Danville Foodstock Dinner Today

The Danville Foodstock Sunday Dinner for December is today. Doors open at 11:00, dinner begins at 11:30 and goes till the food runs out.

Today's menu is Holiday Ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans, garden salad, and Christmas cookies for dessert.

The dinner is presented at the Tilton Public Use Buidling, behind the Tilton ball park complex.

For a map, directions, and further information, or to make a donation, please visit the Danville Foodstock web site.

Many thanks, as always to County Market (North), Vermilion Valley Produce, and the many other businesses and individuals who help make sure that Danville Foodstock continues to serve food - and hope! - to those in need.

In peace,

Lane

A Christmas Celebration

Later today, I'll be performing at a Christmas party in our area. Let me tell you a bit about it.

Every year, Robin - of Robin's Bar & Grill - puts on a Christmas party for the area's children. Each year she entertains dozens of children from low-income families, along with their parents. She pays for everything, the food, the gifts, the decorations... everything! This is one way that Robin gives back to her community and serves others.

Last year was the first time I was involved. I learned of the event from Glenda, who has participated for several years. I immediately offered to perform, and it was one of my first solo performances. I quickly learned several Christmas carols, and added a couple of my own tunes. I had a blast and so did the kids, so the event immediately became a part of my permanent calendar.

So, later today, if you hear one old man and a bunch of kids singing at the top of their lungs, with big smiles on their faces, that's us!

By the way, I just noticed that it's started to snow here. Cool deal! Snowball fights in the parking lot!

In peace,

Lane

Welcoming Teach Me Bass Guitar

Today I'd like to introduce you to Teach Me Bass Guitar (TMBG), a phenomenal new DVD-based instructional course created by one of my best friends, Roy Vogt. At the end of September, I joined The Learning Dock, LLC, (TLD) publishers of TMBG, as VP, Sales & Outreach. My main reason for considering the opportunity was to help Roy promote the crowning achievement of his thirty year career as an internationally-acclaimed musician and educator. I now have many more reasons to be with the company.

Before I go through the whole story, let me point out that Teach Me Bass Guitar is the most comprehensive, effective and entertaining course of bass guitar instruction available anywhere outside of a major school of music. Roy is a master educator with over thirty years experience teaching at the university level - at Nashville's prestigious Belmont University, no less. TMBG is great for everyone from brand-new beginners just picking up the bass guitar, to serious intermediate players who want to hone their skills and correct bad habits. It's also an excellent primer of various musical styles for those wanting to broaden their horizons. If you want to learn to play bass guitar, there simply is no better way to learn!

Now... grab your cup of coffee and let me tell you why I'm writing about Roy and TMBG here.

Roy and I go back to the mid 80s, when I met him while he was touring with Dickey Betts (Allman Brothers) and his band Great Southern. We hit it off right away and stayed in touch when and as we got the chance. This was before the Internet, email, texting and such. But once the Net was king, Roy and I were able to stay in much closer touch. Many years later, in the summer of 2005, Roy began to write bass guitar lessons and music business articles for Eden Electronics, a bass amp company Roy and I have both endorsed for more than a decade. At the time, I was the company's Special Projects Coordinator; one of my duties was as managing editor for the company web site. (For much of that time, I was also Roy's Artist Relations contact for the company, yet another reason to work together.)

Roy and I worked together as writer and editor until earlier this year, when funding cuts curtailed our project (among many others). I drove down to Nashville often, and always did my best to see Roy, several times offering music business clinics to his students at Belmont University, and inviting Roy to participate in my in-store events for Eden dealers. So when Roy first told me about Teach Me Bass Guitar, I immediately volunteered to help him promote it in any way I could.

What neither of us realized was that, by June, I would have left the company and would be searching for new ventures to fill the void. I believe I've mentioned here before that the parent company for which I worked was brutally damaged by the downward spiraling economy, as was much of the music manufacturing industry in general. I survived many cutbacks and lay-offs throughout the last part of 2008. But in January, 2009, I knew things were "going south" when the company cut me from the team that would be at the winter NAMM show. When a company will not pay the cost to take their chief promoter of an entire product line to a trade show, you know things are really bad.

Over the first half of this year, I watched my pay dwindle and my benefits disappear. I was converted to subcontractor status and basically supervised the break-up of my position with various duties taken by a number of others. I'm sure you can understand that, by the time it all came to a grinding painful halt in June, I was beaten up pretty badly. Even though I knew it was time to go - what with my close friend and "partner in tone" David Nordschow having already left the company at the end of summer, 2008 (I originally slowed down my consulting practice to assist David) - it was a difficult transition for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it put a serious financial strain on my new marriage.

Now, reading this blog, you wouldn't know much about that, as I wrote very little about it. And when I did, I talked about how fortunate I was to have an understanding wife and the faith that there was something better in store for me. I knew that if I worked hard to do my part, I would receive divine assistance. I knew that God had a plan, even if I didn't know what it was. And that's where Teach Me Bass Guitar comes in.

In mid-July, I met Barbara and David Crossman, owners of TLD, at the summer NAMM show - the second largest music industry trade show (the first being the winter NAMM show). I urged her to call me to discuss possibilities and Roy recommended me highly. One thing led to another, and we finally got to sit down for a few days of meetings in late September, with the result being that I came home with a truck-load of work to do, and an even greater load of hope and gratitude. Not only was I going to help Roy with his dream, I was going to help an entire family with theirs as well - all while helping to make my own dreams a reality.

David and Barbara are both very spiritual people. Devout in their faith, and both working hard to follow the teachings to the best of their ability. The same is true of their children and their families. I'll write more about this in future posts. For now, suffice to say that they all walk the walk, and there's not a whole lot of book-thumpin' going on. (Sure, we talk about spirituality, but that's not thumpin'; that's sharing.)

So here I am - doing something I love to do while helping one of my closest friends and a wonderful family - promoting the most amazing bass instructional course I've ever seen. I really wish I'd had something like this when I started playing bass 40 years ago!

Now, here's the really cool part - like many music education products, a large portion of sales is through affiliate marketing. For those that don't know, this is basically a system by which others promote your products and get a portion of each sale they refer. Because David and Barbara are very focused on service to others, they have set up a special program for non-profits and other charitable organizations. That way, a person can purchase the product and a good portion of their price will go to the organization through which they order.

You can now order Teach Me Bass Guitar through the Life with Spirit Foundation, with up to 30% of your purchase price going to support our work. I think that's just incredible! If you know someone - of any age! - who wants to learn to play bass guitar, or improve their skills, introduce them to Roy's course and Life with Spirit at the same time.

Isn't it interesting what a difference a few short months can make in person's life? No matter how bad things are, they can get better in a hurry if you do two things:

Do Your Part

Have Faith

Do what needs doing and get the job done. Sooner begun, sooner done, as my father used to say. It won't help to sit and worry or complain. It won't even help to pray if you aren't willing to take responsibility for your share of the burden. No matter your situation, get up every day and deal with it. Remember, God helps those who help themselves. You have to show you're willing to invest some effort to get through the bad times... that you'll do whatever is required of you to keep going. Or, to put it bluntly - Do Your Part.

Rome wasn't built in a day (I'm full of sayings and cliches today!), and it will take time to get through any difficult situation. Even when times seem their darkest, you have to have strong faith that the Light will prevail, as it always does. You have to know that, as a Child of Spirit, you are cared for and loved always... that you will be provided for, as Jesus often promised. "See the birds in the air..."

I did my part. And so did Glenda. But more importantly, I had faith. I trusted that I was on the right road, and was being guided in my journey. And my trust has been repaid many times over with a wonderful gift - of a new opportunity, new friends, and a new way to serve my fellow bassists. All in time for Christmas!

I'm a happy boy!! (smile)

In peace,

Lane

A Wonderful Weekend

This weekend the Danville Foodstock kitchen crew assisted with the Village of Tilton's Senior Holiday Dinner. Eleven turkeys and all the trimmings, with several pies and puddings for dessert. I ended up doing a short set of Christmas Carols and a few of my own songs, near the end of the dinner. Of course, Monty Schroeder, Danville Foodstock's Head Chef and Ktichen Boss supervised all of the cooking and the serving line. Glenda assisted throughout, never sitting down until we finally got home in the late afternoon.

We were all pleased to take part, and look forward to taking part again next year. This is our way of thanking the village of Tilton for their kind support of the Danville Foodstock Sunday Dinner series. They allows us free use of their building, and provide funding assistance for every dinner. Recently they repaved the long, winding 2-lane road that winds back to the facility, so that it would be less treacherous for dinner guests this winter. They have also allowed us to reserve the third Sunday of every month, beginning this coming Sunday. That will make it easier for folks to remember it and make it a permanent part of their schedule.

You can learn more about Danville Foodstock and how you can help by visiting the web site. While there, please sign up to receive our new monthly newsletter, beginning in January, 2010. You can also get instant updates through the new Twitter account - twitter.com/foodandhope.

In peace,

Lane

Thought for Today - 12.10.09

If prayer and passage meditation are talking to God, silent meditation is listening to God for the answers. After prayer or passage meditation, I always sit, at least for a few minutes, in silent meditation in case God has something to say to me.

In peace,

Lane