I’m pleased to say that, even though the rest of the country is in a downward spiral, my numbers saw a nice bump in 2011, back up to 2009 levels!
I taught 415 Music Together classes - the exact same number I taught in 2010. In addition, I taught 55 “Sonic Uke” ukulele classes at Guitar Bar Jr.
I performed at 32 parties, way up from last year. I also did three Santa Claus visits.
The Fuzzy Lemons played 35 concerts, and I did 4 shows with other bands (including the Gordys and my Music Together cohorts).
Grand total: approx. 544 hours of performing for kids, an average of about 90 minutes a day. I hope everyone else enjoyed it as much as I did!
~ Dave
Folks all around me in Hoboken felt the affects of today’s earthquake, but I didn’t feel a thing. Which is disappointing to me (not that I wish it had been worse, mind you), and frankly worrisome. I mean, buildings were shaking! Am I really so out of it?
I kinda figured this would happen. My Music Together classes have taken a small nose-dive: I taught over 500 in 2008, but only 415 in 2010. It’s the economy, and I’m already seeing as slow rise again. On the other hand, the Lemons went from 21 shows in 2008 to a whopping 38 in 2010!
So, tallying those numbers along with birthday parties (a pitiful 17, way down from previous years) and non-Lemons performances (6), and I come up with approx. 476 hours spent performing for children and families. That only comes out to 76 minutes per day, but I’m still proud to say I spent more than an hour a day making music for kids in 2010.
Just wait ’till next year! The Lemons already have over 20 shows on the calendar for 2011, I’ve already done three parties, and I’m teaching some new classes in addition to Music Together. Gonna put some big numbers on the board. Watch this space!
~Dave
Today we returned to lovely Hoboken after a week away for Christmas. In our absence, NJ was hit buy up to two feet of snow in some places (we got quite a bit up in CT, as well). Our landlord hadn’t been by to shovel our steps, and apparently no one else in our building was around, so today marks the first time I’ve ever had to shovel my way IN to the building.
In other news, I’m all kinds of behind on the bloggity blog. I need to get a few final gig diary entries in, including my recent visit as Santa to All Saints, then I’ll tot up the numbers. I suspect that they’ll be down from last year, owing to the greatly reduced number of classes I’ve been teaching lately. Ah well.
Goodness, I’ve had NO gigs this month! I’ve only had one birthday party, and I’m only teaching 9 or 10 classes a week instead of my usual 13 or 14. This is gonna bring my numbers way down. But on the up-side, I’ve had a LOT of great time to spend with my family. We’ve been up to the pool on campus quite regularly, and we’re off to northern CA at the end of next week to visit a whole bucketful of relatives. Tonight we went over to the Shipyard to see our pal Big Jeff perform with his band, The Bouncy People. Which reminds me, next Tuesday I am sitting in with Erin Lee and her new band at the Shipyard. I’d better rehearse….
Ugh! I just did a dumb thing at the playground, trying to run up the edge of the slide. I jumped for the rail at the top, lost my footing, and wound up dangling from the rail. I wrenched my left arm and bashed my left leg against the slide. It hurt so bad I was nauseous for a moment. Feeling a little better now but still very sore. Lifting my left arm hurts like the dickens.
In other news, It’s been a crazy few weeks. Oh, sure, on the surface I’ve just been finishing out my fall Music Together semester, and haven’t had any gigs, Lemony or otherwise. But behind the scenes: The Fuzzy Lemons album To The Moon is DONE! We spend this last week finishing the artwork, finishing the mix, and getting it mastered. The pieces were all delivered to DiskMakers before the week’s end. Someone, probably Dana, will have to drive down to south NJ to pick up the finished, shrink-wrapped CDs on Thursday, Dec 3.
We’ll be selling them at our Fuzzy Friday show in Brooklyn on the 4th, and having an official kick-off party in Hoboken on Dec 5. Woohoo! I’ve said it many times, the disc sounds amazing. Not only did everyone play really well, but everyone made significant contributions during the mixing process. And of course our producer Dan McLoughlin is a wizard for turning us into the band you’re going to hear on the CD. And his colleague Ed Littman punched the album up even more during the mastering process. A lot of brains, heart, effort and talent went into this. It’s gone from being a collection of songs to an ALBUM, a true piece of art.
And speaking of art, the artwork by Erik Craddock is just delightful. He did wonderful drawings of the band as moon-men (and women), pointy ears and all, and turned the lyrics of “To The Moon” into a 12-page comic book that’ll be included with the CD. The entire package is a treat from start to finish, and I think folks are really going to enjoy listening to it and looking at it. Time will tell, of course, but I’m feeling really really good about it….
At the end of last year I counted up all of the classes and concerts I’d done and found out that I’d averaged 90 minutes per day performing music for kids.
I’m pleased to say that I’ve kept that number up: As of the end of August 2009, the average is 96 minutes per day (assuming I’ve done the math right… I was an English major, after all).
So far in 2009 I’ve: Been part of the first rock concert at Liberty Science Center, won a People’s Choice award, performed on a restored barge on the Hudson River, played at a Pete Seeger birthday party, performed solo and with 5 different bands, at various synagogues, bars, museums, play places, restaurants, outdoor venues and the Elk’s Club.
None of it would be possible without the wonderful people of Hoboken and the awesome musicians in my life: the Fuzzy Lemons, Music Together, The Gordys, Erin Lee and Marci, and the rest. Thanks everyone!!!!!!!!!
Hi everyone! It’s been almost a month since my last post… mainly because August is vacation month! I haven’t had any gigs or classes in over 3 weeks. It’s been a lovely time. I got to do some waterskiing in CT on my dad’s boat, and the Fuzzy Lemons have used the time to write a new song or two.
Now, refreshed and ready, we’re launching into the Fall of ‘09. First order of business: FINISH THE CD! We’ve booked two more 10-hour days at Garden Street Music, for Dana, Kipley and myself to record guitars, vocals, keys, accordions, mandolins, woodwinds, and gosh-knows what else. Meanwhile, we’re starting to bounce ideas around for album artwork. The goal is to be able to put the thing in people’s hands on Dec. 1. I love seeing all of this creativity come together!
At the same time, we’ve got a bunch of gigs coming up, including some road trips!
September 12 - Concert for the Mustard Seed school in Hoboken
