It's hard to believe it's been months since I last updated this page. Sometimes I stay too busy for my own good. It's the blessing and curse of doing what you love to do. I'm not complaining at all. Right now I'm in NYC doing a week of school performances on behalf of Operation Respect. I came here from Bemidji, MN where I participated in Kindness Week at several schools. If you've never had the experience of 16 below zero, try northern MN in the winter. I got to drive on Lake Bemidji and I learned firsthand what ice fishing is all about. Interesting.....In March I'll be home in CA all month enjoying time with family and friends and filming videos for my new songwriting website songwork.com More on that later. Take care...
Kindness Week and ice fishing...
Mexico and beyond...
I just got home from Melaque, Mexico. We went with a group of friends to this small town an hour north of Manzanillo. What a cool place. It is one of those fast-disappearing real deal authentic villages where Americans haven't taken over yet. The people are really nice and made us feel very welcome. Great food and pretty good tequila, too. I'm not much of a drinker, but several nights I was "forced" to partake in the local custom of shooting shots. For those of you who are really bored, there are photos of me on Facebook in compromising positions. My son caught 20 fish, mostly yellowfin Tuna. It was a nice hang with good friends, great conversation and beautiful sunsets. Oh and for a change, no guitar. It was a fun week, indeed. I'm sure I'll write a song about it soon...
I'm off to Colorado on Friday for my favorite Folk Festival and song school. This will be my 12th year at the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest and at this point I can't imagine August without a visit to Lyons, CO. Check it out some summer. You won't be sorry. From there I go to Boston to teach at the prestigious Berklee College of Music with my friend Pat Pattison. I will be back in the bay area at the end of August. Till then...
Songwriting with kids, New York to Nashville and jury duty...
I can't believe it's been 6 months since my last Steve's corner post. You might think I haven't updated this page because I have nothing to share with you. On the contrary, there is a lot going on that keeps me so busy that I sometimes forget to take the time to write things down here. Oops!
On a personal note, I have embarked on a long-term health kick, eating well and getting more exercise than in recent years. I've been playing softball on Sundays when I'm in town -- as well as swimming and weekly tennis matches. I'm even visiting the much hated gym. It feels really good. I'll keep you posted.
I've had so much fun this year doing my Songwriting with Kids program in many schools across the country. Most recently I wrote 10 songs with students in Clearlake Oaks, CA and Menlo Park, CA. You can check them out on my School Songs page. At the end of the month I'll be heading to upstate NY and then Nashville. It's been a really rough road for many of my friends in Nashville following the horrific flood of a century. The cleanup will continue for a long time. But the heart and soul of the city is evident everywhere with volunteers coming out of the woodwork and benefit concerts happening all across the country. I will be part of one in June here in CA organized by West Coast Songwriters. I hope to do more when I'm in Nashville. That's all for now. I will write again early next month...
P.S. I'm serving on my first jury ever. And no -- I can't discuss the case... 
Coming home for the holidays...
I love traveling - but I sure love coming home, too... I spent the past month in Nashville, New York, Asheville and Indiana. Besides doing assemblies at 20 schools in Indiana, I also wrote some new songs with the elementary students there. (Check out the School Songs page to listen to some of these songs.) I also got to write a bunch of new songs with some Norwegian and Danish writers I met in Nashville. It was a wonderful experience. I will post some of the new songs soon.
I am taking the rest of the year off, but will start the new year out with a bang with a whole slew of concerts and songwriting workshops with Craig Carothers and Don Henry in the bay area, as well as appearances in Nashville and Los Angeles. (Check out the Calendar page for more details).
Have a warm and wonderful holiday season!
Where I've been and what's next...
It's been quite a year. I went to Australia in April and once again I had a blast. I'm planning to go back in March of 2010 for some workshops and hopefully a few folk festivals. (I've applied to five.) In early June I spent a glorious weekend in Nashville teaching 14 people the finer points of songwriting. It was at the home of my good friend Claudia Young and we also ate some of the best Italian food ever consumed outside of Italy. We're doing it again in October.
I had a wonderful time at a family camp near Yosemite in July and then it was off to the Rocky Mountain Song School in Lyons, Colorado which is simply one of the most magical ways to spend a week. While there I started a song with Peter Himmelman. We co-wrote it in front of a group of 25 people. A little strange. We're going to finish it in a few weeks.
This fall I'm going to Nashville, Asheville, Toronto, NY, Los Angeles and two weeks in Wabash, Indiana. Making music continues to excite me and I always feel like my best song is just around the corner... And speaking of writing, I've included a new song for the September free download. It's called Before I Do and I wrote it with Jamie Floyd and Pete Sallis. I hope you enjoy it.
I had a wonderful time at a family camp near Yosemite in July and then it was off to the Rocky Mountain Song School in Lyons, Colorado which is simply one of the most magical ways to spend a week. While there I started a song with Peter Himmelman. We co-wrote it in front of a group of 25 people. A little strange. We're going to finish it in a few weeks.
This fall I'm going to Nashville, Asheville, Toronto, NY, Los Angeles and two weeks in Wabash, Indiana. Making music continues to excite me and I always feel like my best song is just around the corner... And speaking of writing, I've included a new song for the September free download. It's called Before I Do and I wrote it with Jamie Floyd and Pete Sallis. I hope you enjoy it.
