She’s Flown the Coop

Another Chapter in Fatherhood and Home Ownership

Well my youngest daughter just flew away.  She’s going to do a year of service at the Green Acre Baha’i School in Eliot, Maine.  I warned her – it’s COLD there.  It’s a lot colder than Tucson where she’s been for the past year and a half.  But she’s following her heart that tells her it’s time to serve the Faith she professes. 

You see, she just returned from a pilgrimage to the Baha’i World Center in Haifa, Israel.  She visited and prayed in the Baha’i holy shrines and met many devoted followers of Baha’u’llah.  She’s ready to do this now.

Being a Baha’i myself, I’m proud to see her serve.  But being a dad, I worry.  Will she ever complete her college education that has just been interrupted?  And even more worrisome: Will it cost her old man even MORE when she returns? 

Now, here’s the bigger struggle:  What do I do with my little house in Tucson?  Both my daughters lived there while attending the University of Arizona. It’s in a great location near the campus.  I could sell it, but the market sucks right now.  I could rent it out, but being an absentee landlord might drive me crazy.  Or, I could move into it.  But leaving Imperial Beach for the hot, dry desert is not my idea of moving the right direction. 

I DO have some wonderful friends there in Tucson.  And that sprawling town has a lot of nooks and crannies to explore.  But we have the Pacific Ocean for crying out loud! 

The neighborhood there is only a little more quiet than the one I live in now, but the sounds are different.  Perhaps it will change my songwriting. 

Well this will be on my mind for the next few days.  Pros and Cons (“Franklin T”).  Part of the problem is that this time of year makes Tucson look better, and makes IB look worse.  Were we making this decision in June, we might have a completely different attitude.

///Darrell

Darrell Rodgers                                             

Singer, Songwriter, Performer, Humorist

http://darrellsongs.com

Knowing When I’m Done

I’m struggling friends, with my efforts to get my recordings done.  My issue is in knowing when to stop. 

 

My dear bride has admonished me that she wants to hear my voice and my guitar, and no more. (for a former head-banger she sure is a folk-blues purist).  I sometimes like a more “produced” sound. 

 

But a more produced sound is time-consuming – as my friend Jarome Matthew, the skilled and patient high-tech producer in Canada, has aptly explained in his own recent blog.  His good advice has reinforced some of my own good ideas – like recording EVERYTHING to a beat track – even if I choose to not add percussion.  Aside from making the song tempo consistent and easier to enjoy, it makes it possible to later add “production” (back-up tracks) without nearly the hassle of a less time-disciplined approach.  And anyone who has paid close attention to my live shows, knows that my time signatures vary – often on purpose.  Sometimes I choose to vary tempo just for an effect.  But, sometimes, it’s just a mistake.

 

The good news is that I’m getting better at this.  Last night I managed to get a good first cut of “Mama Oh Mama” recorded along with a decent bass line and some simple percussion. That brings my progress count to 6 of 14 songs (for the first CD).  My objective is to produce TWO CDs of songs I’ve written over the past 30 years.  The first CD will be a collection of Baha’i – oriented songs and is directed at Baha’i Teachers – those bold souls who spread the news of Baha’u’llah’s message.  I plan to title the first CD after one of my most popular tunes of that genre, “Each One Teach One”, and subtitle the CD “Songs for the Army of Light”.  My goal and motto of the past thirty-four years of Baha’i songwriting has been: “Attract the Hearts of Seekers, Fortify the Hearts of Believers”.

 

The second CD I produce will be my more “secular” pieces like “Woodstock Generation”, “Second Chance”, and “Real Love” and maybe even that tune my bride calls the “cheatin” song, “Have You Been There Too?”.  I have a BUNCH of those kind of songs.  Heck, I might even have enough for a third CD.  In fact, I may enough “Blues” tunes for a whole CD of blues. But then, that’s what living 50-plus years will do to a songwriter. <wink>

 

 ///Darrell

Darrell Rodgers                                                                                            

Singer, Songwriter, Performer, Humorist

http://darrellsongs.com 

Home from Tucson

I’m Home from Tucson – after a 7day trip that mixed business with chores.  Deb and I went to Tucson following some business in Scottsdale with the intention of getting some work done on my house there.  My daughter lives there and attends the University of Arizona.  I go there to support her by fixing the house. 

This trip was to be windows – new glazing compound (putty).  You see, it gets dry in Tucson – really dry.  I have often said “It’s so dry in Tucson that when I cut myself shaving, sand comes out”.  Well, it’s dry enough that window putty dries out, cracks and chips away leaving your window pane ready to fall out.  So I figured it was time to putty up some of those old windows. 

The instructions on the bucket of putty including the warning “do not use on wet surfaces” and “avoid getting wet”.  No problem I figured. 

Wouldn’t you know it.  This weekend, Tucson had the longest soaking rain it’s had in years.  Oh well, I got a few windows done on Sunday after the rains departed.  I guess I’ll just have to add another trip to my schedule. 

It was a treat to visit some old friends there.  I got spend a wonderful evening with my spiritual brother and sister, Mike and Marti Lindsey whom I have known for decades.  Mike and I were in grade-school together.  It was good also to visit with Greg and Brenda Waddell.  Brenda is my real-estate agent of choice in Tucson.  She grew up there and really knows that city.  Greg is another old friend from my childhood days in Virginia.  His family lived just down the street.  On Sunday evening I got to visit with Brian and Sarah Taraz who used to live in Chula Vista, CA just a few miles from me.  They now live in Tucson and it was fun to play music again with both of them.  They are truly talented people.  Brian does what he calls “Scripture Rock”.  The music is Rock & Roll and Blues, the lyrics are biblical – verbatim.  One time I recall watching Brian perform some Scripture Rock as three catholic girls from the University of San Diego sat in front of me.  One girl turned to her friends and said “I’ve never heard the bible like THIS.”  Another girl responded “I KNOW!  I’m going to have to read that thing!”  Go Brian. 

    

Nonetheless, it’s good to be back in Imperial Beach.  I intend to stay here a while.  Maybe I’ll get some more songs recorded.

 

///Darrell

Darrell Rodgers                                             

Singer, Songwriter, Performer, Humorist

http://darrellsongs.com