I get to gather and gabber with fellow teaching artists every once in while, and it is always a delicious meeting of like minds. We’re all doing kids and family music in a vast array of situations, but we all, pretty much, know what we’re doing.
It was at the home of Janet, head Cat in the Pajamas band, and we have shared the presentation of good kids music for 20 years. She gave me the best feedback of the day when I arrived early to the party. She said she had just listen to All Around the Kitchen from my Playground CD, and she loved it. Since she works with a band, getting kids up and dancing, playing real music with real musicians for families, I took her complement at full value. Yes, that sound kicks serious ass.
Familiar faces from past gatherings, some nice catch-ups with folks and how they’re doing, where they’re doing it. David and Jenny are good friends, and it’s always good to see them.
We did a round robin of one song each, and I had several in mind but landed on Jelly in the Dish, a good song for intelligent people, with lots of rhythm instruments, lyric development. funk value and a ‘studio fade-out ending’ that is different than everyone else. The socialization is important, but, again, I’d rather play.
My Honda got hit by two deer on the outskirts of Bethlehem on the way home. Could be the end of an era with the ole Honda CRV, 13 years on the road and 433,350 miles. As the blues tune goes, “She’s a good ole wagon, but she done broke down.”