I headed back to the Da Vinci Center for the second visit in three days, today being the day of the eclipse and the joint was really jumping. Not bad for a moon day Monday. I set up my sound in the large room while the staff was dealing with the large crowd, now both inside and out on the lawn. Folks with moon shades, kids, parents and grandparents. I surveyed the crowd in front of me, a few families, some familiar faces and folk eating ice cream, waiting for the celestial show. A pretty motley scene. It was partly cloudy, and, eventually, the sun came out so that everyone got a glimpse of the sun and moon.

I started off and invited the kids to come up and grab an instrument and a nice core group of about ten kids or so jumped at the chance. A good start, but then I realized that quite a few faces were pointed towards the large screen television on the wall to my right. My effort was being diluted by the Demon Screen once again. The engagement factor was difficult but I rolled along. I got out Rocket To the Moon by Moon Mulligan (a single entendre song) but it was a good rock and roll tune, the kids were banging away so it worked, for what it was worth. Folks drifted in and out with several kids there for the long run. I added I Can See Clearly Now, Moonshadow but popped a string on Here Comes the Sun. Tough crowd.

Several families made a point to come by and see me, with several moms and kids coming up afterward to say hello and share some of their DF stories (“I saw you when I was a kid….”). The Da Vinci folks thanked me profusely, even though they were swamped in the moment. That was gratifying.

The eclipse had started during my set, so I packed up, put stuff in the car and took in the event and the crowd. It was good to see folks engaged in science, spending time with each other and enjoying the moment together. I borrowed some shades to check out the 70% blockage, and drove back home taking in the somewhat softer sunlight. Not bad for a late summer Monday gig. Not bad at all.

I was glad the Da Vinci folks asked me to be part of this series of events at the center. I’ll be back on Monday for the main event, but it was good to do a Saturday afternoon for these folks. I worked up a couple of Moon and Sun songs and was able to work these tunes in, along with the other standard DF stuff.

There were some folks who made a point to make for the show, as well as families that stumbled upon the show, so it was a small, but interesting group to work with. There were all kind of challenges and wonderful rewards as we mixed up scarves, shakers, sing alongs, etc.

One kind lady came up before I started, introduced herself as a mom and grandmom raising her kids on my music. I hear this fine stories pretty often and are always appreciated. She then went on that she was a life-long piano teacher. Now that got my attention. We went on to discuss, among other things, her ear-training with her students, my seven years of piano lessons as a kid and other flotsam. A wonderful connection, and one that I exercised later on.

I brought out my sun and moon songs during the set, and they turned out to be some good tunes and connections. I could see the adults sing along with the pop tunes (I Can See Clearly Now, Here Comes the Sun and Moon Shadow) and the kids could simply jam on the stuff in mosh pit.

The special moment came when I did Giants with the Thunder Tubes. I had really leaned on the Piano Lady’s grandson, a really reticent tweener and would not budge under my incessant badgering. When it came to doing this tune I called on his grandfather to bring him up. He budged! I promised I wouldn’t bug him again in this lifetime. He came up did it. It was a very good thing. After the show, I chatted with Piano Lady. She thanked me for my effort, and I said that I accepted the challenge as an performing artist. It worked, and, actually, I think the audience responded to it, as well.

I love the scarves. They open up my performance explorations to creative movement with the kids. Not everyone wants to play a rhythm instrument. It is quite a challenge for everyone, especially kids. We used the open space in front of me nicely and the parents particularly liked to see their kids engaged like this. I get the best seat in the house.

The Da Vinci Center liked what I did for this smaller audience. I’m not worried about the size of the audience.

I’ll be back on Monday for the Really Big Eclipse Show. Should be very cool.

I signed up to do my Topsy Turvy Tuesday set this week, anticipating the fact that Musikfest no longer books kids’ music during the festival. It was a small but responsive audience of about 30 people, with familiar faces in the crowd. I was lucky that my friend Dave E. had his wits about him to help me call Doug to come down and open up for the morning’s show. It turned out fine.

It was a mix of Fry-fans, young kids, grandparents and moms in the big open space that served well, especially for the young lad who was born to run…. There were some folks visiting grandparents from England, and their young daughter was quite precocious; she knew my stuff and had her favorites and it was a delight to have her chat with me in an English accent. There were three girls who simply wanted to dance, and the scarves gave them the opportunity to express themselves that way. Other kids gradually warmed up, and, again, the bag of instruments gave me the way to connect. Still, there are some very shy boys that don’t quite know how to react. I make an effort to engage each child in a non-threatening way (I am quite daunting…) and succeed in various ways. That is my main artistic challenge.

The secondary challenge is to engage the adults as well, and enjoy adding asides, curious verses and more, in order to entertain them as well, especially if they buy my CDs.  (Just kidding, kinda…)

It was a good gig under the radar during Musikfest.

I headed back to Das Awkscht Fest for my family set in a pavilion off to the side of the swings. These sets have been tough to gather folks for over the last several years, but I respect the festival for trying to include family shows. Again, they hire the local clowns, magicians, jugglers and other friends who ply the trade here in the L.V.  I had an 11 am show, knowing I had a 2 pm show at Musikfest.

It was spectacular weather, almost a crisp fall day, and as Balloons The Clown drove off, having performed for no one, I settled in to play tunes. I was glad they had a PA set up, just to broadcast that I was playing. A mom and her two sons pulled up outside the pavilion, and seeing that it was empty, they hesitated to commit to coming in. Luckily, they were familiar faces and I encouraged them to look through the bag for instruments. (I can’t tell you how important that bag is, in engaging kids, and transferring their social angst with a live musician into something less imposing.

As I played, families drifted over and joined in, egg shakers and maracas, rain stick and puppets, all headed out into the crowd. It was never a big crowd, but kids, parents and grandparents and myself (and the sound guy, too) had a good time.

As I finished up with few folks in the pavilion, one grandmom was having her hands full with her toddler grandson. She was a former special ed teacher who had worked with me in the schools, and she asked that I do Spider on the Floor. I obliged, and it was interesting how the boy linked in to the tune, obviously bemused with the live version of one of his favorite CD cuts. Stopped him in his tracks.

I’ve run into this phenomenon with young children who have to process the live rendition of familiar tunes, especially when it is my voice on the CD and now live in front of them. Fascinating and enlightening. I love these experiences.

Off to Musikfest for the final gig of the tour….

I was asked by good friends Christine and Craig Thatcher to return to this 16th year community benefit for Coopersburg folks who need the help. Community taking care of community.

I glad I could do the opening set at 1 pm, part of their ‘kids first’ effort to bring the families out to the festival. It worked much better, with balloon guy, crafts, etc. I was set up with a great sound system on a fine stage (yum!) pointing toward another tent with some seating. Unfortunately a hot space of macadam between us. And, as I supposed, there were more elders than children in the audience. But, then again, that’s okay. The old folks get it faster than the kids.

It was a very good set, especially with musicians Craig and Nyke in the house. I had better play good. I did and it was fun to play a good, crisp set for a good cause, in front of people who listened, supporting my friends on a perfect July Sunday afternoon. I got paid in food that I am enjoying even as I type. That’s pretty good!

This is such a good gig for me. The good folks at the Florence Griswold Museum hire me regularly (a beautiful thing) for various events, not the least is the Midsummer Festival in Old Lyme. This small coastal CT town was abuzz, with art shows, events, food, music, etc going on, along side the museum’s festival. The joint was jumping. I had a very small part.

The FloGris is a spectacular site that includes a contemporary museum, wonderful grounds along a river, an elegant New England house that is a museum unto itself, as well as an active, hands-on children’s art workshop. It celebrates the first America impressionists’ community/colony. These artists would gather at Florence’s house, head out to the nearby river and paint au plein air.  And their artwork adorns the wall of the old house. It’s a magic place. https://florencegriswoldmuseum.org/

I had two sets in a small barn area, a good space to work in, and engaged a bunch of people, kids, new parents, etc. as they happened on the site. No big spotlight on this gig, but I do what I do. Small gatherings but some good contact. They pay me well, but they pay me as an artist. That’s why the remains a special gig.

Long ride home in I-95 traffic, but these treks to CT are good for me. It’s nice to know I’m appreciated outside of the Lehigh Valley.