Our local version of Taps Across America came together very last minute, and at the end, it wound up just being me performing. This was recorded at the bandshell at Volunteers’ Green in Richmond, Vermont exactly at 3 pm on Memorial Day 2022. Our thanks and respect to those members of our nation’s military who paid the ultimate… Read More »
Hi, all! I’m a long-time member and supporter (and former treasurer and board member) of NAMI Vermont — the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Vermont chapter. As someone who suffers from depression, anxiety, ADHD, and borderline personality disorder, I depend heavily on the efforts of NAMI to advocate for the rights of those who suffer from mental illness,… Read More »
The documentary, “Orchestrating Change“, that I’m a featured subject in airs nationwide on PBS Plus/PBS World tonight at 8 pm EDT and again at midnight. I created a Facebook event for people to help people remember to tune in: Facebook event The documentary is about Me2/Orchestra, the world’s only orchestra dedicated to people with mental illness and their… Read More »
We planted lots of chile and bell peppers in every color and size and degree of hotness (well, just about) and chopped them all up into a container of, well, chile hash — which we then used today to make 12 quarts of salsa. Ideally, we’d have used homegrown tomatoes as well, but we didn’t focus on paste tomatoes… Read More »
In re Hey, I Was In A Movie!, there was a nice story on Me2/Orchestra and the “Orchestrating Change” documentary on WGBH last night.
So: I’m a featured subject in a just-released documentary film. For reals. The documentary is titled “Orchestrating Change” and is all about Me2/Orchestra, the orchestra I’ve been playing French horn in since 2011. Me2/Orchestra was founded to raise awareness and fight stigma about the realities of mental illness. The members of the orchestra run the gamut of conditions… Read More »
The Green Mountain Horn Club has been a thing here in Vermont for several decades, changing in membership over the years but always managing to come together every few months to put on fun French Horn-only performances for our legions of admiring fans. We did a performance recently in North Hero, Vermont at a little roadside venue called… Read More »
Bear on my front porch this morning. Yes, you’re supposed to take your bird feeders in during the spring so as not to attract bears coming out of hibernation. We’ve actually only had ours out for the last month or so. Our reaction to the bear coming onto our porch today was “Hey, dammit, it’s JULY. Get lost.… Read More »
I took part in the 2019 “Gather at the River” choral conference hosted by the Vermont chapter of the ACDA (American Choral Directors Association) this past weekend at Harwood Union High School in Duxbury (quack) Vermont. I was part of the Hawaiian music “chamber choir” in addition to singing in the massed choir. I really liked the Hawaiian… Read More »
Dear reader, we’ve made major strides against breast cancer mortality in the last ten years, but there’s still so much work left to do. It costs money to treat patients, conduct clinical trials, detect tumors, and educate at-risk populations. Donations from my friends, family, and co-workers have helped more than one might realize — the Komen foundation has… Read More »