Happy Holidays One and All and many thanks for your continuing support which keeps me doing what I love to do best of all; making you smile!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVWrzUL2WXs#t=54
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Sunday, May 31, 2015
Return of the Rotating Stage!
I've been very busy with the new version of the Professor World Band since returning from Guatemala. and it's been lot's of fun. I also have been working on a rotating platform for it which is pretty awesome. I had a rotating stage years ago when I was traveling around Europe but this newer version is much easier to set up and transport and it needs no motor to keep it going around. It's a real attention getter and people have been very excited about it. I'm hoping for a good season playing in the Public Gardens and Harvard Square. When it starts getting hot perhaps I'll take a trip up to Canada this year.
You can see the rotating stage in the developmental phase in this recently made documentary made by Harvard student, Michael Genecin for a class.
You can see the rotating stage in the developmental phase in this recently made documentary made by Harvard student, Michael Genecin for a class.
Monday, March 16, 2015
Back in Boston!
Just a quick update now to let you know that I had a very successful and fun trip to Guatemala and I am now back in town and working on a brand new Peace Wave Generating contraption. I've tested in out already once in the T and once in the Public Gardens and it is sure to be a whole lot of fun to play. I am looking forward to the coming spring!
I hear tell that I missed out on a lot of snow while I was away. My friends sent me incredible photos and I'll have to say that it all looked very pretty from where I was sitting and soaking up the sun in Guatemala the whole time. I think it only rained once for less than an hour the whole time I was there. The day I arrived in Antigua though it did snow volcanic ash all over town from an eruption on nearby Fuego volcano. I had an excellent view of all the eruptions from the roof of my hotel there. It really was very impressive and inspiring. I wrote several songs while I was there which I hope to post soon in future blogs.
I had a lot of fun playing in the Central Plaza of Antigua. My traveling version of the Professor World Band attracted lots of attention and created a lot of joy and laughter. I only really played a few times but it was worth to me all the trouble of bringing all my gear with me just to see all those curious and happy faces crowding around to see my show.
I didn't mention in my last update that one important reason for my trip was to get my teeth fixed at a fraction of the cost of what I would have had to pay here. Although I was a bit nervous about trusting my teeth to an unknown dentist, she was highly recommended by a friend and she did an excellent job.
So not only did I have an excellent vacation and escape the Boston winter but I also saved about five thousand dollars by going there! Lucky me. I feel all charged up and ready to go as soon as the spring time finally hits here.
Here's one of the songs I wrote while sitting on the roof of Capitan Tom Hostel in Antigua while watching the Fuego volcano blow off steam.
I'll sing you a little song about an amazing trip I took,
Down to Guatemala just to have a little look.
My dentist had just quoted me 10,000 for a bridge
I didn't have that kind of dough a laying round the fridge.
My friend Ricardo says to me, Go down to Guaté town,
I know a real good dentist there, she makes amazing crowns.
It only costs a fraction of what it does right here
So I flew on down to Guaté town in the winter of the year.
It snowed and snowed in Boston almost every single day
But I was down in Guatemala so very far away
Sitting on my hotel roof and soaking up the sun
Meeting lots of travelers and having lots of fun
Surrounded by volcanoes spewing ash and steam
It was really amazing like in some crazy dream.
Delicious fruits and vegetables that grow the whole year long
And lots of friendly people who inspired this here song
I even brought along with me my crazy one man band
I played out in the central square and it was really grand.
Lots of people gathered round to cheer the loco gringo boy
The was a lot of laughter and the air was filled with joy!
The dentist did a real fine job I am happy for to say
My smile is so much brighter now in oh so many ways.
I saved a lot of do-re-mi and had a real great trip
So go down to Guatemala if you want a real hot tip!
I hear tell that I missed out on a lot of snow while I was away. My friends sent me incredible photos and I'll have to say that it all looked very pretty from where I was sitting and soaking up the sun in Guatemala the whole time. I think it only rained once for less than an hour the whole time I was there. The day I arrived in Antigua though it did snow volcanic ash all over town from an eruption on nearby Fuego volcano. I had an excellent view of all the eruptions from the roof of my hotel there. It really was very impressive and inspiring. I wrote several songs while I was there which I hope to post soon in future blogs.
I had a lot of fun playing in the Central Plaza of Antigua. My traveling version of the Professor World Band attracted lots of attention and created a lot of joy and laughter. I only really played a few times but it was worth to me all the trouble of bringing all my gear with me just to see all those curious and happy faces crowding around to see my show.
I didn't mention in my last update that one important reason for my trip was to get my teeth fixed at a fraction of the cost of what I would have had to pay here. Although I was a bit nervous about trusting my teeth to an unknown dentist, she was highly recommended by a friend and she did an excellent job.
So not only did I have an excellent vacation and escape the Boston winter but I also saved about five thousand dollars by going there! Lucky me. I feel all charged up and ready to go as soon as the spring time finally hits here.
Here's one of the songs I wrote while sitting on the roof of Capitan Tom Hostel in Antigua while watching the Fuego volcano blow off steam.
I'll sing you a little song about an amazing trip I took,
Down to Guatemala just to have a little look.
My dentist had just quoted me 10,000 for a bridge
I didn't have that kind of dough a laying round the fridge.
My friend Ricardo says to me, Go down to Guaté town,
I know a real good dentist there, she makes amazing crowns.
It only costs a fraction of what it does right here
So I flew on down to Guaté town in the winter of the year.
It snowed and snowed in Boston almost every single day
But I was down in Guatemala so very far away
Sitting on my hotel roof and soaking up the sun
Meeting lots of travelers and having lots of fun
Surrounded by volcanoes spewing ash and steam
It was really amazing like in some crazy dream.
Delicious fruits and vegetables that grow the whole year long
And lots of friendly people who inspired this here song
I even brought along with me my crazy one man band
I played out in the central square and it was really grand.
Lots of people gathered round to cheer the loco gringo boy
The was a lot of laughter and the air was filled with joy!
The dentist did a real fine job I am happy for to say
My smile is so much brighter now in oh so many ways.
I saved a lot of do-re-mi and had a real great trip
So go down to Guatemala if you want a real hot tip!
 |
| From top to bottom. Fuego volcano letting of steam as seen from the roof of my hostel in Antigua, with a Swedish friend playing on the roof, and the Professor World Band in Central Plaza in Antigua This time the police never stopped me in Antigua. As a matter of fact, one friendly officer even wanted to play my guilelee!  |
Monday, November 24, 2014
February in Guatemala!
Once again winter is back in Boston. I've started to play in the T with a new suitcase version of the Professor World Band. It's still in the developmental stages but I've been having a lot of success with it and making lots of people smile. I'm going to road test it this February and fly with it to Guatemala for a month. Last time I was there was in February of 1980! Coming up on 35 years ago!
I have some great stories to tell about that trip. I was hitching across from Belise to Mexico because I ran out of money. I started busking with my mandolin to make some money for food and lodging. I was quite an attraction as a light skinned redhead with long hair and a beard in a beat up old cowboy hat. I had big crowds of people who gathered as I belted out Beatle songs that everybody knows. I earned enough to stay in cheap hostels and food was very inexpensive. I made an effort to learn Spanish and carried my dictionary and vocabulary notebook with me everywhere. After a month or so I could have some interesting conversations with people. I still remember playing in Antigua on the crafts market and I look forward to playing there once again on this coming trip. Not for the money this time but just for old times sake and spread the message of the Professor World Band.
The police used to stand around and watch sometimes with big submachine guns and very macho looking scowls on their faces. They never really bothered me but they did make me a little nervous. I kept thinking better not hit any sour notes or it could be your last! My friend Ricardo who lives with me in the coop is a street musician from Guatemala. He tells me that it is legal there now. I do remember eventually getting stopped from playing in Guatemala city and told to go back home because I didn't have any money. I hitched on up through Mexico back to Austin Texas where I was living in a coop. What an amazing trip that was! My guardian angels must have been looking after me to make sure that I was safe.
I remember Guatemala as a beautiful country . I know that times are pretty tough for many people there and there is crime and poverty. I will be careful but I also hope to arrange to play in schools while I'm there. Where there is joy there is hope and that's what it's all about. That, and not to mention getting away from the cold Boston winter.
So I hope my next update will be about the wonderful time I had with the Professor World Band in Guatemala and hopefully I will be able to post some photos of us performing at the market in Antigua and also at a school or two. here are a couple of pictures of the new suitcase version of the Peace Wave Generator that he took in South Station last week. Thanks to Nda-jiya Suberu for sending these.
I have some great stories to tell about that trip. I was hitching across from Belise to Mexico because I ran out of money. I started busking with my mandolin to make some money for food and lodging. I was quite an attraction as a light skinned redhead with long hair and a beard in a beat up old cowboy hat. I had big crowds of people who gathered as I belted out Beatle songs that everybody knows. I earned enough to stay in cheap hostels and food was very inexpensive. I made an effort to learn Spanish and carried my dictionary and vocabulary notebook with me everywhere. After a month or so I could have some interesting conversations with people. I still remember playing in Antigua on the crafts market and I look forward to playing there once again on this coming trip. Not for the money this time but just for old times sake and spread the message of the Professor World Band.
The police used to stand around and watch sometimes with big submachine guns and very macho looking scowls on their faces. They never really bothered me but they did make me a little nervous. I kept thinking better not hit any sour notes or it could be your last! My friend Ricardo who lives with me in the coop is a street musician from Guatemala. He tells me that it is legal there now. I do remember eventually getting stopped from playing in Guatemala city and told to go back home because I didn't have any money. I hitched on up through Mexico back to Austin Texas where I was living in a coop. What an amazing trip that was! My guardian angels must have been looking after me to make sure that I was safe.
I remember Guatemala as a beautiful country . I know that times are pretty tough for many people there and there is crime and poverty. I will be careful but I also hope to arrange to play in schools while I'm there. Where there is joy there is hope and that's what it's all about. That, and not to mention getting away from the cold Boston winter.
So I hope my next update will be about the wonderful time I had with the Professor World Band in Guatemala and hopefully I will be able to post some photos of us performing at the market in Antigua and also at a school or two. here are a couple of pictures of the new suitcase version of the Peace Wave Generator that he took in South Station last week. Thanks to Nda-jiya Suberu for sending these.
Friday, November 21, 2014
Monday, August 4, 2014
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Farewell Jolly Olly 2000 -2014
Greetings to all who read this blog. I thought it important that I should honor the recent passing of my dog Olly by remembering him here. I got him from a Swiss farmer near Bern in the summer of 2000. He was an Appenzeller, specially bred to herd cows. He was also a show dog and from an early age really enjoyed being the star of my show. I spent a lot of time training him and he quickly mastered all kinds of tricks and even learned how to solve complicated math problems by barking out the answers. He had a passion for riding skateboard and although he never really quite mastered it, he never tired of trying, to everyone's amusement. He loved just about everyone but especially kids and often performed in many of the schools that I played in. He made a lot of people smile; especially me. I will never forget him! Rest in Peace Olly!
That's Olly sitting on the roof of my truck near he Straights of Gibraltar , December 27, 2001.
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