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On Getting Out & Sitting In 

Getting out. Most musicians I know hate finding their own gigs. It’s uncomfortable to sell oneself and to negotiate compensation. For musicians who are just getting started, it’s a Catch-22; venues want to know where you’re performing and what…

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When is it ok to work for free?

“There are some things worth having, but they come at a price, and I want to be one of them." 

- From the movie, Out of Africa 

If you are a professional in any industry, then you should be compensated…

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In Defense of Live Music

 

"Jazz is there and gone. It happens. You have to be present for it. That simple." 

- Keith Jarrett 

 

In 1970, my father founded Controls For Automation, Inc. in Waltham, MA. He explained to me that he would go…

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Lip-Syncing Is Lying, Plain and Simple

Tonight I was channel surfing and paused at PBS for a disco special.  Do you remember the song, “Don’t Rock the Boat?”  [Here’s the ‘70’s version from The Hues Corporation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfBwsG8ubFw). Hearing it live, a wave of nostalgia came over…

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Why do you ask what I do?

I find it annoying when I meet a person socially who immediately asks me what I do. I wouldn’t ask a person I’ve just met what s/he does any more than I’d ask what s/he weighs. What I look for…Read more
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Seven Days of Silence and What It Taught Me

Have you ever imagined what it might be like if you couldn’t speak?  I mean literally not speak. Well, it happened to me – voted the 8th grade Class Chatterbox - who never stopped talking, voice acting, and singing…Read more
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The Jazz Metaphor

I love and have always listened to many different kinds of music – from rock to  Broadway to swing to blues and R&B – even some rap.   When I started taking voice lessons at 16, the standard fare was classical…Read more
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The Joy of Fishing

My father started taking me fishing as soon as I was old enough to hold a bamboo rod.  From there, I graduated to a fresh water rod to catch slightly larger fish as I grew old enough and big enough…Read more
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Contracts & Releases - Think Before You Sign

 
As an entertainer, you never know when or from where your next job is coming.  Many involve auditions….and waiting.  So when you are selected for a job, it’s natural to be eager and excited, and hungry.  Once you and the…Read more