Music: Pieces of...Mike Barden

I "met" Mike Barden on Facebook, I think. Or was it ReverbNation. I dunno. I guess what's most important is that I found him. After spending time being nosey on his FB profile and exchanging a note or two, I found that not only do we share similar interests in music, but - we grew up just 10 miles from one another. We attended the same university... and all these years later (wait- not that many years), though he's really made the rounds, we live not even an hour apart. He frequently performs in venues here in my area.

I don't like speaking for someone else, when they've already done a good job describing themselves, so I'll share his bio from his myspace page, and a couple of links, and let you do your own exploring. But I will post this album cover. I think its a beautiful cover... and this "new age" cd of his happens to be my favorite of all his cd's. He's got some great cd's.... new age, jazz, Christmas. I strongly urge you to check him out!

"Mike Barden is recognized in Wisconsin as a powerful and versatile pianist, capable of performing jazz, classical, and rock styles with equal fluency. His original piano compositions reflect his diverse musical background, and feature a free-wheeling, improvisatory approach. His most recent solo CD release, "Pieces of Peace", features his distinctive style of contemplative improvisation as well as contemporary influences of jazz, blues, and "downbeat" rhythms. As a performer, he continues to play regularly across Wisconsin, as a solo artist and with his jazz-pop ensemble, Uptown. Over his career he has worked with the Neville Brothers, Joe Piscopo's SNL reunion show featuring Victoria Jackson and Father Guido Sarducci, Joan Rivers, Maynard Ferguson, Greg Koch, Janet Planet, Tom Theabo, Tom Washatka, and Tim Dorsey."

http://www.myspace.com/mikebardenpiano

http://www.cdbaby.com/all/mbarden

Monetize me! heh

Did anyone ELSE think that when you clicked the "customize" button on your blog, and saw the "Monetize" tab - that you could visit that section and turn your blog into an amazing work of art with just a few clicks/choices? I did... at least until I clicked on the tab, and found that it was merely a way to ad those annoying advertising links to your blog. meh

photo of the day 11/16/09

back again... i think

I'm back... once again thinking I have time to maintain a blog... um, make that an interesting, worthwhile blog that draws millions of viewers! Hold on... I dunno how anyone types with music in the background. I start listening to the music, start singing along, and before you know it, I've got my hair brush and my 70's/80's moves, and... well, it's not a pretty picture. But the point IS - is that I cannot concentrate here - if I'm somewhere "out there". (and believe me... some days, I'm really out there). ;-)

I've had time to visit blogs all along... and have kept up with some of my favorites. When they seem to disappear for a month, a couple of weeks - even a day - I feel compelled to email and ask where they've run off to - if everything's all right - if they're one of the obituaries I read in the paper, recently. I'm not sure why I have time for their blogs, and not my own. Maybe I just find them more interesting than I find myself? That's a possibility!

In looking at others' blogs, I've found that I have no problem reading small, black font. With my own blog, I cannot seem to read the font. It's either too small, too black, the wrong font - something. So I change it. And change it again. And again, and again, and again.... until I find a combination that seems to work. And then I come back the next day and change it again. I wish I had images of every layout that I've had for this blog. Hey - I could do a blog just with those!

I've changed things again. The font still looks too small... and I don't know whether I like the background color. I suppose I won't quit changing the background color until I've tried out every html color code that there is... and then I'll start emailing "the experts" - asking if anyone has come up with any new codes.

they followed us from florida?

Nope... not our home. But not too far away! These flamingos were only in this yard for a short while... I dunno the story behind it, but, it was funny to see! Every size & shape (a couple of orange-ish ones, also)... cute!

tulips...

last days of winter