It seems like just yesterday I was hosting my birthday evening at Statlers at which some of my best friends and favourite musicians in Toronto were coming out to perform with me. What a great night that was, with so much fun and talent!
This past year has just flown by, with me doing more of everything I love and experiencing all kinds of growth performing on my own. Dueling Pianos has gotten consistently better, and my solo work as well as performing with Jamie Bird (http://www.birdpercussion.ca/) with regularity has brought the shows at Statlers up to a new level!
In previous years, we’ve held quasi-lavish birthday celebrations: a “pool party” at a pool hall (complete with shorts, beach towels and flotation devices), a TV/movie-themed costume party at our house, Statlers last year…
For months I’ve been racking my brain as to what to do this year that could top previous years.
And then life happened!
When I left Soular, I started saying yes to all sorts of gigs that I never had the availability for before. That’s meant having to learn entirely new repertoire, program keyboards, and explore areas outside my comfort zone.
Add to that the office/studio that I’ve been building in my basement for the past month and it’s been a crazy time! I hope to be down in the new space at some point in the near future, but it’s not ready just yet.
Also, since November, I’ve also been saving up all my tips from Statlers to put towards my “Leslie Speaker Fund”. I bought a Hammond A100 last August and have been searching for a Leslie ever since. Now that my office is almost ready, I thought the next logical step would be to purchase one! As luck would have it, I found a very reasonably priced one on Craigslist and was able to haul it home with a little help from my wife and mother-in-law. (No elder abuse here: I just borrowed her van!)
I guess I’m trying to say I got what I wanted for my birthday: a Leslie speaker and a day off.
Next year, though: watch out!