"Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter." So sang the Beatles in their classic song "Here Comes the Sun" all those years ago. Actually here in St. Louis, it was kind of a mild winter overall, but I'm still glad to feel spring in the air. It's my favorite season, a time of new growth, nature coming back to vibrant life, a greater sense of warmth and comfort returning. That's the hope, anyway. For me, I have an increasingly busy schedule, teaching a Songwriting class, playing a wide variety of shows and continuing to work on my book. I have a working title for the memoir now; I'm calling it A Life Up In The Air: The Memories, Music and MAYBEs Of An Aspiring Singer/Songwriter. This could change, but I kind of like the title; my whole journey has been one of uncertainty, and it incorporates the name of my most famous song in a manner that feels natural. The book will be in three sections, and I'm about halfway through Section 1 right now. I am excited to share my full story, and my fans can be a part of it if they choose, as I explained in my previous blog. March of this year represents the 40th anniversary of Brian Eno's hugely influential album Music For Airports. Although his previous Discreet Music is widely considered the first true ambient recording, the former disc is the one where Eno coined the term "ambient" and wrote the meaningful essay that formally contextualized this new genre. My friends know I am a devoted fan of ambient, and I find it to be the most personally relatable music: it serves as a soundtrack for the constantly changing flow of life events, the shifting moods of nature, and even a kind of commentary on thoughts and memories. I've written extensively about this and will continue to do so. Anyway, Brian Eno has been a huge influence on my life, and I doubt I'd be where I am today if not for him. If you've not encountered ambient music before, give Music For Airports and Discreet Music a listen sometime. You may find it revelatory. And I am hoping that my ambient collaboration with Walter Whitney, Lost In Familiar Territory, will be out in a few months or so. Performances on my schedule include a St. Patrick's Day appearance at 5:30 pm with Matt Freeman at Meshuggah Coffee, a concert at Stone Spiral in Maplewood at 8 pm on Fri., March 23 with special guest Victoria Ziglar, the return of Shakey Deal to the Pub House in St. James 6-9 pm on Sat., March 24, a duo concert with Ted Moniak on Thurs., April 26 at 7 pm at the Samuel C. Sachs branch of the County Library in Chesterfield, and a big Shakey Deal concert in Granite City on May 5 (Cinco de Mayo!) at the Imperial Club with special guest Hard Rain (a Dylan and the Band tribute). More details on that show in the next newsletter. It seems that music and writing take up most of my time, with surprises occurring regularly. It's clear that communication is the most important thing to me, whether via a song or an expressive paragraph of heartfelt words. So I'll close by saying I value YOUR communication with ME, my dear fans. I welcome your thoughts and opinions, always, and I thank you for being out there. It's a lonely world, and when it comes down to it, we really are in this together! Blessings to you all... :-)