We had really good show in Morris Plains, NJ this morning. Interesting layout with 3th, 4th ,5th ,6th grades on the main floor and 7th and 8th in the balcony. It’s not often we play schools with that grade range in one school, but it worked for us.

Saturday was a picture-perfect fall day for this festival in CT, in my old home town of Madison. Folks were all over the place, at reptile and birds of prey demos, hay rides, food consumption, and, of course, music. It was nice to see familiar faces from my East Wharf summer concerts, and lots of toddlers playing rhythm instruments. Fresh apple cider! Tis the season.

“Let’s Swim Together” was a ball on Friday night; we raised a ruckus and money for Matt’s new bout with therapy. Matt’s dad came up afterwards, and said that Matt’s doing well, looking good and up for the new round of treatments.

I put Matt’s picture on my guitar’s head stock, and the whole thing was video-taped for Matt, since he’s off to the hospital. We had “Shark” bracelets (ala Lance Armstrong’s) and a big production of “Magic Penny” performed by all the kids for Matt’s sake.

It’s great to see a community come together to help out the Bell family, especially those who baked cookies, donated raffle items, hot dogs, etc. Thanks to Christine Haffling for putting it all together.

I returned to Topton School on Thursday – a day between gigs – and signed a bunch of CD’s for the kids that ordered them.

It reminded me of a very funny thing that happens when I was there last month. I’ve taken to asking kids what their stage name is. I’m finding out that more girls have this figured out ahead of time…. One boy, Zeke, said, “I’m Z -man.” That was good. But the next kid told me his real name, and I when I asked him for his stage name, he said, “Bob.” A palpable silence and then the whole place went nuts… You had to be there. The only “Bob” I know would be Dylan, so it’s not overused.

Off to Belvidere, NJ for a benefit concert for Matthew Bell, for whom good friends of the Bell family are sponsoring this event. Two sets this Friday at 7 pm: lots of shaking and dancing and singing. I’m really looking forward to an evening celebrating community with these folks.

What a great name for a Jersey town. I wonder if it ever made it into Dave Van Ronk’s New Jersey Blues tune? Anyway it was good to get the lads out on the road again for another busy assembly season. The 3rd, 4th and 5th grade assembly really rocked – lotsa dancin’ and carryin’ on (educationally speaking, of course).

I had the Tuesday blues on a Wednesday – Nick corrected me – seems Columbus Day threw me off. Easily done…

I dropped in on Shirlene, who lives outside of Hellertown, PA with here husband and fan Dave, many cats and her glorious garden of dahlia’s. Row and rows of knockout beautiful flowers, some ten inches across. Its a slice of heaven to see these wonderful flowers, and to witness the tremendous amount of work that goes into these tubers. She’s in the midst of making arrangements and selling them to make some money for her church. One of my most favorite places on earth.

Kevin, Nick, Donnie and myself did a quick 15 minute showcase for YANJ in Hamilton, NJ this morning, introducing ourselves to a passel of 4th graders and a mess of PTA moms. It went well and it was good to see the lads again. Donnie’s got his own band up and running – checkout the Don Mayer Band site: donmayerband.com/ and Kevin’s off to Boston for his band’s gigs this weekend.

I’m in Bethlehem for the weekend – I’m running a Vintage Open Mike at Godfrey’s – it happens only on a blue moon, or the 5th Sunday of a month. We hope to see all the old open mike vets dust off their “cue-sticks” and come on out.

I had a wonderful time in Topton, PA today, back in my old haunts in the hills of Macungie, Longswamp, Mertztown, Kutztown, Siesholtzville, Rockville, Lyons. I played for the K-4th grades and we all worked up a sweat. Thanks, folks! Back to CT tomorrow morning – crack o’ dawn….

I had an inspiring Saturday at an Arts Education seminar in Middletown, CT, sponsored by Young Audiences of CT, on “The Art of Inclusion”. Centered on reaching children with disabilities, myself and a group of artists explored the latest in brain research in how the brain is wired in early childhood. Amazing! It seems most of the optimum windows of learning for speech, basic motor skills, vision, vocabulary, etc. happen early on, and that the arts play a great part in reinforcing them. Powerful stuff.

The past two nights have been some good get-togethers with some of my CT performers at two open mikes here in CT – Peaberry’s in Simsbury and at the Buttonwood in Middletown. A good crowd at Peaberry’s (I’ll be there the first Saturday of October) and I got to meet Sour Grapes, a husband/wife quasi-jug band. The lady played a boom-pah with a crutch as its base – very cool. We had a nice discussion about the boom-pah, or devil’s fiddle, as it’s called back in PA. Good time had by all. The Buttonwood was a small crowd, but inhabited by some of the same folks that were at Peaberry’s the night before. Do any of us have a life?

Off to the Farmers’ Market on the green in Madison today. I look forward to playing more than two songs….

It was a hot and sweaty day in Kent, NY, as I helped open up this hamlet’s community day on Sunday. I encountered a young blond kid who used every chance to get on mike to sing “Leaving on a Jet Plane”. The power of the microphone! Back to CT…..

I’ve been doing some work on my computer to process some great pix passed on to me by some very creative kids. I’m in the process of putting these pictures into a workable form and will be making some of this great kids’ art available. Stay tuned.

Another rousing session at one of my favorite gigs (yes, another one…) on Third Street on the SouthSide of Bethlehem – First Friday. Interpretive dance, laugh-out-loud toddlers, and mighty fine chocolate.

As I set up in the afternoon, Brian greeted me with chocolate-soaked gloves – how cool a job is that?! Well, we’re in the same boat – folks who decided to work for ourselves. Yes, there are moments when we both wonder what the heck are we doing? Well, ya gotta do what ya have to do….

A wonderful moment with a dancing toddler, simply starting to dance (how come the adults aren’t ?) and then bursting into laughter. It caught fire. Yes, adults, kids, and myself, couldn’t help but chuckle out loud. A woman came up afterwards and said, “It’s a gift from God to make children laugh.”

Yes, it is. And it still is all of us, if allowed to bloom. Sometimes you have to let the children lead: dance, laugh, sing and be ourselves. I’m a lucky guy, to be able to experience it so often.

As the summer comes to a close, we did it in style at the East Wharf Gazebo in Madison. Another beautiful evening on the beach. Thanks to all who came out this summer for these wonderful family events, and to Austin Hall of the Beach and Recreation Dept. and his new daughter, Grace, who made her appearance tonight. So many familiar faces and so many Madison friends! I hope y’all can make it out to my next Madison gig on Sept. 14th on the Green for the Farmers’ Market.

I’ll be making up the missed August gig on Dec. 8th when I gig with Santa Claus at the Surf Club. Stay tuned!

It was my pleasure to attend for the third year Will Tressler’s annual picking party in Easton, CT. On their rambling CT farm, Will, his wife Katie and his family have been throwing this hoot for 44 years, drawing pickers and grinners and folkies in a rarefied opportunity to celebrate music. Groups like the Ash Creek String Band, the Pulpit Rock Rounders, the Easton Banjo Band, the Walking Wood Mandolin Quartet and Will’s own band The Jackson Pike Skifflers. Bluegrassers jamming here, Irish tin whistlers over there, .

The Tressler’s barn is a great venue, stage and sound, tables and folk music in front of a listening audience. I got to play three songs early on, and then I settle in to take it all in.

Last year, Pete Seeger showed up and played; what a great surprise and I got Pete to sign my banjo. This event makes my summer and epitomizes all that’s good about Connecticut folk scene, and folk music in general.

Whoda thunk… that I’d be on the Toddler Tour at Pottery Barn for Kids. Today I was in Newark, Delaware. Packed house and a great crowd. Again, I do get the best seat in the house. Moms with babies, toddlers, pre-k, grandparents. Exposure to live, acoustic music is such a great thing, regardless of age, and it’s a privilege to introduce music to these new ears and minds. I come away surprisingly refreshed.

If you blinked, you missed my Musikfest appearance this year. A good, sweaty time was had by all. We passed around the fool’s hats and carried on under the tent. My friends from Kentucky drove up for their annual visit (hat’s off, folks), Dawn – PASELA partner was there (fellow honorary kid), and lots of friends and families from other far flung places. Seamus Kennedy knocked off a great family set before me, and stuck around for some of my set. It’s a special treat to play for Irish royalty.

Several great moments – lots of kids on stage. and a banjo-failure. Hmmm.

One girl had a new Knock-knock one that I loved for some reason..
Knock, knock. Who’s there? Orange. Orange who? Orange you glad I didn’t say Rock and Roll? I’m still chewing on that one.

My friends, Dave and Terry did sound, and it’s fun to have nice equipment to play with – first of all, I didn’t have to set it up, and, second, I could concentrate on the audience. Thanks, guys…

Sunday’s gig was in Westchester, PA for Moms of Multiples – twins, twins, twins everywhere, with some fraternal duos as well (brother/sister). I had the best seat in the house, watching and comparing the look-a-likes. Fascinating!

Back to CT, crack o’dawn to play at Bright Horizons day care in Orange. Again, lots of fun for all.

Truly one of the gems of CT in Old Lyme, the Florence Griswold Museum is a world-class museum of American Impressionism, where Florence had a boarding house of artists who congregated, painted out in nature and shared a new revolutionary way of painting. There’s a modern museum facility, and Florence’s house is chock full of the works of her boarders, including paintings in the panels of the doors and kitchen/dining room.

I played two sets under the shade of a giant tree, and we had a ball. Old Lyme was swamped with art lovers all over town and it was a hot, humid day. Ah, July!

RockRoots had the privilege and pleasure to play for the good folks, kids and teachers, near Atlantic City today. It’s a time to reflect on the power of music; it’s an awesome device that creates community and positive energy in our world. My thanks to the guys in the band who continue to reach out to every audience we play for.