From the poet's pen

Merry Christmas, now be gone 2011

2011-12-23T13:50:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone,

It is time for the annual end of the year blog. I would have waited a week but will not be online and what can happen in the last week. Don't answer that! after this year so far it could be anything. I'm sure almost everyone can look back and find good moments and bad in the course of a year. Some may have had an overwhelmingly positive year, and others the opposite. For me the latter. What follows is the usual commentary on various topics wrapped up by my final entry regarding my favorite artists.

Politics. Anyone who knows me knows I am a constitutional conservative. I do not like Mr. Obama's policies or his party's ever increasing turn to the left. I'm not wild about the other major party either as they too are farther left than they should be, so much so that there is little difference in the two. That is why I chose years ago to not affiliate with party. They are bankrupt. Our founding fathers and founding documents find big government socialism to be anathema. I agree. Some think it is more fair to the average citizen, yet they fail to see that the same percentage rise to the top as the bottom tier grows. The middle class is shrinking and over half the people in this country now qualify as poor. I am among them. The new year will likely bring the harshest campaign ever for the Presidency. Yet the Republicans seem bound and determined to foist on us a so called "moderate" in Romney. Moderate equals left of center. That will cause the base to sit out and give us four more years of elitist, racist, anti-Christian, bloated government who will finish the constitution and drive the final nails in its coffin. Frankly, even China looks pretty good right now. I know I have plenty of friends and no shortage of artists I support who have no issue at all with Obama. Friends can agree to disagree in an effort to resolve issues. Artists are well served to distance themselves from any politics or risk alienating half of their audience. The outlook for politics and peace throughout the world in 2012 is bleak to say the least. But I encourage every eligible voter to be fully informed and then vote their conscience regardless of whether they think a candidate can win and regardless of party affiliation. If you don't vote, then don't complain.

Economy. The economy is poor. There has been no recovery. Unemployment figures are far higher than stated as is inflation. Did you know that if wages had kept up with inflation since 1971 that the minimum wage now would be $60 per hour?! Did you know actual unemployment to be between 20-30%? Actual inflation is double digit if you add in food and fuel. Those were conveniently dropped from the statistics in the 1980's. My own personal economy took a hit due to those I work with or for cutting back out of fear of an imminent collapse in their business. It did not happen but it is their business and choice. It forced me into work for which I was not suited but needed to pay the bills. I'm now doing contract work which is sporadic. That in addition to some of the things I do on the side and I can get by but barely. I had to resort to a room mate but that was only until this month and now back to paying full rent. every month is on the edge. It would not be that way had I not been so incredibly foolish in my passions. The accumulated debt I likely cannot pay off short of some miracle with my writings and songs. It is what it is. Some things I simply felt worth the expense over the years as the creative results were so voluminous. The new year does not promise to be much better. But you wake up every day and just do your best and trust.

Online things. This has been a year of change for me and others on the internet. My Space for me has become rather useless. The account will be deleted soon. Twitter has proven to be more frustration than blessing and why would anyone care what I'm up to anyway? It seems dominated by females talking to each other and males sitting idly by watching as the moss grows on them. I left it once and may do so again, except that a couple of people I follow are not on Facebook so no place else to keep up. Facebook has been an interesting place on a whole range of topics and interests, though they really need to stop tweaking it. A rift occurred there, though, and the damage caused by that person is likely not repairable.

Then there are the forums. At one time I was admin in six of them. That was by request. I'm now down to one, the relatively inactive Lisa Kelly one owned by Jim Allen. The Olivia forum disappeared earlier this year. The artist had "moved on" with her music and only wished to interact with people in her own peer group. Guess the international fans and their efforts could go stuff themselves. It was a huge blow and very hurtful. Some nice songs came out of all of that and maybe they'll make their way out there. The orphanage in India I guess is not on her radar any more either. What few CD's I still have are available for donations to that orphanage. The Lynn forum changed hands as did the Alex forum. Early this year the original Alex forum was down for several weeks and a member elected to create a new one. That is the one that survives with any level of activity. That same fan went on to create forums for Lisa Lambe and Sarah Burke. Fine and dandy. All deserving of them.

Then there is the queen of them all, the Máiréad forum. By far the most energetic, by far the most enthusiastic, and by far the most friendly and inclusive of the communities created for these artists. It produces the largest fan gatherings, helps more people attend shows who otherwise could not, has the greatest promotional mechanism for the artist and itself, and has the largest charity drive. Early this year a handful of members felt the forum was not what it had been when it began. None of them had been there in the beginning. In any case they took their ball and created their own court. Their right to do and any site that promotes the artist is a good thing. I wish them the best. The owner of it has by far the best archives on the artist anywhere. It far exceeds anything on her own site. There was growth in the forum, energy, well attended Sunday chats, and the very best site for show reviews of any related to this group. But it also has its share of controversy. Not on the site but off site. We tried to assure the artist and others that these are viewpoints of individuals and not the forum. In any case, my own outspoken nature and ties to some were enough that I stepped down as admin early in the year. The replacement did not last long, citing it was too much work for her schedule. So, I stepped back up to help Mike. I stayed in that role too long and more controversy came later in the year over the issue of the charity check presentation. This time it did show up inside the forum and that was wrong to allow. I made a statement in the forum blog accepting responsibility for that and I stand by that. I apologized to the artist there and do so again here. The forum is not the place for it. Because of that I stepped down again as it had to fall on someone. The buck stops at the top. She deserves better and the only way that site is ever going to stand a chance to get to the next level with her is if I am no longer speaking for it or representing it. Mike will do his best to make amends and soothe things even while additional off site commentary may occur. The artist should NOT condemn the forum for the opinions voiced off site by those who happen to be members. There is plenty of support there for her and lots of wonderful people in that community. It is a lovely family but with the usual odd characters you get in any family. Folks like me may just be the crazy uncle that gets locked away in the attic, but we mean well.

Celtic Woman. A far too engrossing passion for a lot of people. In some cases it borders on worship. But, taken at the proper level and with limited expectations, it is a very positive distraction. It has been responsible for building a great many friendships and resulted in at least a couple of fan marriages, and no one inside the group. It is not without flaws as you can see by my previous posts here. But the good far outweighs the bad. Such has been the case this year. A huge blunder on the part of someone led to uproar leading up to Máiréad's birthday in Springfield. In the end the fans had great seats and a great after show after corrections were made. Máiréad even graciously attended the after show which she had not done on her birthday previously. Everyone was very grateful to her for that. Celtic Woman listened and saw to it that more fan friendly folks ran the after show. The amiable Dustin represented Madstone and was a vast improvement over the surly Mitch. Bubba Dixon took over this aspect of the operation from Rachel. It was very well received and he has been exceptional in his courtesy and professionalism all the way through the year. There was still some discontent over poor seats at high prices from some PBS stations. There is still some discontent for the all too brief time given each fan at the after show for the money paid. But, photographs were once again allowed and that helped a lot and made for very many happy faces. My compliments to the organization and the artists for allowing this again as you had early on. The ensemble had very well attended shows in Europe, Japan, and the states. They ended the year with their first ever Christmas tour, and the first tour using symphonies. Even better for that was the return of David to the piano. There was also the Believe recording in Atlanta which brought a record gathering of familiar faces in one place. It was enough that a room was rented at the venue the day of the first show and a fan documentary recorded. The most special part for me, though, was the pub after the first night's show. In it were gathered fan and artist alike sans the front four. Those conversations and that courtesy were so very much appreciated. It was family, pure and simple, and God bless the artists who were there that took time to interact and to compliment us as much as we did them. Some negatives too this year from the organization mainly things on line and all on Twitter. Those do not bear recounting here. Now some thank yous.

Mike Brown. As dedicated and generous a fan and friend as any artist or fan could ask for. His expenditures in money and time are immeasurable. there is no way anyone could adequately describe or express thanks for all you have done. Now at 101 shows and climbing, and those are just the seats you occupied and not the many others acquired and donated to others. I wish Pittsburgh had been far more special for you. Recent events overshadowed what should have been a truly special night. You deserved far more than you received. Thank you for being such an amazing fan and friend. Good luck leading the Máiréad forum and mending the fences towards a stronger relationship with the artist.

Scott Meenen and Dave Bussells. Thank you for allowing me to lead the various forums you own or created. It has been an honor. Thank you, Scott, for paying the bills that keep the lights on in the enchanted forest. Thank you, Dave, for staying on top of things. I hope the artist at some point will thank you for those things personally.

Bill Jordan, Ralph Nye, Ron Foster, and so many others. Thanks for being people of such great character and friendship. It has meant the world in a difficult year. Also thanks to Jim Allen for his ownership in some of the forums and his personal support. Also to all the moderating team in the Máiréad forum. You're the best. Far too many friends from the forums and Facebook to thank. I want to say something else here. After the show in Springfield, ten or so men gathered for the usual post show nibble and chat. It was a conversation anyone's mom could have sat in on and not blush. It is always that way. These women are held in the highest and most proper regard. That anyone out there could ever characterize such men as risk factors or unsavory in any way is dead wrong and they would be lucky to have men like that in their lives. We are not and never will be like the screaming teenage girls who attacked the Beatles and ripped their clothes off. Things of beauty need to be preserved and cherished. These women and the music are all that for a great many.

Celtic Woman LTD. I have been as guilty as any in throwing stones. If I did not care about the artists and fans I would have said nothing and simply walked away. You may have preferred that but it is not my nature and never has been. I encourage you to embrace those familiar faces and not push them away. Some of what you did in 2011 showed embracing and some pushing away. There really is no knowing what to expect. But take what is said both positive and negative and know there is always room for improvement. It is true for each of us as individuals and for companies as well.

David Downes. Brilliant. I don't know how many times I have heard that word when people speak of you. Show after show is consistent in the quality of the arrangement and the artistry. Thank you for this creation and for being kind to the fans in meetings after the Believe recording and on the symphony tour.

Anthony Byrne, Andy Reilly, Ray Fean, Ewan Cowley, Dermot Kiernan Not only are you each gifted but you are also exceptional in your care and concern for your fans. And yes, YOUR fans. You earn them with every performance and with every kind interaction on stage and off. You are not only the best at your craft, but good people. Andy, Dermot, and Ray, I would encourage you to create a Facebook fan page as Ewan and Anthony have done. MySpace and Twitter really are not all they could be for nurturing your fan base.

Sarah Burke, and Amy Rivard. You may not be current members, but that fan base you built while with the group has stayed with you and still promotes and supports you. Your kindness to each of us is part of that. May all the best things come from the gifts you have and share.

Orlagh Fallon, and Alex Sharpe. Exceptional artists but also exceptional people. You both proved that this year on stage and even more so off stage with the incredible kindness showed to those familiar faces. You now do what you do on your own terms and it blesses both your family and your fans. May your careers be brilliant ones and the fans as numerous as the stars in the heavens.

Lisa Lambe. From opening night in Florida to my final show in Buffalo you nailed it and weaved those curly red locks around the hearts of many. It is clear you are a true professional and very well suited to your role. I appreciate those few special moments like the blown kisses, the meeting in Sioux Falls, and the tweets early on. You have a fan here and I'm sure you'll not take any of them for granted. Please consider a Facebook fan site like Lisa and Chloe have.

Chloe Agnew. Ave Marie. L'Assenza. Two songs that showcase both the power and the persona. It is my hope you'll never go pop but play to the strengths that songs like these give you. Every standing ovation is well earned. Thank you as well for taking the time twice on Twitter to answer questions from fans. It was very well received and very much appreciated.

Lisa Kelly. Oh my. Another child on the way? Well, boy or girl, the little one will be blessed. How could one not be with The Voice singing lullabies to them? By far and away you are the most interactive and caring of your individual fans on both Twitter and Facebook. You were the one God sent to unlock my own creative gifts. I will forever be grateful. Thank you. Stay in touch and I will make it my priority to keep you in the review loop from the 2012 tour on the Lisa forum. You and that little one on the way will remain in my prayers.

Máiréad, um, hmmm, ni Nesbitt? Mustapha? We'll just go with Máiréad Nesbitt for now. First and foremost I owe you an apology for being way too far over the top. That certainly is even more undesirable with you being married now. I'm just a fan. A very avid one to be sure. A passionate one for reasons you well know especially from the writings and now the fan documentary. Some things have been said by me and others this year better left unsaid. That may yet hold true again in the weeks to come. I am stepping back from all of that. Things have happened this year that change what has been. It will never be the same. Thank you for the inspirations. Thank you for allowing my heart to rest in your fiddle case for awhile. Thank you for helping me feel alive and love again like I had not known in over 20 years. Thank you for answering the question about who it was that had haunted my dreams. The only gifts I can give you now are prayers and to take several big steps back and simply revel in the artistry and magic of what you do and how you do it. I'm sorry for anything said or done in the past four years that may have given offense. You may see me from time to time at a show. The prayer for you has always been that you be happy, healthy, safe, prosperous, and that you know The Lord, and know the best, most unconditional and rewarding love a human can know.

So to all of you who read this, I had planned a more hard edged blog. I cannot. It is Christmas. It is time to move on to a new path in 2012 and wherever God takes me. I'll be very active in political speaking, on social commentary, and in getting my creations out there for publication and use. Celtic Woman now simply must be like a family reunion with those in the audience and to a lesser degree on stage. Merry Christmas to all, and have a blessed 2012. For me, 2011 was largely a year I could have done without. Perhaps it will be something to build on and the new year far more positive.

God bless, Scott

Believe it or not, I'm a Believer

2011-09-20T13:37:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!
Well quite a bit has happened since the last blog post. And in this post I want to let you know what I believe and what I don't. What you believe and whom you believe is up to you. But this will touch upon politics, business, and social areas, as well as my favorite area, Celtic Woman. Why the title? The name of the new Celtic Woman show is, Believe. We'll get to that later.

We are now in the last year of the current presidency of the United States. I do not believe we are headed in the right direction. I do not believe we have people in leadership positions in significant numbers to turn it around at any level of government. I believe the people are being summarily dismissed by the vast majority of elected officials. I do not believe in socialism. I also do not believe in anarchy. But somewhere in the middle of all of that is the constitution. I believe it is being bent, twisted, and corrupted by those in power to say what they want it to say to support their policies. I do not believe it is a "living document". If words are always open to interpretation then they lose their essential meaning. They mean what they meant when they were written. If you want to change things then there is an amendment process to do that. But those in power know the people do not support their increasing encroachment on every aspect of life and that any amendments that enable that would fail. So they go around it. I do not believe the President is legitimate as too many facts show he was not born in this country. I do not believe he is even remotely a Christian. I believe we have a great plenty of non-white candidates who could have done a far better job. i do not believe our government wants the country to succeed as an independent, free market, republic. I believe globalism is killing western nations and that Asian nations and others are laughing at us. I do not believe the government actually cares about education or health care. Follow the money. If the people are ignorant, poor, and dependent, then they are easy to control. "Education" died long ago when it became politically correct and about nothing but passing tests to receive funding. Likewise, if the people are given mediocre health care as they are in other nations with socialized medicine, then more will die. Fewer people are easier to control. Conspiracies? Maybe. But it is clear that the governments of western nations have joined others in having arrogance in power. They will not listen until they are too scared not to. I believe the 2012 elections will be the most vicious ever, and that neither party has the answers or truly wants to fix what they have done wrong. I believe every citizen needs to be fully educated in order to vote and that education cannot come from a biased media. If you believe in the constitution as written and in a better life for generations to come then please take an active interest and get involved regardless of your political persuasion.

Statistics lie. Both unemployment and inflation are at far higher levels than quoted. They will get worse. We are not in a recession, we are in a depression. The dollar will continue to loose ground as they print more to pay for things the people don't want. But I do not believe it is totally a government issue. I believe it also comes back to corporate greed. It is the relentless search to squeeze that last penny from people whether it is what a company charges or how it pays and treats its employees. Corporate America has become as bloated, inefficient, and arrogant as government. Less competition means you can treat your customers with less respect. Higher unemployment means you can treat your employees with less respect. I believe both are bad for our nation. Yet it is the same elitist mentality that runs both government and corporations in America. And once again, follow the money. It is all some care about. It is their god. I believe outsourcing and globalism are disasters and harm the great majority for the benefit of a few. I do not believe in isolationism, yet I do believe in taking care of your own first regardless of what country you are. No nation should be beholding or under the thumb of some larger entity whether it is the EU or the UN. The Robin Hood syndrome only produces more misery as the middle class shrinks, the poor grow, and the rich get rich at the expense of both. Helping others and charity should never be forced or it is resented as are the ones who supposedly get the aid.

I believe all human beings are equal in the eyes of God. I do not believe in political correctness or in perks to various groups done out of guilt. I believe all humans err but can and are forgiven. I do not believe that entitles people to continue treating others poorly. I do not believe it is our right to condemn another person. Yet I do believe we have every right to condemn someone's actions and hold people accountable. I do not believe in special rights for specific groups but equal rights that are already in the constitution. I do not believe in abortion or in homosexual "marriage". But I do believe that each must decide for themselves and not be persecuted for it. That we do not agree with someone does not give the right to commit violent acts against them in a free society. I believe we as Americans must be a united people in spite of our differing views and beliefs. I believe we must drop the hyphens and simply be Americans for a nation divided against itself cannot stand. Yet our own government and media do just that in dividing the people.

Then we come to the passion of my life for the past four years, Celtic Woman, and its artists. I believe they are the premier ensemble of artists ever created. I believe each has exceptional talent that has blessed them in rising beyond in a nation packed to the rafters with talented artists of all kinds. I believe each of the artists know that they have been blessed and still remain humble in large measure. I believe the operation of the tours in the states can and should be better. I believe communications internally between the various aspects involved can be much better especially between the promoter and the various PBS stations. Once again, in Atlanta, we saw what happens when it works right and when it doesn't. The first night was totally handled by PBA30, the Atlanta PBS station. will call was efficient and the venue wonderful with its staff. The seating for those who pledged was excellent. That combined with an incredible fan gathering, and a beautiful new show to make for a perfect day. The audience rose in song after song to give ovations and move the artists as they had seldom if ever been before. They earned every bit of it in this latest David Downes gem. The primary artists, Chloe Agnew, Lisa Lambe, Lisa Kelly, and the feisty Máiréad Nesbitt combined with their marvelous band and choir as well as a children's choir, and bagpipe band, to make Believe a huge success that will doubtlessly tour to very receptive audiences. I believe in spite of an ever more poor economy that this ensemble will weather the storm. We need what they offer. I believe they offer what no one else in entertainment does and it is positive and uplifting for any generation. I believe most music in this day is forced upon a public by labels and promoters and it is all about money. While the Celtic Woman artists certainly want to be paid well, I believe for them it is still largely about the music and the performance. i can see it in their eyes in show after show as they interact with their familiar faces who love them so much. In the pub after the show the first night the fans mixed with band, choir, and techs, and it was pure family. Certainly there were some fans who sought autographs or photos, but it was not the mobbing some might have predicted. It is just not our way. Celtic Woman fans for the most part respect that private space and time. Yet the artists were gracious in stopping by our table and chatting with us later on. The fans at my table kept using that same word, family, and it was a premier day from start to finish for all involved.

But the next day once again the inefficiency and lack of communications made itself known again. Three stations were involved in pledging for that day. Will call was offered starting much later than the day before. That created angst in the avid fans enough so that dinners were cut short to get in line early. If you were there early things went smoothly enough yet it did not have to be such a rush. The Fox Theater staff are first rate and the stations staffed several will call areas. I would recommend the Fox to any performing group and to anyone attending a show. Once again, though, most of those who pledged were "treated" to poor seating. While the average person who attends a show could really care less, the avid fans who pay more for a ticket should be given the premium seats. That is especially so when they travel form all parts of the country. Again, as happens on tour, those who pledged were never told their seats or even the sections they would be in. Most were in the back 1/4 of the venue. This is something I relayed to PBS President, Paula Kerger, back in April after the near disaster at Springfield Illinois. Every station MUST have the tickets in hand when they take a pledge, and MUST offer the best seats to those who call in first. Neither GPB, nor the two Tennessee stations did that. I have worked with dozens of stations since 2007 and am building a good file on which ones do things right and which ones do not. In this event PBA30 did it right just as they did on the spring tour. GPB and the others did not, from that silly lottery meet & greet that wound up with vacancies on the spring tour, to the poor seating at this show, they need to get their act together. Something else that I have to say as well. The avid fan communities made a concerted effort to turn out big for this recording. They did so and drove the audience that first night to an all time high. the next night, while still a decent audience, it could not compare as the vast majority of the avid supporters were well back in the audience and those in the pit seats seemed glued to their chairs. That is disrespectful to the artists to not provide them the very best. I give kudos to the artists and even Scott Porter for the responses given on Twitter after the events. However, I do believe that once again Mr. Porter missed a golden opportunity to connect with the ones who are the biggest contributors from the fan base. We were in the venue the entire day that first day. Yet he was "too busy" to stop up for five minutes. I do not believe that. He also had the chance to pop into the pub afterwards and do the same and again chose not too. I am at a loss as to why he evades fans personally as though they have the plague. I am also at a loss as to why the principal four were once again carted off the first night and not in the pub. The fan base has proven itself time and again yet the paranoia of keeping them under close guard continues. It was nice, however, that some fans were treated to seeing them by the stage door the second night. It would seem though that there is still this fear of male fans on the part of those calling the shots. I do not get that sense from the ladies themselves and never have. The avid fans are every bit as protective of these precious gems as the ones internally charged with guarding them. I do not believe that the recording in Atlanta had anything to do with the cancellation of the UK tour. Everyone went on a break. While I think these hard working artists deserve lots of breaks, they had just come off a long one after the German tour. American fans should not be blamed by UK fans for what happened. I do not believe the group will tour the UK in the future as they will no longer be welcome after two cancelled tours. That having been said, the continent is embracing the ensemble quite well and has already been booked for next year.

So, another long speech. Some will like it, some will not. It is what it is. All of life is what it is. But for me this past four years I live for life's experiences, its relationships, and its beauty. I have found no greater beauty in humankind than in the music and magic of Celtic Woman and its artists. Perfect? No. But nothing else and no one else have ever inspired me to write the volumes I have in poetry and prose. God owns my soul. A certain fiddler owns my heart. Love, if it is real, is both unconditional and giving. an unrequited love is still love and it still produces positive things if channeled properly. I believe we are headed as a world and a nation into incredibly dark times. But I believe in the power of The Holy Spirit, the power of music that comes from it, and the power of love that can and does overcome any challenge. In those things I am a true believer. What do you believe? I Believe I'll go see more Celtic Woman shows, God willing. God bless 'em in spite of the flaws in the system. Cheers, Scott

Government excess, riots, spoiled brats, the needy, and feral humans part II

2011-08-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

I see a world turning ever darker, ever more desperate, ever more angry, ever more selfish, and ever more violent. I see the forces of darkness and light aligning and preparing to face off against one another. Amidst it all there are points of life, love, and hope. No, not the phony hope politicians who want votes dispense, but the real hope in greater things and in a greater power.

I've watched the world slowly erode this year both from natural forces and that of humankind. Horrific stories of earthquakes, tsunamis, major storms, floods, drought, and heat. We can do nothing about those things but it seems Mother Earth is rather grumpy to say the least. Such things are ages old and Scripture speaks about them as well. But there are things we can control if we unite and do so. Those are the things humankind is doing to itself at the hands of its leaders and its criminals. At times they are one and the same.

Government excess has run rampant over the citizens around the world. It begins with the greed of the elite in power not only in government but in other positions of power. Don't get me wrong, if you earn it honestly and harm no one in the process then you deserve it. Yet you should also have compassion and voluntarily share it with those in need. But it seems that the elite in power have an all consuming need to own it all. The resulting backlash in places all across the planet is predictable. It comes when government promises too much, can't possibly deliver, yet takes more and more without the will of the people. Such was the case beginning in Egypt and spread throughout North Africa and West Asia. Such is the case in the imploding nations of the EU. Every one of those nations should promptly remove itself and the EU should be done away with. Such violence will likely soon be the case in other nations including our own. You cannot promise to do everything for the people, take more and more yet spend beyond it, then deliver nothing or deliver poorly. It is a formula bound to fail and it has in nation after nation. I keep hearing "tax the wealthy" yet that denies the reality that the folks in charge ARE the wealthy. It also denies that you could take every asset from every so called wealthy person and not even pay a fraction of the interest on the debt. How about the Federal Reserve rescind interest payments on the debt? Oh no, the bankers won't do that! If you actually put teeth in taxing the wealthy they have the ability to simply pick up and leave. No, the real target is the middle class who will bear the brunt of any tax policy. The goal of governments around the world is a two class society of ruling elite and serfs. The latter are to be dependent, ignorant, and poor. Middle class is too much of a threat to the elite. So what has the lunacy of policy and elitist greed and thought wrought?

The result has been violence with the latest taking place in the UK. Mobs of spoiled brats take to the streets, loot, burn, and hurt people because they cannot have what they want simply handed to them. So they take it. It is not totally their doing. It is the way they have been conditioned in the home, schools, and media. These are mainly young males without work, but some are truly children. Unemployment is rising quickly in western nations. They are bored, angry, and spoiled. They see no prospect at earning and the austerity programs due to government abuse mean less given to them. People should have never been promised such a thing to begin with. If you feed a wild animal long enough it will become dependent and not able to feed itself. When you take it away it either starves or goes on a foraging rampage. Such is the cost of government programs that simply give after taking from others. It removes incentive from both groups. All the while the truly needy of the planet are ignored. Not that handouts are the answer for them either. Everyone deserves the dignity of earning their own way to support themselves and their families. That is robbed of them again by governments who horde it for themselves and their elite friends.

In the states we have been told our national credit rating has dropped a notch. It should have been dropped several. The insatiable appetite of the ruling elite in DC, all of whom are millionaires, could not be quenched. As they spend more and more beyond their means they print more money (if not in reality but on paper) and they erode the currency. While they vote themselves regular pay raises their policies create inflation which erodes the average citizen's ability to make ends meet let alone get ahead. They have lied about figures to cover their tracks. Inflation is actually at 12% and not the low single digits they claim. How is that? In the 1980's they removed food and fuel from the statistics. Do you go out and by a fridge or TV every week? a car? A house? No. They have also lied about unemployment. Each week more go on the unemployment rolls yet others disappear when their benefits run out. Yet media says that new claims for unemployment are down. It leads the average person to think unemployment is down. It is not. Only the newly unemployed applications are fewer than the week before. See the spin? We are at between 25-30% unemployment and rising. Add that to rising costs due to inflation and you see a recipe for the same thing here you are seeing in the UK. It is only a matter of time and simply needs a trigger. Be ready.

It takes me back to an earlier blog about feral humans. Undisciplined beasts who operate only on base instinct. They want what they want and will simply take it. Doesn't matter if its money, sex, or something that belongs to someone else. It would seem many in the ruling elite are feral humans just as much as the unruly and violent mobs on the streets. The people have been divided against themselves by those who rule and their affiliates. It is time to cohere as one body and in an orderly way take back what is ours by law in the Constitution. Those in power should be trembling as the economy and society will only degrade more before the 2012 elections. It is a formula for even greater grab for power by governments as they squelch the violence their own policies created. You need only look at the TSA to see how far it can go in encroaching on your rights. If you want it, earn it. That includes freedom. Don't leave it to others to do it for you. The founders of this nation did not.

On another more pleasant note we have the beauty that is Celtic Woman. They are coming to the states in September to do a new DVD recording. They will be overwhelmed by their audience of avid and energetic fans. The artists have earned that even if those that surround them have not. The show is without flaw in general with few exceptions. It is uplifting and inspiring in a time when we need such things. While some critics grumble about it being staged and artificial, those of us frequent concert goers know the genuine nature of the artists and the nuances of each night. Don't mistake choreography for a lack of passion or inability to touch deeply at the heart. The schedule has always been a busy one and thus some have left. Those that remain and the new additions continue the legacy of quality in artistry and care for their craft and their fans. Yes, there are still bugs in the system as revealed of late by yet another end to shows in the UK. That is twice now and the reason given seems a bit skeptical for many. It will likely end any decent support for the ensemble in the UK ever again. Yet on the continent they were met with great sales and great audiences. Enough so they will return this fall and again next spring. The artists themselves are busy people and thus at times less than attentive on line to fans and forums. But it is also understood the massive amount of comments to wade through and they cannot possibly respond to them all. In my opinion each of the artists should be following their fan forums on Twitter. But here I must single out the newest Celtic Woman, Lisa Lambe, for going out of her way to make the kindest remarks to her fan forum and for sending messages and tweets to some individuals. There was a time when they all did that. Perhaps it is because she is new and not jaded. The core three seem a bit more encroached upon and seem to have backed off a bit. I'd like to think the success isn't going to their heads. That delightful fiddler had been wonderfully supportive of her forum yet has not been so much of late. She did tweet to her forum back in April which was very sweet. The charity drive in her name is going incredibly well in spite of the awful economy. Chloe has never responded to her forum on either Twitter or FB. No idea why but that forum is still very strong and very active with fans around the world. Lisa Kelly responds reasonably well on Facebook by at least clicking the like button which is a nice signal she is still connected. Former choir members Amy Rivard, Julian David Edwards, and Sarah Burke have been wonderful this year in responding to their fans. Amy and Sarah have forums and they have said very kind things about them. Former CW ladies Meav, Orlagh, Deirdre, and Alex have been responsive in various ways to their fans and Orlagh has been quite successful in her solo tours. Lynn Hilary seems willing to ignore the fans she won for whatever reason, which may simply be her personal discomfort with individual attention. Current choir member Dermot Kiernan has been the most responsive to fans is currently on a very special trek in Spain. A new show will be born soon and with it more inspiration and ever more devotion by the fan base. If you focus on the positive, things of true beauty, peace, and love, then all the ugly and negative of this world fades to the background. It doesn't mean you ignore it, but it means you are better equipped to face it. God bless the artists past and present of Celtic Woman for bringing so many of us the kind of joy that can only be counted as a gift from God. We'll see you and a huge throng of fans in Atlanta.

Peace, Scott

We can do this!

2011-04-27T19:37:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Well this has been an interesting day to say the least. I just finished with a meeting in Santa Fe. I had been looking forward to this for a few weeks. The meeting was with Paula Kerger who is the president of PBS. The timing of her visit to Santa Fe was perfect to say the least. So I wrote up a lengthy communiqué after having sent an initial letter a couple weeks ago prompted by the events leading up to the Springfield Illinois show. I’ll not go into details about all that but suffice it to say I and others were at our limit for the lack of planning, coordination, and communication that seems to surround our favorite artists. So rather than just gripe about it I’m a person of action not just words. There are flaws in the system and have been from day one that needed to be addressed and now they have with people who can actually make a difference. Celtic Woman would not exist were it not for PBS. None of the artists would be as well known as they are without the vehicle for them that Celtic Woman has become. The artistic elements have been top drawer from the beginning. Each of the artists past and present has endeared themselves to a great many people. The music and the messengers are healing and powerful forces that have touched many lives deeply and in positive ways. I’ve heard countless stories to that effect in person and on line. So, as a supporter of these amazing artists and an advocate for a large and avid section of their audience I believe the mechanism that surrounds the artists needs serious refining.

I’d like to thank Paula Kerger, Polly Anderson (station manager of KNME), Heidi Brown, Franz Joachim, and all the staff at KNME for this opportunity. It was a nice evening with plenty of discussion about PBS, its future, its challenges, and thinks on the horizon of interest. I was able to give Heidi a document to pass along to Ms. Kerger with some of the details of that below. I also told her my story and gave her a Liv CD. I was also able to discuss my show idea and found a receptive audience from the station and look forward to the possibilities there. Ms. Kerger made it clear that KNME was in the upper echelon of stations in the PBS system in many ways. I agree and some things I chatted with Heidi about are exciting too. Stay tuned for that. Thanks again to KNME and Paula Kerger. It was well worth the drive. Thanks to PBS for bringing us Celtic Woman and other great programming. A photo of Ms. Kerger and I is included here in this post.

So what did I put in my communiqué to Ms. Kerger and what did we discuss? I’ve always been a firm believer that you don’t gripe without offering solutions. I’ve gone into many a business in my life and created positions for myself to address shortcomings in their operations. My ability to do that here is limited. So what are the areas I and others see as flaws? One is the inconsistencies from station to station and show to show on seating and on price. Another that dovetails with it is the lack of advanced planning and prompt confirmation of tours and shows that results in scrambles right up to the start of a tour. Finally there is the issue of fan relations and communications. I went into great detail from my own experience of 60 shows as well as stories from other fans and the challenges they faced. I explained that in a time where funding from both government and private sources is drying up PBS cannot afford to have its stations or donors mistreated.

On any given tour there are dozens of stations pledging for Celtic Woman shows. Celtic Woman has been the number one fund raiser for most stations almost since the group began. But for the most part those stations are kept out of the loop on changes in the line up that have occurred over the years. This may be lack of communications on the part of Celtic Woman or a lack of diligence on the part of a given station. In any case, not a show goes by without questions about who left and why. Easy enough to solve up front if there is a desire to do so. As we have found out in the fan community there are many who are all about one specific artist in the group. They leave a show wanting when caught by surprise when their girl is no longer there. Changes must be communicated during the pledge drive. Very simple. But the more pressing matters are the seats. Many stations do not have the tickets in hand when a pledge drive offers the show. In fact many don’t have a clue as to what seats they will be given. So the person who calls in to pledge is engaged in a crap shoot in hopes they will get the best seats in the house. Many times it works out but in quite a few it does not. In my communiqué I detailed several where it did not. Part of this is the late planning of tours. Most every successful artist or group publishes their entire year schedule so folks can plan. You’re lucky to get a few months warning from Celtic Woman. They are dragged kicking and screaming to posting schedules when diligent fans run across leaks and spread the word. Most people need notice enough to let an employer know they will be out of town if traveling to a show. Not everyone is well healed and can just pop off to a show at the drop of a hat. Most aren’t going to travel a distance for an average seat. Let me be clear that while PBS offers tickets and meet & greets as a “gift” nearly everyone views them as a purchase. They assume they will acquire the best seats in the house based upon how early they call in and pledge. They have every right to expect that. But at some venues, such as Red Rocks, the promoter controls the venue and does not give PBS the best seats. You don’t know that when you call in and it is not disclosed. Frequent concert attendees discover that by trial and error. Why would you pay a mark up price for a seat far worse than just buying it through a ticket agency? The reason is you don’t know and in some cases neither does PBS. Meet & greet tickets should universally be pit seats if that section exists at a given venue. No exceptions. The station in New Mexico has an outstanding lady there who makes certain if a show cannot assure best seats in the house for her donors then she won’t pledge the show. Every station needs to take that same approach. If the promoter, Madstone, cannot do that then the station should decline the show until they can. In addition tickets for the show must be in the hands of the station prior to the pledge and a donor told exactly what seats they have acquired with their pledge.

One way to address this is the way Ovation and Ticketmaster handled it in Australia in 2010. The system was simple and uniform. You went on line and to the show you wanted to attend. You pulled up the seating chart of the venue and selected the exact seat you wanted. You then checked the box if you wanted the meet & greet package. The price was uniform for each of the seven shows at $350. What did you get for that? The seat of your choice from the ones available, a pre-show cocktail gathering, a goodie bag with a signed program, breast cancer awareness ribbon, bottle of water, an Ovation DVD, a lanyard with a Celtic Woman VIP pass, and the post show meet & greet with the four girls. No Russian roulette with seating, no waiting for the tickets and passes, and a uniform price and experience from show to show. Ticketmaster/Live Nation and PBS need to make that same arrangement here. Drop the Madstone middleman. The pledge occurs on line and a portion of the proceeds goes to the station sponsoring a given show. The price is the same from station to station. Bringing that system about may take some work but it is not that difficult if the desire is there to streamline the system and make it fair to all. In addition, a uniform price that is reasonable would allow most to afford a meet & greet whereas now in some places only the elite can afford such a thing.

One thing PBS has started doing at some stations is to have a lottery for meet & greets. There is no extra charge for the meeting. Nice in theory but has proven to be poor in practice. Why have some stations gone that route? Two reasons. First, stations did not want to field angry calls because the seats for the meet & greet tickets were poor. Well they should never be poor. See the above paragraphs. Second, too many people were disappointed their favorite girl wasn’t one of the two at the meet & greet. There’s an easy way to cure that one of two ways. Announce with the tour schedule which two will be at the meet & greet, or have all four at the meeting. Barring that the lottery becomes a pure gift and you get what you get. But the system is not properly run. Not everyone who pledges wants a meet & greet yet all are thrown in the hat to be drawn. Some may have no desire, others are too shy, and others may not have the extra time after the show. So, how do you address that? When a pledge calls in you ask them if they want the meet & greet. If they do not then they do not go into the drawing. If there are no shows, as there have been on this tour, then you have a list of standbys to call to fill the vacancies. Simple. It is all about customer service.

That’s where we go next. You see EMI, Madstone, CW LTD, Ticketmaster/Live Nation, and PBS, you aren’t just in the entertainment business. You’re in the customer service business. Like it or not. If you don’t like fans and all they bring with them then don’t tour. Without them you may as well just busk on the streets of Dublin. That having been said, it is understood that the artists can only do so much. They have lives of their own and are entitled to their free time. The Celtic Woman tour schedules over the years have not been kind in allowing a real life outside the group or during a tour. This year thus far has been better. Changes were also made this year in the personnel Madstone has on tour and the Celtic Woman personnel at the after show meetings. Dustin with Madstone and Bubba with Celtic Woman are outstanding and actually seem to like what they’re doing! Novel concept. Gone is the grumpy rep Madstone had before who clearly was not a people person. Gone from customer contact though still with the tour is the Celtic Woman tour manager. She was moody and you never knew which mood you were going to get. At times she has been great and at others wicked witch suits her perfectly. Now they are calling her “product” manager, a term I find disgusting. The artists are people not products. In any case, the changes have been refreshing.

But there still exists this phobia about fans, especially male ones. They seem to have bought into this politically correct garbage that all males are a threat and predators. But others too have been made to feel like they are some sort of threat such as a woman and little boy who were denied a brief meeting recently with the artist the little boy admired so much. OK, I get that the suits are worried they might lose a precious meet & greet dollar. Guess what, you won’t! I get that you think if you grant one such request you’ll have to grant hundreds more. Not true either. I will say that there have been times when Celtic Woman has been very gracious for special events and the artists most accommodating. Those are rare events but certainly appreciated. One thing that has happened in the past few months is an increase in online activity by the artists. Chloe and Lisa K have blogs (they no longer seem to use) as well as Facebook and Twitter sites that get a good workout. Lisa Lambe is on Twitter as is Mairead. The latter also has a blog she uses to good effect now and then. But it is apparent to many that the artists respond on their sites almost exclusively to females with only a few exceptions. What fans need to realize though is that on Twitter these artists are followed by hundreds of people and simply cannot respond to all of them. If you get a response you’re pretty lucky. Several though and it begins to look like a bit too much favoritism and folks won’t understand why. Some have received private messages on Twitter from some of them and that is just fine. Nice touch and no one else needs to know. Some have been good at answering fan questions while others have not. The issue was pressed recently and now all the girls are taking questions on Twitter (a neutral site) with answers to be given in a series of video postings. Good idea and one well received. So, in some ways things have improved. But clearly some inefficiencies, inconsistencies, and phobias need to be addressed. It is better for PBS and their stations, their donors aka Celtic Woman fans, and the artists themselves. That way all can get back to enjoying their role in it all. It is my hope that addressing these challenges with people who can actually make a difference that a better system can be put into place. What the suits need to know is that if the artists are happy, and the fans are happy, the bottom line will be happy. The economy is only going to get worse. So let’s do this together and get back to what brought us all together. Have a great rest of the tour and safe travels, Celtic Woman!

That’s it for now, Scott

Constructive efforts

2011-04-17T19:11:00.000-07:00

Hi there!

Well, here we are getting ready for another birthday celebration. It has been wonderful to be there now three years running to support a certain fiddler on her special night and represent many others as well. There will be plenty of others in Springfield to do the same this year, which is great. The past couple years have seen so few at the show to do that. More this year than ever before.

I've been busy working on forum things after Destiny stepped down due to schedule conflicts. Just some internal shuffling, cleaning up, and getting a new slate of mods. Once all that is done I'll be stepping down there to simply just a member and fan. I've wanted to do that for awhile and have done so in other forums already. I see the forum put up a blog post yesterday:

http://maireadforum.blogspot.com/2011/04/for-record.html

That has always been the case that the forum speaks for itself. At times the leadership has needed to speak up for members when there have been irregularities but its chief role is to support, promote and stand by the artist. I realize there are those out there who are more contentious and even I have been at times. No point in that really. All I want to do is my own small part in supporting this amazing violinist and her music. Stepping away is the best way to do that as Mike is perfectly capable of being a great representative of all her fans. Heck, he'll hit 100 shows later this year! Amazing.

The other constructive thing will happen next week when I have a very important meeting to discuss flaws in the system from a fan perspective with people who can make a difference in it. Be looking for an extensive blog post on about the 28th. I've always believed you can't just gripe but need to offer solutions when there are challenges in any business. I've done that in many businesses and to good effect.

It is likely Sioux Falls will be my last show with a few exceptions such as Mike's 100th show and ones closer to home. It has been an interesting four years to say the least. My thanks to everyone along the way who made it special and especially a certain violinist from the Emerald Isle. Luv ya pixie dust. Happy birthday.

From beneath the arch, Scott

Brooke, the wave, and a life persepctive

2011-03-13T15:31:00.000-07:00

Take a good look at the photo posted here. Look again. A little while ago I finished a phone call from Brooke Donnell who is currently in Japan assisting medical relief efforts. Brooke is Irish. I met her and her soon to be beau in 2009 in Raleigh at a Celtic Woman show. Since then we have become good friends and of late she has been very supportive in some internal struggles I've been having. Brooke is an MD of the natural sort and was heading for China to spend a few months learning additional herbal uses. Her boyfriend Sean is a musician and was to join her after he finished some studio work in the states. The earthquake and tsunami in Japan changed all that. She found her way via creative means to Japan. It then took her awhile to find her way into the system and a place on a team headed for Sendai. It took her almost 24 hours to get there. It is still a very dangerous place and she asked me to convey her story. I'll do more than that as the photo I came across here sent me literally waves of thoughts and perspectives. Be warned that this blog post could be quite long.

Brooke found the country in turmoil yet in orderly turmoil. She said the Japanese people, though in shock, were resilient and focused. She made her way to a hospital and was directed to an aid group of foreign workers. In short order, after looking at her credentials she was assigned a team and soon treating some people in a Tokyo suburb before getting on a transport headed north. She said the roads were a mess and choked with traffic and as she got closer more debris. They took a rather circuitous route to eventually arrive near the very large and heavily damaged city of Sendai. She is now treating masses of injured. She is tired, hungry, and a bit scared as Irish are not exactly used to earthquakes. She has only brief spurts of internet and phone available and Twitter is her best route right now. She and Sean share the Twitter page but it's new and they aren't all that energetic about letting people know about it. The call ended abruptly as she said it might. She plans to stay as long as needed and Sean will join her. She said she was playing Celtic Woman's Lullaby CD and also Máiréad Nesbitt's Raining Up CD for her patients at a make shift facility. She said she wished she had more of her own supplies but is making do with what she has learned in natural healing and therapy. As she was talking I went online to look at photos and found the one posted here. It stunned me and when the call ended I simply stared at the image. Please pray for all those in the disaster zones in both Japan and New Zealand in these ongoing tragedies. God bless you, Brooke, for being there and taking the risks to save lives.

My own troubles and concerns suddenly paled in light of Brooke's conversation and this photo I cannot stop looking at. It accented part of what I had been concerned about but set aside all the rest. Look at this photo closely again. What if you were in one of the cars you see in the picture? Here is a huge wall of water and a roaring sound. You look up and all you see is this massive wave about to end your life. What are you thinking right now? What will your final thoughts be about? What is the most important thing you will leave behind? Or have you been just like that wave in your own life and left in your wake nothing but debris and destruction? Do your petty jealousies and hate matter? Does what or who you control matter? Do your money and possessions matter? All you will truly leave behind will be the legacy of how you treated others and the words that ring in their ears and in their hearts.

It is Lent right now. A time when we Christians reflect on the life and words of our savior Jesus Christ. What did He leave behind? Important lessons and words that survive to this day. The kindness and gentleness yet firm resolve of what was and has always been right. There is no stuff. Just the thoughts and memories of those who knew Him and His own words. In the end that is what each of us leave that truly matters. Some leave that in the form of the written or spoken word. Some leave it in music. Some leave it in a painting, drawing, or sculpture. Then there are the memories and stories of you passed along by family, friends and co-workers. Are they good ones? Are the last words you utter to anyone ones of anger or hate? Look at the photo again. Life is that short. It can end that quickly. There is no time for petty complaints. There is no time for your own agenda. The wave is here. In one form or another that wave will take you. What were the people in this scene doing the day before the wave took them? What are you doing and saying today? The wave is coming. Look at the photo again. If the person you dislike the most were the only one within reach of you as the wave bent over you would your hate matter any more? Stop. Look at the photo again. To all of you who read this blog you can see in all the previous posts little lessons good and bad. You can see both peace and conflict. You can see trivial concerns but also deep beliefs and strong emotions. As I look at the photo again I know what matters and I know what I want to leave behind as the wave looms over me and it isn't hate, anger, jealousy, control, or useless stuff. It is the power of love in the spoken and written word of poetry and prose. Each day is a huge gift. Did the people about to be swept away by this wave know that? Do you?

I have been inspired over the past almost four years to write. That inspiration has come in large part by an amazing Irish fiddler and by some of the most moving music on the planet. She and her friends and their music are a healing force. I just read a paper the other day while judging a science fair that reinforced that power in the right kind of music. Inspiration at times has come from other places as well. But there can be no more powerful image than the one posted here to shake one into the reality of how quickly life can end and how important every moment leading up to it can be. Let your inspirations move you to create and not destroy. Be a positive force in the lives of others and surround yourself with positive and uplifting things that inspire you all the more. Then when that wave comes to you all you need to think about is the one you love most and to utter the simple words, "I love you. Goodbye."

Scott/moscapoet

New year, new tour, new faces, and new forums

2011-02-06T08:10:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone!

Well I am fresh off the opening two nights of the Celtic Woman tour which began in Lakeland and Orlando Florida. Lots of new faces and new policies to talk about there!

First, though, Allow me to introduce you to new new forums and new faces leading established ones. There is a new forum for Alex Sharpe that will focus on her current and future work. It will dovetail with the already existing Alex forum that was down for a couple weeks due to technical issues. Leaders of the new forum are Dave and Destiny who are also its creators. Dave and Destiny have also teamed up on a marvelous forum for new Celtic Woman Lisa Lambe, lovingly called the emerald meadow. So before LL even hit the touring trail she was already building a new core fan base to support her with Celtic Woman and beyond. Both sites are marvelous.

Existing forums are now under new leadership as I stepped aside to focus on other things. I have always been a firm believer in term limits whether it be politics, business, or forums. No one should be leader for life. We are seeing what happens throughout the world when some think they should be. it simply isn't healthy and that includes such less world shaking things as fan forums. Scott Taylor is now admin in the Chloe Agnew forum. That forum continues to grow and he is joined in Global moderator roles by Karen from Canada and Kelly from Massachusetts. Kelly is also GM in the LL forum. John Mann is now admin of the Lynn Hilary forum. There are few who compare to John in his enthusiasm for this willowy Irish songbird. He is joined by Amy and Emily as global moderators, both of whom are avid supporters. Jim Allens' Lisa Kelly forum is still run by Jim as that is his labor of love and I am there to support him in a lesser role. Mike Brown and Destiny Jacobson are now the admins in the Máiréad forum. My role there is still active but far more muted. So, regardless of the Celtic woman artist you have a home for your favorite.

Celtic Woman has some new faces on stage and off and they all seem to be winners from what I saw at the opening two shows. Off stage there are some new road crew personnel. Judging by what I saw there were little if any gaffs in the technical aspects of the show. Most enjoyable though are Bubba Dixon and a new lad named Dustin who appear to be the new folks who will conduct the meet & greets. Bubba did a superb and professional job in Australia and Dustin is a very likable gent. Mitch from Madstone was still around but stayed in the background. Rachel Davis was there as well but only observing and she was delightful in Orlando. There is also now a new policy allowing photos at the meet & greets with whichever two artists are present. These are not ones where you can pose with the artist but simply ones you take during the normal course of events. There was no item handed out for you to have signed any more so bring your own. You are allowed a total of three items for that as opposed to five from last year. No problem as the photo ops are well worth that trade. So, very smart moves by Celtic Woman and much appreciated.

On stage there are many new faces. Andy Reilly on drums now in for the very busy Nick Bailey who is off with his fine band Extreme Rhythm. Ewan Cowley now in for the retiring Des Moore who was a fixture from day one and a very gifted artist. Ewan is yet another fine musician. One new male choir member and three new choir girls to get used to and all did just fine. Most notable is new front line artist, Lisa Lambe, who is in for Lynn Hilary who left at the end of the Oz tour. No replacement for Alex Sharpe who left after the spring tour. That void is still felt. Likely a monetary consideration given the EMI bankruptcy. Lisa Lambe is a lively and lovely lass with a great vocal gift. While the song set remains the same as before she makes her own stamp on what Lynn had been doing. You really have to experience her rendition of Dulaman.

So, 2011 is indeed one of great and positive changes. Alex has a Twitter site, as does Lisa Lambe and Máiréad Nesbitt. Lisa Kelly and Chloe Agnew do as well plus fan pages for themselves on Facebook. So, there are lots of ways to support your favorite. Enjoy it and we'll see you again later in the spring.

Enjoy the show, Scott

Now perhaps something more positive

2011-01-06T10:00:00.001-08:00

Hello!

Ah right then. Got that out of our system. So, 2011 is here and a full year is ahead of us. What will you do with it? It will be what you make of it. Plenty of negative news will happen but we each have our own lives to tend to as well as those around us.

Three things will see you through the worst of times. Faith, family, and friends. No, not work, not government, not possessions. All of those are secondary to the relationships and experiences. Another thing to help you through your year is surrounding yourselves with the most uplifting things and people in life. Lots of really awful things to choose from out there but also lots of exceptional things and people. The artists and music of a certain Irish group get me through a lot. Changes within that organization are troubling but what remains is still amazing. Plenty to look forward to in the new year as well on that front.

The best resolution one can make is to get the old negative things holding you back out of your system and leave them behind. New year brings change and new beginnings. We may not like all that unfolds in 2011 but can choose to embrace the positive.

For me it will mean new writing, more adventures, though fewer of them, and a more vigorous work schedule. Take the time to appreciate the good people around you and to smell the flowers. Enjoy a beautiful sunset or sunrise. Take a walk along the beach or through a forest. Make the changes you need in your life to fill it with the things of real beauty and not the artificial stuff of this world. Finally, look to a higher authority and develop your spirit. It can be a beautiful world if you discard the negative people and things in your life.

So I hope for each of you that it will be a great 2011 no matter the challenges, and that you'll be a blessing to others. The past is what it is and you learn from it. That is it's value. Living in it is another thing and serves nothing. Certainly that is what I have taken from the first few days in 2011. The rest of this year you will see here reviews, travel adventures, poems, and excerpts from my first book. Positives. Stay tuned and enjoy your shows.

Cheers, Scott

Christmas, 2010, 2011, great people and feral humans

2011-01-01T07:36:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

Well what can one say but life is such a mix. The year 2010 was another amazing one for me personally and a transition for many folks I know and care about. It was great to be out and touring again at a few stops with Celtic Woman. Nineteen shows in all for me on the spring, summer, and Oz tours. Along the way I met some great people for the first time and renewed meetings with others. Some lovely forum moments occurred at various places thanks to the wonderful people in the Máiréad Nesbitt fan forum. Too many to name but without some of them 2010 would have been not much of a year for me.

So why do I go to so many shows? It is for one person only and that is Máiréad who is muse, inspiration, and the brightest star in my life. She and her friends on stage are lovely people and not much at all like others in their business. Let's hope the closer ties to New York City and the attitude of the industry doesn't change that. A community was created in Máiréad's name with her forum that is a wonderful place of giving and positives. Certainly she inspires that in others and it translates to charitable giving which will continue in 2011. The year that passed saw great transitions within the group. Alex Sharpe left at the end of the spring tour but in 2011 she may very well bring us her first solo CD. She is now tweeting away happily on Twitter. A lovely fan site was created for her and we'll see what else pops up in 2011. Lynn Hilary left Celtic Woman at the end of the Oz tour to spend more time in Ireland. Again another big blow to many in the base of support. Yet she too may produce some nice things in 2011. Nick Bailey, Des Moore, and now all of the female choir members have also left the group. That is a 50% loss rate in one year and really very troubling. any business with a turnover rate like that has some issues no matter how much of a pretty face they paint on it. So, 2011 will bring a lot of new faces to the stage with that ensemble including latest front line addition, Lisa Lambe. She has already stuck her toes in the water with a performance in Germany and seems to be a good fit vocally and in personality. February will be my first chance to experience that. Celtic Woman made their first appearance in Australia in 2010 and was very well received. In 2011 we'll see them in Germany and who knows where else along with perhaps yet another new show recording. We'll see. It will be a very busy year for them and one that once again keeps them away from home much of the year. It does not have to be that way but the money people call the shots. What happens with EMI remains to be seen but many of us are hoping for a takeover by Sony as that label treats its artists better and does not demand long exhausting tours. A good way to bring in 2011 would be a goodbye to some of the old like EMI and Madstone and their elitist NYC industry attitude about artists and about fans. I won't hold my breath. Either way support for Máiréad will continue from myself and certainly from the ever growing membership in her fan forum. The ever present fiddler crossing signs will be there culminating on her birthday in Springfield. There are a great many wonderful fans out there outside the OFG empire. Mike Brown comes to mind as he has attended 80 shows and helped many others attend as well. Folks like Tony Picallo have spent hundreds of thousands in support of these artists and and saw to it a great many others could attend when they otherwise could not. Both are inspired by the music and the kindness of the artists and the changes in their lives and not by kissing the backside of management and vice versa. Certainly two different sorts of men but it goes to show the diverse spectrum this ensemble and their music touch. Not the best thing to put all your eggs in one basket when a fox is in charge of the hen house. Anyway, enough of that, happy new year to him too. Love thy enemy ya know. Forgive is the message of Christmas.

Christmas for me was spent quietly as it always is. One new tradition began in 2007 and that is watching the Celtic Woman Christmas DVD. Another new tradition is watching the movie Australia on New years day as I did down under with the Grittens in 2009. More great people and great moments. Throughout this experience since 2007 I've met the most wonderful people from the CW artists to many of their fans to the connections made through all of that with Liv Gritten and her family. I've come to know some of the finest people on the planet.

Yet 2011 looms with its dark side and one incident in particular near the end of 2010 showed humanity for what it has become and that is infested by feral humans. Wild animals simply born and not raised. A forum friend, John, lost his 22 year old daughter to a murderer in Philadelphia. It left behind a sweet little granddaughter without her mommy. It may be a serial killer loose in that city is responsible for the death.

What I have seen this past few decades is an ever more coarse, vulgar, crude, selfish, spoiled, and dumbed down nation. It began in earnest in the 1960's and has gotten progressively worse. Our government is corrupt at best and has helped undermine the foundations that make a nation great and strong. Both parties are responsible and their global viewpoint is not of benefit to citizens but only ruling elite. That too is happening in most western nations. Undermining faith and family is what has happened and one only has to read the Communist Manifesto to see clearly what is being done and why. Creating false enemies and then laws to "protect" us from them is another. Through this process our "education" system has been dumbed down to the lowest common denominator and people have become sheep. It has become politically incorrect to discipline your own offspring and it has been turned over to government schools. So many now are in broken homes and begin life in day care. How can they bond and connect to anyone when they aren't even able to do that with their own mothers? Say what you will about single parent and "blended" families but in large part they do not work. At least not to the benefit of children. When you can change partners like you change socks it is not the foundation and security needed for a child. When relationships revolve strictly around money, sex, and looks, you have a foundation made of sand. God created family and both boys and girls need a mom and a dad to be good role models. It is how it was designed and anything else will not work well.

Feral humans now roam the streets and are wild animals without a proper upbringing and with little or no conscience. They are dark, selfish beasts catering to only their own base instincts and desires. We have allowed them to go too far in the name of overcrowding in prisons. We have catered to them in schools by not wanting to bruise their precious self esteem. So they enter the world and do not understand sometimes the answer is no or that they are wrong. Government allows it and even encourages it to further undermine the foundations and then create what they desire and that is a stratified society with the bulk of the populace dependent, dumb, and poor. Easy to control and manipulate. So, what I ask each of you who read this to do is surround yourselves with positives and with what you know deep inside to be good, right, and proper. Eschew the vulgar, crude, and harsh things and people. Pray for them but cast them aside. Now maybe you know another reason why I attend so many shows and cherish the experiences and people I've come to love so much. They and what they do and those inspired by them are the best parts of life. I'm not at all hopeful for the future of our nation or that of western nations. I'm not hopeful for the economy. Those in DC and in other capitals like in Dublin are self serving and care nothing about their people or their nation. Might as well scream "Let them eat cake!" Oh and on Ireland, did those who fought and died for independence there in the nineteen teens and early twenties do so only to have a government later on sign away that independence to a yet even bigger monster in the EU? They are spinning in their graves and the Irish should reject what has been done to them. Cast off the EU, go it your own, rekindle your faith, and establish your own currency backed by precious metals and watch Ireland take off. Tighten your immigration and once again let Ireland be dominated by Irish. We in the states have allowed it to get too far here and it may be too late. In any case make the best of what presents itself in 2011.

So, there is my opening statement for the new year. Out with the old and.......in with the old? Let's hope not. Be a blessing to others in this new year but you can't do that surrounded by garbage. Put the quality back in your life and settle for nothing less than things and people that uplift. Walk away from feral humans and work to regain the power if the people in our nation and world. It isn't about stuff but about relationships and experiences. Finally, don't trust blindly what you are fed by media, government, or any other sources you cannot verify for yourself. See you all later in the spring.

All the best, Scott

Looking back on 2010

2010-11-11T17:37:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Well, the year is still seven weeks or so from over but certain things are done for the year. The touring of Celtic Woman is done for 2010, thankfully for them. It was yet another grinder year though it did not seem as bad as 2009 to me. Also done for this year is my first novel, Tales Of The Enchanted Fiddle. Those that know me can certainly guess who the main character and heroine of that book is!

The year began for Máiréad Nesbitt with fiddling in the new year in Berne Switzerland. Some YouTube videos are available though they are from a distance and not quite sure why. In any case, she and her brother Karl performed some wonderful tunes including the Tinker Bell suite. Gee is that appropriate! Máiréad was wearing the second act dress from the Celtic Woman Isle Of Hope Tour. Not one of my favorites but she looks amazing in anything.

Soon enough it was time for the spring tour of Celtic Woman which went from early February into mid May. It began with opening night of the new show in Roanoke. They would perform three nights there and it was a good thing they arrived a few days before as the winter weather was very challenging. There were only minor glitches as they billed these basically dress rehearsals. It was much like what one would find on the Powerscourt DVD but there were some changes. Gone was O America, Pie Jesu, Carolina Rua, and True Colors. Added was an incredible new song performed by Alex Sharpe, My Heart Was Home Again. There were more lumps in throats than in truck stop mashed potatoes!! It was stunning to say the least and at last Alex had a signature song. The other wonderful addition was a coupled pair of duets that made up Songs From The Heart. The first part was a lovely and very moving slow song called Walking The Night performed by the demur Lynn Hilary and Alex. That was followed by a fine Uilleann pipe bridge by Tommy Martin then a Lisa Kelly and Chloe Agnew upbeat song called Take My Hand. Lynn and Alex reappear later and it ends with a marvelous climax. Brilliant and beautiful and very moving. All three shows were very good and we had a meet & greet the first night with Lisa and Chloe. You should have seen them grabbing at the Cadbury's flakes that got laid in front of them!! Too cute. Another treat is the addition of outstanding bagpiper Anthony Byrne. Not only is he in the show but he performs in the lobby after each show! Nice touch and welcome!

My next adventure was to bowl the nationals again in Reno. My favorite place to do that and I cashed again. This would be my 25th nationals and my last. I began back in the 1980's and only failed to cash twice. It was a way to stay in contact with old friends from Nebraska but there is far too much now on my plate to continue.

Mid April saw me in Florida for a pair of shows in Jacksonville and St. Petersburg. Reason? Máiréad's birthday of course! There was not a meet & greet in St. Pete so that is why Jacksonville. Seats were not very good for the pledge but the main thing was to deliver birthday goodies to Máiréad and Lynn as well as outfit the remaining ladies with personalized fiddler crossing jackets. Now they could look just like Máiréad! Well, unlikely they'll see much use but they are very comfy! I sure like mine and it draws plenty of comments. It's all about promoting the pixie! Little did I know it would be the last time I would meet Alex as a Celtic Woman. St. Pete we had the absolute best seats in the house in a very nice venue. Perfect for what I had planned for the birthday girl! I made sure to chat with plenty of folks before the show and at intermission and it all went off just fine. Just before Máiréad introduces You Raise Me Up (BTW, each girl introduces a song now which is new to this tour and a lovely treat) as the applause die down we launch into singing happy birthday! The expression and her body language was priceless and it was so fun to give that to her. Now how often does that happen at a concert?!

I had one more show in Spokane towards the end of the tour mainly to take some friends to see the show in person and conduct some business. Weather was dicey flying in and we had to circle west of the airport for half an hour while a severe storm pounded away. Still a wild landing. The show was good as always and my seat decent. But it would be the last time I saw Alex Sharpe perform as a member of Celtic Woman. Alex departed the group right after the tour to spend time with family at home. The right decision to be sure as being part of that group gives you virtually no life outside of it. The money people see to that as their appetite is voracious and they will use up and burn out people and care not a wit. Alex can now return to the stage on her own terms and in her own time. Her two years with Celtic Woman and the appearance on the SFTH DVD were good exposure and she built a nice following.

The ladies have an all too short break then fly to Australia to promote their upcoming inaugural tour. I could not attend any of the events but Liv's dad Kim did and took video of the performances at a mall in Penrith west of Sydney. Aussie fan Karina complimented it with great photos. Add to that a few promotional photos and a couple recorded interviews and it was a nice treat. The ladies then went home for another too short break then would launch into a two month summer tour in North America. But it would be only four girls for he first time in the history of the group. What would that be like?

Summer tour starts in Canada but I and others join them the first night in the states outside Buffalo. I attended all four shows in The Empire State. Yes, I followed the same squirrely schedule they did criss crossing the state. Sorry, not good for the artists and I can't believe it is helpful to the bottom line. But neither the artists nor we who support them have a choice if we are to do what we do. It is stifling at Art Park and the ladies are melting. They pull it off no worries as always though. I almost missed the show though as I carried no cash to get back across the bridge at Niagara Falls from Canada! Whew, a nice lady at duty free gave me fifty cents! Silly. Then it was over to Bethel aka Woodstock and the dream venue for many an artist. A fine museum tour shared by supporter and artist alike was followed by a great show which at the end mother nature (or the ghosts of Woodstock) joined in!! Wow. Next up back across the state to Rochester and of course the weather broke and we are indoors! Best seats and interactions of the four shows! Finally we are in Saratoga Springs with a nice evening outdoors. We wrap it up with a forum chat in a restaurant parking lot under a full moon until the wee hours. I had meet & greet all four nights and it was perfect as I met each of them twice again.

Something very special then happened and i finished the novel I had begun after Red Rocks in 2009. I wrote whole chapters a day and finished it the 13th day of the 13th month since it began. Now to get it into the hands of the intended one who inspired it.

A month gap and then Albuquerque where it all began for me in 2007. This was my 50th show and the Máiréad forum folks went to great lengths to make it very special. I can't thank everyone enough for their kindness. But the biggest surprise came from the stage when Máiréad brought out the green Incredibow briefly in the second act to signify the special night. What a lovely thing to do. She is the best! Second night was on another level too as we helped a young single mother and her daughter get meet & greet as we had a couple extra. They already had great seats and Chloe even pointed out the little girl, Charlotte, at the end. Very sweet. Meet & greet was with Lisa and Máiréad and I thanked the latter for that lovely act of kindness the night before. It was another nice pair of nights with fine forum folks but a big finale was coming up. Red Rocks. Favorite venue of Celtic Woman and the best place to wrap up a tour as long as the weather cooperates. A huge multi-forum lunch started it off which was great. Some opted to stay away which is sad. Some folks just can't get over things. Their loss. Weather was good and it was a fine send off marred by a couple things. The lighting was the worst I had ever seen and it was clear the spotlight people had not been rehearsed. The other was Madstone Mitch bringing in his tattoo parlor buddies from that day that he gave free tickets and meet & greet to. They were vulgar and crude during the show with many inappropriate comments. they then butted right in then tried to come back for seconds until ushered out of the room. Not a perfect night by any means but still a fine show and it was an all paid forum meet & greet which is a first.

The final adventure of 2010 would be another trip down under. I had been there for a month over the holidays in 2008-9 staying with Liv and her family and creating songs. I so wanted to go back. Heck I didn't want to leave! In any case more of the very generous forum spirit came through and I was blessed with yet another trip. First off though a couple days in LA to spend with an amazing artist in his own right and his mom. Glenn Skinner is a marvelous sketch artist and has done some stunners of the Celtic Woman ladies. I call him rollin' Rembrandt. His mom was a good cook and between her and a nice dinner in Santa Monica, courtesy of another forum member, we were well fed. I spent one afternoon reading my novel to all gathered and they seemed very happy with it. It was a labor of love and meant for one specific little fiddler. Soon we were winging our way to Oz on Qantas and ready for an amazing couple weeks.

Sydney was our first show but not Celtic Woman's. They began in Newcastle the night before. That is right up near where the Grittens live. Oh well. Anyway we meet up day of show with two delightful Aussie gals and then dinner at an Irish pub with them and the entire Gritten mob. Liv is front row with us for the show but here we also have a pre-show cocktail and nibble with other fans. We brought tons of material to promote Máiréad with 130 fiddler crossing signs, cards, Oz tour buttons from Nichole, and a huge banner she created to have signed. The reaction from the artists when they see familiar faces from the states was funny! Thank you but you're crazy!! Ray actually said that with a laugh later in Melbourne! The show is great in front of a good sized crowd. We gave the delightful Sarah Burke a little birthday surprise too. Meet & greet is with all four ladies and photos are allowed. That in addition to a free autographed program, VIP pass on a lanyard, breast cancer awareness ribbon, a bottle of water, and more free drinks. Talk about bang for the buck!!! Yes Ovation channel you do it right!! Much better than Madstone in the states who are stingy with everything including time. Yeah its an elite NYC industry attitude. too bad as the artists themselves aren't like that at all. Good thing. Best thing though was handing each lady a rose and a poem with M getting the book laid right into her hands. She and Lisa had a great deal of fun with it and me. We got a bit of mileage out of that in later shows too!

Next few days are spent at Lake MacQuarie with the Grittens. BTW, train travel is very affordable as is bus. Not much else in Oz is though!! We have a treat and Liv and her band Skyepoint perform a live gig for us our first night there! Liv is still amazing and her blokes Tom and Tim and nice guys and gifted artists. They will be a known group sooner rather than later. Thank you for that Livvy! We spend one day driving around the large salt water lake and stopping up in Newcastle, and the next day out on Kim's boat with me doing my best Gilligan imitation. Skipper!!!!!! We get nice and toasted too! Then it is off for the long train trip to Melbourne. BTW, most days Irish weather follows the gorls just as in the states. It just so happened a decade long drought in Oz ended while they were there!! Coincidence? I think not.

We are in the bay side suburb of St. Kilda for the three Melbourne shows. We meet up with more forum folks from Japan, Canada, and Australia and have a great three shows. First night we had perfect seats and lots of fun. Well, until an old grump behind us gets huffy about us standing for Spanish Lady. Sourpuss. In fact the next two shows Chloe did not tell the audience she wanted them up on their feet! Yeah really too bad. Oh well. Meet & greet was special as I presented Máiréad with a copy of the Oxfam check from her forum. She was surprised and delighted. Next night we have a bar code glitch on out tickets but Ovation gets it fixed in time for us to get up to the pre-show. Third day is an afternoon show. Each show we were promoting like crazy and talking with everyone we could. Lots of folks signed the banner which was then shipped overnight to Nichole for the Brisbane finale. It was announced there that guitarist Des Moore was leaving. He is outstanding and will be missed. Thanks for the great work and memories, Des. It was marvelous each night and we sure would go back when they do. Although I have a funny feeling there won't be quite as much bang for the buck next time.

Within a couple days we are heading back to the states. It wrapped up quite a year for me and no doubt a memorable one for my favorite artists. Now they and I get a break. Me back to reality and they a blessed time of rest and reflection. What will 2011 bring? Something tells me there will be a lot of surprises. Main thing is to cherish each day and what you have. 2010 would not have been possible for me without some amazing forum friends and others. Thank you. And none of this would be possible without a certain pixie fiddler who owns my heart and carries it around in her fiddle case. God bless you Máiréad, and have a great break. See you all next year.

Cheers, Scott/moscapoet

Celtic Woman, silver and emerald in Albuquerque

2010-09-11T15:52:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone!

Well, Albuquerque sure is a special place every time Celtic Woman comes to town. I'm four hours from anywhere so here and up at Red Rocks are always the closest they get to me. But what better place to see my 50th show with them than where it all began for me in 2007. Then I was in row 20, had never met any of them, and had my little niece there to experience some quality in arts and not the garbage that dominates out there. Last fall Celtic Woman returned and we used that occasion to give Máiréad a check in her name and that of her forum to her charity of choice, Oxfam Ireland Unwrapped. This time it was another special event.

I had a great seat in the pit the first night and a pretty good one in front row orchestra the second. We also had plenty of forum folks attending so there would be lots of energy. Dinner both nights was with around 15 of us but I was given quite a surprise by Máiréad forum administrator, Mike Brown. A lovely cake with a graphic of Máiréad in icing was first followed by a series of very nice gifts. It was a very kind gesture by he and the forum and a great way to start the night. The show was marvelous with all the artists in fine form despite the near end of yet another tour and time away from home. For me, though, most special was Máiréad briefly bringing out the green bow which was her birthday gift in 2009 from myself and her forum. It was a lovely and very kind gesture to commemorate the event. There is no one of Earth like Máiréad Nesbitt with or without her 300 year old violin.

We were treated the next day to a tour of the KNME studio by the delightful Heidi Brown. She also gave those of us attending a nice tote bag and T-shirt. It is one of the better PBS stations in the country.

The show the second night was at an even higher level in both energy and emotion. It is clear the artists, Chloe Agnew, Lisa Kelly, Lynn Hilary, and Máiréad were feeling the end of the tour as well as the energy from the nearly 25 forum folks and friends situated up close. It is an amazing show by premier artists including the band and choir. Some are critical of the choreographed and polished production. Do they say that about Riverdance or Lord Of The Dance? Well, I can tell you that while it is a rehearsed and refined production, it is also spontaneous and a bit different each night. I have 51 shows now under my belt so can say that with great authority.

An example of that came the second night as a precious little girl, Charlotte, and her family took to the front row. We met them out in the lobby and they were equipped with buttons and fiddler crossing signs to make the event a bit more special. We also had a couple extra meet & greet passes and with that they were in for a most special night. The little one was smothered with attention and Chloe even singled her out later for comment from the stage. That is a rare thing and a very lovely touch by the ever delightful Chloe. At the after show meeting Charlotte again was the beneficiary of the amazing kindness of Lisa and Máiréad. It was such a beautiful thing to watch.

If folks out there want to know what class on stage and off is in the performing arts, it is Celtic Woman and the artists within it. So many stories I could recount from my many shows to prove the point. But all you had to do was look in Charlotte's eyes and that of her mom and grandfather and you'd know the effects of the people in this ensemble. I have profound disagreement with the apparatus that surrounds the artists but the artists themselves to a person are the best people you would ever want to know. It has not gone to their heads and they look upon what they do as just what they do.

So, my hat goes off to Máiréad (who owns my heart as well), Chloe, Lisa, Lynn, Des Moore, Eoghan O'Neill, Tommy Martin, Anthony Byrne, Ray Fean, Nick Bailey, Helen Kelly, Catherine Neylan, Sarah Burke, Dermot Kiernan, Niall McGrath, Andrew Nangle, Brian Connor, David Downes, and the entire road crew for this extraordinary experience night after night. Same goes for past members like Meav, Orlagh Fallon, Alex Sharpe, Roisin Dempsey, Amy Rivard, and Julian David Edwards. Each of the artists mentioned above and others from the past are well worth your support in whatever they do on stage or in the studio. Treat yourself to a DVD, CD, or better yet, a show in person. And when you go to a show, look up those silly folks with the fiddler crossing signs and buttons. It is family on stage and off.

Finally, my most sincere thanks to the members of the Máiréad, Chloe, Lisa, Lynn, and Alex forums for the support of the artists and the kindness you show to each other as members. It is what has been inspired by each of the artists. Fifty two shows is a bit over the top in the minds of many, and that is what I will have when Red Rocks wraps this tour up on the 12th. But when you are inspired to write almost 400 poems and lyrics, a novel, and have eight songs recorded by yet another artist, it simply becomes a part of you. Fifty is the silver anniversary, but for me it had a splash of emerald in the hands of a lovely fiddler and in her eyes. God bless her and the others for being on the road sharing their gifts away from home for so much of the past nearly six years.

Until next time, Scott

Celtic Woman, from quintet to quartet

2010-07-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

New York state. Warning.....this is very long. This post is a tour perspective about my latest experiences On the Celtic Woman tour. I'll break it down into categories and hope you'll get just a little flavor of what it is like to be on the road in support of Máiréad and the others, and about this new quartet version of SFTH. So, let's get to it shall we?

Firstly, the travel experience. I've been doing this now since 2007. I'm used to travel as I grew up with a dad who was a Navy pilot, and then I worked in the airlines for quite a few years. I've always had the travel bug. Typically, though, I tend to get very little sleep on these excursions into my never ending search for pixie dust. When I was in Ireland last summer for the Powerscourt and High Kings shows I had about 36 hours sleep total in eight days. Two nights I never slept at all as I needed to get reviews in for the folks back home and for the artists. It is part of my responsibility as is promoting and supporting Máiréad and I take it seriously. Same thing happened on my extended spring touring in 2009. This time I averaged about four hours per night sleep. I do this in short bursts. Imagine doing it for months on end as these artists do. I could do it but that doesn't mean it is healthy. I travel by air as it would be even more exhausting if I drove for all of this and it would also be dangerous on the short sleep I get. On this trip I used Southwest Airlines as I do the majority of the time. I flew into Buffalo on Thursday but re-routed myself away from inclement weather and possible lengthy delays or cancellations. Those flights earned me another free ticket, my second, for future travel next year. The return today was using a non-revenue, space available, buddy pass from my old airline buddy in Spokane. I had ample seats available but the routing was through Las Vegas. I literally flew over my house in Colorado on the way in this five hour flight. Southwest agents were extraordinary both directions and the level of customer service with this company is second to none in the industry domestically. When I travel I seldom if ever rent a car. I either stay close to the venue or am granted extraordinary kindness by forum members who transport me. On this trip I had your forum administrator, MrPeabody, carting me around. Thank you, Mike, for doing that and doing so safely just as you did on the spring 2009 tour. Hotels I usually get via bidding on Priceline but they were way too high this time and Mike kindly allowed me to room with him as did Rick in Liberty. When I tried to pay Mike today he designated my half of the hotel charges to Máiréad's charity. That is the sort of class act that typifies this place and you should all be very proud of his leadership.

The venues. Art Park in Lewiston is very nice. Rather like an auditorium with the back taken out of it. On a normal day it would have been pleasant but on Friday the warmth and humidity just sat in there and both artist and audience sweltered. Acoustics were fine and our seats good. Bethel aka Woodstock was amazing. It has become a huge facility on a vast acreage of land. The amphitheater itself is a stage with simply a roof over the audience. Again, under normal circumstances just fine, but not when a storm sends the rain in sideways! There is also a very long walk to parking and nothing like a shuttle to get you there. Most folks exited in the driving rain and wind for which they did not come prepared. Hmmmm kinda sounds like.......Woodstock! Auditorium theater in Rochester is an older facility but with fine acoustics. It was the only indoor venue on this stretch of the tour. There had been some concern about no air conditioning but that had been remedied and all was fine. SPAC in Saratoga is another amphitheater and the acoustics were great. Loved the vibrating floor in the pit when the woofers were barking loudly!! Perfect night and a venue much like Wolf Trap. All in all great venues.

The forum experience is next up. I met several folks I had not prior to this trip. That included forum members Btimerson (Brad), Apollomoon (Dave), Scuilly (Kelly), needleworklady (Annie), Connye (Ralph's sister Connie), and also some spouses along with renewing meeting up with those met previously. In my time with forum members which began on the spring 2008 tour I have yet to meet anyone who isn't an incredible fan in support of Celtic Woman. Each has an artist special to them. Each has a story to tell and in many cases they are incredibly moving. So many times I fight tears listening to these very moving accounts. We have shared incredible memories during this time. This tour swing was no different. From the smothering humidity in Lewsiton, to the hallowed Woodstock and the events of that day and night, to the awesome show in Rochester, to the perfect weather and another meeting with Máiréad in Saratoga this trip had memories aplenty. Some inside jokes always come from these things. Let me tell you, there is nothing like sharing these shows and meetings with your forum friends even if you aren't seated together. We talked last night and it is clear to me, as it has always been, that this place is an amazing family. Celtic Woman talks about how close they have become and that it is a family. So too has that happened with their supporters. To a person I saw our family promoting Máiréad and the others at every chance. Celtic Woman may not quite understand the incredible partnership that exists between their ensemble and ours. But it is real, it is productive, and it is free to them offered up by grateful hearts and incredibly talented people in one way or another. The items created for this tour swing alone by forum folks were marvelous. Alexa created a beautiful graphic at my request that depicted Máiréad on stage with Hendrix at Woodstock. Mike created really funny signs that Máiréad just loved last night. Dave created a massive book that had every review this forum has done thus far with SFTH including my initial review from Ireland. I wrote a poem about the PS22 experience for the ensemble and the school. Rick has his amazing Pixieland site. Scuilly brought gift bags. Mike brought more Cadbury's. I mean the list goes on and Máiréad and the others received all of that in one form or another. Let me tell you that these folks appreciate such tokens but much prefer those creative things from your heart over anything from a store, though they gratefully accept the latter. But the best treat for the artists, and it has been referred to by more than one of them, is to see those familiar faces in the crowd who are there so often for them. That is both love and respect especially in the crummy economy this past couple years. So, again this swing the wonderful interaction between forum folks and between them and the artists is such a joy to behold. you should also be very proud of the conduct of the members who had ample opportunity to intrude into private space and time of the artists in New York and did not.

The artists. What can one say about the level of talent and the willingness to share their gifts and be away from the comforts of home and country for so long every year? Is thank you enough? Well it goes back to being there for them and reminding them when you can how much we appreciate it. The Aontas choir is incredible. I have been blessed at times to hear the current crop acoustically at times and they are the best. I have been in choirs a few times and it is not easy especially when you add complex choreography to the mix. On this tour we have been given a gift with the return of Lisa's sister Helen. Always a dynamic and a bit mischievous one on stage. You have the old timers in Niall and Andrew. Though they seldom if ever interact with the audience in any sort of selective way. Catherine too has been with them for quite awhile and along with Rosin, who is on the tour but not in it this time, forms a nice core group. Then you have my two personal favorites, Dermot and Sarah. Both are willing to interact with audience members and that holds them in great favor. Amy Rivard found that out as did Julian David Edwards when they were with the choir. It builds a core of support for the future. Dermot and Sarah are fun to watch and fun to interact with and both have great voices. The band has been solid from the start with Des, Eoghan, and the incomparable Ray. Nick has been with them much of the time too. Des and Eoghan as well as Brian at the piano are unsung heroes who you could not do without. While they may not interact with us they certainly do with each other on stage and it is fun to watch. Ray and Nick are simply the best. And they are genuinely nice people and willing at times to interact with specific audience members. I think they know who their best supporters are. Then we have the amazing Tommy on pipes and new addition Anthony. When the two of them join forces in Amazing Grace you simply can't breathe. Tommy's jam session at the end is a hoot too! Each of these folks are pieces to a puzzle that would not be complete without them.

Chloe Agnew. We have watched her grow up before our eyes and what an amazing woman and premier artist she is. Her role has increased with Alex's departure. She does both duets now in the coupled songs that make up Songs From The Heart. She has assumed Alex's role in At The Ceili and is absolutely comfortable in it. And she has added bits in other songs to fill the Alex void. That is in addition to her solo songs that are dynamite and perfect for her. She is constantly interacting with her friends on stage, with her audience, and with her songs. Both her solos are signature pieces in my book. Chloe is also delightful to meet and what you see on stage is what you get at a meet & greet. She has become the de facto spokesperson and has no trouble with it at all.

Lynn Hilary. When Lynn first appeared to take on Meav's role in the fall of 2007 no one out here knew what to expect. Well, David did and it has paid off handsomely. She has grown into her role superbly. Perhaps that DVD from Powerscourt cemented it in her own mind and this show has benefited greatly from it. She is connected to her songs, passionate in the delivery, and engaging. She will not give you lots of direct looks or frequent interactions but when she does you will know it. Her solo pieces on this tour swing were just nailed and her speeches from the stage delightfully delivered and very well received. She too has been given more material and has not skipped a beat in it. She now Joins Lisa to make a duet out of Alex's My Heart Was Home Again. Those are enormous shoes to fill when it was her signature song. She is still a bit more reserved than the others at a meet & greet but still delightful.

Lisa Kelly. Veteran in so many ways and a core element. Lisa again this tour is a focal point for so many people. She has made The Moon's a Harsh Mistress a signature song. However, for the vast majority, it will never replace The Voice. That is a song synonymous with Lisa. She owns it and always will. But with Moon she conveys the pain within the lyrics effectively. I certainly feel it. She too has an added role as the other in the duet of the former Alex song. Lisa is engaging and interactive from the stage and will not hesitate making you part of the show. She draws you in. Lisa excels at meet & greet. I know my two experiences with her this tour were wonderful. She knows the role of making those personal connections and does so very well.

Máiréad Nesbitt. Where to start. Where to end for that matter!! The incomparable Máiréad Nesbitt is like no other on the planet at her craft and as a person. No video can truly do her justice nor can any audio. You only scratch the surface of her energy and ability on a video. On audio only you can certainly feel her emotion flow through the music. But you miss out on the priceless expressions on her face and in her body language. You simply must experience the entire package to know Máiréad's gift adequately. Once you do you will not be able to resist. She's like a bag of crisps. You just have to have the entire bag! As I have said elsewhere, she is like human champagne that will fizz all over you and tickle every sense. When she spots that familiar face be ready because you are about to be buried in pixie dust. She did on this tour swing as she has done without exception and that is bathe myself and others in a never ending shower of notes, looks, movements, and smiles. And when she lights up, and she does often, the sun goes into eclipse. The soul inside that diminutive and lovely form is the definition of beauty in all its many forms. At a meet & greet be prepared for that firm grip, ready smile, engaging eyes, and a voice that could melt the most frozen of hearts. There are none better at what she does the way she does it. I can't imagine there ever will be. She is simply, and wonderfully, Máiréad.

The show. Some subtle changes and some dramatic ones as a result of Alex's departure. It does not affect the Chloe, Lisa, Lynn, or Máiréad solos. None of those have changed yet each has a nuance each night. Folks have asked me on this trip if the show is the same each night. I tell them the song set is the same but each night is different. Attend a few shows in a row as I do and you discover that quickly. The Alex departure has not been felt in a major way in Nil Se'n La, Non Ce Piu, Danny Boy, Mo Ghile Mear, Amazing Grace, The Call, Isle Of Hope Isle Of Tears, Orinoco Flow, or You Raise Me Up. The other artists have taken up the parts and done so very well. Some of the choreography has changed. Danny Boy now includes Máiréad. Gee, that is hard to take. Orinoco flow has an amazing new vocal twist to it that I cannot describe but it will give you goose bumps. It is fantastic. YRMU now has the choir doing what PS22 did and it sounds lovely. Alex's role in At The Ceili has been filled very well by Chloe. The show is now one song shorter as You'll Be In My Heart has been dropped and not replaced. But where you will note the biggest change, or at least where I do, is in Alex's signature piece My Heart Was Home Again, and in her duet in Walking The Night. The Lynn Lisa combo in MHWHA is lovely. If you had never heard Alex do this song you would be impressed and love it. It is done very well now but for the core group of supporters and frequent concert attendees it will take awhile for this to grow on us again. Alex lived that song and her stage experience sold the song right into your soul. It was incredible when we first heard it in Roanoke and shows since. As I said in my other reviews, Lisa had not connected with that song. She sang it just fine but she did not convey its essence. In Rochester that changed. Again I was moved to tears. Lynn feels this song and you can see it in her eyes. As long as Lisa continues to then all will be fine in time. In Walking The Night the pairing of Lynn and Alex was brilliant. The Lynn Chloe pairing was awesome in Pie Jesu. For me though the complimentary nature of the two voices doesn't quite reach the level it did with Alex. Again, it is because of Alex's stage experience that she was able to connect with the message in the lyrics. It may also be a function of age. It is not a matter of talent which Chloe has in abundance but simply a different sound and different emotion that can be best conveyed by one who has lived that pain. Again, it will be fine and if one had never heard the Alex and Lynn duet in this you'd never know and it would stand on its own as beautiful. It is. Yet it is not what it was. The only other major change in the show is the song Goodnight My Angel which now operates as a duet and not a trio. Lynn's gentle presence is needed in my opinion. She has the gift for a lullaby. It has to be hard to dial it back and not use the incredible power that Chloe has. But the song demands a softness that only Lynn has. Lisa, of course fits right in. I mean after all she's a mom!! Again, this is no slam on Chloe. I mean none of the others up there could do equal justice to L'Assenza or When You Believe! For those of us attending these shows though it just seemed like a more appropriate duet for Lynn and Lisa. So, while the show differs in many ways, it is still the magnificent creation of David Downes and the artists on stage. It is worth seeing again and again. If you have the chance to see this show in person and up close you will be rewarded with every moment of it.

So, there you have another moscapoet novel. Saratoga was my 49 th show and I think Mike's 73rd. So, you have the top two show attendees at these events. I hope the others who attended these four shows will add their own opinions, and that is exactly what this is, to the mix here. Thank you Mike, Celtic Woman, Rachel,Dave, and most especially Máiréad for four delightful nights. Oh and one more note of change. Kelly Martin had taken Rachel's role at the meet & greets on the spring tour. I for one thought that a good move to take a bit off of Rachel's plate. But Rachel is back and no wicked witch in sight. She now sports a Glenda the good witch mood and was absolutely delightful. In fact it was as much fun chatting with her as the others at times. She has been most accommodating in the past but not always in a public contact frame of mind. But in these four shows anyway, she was amazing. Very nice indeed. On the other hand, Mitch from Madstone was a bit of a grump pretty much every night. Maybe he needs a dose of whatever Rachel has been ingesting! Actually, no maybe about it.

Until September, Scott

Independence Day, how independent are you/we?

2010-07-04T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Firstly let me wish all of you a safe and happy Independence day. I hope each of you will remember what we are celebrating today. Take it to heart and treasure it and the documents that came from that precious time in our history. For the nation as constituted to have made it this long is amazing. But don't be looking for another 200 years of it. In my opinion, don't be looking for another decade of it! Why?

Have you noticed in the past decades a reduction in your freedom and in your ability to be independent? If you haven't then you have not been paying attention. How independent are you now? When it takes six months for the average American to generate enough income just to pay their income tax is that freedom? If you own your own home yet fail to pay your property tax the government can take that away from you. Is that freedom? Where did your property rights go? When you said no to government bailing out auto companies, banks, insurance companies, and others did your "representatives" hear you? When your hard earned money is spent on pork projects or sent overseas and you the constituent given no say in it, is that freedom? Are dependent on the government for anything? Social security? Health care? Disaster relief? Don't be.

Has the economy gotten better? No, it can't without job growth. They phony up that unemployment is down and support it with numbers that are false because so many have fallen off the roles and are no longer counted. Job growth is happening in only one sector, government. When everyone works for the government what sort of nation will we have? The very sort we supposedly fought against. Are we an independent nation? No. We are dependent on other nations for resources and goods we no longer produce. That is intentional. All of it is.

Ever read the Communist Manifesto? I highly recommend it. When you do you will see clearly where we have been going and where our own government wants to take us. Not just here either but in other nations as well. Here are just two planks of the ten in Marx's book. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax is one plank. Sound familiar? Free education for all children in public schools. why would that be important? So you can indoctrinate the young minds to the "proper" way of thinking. Another plank is a central bank that makes monetary decisions. Ladies and gentlemen that is called the Federal Reserve Bank. Both the income tax and Fed were created in 1913 and both are illegal as constitutional procedure or quorums were not present.

Why all the spending by government? To destroy the currency and create a pathway to a unified world currency controlled by an even larger bank. Our constitution provides for the coinage of money only by government. When we were taken off the gold standard then inflation could run rampant. When there was no central bank for 100 years from 1813-1913 the total inflation rate for that 100 years was 0.5%. From 1913 to 1981 the inflation rate was 279%!!! Sound like a good idea? That removes your buying power and ability to even make ends meet. Did your wages go up 279%? Of course not. In addition, as the value of the currency drops, even if prices stay the same you are losing ground. It is still inflation. And we haven't even hit the truly bad inflation yet. Remember Weimar Germany? You don't? well of course not since the government does not want you to know any history that hasn't been sanitized or isn't politically correct. Inflation was so bad in the 1920's it took a wheel barrow of money to buy a loaf of bread. Such desperation allowed Hitler to rise to power, and that history is ready to repeat itself.

Here are a few quotes you might like. First let be preface things by saying if someone is a member of the CFR (council on foreign relations), Trilateral Commission, Royal Institute of foreign affairs, the Bilderbergers, or is a Rhodes scholar, then you can bet that equals they are in favor of totalitarian socialism and the removal of sovereign nations. What is the EU? One building block toward a single world government. Why are our borders not secured? Easy, because those in power don't want borders. They are running headlong into a North American Union. It is easier to build regional unions of former nations then integrate them into a single government than to do so with all the separate nations we have now. Conspiracy theory silliness? Sorry, to many dots are connecting now as the arrogant elite in charge get greedy and grab for too much too soon. People are waking up. Here are just a few quotes:

"The standard of living of the average American has to decline..I don't think you can escape that." (Paul volcker, Fed chairman, 1979)

"The power to tax involves the power to destroy" (John Marshall, Supreme Court Justice, 1819)

"By a continuous process of inflation, governments can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens. By this method, they not only confiscate, but they confiscate arbitrarily: and while the process impoverishes many, it actually enriches some......The process engages all of the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and does it in a manner that not one man in a million can diagnose." (John Maynard Keynes, economist, 1920)

There are two theories of economy, one is Keynesian, and the other is Austrian. It is clear we have been following Keynes though not the people willingly or knowingly. Keynes was a radical Socialist and one of many who sought destruction of sovereign nations.

All of this may look gloomy and dark on a day we should be celebrating. But what I am trying to do is let you know just how fragile what you are celebrating is and how quickly it can be lost when we the people lose control. Abraham Lincoln once said that the United States could not be overcome from outside but from within. We have allowed this to get away from us. If what the founding fathers created is to endure then it is the people who must make it happen. The constitution is not a limitation on the people but is a limitation on government. Our rights erode with each "crisis" be it economic, environmental, terrorism, crime, etc. and that too is intentional. Have any issues ever been solved? Drugs, crime, poverty, terrorism, health, environment? No, and they won't be either because each provides further means of government imposing additional restrictions on we the people in the name of addressing an issue that never gets solved. Are they really that stupid or incompetent that they can cure nothing? Of course not. They don't want better education, better health care, lower crime, reduced drug use or anything else. Yet many die fighting for the causes.

So what do we do about it? Today look at the flag, read the pledge of allegiance, read the Star Spangled Banner......all four verses!! Think about what has been said here and do some research of your own. Be informed, be educated, and pay attention. This is an election year. One of the most important in many years. It is a year when we can send the message that we the people will not be duped any more. It is not about party as both have been thoroughly corrupted. It is about leadership. It is about the constitution as written. Make the effort to read the Federalist Papers and the writings of the nation's founders. If you want a sovereign nation, governed by the documents that created it then you can help make that happen. Many have fought and died fighting against the very thing we are becoming. But we must be united as people without hyphens. This is a struggle against an arrogant, ruling elite who think they know what is best for you and everyone else. We are so far away from the constitution that you have to use a telescope to see it. We have very little time to change the course of this ship. A brave governor in Arizona is trying to do so in the name of states rights.

One more note. I was in Poland in 1986 when it was still Communist. It was a shocker I have to say, but the people were amazing. Tow things stuck with me about that visit. One was the folks we stayed with taking days away from work to attend us. I asked if they were paid for the time off. They laughed and said, "we're paid whether we work or not, and whether the work we do is good or shoddy". Yet that pay was subsistence. Where was the incentive? Gone. See that happening here? The other event was we were watching the news one night and a friend was translating. It was the usual anti-American rhetoric. I asked the people in the room if they believed it. They laughed and one of them said, "Of course not but it's the only thing on TV! We know it is propaganda". They knew in spite of the oppression and the current state of marshal law. Yet here so many swallow the media garbage fed to them without question. Those from over there are stunned. The Russians are laughing at us and wondering why we are allowing ourselves to go down the very path we decried them for and which broke their nation.

Do not depend on government at any level for anything. When they say they are going to help, know that the only ones they truly want to help are themselves. They write laws and exempt themselves. They divide the people against each other by race, gender, class, region, and other ways. We cannot allow that. We must be united, and we must take independence seriously as individuals and as a nation. Stand up, speak out, vote, and if it becomes necessary, fight for your freedom and the constitution. Right now most who have taken the oath of office are in violation of it. Send a message this year and vote for your independence and that of your nation from the hands of an arrogant ruling elite. God bless you and God bless this nation.

Patriotically yours, Scott

Celtic Woman Songs From The Heart first tour

2010-05-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Well, the inaugural tour of Celtic Woman's Songs From The Heart wrapped up last night in Salt Lake City. It began in mid-February in Roanoke, Virginia. Weather could have prevented that from happening as snow was frequent and heavy.

I had the great blessing of having been able to go to Ireland to see the show recorded last summer. That too could have been a wash due to weather the first night. Funny but it seems these little rays of sunshine like to bring Irish weather with them. Perhaps a little Celtic Woman could cure drought in your area?! Anyway, back to it. The show I saw in Ireland was brilliant and so many of the avid supporters of this ensemble were very happy at what would now be preserved forever. David Downes is the creative spirit and genius behind each and every show. A one off night in the Helix late in 2004 has turned into a phenomenon. One could say they have never looked back yet they have if for no other reason than to see what an amazing journey it has been. Once more David has sought with this new show to take the audience on an emotional roller coaster. His endeavors have always been to give you something really big at times and intimate at others. He and this marvelous troupe of artists have never failed to do just that. OK, some are critical because it is a "show" with choreography and lights and glitz and such. So? I don't hear those criticisms of Riverdance or Lord Of The Dance. While it is a professionally packaged show it is also very much a personal one and there is no shortage of individual expression. Each night is subtly different from the other and is based upon the audience reactions and support as well as the mood of each artist involved. I have now attended 45 Celtic Woman shows and have never been disappointed in a performance.

So, what does this new show give you? Well, some twists on what you may see on TV or the DVD. You will not see Oh America in the touring show as the show is meant to travel the world. Song would not work elsewhere. You will also not see Pie Jesu even though it is in the program. You will not see Alex performing True Colors. Instead you will be treated to a beautiful song that fits her style and voice perfectly called My Heart Was Home Again. I found it incredibly moving and it is interspersed with the marvelous pipe playing of Tommy Martin. You will not see Slumber My Darling as the slow piece in Máiréad Nesbitt's slow/fast combo. Instead you are treated to one of the most stunning slow airs performed by anyone and that is her rendition of Last Rose Fantasia. That piece is led in by a lovely guitar solo by the amazing Des Moore. You also have new addition Anthony Byrne who is a world renown bagpipe player. He is very well represented in a lovely Irish piece that Chloe Agnew sings called Galway Bay. Then he will make an appearance through the audience later for Amazing Grace which is followed by the vocalists of the group singing it. This piece has been done so many times yet I have never heard a more beautiful rendition. It gets me very emotional to be sure. One other new addition is a coupled song that is Songs From The Heart. It begins with a slow and melancholy song called Walking The Night sung as a duet between Lynn Hilary and Alex Sharpe. Really beautiful and again very moving. Then Tommy transitions on pipes to an upbeat song called Give Me Your Hand. That song is a duet with Lisa Kelly and Chloe Agnew. The other two girls join in later and it ends on a very high note. All in one song David takes you from intimate and a bit sad to huge and joyful.

These artists are on the road the greatest part of every year. They spend that time on long road trips nearly every night in buses. Living in hotel rooms and away from home and family for months on end. They are supported by a great road crew. The scheduling is not all that well done and never really has been. That adds to fuel costs and travel stress and can shorten after show paid meet & greets as well as the artists' sleep cycles. Yet, when I saw the show in Spokane the other night they were as fresh and full of life as they were at the opener in Roanoke. The only difference is that the show is more polished now and nearly second nature to the folks performing it. One cannot appreciate the grind of such tours unless you experience it yourself. No artist or group in entertainment has toured more in the past five years than Celtic Woman. I doubt the artists are paid in a tour near what some of the sleazy pop divas get in a week. Yet there they are every night. Why? Well, it is what their fantastic drummer Ray Fean once said to some forum folks, "This is just what we do". They would be doing this at home on the street or in pubs for far less. It is simply what they were each born to do, and while they do need to make a living, I have never gotten the impression from any of them that it is about money.

So, what are the highlights of the show? Well, there are really a steady stream of them. But for me each solo or ensemble piece has a special place.

Alex Sharpe has grown on me so much since filling in for the then pregnant Lisa Kelly back in 2008. Her theatrical background is evident in her performances. Her eyes will grab you and the voice hold you. She does a great duet with marvelous percussionist Nick Bailey for the cover You'll Be In My Heart. By the way, it is his great percussion band, Extreme Rhythm, that you see on the DVD pounding away. But for Alex, the new song My Heart Was Home Again is a signature piece.

Chloe Agnew has grown up while with Celtic Woman having started at age 15 and now nearing 21. Her voice has gone from sweet and childlike to full and with great depth and power. She too has transitioned and is effectively the spokesperson for the group. Not only on stage and in interviews but also at the after show meetings Chloe steps in instantly to say what others may have difficulty saying. Chloe's rendition of Galway Bay brings across both pride and protest of the Irish nation. She also does the cover song When You Believe and belts it out better than anyone. In my book she owns the song now. On stage she is ever bubbly and full of life. How can she not charm?

Lisa Kelly has been there from day one and it helps when you are married to the CEO. Regardless of that she would still be there as David has found in her his voice and muse. Her signature piece, The Voice, is not in the show. It has been replaced by one from an American composer called The Moon's a Harsh Mistress. It is a very emotional piece accompanied with piano and with Máiréad on violin. It does not have the soaring long high notes of The Voice but is a worthy addition. She also does the cover Fields Of Gold and I sure like it much better than the individuals who did it before. Lisa is ever expressive and frequently interactive from the stage and a real delight and fan favorite for a great many.

Lynn Hilary comes off as a bit shy and demur. Well, be careful of the quiet ones! She does a pure vocals rendition of the Irish piece My Lagan Love which is sung with choir backing. That choir is shown off more than once in this new show and is excellent. No better showcase for that than the above mentioned piece. Lynn also does a song called Dulaman which is sung entirely in Irish and accompanied by Ray and Nick. It is a fun piece and Lynn's introduction to it shows her to be really very funny. That is another great addition to this show, and that are the verbal introductions that the girls make now and then to a song. They have to know that many of us could listen to them speak forever. I joke about handing them each a phone book to recite!

The ensemble pieces are marvelous. Nil Se'n La is a really fun frolic. Only thing that would make it better is to have them in their ceili dresses and barefoot. Non C'e Piu is a song set to Dworak's World Symphony. It leaves the room breathless until time to applaud and quite often in a standing position. Gorgeous. They continue with tradition as well doing You Raise Me Up. They added the second verse and it really is a group signature. The Call is another song that has every element in play including Máiréad's marvelous violin intro to it. Mo Ghile Mear still wraps up the second act and serves as the basis for the show finale. It is another one of those huge show moments that leaves you wanting more. That finale has been even more jazzed up by the full band jamming during part of it. Even the poker faced but excellent Eoghan O'Neill has fun with this one.

One last mention goes to what many of us see as the focal point of the show. She is the driving force, the one who sets the tone, the one I hear most frequent comments about at intermission and at the end of the show. Oh yes I pay very close attention to what folks are saying. The one I speak about of course is that feisty fairy with a fiddle, Máiréad Nesbitt. Certainly the externals are extremely important here as the costume and physical presence grab immediate attention. No one does what she does the way she does it though. She is an accomplished artist of the first order and this the latest in a series of great things she has been involved with. Yet while with Celtic Woman she also found time to do the music for the Tinker Bell movies and also a brilliant performance in Switzerland this past January where she and brother Karl were showcased. Máiréad makes a signature piece out of everything she does. Whether it is the saucy Coast Of Galicia with its Latin sway, Granuaile's Dance with its never ending energy, her slow fast combo of Last Rose and The Mason's Apron, or accompaniment in ensemble pieces, Máiréad is the heart and soul of the ensemble. It simply could not exist without her or attract the large audiences it does in my opinion. She is constantly interactive with her artist friends on stage and with her audience. Even when in the shadows she is part of the music and interacting in subtle ways. Some of what she does by necessity must be choreographed, yet the major input on that comes from her as she knows how a given piece will effect her movement. And my does she move! She does so at risk of injury and she has sustained them in the past yet has never missed a show from them. A consummate professional and performer, gifted artist, and yet as warm and genuine a person as you'll ever meet.

So, the spring tour ends and yet another one in the states from mid-July to mid-September looms. Then a short tour in Australia comes in late October. They have waited a long time for them in Oz and they will not be disappointed with the show that comes to them. This is a marvelous creation that will entertain, enchant, amuse at times, and take you on a really amazing two hour ride. It is well worth seeing in person and I certainly plan to attend many more of these shows. It never gets old. Until next time have a great summer.

All the best, Scott

Happy birthday Máiréad

2010-04-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

Well, the dust (pixie dust that is) has settled on yet another birthday for the amazing Máiréad Nesbitt. This incredible professional, artist, and delightful woman has enchanted countless thousands in her career and does so with each passing show. In that time she has perhaps passed in the chronological calendar but she is younger now than when she started with Celtic Woman. Her passion, energy, talent, and never ending generosity in spirit simply moves forward and sweeps all before it gathering up hearts like a beautiful bouquet.

Last year her forum gave her the gift of a lovely, emerald green fiddle bow. Green to match her eyes and her isle and as a reminder of the living thing music becomes in her gracious care. She did her forum a huge honor and used it in both the final shows at Red Rocks that wrapped up the spring 2009 tour. This year her forum gave her a video DVD birthday card with the well wishes and creations of several forum members. At the end of it was a birthday wish recorded in December 2009 in Cleveland by former Celtic Woman artist Orlagh Fallon. Just another special moment to share with Máiréad. But the best gift I could think of to give to her from myself and from her forum was to find a way to make her experience on stage the other night memorable. So, I had planned this for a very long time and put it in place from the moment I entered the venue. I began passing out cards created by a forum member with her website and forum site on them and letting everyone know they were here on a very special night. I did not know if anyone would cooperate and if I would be standing there alone at the appropriate moment. Had that been the case I would have done the performance alone but that was not the case. At the right time late in the second act it began and one by one a large section of the audience of 2500 or so joined me in singing happy birthday to her then most of the place gave her an ovation. It was something I had always wanted to give her. It was personal yet very public and I am grateful to the folks in St. Petersburg for joining me. The looks on her face and that of the others on stage were moments I so wish had been captured in pictures. In the aftermath of that she referred to the event in a Twitter post which was very sweet. Prior to that she had put up a very kind blog that had so many lovely parts to it and was so very kind and supportive. It has been such an amazing time for her and it was my goal to give her the most special of moments out of genuine love and respect. She is like no other and is deserving of all the accolades, awards, and support we can give her.

She is most kind in her generous spirit of giving and I encourage all who read this to support her charity of choice, Oxfam Ireland Unwrapped as well as another one in her friend Darragh who will be working in the rebuilding of Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake. Please treat yourself to a Celtic Woman performance by this consummate performer and splendid artist who is the very best at what she does and unique in the way she does it.

To you, Máiréad, may you know a great many more birthdays. May they all be special ones surrounded by those who love and cherish you. May the years be healthy, safe, productive, and kind as they progress. May your mind, body, and spirit be forever young. May the gift that lives in you continue to inspire and uplift and those blessings return to you tenfold. Happy birthday, Máiréad.

Le gra, Scott

My nation died last night

2010-03-22T17:31:00.000-07:00

It is with profound sorrow that I mourn the death of a nation. A nation that was conceived in we the people. A nation that once held truth to be self evident. a nation that could look at itself rightfully as different and a shining city on a hill. We were the envy of the world, proud, free, and strong. we held firm to our values and beliefs and they made us stronger.

Last night at the hands of a ruling elite who think they no better than the rest of us, the dreams of our founding fathers were dashed. All of them are millionaires yet they talk like they are one of the regular people. Don't get me wrong, I am not into class warfare. But when the wealthy elite talk against the wealthy elite in an effort to fool us into thinking they stand with the common people when they do not, I am not impressed. Those we sent to DC have become arrogant and look down at the people as incapable of running their own lives. Perhaps in some ways they are right because it is they who created the deplorable "education" system that has created a mass ignorance of both history and our founding documents. They have dumbed down sufficient Americans now that they can convince them of nearly anything. So many have become what one talk show host has called, sheeple. Baaaaahhhhhh. Well, last night we were all fleeced.

Many I know bought into the lie that government can do health care better. Show me the evidence? Name for me the last program that government put into place that ran well and was successful. Government is a mass of red tape where nothing gets done except at an enormous cost. They told us that this would take the money out of the health care system and make it affordable. Really? What just happened is the same thing as mandating you have liability insurance on your car. Did the cost of that insurance come down? No, it went up as people have no choice if they want to drive. Is the money now going to be out of health care? Well 1/3 of doctors say they will quit under this new plan. Not exactly the money we thought would be taken out of it. Take a look at stocks of both insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies in the aftermath of this vote. They backed this whole thing. Now if the money was going to be taken out of it don't you think they would have been against the bill? No, because now they are assured of millions more paying who previously did not.

There is precedent for what happened late last night. what other unpopular things have passed the halls of Congress in the dead of night? The Federal Reserve Act which put all money in the hands of bankers. The Income tax and its payroll deduction aspects did so as well while America slept. Fully 1/6 of the nation's economy will now be added to government control. Private section jobs continue to decline in this country. The only growth sector is government and health related industries. The latter will now be effectively part of government now too.

So what gave the elite leftists in DC the idea they could do this with impunity? A couple examples. When the banks were failing at the end of the previous administration congress had the bright idea of bailing them out and taking nominal control. Polls showed over 90% of the American public against it. They did it anyway. when the auto manufacturers of this country were about to go under congress again stepped in to bail them out. The people did not want it. Same for the airlines after 9/11. So what message have they been sending us? We are going to do what we want whether you like it or not. Are there consequences to that? Well, there should be but while many were sleeping they have been busy Gerrymandering districts to make them safe for themselves. Then they give themselves a pay raise every year. Can you do that? Will any if them have to live by the system they just created? Nope. Just us rabble out here.

Can they pay for this? No. The revenue stream has shrunk due to the loss of jobs and the many who are under employed. Many others have simply fallen off the radar screen as they could not survive if they had to pay all the taxes. So what are they doing in DC to pay for all this spending? Printing more money. It will become increasingly worthless as they print more. Our debt to other nations climbs and soon the dollar may no longer be the currency of international trade which will further devalue it. Hyper inflation kicks in and soon you can't pay for anything.

Do the people running the show in DC see all this? Yes, but they aren't going to tell you that. Would a group of people actually set about to destroy their own nation on purpose? Yes. Want to know how? Read The Communist Manifesto and see just how accurate this past few decades has been in following that path.

Ladies and gentlemen your new "health care" system is not about health. It is about power and control. Is the current system perfect? Not in the least. Frankly, it is not in the best interest of the medical industry, and that is what it is, to cure anything. The money is made in treating you, not curing you. In a similar way is it in the government's best interest to educate all of us? Not in their minds it isn't. If you are truly educated you can think for yourself and be independent. Our government does not want people who think for themselves. They want people you believe what they are told by their propagandists in the traditional media. Do they want you independent? No, they want dependents who will do what they are told. So are there still good doctors and teachers who aren't part of all of that? Sure, there are lots of well meaning folks. But the longer they remain in the system and the more indoctrinated they are in government schools, the fewer there are of them.

I have watched this socialized medicine thing in action, if you want to call it that. Trust me, while your out of pocket expense will be low, your insurance will be higher as will your taxes. In addition, your quality and promptness of care will diminish. You will be placed by a bureaucrat, not an doctor on a waiting list for testing and then again for treatment. Only government prescribed treatment. It may be as you get older and therefor less productive as a taxpayer that you will be lower on the list for testing and treatment. I witnessed that first hand in Australia. Oh well, he died, it wasn't his turn yet for the heart surgery he needed. Think I'm wrong? Wait and see. After all these elitists believe in population control anyway. That at both ends of life for the yet to be born and the elderly. They are merchants of death and the people put them there.

So, a very long novel here as I mourn the death of the U.S.A. as I knew it. For us now we have a choice to let it stand or take our country and constitution back at the ballot box. What will you do? Will you stand up for your freedom or just let it go. When they raid your bank account to force you to pay for something you don't want will that be enough? Sadly, by the time that happens it will be too late. We were given a great gift by our founders in the constitution and declaration of independence. We are told today those are archaic and "living" documents open to reinterpretation. When words no longer mean what they did when written then the rule of law itself is dead. We have very little time to take our nation back. Get out and vote and throw out every incumbent who refuses to maintain their oath to protect, uphold, and defend the constitution. That will be nearly all of them.

We must do this peacefully and at the ballot box or face far worse as the nation continues to sink into the abyss. Please pray for our nation and her people, and please stand up and be counted and do something about it. God bless you each and God bless the United States.

Peace, Scott/moscapoet

Let the wolves eat the sheep

2010-03-13T17:21:00.000-08:00

OK, been awhile. Lots to say but best not to say it. Lots to think but been told it is wrong to think it. Evil flourishes when the good do nothing. We are told we are our brother's keeper so it is that some defend the innocent victims of those who attempt to cause harm to them. Yet we are told to look the other way. In so doing others down the road will be victimized.

When the first victim of a rapist refuses to press charges how many more will be victims of the man's violence? When millions of unborn are slaughtered every year should we just meekly sit by and say nothing about it? When radicals threaten innocent children in a far away land should we just look the other way and let it happen without saying a word?

What are the lessons learned in silence? How many Jews went to their death in Nazi Germany when good people looked the other way and said nothing? How many were saved by people willing to stand up and risk death or persecution by harboring the innocent? Does a shepherd watch the wolf eat the sheep or does he poke at the wolf with his staff and defend his flock?

There is no Gospel without the law. In fact there is no need for Gospel without the law. By like token if we strictly look at the law and ignore the Gospel then we are in a hopeless state. One without the other does not work. People, including myself, need to know the state they are in. They need to know the consequences of staying in that state. Then they need to be forgiven and embraced and loved. I know the state I am in. I know the consequences of remaining in that state. I choose by the Grace of God to not remain there.

So, an earlier blog has been removed along with the comments that went with it. It is a message of forgiveness that I do so. We shall see if the hate ends or if it simply sends a signal for the wolves to go after the sheep. My staff is ready.

May His peace always be yours, Moscapoet

Twas a sweet night in Wilkes-Barre

2009-12-31T14:35:00.000-08:00

A new twist on a timeless classic. Just thinking about the year that has been. Enjoy.

Twas a sweet night in Wilkes-Barre, and in this fine place
there was wonderful music full of beauty and grace.
The venue was buzzing that most special night
as one night from Heaven became a forum's delight.

Down go the lights and hush goes the crowd
as a form appears in a brightly lit cloud.
The haunting tune drifted and weaved 'mongst the seats,
and all sat there spellbound in her musical treats.

Then came four more angels to light up the room,
and no one who was there could feel a second's more gloom.
Sing Chloe and Lisa. Sing Alex and Lynn.
Play on pixie fiddler. Oh what a beautiful din.

Ray and Nick pounded the beat and became one with their drums.
If any of us tried that we'd sure be all thumbs.
Des and Eoghan plucked strings like in ages gone by,
and Tommy played pipes with such beauty you'd cry.

Out comes a choir with the rest of the throng,
and soon the whole venue was full up with song.
With smiles on our faces and tears in our eyes
the place glowed like sunlight as spirits did rise.

Then came those sweet moments when Chloe saw Kim,
and all felt the rapture like a beautiful hymn.
Chloe winked and waved and blew Kim a kiss.
That's one precious girl who would know Heaven's bliss.

So who are the angels that ran off with our hearts?
Well they're five Irish lasses from far away parts.
But this night they're ours in one gracious gift
as their souls and ours would dip, merge, and drift.

Yes Chloe we know that when you believe
not a thing you can't have what e'er you conceive.
You proved it that night with the smile on Kim's face,
and proved it all the more in your voice touched with lace.

Lisa came singing through fields of gold
as we went one by one into her heart's gentle hold.
In the blessings I'm touched as the voice takes me higher,
while she sings through the night in this heavenly choir.

Then what do my still bouncing eyes dare to see
but a fawnlike Lynn floating by singing to me.
One seaweed seller would win your fair hand
while dear Carolina gives us reason to stand.

Then a flash of blue comes drifting by.
Could it be lady Alex has captured my eye?
Yes it must be. That's her crystalline voice.
I'm swept up and cradled, and haven't a choice.

Spinning and twirling, and leaping about
comes a high flying fiddler with a hoot and a shout.
She kept us all breathless in airs sweet and low,
then flung us 'round madly in her rapid notes flow.

Now we are gathered to await who we'll meet.
The right two tonight would make this dream complete.
Here then comes Chloe with Mairead by her side.
Oh now what a thrill, what a beautiful ride.

Oh moscapoet, oh Dwight, oh Dave and fur face.
Oh John and Ralph, and Scott T's hearts will race.
Oh MrPeabody, Jim and Don, Tony too.
Oh Walter and Wickie can you believe this is true?

Smiles are abundant and tears flow in streams
as so many tonight have the night of their dreams.
So now we part with mem'ries not few
to gather next year for MaireadFest two.

c 2009 Scott Manke aka moscapoet

A Christmas poem

2009-12-19T09:33:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

I hope you are having a most joyous Hanukkah or advent season and will have a very special Christmas. Here is a poem I wrote back in 2008. No matter what your current state perhaps you'll look at this poem and know there are those who have it worse. If you have love, you have it all. God loves you.

SANTA LEFT ME LOVE

1) My daddy has gone far away,
and my mommy cries every night.
The bullies pick on me at school
'cause my old clothes just don't look right.
Our house is cold and dark sometimes,
and I'm hungry most ev'ry day.
But I'm happy 'cause it's Christmas.
Maybe Daddy's on Santa's sleigh.

2) The people at church brought a tree,
and a nice man brought us some food.
I decorated with popcorn.
Now my mommy's in a good mood.
Some people were singing carols,
and the snow was falling all night.
So this Christmas isn't so bad.
Baby Jesus made it alright.

R) No toys were left in my stocking.
No candy or fruit from the store.
But Santa left me love last night,
and that's really a whole lot more.

c 2008 Scott Manke aka moscapoet

Support Mairead in the IMA awards

2009-12-09T12:23:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Well, just a brief one here this time. I'll have a year in retrospect in a few weeks.

For now, please visit the following site: http://irishmusicawards.com/ and join the forum there. Once you do that you may vote in the IMA awards. Up for those awards for best fiddler is Mairead Nesbitt and rightfully so. While much of her recent work is not in the traditional vein, some is, and we all know she can do trad with the best of them. Please tell your family, friends and co-workers to check out Mairead, join the IMA forum and vote for her. I would love to be there in January and see her handed this award.

In addition to Mairead, Orlagh Fallon is up for several awards including best harpist. She has a wonderful repertoire of traditional pieces both on harp and vocals that place her at or near the top of this genre in my book. I was just in Cleveland for her solo show and it was a wonderful mix of Irish and English, vocals and harp. She was incredibly kind with her time and comments after the show as well. The artists we love so much deserve your support while with Celtic Woman and beyond.

Lisa Kelly and Celtic Woman are also in the slate of nominees so please vote for them as well. These folks have more than earned any awards they can receive, and if we can help them win those we should do so. Please also respond when these artists post a blog. I know Lisa, Chloe, and Mairead all have those and post when time allows.

Finally, just a brief thank you to all the forum folks who have been so kind in their support of the Mairead forum as well as myself and Olivia. My thanks as well to Mairead for her kind and continued support of her forum. That kindness translated into a $2000 check to Oxfam in her name from quite a few members of her forum. May you each have a blessed Christmas and a prosperous new year.

Dia dhuit, Scott

Celtic Woman magic in so many ways

2009-12-05T00:19:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

Well, since my last blog much has happened. You just can't go wrong with Celtic Woman artists past and present!!

November saw me attend a string of shows in the southwest US. Lubbock started it all off followed by El Paso, Albuquerque, and Tucson. We had large forum gatherings in the two middle cities. Along the way I had my uncle, brother, and niece whom I treated to shows and meet & greets. I was able to see each of the artists at one point or another after a show and each were delightful.

Most special of all though was Albuquerque where I had the honor of presenting Mairead with a $2000 check from her forum for her charity of choice, Oxfam Ireland Unwrapped. She was most gracious in accepting, posing for photos, and in her kind comments. As I told her that night she has a way of inspiring so much in so many and in so many ways. What a blessing from God she is for so many. I hope many will be blessed in the money given to that charity in her name and that of her forum.

This past night though was something else. I attended for the first time a concert held by a former member of Celtic Woman. Orlagh Fallon performed at the WVIZ studios in Cleveland. We had 14 forum folks there to greet and support her during the show and after. She was accompanied by Dan and Mary who were fine artists themselves. The show was a lovely mix of harp and vocals, Irish and English, in a setting that allowed for questions and interactions that were truly special. All of us who attended were incredibly impressed. After the show Orlagh spent a considerable amount of time with us forum folks and was most giving of herself for photos and signing things. She was presented with many gifts and her kind comments to each of us were very touching. We already supported her in her solo efforts, but now she has created the kind of special memories and moments that can energize those who were there to more active promotion of her to all we know.

Deirdre has been quite successful in her solo career after Celtic Woman. That is even more true now that she has been signed to perform with Celtic Thunder. Hayley Westenra already had a brilliant career before her brief stint with Celtic Woman, and that has continued to soar in the time since. Meav has been a bit less active but has a bright future if she wants it and does have some things on the horizon coming up. Orlagh is destined to be a very big success as she performs and wins hearts wherever she goes. There will come a time when others within Celtic Woman will move back to solo careers as well and there can be no doubt they will florish too. Certainly for me when that time comes for Mairead she will have built a committed and energized base of support from her forum. If she follows the paths she has already started and then looks at the success of those such as Orlagh, Deirdre, and Hayley, she will be an incredibly popular artist playing to ever increasing audiences. For now the current Celtic Woman status quo appears to be holding.

I encourage each of you to support the individual artists endeavors as well as the enesemble itself. We are their first line of promotion and certainly the most passionate. We don't do it for money but out of our love for these incredible artists who have touched us each so deeply. The new Celtic Woman show Songs From The Heart began to air last week and is another winner by David Downes and the artists on stage. I was blessed in having attended the show recording and the video certainly does it justice.

We have a lot to be grateful for in this season of light that is Christmas. Each of these artists deserve your support and I thank them each for following their hearts and doing what they were born to do. Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, and a wonderful new year to each of you. Special thanks to Mairead for a reamarkable year that saw so many special moments, and thanks to Orlagh or a truly lovely night.

All the best, Scott

What is your currency?

2009-10-18T18:28:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

This has been an interesting week to be sure. It was the first full week since my return from the Celtic Woman fall tour. Three great shows, wonderful forum folks to share them with, and once again time to chat with my favorite person on the planet, Máiréad.

This week saw Máiréad post a nice new blog, Celtic Woman announce their first online chat on their site, and the news of Deirdre Shannon joining Celtic Thunder. This week also saw my credit card bill. Oh my. It certainly was an eye opener but should have been no surprise. It may take years to pay it off barring a miracle.

That brought me to the sermon today at a tiny church in Crestone, Colorado. I was attending the confirmation of a friend's son and the Episcopal Bishop of Colorado was conducting the ceremony. Interesting that his name is O'Neill. Why am I not surprised at being inspired by someone Irish.

In his sermon he talked about two different economies, the world's, and God's. It was a wonderful lesson and reinforced in me the path I am on. While I struggle with the world's currency, I am overflowing with God's. What is His currency? Love.

It is love that has driven me now in the past 2 1/2 years. Love of God,and love of one of His precious creations. Through her He has inspired me to write poetry, song lyrics, a fantasy novel, and a screen play all in various stages of work. It is love that drives me to what I do in the forums even though there are those who are filled with hate, greed, jealousy, and anger who wish me and those places ill. Love always wins but that does not mean it isn't a struggle. It is love that moved me to give so that others could see shows they otherwise could not. It is love that brings Olivia and I together to benefit an orphanage in India. It is love that moves members of Máiréad's forum to donate to her charity to help others.

That, my friends, is God's currency. Each of us has such wealth in abundance yet many have not been able to find it. The answer to that is simply give it. Spend that currency like it is going out of style. Love multiples it does not divide. The equation is simple. So, when I look at my credit card bill and consider what must be, I must weigh what has been received. It is worth every penny. To know love, to give love, to see love in action, to be inspired by love, all priceless.

I am grateful to God, grateful to Máiréad, grateful to the many wonderfully supportive forum folks, grateful to Olivia, and regret not a thing these past 2 1/2 years. There are more treasured moments and memories than in all of life before that and far more love.

Don't worry if your wallet is empty. Worry far more if your heart is empty. But if there is love inside of you spend it, share it, and rejoice in it. Don't worry, the source of it has plenty more for you. Via con Dios.

Scott/moscapoet

Fall has fell but CW will melt the frost

2009-09-24T14:05:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Well, here in the high country of The Rockies we had our first hard freeze the other night. It has been in the mid-twenties a couple of nights now. We also have a nice mantle of snow on our surrounding peaks. The colors are appearing and the harvest is in full swing. Fall has fell for sure.

I've just begun to come down from an amazing tour by Celtic Woman and the marvelous adventures in Ireland at their DVD recording. Now, in less than two weeks, I'm off to support Máiréad in her next tour with that fine ensemble from across the pond. I have three shows to start then a break and four in the southwest to wrap it up. Along the way we'll have some wonderful gatherings of members of the various forums.

Business here slowed down quite a bit in July and August. In fact it has been the worst two months since I began. September is seeing a rebound though which my credit card company will appreciate. If you don't know I sell stamps of the world to stamp collectors and also make and sell simple earrings and pendants with single gemstones mostly in silver. Well, I have to do something to pay for my silly CW habit!!!

I have had some encouraging news on the creative front as well. Another artist in Australia is considering using some of my lyrics as basis for future songs. I won't let on who that is yet until things happen for sure. I'm now up to over 330 poems/lyrics since it all began. I have one gent working up illustrations for one poem to turn it into a children's book. Another artist has shown interest as well. I'm now also through chapter five of a fantasy novel I began writing after Red Rocks. I won't let on about the details just yet but a certain fiddler is the heroine of the novel.

I continue to offer my services to various forums and I thank everyone for their support and prayers. I also continue to pursue avenues to promote Liv Gritten in her efforts to make inroads into the music business. She is a very gifted singer/composer and you can find out more about her at www.oliviagritten.org as well as her music MySpace at www.myspace.com/livgritten where you can hear some of her tunes that include a couple to my lyrics and a radio interview. Thanks so much Liv for your trust and confidence.

So, lots going on here and around the world. We'll keep you posted. Thanks for reading and may God bless each of you.

All the best, Scott

Powerscourt Ireland

2009-08-02T09:00:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone!

Well what a time it has been so far on the lovely emerald isle! As you know the DVD recordings for Celtic Woman did happen in spite of crummy weather the first night and an overheated generator the second night. All the prayers of so many were answered though and everything was recorded. We even had some bonus time as a few songs/airs they did again due to technical glitches. Thank you to everyone at Celtic Woman and especially the artists for all of your hard work. The end products will no doubt be fantastic! We look forward to the fall tour and then the spring tour next year where we'll see you again in person.

This has been a very full trip for me with very little sleep. I'm averaging about three to four hours per night and that will be the case again tonight as I will post a review of The High kings concert here in lovely Killarney.

Over the past few days I've visited Powerscourt in County Wicklow, Greystones along the coast of that same county, Rock of Cashel in County Tipperary, and now have met Lisa and Helen's mum. But also I met some wonderful Irish folks like Cieran our driver for the Powerscourt shows, and a nice couple from nearby the second night of the recordings as well as some friend's of Mairead's in a pub. I even got to publicly recite some of my poetry which was well received.

To say the least I am impressed with this nation and its people. Certainly I am impressed by their arts and culture. If you have never been to Ireland then make it a mission to go and experience this place and its people. But please do yourself a favor and don't make it a quick trip or limit it to Dublin. Allow time to travel and don't be in a rush. this is a place you sould savor slowly, not gulp. Same applies to your first and subsequent pints of Guinness.

I feel as richly blessed as can be and will not look forward to going back to the states on Wednesday. Like my Australia trip a few months ago, I really feel very comfortable here. Now if I can just get the poetry, books, and lyrics to pay I can spend more time in both places and even consider staying on for awhile. But it will be back to reality all to soon and finding a way to pay for my insanity.

To all the forum folks I met here in Ireland, it was a great pleasure to share time with you. Same goes for all of you I met on the inaugural Isle Of Hope tour. Thank you for your kindness and support. Mairead truly does both inspire and send out great waves of love that we in turn give to each other. God bless her and all of you. See you in the forums, MySpace, Twitter, and right here with the next blog.

Le Gra, Scott

Flourishing

2009-07-18T10:52:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Well, the Celtic Woman Isle Of Hope tour has come and gone. What has been left behind are marvelous images and memories for so many to relish. The artists have gone back to Ireland and have rested up a bit. Now they are preparing for their wonderful new DVD recording at Powerscourt. It appears there will be new material for that which adds more excitement to the whole adventure.

Yes indeed it will be another adventure. Plans are set for me to travel there and experience this production just as I did for the Christmas concert back in July 2007. It looks as though nearly two dozen forum members from various forums will be attending. None of them are hostiles in the silly goings on of the past many months. So, the audience will have no shortage of love and energy for this production. My plan also is to take in The High Kings show in Killarney a few days later. I also plan to visit county Tipperary, specifically Rock Of Cashel which is one of the most historic sites in the country. So a full schedule to be sure.

Inspirations from all of this have come fast and in great plenty. Poem #315 was written a few days ago. Eight came quickly after the experience at Red Rocks. A few days ago something new happened though. I've now begun a book. I can't go into too much detail here until it is done. However, I can tell you it is a fantasy series with a certain fiddler as the heroine. Three chapters are already done. At this rate I hope to have it finished in time to give a copy to her at the end of the fall tour. However, writing being what it is, there is no assurance the flow will maintain itself at this pace. Regardless, it seems I have been wrapped in a blanket of pixie dust, and I am enjoying the benefits of all of it.

No blog comments have come since before Red Rocks from the three artists within Celtic Woman who have blogs. I know many eagerly await them. But, these artists are enjoying time at home with family and friends and also working hard once again on the next production. Once that is over we all may hear from each of them again about Red Rocks, The tour in general, the production, and upcoming events. For now, thank you to Mairead for her wonderful support, to her forum members for their kindness and generosity to each other and her charity, and to all the other artists within Celtic Woman for their tireless and beautiful efforts in sharing their gifts. See you all again soon.

All the best, Scott

The green bow

2009-07-06T19:48:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

It began last fall before the 2009 Celtic Woman tour began. Some discussion had been made with regard to what the forum should get Mairead for her birthday. It was thought that it should be something unique, useful, and tasteful.

In March of 2009 on the heels of the amazing events at MaireadFest in Wilkes-Barre that gift was ordered. The item is produced in Arkansas by a small family owned company called Incredibow. They make unique fiddle bows that are durable and some quite colorful.

It was not easy but I decided on a bright, metallic, emerald green one. The folks at Incredibow moved me ahead of some orders knowing who it was for and that her birthday would soon be upon us. I picked it up at a distributor in Albuquerque called Apple Mountain music. It came wrapped in a soft, black cloth with a gold ribbon around it and a pink paper rose. The presentation was lovely. I unwrapped it and the bow just leaped out and said Hi I'm for Mairead! Well, it may as well have. I thought it would be fun for her to use with her green electric fiddle back in Ireland at gigs and sessions. I knew the one she used with Celtic Woman was expensive and she was comfortable with it.

Well, I flew to Dallas for her birthday and the show there. I had hoped to present it to her in person at the meet & greet. That was not to be as I'm sure she had plenty of things set up by others to celebrate her day. I gave it to her good friend, and fellow Celtic Woman, Lisa. She was only too happy to be the one to give it to her. A few days later Mairead posted a blog acknowledging having received it.

Later on Mairead posted another blog stating she would try to actually use the bow in concert at Red Rocks for the finale. I was elated and really stunned. I never thought she would set aside her expensive bow that she is so used to in order to use that gift. It is not easy to do as the feel, weight, and tone of each bow is different, and she would have to break it in and get used to it.

So, July 1st and 2nd arrive and the final nights of the inaugural Isle Of Hope tour occur. Many of us in her forum are there in anticipation. I had requested that photos be taken by CW of her using the bow so that all members of her forum could see it. To our great surprise she wielded the new bow about halfway into the first act! She then used it much of the time throughout the remainder of the show. Many of us stood, clapped, wept, and smiled so much it hurt. Again the next night she did the same thing. Their road manager said that photos were taken back stage the first night due to the weather. I can safely speak for many in looking forward to seeing those photos.

Every member of her forum was given a great honor those two nights. That is a huge statement of gratitude and respect by Mairead to everyone in the enchanted forest. I cannot thank her enough for that loving act and for her support throughout the tour and before it. It was a great honor to select it, deliver it, and be there for its first public performance. Will it be on the DVD? Well, that is up to her.

Thanks to those who donated toward that gift. Monies over and above the cost of it went to her Oxfam Charity account. Thank you Mairead for everything. I love you. Now off to Ireland in a few weeks! May there always be pixie dust in your lives.

Scott/moscapoet

Pixie dust in my coffee

2009-06-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

I am running on pixie dust and coffee. In the maelstrom of a conflict between good and evil, right and wrong, and health and injury.

In a world filled with darkness populated by those who are filled with hate, anger, jealousy, and greed run rampant it is she who gives me hope.

In a world where a never ending stream of blockades are placed before me by those who follow another road it is she who leads me around the barriers with her kindness.

In a world where she risks it all in the name of her friends and supporters I am humbled by her strength and courage.

In a world of those who wish to destroy beauty I find a universe of it in her eyes and smile as she gracefully floats before me.

In a world where she goes forward in pain and limitation I and others stand by her and offer a place of peaceful and joyful sanctuary.

In a world of take she gives. All the while she inspires beauty and charity in others from the platform of a stage and notes from her sweet instrument.

In a world where it is easier to agree to the status quo she supports that which is different and uplifting that builds up and doesn't tear down.

In a world where many take the easy path she seeks the challenge and accepts the risks of life long injury while those in suits drain her ever slowly with little of earthly value to compensate her.

In the forest there is a mine from which those who inhabit the place draw strength and renewal. It is she who provides the ore that becomes the magic word we know will sustain the residents. We know it as pixie dust.

There are those who would use her up as an instrument for monetary gain thinking nothing of her as a person but as a thing.

There are those who would seek to drive a wedge between her and those who support her and between each other in their common bond in her.

There are those who pollute the minds of the weak and needy with the crumbs from their great bounty whose appetite is never satisfied.

There are those who look upon love as a four letter word never knowing its true meaning and its unconditional nature.

There are those who believe their twisted outlook on life is what others must believe and think about others.

There are those who cast a suspicious eye to those they do not know and assume the worst while the one who does know has no issue with the one subject to criticism.

And so my friends it is time to let the pixie dust fly.

She showers pixie dust upon those who truly see and hear the essence of who she is in her performances and with every meeting.

She delivers with every note and step the spirit of The One who sent her here to share the gifts He put in her.

What do we do with that pixie dust when we receive it? Pass it on.

It should be dropped by the bag full on those who would use her simply for their own gain.

It should be dropped by the ton on all those who seek to destroy that which she finds pleasing and of comfort.

It is pixie for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Awake and at rest. Now and forever more it is pixie dust that sends so many on a beautiful journey of inspiration, hope, and peace. It is pixie dust that makes the trees of her forest grow and bear fruit. It is the message she bears for Him from above through the gifts she has been given that will bring healing to those who seek shelter in her soul.

So my friends take a spoonful and swirl it in your coffee and sprinkle it on all your life then pass it along to another and bless them with the essence of the purest sweetener that is she. May she never lack that sweetness of life and love and may you be a vessel to carry it on to another who so desperately needs what only she can give.

Ready for the final tour swing

2009-05-26T09:41:00.000-07:00

Well, the Celtic Woman folks have had their well earned break and tomorrow begin their final swing of the spring 2009 tour. I'm sure I share with many others the prayers and well wishes for a great few weeks for them all as they wrap up this first tour of the new show Isle Of Hope.

I'm set to attend both shows in Raleigh, shows at Wolf Trap and Nashville, and the finale with both shows at Red Rocks outside Denver. Wow. The latter looks to be a big forum event.

Celtic Woman has released a couple new videos. One is a performance of their beautiful Brendan Graham composition, Oh America. That was recorded at the Nokia theater in Dallas on April 18th which was Mairead's birthday. This song never fails to get me all teary eyed. The other video is a promo and includes parts of Oh America at Dallas as well as bits of The Call and Mo Ghile Mear. Those two songs were obviously recorded early on in the tour, possibly at Chicago. How do I know that? David Downes is at the piano and Mairead is wearing the shiny, tighter fitting gown she started the tour with that I saw in Evansville.

These videos fuel specualtion that the new DVD will not be recorded as a stand alone performance as those in the past have been. Rather it may be a compilation of recordings from venues along this tour. That would save both CW and PBS a lot of money and hassles, and still produce a beautiful product. Wouldn't bother me one bit if that is what they do. They may record more as this tour wraps up at some great venues.

In response to a request to Celtic Woman for a donation towards Mairead's charity auction/raffle they have donated a very special gift that I should receive later in the year. I'll not say what it is just yet but I thank them as will Mairead and Oxfam for this thoughtful donation.

Olivia has been slammed with University and has taken a bit of a break from gigs. That does not mean she is relaxing! She continues to crank out more material and is preparing for full on rehearsals with her band with a full concert worth of songs. Those will be centered around our mission in India and the song Will India Cry. If you have not checked out Liv please go to her official site at www.oliviagritten.org and follow the links to hear some great music. Join her forum too if you haven't already!

I've not written a poem/lyric since the three right after Mairead's birthday. Too much else on my mind I guess. Thank you for your prayers and well wishes. We posted a lovely thank you to Mairead in video format from her forum that is set to a previously unreleased song by Liv and I, Butterfly Kisses. Be watching for a new slide show/video on Youtube dedicated to Navy vets and set to another as yet unreleased song by us, Old Sailor. That was written about a friend of mine who is a WW II vet. Liv set it to music the first night I was in Australia, and she and I modified it some to make it flow better.

The unofficial start of summer has begun. So, to all of you, safe travels, an enjoyable summer, and God's blessings as always until the next time.

All the best, Scott

The winning entry

2009-05-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Well, this has been posted elsewhere but thought it time to start posting some of the inspired creations here. This poem was written back on August 24th 2008 in response to a writing contest in Cork Ireland. It made the finals against two other writers and won by popular vote with as many votes as the other two combined. The idea was to write something about a bard and a merchant's daughter. What came to me turned out to be a Christian witness. Enjoy.

THE GIFT OF THE LOUGH

The old man sits feeding doves
by the lough on a soft day.
He is there yet is distant.
His mind is always at play.

She is a sweet lonely lass
from the small town up the way.
She came to the lough forlorn
to kneel down sadly and pray.

She sees the man smiling bright
with a look of joy so real.
And so she dares to approach
as if His beaming might heal.

Why the sad eyes pretty lass?
Says He in a soft clear lilt.
Do you not know God's glories
reach out to erase your guilt.

Says she I am hating life.
There is no love and no hope.
My dad is the town merchant,
and for love I blindly grope.

Who might you be gentle sir?
Says she through a stream of tears.
Says He I'm the bard ageless
sent here to remove your fears.

Hear that sweet dove cooing song
to tell you life is a gift.
Hear the wind and the water,
and let your spirit just drift.

Each day is a newborn babe
that you must care for and love.
To waste it would be tragic
just like you killing that dove.

He then takes the cooing bird
and puts it in her soft hands.
Then with His hand a caress,
and a kiss upon her lands.

When she looks up nothings there.
The bard is not to be found.
Just her smile and the cooing
and a cross upon the ground.

c 2008 Scott Manke aka moscapoet

Supporting the magic

2009-04-30T16:26:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Well, those of us who belong to the official Celtic Woman website as members received a request to help that group obtain more exposure from the ABC network. By the way, that is owned by Disney, who happens to be using Members Mairead and Lisa in the next Tinker Bell movie. That is a follow on to the successful performance of Mairead on the first movie of that series.

So, if you like Celtic Woman and the artists within it then by all means go to the official Celtic Woman web site at www.celticwoman.com and click on the members area and join. You may then be able to communicate to ABC your desire to see more of this amazing ensemble on national TV.

I for one am hoping that Mairead will get to exhibit her wonderful abiliites nationally by performing in full one of her great airs such as The Coast Of Galicia or Granuaile's Dance. She would captivate an entire country and enchant possibly millions with the right showcase.

I would encourage all of you to check out the various forums of the individual artists as posted in an earlier blog and support your favorite. For a variety of reasons I do not endorse the forum officially linked to Celtic Woman. No reason to not join the Celtic Woman website as a member though and then you'll get periodic updates and newsletters right from the source.

We all cry that there is nothing but junk on TV. Well, PBS brought us Celtic Woman and it has been the best thing on TV ever in my opinion. Now ABC has the chance to follow suit and we can help make that happen. So, if you get the letter to ABC to support Celtic Woman, send it as is or do as I did and edit and embelish it. I told them a bit of my story but also advised them to not put Celtic Woman on any show that is distasteful to many or controversial. They have avoided that so far and should continue to do so. Hollywood has a tendency to tarnish everything it touches so we want to be sure Celtic Woman stays as they are now in the way they are viewed by their many supporters. They are who they are and that's why we love them.

Thanks for your support of Mairead in all of her efforts as well as your support of Celtic Woman. They are worth it in so many ways, and have touched so many lives in a positive way since coming into our homes on PBS just a few short years ago.

All the best, Scott

Tinkerbelle lives!

2009-04-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Well, what amazing news has been flowing out of places like Texas and California of late. No, not politics, not swine flu, not tainted sprouts, but good news. Mairead just had a birthday, and she celebrated it in fine style in Dallas with the help of a great audience, wonderful friends, and a little help from her forum. Then off to California.

The second Disney Tinkerbelle movie is due to be released this fall. Like the first Tink movie, the marvelous Celtic violinist Mairead Nesbitt will be audible throughout the soundtrack. Her team work with craftsman Joel NcNeely proved to be such an important part of helping that first movie come alive. Anyone notice just a bit of resemblance between Mairead and the Tinkerbelle character? Now, in the second movie, her friend and co-star from Celtic Woman, Lisa Kelly will join her as Lisa sings the opening song. One wonders if the entire cast may be on the third Tink movie. Might as well. Works for me.

Coupled with the recordings for the movie was the Celtic Woman appearance on the popular national show, Dancing With The Stars. An abbreviated rendition of You Raise Me Up closed that show. Far too abbreviated in my opinion was Mairead's role. However, national exposure to folks who had never heard of them since they don't watch PBS. Their loss as CW has been the best thing on TV for years in my opinion. I think the TV show missed an amazing opportunity. They could have put Mairead on stage by herself and had her perform Granuaile's Dance. Flying all over, leaping, twirling, all why playing fiddle flawlessly? It would have brought down the house and enchanted an entire country. Not one other dancer or musician could do what she does. It was a decent showcase for the vocalists and even the choir in the way it was done.

So, what else is coming up? One can only guess at this point, but it seems just because they aren't in concert doesn't mean they aren't working. They are. Hard. I can't imagine them being anything less than exhausted by the time this tour ends with all they have been doing. Away from home for months, traveling, living out of suitcases, going out every time and giving their best no matter how tired they might be, and doing so. Whatever they are paid it isn't enough. Maybe, just maybe, what they may not get in pay, they get from their truest, and most avid fans/friends. Love, encouragement, support, gifts, and just the smiles and tears they see on our faces each night, are all gifts to them in thanks for all they go through to do what they were born to do.

Stay tuned for news of their next DVD recording from their official site. All of the artists have individual forums where you can go to support your favorite. Some have official sites of their own like Mairead's at www.maireadnesbitt.com which has links to various things of interest. There is also her forum at www.maireadforum.com which we lovingly call the enchanted forest. We also have links to her charity of choice, Oxfam Ireland Unwrapped. Be watching for items in the forum that you can bid on or buy tickets for with proceeds going to her charity. Please show her your support by visiting her site, posting on her guest book if you are so moved, joining the forum, and donating to her charity in her name.

Does Tinkerbelle live? Yes indeed, in the form of one amazing woman fiddler from Ireland. If you don't get a healthy dose of pixie dust when you see and hear her perform, then you must be immune to it. Open your eyes, ears, and heart, and be prepared to be swept away to Neverland by the incomparable Mairead.

All the best, Scott

Some promotions

2009-04-24T14:59:00.000-07:00

Hi!

Well, over the past year or so a great many wonderful forums and sites have appeared that you should know about if you don't already. Here are just a few:

www.myspace.com/livgritten

www.oliviagritten.org (site of her official fan site and forum)

www.maireadforum.com

www.maireadnesbitt.com (official site, this has been around awhile and is very nice)

www.lisakellyforum.net

www.lynnhilaryforum.net

www.alexsharpeforum.net

www.amyrivardforum.net

Lisa and Mairead also have blogs that you can get to from here that they update now and then. Mairead also puts out a newsletter every few months or so that you can subscribe to.

Mairead is currently on the Celtic Woman tour here in the states but is also actively working on recording the sound track for the second Disney Tinkerbelle movie which is due for release this fall. She did a beautiful job on the first Tinkerbelle movie where you can hear her throughout. She works in conjunction with the very talented composer Joel McNeely in coming up with just the right music for this enchanting movie.

Olivia is attending university, working, and doing various gigs in her native Australia. Her CD, Words After Midnight, is available through CDBaby.com at $19.95 plus shipping or through me at the same price. Be watching for news of more gigs as well as more songs.

All of the forums listed above are run by great people and have a really wonderful and close family feel about them. There are no cliques like one may find elsewhere and they are all about the artists in whose name they operate. They are small, but active places, with wonderful members that do all they can to support their artists. Drop in if you haven't already. Also, there are two others forums you may want to check out supporting artists formerly with Celtic Woman. Both are official forums that are for Meav (www.celticmeav.com) and Deirdre (www.deirdreshannon.com) and are run by very nice folks in Marie and Jenny.

Celtic Woman continues to branch out and get additional exposure. They have appeared on numerous national morning shows over the years. This year so far they also rang the closing bell on Wall Street at the NYSE, and recently made a brief appearance at the end of an episode of Dancing With The Stars. You can find all sorts of news and nice videos at their official site at www.celticwoman.com where you can also find concert information. Go to a show if you can!

Please also check out my own My Space page at www.myspace.com/moscapoet where you can find a nice group of friends and wonderful artists all worth your time and consideration. Be looking both there and here in the future for posts of some of my more popular poems and lyrics. No shortage of those! Wrote number 305 today in the span of only two years!

Thanks for reading and we'll see you on line, at a concert, or elsewhere. God's peace.

Scott

Doing the right thing

2009-04-22T11:41:00.001-07:00

Hi!

This blog will be more of a commentary as I reflect on the things of life and how short life itself can be. There are times when one is forced to think about such things as it is for me now.

There are people in life who sacrifice others to build up themselves. We each know folks like that and they know who they are. Such lives are built on jealousy, greed, control, and anger. Their reward may seem great to those on the outside. But they are not happy people. Their thirst can never be quenched. It consumes them and all around them. They wallow in their selfishness and get what they want sharing little of it with others. Their reward is seemingly far greater than what they have earned. They demand respect when they do so little to earn it. They are inflated by their own egos and by those who ride their coattails hoping to be given the crumbs from the banquet table. They hold no one or nothing higher than themselves. They recognize mortality but fail to see the consequences of it and how the person they have chosen to be will affect it. They surround themselves with the weak and the ignorant. They convince others they have more influence than they truly have. They are shallow, empty vessels who bring only negative into the lives of others and suck the very energy from those who care about them. In the final analysis, you reap what you sew. Whatever they gain will be temporary. Those who fill themselves with the negative words, emotions and actions of life will soon find that it will bear fruit in death from within.

There are others in life who sacrifice self for others. They may not always have been that way, and may not be that way all the time. But, the trend is towards the positive. Giving, loving, sharing, uplifting others, giving encouragement, and simply listening are clues that a person has a right heart. Love must be unconditional or it is not love at all. It should be respectful and honorable in both words and actions. When you love you cannot be afraid of it or speaking it. Love, real love, comes from one place only and that is our creator. He created it and us. There are those in life who inspire love in others. One fiddler I know comes to mind. In our language there is but one word for love, yet it has many facets like the precious gem that it is. There are as many kinds of love as there are those who experience it. Some find it productive to criticize those who are happy, who love and aren't afraid to show it, and who write in passionate ways. It is they who are lacking the true meaning of the word in their lives. It is they who stifle love at every turn. Yet what is born of the light cannot be overcome by darkness. Love will always triumph over hate.

We have choices in life. We can choose darkness or light. We can choose right or wrong. We can choose love or hate. We can choose life or death to a certain degree. Fill your lives with positive, uplifting, beautiful things and people. You'll find though that many people who are beautiful on the outside are not so within. You'll also find that some people radiate beauty from within and that is reflected as well in their external beauty. If you are paying attention it does not take long to figure out who is who in that regard.

Since April 2007 I have been uplifted, blessed, and filled with love like I have never been before. That came to me through instruments in God's hands well known to those who know me. One instrument has been the source of countless inspirations to this day. She opened my eyes to a world I had lost long ago. In the two years that have passed a creative stream has flowed in me. That inspiration in turn may inspire others which is likely why it came to begin with. You may never know who you will touch deeply in this life. Choose to do so in a positive way in your words and actions. If love does nothing else in you let it show you the power of the One who created it and sent it into your life. Give that love back unconditionally. Maybe, just maybe, the gift you get in return will be all you ever hoped for in life. Have faith and believe that with God all things are possible no matter how unlikely or improbable. But go about your life and don't dwell on that which you wish for so much. If you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can move a mountain. I don't care about moving mountains, only touch one little heart that has danced in my dreams for endless ages. Life is too short to be afraid of what others think when you're doing the right thing. Whether anyone sees you or not, do the right thing. Work behind the scenes to bring positive things to the lives of others, not so people see it and think highly of you.

This has been a bit of a ramble of sorts. It is written in a mix of both fulfillment and frustration. It is written as one person reflects on what has been, what is, and what may be. The advice in it is free so worth what you paid for it. Now, back to the creative stream for me. May you too be blessed with a creative force and a passion that fills your life and those around you with all the positive things that make life worth living. May you never lack for love. God's peace.

Olivia Gritten

2009-04-21T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Thought I'd take the opportunity to let you all know about and Amazing young artist in Australia. I found her through forums related to the artists of Celtic Woman via her dad who was a member. He noticed I had been looking for people to set my poetry to music, and said his daughter creates songs and might have a look. So, I sent him a handful to show his daughter figuring it was a long shot.

Within days I was notified that Liv had come up with a song to my poem Butterfly Kisses. No, not the one you've heard before, but a new one based upon the emotions I had when watching and listening to Mairead Nesbitt. I received the song just after to going to my first Celtic Woman concert with a meet & greet. I wound up meeting Mairead for the first time at that event, and it was simply amazing. When I got home the CD was in the mail. So, I took it home and popped it into my CD player and put on the headphones.

I did not know what to expect. Lots of people think they have talent. I pressed play and then came the song. I was stunned by it's beauty and the lovely voice and piano work. What a jewel! Within a few weeks two more songs came, Pile Of Ash, and Cats Don't Fly. Both marvelous creations by this gifted Aussie songbird and composer. Those two songs now reside on Liv's beautiful CD, Words After Midnight, along with ten of her own creations. In the remainder of 2008 Liv sent me two more songs, Final Chapter, and Death Of Dreams. Neither were poems I thought would become songs, yet they now are and lovely ones at that!

Liv has been creatings songs for quite a few years now. They are all over the map in their makeup and style. Each has a message unique to itself. She has volumes of songs yet to be heard by ears outside of her family, and to my great blessing, me as well. Between her songs and ones with me she has material fro several CDs available to her.

It was a great honor to be invited to visit Australia and spend time with Liv and her family. I went there in mid-December 2008 and stayed just over a month. In that short time I experienced a lifetime of family like I had never known. I lived with them and was treated just like one of the family. I did my best to pull my share of the load too. We spent Christmas, New Year's, and a week at a river site not to mention many other wonderful days and nights. The Grittens are a lovely family. Kim, their dad is a fine man and very strong Christian. Maree, his wife, and mum of four wonderful daughters is a hard working and giving soul in spite of some health issues. Her home was beautiful and cared for with love.Liv's younger sister Marina is a delight and has a quick, technical mind. She has a lovely voice too. In fact all the girls sing like angels. The twinnies, Anastasia and Nadia are delightful. ana does the back up vocals for Liv but Nadia can as well when she wants too. Ana was always there with a willing hug which she always seemed to time just right. You've heard Celtic Woman this tour sing their four part A Cappela harmony of Danny Boy? Try the Gritten sisters doing that with Amazing Grace! Wow!

While there Liv and I created three more songs together. One was the first night when we were enjoying her music after dinner. She had just played a lovely tribute song about her grandfather which was called Soldier. He had been a WW II vet. So, I read a poem I wrote about my WW II vet friend, Francis. She snatched it up and promptly turned it into a song right before my eyes and ears. Oh my. I was in tears, which her music tends to do to me. What a beautiful song that could be sung at memorials and commemorations! On the way home from picking up Liv's CDs in Sydney she found another poem to interest her. Will India Cry I had written after hearing about violence against Christians by radical Hindu elements in parts of that country last fall. She tapped me on the shoulder and said "I really like this one" accompanied by a big grin. Well that song too was done in short order with some adaptations we both worked through during the night. It is now the theme song for one ministry and mission which is an orphanage, mostly for girls, in India. Just before a left I approached Liv with a song I had in my head to one of my poems, Another Hundred Rejoice. That is a hymn about the 100th anniversary of my church. It was recorded that night.

Liv continiues to create and is now performing in her native Australia at various festivals and events. She is now on Rhema FM which is a Christian radio network of about 40 stations there. She has some airplay in the states on internet radio and will be getting more. We are wroking towards a time when Liv can come to the states and do a concert tour herself. Her Uni studies, need to bring in some money, and getting her band established are priorities right now. You can find out more about live on her MySpace page at www.myspace.com/livgritten and also at her fan site and forum at www.oliviagritten.org which I administer. I was honored to be named her North American manager and will do my best to promote this truly special artist as often as I can in as many ways possible.

So, from an inspiration by the most amazing fiddler on the planet, Mairead, to poetry, and then to song by another gifted artist, Olivia, it has been quite a journey so far. Stay tuned.

Celtic Woman halfway point

2009-04-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Well, this is my first blog so we'll see what you think. Most who visit will know me but for those who don't here is a brief synopsis. I became a poet and lyricist from the instrument in God's hands of Celtic Woman in April of 2007. Since then I"ve written over 300 pieces.Their amazing fiddler Mairead has been the never ending inspiration and when you see and hear her perform you'll understand why. Check out their official site at www.celticwoman.com and her official site at www.maireadnesbitt.com as well as the fan forum in her honor that I administer at www.maireadforum.com which is a wonderful extended family of her supporters. Please also check out the wonderful artist I create songs with at her site www.oliviagritten.org for more information about this terrific young singer/composer from Australia. She creates so quickly and beautifully she takes my breath away! She and I both have MySpace pages as well that you can check out.

OK, to business at hand. I have been attending Celtic Woman concerts since my first one in the spring of 2007 in Albuquerque. I took my then 9 year old niece to that show to expose her to women in performing arts with dignity and class. These women are marvelous role models and simply lovely people inside and out. Their supporting cast are equally talented and nice folks too! In that year I saw them at that show as well as two nights to end that tour in the fantastic Red Rocks amphitheater outside Denver. I was then blessed to make my first trip to Ireland and experience the recording of their beautiful Christmas concert. Later that year I took friends to their show in Omaha on their short fall tour. So, five shows in all.

In 2008 I was blessed to have attended even more shows. First was the show in Birmingham and my first meet & greet. I was swept up and blown away by the show and the wonderful meeting with my muse Mairead. Her kindness that night simply took my breath away. She and the others are humble, gentle, and gracious people whose excellence and success has not gone to their heads. I followed that show by another in Rockford Illinois and another meeting with Mairead. She is simply the most charming of people. At these two meet and greets I'd also met Lynn and Orlagh. Both very gifted and sweet. The next show was Duluth. An amazing night before the show had me sharing drinks for a few hours with two members of their band and one of the accompanying male group. Fine men and great conversation. I was truly honored to be included. Another show and then a meeting with Lynn and Alex. The next show was Toledo but no meet & greet. However, it was a gathering of a lot of forum people who are wonderful. I also wrote a record for me of ten poems in one day at a table in the hotel lobby that seemed to be channeling. I wrapped up that tour at Phoenix and Bakersfield with good seats but no more meetings. So, six more shows, and eleven in all now.

Now here we are in 2009. The Mairead forum is over a year old and thriving with great people within it and the very kind public support of the one we honor and support. They are now halfway through a very long and busy tour schedule. They give their all every night and must be exhausted at times. Yet they are wonderful professionals and each audience is blessed. The shows in previous years were based upon their A New Journey video filmed at Slane Castle in Ireland. This year they have a new, and very moving show called Isle Of Hope. It is a beautiful tribute to America's role in the lives of the Irish over the years. It retains the best of the previous show and adds beautiful new elements and pieces. You simply must experience it to fully appreciate the creative genius of all involved led by David Downes and everyone on stage and behind it. I too am now halfway through my tour stops.

So far I have attended the dress rehearsal in Evansville which had a limited audience. We were the first to see this new show and to comment upon it. A couple of technical glitches were of no consequence to the audience as the material, costumes, and stage aspects were beyond beautiful. The meet and greet afterwards were with Lynn and Alex who were the ones from my last meet & greet the previous tour. Lynn has grown into her role fully and her selections are marvelous. Carolina Rua is simply not to be missed, and she is accompanied by the effervescent Mairead in this rather Latin frolic. Alex also is a shining star and the selections for her fit her dramatic experience. She has really grown on me and many others. Both are cover songs but are well suited to her. She does a wonderful arrangement of You'll Be In My Heart accompanied by Nick on drums. He is putting his own band's (Extreme Rhythm) touch to his great percussion here and it pays off. Lisa is still there and knocks them dead with her signature piece The Voice which has the delightful Mairead on stage with her. Then there is Chloe. Her voice is fuller, more mature, and reminds me a bit now of their former member Meav. She does a beautiful cover song called When You Believe that has now become my personal theme song for this past couple of years. All this has been a matter of faith and trust that God has me on the right path. Chloe touches me very deeply with this song. Mairead retains roles she acquired in the previous show and seems nearly ever present even when not on stage. She has a new piece called The Coast Of Galicia which is a vibrant, Latin swirl through your heart and soul. As if she needed any more ammunition to shoot into my heart! At concert after concert I listen to the audience as I'm leaving and it has never changed. At least 3/4 of the comments I hear are about Mairead. How does she do that, they ask. The superlatives just flow from folks. No stick in the mud traditionalists and no media critic can detract from the artistry and accomplishments of Mairead on parade. She can do trad with the best of them as well as classics. No one does what she does the way she does it and ever could. Yet she is humble and knows her role is equal to that of everyone else on that stage. She and the others are team players and you can tell. The stage, the lighting, the costumes (thank you Lord that Mairead remains in white), all add to the artists the elements needed to make this the best buy in entertainment. Especially if you do a meet & greet.

My next show this tour was in Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania at an event worked on for months by members of the Mairead forum. We billed it as MaireadFest and there was a very large gathering of forum fans and we acquired new ones that night too. It was designed to honor this most amazing of violinists as well as to bring together a delightful autistic girl with her role model Chloe. By all accounts it was a most special night for fan and artist alike. The cooperation of Celtic Woman in making this happen was perhaps the greatest positive public relations act with their fans they have ever done. The Mairead forum is very grateful for that special night never to be forgotten. I followed that show with my first visit to the big apple. Two nights at the incredible Radio City Music Hall. Wow! The ensemble was so energized and my pit seats so good. That is something special too. The interaction from the stage with these artists is almost constant and so important in acquiring and then keeping avid supporters. A wink, a wiggle, a nod, and a smile directed at you can just make every dollar spent so worthwhile. We had all five girls at the meet & greets both nights. It was perfect in obtaining things for forum members who may never get the chance at autographs, and I as a forum leader was duty bound to help with that. Next up a few nights later was Baltimore for two nights, including St. Patrick's Day, at the lovely Hippodrome theater. Again, a perfect venue. Arenas are for monster trucks and rodeo not Celtic Woman. Some places have no choice in that and pull it off very well such as at Wilkes-Barre. Again, five girl meet & greets which was a wonderful surprise.

As of last night I am halfway through my scheduled tour stops having attended in Dallas at the fine Nokia Theater. The crowd was terrific and as happens the artists and audience fed off each other. More importantly though was that it was Mairead's birthday. Her forum simply had to be there. Yet, only I and another couple were there from her forum. Well, the crowd was juiced and didn't need any prompting from us. Yet I used our forum created (thank you Elaina) fiddler crossing sign often with Happy Birthday Mairead written on the back of it. Again, wonderful interactions from the stage and a delightful meeting with Lisa and Lynn afterwards. Mairead had a volume of birthday gifts delivered by me on behalf of her forum and its members. Lynn too, much to her surprise received gifts from her forum for her birthday on the 21st. Yeah, you're loved too and don't forget it Lynn! So, seven shows so far this tour and seven more planned culminating in the tour finales at Red Rocks which will be very well attended by forum folks. Then it remains to wait on the eagerly anticipated DVD recording of this new show. I can't wait. Neither can my credit card! Well, few things are worth it in this life. Mairead and her friends at Celtic Woman certainly are. Good for frequent flier miles too!

So, this wraps up my first blog post, er, novel. Hey, I'm a writer! Do yourself a favor and pick up some Celtic Woman DVDs, CDs, or attend a show. Pick up the CDs of the individual artists past and present too. Visit the various official sites as well as the various artist's forums. You'll be glad you did! Fill your life with beautiful music, and positive people. There are no dark clouds when Mairead is around! Sometimes it looks like she's chasing them away with her bow. We like to call it pixie dust in her forum. Speaking of which, pick up the Disney movie Tinkerbelle where Mairead plays a key role on the soundtrack. She'll be on the next one too which is in he works! Can you ever have enough? Not this guy. God bless you Mairead and all the great artists that share the stage with you. God bless you too Olivia for the marvelous gifts of song including the eight so far set to my lyrics. You're a rising star of the antipodes. Thanks also to the wonderful forum friends I've met and work with. These artists attract the best and bring out the best in all those who live in the light.

God's peace, Scott/moscapoet