by Modern Songbook Records | Oct 9, 2012 | Charlie's Blog, Events, Home Page, News
In July I was asked by the Strathmore Music Center to be one of their mentors for their AIR (artists in residence) program. All together there are six young emerging artists. I was assigned two: Deborah Bond and Owen Danoff. When Strathmore first called I had to suppress the thought that screamed through my head… ” Hey, when did I stop being a young emerging artist cross over to the eminence grise category? ” The answer is: years ago. I got over myself and now I am very happy to be part of this. All of the emerging artists are talented. And they have an unbelievable supply of young energy that is infectious. The program is run by Betty Scott, a former schoolteacher, who brings a discipline and structure to this that is somehow strict and relaxed all at the same time. Chaise Lounge is playing at the Strathmore Gala at the end of October and several of the AIRs will be sitting in with the band. Last week we had a rehearsal with Isabelle DeLeon on drums, Integriti Reeves singing, Christylez Bacon on beatbox and personality, and Owen Danoff on guitar and vocals. They all came prepared and ready to bring it. I am mentioning this program in case you know someone who would benefit from this. I think that each of these artists is going to come out of the year long program with a much clearer understanding of all that it takes to have a performing career in music. And in case you are called to be a mentor- Say yes.
by Modern Songbook Records | Oct 8, 2012 | Charlie's Blog, News
Just got the test pressings. Once again… “Test Pressings”! for our new LP, ” A Very Chaise Lounge Christmas”. Official release date is Nov 1.
With our gig coming up at Joe’s Record Paradise, I am living a retro vinyl dream
by Modern Songbook Records | Oct 8, 2012 | Charlie's Blog, News
Is it so wrong to spend an ENTIRE day watching sports on TV? Yesterday I watched the Redskins lose. I followed the Ravens progress ( winning an ugly game against the Chiefs) at the same time
At 3:30 I struggled to follow the dismal end of the Redskins while watching the Nationals finally beat the Cards in the 8th inning. That was a happy happy moment. Big ups to Tyler Moore! Finally, I waited for the Orioles to start , but the rain delay forced me to watch the Packers starting at 8.
Somehow I felt weirdly well-informed and pleased about the way I spent a rainy Sunday.
by Modern Songbook Records | Oct 2, 2012 | Charlie's Blog, News
In 1415 Poggio Bracciolini writes this ( in Latin) :
” We are terrified of future catastrophes and are thrown into a continuous state of misery and anxiety, and for fear of becoming miserable we never cease to be so. “
Plus ca change , plus c’est la meme chose….n’est pas?
He is the guy responsible for rescuing the Roman poet Lucretious’ “The Nature of Things”. The book I’m reading is called The Swerve. An amazing piece of non-fiction writing by Stephen Greeblatt
It is dense, but well worth the time and trouble.
by Modern Songbook Records | Sep 25, 2012 | Charlie's Blog, Events, Gallery, News
I could not live in a small town. I know thqt because I grew up in a few of them. The smallest was 800 people living on the banks of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. But I love it when I am thrown, for an evening, into the center of a small town. We played a gig last week in Lexington VA at an outdoor theater in the woods called Lime Kiln. I think that every person in the audience knew everyone else. We were the only strangers there. At the first song they clapped politely, just feeling out this new friendship between town and band. By the intermission we were on a first name basis. And by the end of the concert I feel like we could have gone home for coffee and ice cream with half the crowd. Music is an amazing way to build a friendship. You can leapfrog the years and years of passing on the street, having kids in school together, working on the same block and go right to a powerful personal, albeit non-specific, conversation that would normally take 20 years of friendship to get to. I got the whole experience of knowing everyone in town in the span of 2 hours.
