September flew by like a bird and October is rushing past me like the scenery outside my car window. Not that I'm currently driving - that would be dangerous. :) This past Saturday night we played a short but enjoyable opening set for the Jonatha Brooke concert that was part of the Women in Tune Festival to donate money towards cancer research. I played a song on piano for the first time with my band, and I felt it was a success. I was telling Michael that the only instrument that has the power to bring back all my worst memories from recitals, adjudications, and competitions like that is the piano. I know the piano like the back of my hand, yet when I sit down to play it in front of an audience, it can sometimes look like a foreign body. Pianists, unless they are wealthy and famous, rarely get to play their own instrument, they must play different ones everywhere they go. Well, one day the Yamaha grand I want will be shipped to and fro right along with me on tour, eh? Yeah, I'm allowed to dream...

This Friday, only two days away, is the CD release party at MoJo's for the Nashville EP. I feel as though we've gotten some great gigs this month for publicity, and I was on the David Lyle show on KFRU AM 1400 a couple of weeks ago for a great interview. We got a couple of calls while I was on the air which was fun. I've also been interviewed for a profile piece that should be published in Vox magazine sometime in November. It's very in-depth and covers material that's not been covered before by any local paper. BXR has kindly played some of the Nashville cuts at the noon hour and on "What's New For Dinner?" and MoJo's has been publicizing the event for us as well.

The CD is rapidly becoming well-traveled. Billy Burns, a former drummer for Ray Charles, heard it and loved it and asked if he could give it to his best friend, Pearl Jam's manager, Kelly Curtis. Kelly liked it so much he played it for Hootie and the Blowfish's manager, and then asked if he could hand it some other top management people who would be more in my genre. So, as far as I heard at last count, it's gotten to management fro Norah Jones, James Taylor, the Dixie Chicks and Neil Young and may get into the hands of Earth, Wind and Fire and the people at the Jimi Hendrix Foundation. It's pretty cool to know it's floating around out in those circles.

Otherwise, I look at the rain and feel the chill and realize winter is coming. Usually fall is my favorite time of year but this year somehow I don't feel ready for it. I want summer to last a little longer. I want the days to stay bright until 9pm. Already my work day doesn't end until it's been dark for over two hours. (And then of course there's the part of my work day, gigging, which starts long AFTER the sun has gone down - but that's when the dark provides the perfect backdrop.) If it weren't for gigs, I'd love sunlight all the time. But when I'm onstage it's all about artifical light, baby!

I continue to be amazed at how awesome my band is, and how consistently supportive are all the people who surround me. BA plans on driving to Urbana, IL with me this weekend the day after our CD release, even though he's not going to play the gig with me, he's providing me company since Michael cannot attend. I've got several photographers who give me their photos for website, CD and personal usage. (I'd not have a single photo of any gig if it weren't for them) and the number of people who have jumped on board to help in little and big ways boggles my mind. Some of the band members might even carpool down to Nashville in November for my first big SHOWCASE!!!!! I'm nervous. I will probably go down a couple of days early to rehearse with the band that Matthew Wilder (my producer) hires, and then it's BAM onstage for a half hour set in front of 'people.' I'm going to miss the band I know and love that night but it's going to be an exciting opportunity and a couple of the band members that night may be the ones that played on my CD.

All in all, things are going well. I'm tired and have the worst neckache in the world from sleeping on 3 pillows last night (what was I thinking?) but I'm content. I love that word. My CONtent is conTENT.