Summer is here, and the time is right for dancing in the streets or pulling weeds in the garden. I just got back from Ghost Ranch, New Mexico at the IMYM gathering of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). While there I had the chance to do some songwriting with junior high kids and you can see the results here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-HySm2mb_8
In a week I'll be off to Pittsburgh to watch some movies with friends at The Monster Bash International Film Conference. I did the music for Charlie Chan in Transylvania which will premiere on Sunday. I'll also be doing live music for the 1922 classic Nosferatu. I did a score for this film back in 2001 and I've updated the music a bit. Those who have been to the showings in the past know that I usually use some backing tracks to give the music a fuller sound live but this year I'll be doing it all live on classical guitar. I've wanted to try out this tightrope walk for some time now, working without a net as it were. I actually had thought about recording some backing tracks to use, but when I tried I found that both my DVD recorders were not working so I took that as a sign that this must be the year to go completely solo.
Plans are underway for a fall reunion of Random Draw and Smokin' Bananas including just about all the various incarnations of those bands. Also appearing will be The Hipsters and some other bands of the 1980s from the State College music scene.