We can do this!

Hello everyone!

Well this has been an interesting day to say the least. I just finished with a meeting in Santa Fe. I had been looking forward to this for a few weeks. The meeting was with Paula Kerger who is the president of PBS. The timing of her visit to Santa Fe was perfect to say the least. So I wrote up a lengthy communiqué after having sent an initial letter a couple weeks ago prompted by the events leading up to the Springfield Illinois show. I’ll not go into details about all that but suffice it to say I and others were at our limit for the lack of planning, coordination, and communication that seems to surround our favorite artists. So rather than just gripe about it I’m a person of action not just words. There are flaws in the system and have been from day one that needed to be addressed and now they have with people who can actually make a difference. Celtic Woman would not exist were it not for PBS. None of the artists would be as well known as they are without the vehicle for them that Celtic Woman has become. The artistic elements have been top drawer from the beginning. Each of the artists past and present has endeared themselves to a great many people. The music and the messengers are healing and powerful forces that have touched many lives deeply and in positive ways. I’ve heard countless stories to that effect in person and on line. So, as a supporter of these amazing artists and an advocate for a large and avid section of their audience I believe the mechanism that surrounds the artists needs serious refining.

I’d like to thank Paula Kerger, Polly Anderson (station manager of KNME), Heidi Brown, Franz Joachim, and all the staff at KNME for this opportunity. It was a nice evening with plenty of discussion about PBS, its future, its challenges, and thinks on the horizon of interest. I was able to give Heidi a document to pass along to Ms. Kerger with some of the details of that below. I also told her my story and gave her a Liv CD. I was also able to discuss my show idea and found a receptive audience from the station and look forward to the possibilities there. Ms. Kerger made it clear that KNME was in the upper echelon of stations in the PBS system in many ways. I agree and some things I chatted with Heidi about are exciting too. Stay tuned for that. Thanks again to KNME and Paula Kerger. It was well worth the drive. Thanks to PBS for bringing us Celtic Woman and other great programming. A photo of Ms. Kerger and I is included here in this post.

So what did I put in my communiqué to Ms. Kerger and what did we discuss? I’ve always been a firm believer that you don’t gripe without offering solutions. I’ve gone into many a business in my life and created positions for myself to address shortcomings in their operations. My ability to do that here is limited. So what are the areas I and others see as flaws? One is the inconsistencies from station to station and show to show on seating and on price. Another that dovetails with it is the lack of advanced planning and prompt confirmation of tours and shows that results in scrambles right up to the start of a tour. Finally there is the issue of fan relations and communications. I went into great detail from my own experience of 60 shows as well as stories from other fans and the challenges they faced. I explained that in a time where funding from both government and private sources is drying up PBS cannot afford to have its stations or donors mistreated.

On any given tour there are dozens of stations pledging for Celtic Woman shows. Celtic Woman has been the number one fund raiser for most stations almost since the group began. But for the most part those stations are kept out of the loop on changes in the line up that have occurred over the years. This may be lack of communications on the part of Celtic Woman or a lack of diligence on the part of a given station. In any case, not a show goes by without questions about who left and why. Easy enough to solve up front if there is a desire to do so. As we have found out in the fan community there are many who are all about one specific artist in the group. They leave a show wanting when caught by surprise when their girl is no longer there. Changes must be communicated during the pledge drive. Very simple. But the more pressing matters are the seats. Many stations do not have the tickets in hand when a pledge drive offers the show. In fact many don’t have a clue as to what seats they will be given. So the person who calls in to pledge is engaged in a crap shoot in hopes they will get the best seats in the house. Many times it works out but in quite a few it does not. In my communiqué I detailed several where it did not. Part of this is the late planning of tours. Most every successful artist or group publishes their entire year schedule so folks can plan. You’re lucky to get a few months warning from Celtic Woman. They are dragged kicking and screaming to posting schedules when diligent fans run across leaks and spread the word. Most people need notice enough to let an employer know they will be out of town if traveling to a show. Not everyone is well healed and can just pop off to a show at the drop of a hat. Most aren’t going to travel a distance for an average seat. Let me be clear that while PBS offers tickets and meet & greets as a “gift” nearly everyone views them as a purchase. They assume they will acquire the best seats in the house based upon how early they call in and pledge. They have every right to expect that. But at some venues, such as Red Rocks, the promoter controls the venue and does not give PBS the best seats. You don’t know that when you call in and it is not disclosed. Frequent concert attendees discover that by trial and error. Why would you pay a mark up price for a seat far worse than just buying it through a ticket agency? The reason is you don’t know and in some cases neither does PBS. Meet & greet tickets should universally be pit seats if that section exists at a given venue. No exceptions. The station in New Mexico has an outstanding lady there who makes certain if a show cannot assure best seats in the house for her donors then she won’t pledge the show. Every station needs to take that same approach. If the promoter, Madstone, cannot do that then the station should decline the show until they can. In addition tickets for the show must be in the hands of the station prior to the pledge and a donor told exactly what seats they have acquired with their pledge.

One way to address this is the way Ovation and Ticketmaster handled it in Australia in 2010. The system was simple and uniform. You went on line and to the show you wanted to attend. You pulled up the seating chart of the venue and selected the exact seat you wanted. You then checked the box if you wanted the meet & greet package. The price was uniform for each of the seven shows at $350. What did you get for that? The seat of your choice from the ones available, a pre-show cocktail gathering, a goodie bag with a signed program, breast cancer awareness ribbon, bottle of water, an Ovation DVD, a lanyard with a Celtic Woman VIP pass, and the post show meet & greet with the four girls. No Russian roulette with seating, no waiting for the tickets and passes, and a uniform price and experience from show to show. Ticketmaster/Live Nation and PBS need to make that same arrangement here. Drop the Madstone middleman. The pledge occurs on line and a portion of the proceeds goes to the station sponsoring a given show. The price is the same from station to station. Bringing that system about may take some work but it is not that difficult if the desire is there to streamline the system and make it fair to all. In addition, a uniform price that is reasonable would allow most to afford a meet & greet whereas now in some places only the elite can afford such a thing.

One thing PBS has started doing at some stations is to have a lottery for meet & greets. There is no extra charge for the meeting. Nice in theory but has proven to be poor in practice. Why have some stations gone that route? Two reasons. First, stations did not want to field angry calls because the seats for the meet & greet tickets were poor. Well they should never be poor. See the above paragraphs. Second, too many people were disappointed their favorite girl wasn’t one of the two at the meet & greet. There’s an easy way to cure that one of two ways. Announce with the tour schedule which two will be at the meet & greet, or have all four at the meeting. Barring that the lottery becomes a pure gift and you get what you get. But the system is not properly run. Not everyone who pledges wants a meet & greet yet all are thrown in the hat to be drawn. Some may have no desire, others are too shy, and others may not have the extra time after the show. So, how do you address that? When a pledge calls in you ask them if they want the meet & greet. If they do not then they do not go into the drawing. If there are no shows, as there have been on this tour, then you have a list of standbys to call to fill the vacancies. Simple. It is all about customer service.

That’s where we go next. You see EMI, Madstone, CW LTD, Ticketmaster/Live Nation, and PBS, you aren’t just in the entertainment business. You’re in the customer service business. Like it or not. If you don’t like fans and all they bring with them then don’t tour. Without them you may as well just busk on the streets of Dublin. That having been said, it is understood that the artists can only do so much. They have lives of their own and are entitled to their free time. The Celtic Woman tour schedules over the years have not been kind in allowing a real life outside the group or during a tour. This year thus far has been better. Changes were also made this year in the personnel Madstone has on tour and the Celtic Woman personnel at the after show meetings. Dustin with Madstone and Bubba with Celtic Woman are outstanding and actually seem to like what they’re doing! Novel concept. Gone is the grumpy rep Madstone had before who clearly was not a people person. Gone from customer contact though still with the tour is the Celtic Woman tour manager. She was moody and you never knew which mood you were going to get. At times she has been great and at others wicked witch suits her perfectly. Now they are calling her “product” manager, a term I find disgusting. The artists are people not products. In any case, the changes have been refreshing.

But there still exists this phobia about fans, especially male ones. They seem to have bought into this politically correct garbage that all males are a threat and predators. But others too have been made to feel like they are some sort of threat such as a woman and little boy who were denied a brief meeting recently with the artist the little boy admired so much. OK, I get that the suits are worried they might lose a precious meet & greet dollar. Guess what, you won’t! I get that you think if you grant one such request you’ll have to grant hundreds more. Not true either. I will say that there have been times when Celtic Woman has been very gracious for special events and the artists most accommodating. Those are rare events but certainly appreciated. One thing that has happened in the past few months is an increase in online activity by the artists. Chloe and Lisa K have blogs (they no longer seem to use) as well as Facebook and Twitter sites that get a good workout. Lisa Lambe is on Twitter as is Mairead. The latter also has a blog she uses to good effect now and then. But it is apparent to many that the artists respond on their sites almost exclusively to females with only a few exceptions. What fans need to realize though is that on Twitter these artists are followed by hundreds of people and simply cannot respond to all of them. If you get a response you’re pretty lucky. Several though and it begins to look like a bit too much favoritism and folks won’t understand why. Some have received private messages on Twitter from some of them and that is just fine. Nice touch and no one else needs to know. Some have been good at answering fan questions while others have not. The issue was pressed recently and now all the girls are taking questions on Twitter (a neutral site) with answers to be given in a series of video postings. Good idea and one well received. So, in some ways things have improved. But clearly some inefficiencies, inconsistencies, and phobias need to be addressed. It is better for PBS and their stations, their donors aka Celtic Woman fans, and the artists themselves. That way all can get back to enjoying their role in it all. It is my hope that addressing these challenges with people who can actually make a difference that a better system can be put into place. What the suits need to know is that if the artists are happy, and the fans are happy, the bottom line will be happy. The economy is only going to get worse. So let’s do this together and get back to what brought us all together. Have a great rest of the tour and safe travels, Celtic Woman!

That’s it for now, Scott

Constructive efforts

Hi there!

Well, here we are getting ready for another birthday celebration. It has been wonderful to be there now three years running to support a certain fiddler on her special night and represent many others as well. There will be plenty of others in Springfield to do the same this year, which is great. The past couple years have seen so few at the show to do that. More this year than ever before.

I've been busy working on forum things after Destiny stepped down due to schedule conflicts. Just some internal shuffling, cleaning up, and getting a new slate of mods. Once all that is done I'll be stepping down there to simply just a member and fan. I've wanted to do that for awhile and have done so in other forums already. I see the forum put up a blog post yesterday:

http://maireadforum.blogspot.com/2011/04/for-record.html

That has always been the case that the forum speaks for itself. At times the leadership has needed to speak up for members when there have been irregularities but its chief role is to support, promote and stand by the artist. I realize there are those out there who are more contentious and even I have been at times. No point in that really. All I want to do is my own small part in supporting this amazing violinist and her music. Stepping away is the best way to do that as Mike is perfectly capable of being a great representative of all her fans. Heck, he'll hit 100 shows later this year! Amazing.

The other constructive thing will happen next week when I have a very important meeting to discuss flaws in the system from a fan perspective with people who can make a difference in it. Be looking for an extensive blog post on about the 28th. I've always believed you can't just gripe but need to offer solutions when there are challenges in any business. I've done that in many businesses and to good effect.

It is likely Sioux Falls will be my last show with a few exceptions such as Mike's 100th show and ones closer to home. It has been an interesting four years to say the least. My thanks to everyone along the way who made it special and especially a certain violinist from the Emerald Isle. Luv ya pixie dust. Happy birthday.

From beneath the arch, Scott

Brooke, the wave, and a life persepctive

Take a good look at the photo posted here. Look again. A little while ago I finished a phone call from Brooke Donnell who is currently in Japan assisting medical relief efforts. Brooke is Irish. I met her and her soon to be beau in 2009 in Raleigh at a Celtic Woman show. Since then we have become good friends and of late she has been very supportive in some internal struggles I've been having. Brooke is an MD of the natural sort and was heading for China to spend a few months learning additional herbal uses. Her boyfriend Sean is a musician and was to join her after he finished some studio work in the states. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan changed all that. She found her way via creative means to Japan. It then took her awhile to find her way into the system and a place on a team headed for Sendai. It took her almost 24 hours to get there. It is still a very dangerous place and she asked me to convey her story. I'll do more than that as the photo I came across here sent me literally waves of thoughts and perspectives. Be warned that this blog post could be quite long.

Brooke found the country in turmoil yet in orderly turmoil. She said the Japanese people, though in shock, were resilient and focused. She made her way to a hospital and was directed to an aid group of foreign workers. In short order, after looking at her credentials she was assigned a team and soon treating some people in a Tokyo suburb before getting on a transport headed north. She said the roads were a mess and choked with traffic and as she got closer more debris. They took a rather circuitous route to eventually arrive near the very large and heavily damaged city of Sendai. She is now treating masses of injured. She is tired, hungry, and a bit scared as Irish are not exactly used to earthquakes. She has only brief spurts of internet and phone available and Twitter is her best route right now. She and Sean share the Twitter page but it's new and they aren't all that energetic about letting people know about it. The call ended abruptly as she said it might. She plans to stay as long as needed and Sean will join her. She said she was playing Celtic Woman's Lullaby CD and also Máiréad Nesbitt's Raining Up CD for her patients at a make shift facility. She said she wished she had more of her own supplies but is making do with what she has learned in natural healing and therapy. As she was talking I went online to look at photos and found the one posted here. It stunned me and when the call ended I simply stared at the image. Please pray for all those in the disaster zones in both Japan and New Zealand in these ongoing tragedies. God bless you, Brooke, for being there and taking the risks to save lives.

My own troubles and concerns suddenly paled in light of Brooke's conversation and this photo I cannot stop looking at. It accented part of what I had been concerned about but set aside all the rest. Look at this photo closely again. What if you were in one of the cars you see in the picture? Here is a huge wall of water and a roaring sound. You look up and all you see is this massive wave about to end your life. What are you thinking right now? What will your final thoughts be about? What is the most important thing you will leave behind? Or have you been just like that wave in your own life and left in your wake nothing but debris and destruction? Do your petty jealousies and hate matter? Does what or who you control matter? Do your money and possessions matter? All you will truly leave behind will be the legacy of how you treated others and the words that ring in their ears and in their hearts.

It is Lent right now. A time when we Christians reflect on the life and words of our savior Jesus Christ. What did He leave behind? Important lessons and words that survive to this day. The kindness and gentleness yet firm resolve of what was and has always been right. There is no stuff. Just the thoughts and memories of those who knew Him and His own words. In the end that is what each of us leave that truly matters. Some leave that in the form of the written or spoken word. Some leave it in music. Some leave it in a painting, drawing, or sculpture. Then there are the memories and stories of you passed along by family, friends and co-workers. Are they good ones? Are the last words you utter to anyone ones of anger or hate? Look at the photo again. Life is that short. It can end that quickly. There is no time for petty complaints. There is no time for your own agenda. The wave is here. In one form or another that wave will take you. What were the people in this scene doing the day before the wave took them? What are you doing and saying today? The wave is coming. Look at the photo again. If the person you dislike the most were the only one within reach of you as the wave bent over you would your hate matter any more? Stop. Look at the photo again. To all of you who read this blog you can see in all the previous posts little lessons good and bad. You can see both peace and conflict. You can see trivial concerns but also deep beliefs and strong emotions. As I look at the photo again I know what matters and I know what I want to leave behind as the wave looms over me and it isn't hate, anger, jealousy, control, or useless stuff. It is the power of love in the spoken and written word of poetry and prose. Each day is a huge gift. Did the people about to be swept away by this wave know that? Do you?

I have been inspired over the past almost four years to write. That inspiration has come in large part by an amazing Irish fiddler and by some of the most moving music on the planet. She and her friends and their music are a healing force. I just read a paper the other day while judging a science fair that reinforced that power in the right kind of music. Inspiration at times has come from other places as well. But there can be no more powerful image than the one posted here to shake one into the reality of how quickly life can end and how important every moment leading up to it can be. Let your inspirations move you to create and not destroy. Be a positive force in the lives of others and surround yourself with positive and uplifting things that inspire you all the more. Then when that wave comes to you all you need to think about is the one you love most and to utter the simple words, "I love you. Goodbye."

Scott/moscapoet

New year, new tour, new faces, and new forums

Hello everyone!

Well I am fresh off the opening two nights of the Celtic Woman tour which began in Lakeland and Orlando Florida. Lots of new faces and new policies to talk about there!

First, though, Allow me to introduce you to new new forums and new faces leading established ones. There is a new forum for Alex Sharpe that will focus on her current and future work. It will dovetail with the already existing Alex forum that was down for a couple weeks due to technical issues. Leaders of the new forum are Dave and Destiny who are also its creators. Dave and Destiny have also teamed up on a marvelous forum for new Celtic Woman Lisa Lambe, lovingly called the emerald meadow. So before LL even hit the touring trail she was already building a new core fan base to support her with Celtic Woman and beyond. Both sites are marvelous.

Existing forums are now under new leadership as I stepped aside to focus on other things. I have always been a firm believer in term limits whether it be politics, business, or forums. No one should be leader for life. We are seeing what happens throughout the world when some think they should be. it simply isn't healthy and that includes such less world shaking things as fan forums. Scott Taylor is now admin in the Chloe Agnew forum. That forum continues to grow and he is joined in Global moderator roles by Karen from Canada and Kelly from Massachusetts. Kelly is also GM in the LL forum. John Mann is now admin of the Lynn Hilary forum. There are few who compare to John in his enthusiasm for this willowy Irish songbird. He is joined by Amy and Emily as global moderators, both of whom are avid supporters. Jim Allens' Lisa Kelly forum is still run by Jim as that is his labor of love and I am there to support him in a lesser role. Mike Brown and Destiny Jacobson are now the admins in the Máiréad forum. My role there is still active but far more muted. So, regardless of the Celtic woman artist you have a home for your favorite.

Celtic Woman has some new faces on stage and off and they all seem to be winners from what I saw at the opening two shows. Off stage there are some new road crew personnel. Judging by what I saw there were little if any gaffs in the technical aspects of the show. Most enjoyable though are Bubba Dixon and a new lad named Dustin who appear to be the new folks who will conduct the meet & greets. Bubba did a superb and professional job in Australia and Dustin is a very likable gent. Mitch from Madstone was still around but stayed in the background. Rachel Davis was there as well but only observing and she was delightful in Orlando. There is also now a new policy allowing photos at the meet & greets with whichever two artists are present. These are not ones where you can pose with the artist but simply ones you take during the normal course of events. There was no item handed out for you to have signed any more so bring your own. You are allowed a total of three items for that as opposed to five from last year. No problem as the photo ops are well worth that trade. So, very smart moves by Celtic Woman and much appreciated.

On stage there are many new faces. Andy Reilly on drums now in for the very busy Nick Bailey who is off with his fine band Extreme Rhythm. Ewan Cowley now in for the retiring Des Moore who was a fixture from day one and a very gifted artist. Ewan is yet another fine musician. One new male choir member and three new choir girls to get used to and all did just fine. Most notable is new front line artist, Lisa Lambe, who is in for Lynn Hilary who left at the end of the Oz tour. No replacement for Alex Sharpe who left after the spring tour. That void is still felt. Likely a monetary consideration given the EMI bankruptcy. Lisa Lambe is a lively and lovely lass with a great vocal gift. While the song set remains the same as before she makes her own stamp on what Lynn had been doing. You really have to experience her rendition of Dulaman.

So, 2011 is indeed one of great and positive changes. Alex has a Twitter site, as does Lisa Lambe and Máiréad Nesbitt. Lisa Kelly and Chloe Agnew do as well plus fan pages for themselves on Facebook. So, there are lots of ways to support your favorite. Enjoy it and we'll see you again later in the spring.

Enjoy the show, Scott

Now perhaps something more positive

Hello!

Ah right then. Got that out of our system. So, 2011 is here and a full year is ahead of us. What will you do with it? It will be what you make of it. Plenty of negative news will happen but we each have our own lives to tend to as well as those around us.

Three things will see you through the worst of times. Faith, family, and friends. No, not work, not government, not possessions. All of those are secondary to the relationships and experiences. Another thing to help you through your year is surrounding yourselves with the most uplifting things and people in life. Lots of really awful things to choose from out there but also lots of exceptional things and people. The artists and music of a certain Irish group get me through a lot. Changes within that organization are troubling but what remains is still amazing. Plenty to look forward to in the new year as well on that front.

The best resolution one can make is to get the old negative things holding you back out of your system and leave them behind. New year brings change and new beginnings. We may not like all that unfolds in 2011 but can choose to embrace the positive.

For me it will mean new writing, more adventures, though fewer of them, and a more vigorous work schedule. Take the time to appreciate the good people around you and to smell the flowers. Enjoy a beautiful sunset or sunrise. Take a walk along the beach or through a forest. Make the changes you need in your life to fill it with the things of real beauty and not the artificial stuff of this world. Finally, look to a higher authority and develop your spirit. It can be a beautiful world if you discard the negative people and things in your life.

So I hope for each of you that it will be a great 2011 no matter the challenges, and that you'll be a blessing to others. The past is what it is and you learn from it. That is it's value. Living in it is another thing and serves nothing. Certainly that is what I have taken from the first few days in 2011. The rest of this year you will see here reviews, travel adventures, poems, and excerpts from my first book. Positives. Stay tuned and enjoy your shows.

Cheers, Scott

Christmas, 2010, 2011, great people and feral humans

Hello everyone!

Well what can one say but life is such a mix. The year 2010 was another amazing one for me personally and a transition for many folks I know and care about. It was great to be out and touring again at a few stops with Celtic Woman. Nineteen shows in all for me on the spring, summer, and Oz tours. Along the way I met some great people for the first time and renewed meetings with others. Some lovely forum moments occurred at various places thanks to the wonderful people in the Máiréad Nesbitt fan forum. Too many to name but without some of them 2010 would have been not much of a year for me.

So why do I go to so many shows? It is for one person only and that is Máiréad who is muse, inspiration, and the brightest star in my life. She and her friends on stage are lovely people and not much at all like others in their business. Let's hope the closer ties to New York City and the attitude of the industry doesn't change that. A community was created in Máiréad's name with her forum that is a wonderful place of giving and positives. Certainly she inspires that in others and it translates to charitable giving which will continue in 2011. The year that passed saw great transitions within the group. Alex Sharpe left at the end of the spring tour but in 2011 she may very well bring us her first solo CD. She is now tweeting away happily on Twitter. A lovely fan site was created for her and we'll see what else pops up in 2011. Lynn Hilary left Celtic Woman at the end of the Oz tour to spend more time in Ireland. Again another big blow to many in the base of support. Yet she too may produce some nice things in 2011. Nick Bailey, Des Moore, and now all of the female choir members have also left the group. That is a 50% loss rate in one year and really very troubling. any business with a turnover rate like that has some issues no matter how much of a pretty face they paint on it. So, 2011 will bring a lot of new faces to the stage with that ensemble including latest front line addition, Lisa Lambe. She has already stuck her toes in the water with a performance in Germany and seems to be a good fit vocally and in personality. February will be my first chance to experience that. Celtic Woman made their first appearance in Australia in 2010 and was very well received. In 2011 we'll see them in Germany and who knows where else along with perhaps yet another new show recording. We'll see. It will be a very busy year for them and one that once again keeps them away from home much of the year. It does not have to be that way but the money people call the shots. What happens with EMI remains to be seen but many of us are hoping for a takeover by Sony as that label treats its artists better and does not demand long exhausting tours. A good way to bring in 2011 would be a goodbye to some of the old like EMI and Madstone and their elitist NYC industry attitude about artists and about fans. I won't hold my breath. Either way support for Máiréad will continue from myself and certainly from the ever growing membership in her fan forum. The ever present fiddler crossing signs will be there culminating on her birthday in Springfield. There are a great many wonderful fans out there outside the OFG empire. Mike Brown comes to mind as he has attended 80 shows and helped many others attend as well. Folks like Tony Picallo have spent hundreds of thousands in support of these artists and and saw to it a great many others could attend when they otherwise could not. Both are inspired by the music and the kindness of the artists and the changes in their lives and not by kissing the backside of management and vice versa. Certainly two different sorts of men but it goes to show the diverse spectrum this ensemble and their music touch. Not the best thing to put all your eggs in one basket when a fox is in charge of the hen house. Anyway, enough of that, happy new year to him too. Love thy enemy ya know. Forgive is the message of Christmas.

Christmas for me was spent quietly as it always is. One new tradition began in 2007 and that is watching the Celtic Woman Christmas DVD. Another new tradition is watching the movie Australia on New years day as I did down under with the Grittens in 2009. More great people and great moments. Throughout this experience since 2007 I've met the most wonderful people from the CW artists to many of their fans to the connections made through all of that with Liv Gritten and her family. I've come to know some of the finest people on the planet.

Yet 2011 looms with its dark side and one incident in particular near the end of 2010 showed humanity for what it has become and that is infested by feral humans. Wild animals simply born and not raised. A forum friend, John, lost his 22 year old daughter to a murderer in Philadelphia. It left behind a sweet little granddaughter without her mommy. It may be a serial killer loose in that city is responsible for the death.

What I have seen this past few decades is an ever more coarse, vulgar, crude, selfish, spoiled, and dumbed down nation. It began in earnest in the 1960's and has gotten progressively worse. Our government is corrupt at best and has helped undermine the foundations that make a nation great and strong. Both parties are responsible and their global viewpoint is not of benefit to citizens but only ruling elite. That too is happening in most western nations. Undermining faith and family is what has happened and one only has to read the Communist Manifesto to see clearly what is being done and why. Creating false enemies and then laws to "protect" us from them is another. Through this process our "education" system has been dumbed down to the lowest common denominator and people have become sheep. It has become politically incorrect to discipline your own offspring and it has been turned over to government schools. So many now are in broken homes and begin life in day care. How can they bond and connect to anyone when they aren't even able to do that with their own mothers? Say what you will about single parent and "blended" families but in large part they do not work. At least not to the benefit of children. When you can change partners like you change socks it is not the foundation and security needed for a child. When relationships revolve strictly around money, sex, and looks, you have a foundation made of sand. God created family and both boys and girls need a mom and a dad to be good role models. It is how it was designed and anything else will not work well.

Feral humans now roam the streets and are wild animals without a proper upbringing and with little or no conscience. They are dark, selfish beasts catering to only their own base instincts and desires. We have allowed them to go too far in the name of overcrowding in prisons. We have catered to them in schools by not wanting to bruise their precious self esteem. So they enter the world and do not understand sometimes the answer is no or that they are wrong. Government allows it and even encourages it to further undermine the foundations and then create what they desire and that is a stratified society with the bulk of the populace dependent, dumb, and poor. Easy to control and manipulate. So, what I ask each of you who read this to do is surround yourselves with positives and with what you know deep inside to be good, right, and proper. Eschew the vulgar, crude, and harsh things and people. Pray for them but cast them aside. Now maybe you know another reason why I attend so many shows and cherish the experiences and people I've come to love so much. They and what they do and those inspired by them are the best parts of life. I'm not at all hopeful for the future of our nation or that of western nations. I'm not hopeful for the economy. Those in DC and in other capitals like in Dublin are self serving and care nothing about their people or their nation. Might as well scream "Let them eat cake!" Oh and on Ireland, did those who fought and died for independence there in the nineteen teens and early twenties do so only to have a government later on sign away that independence to a yet even bigger monster in the EU? They are spinning in their graves and the Irish should reject what has been done to them. Cast off the EU, go it your own, rekindle your faith, and establish your own currency backed by precious metals and watch Ireland take off. Tighten your immigration and once again let Ireland be dominated by Irish. We in the states have allowed it to get too far here and it may be too late. In any case make the best of what presents itself in 2011.

So, there is my opening statement for the new year. Out with the old and.......in with the old? Let's hope not. Be a blessing to others in this new year but you can't do that surrounded by garbage. Put the quality back in your life and settle for nothing less than things and people that uplift. Walk away from feral humans and work to regain the power if the people in our nation and world. It isn't about stuff but about relationships and experiences. Finally, don't trust blindly what you are fed by media, government, or any other sources you cannot verify for yourself. See you all later in the spring.

All the best, Scott

Looking back on 2010

Hello!

Well, the year is still seven weeks or so from over but certain things are done for the year. The touring of Celtic Woman is done for 2010, thankfully for them. It was yet another grinder year though it did not seem as bad as 2009 to me. Also done for this year is my first novel, Tales Of The Enchanted Fiddle. Those that know me can certainly guess who the main character and heroine of that book is!

The year began for Máiréad Nesbitt with fiddling in the new year in Berne Switzerland. Some YouTube videos are available though they are from a distance and not quite sure why. In any case, she and her brother Karl performed some wonderful tunes including the Tinker Bell suite. Gee is that appropriate! Máiréad was wearing the second act dress from the Celtic Woman Isle Of Hope Tour. Not one of my favorites but she looks amazing in anything.

Soon enough it was time for the spring tour of Celtic Woman which went from early February into mid May. It began with opening night of the new show in Roanoke. They would perform three nights there and it was a good thing they arrived a few days before as the winter weather was very challenging. There were only minor glitches as they billed these basically dress rehearsals. It was much like what one would find on the Powerscourt DVD but there were some changes. Gone was O America, Pie Jesu, Carolina Rua, and True Colors. Added was an incredible new song performed by Alex Sharpe, My Heart Was Home Again. There were more lumps in throats than in truck stop mashed potatoes!! It was stunning to say the least and at last Alex had a signature song. The other wonderful addition was a coupled pair of duets that made up Songs From The Heart. The first part was a lovely and very moving slow song called Walking The Night performed by the demur Lynn Hilary and Alex. That was followed by a fine Uilleann pipe bridge by Tommy Martin then a Lisa Kelly and Chloe Agnew upbeat song called Take My Hand. Lynn and Alex reappear later and it ends with a marvelous climax. Brilliant and beautiful and very moving. All three shows were very good and we had a meet & greet the first night with Lisa and Chloe. You should have seen them grabbing at the Cadbury's flakes that got laid in front of them!! Too cute. Another treat is the addition of outstanding bagpiper Anthony Byrne. Not only is he in the show but he performs in the lobby after each show! Nice touch and welcome!

My next adventure was to bowl the nationals again in Reno. My favorite place to do that and I cashed again. This would be my 25th nationals and my last. I began back in the 1980's and only failed to cash twice. It was a way to stay in contact with old friends from Nebraska but there is far too much now on my plate to continue.

Mid April saw me in Florida for a pair of shows in Jacksonville and St. Petersburg. Reason? Máiréad's birthday of course! There was not a meet & greet in St. Pete so that is why Jacksonville. Seats were not very good for the pledge but the main thing was to deliver birthday goodies to Máiréad and Lynn as well as outfit the remaining ladies with personalized fiddler crossing jackets. Now they could look just like Máiréad! Well, unlikely they'll see much use but they are very comfy! I sure like mine and it draws plenty of comments. It's all about promoting the pixie! Little did I know it would be the last time I would meet Alex as a Celtic Woman. St. Pete we had the absolute best seats in the house in a very nice venue. Perfect for what I had planned for the birthday girl! I made sure to chat with plenty of folks before the show and at intermission and it all went off just fine. Just before Máiréad introduces You Raise Me Up (BTW, each girl introduces a song now which is new to this tour and a lovely treat) as the applause die down we launch into singing happy birthday! The expression and her body language was priceless and it was so fun to give that to her. Now how often does that happen at a concert?!

I had one more show in Spokane towards the end of the tour mainly to take some friends to see the show in person and conduct some business. Weather was dicey flying in and we had to circle west of the airport for half an hour while a severe storm pounded away. Still a wild landing. The show was good as always and my seat decent. But it would be the last time I saw Alex Sharpe perform as a member of Celtic Woman. Alex departed the group right after the tour to spend time with family at home. The right decision to be sure as being part of that group gives you virtually no life outside of it. The money people see to that as their appetite is voracious and they will use up and burn out people and care not a wit. Alex can now return to the stage on her own terms and in her own time. Her two years with Celtic Woman and the appearance on the SFTH DVD were good exposure and she built a nice following.

The ladies have an all too short break then fly to Australia to promote their upcoming inaugural tour. I could not attend any of the events but Liv's dad Kim did and took video of the performances at a mall in Penrith west of Sydney. Aussie fan Karina complimented it with great photos. Add to that a few promotional photos and a couple recorded interviews and it was a nice treat. The ladies then went home for another too short break then would launch into a two month summer tour in North America. But it would be only four girls for he first time in the history of the group. What would that be like?

Summer tour starts in Canada but I and others join them the first night in the states outside Buffalo. I attended all four shows in The Empire State. Yes, I followed the same squirrely schedule they did criss crossing the state. Sorry, not good for the artists and I can't believe it is helpful to the bottom line. But neither the artists nor we who support them have a choice if we are to do what we do. It is stifling at Art Park and the ladies are melting. They pull it off no worries as always though. I almost missed the show though as I carried no cash to get back across the bridge at Niagara Falls from Canada! Whew, a nice lady at duty free gave me fifty cents! Silly. Then it was over to Bethel aka Woodstock and the dream venue for many an artist. A fine museum tour shared by supporter and artist alike was followed by a great show which at the end mother nature (or the ghosts of Woodstock) joined in!! Wow. Next up back across the state to Rochester and of course the weather broke and we are indoors! Best seats and interactions of the four shows! Finally we are in Saratoga Springs with a nice evening outdoors. We wrap it up with a forum chat in a restaurant parking lot under a full moon until the wee hours. I had meet & greet all four nights and it was perfect as I met each of them twice again.

Something very special then happened and i finished the novel I had begun after Red Rocks in 2009. I wrote whole chapters a day and finished it the 13th day of the 13th month since it began. Now to get it into the hands of the intended one who inspired it.

A month gap and then Albuquerque where it all began for me in 2007. This was my 50th show and the Máiréad forum folks went to great lengths to make it very special. I can't thank everyone enough for their kindness. But the biggest surprise came from the stage when Máiréad brought out the green Incredibow briefly in the second act to signify the special night. What a lovely thing to do. She is the best! Second night was on another level too as we helped a young single mother and her daughter get meet & greet as we had a couple extra. They already had great seats and Chloe even pointed out the little girl, Charlotte, at the end. Very sweet. Meet & greet was with Lisa and Máiréad and I thanked the latter for that lovely act of kindness the night before. It was another nice pair of nights with fine forum folks but a big finale was coming up. Red Rocks. Favorite venue of Celtic Woman and the best place to wrap up a tour as long as the weather cooperates. A huge multi-forum lunch started it off which was great. Some opted to stay away which is sad. Some folks just can't get over things. Their loss. Weather was good and it was a fine send off marred by a couple things. The lighting was the worst I had ever seen and it was clear the spotlight people had not been rehearsed. The other was Madstone Mitch bringing in his tattoo parlor buddies from that day that he gave free tickets and meet & greet to. They were vulgar and crude during the show with many inappropriate comments. they then butted right in then tried to come back for seconds until ushered out of the room. Not a perfect night by any means but still a fine show and it was an all paid forum meet & greet which is a first.

The final adventure of 2010 would be another trip down under. I had been there for a month over the holidays in 2008-9 staying with Liv and her family and creating songs. I so wanted to go back. Heck I didn't want to leave! In any case more of the very generous forum spirit came through and I was blessed with yet another trip. First off though a couple days in LA to spend with an amazing artist in his own right and his mom. Glenn Skinner is a marvelous sketch artist and has done some stunners of the Celtic Woman ladies. I call him rollin' Rembrandt. His mom was a good cook and between her and a nice dinner in Santa Monica, courtesy of another forum member, we were well fed. I spent one afternoon reading my novel to all gathered and they seemed very happy with it. It was a labor of love and meant for one specific little fiddler. Soon we were winging our way to Oz on Qantas and ready for an amazing couple weeks.

Sydney was our first show but not Celtic Woman's. They began in Newcastle the night before. That is right up near where the Grittens live. Oh well. Anyway we meet up day of show with two delightful Aussie gals and then dinner at an Irish pub with them and the entire Gritten mob. Liv is front row with us for the show but here we also have a pre-show cocktail and nibble with other fans. We brought tons of material to promote Máiréad with 130 fiddler crossing signs, cards, Oz tour buttons from Nichole, and a huge banner she created to have signed. The reaction from the artists when they see familiar faces from the states was funny! Thank you but you're crazy!! Ray actually said that with a laugh later in Melbourne! The show is great in front of a good sized crowd. We gave the delightful Sarah Burke a little birthday surprise too. Meet & greet is with all four ladies and photos are allowed. That in addition to a free autographed program, VIP pass on a lanyard, breast cancer awareness ribbon, a bottle of water, and more free drinks. Talk about bang for the buck!!! Yes Ovation channel you do it right!! Much better than Madstone in the states who are stingy with everything including time. Yeah its an elite NYC industry attitude. too bad as the artists themselves aren't like that at all. Good thing. Best thing though was handing each lady a rose and a poem with M getting the book laid right into her hands. She and Lisa had a great deal of fun with it and me. We got a bit of mileage out of that in later shows too!

Next few days are spent at Lake MacQuarie with the Grittens. BTW, train travel is very affordable as is bus. Not much else in Oz is though!! We have a treat and Liv and her band Skyepoint perform a live gig for us our first night there! Liv is still amazing and her blokes Tom and Tim and nice guys and gifted artists. They will be a known group sooner rather than later. Thank you for that Livvy! We spend one day driving around the large salt water lake and stopping up in Newcastle, and the next day out on Kim's boat with me doing my best Gilligan imitation. Skipper!!!!!! We get nice and toasted too! Then it is off for the long train trip to Melbourne. BTW, most days Irish weather follows the gorls just as in the states. It just so happened a decade long drought in Oz ended while they were there!! Coincidence? I think not.

We are in the bay side suburb of St. Kilda for the three Melbourne shows. We meet up with more forum folks from Japan, Canada, and Australia and have a great three shows. First night we had perfect seats and lots of fun. Well, until an old grump behind us gets huffy about us standing for Spanish Lady. Sourpuss. In fact the next two shows Chloe did not tell the audience she wanted them up on their feet! Yeah really too bad. Oh well. Meet & greet was special as I presented Máiréad with a copy of the Oxfam check from her forum. She was surprised and delighted. Next night we have a bar code glitch on out tickets but Ovation gets it fixed in time for us to get up to the pre-show. Third day is an afternoon show. Each show we were promoting like crazy and talking with everyone we could. Lots of folks signed the banner which was then shipped overnight to Nichole for the Brisbane finale. It was announced there that guitarist Des Moore was leaving. He is outstanding and will be missed. Thanks for the great work and memories, Des. It was marvelous each night and we sure would go back when they do. Although I have a funny feeling there won't be quite as much bang for the buck next time.

Within a couple days we are heading back to the states. It wrapped up quite a year for me and no doubt a memorable one for my favorite artists. Now they and I get a break. Me back to reality and they a blessed time of rest and reflection. What will 2011 bring? Something tells me there will be a lot of surprises. Main thing is to cherish each day and what you have. 2010 would not have been possible for me without some amazing forum friends and others. Thank you. And none of this would be possible without a certain pixie fiddler who owns my heart and carries it around in her fiddle case. God bless you Máiréad, and have a great break. See you all next year.

Cheers, Scott/moscapoet