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The Junkman'sâ„¢ Summer Recap
Junkjamsâ„¢, Portsmouth, The Smithsonian, and camps galore... plus a life-changing decision. The summer of 2015 has been amazing!!!
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The summer kicked off with Junkjams™ every Saturday in June on the town green in my hometown of Manchester, VT and putting the finishing touches on my latest composition, incidental music for Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven. The next step will be to ship those tracks to my friend, co-composer, and veteran producer David Kahne in NYC. David will then sprinkle his famous magic dust quite liberally over the tracks, we'll add narration, and the completed product will be ready to roll out to you!
Once The Raven received some spit and polish, it was time to head south for a week-long Junk Music™ camp at the Children’s Museum of Virginia in Portsmouth, VA. WOW!! The facility is one of the finest Children’s Museums that I have ever experienced, with a killer staff and amazing students! The week ended with a Make and Take Day for the community where I performed several concerts throughout the day and hosted several classes where parents and kids made their own wind chimes from re-used materials. Some 80 to 90 sets of wind chimes found a new home that day.
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From Portsmouth, it was on to Washington D.C. for a one week engagement at The Smithsonian Institution's Discovery Theater. Due to audience demand, what was supposed to be eight shows turned into NINE sold-out shows! And if that wasn't great enough, we were, once again, dazzled by a warm, friendly and highly professional staff – and it was wonderful to catch up with my longtime friend, Roberta. Amy and I stayed in Alexandria and took the train into DC each day - a very civilized way to travel. Plus, my schedule allowed us to get quite a lot of sightseeing accomplished that week as well.
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The final stop on the Virginia/DC tour was a performance for 450 campers at the Holton Arms Creative Camp in Bethesda, MD. It was a super hot afternoon, but the campus was jazzed to hear my music and jam together!
However, the fun didn't end when we got back home. Earlier this month, I ran a week-long sculpture-building summer camp at the Southern Vermont Arts Center here in Manchester, VT. Using skis, road signs, pipes, and the frame from a hospital bed, it sounds as great as it looks!
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Just one more warm-weather blast before autumn truly sets in: the Champlain Mini Maker Faire. September 26th and 27th will mark the third consecutive year that I've performed at his great event on the shores of Lake Champlain at the Shelburne Farms in Shelburne, VT. It's an incredible weekend featuring everything from robots to rockets to fabric art to multi-media – all with a stunning view of the lake. Oh, and I'll be joined by my Arduino-powered robot, Randy, who is programmed to drum at a steady 92 beats per minute. Can’t wait!!
Oh, and for the BIG news? Amy and I have decided to relocate. We are moving to Williamsburg, VA as soon as we can sell our house in Vermont. Once there, I will be working with Class Acts Arts and Young Audiences of Virginia to bring Junk Musicâ„¢ to schools and communities throughout the VA/DC/MD area. I cannot say how happy I am to be affiliated with these two fine organizations and fortunate to have a chance at a fresh start in life! But fear not, Northern friends, we'll be back on a regular basis to visit with family and friends, play the occasional gig, and escape the summer heat.
As of this mailing we have no buyer, but as you can see from the photo, I did an extensive and exhaustive cleaning of my instrument construction studio. We may need a bigger dumpster...
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I hope the remainder of summer is warm, peaceful and productive for everyone. Thanks for your interest in Junk Musicâ„¢
Yours in Sound Recycling,
The Junkmanâ„¢
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