits .” * In case this blog is too short, here’s my version of another song by Kate Wolf titled “An Unfinished Life.” *On the album, Alison Krause sings harmony on the song. #spiritual #harmony #Vocal #friendships #acousticguitar #memories #vocalists #Joy #relationships #friends #newage #peace #love #folkguitar #spirit #heaven #solo #guitar #light #appreciation #sologuitar

Who doesn’t remember Simon and Garfunkle singing Kathy’s song? The answer is probably tons of people under the age of thirty, but who’s counting? The remarkable Paul Simon wrote Kathy’s Song. It was released in 1966 on the album Sounds of Silence. Along with the title tune, Kathy’s Song remains one of the duo’s most popular tracks. It is poetic, lyrical, and deeply moving. Nearly thirty years later, along comes Eva Cassidy with her celestial voice and consummate guitar playing. Her version of Kathy’s song is characteristically unique and beautiful beyond words. If you like this kind of music, I urge you to listen to Eva’s version on YouTube. Eva doesn’t need an orchestra or a band to back her up. She plays and sings Kathy’s Song solo, and steals your heart away. #solosinging #folksongs #lyrical #acousticguitar #poetic #sixtiesmusic #rain #poeticlyrics #songs #PaulSimon #vocals #SimonampGarfunkle #solovocal #rainfall #ArtGarfunkle #SoundsofSilence #sologuitar

Now Available on Amazon Worldwide When Jacob Cassel and his telepathic AI companion discover a dead body on a lonely Florida beach, it is only the beginning of an adventure that holds the fate of our world and the destiny of other worlds in the balance. Each book in The Silver Sphere series is “free-standing.” You can read these books in any order. The author provides enough background information in each novella to orient readers to the characters and other relevant details. Here’s an excerpt from one of first editorial reviews to come in: “ What I liked most in the novella was the flippant, often tongue-in-cheek humor that made it a light-hearted read, with witty dialogues and evocative descriptions. The characters are vividly drawn and the three-way relationship is realistically established early on. It’s not hard for the reader to suspend his disbelief and join the trio as they careen toward their ultimate goal of saving the planet. The writing is clear, literate, the vocabulary is perfectly attuned to the genre, and it is a real page-turner. I read it in one day and I am looking forward to reading Book 3 when it is available. Anyone looking for an enjoyable day curling up with a fun book will not be disappointed.” Francis Mont for Reader’s Favorite Book Review Five Out of Five Star Review #aliens #AlienShip #Aliendestroyer #writer #artificialintelligence #alienencounters #fastreading #consciousness #illustratedbooks #fastpaced #ScienceFiction #outerspace #Hubbletelescope #creativewriting #novelist #illustratedebooks #spacetelescope #resurrection #alieninvasion #GoddardSpaceFlightCenter #evolvingconsciousness #imagination #illustrations #evolution #RobertGoddard #alienvisitation #fiction #ebooks #murdermystery #fantasy

I’m reposting a blog previously titled “Vincent: A True Lover.” I’ve decided to re-learn the song closer to the original. “Starry, starry night/ Paint your palette blue and grey/ Look upon a summer’s day/ With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.” Those words came to Don McLean as he gazed at Vincent Van Gogh’s 1889 painting “The Starry Night.” Soon, he had a masterpiece of his own: “Vincent,” a 1972 hit that he released right on the heels of his defining epic “American Pie.” Like Van Gogh’s painting, Mclean’s “Vincent” has touched a broad array of hearts and minds over the last 50 years. The song, the painting, and the book “Dear Theo,” written by Van Gogh’s brother, have certainly touched my heart again and again. I’ve always thought that Vincent’s style was at least in part inspired by his mental illness. To me, the brush strokes reflect an altered state of perception similar to the hallucinogenic patterns seen under the influence of Mescaline or LSD. Van Gogh labored in obscurity until his self-inflicted death at the age of thirty-seven. He sold only a few of his paintings during his lifetime. Today, Van Gogh is a household word, and his paintings each sell for fifty million dollars or more. “The Starry Night” is one of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings. Here’s the updated version of “Vincent” played closer to the original recording by Don Mclean. Thought for the Day When your world shrinks, your issues amplify. Keep your world and your perspective broad, for your own happiness, and the happiness of others. #painting #impressionistpainting #DonMclean #acousticguitar #darkness #mentalhealth #guitartechnique #StarryStarryNight #soul #masterpiece #beauty #guitarpicking #reflections #impressionism #TheStarryNight #folkguitar #LSDhallucinations #70039smusic #hallucinations #emotions #light #VincentVanGogh #LSD

“Fields of Gold” is one of Sting’s most famous songs. It is a stunning and thoughtful track about the journey of commitment. The song first appeared on Sting’s 1993 solo album “Ten Summoner’s Tales.” Sting wrote the track after he bought a house near a barley field. The sunsets and the colors of the field helped inspire the lyrics, along with Sting’s love for Trudie Styler, who he married in 1992. “Fields of Gold” can be seen as a fulfilling romance from beginning to end. It is about courtship, marriage, and finally, death. The romance of the couple in the song is so strong that even the sky and “its jealous sun” are envious of the relationship. Before the male narrator dies, he tells his lover that she will never forget him and the time they shared. They will always walk and lie together in golden fields of sun drenched barley. Here is my version of the song played with Eva Cassidy ‘s guitar technique. “The heart is always the place to go. Go home into your heart, where there is warmth, appreciation, gratitude and contentment.” AYYA KHEMA #mood #outdoors #sentimentality #memories #happiness #sun #separation #barley #sky #Joy #companionship #marriage #commitment #innerbeauty #beautyinlyrics #poetry #peace #love #imagination #simplicity #barleyfield #afterlife #golden

Time After Time is a Cyndi Lauper song. I’ve never been a big fan of her music, but that only means it doesn’t resonate with me in general. She has a big enough audience without me. This song caught my attention when I heard Eva Cassidy sing it in her beautiful, unique style. It has taken me a few weeks to learn because the fingering is complicated. Eva Cassidy is known for her divine vocals, but trust me, she can play the damn guitar. The meaning behind a lyric can create a strong connection to a song. It can help you to form a bond with a singer-songwriter. It lets you know the artist has gone through some of the same things you have. Cyndi Lauper’s hit Time After Time is one of those songs for many people. The song was the second single for her debut album, She’s So Unusual . It was actually the last song written for the album, but it made a lasting impact on the album and Lauper’s career. A TV Guide advertisement for a science fiction movie sparked the idea for the song. Using a simple set of piano chords, Lauper co-wrote the song with Rob Hyman. As the piece evolved, for Lauper it became a response to an ex-lover who was lost and in need of help. She can’t move forward without him by her side. Over a two-week period, Time After Time was written, recorded, and mastered straight to the album. There wasn’t time for a demo. The song went on to become a number-one hit in the United States. Here’s my version of Time After Time “Eva Style.” Breaking a big project down into little steps makes it possible to achieve the final result. #guitarstyle #acousticguitar #happiness #popularmusic #fingerpicking #recordlabel #recordingstudio #CyndiLauper #popmusic #songwriter #guitarpicking #guitarsolo #songs #songwriting #vocals #love #guitarmethod #singer #learnguitar #EvaCassidy #hitsong #singing #lostlove

“True Colors” is a song with legs. It started out as a song written for a mother in a traditional ballad format. Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly wrote the song in 1986 and offered it to Anne Murray, a popular singer at the time. Murray passed on the song. Cyndi Lauper took it and creatively revamped the format into a stark and breathtaking version. The song became a hit worldwide because of its universal appeal. The songwriters acknowledge that Lauper was the perfect artist to adapt the song partly because of her bold style. Released as the title song on Lauper’s 1986 album, “True Colors,” is the only original song on the album that the artist did not help to write. In 1998, Phil Collins covered the song on his “Greatest Hits” album. Australian country music star Kasey Chambers covered the song as the theme for the 2003 Rugby World Cup. In 2007, Cindy Lauper launched “The True Colors Tour” to support gay rights and fight hate crimes. In 2016, Justin Timberlake and actress Anna Kendrick used the song in the soundtrack for the movie “Trolls.” Kodak also used the song to advertise their film stock. Like I said: The song has legs. Here’s my version. When someone shows you their true colors, don’t try to repaint them. #happiness #recordingstidio #Joy #fingerpicking #recordlabel #guitatstyle #CyndiLauper #popmusic #guitarpicking #reflections #songs #vocals #love #guitarmethod #singer #gay #learnguitar #solovocal #songwriter #recording #hitsong #sologuitar

This is the prologue to the new edition of “Three Days to Darkness.” I’ve extensively rewritten the original novel (first published in 2010) to bring it up to date. It’s amazing how the world has changed in eleven years, but some things never change, like the themes grounding the story. I’ve also added a paperback edition to the digital edition, along with a spiffy new interior design. Don’t miss this heartwarming, humorous, and action-packed saga available at major online retailers worldwide. Darius McPherson never saw it coming. His thoughts were elsewhere. On the kids. The ones he could save. They weren’t kids, really. Some of them were older than him. They were all tough and uneven around the edges, but a few of them were diamonds in the rough. They were the ones he considered his kids. They had real potential. They just needed someone to care about them. They needed a role model and some inspiration. Darius was happy to provide both. Not a bad summer gig for a guy waiting for his first year of law school to begin. He pressed the bell on the side of the barred wooden door. The royal blue paint under the ugly bars gleamed in the direct sunlight and looked completely out of place in the burned-out industrial neighborhood in midtown Detroit. He waited patiently to be buzzed into the youth counseling center. “Be right with you, Darius,” his supervisor said through the intercom. He liked Allison Turner. In her late thirties and twice divorced, she had managed to stay kind-hearted despite rough circumstances. She was also extremely capable. Allison had taught him more about inner-city teenagers than he could have learned in a decade on his own. The door opened and a group of youthful offenders burst into the street. Darius knew several of them. They were attending classes at the center as part of their plea bargains. Darius smiled at them, even though he knew most of them were as dangerous as plastic explosive wired to detonate at the slightest provocation. “Hey La Vonn” Darius called to the tallest boy in the group. “I hope you learned something today.” “Yeah. How to stay outta’ the crowbar hotel,” the slender boy replied. “Do you mean learning how to game the system or how to stay out of jail?” Darius noticed La Vonn’s eyes open wide. He turned around in time to see a gray Lincoln Navigator with shiny, twenty-inch wheels and dark tinted windows round a nearby corner. No rap music blared from inside the car, which made Darius suspicious. He heard the sound of footsteps running away from him. He thought it undignified to run. And why would anyone in the neighborhood want to harm him? When the windows came down in unison, a cold chill went through his body. Darius saw young men wearing ski masks inside the car. He had no time to react. The first shots hit the cinderblock wall of the youth center. Not unlike fireworks on the Fourth of July, Darius remembered thinking before a bullet pierced his chest. At first, he felt like an ice pick had stabbed him in the heart. Then there was a burning sensation. He remembered seeing his body lying on the cracked sidewalk in a pool of blood. The last thoughts that went through his brain were of his parents, his older brother and younger sister, and of course, Rebecca. After that, he sensed his awareness swirling down a dark tunnel opening at the far away end into some kind of scintillating light. eBook and Paperback Available on Amazon and Online Retailers Worldwide #mentor #success #mentoring #happiness #demons #consciousness #angels #ScienceFiction #humor #urbanfantasy #Joy #spirituality #Faith #relationships #reflections #hope #peace #love #innerpeace #thriller #selfconfidence #inspiration #archangel

Gordon Lightfoot is one of those rare individuals who resides in the top echelon of his profession. It takes a huge deposit of raw talent, hard work, intestinal fortitude, and luck to reach the level of success Lightfoot has achieved in the music business. Amidst all of this recognition, Gordon remains a simple and straightforward man. He is a survivor with no plans to retire. At 83 years young, Lightfoot once dodged death when his manager found him lying on the floor of his dressing room with a burst aorta. Lightfoot has navigated numerous romantic relationships, spawned six children and five grandchildren, remained close with his offspring, and outlasted most of his contemporaries, not without some regrets. When he comes on stage these days, Lightfoot often uses a misquote inaccurately attributed to Mark Twain: “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” In November of 2021, Lightfoot had the honor of re-opening the newly renovated Massey Hall in Toronto in a live performance. He has played the historic concert venue more than 160 times. Lightfoot released his fifteenth original album in 1982 on Warner Records. The songs on the album are slower and more contemplative than many of the songs he released in the prior decade. As is his custom, Lightfoot compiled the album’s songs from scraps of notes he collected in his briefcase and tapes he recorded at home. Of the album’s title song, “Shadows,” Lightfoot has made a few somewhat vague comments. He says it was the best song he had at the time, and that it is about a particular problem he was going through in his life involving a man and a woman, and nature. I feel the song is quite beautiful. I’ve learned it the way Lightfoot plays it. Here is my cover of “Shadows.” #acousticguitar #IanandSylvia #famouspeople #happiness #guitartechnique #performing #Joy #GordonLightfoot #relationships #guitarpicking #reflections #lovesongs #artists #peace #vocals #love #AnneMurray #liveperformance #learnguitar #longevity #songwriter #folksingers #performance #profiles #concerts

Don McLean released his iconic album, “American Pie,” in 1971. The title song epitomizes the era of the nineteen sixties. A famous lyric from the title song; “the day the music died,” refers to the day Buddy Holly’s plane went down. Holly and the other passengers, including Ritchie Valens and The Bigg Bopper, all died in the crash. The song “American Pie” goes on for some nine minutes to memorialize other landmark events of the era in rich metaphors. Some of the other outstanding songs on the album include, “ And I love You So ,” “ Crossroads ,” “ Empty Chairs ,” and “ Vincent .” I’ve covered these songs in earlier posts on this blog. “Winterwood” is an upbeat love song featuring McLean’s typically vivid imagery. Technically, the title of the song does not exist in the English language. McLean invented the name to evoke the sights and sounds of a snowy mid-winter day with the sun peaking through barren tree branches and birds chirping in the background. The image came to Mclean as he rode through mid-winter streets recalling fond memories with his wife by his side. The image and the related memories stayed with the artist for six months until he finally wrote “Winterwood.” The technique is a departure from the finger-picking method I used in many of the other songs I’ve posted. “Winterwood” is played entirely with a guitar pick (flat picking). I abbreviated the introductory lick because it might have taken me six months to learn. Time and Opportunity Wait for No One. #GuitarStrumming #DonMclean #memories #happiness #popmusic #guitarpicking #guitarsolo #vocals #love #guitarmethod #singer #guitar #songwriter #musician

I’m watching an interesting film titled “If You Could Read My Mind.” The Canadian documentary is about the life and career of Gordon Lightfoot. Lightfoot arrived in downtown Toronto as a young man after growing up in Oridella, a small rural Canadian town. Since there were no clubs to play in at the time, Gordon landed a job in a bank to earn a living. Lightfoot was about to earn a promotion when he told his manager that he had decided to leave the bank to accept a role as an extra on a square dancing Canadian TV show. Lightfoot’s manager found it hard to believe that the young man was leaving a good job with a future to go square dancing. As folk music became commercially viable in the late sixties, clubs began to spring up featuring promising musicians. Gordon landed a spot in one of them. He stood apart from the crowd because he performed many of his own songs in a characteristically pure voice. After he developed a following, a club owner invited Lightfoot to perform at his club across the street at twice the salary. Lightfoot gratefully accepted the invitation to perform at the Riverboat, Toronto’s premier folk music club. With his beautiful voice and prolific outpouring of quality music, it was only a matter of time before Warner/Reprise records rewarded Lightfoot with a one million dollar recording contract, an unheard-of number for a Canadian singer. His first album with the new label was released in 1970 when Gordon was forty-two. Lightfoot had left United Artists after five albums because he felt they did not represent him adequately. “Sit Down Young Stranger” shipped 80,000 copies before sales stopped dead. The album “had no legs” in the industry’s parlance. Warner changed the name of the album and picked a new single to lead it off. “If You Could Read My Mind” became a runaway hit when an announcer on an important local radio station kept playing it. Sales of the album ballooned to 650,000 copies. The rest is history. Gordon Lightfoot is not a “legend in his own mind” as Dirty Harry said about the perp he was about to blow away. Lightfoot is a genuine “legend in his own time.” He has been performing live well into his seventies and beyond. It is said that time waits for no man. Time may have made an exception in Mr. Lightfoot’s case. Here's my cover. #successstories #singingsolo #CanadianMusic #guitarstyle #IanandSylvia #guitartechnique #musicclubs #documentaries #JohnnyCash #BobDylan #Canada #FolkBallad #TheWreckoftheEdmundFitzgerald #CanadianRailroadTrilogy #relationships #guitarpicking #lovesongs #songwriting #love #AnneMurray #Martinguitar #songwriter #PeterPaulandMary #sologuitar #profiles

I started out with the intention of learning the song “Beautiful” by Jim Brickman, and then stumbled upon a song by the same name taught by my good friend Jerry at Jerry’s Guitar Bar. Both songs are true to their titles, but the one by Brickman has some complex chords I’d have to figure out how to play. So, I took the easy way out and decided on “Beautiful” by Gordon Lightfoot because it comes with a tutorial. Please note: I really did try NOT to do another Lightfoot song, but here we go again. Lightfoot had this comment about the song. “It’s about love fulfilled. One of those songs I’ve played every night for over a quarter-century, and I don’t get tired of it.” Here’s my cover with help from Jerry. Make the most of your time now because the world will get along just fine without you when your time comes. #guitarstyle #happiness #lovesong #guitartechnique #solos #Joy #beloved #GordonLightfoot #relationships #guitarpicking #songs #peace #love #singer #songwriter #romance #passion #singing