Acknowledgment

It was a sell-out crowd at the Bluebird Cafe Thursday night. We were crammed into the "church pew" section because we had not been able to get a table. As it was a benefit for Alive Hospice, "big names" were to perform in the round. The songs would run the gamut from "Live Like You Were Dying" to "Bette Davis Eyes". I had no expectations for Rodney to sing our Jason Aldean cut. After all, he has accumulated quite the repertoire of radio hits (Lost In This Moment by Big & Rich, Amarillo Sky by Jason Aldean and Sweet Southern Comfort by Buddy Jewell, to name a few.) But about half-way through the show he introduces his next song by saying, "this next song I wrote years ago with my dear friend, Julie Adkison. She's sitting right back there with her husband, next to my wife. She was one of my first co-writers and this is one of my favorite songs I've ever written. We're still crossing our fingers that it's going to be on the radio........" At this point all the other performers were feigning shock that he would play something that was not a hit, since everything else he had played up to that point had at least made it to the top 5 on the country radio charts. He quieted the laughing and chiding with the best performance of "Do You Wish It Was Me" I have ever heard him give. The audience even started whooping and clapping after the first verse and chorus. In that moment, I felt true gratification. Afterwards, I told Rodney that even if the song is never a radio single, that moment was enough for me.

See, there were a number of my peers and colleagues in the audience that night. I shouldn't care what they think of me, but I do and it felt good to be recognized in that way. Acknowledgment is one thing. Public acknowledgment is another thing all together. And I appreciate it more than you know, Rodney. Thank you, my friend.

(I later came to my senses and am once again neurotically agonizing over the shallow promise of "the next single.")

(I'm kidding!)

(sort of)

If you want to go check out Rodney's MySpace it's www.myspace.com/rodneyclawsonmusic

Aussie Influence

I'm supposed to be writing/catching up with my dear, Australian friend, Michelle Tumes, today. But she ended up postponing her trip to Nashville because the opportunity came up to write for a Disney movie in Los Angeles, where she now lives. I have not seen her in 5 years and had not heard from her in 2 years until she emailed last week. We lived together 10 years ago - along with my sister, Betsy and another friend, Elisa. In the last couple of days, as she's been on my mind, it has occurred to me what a huge impact she had on my life in just one year of being roommates.

1997 was a very tumultuous year for me. I had just turned 30 and was coming to grips with the reality of still being single in my 30's. My job as a music publisher was causing me intense stress, especially since my own desire to write songs was awakening. It was the perfect year to live with someone whose life theme is peacefulness.

When I think of Shelley or hear her music, I think of our sun porch and hot lattes and conversations stretching late into the night. I think of our dining room table crowded with friends, laden with beautiful food and really good wine. I think of how she longed for the beaches of Australia and how she resisted the pace of life here in the States. I smile when I remember her cousin coming for a "short visit". He stayed for 6 weeks! Because that's what Australians do. They go on holiday. They just take off work for a month or two so they can travel and rest and enjoy life.

Shelley also introduced me to her church. When I first attended St. B's with her, I thought it was the most reverent, accepting, peaceful place I had ever been. Now, all these years later, Mark, Syd and I have made it our home church. And it is still the most reverent, accepting, peaceful place I have ever been!

When I think of what a perfect day is to me, it always involves a bottle of wine, soothing music, good conversation and an ocean view. Sounds pretty Australian, doesn't it?

(if you would like to sample a slice of this peacefulness, I highly encourage you to go to iTunes and check out Michelle Tumes' music!)

Holding An Old Friend

My fingertips have that familiar sting. This is the consequence of neglecting my guitar for such a long time. A couple of days ago something just came over me. I had the sudden urge to cut off my fingernails, tune my guitar and resurrect my repertoire.

It always amazes me that my fingers remember where to go. A few days ago, I tried to picture in my head how to play a G chord. I couldn't think. I could see the shape my hand should make, but could not have told you which strings to mash down. When I picked up my guitar, my fingers went immediately to the chord. Five minutes later I was flipping the pages of my notebook re-visiting song after song.

Which brings me to WHY I would even want to subject myself to playing a writer's night before my next birthday. You see, I haven't had very many cuts. Maybe 7 or 8 of my songs have gone on to have their own "life". But I have written close to 150. There are probably 20 that are near and dear to my heart. These are the ones I have learned to play. These are the ones that I will "perform" someday. I am not guaranteed another cut - ever. But I didn't write these songs just to have them sit in a drawer somewhere. If I can learn to play and sing them, then they will be heard.

That's all I really want. I want what I have written to be heard. It's so easy to become jaded in this town. So easy to become hardened and to stop believing. I welcome the calluses that will soon form on my fingertips, but I will try hard this time not to have a callused heart.

Copycat

Okay, I know I haven't blogged yet this year, but I was in the mood to post SOMETHING, so I copied my friend Joel who got the idea from his friend Belinda..........they are veteran bloggers so I figured if THEY did it, I could too............


FOUR THINGS:

Four jobs I have had in my life:
Song Plugger
Temp receptionist at Fenders and More (car parts, not a law firm!)
Ski Lift Operator
Personal Assistant

Four movies I would watch over and over:
Ocean's Eleven (Twelve and Thirteen - not so much)
Can't Buy Me Love (I like to think I discovered Patrick Dempsey!)
Romancing The Stone
Die Hard (the first one!)

Four places I have lived:
Abilene, Texas
Auburn, Alabama
Telluride, Colorado
Wilmington, Delaware

Four TV Shows that I Watch:
Lost
Biggest Loser
Life
Dog Whisperer

Four places I have been:
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Vancouver, Canada
Nassau, Bahamas
Gruver, TX

Four of my favorite foods:
Chicken Massamun Curry at Jasmine
Sesame Chicken from China Town
My mom's cornbread dressing
Soup!


Four things I am looking forward to this year:
My sister's new baby!
Being the healthiest I have ever been
Playing my guitar
Going to Rosemary Beach

Well, that was fun! I'd love to know some of your "fours" too! Put them in "Comments" or you can call or email me - since so many of you are averse to commenting! (I get it - I'm the same way - more of a "lurker"!)

"Real" blog to come soon!

Happy New Year!!