Aug 10/11 AFT TIMES and MORE!!

Arrived in NY to work with A Fragile Tomorrow. Plane was late, but I got to the AFT house safely, thanks to Pat. Interfaced with the guys and we made some plans to get work done. Can’t remember if we worked this day or not.

Aug 11 Rock Camp USA- at NY School of Music. I was honored by Dom and Sean to come guest speak/teach for Rock Camp USA. We had a blast and the kids were amazing humans! www.rockcampusa.com By 2:00pm, we were back home. I went swimming with Brendan, and then we began to work on tunes. We turned the tunes upside down, inside out and back again.  Much fun was had by all, but it was work. Peter Holsapple (Hootie/Db’s and R.E.M.) arrived with his family. The Kelly’s had the back-yard ready for some grilling. After some conversations, the Holsapples went swimming. Dom, Sean and I got to doing some Gyrokinesis in the back yard, while everyone else scurried about grilling and getting things ready for the big feast. Dinner was served! Then Shaun Rhodes (bassist for AFT) showed up with his girlfriend for a spell with some amazing music news for the band that I can’t talk about just yet!  IT was so good to see everyone and be with The Holsapple and Kelly families. I felt right at home and super happy.

We began to work again on tunes. Then Dom’s girlfriend and her sister came. These chicks were super cool. They did not mind hanging out while we worked on tunes. They added a great deal of positive energy making this more like a song circle – just like the ones we have at Awendaw. The circle of work was very open as arrangement ideas flowed out and got looked over. The night was humid and thick. All of us were slapping ourselves silly because of the bugs on the back porch. Occasionally a parent would open a window to listen or look down and wave to us. Being with the band and their loved ones this way was an amazing experience I will never forget. I looked around the circle at one point. There was Brendan, sitting quietly with his passionate self just listening with his whole heart. Then Sean sat next to him, the calm leader with ideas to share and ways to listen well. Everyone was together and the energy there was spectacular- I can’t get over this! Then there is Dom with his mighty focus, and regimen of discipline towards practice, like a dancer in mid movement.