Well it’s been 3 weeks or so sense I sent you a note and they have had their challenges.
The biggest one happened when Mike and I went to use the Studio and start our first recording project together. I hit the power button and nothing happened. After an hour of trouble shooting still nothing so in frustration we went downstairs to the living room and had a rehearsal. That helped but didn't solve the power problem.
Mike went home and I went back upstairs troubleshooting. After 6 DAYS all I knew was there was an intermittent power surge to the main computer from the power backup unit. Add to this the fact that we had just had an adjoining room to the house dry walled and I was SURE that the workmen had nicked the power going to the studio with a drywall screw.
Then I noticed the lights in the house were starting to flash. Not blink on and off but get brighter then dimmer and all I could think was fire. My love Janice said lets call the utilities company and like any wise man who was drowning I reached out for help and called. They came out the next day and checked their pole and wires, knocked on the door and told me they would have a crew there in an hour to fix what he called "a dangerous amount of deterioration” in the wires that connect to our house said they were shorting out and causing my problems and if it fell it would be a live wire in the street.
That was Tuesday and today is Sat. I had 2 practices with Mike this week, and managed to put off going into the studio until tonight. Now I know by now you are thinking "Why the hell is he telling me this?" Well dear friends and fans I am telling you this because I learned something about myself.
You see I was scarred to go into the studio and start it up cause I was sure the power backup and computer power supply were toast from the surges caused by the rotted wires. I did a mental calculation and realized that I wouldn't have the funds to replace these things for about 2 months. And I was sure I was right.
I wasn't. I finally walked in, turned it on and everything powered up fine.
I lost all that time because I was trying to solve it myself rather than ask. I lost even more because I was afraid of the “what if.” So I have learned its better to know than to guess.
I also have a couple of new lines for a song…
“It’s better to pretend you are what you are instead of something you’re not
Sounds like a lesson learned as a child, then grew up and forgot”
That’s all I am giving away on it now. Look for it later. :-)
Hope your weeks have gone better than mine and I will see you either onstage or here again soon.
Till then
Jim
PS ...as always feel free to pass on my scribblings to any and all who might know me or like my music. Thanks
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Jim Moffatt / Blog
JimFormation Mid April 2010
Hello Everyone Good to talk to you all again......
I meet my son Jordan for the first time on April 2nd and 3rd and it was absolutely grand! As you can imagine we both had a list of questions and got to ask pretty much all of them. We spent a long dinner talking on Friday night and then had breakfast on Saturday morning. I even got to play for him. That was something I really wanted to do and when I asked him if it would be all right his face light up. :-) We spent some good time together and have been exchanging emails and although neither of us really knows what exactly to do next we are doing anyway. I think we are going to develop a deeper relationship. I would like that.
The gig in Nanaimo was better than I hoped. Ya ya I know you are thinking "sure it was what do you expect him to say" but honestly it was. And be sure when I do crash and burn (we all do eventually at least once) I will let you know. But not yet! :-) The Venue was full. Mike and I got tons of crowd interaction and reaction with and during almost every song. The crowd sang along. Clapped more than a couple of times at the end of a guitar solo (even mine!) and I felt really connected to them. At the end of the night the Nanaimo Folk Connect paid us extra because they did so well at the door. Fans bought CDs and Mugs and we were kept busy for a bit signing them. I even got to meet some of my FaceBook Friends who came. On the way home Mike remarked how much he really likes doing shows with me because they are fun and people listen! I laughed and said "hey they listened at the last show too" He said "ya but that was the first time I played with you and I didn't know it could happen every time." Yup Good gig
Now I can focus and writing and Recording for the next couple weeks. Things seem pretty great and if I could just get into a circuit or two we would be off. It still stings a bit from the rejections we got in the last little while but it’s really about the love of playing and people get it. Audiences like my stuff, our stuff (Yup I am making an adjustment) and for the first time in 25 years I feel like we have a chance.
Below are gigs coming up and there are more in the works. I will let you know as I get confirmations. If you have any ideas or suggestions in your area please let me know.
In Harmony Jim
Oh PS... Please remember to pass on any emails I send to anyone you think might like the music and become a fan
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Jimformation March /April
Hi Everyone As I sit to type this out I think about all the times I have started this in my head and how I keep putting it off. It isn't that I don't have tons to say it\s that I made a promise to myself on your behalf that I would write each email to you all as if I was writing to my closest friends and family. I didn’t know it would make me feel this vulnerable. The good news is that I got another gig as feature in the Nanaimo Folk Connection on April 16th I think but more on that late in another announcement. The recording is going OK. Lots of learning to do along the way with new digital systems but it sounds good when I do get it down. Mike and I are working a lot together on this and I was right about him he is a good producer and has a great ear. Ya this is going to be good. But I also had a few disappointments in the last few days. I finally got enough courage to contact Shari about the showcase in Vancouver called Bluebird North. It’s a wonderful venue and really a needed stepping stone for songwriters in Canada and the US for that matter. You see the production in Canada is modeled after the bluebird cafe in the US; it’s like Mecca to songwriters. Anyway she didn't say no exactly but she didn't say yes either and she wants to hear some more songs. So fare all she has is whets on the Reverbnation site and that's the CD Live at Crystal Gardens. So I will be doing some more of the just me and my guitar recording to send some of the newer songs to her in hopes that she will change her mind. Wish me luck. I also heard back from the folk at the house concert tours and they did say "no." Ouch. I was really feeling positive about it and figured that I stood a real good chance to get on the tour but, no. They were really nice about it though told me how they had tons of people sending them CDs and could only choose a few so try again next time." I will too but still feels a little hollow in the belly just the same, right now. On top of those things there is all the changes in my day job and my love Janice, has been upset with me for a week. Hardly spoken a word to me. I guess I should probably stop about that. I don't think it’s my right or my job to tell her story. But it is my job to tell mine and all these have made the last two weeks a trial. Now for better things. I leave tomorrow to meet my son for the first time. I am excited as a child at Christmas Eve I plan on taking my guitar and writing tools (laptop) and when we aren't getting to know each other I will be writing. I think this is going to be a really good beginning and it’s about time too. That’s if for now. I am wanting to get some new songs posted in the next two weeks and will send you all a link to get them when I do. In Harmony Jim
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Jimformation Feb March 2010
I spent the last 2 weeks practicing, writing and recording. Things are going along at the usual snails pace (not fast enough for me and too fast for everybody else). But a very wonderful thing did happen.
You know some times I sit to write to you and don't know what to say and sometimes I have to think real hard about how to say it. This is one of those real hard times.
Some of you know that I have been out there playing music for a while and then quit for a time cause of injuries. Well, such is life. I only stopped because I just couldn't perform. During all that time there were two things that really ate at me. One was I missed playing so much and the other was somewhere out there I had two sons that I had lost contact with.
There are lots of reasons why a relationship breaks down and my wife and I had them all. I am not an angel. Visiting them was so difficult that I stopped. She was not an angel either. Now I knew that if I just waited sooner or later it would happen and I would hear.
It happened. I heard.
I am going to Vancouver on the weekend of the 2nd April and I am going to re-connect with my youngest then. I am tickled pink and just a bit apprehensive but I am very excited too. I will tell you how it turns out (probably write a song)
While I am in Vancouver I am going to try to play at the Vancouver Folk Club. I will send out a notice to you if it's going to happen and you live in the area.
I wish you all the luck, excitement and joy for the next 2 weeks that I have had in the last. I should be a very rich time.
Drop me a note if you wish
In Harmony Jim
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Jim Moffatt Jimformation Feb 2010
Well it’s been 3 weeks or so sense I sent you a note and they have had their challenges.
The biggest one happened when Mike and I went to use the Studio and start our first recording project together. I hit the power button and nothing happened. After an hour of trouble shooting still nothing so in frustration we went downstairs to the living room and had a rehearsal. That helped but didn't solve the power problem.
Mike went home and I went back upstairs troubleshooting. After 6 DAYS all I knew was there was an intermittent power surge to the main computer from the power backup unit. Add to this the fact that we had just had an adjoining room to the house dry walled and I was SURE that the workmen had nicked the power going to the studio with a drywall screw.
Then I noticed the lights in the house were starting to flash. Not blink on and off but get brighter then dimmer and all I could think was fire. My love Janice said lets call the utilities company and like any wise man who was drowning I reached out for help and called. They came out the next day and checked their pole and wires, knocked on the door and told me they would have a crew there in an hour to fix what he called "a dangerous amount of deterioration” in the wires that connect to our house said they were shorting out and causing my problems and if it fell it would be a live wire in the street.
That was Tuesday and today is Sat. I had 2 practices with Mike this week, and managed to put off going into the studio until tonight. Now I know by now you are thinking "Why the hell is he telling me this?" Well dear friends and fans I am telling you this because I learned something about myself.
You see I was scarred to go into the studio and start it up cause I was sure the power backup and computer power supply were toast from the surges caused by the rotted wires. I did a mental calculation and realized that I wouldn't have the funds to replace these things for about 2 months. And I was sure I was right.
I wasn't. I finally walked in, turned it on and everything powered up fine.
I lost all that time because I was trying to solve it myself rather than ask. I lost even more because I was afraid of the “what if.” So I have learned its better to know than to guess.
I also have a couple of new lines for a song…
“It’s better to pretend you are what you are instead of something you’re not Sounds like a lesson learned as a child, then grew up and forgot”
That’s all I am giving away on it now. Look for it later. :-)
Hope your weeks have gone better than mine and I will see you either onstage or here again soon.
Till then
Jim
PS ...as always feel free to pass on my scribblings to any and all who might know me or like my music. Thanks
Reply
Jim Moffatt monthly Jimformation Jan-Feb 2010
Wow, have the last few weeks been a blast. I have teamed up with the best guitar player I have ever had the pleasure of playing with and it's working. We played the Victoria Folk Music Society as our first gig together and by all accounts we did great. There are some reviews at the bottom but as far as we are concerned OH YEA! Mikes guitar, my singing and original songs sounded just the way we wanted. One quote that I was given went like this. "You guys sound like Jim Croce meets Godzilla. Tight, fun music with a touch of the monster" I really liked that. I love Jim Croce's stuff and oh yes to the monster, just to make it interesting.
What's Going On My love Jan and I started a song writers group about 10 months ago called "Art of the Song", AS for short. We thought about making it a society but dropped that for obvious reasons. (Ask me and I will explain, think joke here)AS has been hosted every other weekend in our home and will be for the foreseeable future. Its lots of fun and keeps me grounded where I want to be, writing. I am leading a jam session every Thursday, VFMS on Sunday practice with Mike on Wednesday and Sunday, doing promo and song writing when I can between these things and working a day job full time to keep the wolves from the door until I can get it together enough to let it go. Yup busy. Co-wrote a song with my Jan and Cathy Miller (she is another excellent song writer known as the singing quilter) that for now is called "Boss on a Spit". The title says it all. Its fun and will be posted as a fan exclusive soon.
What's Coming Up My friend and web designer Jonny Miller, says the new site will be up within 2 shakes of a dead lambs tail. (As I typed that out I actually thought about it. Hummm.... me thinks I better talk to Jonny again.) Anyway it should be ready soon and you will have friend and fan access. More on that later. I sent an application to Mitch to get on a house concert tour. The jury on that was a week ago and I haven't heard anything yet so if you know Mitch plug me will you? I am looking for members of the jam group and song writers group to co-host so if you are interested let me know. I need more time playing and writting and recording. Yup Mike and I start recording this week and this will be a good one but won't be ready for a while yet. Some songs arn't finished yet. :-) Have upcoming gigs at the Nanaimo folk club and highlands folk club and others in the works but if you know any places don't hesitate to drop me a note and I will pursue further.
Below Lots of links and widgets below. Please feel free to explore them. They won't hurt you I promise. They do allow you to share my musical journey with any and all so please do.
Thanks for listening and for your love and support
Jim
Thanks for listening.
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" this is it the night of nights
no more rehearsing or versing our parts we know all our parts by heat" That from the old Bugs Bunny Road Runner hour theam song.
Pretty much describes how I am doing Good gig tonight and I am ready.
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First blog
Today I was told that I am sick. Not cool sick, ill sick. My head is plugged and mt eyes hurt from pressure. Yup doc you are right and that is why I am sitting in your office.
I have agig in 3 weeks and I Can't talk Stay tuned
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