Sinking in

I have the mixed blessing of having my computer at home not working. This means that I cannot update my website and other things as I would like to. It also means that I won't get 'lost' surfing the net when I should be picking more. On top of that, it means that if I want to update my blog, such as now, I have to find some quiet time at work and do it then (now).

It is sinking in that I am about to be a solo act again. As I have said before, there are things that I look forward to about that, and other things, not so much. I do know that I have a lot of work to do to be where I want to be for performing solo.

This weekend I was working on recording some for a CD. I listened to a song I had written that David and I had recorded last year while working toward a duo CD and realized that there was nothing I could do alone that would sound as good as what we did together. It made me realize how much I would miss his picking and singing beside me. There are things I can do to sound good ( I almost said good enough, but remembered that good enough seldom is), just not as good as it is with two. Kind of like Doc Watson.  I have gone to see him many times in the last 35 years.  I have heard him with Jack Lawrence, his Grandson Richard, with David Holt and others.  He always sounds great, but has never sounded quite at great as he did with Merle and T. Michael Coleman.  I will just have to work those songs out to where they sound right when I play them alone, and maybe I can have some other picking friends to join me sometimes too.

When I played solo before, it took me a while to get to the point that I felt as good about my show alone as I did as a duo. I first tried to replicate our duo show by myself. It did not work. I finally figured out what worked best for me to do alone, and then worked on new songs to add and improve my show. I am hoping, and believe, it will not take as long to get back to that point as it did the first time. I do have set lists from before to work from, and have put together a list of more songs I want to add. Now to work out the arrangements and instrumentation that best works for me and the audience.

October 16th at Unicoi will be the final Buck and Nelson Performance. David has taken time off periodically since he first started picking. I have a feeling that he may really be retiring this time. I will miss him, and I will enjoy continuing to perform. We have been friends since high school and will continue to be friends. I wish him all the best in whatever he does, and hope he finds a way he enjoys to share the talent he has on musical instruments. And I hope I may occasionally have the welcome surprise I had at several programs I played solo before and look out in the audience to see him sitting there.

I want to get back to writing more songs again. I have put that in the back and stopped doing it as much. I have several ideas for songs and need to get them on paper and add music.

I also need to get back to marketing, promoting, and booking shows. I have 3 programs to play solo between now and the end of November. I have been thinking back and remember that I set up more shows solo that I did as a duo. Part of that was because I liked to be performing regularly to keep myself sharp, and partly because I enjoy traveling more than David does. I need to pull out my list of venues, start making calls and writing letters or e-mails, then add to the list of venues I already have. I also want to start targeting places I would like to go and perform. I am thinking of taking a week or so this winter and doing a small tour through Florida. I have joined the Friends of Florida Folk and have a list of many places that have music throughout the year. So we will see.

Of course, I really need to finish my CD and have it available to sell at shows, and especially if I am to take a tour of anything out of my usual area. I do have a list of songs I plan to include and may add or take away as I see how they sound when played back to me.

I appreciate those of you who have followed me enough to find this blog. Thank you for your support, your encouragement, and for coming out to my performances. If you know of a place I could perform near you, please let me know and I will check it out.

See you down the road,
Nelson