13 Tips on Dealing with Stagefright

Ideas on breaking through stage fright and learning to be a performer. 1. Small increments of performance will desensitize you to the fear. 2. Treat your voice as a musical instrument, not some failed version of yourself. 3. Practice with a microphone and Pa. 4. Sing...

The Songwriter Hypnotist

I find it useful to think of`a song as a form of hypnosis, and the songwriter as a hypnotist. As writers/musicians, we create extraordinary experiences of words and musical backing that speak to the feeling level of the listener’s mind…again and again.  A...
Invoking the Muse of Lyrics

Invoking the Muse of Lyrics

I write songs. I write for love, for dreams, for therapy, for self-expression, for YouTube, for performance, for recording, and I write to write. I am also a blues harmonica and guitar player, singer, performer, teacher, author, seminar leader in Ventura California. I...
Friday Night Coach’s Cabaret

Friday Night Coach’s Cabaret

On Friday Night, we do the Coaches Cabaret, in which the coaches take the hot seat and perform for the campers. We try to make it a very special night in what we call “a listening room environment.” One of our favorite campers made a pretty decent video of...
Examples of Blues Harmonica Jam Campers Jamming

Examples of Blues Harmonica Jam Campers Jamming

Our campers range from advanced intermediates to raw beginners. We have a strong, strong program for all levels. We are a creative center, a spark plug that will get you playing harp, singing, writing songs, repairing harps, writing about harps, creating harmonica...