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2007-08-10
This will be an ongoing stream of thought from ME!
While I continue to work on fixing the Chat Page - To reply ; email me at arnybarn@aol.com and I will post it here with my comments.
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8/9/2007 DECATUR CELEBRATION post-mortem

The following is an email sent to all those who came to see me sing at the Celebration which unfortunately was rained out......Dave

No, I did not get to perform at the Decatur Celebration last Saturday. After four months of preparation it literally took, as the insurance companies say, “An Act Of God” to keep me off the stage.

The picture attached shows me about 10 minutes away from going on stage. My guitar was tuned. I had hired a videographer and he was in place in front of the stage ready to shoot the performance. I looked across the street to see family, friends, and other Decaturites finding the right place to view the stage. What happened?

It rained. It didn’t just rain – it rained for over 2 hours!

It was clouding up when we got downtown and in talking with the stage manager, Doug, he said they had a couple of hours built in to the schedule for delays. If it rained they would just bring out the tarps, and start up where the performer left off.

Young 16 year old Keira Woods, singing and dancing before me had just finished her third song when it started coming down heavy enough to stop her performance. I glanced at the bank clock – 4:06 – 9 minutes before my 4:15 start time. At around 4:30 it seemed to be letting up a little when there was lightening and thunder and then it started pouring.

Ok – a little rain – we can wait….. So, I walked around visiting with everyone I could find which was very nice.

Around 5:30 however I felt I could not ask the videographer to stay any longer so I told him to invoice me for his time and he left. It was also difficult to ask family and friends to stay – although I’m sure they would have – but the radar showed no let up in the rain.

Debbie found the stage manager inside. He offered me a spot Sunday at 6 pm which we initially accepted. Tearfully, we and family made our way to Tuscany’s, a restaurant we’d arranged to meet at after the performance for a celebratory drink and appetizers.

The songs I had scheduled were as follows;

1) Your Way Home

2) Celebration

3) Time Traveler

4) Shower the People (no I’m not kidding)

5) Kentucky, He Made Sense of it All

6) And I Love Her

7) Speak Out for what you believe in

8) My Decatur My Hometown

We had made other plans previously for Sunday and while we could have changed those, I decided that without my family and friends there, as they’d been the day before, it just would not have been the same to perform on Sunday. You see, it was never just about me singing at the Celebration – for me it was me singing at the Celebration FOR my family and friends!

I also awoke with a slightly sore throat and by 11 am it was already “feels like” 99 degrees outside. So Debbie called (I couldn’t do it) and canceled my performing at 6 pm thus ending the four month journey.

Yes, I was very disappointed it didn’t work out. But I’ve had bigger disappointments in my life. What bothers me most is disappointing ALL the people who went to all the expense and time to come see me sing. But the people who showed up, the “break a leg” calls I received before going on, the good luck emails I received – all that meant more to me than getting to perform.

You all will never know how much it meant to me and I will always be forever grateful.

Thank you all so much! (please forward this to any not on my email list)

We’ve gone over the incident in our minds several times and have asked “What happened? What went wrong? What did we not think of?”

The answer, like I said, is simply…..

It rained – and it rained for over two hours. Period.

I had everything planned with contingencies EXCEPT for rain….something I couldn’t do anything about anyway.

There will be other performances. My songs are on my CD and on the websites as are my music videos. The next time we might want to find an indoor venue…. :>)

Next week Debbie and I are going to check out a place downtown that allows songwriters to perform at every Tuesday night – will keep you posted on that!

Some Zen philosopher might say the EASY thing for me to do would have been to get up and sing – the HARD thing to do would be to walk away.

I did – WE did – the hard thing. Thanks again for all the hugs and support and love.

As my BFF Greg Pryor’s Mom said to me Saturday – “God must have something better planned ahead”.

Let’s keep our eyes open!

Thank you so much again and my love to all!

Dave

9/30/2006   What a difference 4 months makes;

First my cousin and I did some recording at the old homestead in Decatur.....

 

8 Arizona Drive - The Final Sessions
On my 51st birthday, August 5th, 2006 my cousin Bryan and I met at my folks now empty home where I grew up to record some final songs.

I had gotten the idea from a PBS special featuring Sir Paul who went back to Abbey Road with his engineer to record old and new songs at the old studio. Bryan, my engineer, brought all the necessary equipment and Debbie brought me and my guitars. :>)

Since my parents died I have written some songs - really for the first time in over 5 years. I brought 3 I wanted to do and had others if time permitted.

She Believed
See You Soon
My Decatur, My Hometown

These 3 songs came to life on a hot August Day at 8 Arizona Drive.
With the help of background singers Debbie, Judy and Rico I plan on pitching My Decatur to the city to use for next year's Celebration!

I'll write more in my Journal in the day's and week's ahead on that day but wanted to post this after fixing the mess I made trying something new on the web site that did not work....that is why it has not been updated in a long time....

Bryan is working on the songs in post production but to give you a flavor here is the basic version of She Believed - hope you enjoy it!

Then on August 31st - I FINALLY was let go from DaVita! So I decided to take some time off, use some of my severance and start ARNYBARN MUSIC. (from Main Page)....
 

Arnybarn Music becomes reality!

Since I've been without a daily job the past month I have been working on setting up Arnybarn Music as my publishing company to pitch my songs from and to be there when all the marvelous royalties start flowing in from hit after hit!
I decided in order to do this right, I should get an attorney. I know a little bit about a lot of things but not much at all about music copyright law etc. So I asked our Estate attorney for recommendations. She gave me two. One, I could not find further info on the internet about and the other was someone she personally knew so I called her and made an appointment.
As I was explaining my plans I mentioned I was from Decatur, Il.  She looked at me and said, "I am too" I said, "Where'd you go to High School?" She said MacArthur!!
WE were in choir together but neither remembered each other! Sally Nordlund is now my legal advisor for Arnybarn Music! What a small world!
So next I sent in my application to BMI for affiliation as a Publisher. I already have affiliation as a writer for Kentucky In Me and Leave It To Me.
Then I set up a separate bank account and signed up with an industry "Tip Sheet" called RowFax which gives you a weekly listing of who is recording and looking for songs. I currently have pitched to 9 places and received on reject - but with the comment the songs were very well written - just not what they were looking for.
The logo above was designed by Debbie who created it easily after tried for 2 hours with no success.
I work around 4 to 5 hours a day getting demos ready to pitch, creating lyric sheets, researching the pitch list, etc.
Arnybarn Music is a reality.
Dave
ps - A very Happy Birthday to my wonderful wife Debbie!

5/25/06

Dave goes down in flames.....

Received my Thanks but no thanks letter from the Bluebird Cafe. To make matters worse - usually only 5 or 6 out of 70 are chosen - this time 22 out of 65 were chosen. So I really must suck....

I saw 35 auditions - my assessment was that maybe 4 or 5 were good enough to be chosen. The other songs were laborious, cliché, or musically boring. In monitoring the applause for each - I was right up there in the top 5.

Obviously not with the judges.

This is the 4th or 5th time I have been rejected by the Bluebird - after 40 years of songwriting I know which of my songs are good and which are not. This one is good.

The Bluebird seems to have an incestuous relationship with the NSAI - a songwriting organization that thrives on fees for membership, classes, critiques, etc.

Sour grapes? no. Stating facts? maybe....

My rejection included a 2 page letter encouraging joining NSAI and other money making venues for these establishments.

Well after my employment ends August 31st - I'll just have to try some other route.

On the bright side my wonderful longtime friend Brandy and her husband Dave became Grandparents for the first time late last night! The march of time is amazing - I am so happy for them!

Dave

5-22-06
Well, I auditioned - again - at the Bluebird Cafe http://www.bluebirdcafe.com/ yesterday for a slot in the Sunday "Writer's Night" where song writers get to perform three songs and possibly be heard by industry insiders and at the very least (probably more importantly) perform for family and friends.

I arrived around 9:30 A.M. and was 26th in line which meant I was 26th to get up and sing for 60 seconds.  For the next 90 minutes I stood and sat in between Eric and Chad (former child star?) They were both very knowledgeable about guitars, song workshops, NSAI, etc. Behind Chad was a nice guy closer to my age named Bruce - he played keyboard and owner Amy Kurland asked if he would share his piano with a couple other contestants as to save time.

Finally around 11 o'clock we were allowed in - I quickly spied a stool to sit on behind the front counter that would allow me more mobility than the small chairs otherwise available. I was nervous but having done this before 4 times I knew the drill. My main concern was negotiating the one step up onto the stage without a rail.

The 25 before me were folk from all over the country here in search of that dream - to make it in Nashville. But as Amy advised them, Bluebird is but one step on the path. I'm not sure many understood that but eventually they will. The skill level ranged from polished to very amateur.

So my name is called and I successfully step on stage. Finding the jack for my pickup on my guitar, I plug it in (I was the first left hander) I spoke in to the mike "I'm Dave Colvin, from Brentwood.... Tennessee and my song is called See You Soon"

"It seems like a long time - since I've seen you
and if you don't mind - this might sound cliché - but it makes me feel blue....
But I Know - that I'll see you soon
Yes I know - that I'll see you soon

I've lived a good life - At times a lonely life
But this living without my Sweet Baby
Cuts through my heart like a knife....." (c) 2006 arnybarn music

Loud applause that sustained until I exited successfully off stage. 3 or 4 people mouthed "Good Job" which I had not seen them do before. Will I get selected? Who knows?

I did the best I could - and I'll let you know when I know - right here!!

Your Minstrel - Dave

5-14-06

Life's circle has been completed.... The man whose hand created Sweet Baby James, Fire and Rain, Country Road, - that hand shook mine tonight.

Apparently a new thing at concerts (noticed at the Elton John concert last fall) is to shake hands/sign autographs with the folk near the stage right after intermission.

Dave and Meredith were near the stage tonight. After waiting about 12 minutes for him to come from stage left to right - Meredith watching my back - I shouted "James, I only want a handshake" People around me started saying "shake his hand that's all he wants... " Kind of surreal...

He stared at me, the man who has changed my life with his songs reached out and looked me in the eye and shook my hand! 36 years of singing his songs had come full circle.

The first set had been full of tears - He sang "Country Road" almost as well as Vince and I had last year...
"Sweet Baby James" with a similar intro to mine - one thing he had I had wanted at the party but could not pull off -

He had a laptop and a screen behind him. Before each song he would introduce it with a story how it came to be - pictures and all. Maybe I can re-do the video?? HMMMM??

Anyway, after shaking his hand he sang, "The Secret of Life" and then "Shower the People" - well I was blubbering by then - it was that song's lyrics that inspired me to ask Debbie out on a date for the first time in 5 years "Once you tell somebody the way that you feel..."  the girl next to me who would not be here without those words was crying also....

Thanks you sweet baby James for singing my Mama's favorite song "You've Got A Friend" - tears again...

After the first half of the show I thought "TOO SOON"

Fans of the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson know that when a joke would bomb - say one about Abe Lincoln, Johnny would say to Ed ,"Too Soon?" and Ed would say "Yes"

I first thought it was too soon after Mom and Dad's passing to experience this tonight but making it to the second half - shaking his hand - I realized - it was time...

"The Secret of Life is enjoying the passage of time.............."

Enjoy life my loved ones!

Dave

5-13-06

Going to see James Taylor tonight at the Ryman. Deb and I have seen him twice before once in 1980 at Alpine Valley in Wisconsin. He had more hair back then. Then about 10 years ago here at Starwood Amphitheater.

The show is called One Man Band so I'm hoping it's just James and his guitar - always in the same mood - he is mostly flesh and bones and the other's mostly wood.....

I have FrontPage 2003 now so you see some changes - some that work and some I am working on to get to work right. Anyhoo - hope you enjoy the changes.

Will let you know how the concert was.

Dave

4-7-06

WE ARE ALL ONE and the Gospel of Judas -

In 1999 I had lasik surgery performed on my left eye to correct an imbalance from my detached retinas and cataract surgery. All of a sudden after years of eye problems and not reading much of anything except the newspaper, and Time magazine (and maybe a few Legion of Super Heroes Comic books) I could not get enough to read - still can't.

Around the same time Debbie was taking a course called Education For Ministry - through the Episcopal Church. I  also had met a friend who turned out to be a Jehovah's Witness - a total 180 from my beliefs in religion. I soon realized I did not know as much about religion as I should if I wanted to speak intelligently on the subject.

Since 1999 I have read over 200 books on all aspects of religion - history, comparative, philosophical, the whole spectrum. One series of books was called "Conversations With God" by Neale Donald Walsch.
It basically says "We are all one" - there is only one thing that exists - God - and that we are part of God.

Everything - the grass, trees, mountains, oceans, fish, mammals, humans, planets, the space in between.
We are all part of the same one thing. It makes sense to me. The way I look at it - if I can accept that looking through a powerful microscope - I can see a single cell, electrons, neutrons, protons and all the space in between. That cell is part of something larger - a potato - a twig - we all looked through that same Junior High microscope in Science class.

So why not consider I am a small part of this universe and all the planets, nebulas, suns, and all the space in between?  In every cell of our body we know this - I and you are a part of all that is.

Our religious teachings tell us the same thing - only we were so caught up in this Matrix world we have created - we never let ourselves see it.

Today a "New" gospel, The Gospel Of Judas, was revealed to have been discovered some 30 years ago and the translation is sending our beliefs set from over 2000 years in a tail spin.

Basically as I read it - Jesus asked Judas to betray him for the better good! He understood what the "God" in all of us desired and the only way to achieve it was for him to "die" for our sins. Jesus understood the limitations of man's comprehension and so created God's will. And even Judas was forgiven - for if we are all one - who can judge? Only ourselves - for we are all one.

And now we know the "Rest of the Story".

Of course I could be totally wrong.

But with so many different religions with so many "truths" - like I said above this one makes the most sense to me.

Peace be with us!

Dave

3-31-06
Last night Meredith and Rusty took us to a bar called 12th & Porter. The bar also has live entertainment. One of the unique aspects of Nashville is that sometimes there will be performances "in the round". This is where there isn't just one performer but four! With so many singer songwriters it gives one a chance to see performers they might not go see separately.

Last night on stage was Bill  , Kim Carnes, Gretchen Peters, and Suzy Bogguss. They take turns singing their songs and also join in when it is someone else's. For almost two hours it was some of the best acoustical music you could want to hear.

Gretchen wrote Independence Day made famous by Martina McBride. Kim Carnes wrote many songs but her most famous was Betty Davis Eyes. Suzy is known for Drive South but most famous at the Colvin household is Letting Go - a song about a mother getting her 18 year old daughter ready to leave home to go to college. Debbie was in tears as was I.

Afterwards we were lucky enough to meet Suzy. She is so nice. Deb told her I sang at the Gallery in Normal and her eyes lit up! It was when I was at Illinois State University in the mid-70's but we never met.

She asked my name and I told her the story of how I sang upstairs while she performed downstairs. She said the owner, his name was Spike, is now a screenwriter with 3 projects in the works. Then Suzy introduced me to her Mother!! Her Mom said she went to the Gallery and requested someone sing Misty and they nearly threw her out of the place - not sure why except that wasn't exactly the type of music the Gallery was famous for.

Meredith had her picture phone and asked Suzy if we could have our picture taken with her.

She really has one of the most pure, clear voices in the business - and appears to love what she does. During the performance when one of the others were singing - she was just as much a fan as the audience.

It was a great evening!

Peace

Dave

3-19-06
Going through the pictures of my past is helping put all the recent past in perspective.

The picture on the home page of my 4th grade class is just the beginning. It feels as if it was only yesterday - seriously! The fact that I can remember most of their names surprised me.

Mrs. Beck was not one of my favorite teachers but it was a pivotal year. It was the last year at Mound before it became a Jr. High.

There are two people in that picture who remain in my life today - Greg Pryor (2nd row) and Greg Burgin(3rd row)!

Anyway - keep watching this site in the future for more "Back to the Future" of Arnybarn!

3-4-06                Life continues

I continue. This is one of the hardest times of my life yet I continue. I must.

Everyone must.

For while we may not understand, while we may be angry at the world, it is only because death is the one thing none of us still living can speak about with any true knowledge. It scares us, we fear it. Yet one of the things I remember about both my parents' dying days - was the fact that neither seemed afraid.

Granted they did not know they were about to die yet somehow - looking back - I now get the sense they were aware the time was near. Especially Mom - the day she died. Every one of the 26 days she was with us she'd ask "Why am I still alive? My Mother died at 51 and my Dad at 57 - why am I still here?"

Well, the day she died, she said the same thing only this time she added - "the body gets tired of living David". She leaned her head down on her hands on the kitchen table and looked up at me and smiled.

I think she knew - and was happy. Not afraid. Not scared. But happy.
Ready.
Ready to continue on to what she believed would be the end of this pain filled world. Onto the next existence - whatever awaits us all.
The body was tired of living - she was tired of living - in this world. So she smiled.....

So I must continue until my body gets tired of living - in this world....so... 

Last Sunday I completed 2 songs I had started recently - one being the poem I wrote for Mom's funeral bulletin which you can read on the home page to arnybarn. The other was My Decatur My Hometown.

I need to re-record them but am satisfied I have what has been playing in my head these past weeks and months.
Dave

To reply ; email me at arnybarn@aol.com and I will post it here with my comments.

3-1-06    Dubai Georgie -

If it wasn't so important - I might let myself smile and say "We told you so" as more comes out each day regarding the deal to allow United Arab Emirates (UAE) to take over our ports. It has always been about money with both Bush administrations and now even Republican radio nor the Republican controlled Congress cannot find a way to spin this to support Bush and Cheney.

But what are we to do? We have 3 years left with this guy! This is like trying to teach our only employee how to do his job the correct way in 3 lessons or less. It is like when I have hired someone at work and realize after a while that this person is in over their head in regards to having the ability to perform the duties required by the job.

I might be incorrect but I believe the last President with an approval rating of 37% was Richard M. Nixon.

Unfortunately the Founding Fathers did not leave us the ability to terminate a bad "Employee" and post his job in the Sunday paper. Unless he commits a crime. I really don't think Bush has committed any crimes except those of ignorance. He might be greedy - but I'm not sure about that either. I think I'll stick with the ignorance factor....

I pray for this country. Many families have lost their loved ones because of this man. He once made the statement we would not support countries that supported terrorists - Dubai is one of the largest financers of terrorism in the past 15 years.

I know - let's give them control over our sea ports of our most important cities. Yeah that makes sense.

I still believe this is a good country despite it's inept and greedy leaders.

Love to all -

Dave

To reply ; email me at arnybarn@aol.com and I will post it here with my comments.