KVMR (89.5 Nevada City, CA) asked me to contribute an original holiday song to their seasonal fundraiser CD. I've always had some kind of resistance to writing one of these so-called holiday songs, so I embraced it as a challenge.The…

Well, it's summer, and many of us are heading for the water, be it ocean, lake or river. I have a song I'll share with you now that I wrote for someone who really loves rivers -- Laurie Lewis. 

Laurie…

Here's a song (use the player at the bottom of the page) that didn't make the cut to produce for the For Real album.  I guess I didn't feel it was ready.  Since then I think I've dropped the bridge…

An extra special subscriber thing!  Our most recent release called LIVE FROM LOCKDOWN is straight from the soundboard at the Center for the Arts on January 29, 2021.  It was a livestream concert, streamed to members of the center, and…

Here' s something I'm not very proud of, but it does have its merits. Sometimes it comes up in my head and I think, "hey that was cool!"  Background: every once in a while I delve into sort of an…

I grew up in between Northern California's two big volcanoes, Mt. Shasta and Mt. Lassen.  My paternal grandmother grew up at the base of Mt. Shasta.  There's a native story I've heard about the origin of humans in the area…

When I made For Real, there were a number of songs I left off. This is one of them, in demo form (just me and my guitar,) called Not In My Name. (Use the player at the bottom of the…

I've just decided to make a live album/CD out of the set that Sean and I did at the Grass Valley Center for the Arts on January 29th. We've not made a live record since "Live in the 16 to…

Alrighty, I finished this song called Fire Follows Fuel.  It has an echoing melodic riff that I asked Sean to play -- I can do it on guitar, but I can't keep it up very well throughout the song. He's…

I've been thinking on this theme lately, and came up with this little rough start to a song today.  Yes, my mind is often thinking about fire, but in this case, I'm reflecting upon the volatile state of our country…

Since I call this a creative journal, here's another rough draft song sketch.  I teach songwriting via Rivertunes At Home this weekend, so I'm trying to get my circulation moving for those quick, 5 minute song starts. You know, just…

I wrote this tune yesterday, and I like it okay so far.  I've been walking and working out how I'd like to sing it, and looking for any natural bridges.  Walking with a tune in my head is one of…

Alrighty, I went with "song" on the No Place But Here poem from post #16.  It did get changed a bit to become a song, and I made a video to go with it. 

I decided to make this video…

This is a little ditty I wrote in response to a sweet poem title prompt from Ian Taylor, "Owl Hoots the Plum Blossom Moon."  It seems very timely for spring and whatnot, though it still feels like work in progress…

I only had the chance to play this song twice on stage, before the quarantine hit.  It's a song I'd been threatening to write since I published For the Ride, on For Real (2018).  It's become apparent to me, at…

I'd meant to post this last night, and was thrown by John Prine's passing.  But, I think Mr. Prine would agree that unlike cars, roads and buildings, the world can't have too many songs.  So, in this time of magnified…

New song, just "finished" today. Ya never know, though. 

Free Stuff 

Stack of bibles, kids’ snow boots, 
Upright piano, bent pool cue 
Pick-up tires, adult diapers, 
A GE electric dryer, 
Pink chair and a plaid sofa, 
A basket shaped like…

Here's a new song, Quarantine. I think it's not quite done, so maybe after I do more work on it, like sort out my singing, arranging, and a possible bridge, I'll repost an improved version.  For now, here you go…