Going back to my week in Sherbrooke teaching at the Road to Stanfest: it was a tonic. Made so by the calibre of talent this year as well as my fellow instructors – Dave Carroll, Clary Croft and J.P. Cormier. Princes and gentlemen, all.  The participants ranged in age from 20 to 70, the styles from folk to Brazilian, the ability….well, there was a range there, too.

The first question I ask is: what are songs for? The responses invariably go like this: to send a message (my thought on that one: don’t send messages in songs), to express a feeling, to tell a story. All true. In addition, of course, is the most basic. A song is to sing. But, singing does not make a song. It’s not just a matter of the human voice making musical sound. It also means using words that sing, letters that sing, phrases that sing. And taking those sounds and words, putting them together in a way that sings true, heart and mind.

Well, enough of that. Nothing more annoying than a lecture from an unreliable source. What do I know?

Look at these guitars: http://www.warrenmurfitt.com Made by Warren Murfitt….a solid addition to the ranks of remarkable guitar makers. Suffering the burden of guitaritis, I hope to have one of these soon. My brother (arguably sicker than I) has one. It’s very, very nice. And beautiful.

Speaking of beauty, it’s a good day to be out. Outdoors, I mean. So, over and out.