June 10, 2026 I made progress this week towards my dream of playing Itty Bitty Camper Jams wherever I land. I designed a logo, sent the PDF file to a friend with a Cricut machine, and she was kind enough to make me some labels for Itty Bitty. It *only* took me four hours to successfully adhere them correctly, sheesh, but they look really nice and should generate some interest.  On June 9th, I played a private, lakeside house party with Charley Wagner, and the more of those that I play, the more I realize they are among my favorite kinds of gigs. To play in nature to an appreciative listening audience is so rewarding! I just love hearing the birds singing along and engaging with the attentive audience! I need to figure out how to promote and play more house parties. If you have ideas, please let me know, and if you would like to host one, or know someone who might, please let me know. Helping me spread the word would be wonderful, too! Tomorrow, June 11th, will be a big day of gigs. I’ll play for the Noon Hour Concert Series at Calvary Lutheran Church in Park Rapids,…

May 27, 2026 Hi everyone and thank you for your interest in my Classical Rock newsletter! I’m excited to share my adventures as a Classical Rock pianist, and I hope you’ll enjoy coming along for the ride. This newsletter will follow my new Itty Bitty Camper Jams, my regular gigs, and the everyday experiences that come with life as a performing musician. Over the past several years, I’ve been paying close attention to the kinds of gigs that feel most rewarding to me—and I don’t mean financially. While getting paid matters, the performances that leave me emotionally fulfilled matter even more. One life-changing performance I’ll never forget was a solo show a few years ago at Listening Stones Farm in Ortonville, Minnesota. My friend John has created a beautiful music and art venue in his home, where he hosts several house concerts each year, and I’m fortunate to be one of his guest artists. At my first concert there, about 30 people attended, and I was nervous. I’d played for much larger crowds than that before, but I was used to bar audiences that often treated the music as background noise for a lively night out. But as I began my…