... continued
from home page
that it
wasn't something
they were
comfortable
with. I realized
quickly that
"you dudes wanna
frolic?" was too
open-ended of an
invitation so I
left as fast as
I could. But
it's hard to
hurry when
you're taking
the bus. When
the driver shut
the door behind
me there were
six of 'em
slammed up
against it with
various tools in
their paws.
 In
mid-May I'm
performing some
private concerts
in the South.
I'm playing in
Kentucky,
Tennessee and
North Carolina,
then wandering
around to enjoy
some of the
beautiful
country down
there before the
wall of humidity
crashes down on
'em. I love to
travel where I
have open ended
days and can
drive three of
four hours and
stop for the day
if I like, or if
I'm in the mood
and "makin' good
time!", drive
the whole day if
I like. It all
depends on what
calls to me
along the road.
There's nothing
like rolling
into a little
town you've
never seen
before, loving
the feel of the
place, and just
checking into a
hotel and
spending the day
wandering around
town. I'm a
wanderer at
heart. I have no
degree, but
somebody should
give me an
honorary
Doctorate.
I have had some
really wonderful
concerts over
the last year.
Last fall I
played in Vail,
Colorado at the
Season of Song
Festival, then
did a concert in
Los Angeles and
one in Casper,
Wyoming. You
can't really get
more varied than
that. I also
played several
concerts around
Washington
State. For many
years I played
all over the US
but not often in
the Northwest.
It's been very
enjoyable to
sing for folks
in some of the
Washington towns
I've always
loved but never
sang in.
Anacortes,
Snohomish,
Conway,
Oysterville,
Issaquah,
Olympia,
Bremerton,
Winslow. You'd
enjoy any one of
those towns if
you were to walk
through them and
see their
neighborhoods.
I still have
plans to begin a
Kickstarter
campaign this
year in order to
raise the funds
and get a buzz
going for my
next album. I
have some strong
songs that I
really love for
this one. I tend
to go slow in my
writing,
collecting songs
here and there
until I realize
that I have a
batch of songs I
believe in and
that will flow
beautifully
together on an
album. I am
going to need a
lot of help and
a lot of word of
mouth when I get
ready to launch
this. If you've
never checked
out
Kickstarter.com
or any of the
other crowd
funding sites,
they essentially
are a way for
people all over
the world to
help a work of
art or a project
or new business
get off the
ground by
participating at
one of several
levels offering
various gifts
for your money.
If you love my
music and want
to hear more,
and would like
to be a part of
the groundswell
that gets it
going, I would
love to have
your help. I'll
send you notice
when I'm ready,
so please be
sure I have your
current email
address.
 There
have been some
really deeply
painful things
happening in our
world this last
year. For me and
for many, there
has been nothing
more painful and
despairing than
the loss of
those precious
children's lives
- and their
teachers' and
guardians' - in
Newtown. I
stumbled around
like everyone
else over
Christmas. It
just didn't seem
possible that it
had happened. I
walked out on a
dock in a lake
one evening,
trying to find
my way, and I
began writing a
song. I knew I
could not hurry
it. Those
precious lives
and that earth
shattering
tragedy are
forever a part
of our lives
now. I trust
that if I am
going to be able
to write
anything
meaningful and
comforting and
uplifting, it
will have to
come not from my
mind, but
through my soul.
For me, the only
way to do that
is to take my
time and allow
to come through
what is there in
the moment. I
pick up my
guitar every few
days and I sing
what I have and
I sense faint
pictures and
messages
forming.
Sometimes there
is a new line or
only a new word.
When I feel in
my heart that it
is done I will
share it with
you.
I have a
strong desire to
come to New
England to sing.
The upper East
Coast and New
England have
endured some
extremely
difficult
challenges in
this last year.
I would love to
sing in rooms
full of
neighbors and
help people to
remember that we
are in this
together, no
matter our
political
leanings or
philosophies. I
hope to find a
way to get there
in the fall. If
I do, I will
definitely send
you notice.
As I always do,
I would like to
remind you to
take some deep
conscious
breaths every
day. As many
times as you
remember to do
so. While this
idea can sound
like simple
common good
sense - and it
is - it is truly
something so
much greater
than that. There
is literally a
path to peace in
following your
breath. There is
a transmutation
of pain and fear
that can come
about, a natural
process given to
humanity. We
don't need to
know how. We
only need to
sense ever so
slightly that
there may be
something of
value here - and
it will begin to
happen. We don't
have to
understand. We
don't even have
to have such
faith that we
KNOW it will
happen. Just a
speck of faith
in your own
inner voice. If
anything I write
here calls to
you in some way,
inhale and
exhale slowly
into your heart,
and follow your
sense of where
that leads. You
may do it far
better than I
do. I hope you
do.
I greatly
appreciate that
you listen to my
music and that
many of you have
shared it with
friends over the
years. I have 13
albums. If
you're missing
any, or you feel
you have a
friend who could
benefit from
having one or
two CDs, please
consider going
to my
CD Ordering
link and browse
through. See if
there are any
that call to
you. You'll be
helping me to
make a living
and keep on
recording and
singing. But
more important,
you'll be
sharing
something that
often brings
comfort and
peace and a
sense of
gratitude in the
world. Thank you
for that. I hope
this springtime
is a loving one
for you.
Your friend in
breezy Seattle,
~Michael
PS, I have this
Standing
Offer:
If you have a
friend or loved
one going
through a
difficult time
of loss or
illness -
yourself
included -
please allow me
to email a kind
note and an
uplifting song.
Anytime you wish
me to do this,
just
email me and
send this
information;
first/last name,
city, email
address. I will
send a song and
a note.
Also, I am a
frequent updater
of my
Basefook page.
If you do not
normally enjoy
FB or if you
fear that it
might be a waste
of your time, I
understand. But
I believe you
will find that
my posts are
uplifting and
sometimes
hilarious, on
occasion even
insightful. You
can find me at
www.facebook.com/michael.tomlinson
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