Greetings!

Hi!

Welcome to the Layperson email list. I’m glad you’re here. My intention is to share occasional musical updates, demos, upcoming performance dates, and some general musings from my life.

I’m delighted that this inaugural post features a live set filmed for Dawn Riddle’s show “Welcome to my Home.” If you don’t know Dawn Riddle, she is more or less her own Portland institution at this point. I highly recommend checking her work out here. This show is special because you can only play using the instruments Dawn has in her apartment. I loved this episode featuring Nicholas Krgovich where he covers two Ruth Garbus songs on a keyboard and what looks like a xylophone made out of bamboo.

Dawn also has you pick out background items to display while you play. You can Where’s Waldo the following gems: a mug painted with the words “diva cup” on it, a paper mache clock (that worked!), and a tiny blue smurf (it cute).

I enjoyed the opportunity to be silly and spontaneous. Thanks, Dawn.

Other than that, I am slowly chipping away at a new record. the second song in this set, “Fog’s Ride” will be on it. Coming in on my 17th (wtf!) year living in Portland I’ve noticed that themes of rivers, big trees, and rain have seeped into my songwriting. I’ve been delving into more live recording, letting room noise bleed in, and generally working with less perfectionism. It’s good for me.

Okay, enjoy! And it’s worth watching until the end because Steve our percussionist uses a typewriter as his drum kit. Ya!