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why I give my album away for free 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrkrvAUbU9Y

Here's a great Tedtalk that sums up why I give my work away for free.  Compensation for creativity tends to stunt the process.  I don't write songs, or sing for any other reason but to connect with other people.  

To say, 'hey, I live, I love, I hurt, I am joyful, just like you'.  I put my human journey to music, and if listening to my stories make others feel that they're not alone, then I've accomplished my goal, and no amount of money can make me feel as good as lifting someone else's spirit.

That's why I give my music away for free and will continue to do so.  Some people insist on giving me money, which I then give to the Tim Landry Scholarship Memorial Fund, which goes to giving out scholarships to kids who've inspired their fellow students.  

So please, enjoy the music and if you need to give back, do so to the people in your life.  It's all one big circle, and we're all one so it doesn't matter who you give to, we all benefit in the end.  Thanks for wanting to listen to my music.

why we love rock stars 

What is it with our obsessions with rock stars?To me it’s because music comes from the spiritual world, and musicians are our modern day shamans. 
The best music seems to need the musician to be in an altered state.Most artists seem to embrace this notion, happily doing drugs and alcohol, often to excess.
 
 
Unfortunately, this led to the unlucky ‘27th’ birthday which many of our finest musicians didn’t make it past.Even as they died from their excesses, the 60’s and 70’s musicians gave us some of the most classic rock ever written.
 
It wasn’t until the drugs changed from hallucinogenics to cocaine, did the songs start to go from exploring the spirit world, to exulting the material world.The 80’s brought in rock that was put together by businesses where money was the motive instead of creativity.Our shamans were no longer exploring the inner world, but instead, were all about ego instead.
 
I think this is why so many people don’t care as much about music.It doesn’t connect them with their inner world, but instead just asks them to worship the musician.American Idol takes this to absolute pinnacle of worship of the musician as an idol, above the rest of us because of personal power.
 
Now it’s the tech world that explore the inner world by giving us the ability to connect with each other through words and pictures, just as if we were all psychic.Our new shamans are the inventors of IPhones, IPads, video games and Apps.
 
Our musicians have been corrupted by the material world and now they no longer hold our fascination.We’ve moved on to the next shamans in our search for meaning in the material world.
 
It’s always about our search for home; the hero’s journey in the hard and lonely world materialism in which we’re all collectively trapped.We’re always looking for a savior to show us the way back home.
 
But just as Dorothy found out long ago, we all have the ability to go home any time we want, because home is inside all of us.

New CD in the works 

With enough new songs to make 3 new cds, I think it's time to start the next one.  My co-writer, Cory Wilds, who co-produced my last cd with Charlie Wilson, is going it solo this time.  Well, he'll have my help for what it's worth . . . 

The new songs have a more country sound to them, which is the first music I ever loved, well, that and gospel, so expect some foot-stomping blues, and more stories of my life and the what I see and experience going on around me.

I've realized that I'm not happy if I'm not singing, so I'm going to follow my bliss wherever it takes me.  And if anyone wants a cd, all they have to do is to send me an address and a signed cd will find it's way to your house.

Making the video for Waiting 

I've just come back from a wonderful weekend in Utah where our daughter lives.  Why Utah?  Because that's where Kelsey Daniels lives and works as a movie producer, production manager and sometime director.  

Our first day in Salt Lake City, her dad and I watched Kelsey's team blow up a fountain in a park.  They had to because there were landsharks attaching the Aquabats, a wonderful group of crime fighters who also play in a band, and are all-around nice guys.

Friday night was the wrap party for the Aquabats show, and we all bowled and ate pizza, and then watched one of the Aquabats shows and met all of the players and crew.  After meeting everyone, and seeing what a fun time they had, I'd work on the show for free.  Maybe they'll have a crime-fighting female singer some day . . . 

Saturday morning, we all met a 8:30 am at the Creative Arts Dance studio in Bountiful.  Dancers were everywhere.  It was a treat watching three sets of dancers filmed dancing to my song Waiting.  It was so magical.  Great job teaching the girls the steps Amber.

Kelsey wrote the script of the video and it's the wonderful story of a single mom always working to afford her young daughter's dance lessons, which leaves her unable to make many of the shows her daughter dances in through the years.  You'll have to see the finished video to see what happens.

Sunday was more work, and I had to actually act.  Since I am definitely not an actress, unless the situation requires me to be more enthusiastic about things my husband wants to do, like go on a boat for 4 months, or drive across the U.S. on a motorcycle in 30 degree weather . . . where was I?  Oh, right, I can't act, but no problem for the best young director in town, Kelsey told me what to do; yawn, look at the wall, and on and on.  Never more than 3 seconds of acting at a time(I think I could have done 5 seconds).

Monday, we took Kelsey and her helicopter pilot husband out for dinner at Valter's, a wonderful Italian place close to our hotel, where we had amazing food and great wine.

Tuesday morning we bundled up and hit the road.  I had on my Mother's Day present of an electric jacket under my winter Harley jacket, turned the seat warmer on high and off we went.

Driving across the country is both terrifying and amazing, but we made it back safe.  I watched a live explosion, rode in a helicopter, and rode a motorcycle across 3 states.  What a weekend!