News

Hello to all Heard back from DK books this morning and they are working on the problem. Will post up working links as soon as I get them (and double check that they’re working!). Hopefully will have news soon. Thank you all for your patience. Peace    

Hello to all! I’m trying to find out where the latest new home for all the Complete Idiot’s Guides sound files may be. I’ll post it up as soon as I find it. Thank you all, always, for your patience in this. Peace    

Just read that Jim Rodford passed away. If you’re not familiar with him, it’s understandable as he was a bass guitarist and not many people tend to pay them any attention, unless it’s Sting or Geddy Lee or Lemmy of Motorhead. Rodford got started by playing in “skiffle groups,” skiffle being (according to Wikipedia)  is a […]

Musically, I came late to a lot of parties. My uncle and aunt gave me Simon and Garfunkle’s Bridge Over Troubled Water (on cassette) for one of my birthdays. Then I discovered they’d broken up. Similarly, a friend introduced me to the Moody Blues one day by playing In Search of the Lost Chord. We listened […]

I should let you know something up front that you might have already guessed – I’m very much a traditionalist. Frankly, I’m more than slightly amazed that I’ve been on the Internet since 1999 – time I spend being on the computer is time I’m not spending playing my guitar. It can be as simple as […]

I’d like to tell you about one of my students, Sarah Aroeste. Yes, I have at least one student with her own Wikipedia Page! Sarah called me out of the blue a few years back. She’d recently moved to the Berkshires and had joined the Berkshire Ukulele Band (lovingly known as “BUB”). Sarah noticed that many […]

Hello to all! My last post produced this wonderful comment from Doug C: My goal(s) for 2018: To learn some new songs. I also want to learn Carter-style picking, and Travis picking. I’ve been playing for decades, and while strumming is good, I’ve never done anything resembling fingerpicking, so it’s way past time to get […]

Hello to all… And Happy 2018! Seems like every year I have to do this, but why mess with a tradition, no? For those of you still having problems accessing the audio files for my latest books, try these links:

Today, August 10, is Fred Schane’s birthday. I moved to the Berkshires on January 1, 2004 and met Fred Schane shortly thereafter. He worked at the local music store, which was actually called “The Music Store.” Learning that I had moved to the area to teach guitar, he promptly requested I attend an open mic […]

Hello to all. As many of you know, my friend Nick Torres does occasional roles in theater in the Washington, DC area. He’s currently part of Three Sisters, enjoying a run at Studio Theatre. From the photo, it looks like a wild time: That’s Nick on the far right, wailing away on a custom-made balalaika. […]