Cindy Grayson: News

I spent the afternoon listening to the CD's that Denny gave me and watched the DVD on Peter , Paul N Mary. I know why Folk music has stayed with any culture. It's a direct representation of the heart of the people in a way that no other music does. It's not all religious ( as some of the local musicians around here think), it's about lives and people and things that go on in the lives of people in the songs. It's a way to speak out for those who don't know how to speak. It touches people in a way nothing else does. This is going to be a wonderful learning experience even though I've grown up with folk music. Learning Mary's parts is a study into harmony as she didn't play an instrument. It will allow me to learn to let go. I've spent my musical years being tied to my guitar. This will allow me to learn harmony without being tied to any instrument but my voice.

My friend, Denny, lent me a biography of Joni Mitchell and a DVD about Peter , Paul and Mary.
Now , since I've been playing music here and performing since I was 15 here in Nacogdoches, I have heard referances to me being the " Joni Mitchell of Nacogdoches". I never thought to much of it but after watching this documentary. I understand why. There are so many paralells except she never let life get in the way of her creative direction. I know there are so many avenues that I could go but I let taking care of others get in my way. She caught on fast and didn't give up. I didn't give up, I just never dedicated myself to what I really loved to do. My art and music has ended up taking back seat to others who entered into my life. Joni is an amazing woman and I could learn many things but a person like me will have to do it from a distance. Lets see what I can do with my next 50 years ( I don't plan on fading soon so 104 sounds like a good number.

I was playing at the Farmers Market in town last fall and I was playing one of the many Peter, Paul & Mary songs that I do and an old friend came and sat in front of me and started singing with me. So many people remember and know so many of their songs and I was so sad to hear of Mary passing away that I told my friend that I thought that someone aught to start bringing their songs back. Now - my voice, since I've gotten older - matches her voice pretty closely. My friend, Mr Denny, was so excited, he's been over here twice so far and also has come to play at my Dad's nursing home and we can work on the songs at my place afterwards. I'm looking forward to listening and learning. I love harmony anyway so the more I listen the more I'll learn about placing harmoney in a song where it will be a plus and not take it over.
I also wrote two more songs and am looking forward to writing more as I've been at a total stall for quite awhile in the writing department. I also would like to look into getting my CD's restocked by someone other than me. I don't mind playing and writing but being publisher too is draining.
Happy New Year and my best to all,
Cindy Grayson

It's right after the New Year. I have put the broiling pan out on the deck for the dog. I brought in my Amp and other equipment. I set up on the back porch and hopefully my neighbors got and earful.
I hope you all have a wonderful New Years and lets hope this next year is better than the last.

Cindy

I don't mean to be a scrooge about holidays but it really stresses my nerves out. Tomorrow I work 13 hours and two jobs. I love my playing job at The Manhattan but I'm kind of hoping my boss calls and gives me the night off. I made arrangements for my step granddaughter to stay with a friend for the weekend and I plan on hiding out at my house this weekend.
I have a friend who wants to work with me to work on redoing Peter, Paul and Mary songs ( although there's only two of us). My voice fits really well in Mary's range and I'm not sure where my friends voice fits in but we'll figure it out. I'll let you know how it goes. The nursing home where my Dad's staying has really welcomed us and it's amazing the joy our music brings to them. Several of the women who never talked before now sit together and talk and wave when I walk by to see my Dad. People underestimate the power of music. Believe me - I feel it and I know how powerful it can be. To touch without touching in a way that lasts so much longer than an actual touch is so so cool!!! I can do it and I know how.
I hope you all have a Happy New Year!!

Cindy

Christmas Eve was wonderful. My Mom and Dad and two sons and step granddaughter, my older son's girlfriend and her father and son were all at my little house. It was a nice Christmas Eve dinner - but no one to play music with:-(. That's OK:-) it's family that really matters.
We haven't got any snow but I went and bought some wood for the fireplace anyway. There's something about a fire crackling in the fireplace that just makes everything better.
Today, in the yard, the sweet gum, ornamental pear and crab apple trees have only half dropped their leaves so the ground is covered with a combination of red and yellow surrounded by the brown of all the oak leaves. The rain drizzled all day off and on. The smell of wet and chill in the air mixed with the sweet smell of the earth makes me more aware of how much we have to be thankful - religious and non religious we have a beautiful world with something for all the senses all year round and we need to do anything we have to to keep our great privilege of being able to live here. Nature is only forgiving to a certain point and then she doesn't distinguish between race, creed or religion. She will rebalanced the scales in her own way. Stay in touch with the earth and keep the art and song in your heart. It's also in the dirt beneath your feet, in the hen yard with the chickens, in the wind and the rain and the oceans. We need to learn to listen and hear again. Stop taking from the earth. Look to the sun and the wind and try to help make sure we have many Christmas's to come. Stop over populating and exhibit some control and we will have many more beautiful days together on this little blue ball floating in space.

Merry Christmas to all and a Very Happy New Year,
Cindy Grayson

It was a beautiful day for the festival this year but I agree with my friend who owns the gift gallery" The Heart Of Texas" where I help out a couple of days a week,they need to put up that landscaping material in strips covering as much of the downtown square as they can. People started leaving starting around 2:00 pm because it was so hot. It's been getting up to 101 and 102 and with the downtown being brick, it's really uncomfortable.
I had to cancel my performance because I yelled at my dog to keep her from eating one of my chickens the Thursday before and I couldn't talk let alone sing. I also had to call in sick to my Friday evening gig at the Manhattan. I did, however, drive over there and took the boss and his wife some eggs and vegetables from my garden for their own personal use. They treated me to a nice Greek Salad and a glass of wine before I had to run back home.
My voice is back and I'm ready for tomorrow night.
I hope all you " Fathers" Have a wonderful " Father's Day" this weekend.

The annual Blue Berry Festival is coming up on the 11th of June. I will keep you posted on everything going on. Hopefully the organizers downtown will be up to par and there will be fun to be had by all. I work in a tourist shop in town a few days a week and I've had people come in several times talking about the trip they make to Nacogdoches just for the Blue Berry Festival.

Had a wonderful evening. Next weekend I work Friday and saturday evening. Saturday is Destin Sabani's birthday so I'll work two evenings in a row. They take birthdays very seriously at The Manhattan and it is a great Gala affair.
Mesa, Destin's wife has taken to fixing a dinner for me since I'm entitled to a free dinner but I never take it. Tonight was grilled chicken on a bed of lettuce with what I think was ranch dressing but I'm not sure. At any rate it was very good.
My song selection is getting better and far more advanced than I ever thought it would. I just learned " Were you there" which is a common song for Easter and the rising of Christ from the tomb. They wanted me to learn it for this Sunday at the Unity Church.
I have a friend , Michael Mandrell,who plays for the Unity church in Oragan who is so much better at the short sing alongs but at the moment I'm wprking on things for the small Unity church here.
I have to say that I'm not particularly religious but I do believe in the power of song and where there is a song that effects and reaches out and touches people - I would like to learn it.

It was another long weekend. Friday evening at The Manhattan was better. I'm getting more of my voice back and my song selection has grown. I try to mix in my original songs where I can but they really want to hear songs they recognize. Saturday evening though, for the wine Tasting dinner, I started out with about 5 of my originals in a row before I slipped in one they knew.
With all the allergies and coughing I did last year ( along with dealing with my adopted daughters mental problems and getting a house built so I could move my parents here), I was afraid I was losing my voice and began to envy all those musicians who never seem to lose their vocal abilities:-). This year, I've gotten most of it back and am trying to limit my outdoor landscaping jobs to my own place and I'm taking allergy meds. I have been experimenting with partial capo's mixed with a full capo and I'm adjusting the keys I play my songs in to keys I have the most vocal power in. It's really interesting to hear what evolves.
Last Saturday at the Manhattan, they told me several times that they had noticed how much my vocal delivery had improved and my vocal control had gotten so much better. Who knows, maybe I'll start writing again some day.

This weekend is another Friday at The Manhattan ( which actually has a web site now) and I'm also playing at the Farmers Market Saturday morning. Why do people want you to play in the morning when your voice is still asleep? Go figure! But I agreed to do it and hopefully the people will remember there is a tip jar.
We musicians who just love to play comp[lain about playing for free and a lot of people listening take it for granted that it can't possible be work to get up in front of people and play - but it is. It's just that we can't stop doing it. We'd love to get paid but we play any way because we love it. Please let us know that you like what we do. It's like an addiction - we'd play anyway but if you enjoy it , we do even better because we just love doing it.
I'll keep you posted on this Friday and Saturday and try to get some pictures on here. I've figured out how to get them to load. It just takes being picky about what I load.

Cindy Grayson

My Friday evening gig at The Manhattan Fine Dining and Continental Cuisine is turning out to be a wonderful highlight in my week. The family owned establishment is a classy, wonderful way to spend an evening. They have the largest selections of wine i this part of Texas and an excellent selection of fine food fresh and hot from the kitchen served by a friendly staff of waiters.
My boss, Destin Sabani has been heard to be considering putting in wireless speakers in each of the back rooms to pipe my musical sounds into each room so it can be heard by all but not too loud for the front room.
With a full bar in front of me and the main clock on the wall behind me ( which makes me feel very popular because everyone is always looking in my direction) and the wonderful aromas from trays of food carried by me all through the evening, I am pleased to hear customers all through the evening tell Destin how much they enjoy the music and how perfect I fit into the atmosphere and that he;s just got to keep me. After playing there a year, I believe this is a good sign.
If you're ever in the area, stop in. Dinner is from 5 - 10 every evening. They serve lunch too but I'm never in Lufkin during the day unless I'm running to Sam's to stock up for 21/12 ( ? ) but I'm sure the food is great then too.
Hopefully I can talk them into 2 nights a week someday but I plan on being at 107 Lufkin Avenue playing at The Manhattan for a long time.

Cindy Grayson

I sent 4 copies in but never heard whether they got the Celtic Seasoning Cd but I have 5 more I'm sending this week and maybe I'll hear that they got them.
I know they're not as fancy as those people who have a professional company reproduce their Cd's but I'll keep putting them out and maybe one Cd will make enough money I can hire someone to do them for me and they'll look polished. In the meantime, I'll put out the folk music the way I hear it - simple and uncomplicated - and I hope you'll enjoy it anyway. Folk music should be simple and cleans anyway :-)

I've been fighting allergies. The Ornamental Pear tree in my back yard has been playing havoc with my vocal chords. If anyone knows a way to keep pollen from causing so much trouble with my voice, I'd love it. Maybe a barter would be worked out. I feel like I've got glue on my vocal chords. I haven't played at the Manhattan for two weeks but I will be there this Friday. I need someone to show up and take some good photos so I can use a good one for creating a new flier to put up next to the tip jar.
I'm hoping they missed me. Some day I'm going to show up and actually eat a meal there. I sit in my corner every Friday evening and watch all those wonderful smelling trays go by and wonder if they're as good as they smell. All the customers look as if they love the food. I can always plan! :-).
Stop in at The Manhattan Fine Dining Room and Continental Cuisine and say Hi.

March is here. It was 59 degrees today and 28 last night - 24 in some places. Things are starting to bud out. I have a portrait I've been working on since last September and the client hasn't called yet but I have been having a hard time making any progress. My goal this year is to try and get all the extra stuff out of the way so I can do more art and music.
I was playing at The Manhattan last month when a man named Phil Parr ( sp?) came up and said he liked my voice and would I be interested in doing some recording with him. I gave his wife one of my CD's and said I'd be glad to - now if I could only find the time. A woman from a magazine gave me her number and asked if I'd be interested in being booked for parties and such, I said sure. That was several months ago. Too busy trying to make a living but I'll get better organized this year and do more music. I think I've even found a way to combat the allergies here in East Texas.
We actually got snow last month! I ran out and took pictures before it melted. We looked like a winter wonderland - for about 48 hours!

I work at a tourist shop called The Heart Of Texas. Yesterday we had a group of ladies gather at the shop and set the bar behind the cash register up ( where we serve ice cream and sodas) with fruit and vegetable plates and punch and coffee. The shop was full of elderly ladies talking, laughing, eating and drinking. I took out my guitar and played for over about two hours and even gave up a business card. It was fun and they even cleaned up so there wasn't much for me to straighten up afterwords. I'll post the photos as soon as I get them off my camera.

I sent off copies of my Celtic Cd " Celtic Seasoning" to CD Baby today so hopefully you'll get to check it out as soon as possible. I'm sorry it's taken so long but I finally got it out. Hope you like it. I have a friend , Tom Houston, who has a big band Cd he recently put out ( it's great) and he said I aught to put more than 10 songs on a Cd but he can afford a company to produce regular Cd's with front and back covers on them and all that fancy stuff and I haven't gotten there yet. In the mean time I hope you'll enjoy my home produced Cd's with the information personally written on the front of the Cd's. Who knows, they might be worth a lot more someday?

I PROMISE i HAVEN'T forgotten it. I have it in an evelope but I'm waiting for the money order - as soon as I pay bills.

The sun was beautiful today even though the clouds moved in again toward the end of the day. I had to cancel my Friday evening at the Manhattan this Friday as I have to take my Granddaughter for a series of neuro and physc tests to find out why her emotional system seems lacking even though she pulls honor roll on her school grades. She is OD and totally Impulse ruled and there's no thought process involved in her actions. Human psychology is for trained people so off we go to Beaumont.
The evenings at The Manhattan are, however, pushing me to learn more cover tunes than I've ever had to learn and pushing my abilities which is good. My voice is getting stronger and my guitar playing is getting smoother.

Welcome to 2010 and I hope your New Year is a wonderful one with many good things to come. We all have resolutions we make every year. Mine is simply to take better care of myself and my friends. Each year opens new possibilities and new chances to experience new people, places and things. Here's hoping we all have the best year yet. Should we watch for 21-12.? :-)

Celtic Seasoning is in the mail!!!

It's been a rat race around my woods since my foreign exchange student arrived in August. I think things will calm down to more of a routine when the holidays.
I have a new schedule that should keep my week open at least 5 days for me and still be able to eat. It's hard on my creativity when I have to take so much time away from home that I don't get to do all the creative things I want to do. Especially when I do my best work when I'm left alone.
I think I've almost things worked out so I have some creative time. I've got my homemade CD" Celtic Seasoning" in an envelope on my desk finally and all I have to do is put my payment to CDBaby for their part in allowing me to have my music in their store and it will be on it's way.
I've been bad about getting things done and keeping you all posted but I seem to have a hard time keeping a working computer this fall. I believe I've got it fixed and I'll pick up my PC tomorrow and update everyone on what's going on.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!

I traded my computer for my Dad's and then my Dad's froze up on "standby" so now my PC is in the shop at Staples ( two weeks and still no word) so I bought a laptop Io keep up with things. I will spend the first weekend I can making a lot of CD's so I can send the Celtic Cd in to Cdbaby. Sorry I've been so slow. I also have a portrait on the drafting table I was suppose to start a month ago. Have a little more patience. I've been told I push too hard to do too many things but since my brain runs alot faster than I do and there are too many things I want to do that I haven't done yet, I can't seem to slow down. What's that saying? The hurrier I go the behinder I get.

Following my attendance at a lawn party for those of us with exchange students in our homes, I will be heading back to Camp Street. Any one who would like to do something really fun for the evening and who enjoys music should stop in. It's only $1 for the evening and the music is really great! We have a lot of fun.

This is a wonderful resturant in Lufkin , Texas, right around the corner from Destin's Martinni Bar on 1st St. My first evening as the background entertainment went well, I think. The responce was good. I even had them clapping and even singing before the evening was over. I believe the boss was pleased because he said he'd see me next Friday. Hopefully I'll have some photo's as soon as I get get some.
If you're in the area, stop in for a really wonderful dining experience and atmosphere. ( boy! do I sound liike an add or what:-) ) If all continues, I'll be there every Friday from 6:30 to 10:00 pm.