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Certainly get lots of playing time at this conference

Thanks, Diane! Nice to read some good news this morning instead of just the headlines (DST year-round?! and I won't go into political news). I like the range of music there.....Beatles, Neil, Metallica. Speaking of range, take care of your vocals.....California Girls and Sweet Surrender hit some high notes. Hope you can share some videos later!

We’re finding the groove. Today, as expected, was a continuation of Monday’s lessons. Shawn had great examples of tunes that vary rhythm with each measure: some James Brown, some Metallica, some Beatles. With Denise we reviewed yesterday’s tunings and studied Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl” in double drop D. Then back to Shawn for fingerstyle with a Carcassi exercise and “Dear Prudence”. I capped my study day with another small jam session with Denise, where I might have overtaxed my voice on one of my own selections, “California Girls”. I was tired, tonight was Coffeehouse night, and I hadn’t rehearsed my song in almost a week. So I skipped the voice class to get some rest before dinner. At 7:30 we filled the reconfigured dining hall for our open mic “Coffeehouse Night”. Tables were topped with snacks and sodas, and Anthony and Mike rigged the PA system. Alice dimmed the lights, Mike Dowling kicked us off, and the show was on. We had the full spectrum of both musical tastes and proficiency. A couple performers said this was their first open mic. Some of my fellow campers can hang right in there with the pros. My turn was 15th of 22 — so two thirds of us (32) performed. I began with This Week in Unnecessary Music Theory, briefly explaining the significance of the Mystery Symbol on the other side of the wall behind me, and noting that nobody around here seems to know who wrote it on the chalkboard, or why. Which brings me to The Sensitive Female Chord Progression, as now illustrated by “Sweet Surrender”. It was okay-ish. Not recently rehearsed, and my voice was all over the map tonight. It happens. I gave it my best. Videos later. Tomorrow night, it’s the faculty’s show.