Music that moves me

All the talk at the office today has been about the impending April blizzard.  It's raining right now and once it cools off it'll be ugly.  I admit, it was bringing my mood down a bit, when, what should I find in my mailbox, but a copy of Jerry Ostensoe's Just East of West CD.     When I heard the first notes of Jerry's guitar accompanied by harmonica, bass and fiddle, I knew I was going to like this CD.  Occasionally Jerry is joined in vocals by Malena Handeen rounding things out.   One of my favorites songs is He'll Do Better. Some of ... Read Full Story

I know I've written about this CD before, and you had to take my word for it that it's all I said it was, but now you can hear for yourself.  Singer and songwriter Jerry Ostensoe from tiny Sacred Heart, Minnesota has added tracks of music to his website,   http://www.jerryostensoe.com/ .  But I suggest you buy the CD and listen to my favorite song, He'll Do Better . I suppose I feel a kinship to the music of southwestern Minnesota and the Minnesota River Valley because I'm a country girl and I spent a lot of time visiting its museums and interpretive centers ... Read Full Story

Washburn B14 5-String Banjo (with Case) Brass bell tone ring. Remo head. Maple bass with Rosewood tip bridge. From workhorse to showstopper, Washburn banjos are seen on every stage and played by some of the finest pickers in the country, or the city. See how the addition of a banjo can broaden your sonic pallet and add a new perspective to your music. For traditionalists, you'll find all the tone and projection you'd expect from a world class instrument. From tone ring to inlay, it's what a great banjo should be. Washburn sees to it! Bell brass tone ring Tension tailpiece Remo head Maple ... Read Full Story

As a fan of all kinds of music, I’ve seen a fair share of concerts ranging from the heaviest metal to the quietest folk to the funkiest jazz. I enjoy all kinds of concerts but there are always certain ones that stand out as extremely compelling and exciting. These concerts are the ones that involve a lot of improvisation. There is something significantly more exciting about a dynamic show that is ever changing than a show where you know the band probably played it nearly the same, note for note, the night before. I believe that without improvisation we’re missing the point of music; ... Read Full Story

For some reason, I've been doing a lot of reading. I think that it kicked in about 3 months ago. Seriously, I used to read one or two books a year, usually around vacations. Now I'm kicking out a new one every few weeks. For me, that's huge. I have to admit that I don't feel any smarter. Maybe even a little more confused. When I get MORE confused, you know it's getting bad! I just finished "Infidel" by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. Before that I read "A Thousand Splendid Suns" and "Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini. Basically, I've read a lot about Muslims and ... Read Full Story

My wife and I are reaching the end of her pregnancy and we're getting ready for children. Needless to say, it's been a lot easier on me than it has been on her. She's carrying twins and has been on bed rest for four months. As we reach the end of this long journey she is becoming more and more uncomfortable and it's harder to move around. Even simple tasks like walking down the hall to the kitchen are a chore for her. I feel really bad about it, but at the same time, there is nothing that I can do about it. Anyway, ... Read Full Story

Well, last week's email campaign and blogfest has opened up my inbox and message machine to quite a barrage of incoming comments. It's nice to hear that people are actually reading the page and listening to the music. The Internet is so impersonal that it's hard to know that there's actually anyone out there. Nine out of ten times I feel like I'm just writing to myself. Maybe I should start responding to myself. Asking myself questions about my inspiration. Telling myself that my songs suck and I should give up writing and go back to being a drunk waiter . I could start ... Read Full Story