The Whistler's Dream

Everybody needs a dream...
Mine is to go to Oklahoma and play whistles for The Pioneer Woman. (Having been invited, not in a "creepy stalker" kind of way, for the record.) Heck, I'd play in a pup tent in the backyard for the joy of the cows and critters. What can I say? I'm a fan.
Everybody needs a dream...

Random Fluffy Foto!

Random Fluffy Foto!
Writing in bed, and Beka editing by ear. Really. The ear typed some letters. Really.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Random Monday

All 2.48 of you who read this thing occasionally want a general update. So, here it is...

Dan Fogelberg passed away yesterday at age 56... Thanks for the music, gentle minstrel. Next time I play "Leader Of The Band," it's for you.

My FINAL Christmas Gig is THIS FRIDAY!!! Friday night, 7pm at Frenz in Rockford. I'll be doing selections from the new CD, as well as other holiday faves. Come on out for a great evening - Christmas music, good company at Frenz, and downtown Rockford on a December night. Should be lovely!!

Rudolph's Razzle Dazzle Christmas WAS A BLAST!!! A great time was had by all at both shows. Jeremy & Cara were fabulous, the music was wonderful, and we'll definitely have to do more than two shows next year!!! And, Four Friends Coffeehouse is a nice place - right across from the skating rink in downtown GR. It was fun to be able to see people skating as we were jamming away Saturday night!

Musicians tend to see the holidays in terms of number of gigs - how many gigs do I have left before I'm off for the holiday? Then we count down until the end and we can actually relax. I'm down to three - Friday night in Rockford, Sunday morning at church (it's an acoustic week this week, so I'll be playing whistles & recorders - fun!), and Christmas Eve up in Newberry. Three gigs to go before Christmas rest and relaxation!!! (and the annual Lord Of The Rings Marathon in front of the big screen in Mom & Dad's living room. We've invited the niecelets this year - the eldest is definitely looking forward to it!)

Three to go, then it's CHRISTMAS!!! :-D

Monday, December 10, 2007

Want some Christmas music???

Most of you know this, but let's make it official...

Vicki and I are proud to announce the arrival of the new CD!!

WhistleWonder: The Carols Of Christmas contains 11 fresh arrangements of traditional carols, as well as my version of Pachelbel's Canon (the Kicked-Up Kanon). All instrumental, with the sounds of whistles, woodwinds and keyboards arranged and performed by yours truly. :-D

Want a copy or several? Send me an email, and we'll hook you up. Cornerstone folks - just stop by Vicki's office or give her a call, and she'll set you up. First Covenant Folks - let us know and we'll deliver them to your mailbox.

CDs are $10 each. And, for those of you who haven't gotten a copy of the first CD, Angelica's Waltz (which is normally $15), you can purchase both CDs for $20.

We're very VERY proud of the new CD, and have had a great response to it thus far. Let us know if you'd like one. I'll have samples online soon...

Merry Christmas. :-D

Monday, December 03, 2007

All I'm gonna say about that is...

I'm sad for former colleagues, especially one in particular...

-and-

105.7 is no longer an acceptable number on my dial.

'nuff said.

Live shows AND THE NEW CD!!!!

Hey there, Hi there, Ho there! :-D

First, the sad news... I'm not going to be playing in Hudsonville in December. :-( It's my own fault - I didn't get things in motion in time. So, apologies to all my Hudsonville peeps. Tell ya what - if you're a Hudsonville fan, and take the time to drive to one of my shows in Grand Rapids, (or even the one in Holland for that matter...) we'll give you a special price on the new CD. (not going to mention what it is, 'cause I haven't talked it over with The Boss yet... :-D But you know Vicki - she'll make it worth your while...)

The good news is, there are 4 places where I WILL be playing this month...

SOLO CHRISTMAS SHOWS:

Saturday, December 8th - Dillenbeck's in Grand Rapids

If you've never been to Dilly B's, you really should check it out. It's a lovely place, and a great venue for music, conversation, and relaxation (and they make one of the best mango smoothies in the area!!!). This will be my first "official" release of the new CD, and it will be available for purchase at the show! (hopefully... :-D)

Friday, December 21st - Frenz in Rockford
This is one of my favorite places to play! Not to mention Christmastime in downtown Rockford is amazing! I'll be at Frenz from 7 to 9pm and will be featuring the new CD so come and celebrate the holidays with us!!

RUDOLPH'S RAZZLE DAZZLE CHRISTMAS!!!
When I'm not off toodling my little flutes, I have the privilege of being part of Jeremy Hoekstra's band. This year, Jolly Jeremy and his sister, Cara(ling) are putting together a Christmas extravaganza that you won't want to miss. Check Jeremy's site for the details, and come out for the music, the prizes, and the fun!!!! (not to mention that Cara's voice is worth driving any distance to come and hear!!!!!!)

I'll also be playing some of the tunes from the new CD as part of the show!!!! :-D

Friday, December 14th, 8pm - Lemonjello's in Holland

Saturday, December 15th, 7pm - Four Friends Coffeehouse in Grand Rapids

Finally, THE BIG NEWS!!!!!!!

Say hello to our brand new CD!!! "WhistleWonder: The Carols Of Christmas"
It should be in our hands this week, and we're SO excited! Folks who heard it Sunday night at First Cov said they loved it, and since they put up with my music all the time, they should know!!! 12 songs, including well-known and not-so-well-known carols of Christmas with the sound of whistles, woodwinds and keyboard, all arranged and performed by yours truly. :-D And, I'm joined by a special guest on three of the tracks - Greg George on drums.

How do you add this to your holiday music library? Well...
1) Grab one at a live show (ok - BUY one at a live show)
2) Church folks or CU folks can just let us know - Vicki will have some in her office at C'stone, and First Cov folks can get them delivered direct to your mailboxes at church.
3) Send us an email with your name and address, and we can mail it to you and bill you. We can also accept plastic in person or via PayPal.

HOW MUCH?? We've been thinking about that one... It cost us less to produce this one, so we're going to pass that along...
WhistleWonder: The Carols Of Christmas - $10.00
By the way, if you haven't had a chance to purchase the first CD, Angelica's Waltz, here's a great opportunity for you. Angelica's Waltz sells for $15, but if you purchase it together with WhistleWonder, you can have both CDs for $20.00!!! And, additional copies of either one will be $10 each. Just let us know, and we'll set you up!!