Subject of the day...thank you notes.
I've just spent the last two days writing thank you notes to people who over the past few months have hired me or have supported music projects that I've worked on. I like to thank people and think it necessary and proper, but additionally notice how the act of writing the notes brings to light exactly how many people it takes to make anything happen. It also nurtures my gratitude and appreciation. I have three more handwritten notes to write before I am done for the evening. Thank you all for being there.

What I'd Really Like to Do

Today's work consists of some things that did not get done yesterday, and then a look at what needs to be done for upcoming events, while all the time in the back of my mind what I'd really like to do is to change the world for the better. There are a list of world issues that I would like to address and it seems that I'm not alone in this. But as an individual, I feel powerless in comparison to the weight of the mass. I have been dismissed one too many times by people in positions of power and with money, which has sent me a message of insignificance. And I sense that people are quite entrenched in their habitual assumptions about the world. But in my mind and body, I feel the steps to change the world for the better, they are there. I wonder, what one person can do to change the world for the better, if they want to. I think about it every day.

The Great Rosanne Cash and Band

Opening a concert for Rosanne Cash is definitely worth a blog post. 

Last night in Layton, UT, I opened for her and her band at the Kennley Centennial Arts Center, a wonderful outdoor venue with a dedicated staff of people from the Davis Arts Council and a large body of volunteers. This venue is well suited for music, it's good for listening and can host over a thousand people without losing a feeling of intimacy between the performers and the audience. It well showcased Rosanne and her accompanying musicians. The band of course, is in itself an art form, to be expected from such topnotch musicians, but seemingly without ego they put the music in the right place. 

I just want to say that Rosanne is an artist so worthy of accolades, so dedicated to American music, so deep in her interpretation of song, that is was a true honor to open a concert for her. I'm still studying my heart for the ways that it moved me. The evening of music, her 90-minute set of powerful songs and musical artistry, reinforced my reverence for the importance and vitality of music as a whole, and the depth of music as a vehicle for love, wisdom and beauty. 

If I'm doing my job, then I don't seem to have time to blog. Have been from the east coast to the west coast in performance and loving almost every minute of it. Every day is different and yet there are some things that all people have in common no matter where I go. Such as...smiles. Watch out for Harley Davidson's parked behind your rental car that has bad visibility. I knocked one over the other day that was parked behind me while I was sitting in the car and on the internet looking for my directions. That seemed a waste of an "incident," but there's nothing you can do after the fact and I was very glad that no one was sitting on it. Check out my busy summer schedule at: www.katemacleod.com/calendar.html

My Pie Chart for Business Time

I made a 30-day study of my "work time" for a conference workshop and this is what I came up with. I've not yet decided what it's saying to me, but I suspect I might be changing the size of some pie pieces.

New Year - New Blog

Well, a new year does deserve some attention, aside from tax forms. I used to completely ignore new years' resolutions and fresh starts of many kinds, thinking I would only disappoint myself by breaking an agreement with myself, or worse, maybe I thought I was mostly fine the way I was and did not see an immediate need for change. Ha! I was not fine. There were many ways in which I was not "fine." And I'm sure that I've not been alone in that reality. So, I finally have a resolution that I think worth trying to keep, to check in with myself every day to see how "fine" I really am. And perhaps I can get closer to "fine." Or better yet, I could get closer to "feeling great more of the time" if I'd just pay closer attention to how far away I am from that and what I need to do to get there. This is my path for this year, along with the regular good food, good music, good time spent with my family and friends. Thank you everyone for being part of my world and I hope that you enjoy the coming quiet month of January, when light gradually increases, the days are steady and we have a little extra time for reflection.