ZZzzmgph... (yawwn) What? ... It's 2010?

Doesn't that sounds spacey? "The year twenty ten."

Well, happy new year and welcome to my crumb of the blogosphere. In case you're not on my mailing list (hey! Why aren't you on my mailing list?) I thought I'd mention a few things here coming up in Florida. Festivals, specifically...

First, this Saturday, Jan 9th, I'm stoked to be performing with my new all-acoustic band at 'Throttle Back' fest in Brooksville, FL (Sertoma Youth Ranch, 3 PM). They'll join me again the following Thursday evening, Jan 14th, at The Sloppy Pelican in St. Pete Beach, following my on-air appearance that morning (9:00 AM) on WMNF 88.5 Tampa's 'Florida Folk Show' with Pete Gallagher.

Lemme tell you about this group. I've talked up fiddler Keven Aland and mandolin/banjo man Michael Godwin quite a bit since we joined up as the occasional trio, but I must now also express my joy in playing with upright bass master/monster Greg Wickstrom and drummer extraordinaire Nick Dow (also a fellow singer/songwriter). We all gelled right away, and now suddenly my songs are nestled into this wonderful mattress with fluffy technicolor pillows all around them. To further extend this metaphor, we've had some rehearsals to iron out the wrinkles - ahem - and I predict these shows will be smooth and seamless (aaack, somebody stop me! I must be PUNished).

We have two tentative titles for the band... We're either Roy Schneider and the Illegal Smiles or Roy Schneider and the Gentlemen at the End. Keven had a story that lead to the latter possibility. Apparently, someone in a bar had written him and Nick a check for something (a bridge in New York perhaps? A hit on a crooked politician? Who knows what those two are capable of), and they'd written "the gentlemen at the end" - of the bar, presumably - on the memo line, for lack of knowing their names. I find this intriguing as a band name because of the mystery to me personally (may I never learn the full story). Why was someone writing them, two strangers whose names they didn't even know, a check... In a bar?

See, now I'm suddenly disappointed because I just realized it could have been over a simple football bet. Well, I don't care, I'm sticking with the 'crazy hit men' thing.

So I'm glad to be appearing in various arrangements these days; still plenty of solos, sometimes with my lovely wife Kim backing on harmonies or a li'l mandolin, sometimes as a trio with fiddle and mandolin, sometimes as a full band, and I'm hoping to have Greg (bass) accompany me at some shows in the coming months as a duo. Please have a look at the "shows" tab above on my ReverbNation page, or click on "schedule" over at royschneider.com to see when, where and with whom (of course the possibility always exists for last-minute surprises).

Meanwhile, my custom built "Herringbone" 000-style acoustic guitar is on its way via UPS to its daddy, luthier Robert Mizek in Chicago, making me very anxious. Shipping fragile instruments is always nerve-wracking. However, for the guitar geeks in the audience, you can understand my excitement about the new bridge he's going to fit her with. The guitar was designed to have a vintage look and feel, so I had him install an old school pyramid-style bridge (popular in the late 1800s/early 1900s). Apparently, the Martin Co. had a reason for more or less replacing this style with the still-popular "belly" style bridge developed in the early-mid 1930s (I believe). The pyramid bridges had a tendency to crack back then, and sure 'nuff, that's what happened to mine in 2008, taking the tone right out of her. Can't wait to see how she sounds with her new belly bridge.

So, off I go and prepare to hit the road for a handful of festival spots interspersed with local bar shows, using Kim's Martin OM cutaway as I did last summer. It takes some coercing and bribery, but she lets me borrow it sometimes.

Thanks so much to each and every one of you for the support. Stay tuned (aw jeez, another pun)...

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Fall Tour Wrap-up and Other Goings On

Well, it was a very busy and fun few weeks, and as always we have a ton of people to thank.

After a quick jaunt to Key West and back (which included marrying my beloved Kim after six and a half great years together through thick-and-thin), we shot on up to Nashville where I did a couple of in-the-rounds with Louise Mosrie and Kathy Hussey. I so enjoy both of their work, so I had fun int the rounds despite the apathetic crowds and the ridiculous sound system situation at one particular venue. I now understand the general musician's take on Nashville, and that's all I'm sayin'. Big thanks to Louise and Mark for putting us up, and to Zeus for putting up with us. We had a lovely visit.

From there we were northbound... Did a series of very fun shows in Kentucky and Ohio (thanks Larry, Dee, Juanita and Mark) and I got to meet my brand-new grandson! Great to see my daughter and son-in-law again, and a lovely visit with Nana and Lyle. After a few days, we decided it was time to head back southward...

...So we did. Terrapin Beer Co. and The Alamo in Georgia, where we had the pleasure once again to have a lovely few days and a Thanksgiving meal with good friends - big thanks to Mike, Maureen, Duncan, Sabine and all the critters! Yes, dawgs, cats, cats, goats, chickens and cats... Then a skip over to The Gnu's Room in Auburn, AL where I finally got to meet John Peterson, a very gifted and soulful songwriter I'd been listening to since scoring one of his discs on our summer visit. I thank John for opening for me and truly warming up the room. Huge thanks also to Tina & Kelly for opening up on a day when they weren't normally open to accommodate our schedule, and to Michelle for giving us a place to sleep.

We hit Eddie's Attic open mic again (no glory this go-round) and on down to St. Augustine where my old pal Vinny Jacobs was kind enough to give me his slot at the Milltop Tavern. VERY cool little room, much wood and a very aged and well-patinaed building. Not a huge crowd, but the acoustics were great, the beer was cold and I had a good time closing out the evening playing with Vinny on some of his songs.

Kim sang with me a lot more on this tour, even sang lead a few times. She's got a beautiful voice and I hope to feature her more as time goes on. Special shout-out to Phil for holding down the fort for us once again and keeping the canines & feline fed and petted.

I'll go into more detail about some of our stops in my newsletter, and will be uploading pics to facebook. What? We're not facebook friends yet? You're not on the mailing list? Well, go'head, sign up and "friend" me!

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SERFA, New Album, Future Shows...

Just got back from the SERFA conference (Southeast Regional Folk Alliance) in the Ozark mountains in Arkansas. That is some beautiful country.

Being a Florida-transplanted yankee, I am quite familiar with the explosion of color that happens in the deciduous forest in the Fall... Something I've missed immensely over the last ten years. It was amazing getting to breathe that crisp air, take in the colors and all the gorgeous hilly scenery, then boogie like a banshee back to where it's warm. Assuming that banshees boogie, of course.

The conference was incredible. I had the pleasure of meeting and playing with so many great musicians and songwriters, made a lot of new friends both on the musical and business sides of things. Enjoyed getting to pick with Southern troubador fingerstylist Jack Williams and getting to know my fellow Florida folkies better, including Garrison Doles, Doug Spears, Larry Mangum and David Russell. I met so many great people and made what I'm certain will be long-lasting friendships. If I tried to name everyone I met and why it was great to meet them, I would be typing for a month. All I can say is that it's a wonderful thing we do for a living, and I feel fortunate to share stages and break bread with such fantastic colleagues. What a bidness.

I must, however, give a special nod to "Still on the Hill" which includes virtuoso Kelly Mulhollan and his lovely wife Donna Stjerna. They were one of the highlights for me this weekend, and I'm sure for many others, for many reasons. The quality of the music itself, the love they show for the music and for each other onstage, the deep appreciation of all things earthy (you hafta see some of their beautiful crooked Ozark instruments)... Kelly and I discovered how much we had in common right away: Two multi-instrumentalist songsmiths who are self-taught if unorthodox in approach, and I'd guess we have similar backgrounds (dare I use the word, a familiar 'hippie' vibe). Anyway, I got some video of their last showcase together in Fran Snyder's cabin.I hope it came out, and I hope they won't mind me posting the video on YouTube. They've also really inspired me and my lovely Kim to work on and expand our duo performance set.

The SERFA weekend really pumped me up to get home and keep working on the new album... Which brings me to - well, the new album. I had laid complex drum kit tracks on four songs before hitting the road to Arkansas, and have since decided to scrap 'em. Timing was good. Gotta get my earth on.

I am pleased to announce that David C. Johnson, longtime touring bassist for Aaron Neville (as well as many other notable projects) has agreed to throw his bass magic onto my new album, as have fiddler Keven Aland and mandolin/banjo picker Michael Godwin. This is a top-shelf cast, folks, and I feel very fortunate to have them. You're gonna want this record! It will undoubtedly be higher-energy than my previous releases, but no electric guitars or loud drum kits... Straight-ahead acoustic (well OK, the piano will probably be a Roland, but shhhhh). The crunchy electric album will certainly come out someday, but it's not time.

We've set the wheels in motion for hitting the west in June by booking a house concert in the Boulder, CO area. Hoping to add to that between now and then. If you are in that area or know a music lover who is, let's chat about house concerts. They're a load of fun. Send me an email, words (at) royschneider (dot) com.

Had another fun gig at the Old Packinghouse Grill in Sarasota FL last night with Keven and Michael, also found out from my pal Mindy Simmons that I've been invited back to the Sarasota Folk Festival in March of 2010. Come one, come all!

I could keep rambling, but I have about 75 things on my to-do list that seems to just keep getting longer. I don't understand how that keeps happening, but all I know is I'm going to play my guitar.

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Septemba in Flarrida

That's my attempt at typing in Massachusetts-ese.

I just realized it's been roughly six weeks since the last update, so I better get on the stick! Whatever that means. My mother used to say it, so it can't be dirty. It must be referring to grabbing a broom or shifting in a car. But I digress...

Although it's been an adjustment coming off two solid months of touring and smack-dab into the sloooowest time of Florida's year (until it gets cold up North again and everyone comes down here to warm up and drink pina coladas), I've been having fun rehearsing with a local bass player and drummer I hope to line up some bar gigs with soon, and possibly bigger and better things in the future... Also played a fun gig up in Sarasota FL the week before last with my new old friend Keven Aland (fiddle) and my newest old friend Michael Godwin (mandolin and guitar) at The Old Packinghouse Grill. It was a ton of fun, and I have some audience-recorded .mp3 bits from that gig I hope to get uploaded soon. Keven is a PHENOMENAL fiddler, and I can't wait to feature him on my upcoming album, tentatively titled "South in the Summertime".

Keven and Michael were grabbing onto songs of mine on-the-fly without ever having heard them before. There were a few minor scrapes, understandably, as most of my songs have some pretty unusual changes, but I was blown away at the musical agility of these two. I hope to be able to feature Michael a bit on the new album as well.

Long and sordid story, but the short version is my 24-track studio board has gone all poopy on me and it's apparently going to be awhile before it will be fixed... So I am going to produce this album using the 7 tracks I have available to me on the 8-channel digital board I used for my first album, The Humble Sessions. I don't like that it limits things, but I also have been saying for some time that I'd like to do a more stripped-down album, something more raw without too much going on... And I do believe things happen for a reason. There must be a reason I am completely ready to record my next album and the big board is absolutely not available for the time being. So, onward!

I am also pleased to announce that it looks very much like I have a house concert scheduled for June of 2010 in Colorado, very near where my father and a whole bunch of siblings live, some of whom I haven't seen in over 25 years! So I put it out to you in the West... Got an idea for a venue in your area? Please email me at the button above and let me know. And it's easy and so much fun to host a house concert. Think about it, eh?

Thanks, as always, for your support.

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Tour Recap, Nashville, House Concerts, Facebook...

Hey Y'all,

For those interested, I just added a few new live tracks for FREE download (I'm pretty sure it's a law that you have to capitalize "FREE" whenever you're giving something away)... "So Crazy" and "South in the Summertime", performed at Eddie's Attic just a few weeks ago. They'll be available for a short time, and then I'm sockin' 'em away for the live solo album that will come out hopefully within the next year sometime.

The tour was absolutely a blast this summer. I have too many people to list that I want to thank, but I think you know who you are. Every venue had something to offer, and I learned a lot. I used to get anxious before playing a new place for the first time, but when it's a new place EVERY time for weeks on end, it becomes like clockwork. Pull up, walk in with guitar so they instantly know who you are, see what kind of PA gear if any needs to be schlepped from the van, order sandwich, set up, eat sandwich, belch, do the show. Talk to the people between songs and encourage them to heckle (politely, of course).

At The Purple Fiddle (Thomas, WV) I finally decided to try getting the audience to sing with me, and they did... And it was exquisite. Think I'm gonna have to try that more often.

Speaking more specifically about venues and such... The best way to see what I'm talking about is to become my friend on Facebook. I'm in the Naples, FL network. I have uploaded some extensive photo albums with a monologue running through, and am getting ready to upload another.

House Concerts! If you like the idea of a traveling musician playing a private concert for you and your friends, we love house concerts. And it's very easy to host one! For just a $10 to $15 donation, your friends come over with a munchie and whatever they want to drink for a couple of sets of live music (in your living room, back deck, loft, basement, whatever)... Everyone has fun and the musician walks away with some gas money. Stevie Coyle calls it "A party with a concert in the middle", meaning the party is before and after the show and during the set break, and folks listen while the show's going on. If you'd like to host a Roy Schneider show, please email me at booking@royschneider.com this second...!

Very excited to have my first scheduled Nashville appearance. Thanks to the lovely Louise Mosrie, one of this year's winners at the Kerrville Folk Festival, we'll be doing an in-the-round at The Commodore Lounge on November 19th with another songwriter to be announced. There may be other dates right around that in Nashville developing as well.

Hey, if you're reading this and you're not yet on my mailing list, please sign up at www.royschneider.com! It's just a click, and you will never be spammed.

Thanks for all your support, and please remember that I have music available on iTunes, CDbaby and other places on the net through www.royschneider.com.

Cheerz!

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Summer Tour Update - Part 1

A month of shows around the Southeastern US and I've finally had the luxury of basking at home for a few days, much as I do love the travel. The dogs were all tapdances when we walked in the door, just moaning and wagging… Sadie, the scruffy shelter pooch, didn’t stop at jumping on Kim but locked her doggie forearms around her thigh. Sophie, the mellow old black lab (but a real badass when it comes to UPS trucks), just gave my face a tongue bath (we must discuss her breath). We have good puppies. They love Philipp, our house sitter, I’m sure, but it’s good to know they don’t forget us when we’re gone.

Of course, “basking at home” so far has meant frantically cleaning, catching up on email, sending out newsletters, drawing cartoons for clients and hoping like all heck I’ll have time to re-seal the roof of the camper between our upcoming Key West visit and heading up to Kentucky.

Before I get into what’s been happening on the tour, I need your help, my friends. I’m going to be doing a mass radio push pretty soon and am putting together a demo. For anyone inclined, I would be very grateful to know what you think is my best song, or few songs. I plan to put no more than four songs on this demo, so whichever you feel are the most “airplay-worthy”, please let me know… And thank you for being an important part of my ‘movement’!

I would love to go into detail show-by-show, but I doubt you want to read some songwriter’s newsletter for two hours solid… So I’ll shoot for a condensed overall picture of this past month.

All the venues were great, I’m pleased to report. I didn’t have one place with bad acoustics or shady management on this most recent leg of the tour. The attendance tended to fluctuate, to say the least, but let’s face it… Not only are times hard for everyone right now, but it’s the off-season for the South, and I’m still in the process of ‘getting my name out there’. I thank each and every one of you who’s come to a show, signed my mailing list, bought a record or download or simply told a friend about my music for helping me to do just that, get the word out. Nearly every successful artist has a few sob stories about bad breaks when they started touring seriously, plus I like to think of those experiences as education. With each show, wonderful or disappointing, I learn more about what to look for, which questions to ask next time, etc. I also make sure to chant the mighty mantra: “What don’t kill me will makes me stronger.”

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Summer Tour Update - Part 2

(cont.)

I’m also glad to report that I’ve written three new songs while on the road; further proof that travel is inspiring. It’s funny, but I only recently realized that all three songs at least touch lightly on the fact that we were on the road when they were written. Didn’t intend it that way, it just sorta happened. Probably because I primarily write either about what’s real or what I wish was real. Hey, at least I didn’t mention coffee in any of them (I’ve started to notice that a LOT of my songs mention that beautiful, evil bean juice). I am looking so very forward to getting back into the studio after the last leg of summer tour and making the next record... “South in the Summertime”, one of the newest songs, may be the title track.

Highlights: The staff, audience and acoustics at Baines’ Books and Music in Appomattox, VA; Playing at Terrapin Brewery in Athens, GA, where they were also kind enough to allow us to park our trailer on their property for the evening, we can’t thank them enough (THANK YOU TERRAPIN!); The whole scene at The Alamo in Newnan, GA, where on top of a great staff, soundman and crowd, they were kind enough to stick my name on the big marquis out front, feeding my somewhat wounded ego tremendously as we drove into town (there’s a pic of it under the "photos" tab above, along with new photos of all kinds of great scenery and whatnot). The Alamo used to be an old movie theatre, and they’ve gutted most of it but left a few rows of original seats up front. The stage where the movie screen once hung is all aged hardwood, and the ghostly, velvety curtains still hang on either side, creating a very nice effect in combination with the lights. Love that old school feel. Like opening the well-aged case of a vintage mandolin, you can smell the history.

My path crossed once again with fellow traveling Florida folkie Grant Peeples when we both appeared on Pete Gallagher’s Florida Folk Show on WMNF 88.5 FM Tampa last week, each playing a few songs with the accompaniment of co-host Raiford Starke on lead and slide guitar. That night, we did a split-bill gig on St. Pete Beach at The Sloppy Pelican, which was a ton of fun. Reconnected with some other traveling musician friends there, made some new connections and had a lot of laughs. I backed Grant’s trio up a bit on harmonica and mandolin, and for my show I had the pleasure once again of Raiford Starke’s accompaniment, as well as the lovely Kim Mayfield on mandolin and vocals on a few tunes. We stood on a deck over the water and played as the sun set; just beautiful. The strategically-placed lighting under the docks allowed us to see the silhouettes of enormous Snook swimming around the docked sailboats’ hulls after dark. Very cool and mildly haunting.

There were plenty of other great moments, but unfortunately this has gotten rather long... Let me just say thank you to all of our hosts this summer so far, and to those we have yet to visit in July and August... Let's do it again sometime, huh?

Kim and I have been simultaneously learning the ins and outs of both the music business and RV’ing. We’ve had this travel trailer for a few years, but until now have mainly just dragged it to the Suwannee music festivals. This was the first time we pulled it around and lived out of it for weeks on end, and I can now safely say I feel confident in my RV maintenance skills (which reminds me, I have to goop the whatchamabobbers again before we hit the road next).

Well, I’ve got a thousand more things to do before leaving on Thursday, so I’ll have mercy on you and get goin’. If you’re on Facebook, please look me up and send me a friend request!

www.facebook.com/royschneider

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Kerrville, Gnu's Room Loveliness and Stuff

As Kim and I recover from our whirlwind dashes from Fort Myers to Tampa and back, to Kerrville TX and back, to Alabama, Georgia and back once again to party hardy for one night with my sister visiting from Boston... The proverbial fire is igniting under my proverbial bootie to make sure I've got everything in order for the next three proverbial weeks on the road. Proverbially.

Kerrville was incredible. Fantastic songwriters everywhere, just amazing talent in every direction. Got to jam with several folks and finally met my friend Fran Snyder from concertsinyourhome.com face-to-face.

One of the highlights of my musical career thus far happened one week ago today, when I finished my Kerrville set and Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul and Mary) came backstage, gave me a big hug and told me how much my song "Angels Along the Road" moved him. Said he wanted Noel (Paul) and Mary to hear it. This coming from the man who wrote "Puff, the Magic Dragon". I don't know if it gets any better than that, friends, and it certainly cushioned the blow of not being named a winner in the competition. Besides, it was just as well; it was the first time I ever entered at Kerrville and was fortunate enough to be chosen to compete. If I'd won, my ego may have been in danger of overinflating to massive and unhealthy misproportions, tempting me to strut about town in a long velvet cape with a giant feather in my equally giant-brimmed hat, looking down my nose only long enough to pick a fight with the occasional night club bouncer. And nobody needs that action.

In other gnus, WE LOVE THE GNU'S ROOM! After doing a fun 30-minute spot on Wildman Steve radio in Auburn, AL this past Tuesday (thanks again, Wildman and Lola!) we scooted on over to check out that evening's venue, The Gnu's Room. We stepped into this charming bookstore to the creak of the greatest old wood floor and the heady aroma of aged paper mixed with rich coffee. The store is understandably popular with the local college crowd, and from what I gather, it's the only such place in town that breathes that sort of bohemian vibe. Great place, great people.

Our host at the venue, Tina, was kind enough to invite us to park our travel trailer on her property just outside of town, which was so much nicer to wake up to than a rest stop or Wal-Mart parking lot (finally, a redeeming quality in Wal-Mart: Many of them offer free overnight parking to wayward and weary RV'ers). She and her partner also helped us get our water tank refilled so we could clean up, which we very much appreciated.

Played for a small crowd that night, probably fifteen to twenty at peak, but very kind and supportive. I sold a handful of CDs, handed out my stickers and made some friends. The acoustics were outstanding (as was the coffee), and to top it all off, I was turned on to a local singer/songwriter - just phenomenal - named John Peterson. Tina popped his disc on for us and we liked it so much that we got a copy immediately. I intend to contact him next time we come through. We woke up in a grassy meadow to the sounds of birds rather than semi engines, had a leisurely morning and headed out to Atlanta.

On the way home from Atlanta the following morning, I wrote my latest tune, I think it's called "Barefoot and Proud". Very odd thing at first, going through the writing process with another human being in close proximity. Poor Kim drove and had to listen to me going through the repetition that is songwriting all day long, over and over... She swears she doesn't mind it, which I decide to believe because I really want to get this song written.

This is all good because (A) I find traveling to unfamiliar places to be very creatively stimulating, (2) Kim loves to drive, and (D) I own a Baby Taylor guitar, which fits nicely in the passenger seat area of a van. I'm thinkin' the next few weeks may be ripe with songs to be tapped.

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Music Under the Moss - House Concert News

You know, I just recently figured out that if I write something up in my newsletter but don't blog it, that means that anyone clicking on my site after the fact won’t get to read about things like really great house concerts.

I'm speaking specifically of the Music Under the Moss house concert in Panama City, FL. They hold just two a year and really go all out when they do, so I was very honored to be a part of their show this past March.

I first met Bart and Susan at the Suwannee SpringFest songwriter's competition back in 2005. From the stage I noticed this guy in a cool big-brimmed hat sitting front-and-center with his wife, taking pictures of each participant and seeming to be having a genuinely good time. It was great to learn that there were people who were interested in little-known (or unknown) singer/songwriters. We chatted a bit after the show and it turned out that he and his wife were house concert hosts. I said I'd be honored to play for them, they said that would be a fun thing to keep in mind, and we left it at that.

2006 came, and again I was selected as one of six to compete at Suwannee. Again Bart and Susan were on front row, and again we briefly discussed the possibility of me doing a house concert for them.

Now it's January 2009, I'm pickin’ and grinnin’ at a friend’s backyard fire, and my cell phone rings.

"Hey Roy, it's Bart. OK, man, here's the deal: You can open for Amber Rubarth in March, or Malcolm Holcombe in October."

He went on to explain who Amber was, a very talented up-and-coming singer/songwriter based in New York City. March was a lot sooner than October, too, and frankly I didn't wanna wait that long to play his show. Amber in March it was!

From the moment we pulled into town, it was clear where "Music Under the Moss" came from. All through the neighborhood were large Live Oak trees with Spanish moss swaying in the breeze from every branch. When we arrived and stepped into the backyard, we were not surprised to see such a majestic tree smack in the center. The deck butts right up to the tree, and that section of deck becomes the stage. They place tall screens behind the stage area and plants at each end, creating a very comfortable effect.

After a preliminary sound check, someone says "hey - somebody wake up Amber!" She'd been traveling all night and day and had crashed... She came out, we all met, and it was time for me to go on.

I was happy with my set for the most part, and even snagged the performance of "My Margaretha” for my new 5-song EP, "Snack". The turnout was spectacular, about 75 people, and my darling Kim joined me on piano for a couple of songs, thickening up the sound on "Before the Sun Wakes Up" and "V.I.P."

Because I'd somehow got it in my head I was playing for an hour, I'd planned to do two songs on banjo from my "Humble Sessions" album, at which time I would have spoken about my comic strip that inspired the album. To clip it easily to 45 minutes, I simply decided not to fuss with the banjo, which by default nixed my plan to talk about being a cartoonist. Ah well.

Amber took the stage playfully with an infectious smile, dressed all in black, switching from guitar to piano and back again with ease. Her songs were well-crafted and struck me as very tapped-into the pulse of twentysomethings... A good thing, because (and I say this in my most curmudgeonly tone) these kids today need to know what MUSIC actually sounds like, dammit!

Bart and Susan really were the most gracious of hosts. We were traveling with Max, our 8-year-old boy, and I suppose because of this, they put us in their own bedroom while they slept in the office on air mattresses. Far too kind. What great folks. We drove home smiling.

I really would like to play a house concert for you, too... Really. Please copy-paste this link to my house concert page in your browser: http://www.concertsinyourhome.com/artist_edit_view.html?uid=rroyschneider

...Roy out! Thanks for listening.

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Kerrville Folk Fest, Summer Tour, EP release and Other Up-Keepin's

Man! I haven't added a post since FEBRUARY?

I think it's because I put all the news in my newsletter each month, and then forget sometimes. Plus, I'm not entirely sure anyone actually reads this thing. If you do, wouldja mind sending me an email to let me know? The address is on the main reverbnation page, under my pic in the top left.

Are you on the mailing list? If not, don't be a-feared, I only send out a newsletter approximately once a month, and will NOT share your info with another soul, living or dead. (That would be weird if I whispered your email address to a dead guy, wouldn't it?)

Before I begin with the latest news, I want to make sure I mention to check out the recent updates at http://www.royschneider.com... New photos in the rotation, new music and a video has been added, with a link to others on YouTube.

So I have the distinct honor of having been chosen as one of 32 out of a possible 800 singer/songwriters to compete in the Grassy Hill New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival next month. I'll fly to Texas, hang out and probably have a fantastic time being immersed in a sea of fellow songwriters, musicians and music lovers, then go up on Sunday (May 24) and play my two songs. Then I'll cross whatever I have handy to cross, and hope to be named a winner. Not because I think that would necessarily mean I'm any better or worse a songwriter than the next, but because it looks great on a resume when you're trying to get your music out to the world. Knowhatimean?

In cartooning news, I've been asked to design a T-Shirt for the Florida Folk Show on WMNF Tampa Bay, where I'll be doing an in-studio interview and performance in June. Always good to keep the pen moving...

Then there's the recording. See, Kerrville marks the beginning of my first official tour this summer (dates in FL, GA, AL, NC, TN, KY, OH, VA so far... Check "shows" tab for details, dates added regularly) and I knew I wouldn't have time to record a full album. I had about one and a half CDs' worth of material yet to be recorded, so I decided to do it a little differently this time. And I'll tell ya why.

When I played the Music Under the Moss house concert in Panama City last month (awesome), I shared a bill with the lovely ambeR Rubarth. I noticed that she had, in addition to her full-length CDs, a stack of very simply-packaged CDs with only a few songs on them, which she sold for just five dollars. This was apparently a stroke of brilliance, as I watched those $5 EPs disappear like penny candy the minute the show was over. In this rough economy, plus with today's iPod-based society, it makes tons of sense. More affordable for the artist to produce, more affordable for you, the consumer, to obtain some new music. Thank you, ambeR!

So it's called "Snack", as it's kind of a between-meal portion. It's got a funky black-on-silver graphic of my mug on the CD itself, comes in a simple paper-sleeve-with-window, will sell for $5 and feature 5 of my newest and most-requested-to-purchase-on-CD songs of late:

1) Angels Along the Road 2) My Margaretha (live @ Music Under the Moss house concert) 3) Time... 4) So Crazy 5) Key West Bicycle Rental Drag Rag (instrumental)

So, come on out and catch a show this summer and git'cherself a copy while they're hot! Check the calendar, dates are being added on an almost-daily basis. Lots of irons in the fire in the above-named states.

Off to clean the studio and handle some mundane paperwork before scooting up to Venice, FL to play at Centennial Park tonight at 8:00 PM. It's a concert setting with people on the grass in chairs, facing the performer and listening and everything! Looking forward to it.

Stay in touch and keep groovin'!

Roy

(PS: Yes, I said "groovin'". I know it's not 1974, but I still groove. Good music to me must groove. It's a good word, so stop hassling me, OK?!)

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