This past weekend we lost a dear friend, and an original member of my band the Seven Deadlies. John Klemmensen passed away on April 30th. I got the news minutes before my performance last Sunday at Murphys Irish Pub and…

Hello! Thank you so much for all the birthday wishes. I really enjoyed reading all the Facebook comments and messages. Marie gifted me with a weekend in Yosemite National Park. Here are some of the highlights from our weekend.

Neil Young is one of my favorite recording artists. It started for me back in 2002, when I was living in Minneapolis. One of my favorite rituals, after any rainstorm, was to walk to the record store down the street…

Meet Leo Benson Schembri-Hoshaw! He is 4.5 month old Terrier/Chihuahua mix. Two weeks ago we brought him to his forever home from the Tuolumne County Humane Society.

He loves to cuddle and his personality is very sweet and loving. We're…

Here are my predictions for the year ahead.

2022 Self-predictions

1. I will be more visible and accessible through monthly livestreams, monthly email newsletters and bi-weekly blog posts.
2. I will start a local songwriting club to support and encourage others.
3. I…

The other day, I was stopped on the street by an acquaintance. We politely chatted about their home renovation project and how my post office job was going. Then they asked "What about your music?" I explained how the performances…

I recently unpacked my large blue tote filled with old notebooks from the closet and decided I would begin the herculean task of archiving and indexing each notebook. This project will most likely take years, but already after going…

My favorite panel:

Wisdom of the Elders (Ian Zolitar, Pura Fe, Bill Staines, Vance Gilbert)

Some of my favorite showcase performances:

The High & Wides - The Source presented by IBMA Spotlight Showcase

Crying Uncle - The Source presented by…

My favorite panel of the day:

Dream Bigger: Making Large-scale Creative Works with Music and a Mission (Carissa Stolting, Leyla McCalla, Tift Merritt, Allison Russel) - (watch below)

Some of my favorite showcase performances:

MIPSO - Come Hear NC Spotlight…

I went a little too hard on day one so my list is shorter for day two.

My favorite panels & discussions

What Fans Want To Know: Data Driven Decisions (with Charles Alexander, Michelle Conceison, Robert Knotts, Scott Musgrave, Ayappa…

This week I'm attending the Folk Alliance International Virtual Conference. Here are my personal highlights from day one of the conference.

My favorite Panels & Discussions: 

Audio Production In-Person and Remote: Shani Gandhi, Rachael Moore, Trina Shoemaker, Gena Johnson…

Connection is the reason I make music. During this time of mandatory isolation, many of my musician friends have turned to live streaming as a way to stay connect with others. Unfortunately that's not an option for me since there's…

About a week before businesses started shutting down due to COVID-19, I started my new job as a cashier at the local grocery store. Since grocery stores are considered an "essential service" I have continued to work my regular hours…

On Friday, September 6th I visited the KQBM studio to chat and play a few songs. The hosts of "Down from the Mountain", Kat and Den have been a big encouragement to me since moving to the area. I…

This past Thursday a spent a couple hours at the Joslyn Art Museum before I had to be at work. Although I have been there countless times before, here are a few paintings that caught my attention for the first…