Imagine what John Lennon would say today?

Tonight I jogged by Strawberry Fields in Central Park. Flowers adorned the mosaic tribute to John Lennon that says IMAGINE – rose petals circled it and other flowers formed a peace sign inside the circle. He died in 1981. IMAGINE. Twenty-five years ago he was killed by one man with a gun yet his spirit and dreams continue to be valued for all these years. I wonder how he’d feel today if he saw the turmoil in the world. And now the music industry is fighting a different kind of war. IMAGINE.

When I was a kid I taped music and friends and I swapped. Everyone did it. Nobody sued my parents. None of us had a clue about copyright law and it was okay. Now the music industry is on the warpath. The RIAA doesn’t understand that sharing files is triggered by passion for music. That’s why I made tapes. I wasn’t trying to profit from the music or hurt anyone. I still bought plenty of music, as did my friends. And we shared. Fans support the artists in many ways. I did.

IMAGINE what Lennon would think of this. His spirit lives on in memorials because he had a passionate soul. I can’t believe that he’d condone what’s going on today. There should be controls on piracy and things that completely stiff the artist and songwriter. But suing individuals ain’t gonna do it! I looked at the freshly laid out flowers on the ground in the park and for a few minutes lost myself in the words of the great John Lennon – IMAGINE all the people living life in peace. Those wonderful words gave me hope while his loving fans keep his memory alive!

I’m getting tired of how the music industry blames file sharing for drops in sales. The majors have gotten away with selling albums with only one or two good tracks for many years. That’s the heart of the problem. Consumers are tired of paying big bucks for an album they don’t like. I once bought an album for an artist I loved. Except for the radio track, the rest was garbage. I was so angry that I opened my car winder and tossed the CD into the trash. I’ll never buy another of her albums! I was furious. But when I hear music from an album and like most of the cuts, I’ll buy it.

To me, a big difference between major labels and independents is that majors just care about record sales. Indies focus on developing fans. They know that if someone hears their music and likes it, he or she is more likely to buy the whole album and come to see them play live. Derek Sivers, founder of CDBaby told me that when the original Napster was shut down, his sales went down, not up. Many people who take free music wouldn’t buy it if they couldn’t get it online. They just take it because it’s free and won’t help an artist. People who buy music and get free music will buy more if they like what they hear.

I encourage indies to stream all their music on their sites if they believe in it. If you have a lousy album, then don’t! But if you have great music, let potential fans hear it. If it’s streamed, people can’t steal it. It’s ironic how artists pray for radio play but shield their music from being heard on the Internet. The more people that hear your music, the more potential for fans who will support you! They can spread the word about your great music and become part of your street team. I highly recommend calming fears of people stealing your music. Get it out so you can create loyal fans who buy what you sell.

I embarked on the last leg of my journey by flying back to Atlanta on Monday night, November 7th. The next day, Robert Tanner from Morehouse College very kindly picked me up to address an enthusiastic group of his students. That night I did a signing at Borders. The next day was a special treat. I spoke to a lovely group of young women at Spelman College. In many of the programs, females were in the minority. But since Spelman is all girls, I was also able to give them some of the lessons from my Nice Girls on Top workshop. There were quite a few instructors there too and we had a great discussion.

In the late afternoon I headed for Nashville, where I stayed with Tanya Leah. She and her wonderful husband Arnie are successful full time songwriters. I was so blessed to stay in their lovely home with their adorable cats and get to know them. The next day I spoke to a large group at Fisk University. Afterwards, Philip Autry, Chair of the music department, kindly took me out to lunch after, along with a teacher who was displaced from New Orleans. Afterwards I hooked up with Sasha Mullins, a musician also known as Biker Lady for coffee. Friday I drove a few hours to Jackson, TN to do a book signing at Davis-Kidd books. Amerihost was my sponsor there.

Saturday I had a long drive to eastern TN where I stayed with Canjoe*John, who I interviewed in my last book, at his lovely place in the Appalachian Mountains. He offered to open up his B & B for me to stay in. I was honored. It was a gorgeous antebellum house from the mid 1800’s. Canjoe opened it just for me so I’d visit! We’d spoken a few times on the phone but this was the first time I met him. I didn’t get there till early evening. He was waiting for me with a pot of yummy stew. He’s a good cook! His friend Junior came over to show me his book about his journey to get a Hank Williams commemorative stamp.

Canjoe gave me a private sample of his fiddle and canjoe playing. The canjoe is a one-string instrument. Canjoe carves a long piece of wood. On one end is a can and one string up from it. I got to see all of the different canjoes in the house. They’re beautiful. He’s a musicians and an artist in his beautiful canjoe designs. He plays them and sells them. The house I slept in was full of antiques. It was like sleeping a museum – a lovely and different experience. In the morning Canjoe prepared an amazing breakfast. It was so gorgeous there and I hated to leave. But, I had a book talk to do at Malaprops in Asheville. To get there, I drove for 2 hours through stunning mountains that radiated the changing colors of the trees.

Asheville is a delightful, pretty city. Very artsy. Malaprops is a cool bookstore with a café. My event was packed. A lot of musicians live there and I had great coverage in the daily and weekly papers. It was a fun group. Afterwards, I wandered around a bit. Comfort Inn River Ridge was my sponsor in Asheville. I relaxed in Ashville the first half of the day on Monday and then drove to Mooresville, NC, which is near Charlotte. I got there in time to have dinner with Dave Currier and his wife Lois, who opened their lovely home on the water to me. I’ve known Dave for years by phone so it was great to meet him. He manages an artist in Nashville.

I got to relax the next day, which I needed. In the evening I did an event at Borders in Charlotte. Thanks to Brian Hartzog, who posted the event in several places, I had a great crowd. I always write about street teams but this was the first time I’ve used them. People really came through for me in a big way. I’m so thrilled that it worked for me. Street teams are the fuel that powers indie music. It was great to experience it.

Wednesday I took off for Washington DC. to stay with my cousins and arrived late in the evening due to very bad rain. Thursday night I did an interesting event at Tower Records. The weather went from 80 degrees the day before to frigid temps. But some brave souls came out to hear me. The next day I was treated to a wonderful jazz jam session at George Washington University, before addressing a room full of music students.

Sunday morning I drove up to Philadelphia to do a talk at Borders. It was the last store on my tour. I was both looking forward to getting home and back to my real life, yet sad to see it all end. Monday was my final event – at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia in the late afternoon. I shopped early in the day. The car would be returned that night so I wanted to take advantage and bring lots of groceries home to my empty apartment. Living in Manhattan I appreciate being able to shop in a large store, and we don’t have Trader Joe’s! Then I had a final lunch at Applebee’s.

Before this tour I hadn’t eaten in Applebee’s. But it became my haven on this trip. This country is getting fatter every day. Fast food is easy and cheap. But it’s not healthy! Some days I drove for another hungry hour or two because I didn’t want to eat in a place that asked if I wanted cheese on the fries that came with everything. I’m a healthy eater. Some places I was forced to eat in turned my tummy. Grease, fat, cheese, and more grease. I didn’t know what to do. And then I discovered Applebee’s. I LOVE their teriyaki rice bowl – grilled chicken or beef or both with broccoli, snow pea pods, carrots, mushrooms and other goodies in a tasty marinade over rice pilaf with almonds. YUM! I could live on it. But I also enjoy the salmon with tasty rice pilaf and a medley of broccoli, squash and carrots. And the salads are great too! I’m sure everything is good but I kept craving the ones I knew.

Applebee’s is healthier than most other choices on the road and saved my digestion and waistline! I got into the habit of looking up locations on the Internet. Some days I’d drive an extra hour, hoping to find one. Usually I did! The service is super friendly. Some of the waitresses get my Self-Empowerment Quarterly newsletter now. I’d leave each time with a full belly and my to-go cup of their good iced tea. Since I’ve been back, I’ve been in Applebee’s withdrawal. ☺ I’m so grateful to have discovered this restaurant!

After my final Applebee’s lunch I drove to the University of the Arts. It was a nasty day. But the enthusiasm of the students made it a wonderful final event. The kids were so terrific I stayed a while after to talk with them individually, even knowing the rain would get worse as night came. It wasn’t a pleasant ride home. I got lost trying to get out of Phil. The rain got heavier. I arrived back in NYC at 9PM. It took a while to unload the car so I could drop it off that night. Fortunately, National is only a few blocks from my place. It was good to be home!

Time continues to be short but I wanted to get the rest of my tour details posted. I flew back to San Jose on Oct. 13th. The day before, I got a call that I couldn’t use the room my friend offered in LA. I panicked briefly but put myself in God’s hands – Yeah! Rich Hardesty put me in touch with Darren Weiler who works with musician Jeremy Buck. I’d never even met these guys but they talked to Carla at the beautiful Hermosa Hotel on my behalf and got them on board as a sponsor for 4 days. My blessings were many! I arrived late Friday afternoon. Darren was there for me. We were already friends after some phone conversations.

Hermosa Beach is a lovely beach town near Redondo Beach. I wasn’t far from LA but I was far from its madness in a pretty, quiet community, and near the beach which I love. We went to see Jeremy, who has a regular gig at the Lighthouse on Fridays from 4 – 8pm. He’s a clever marketing person and I’m going to feature him in my newsletter in the spring. His band has a lot of energy. Jeremy plays drums and sings and his personality hooks people in. He and his guys welcomed me like family. It was a wonderful feeling. The band lives together in a house and I spent a lot of time there.

Darren was my LA hero. He drove me everywhere and pampered me. We drove up to Hollywood for a book signing at Borders that evening. It was very special because indie artists, Danielle Egnew and Lisa O’Kane, both featured in my book, came down and performed after I spoke. It was such a pleasure to meet them and get to hear their fantastic talent live! There were lots of hugs. ☺

The next morning I was up early to attend the California Lawyers for the Arts annual music business conference at USC. Several of my LA industry friends were there so it was nice on that level too. I gave the keynote address right after lunch and really appreciated having that opportunity! Sunday and Monday were days off and I needed it. Even when I was home, it was work non-stop. I got to do some writing and spent a lot of time with Darren, Jeremy, et al. I was grateful to have time to rest up before a very hectic schedule over the next week.

Tuesday I spoke at Whittier College in the afternoon. I checked out of my lovely hotel early and drove around with my packed car. That night I spoke for LA WoMen in Music at the Ten20 Club in the Bel Age Hotel during their monthly showcase with SongsAlive. I met so many great people and heard some terrific music. There were performances before and after I spoke. The audience response was heartwarming. At around 11PM I took off toward Phoenix. It seemed logical to put a little time into getting closer to Arizona than driving the other way back to Hermosa Beach.

I checked into a motel close to 1AM and drove the rest of the way on Wednesday, in time to talk to a great crowd at Borders that evening. Thursday took me to Mesa, AZ, where I got to check out a fantastic music program at Mesa Community College, the largest community college in the country. I got a tour of all the recording facilities that their lucky students get to take advantage of. They go out of their way to provide opportunities. Tina Makris, Program Coordinator of the Music Business program, is dedicated to providing her students with the best she can. I spoke to a large group of students and then spent some time with members of the Music Industry club. The kids definitely get great guidance toward a career in music! Tina and some of the club members took me out to lunch after. Their passion for what they do was obvious.

The next day I set out for Texas. Over 1,000 were between Phoenix and Austin, my next stop. The speed limits were pretty fast so I pushed to get to El Paso that night – over 600 miles - to allow time for a quick run into Mexico on Saturday. Juarez is right there. I drove to the border in the morning, parked in a lot, and walked across. After shopping, I continued my drive and arrived in Austin early Sunday. The wonderful Holiday Inn Town Lake gave me sponsorship. They’d also supported me when I went to Austin to research a book. Catherine Weir, my contact there, is a big supporter of musicians and one of my blessings. The hotel is right by a gorgeous lake with a great trail around it. I took advantage of it every day for cardio. What a treat – much better than jogging around hotel parking lots!

On Monday night I spoke on a panel about Licensing Music for the Austin Music Foundation, a non-profit that offers wonderful support to Austin’s music community. Nikki Rowling, Executive Director, moderated it. Tuesday I did a book talk/signing at Book People, one of the coolest stores in the country. Wednesday began an insane speaking marathon. Lunch with an industry pro in Austin was followed by a high-speed drive to get to Houston in time for an evening event.

The lovely Madalyn Sklar, founder of gogirlsmusic.com, very kindly invited me to stay in her home in Sugar Land, TX and accompanied me to all my events. Madalyn is a passionate supporter of music. She runs her organization to give female musicians a support system and works non-stop at setting up showcases, giving free seminars, putting out her newsletter, maintaining the website and many other things she freely gives her time for. I didn’t know Madalyn before my trip and now she’s my friend! Texas manifested many blessings for me! ☺ And Madalyn is a true blessing to musicians!

That night I met one of my most special tour blessings – Aubrey Tucker, Dept. Chair of Fine Arts, Speech & Commercial Music. What a treat he is! ☺ He took Madalyn and I out to dinner before I spoke. Aubrey’s dedication to providing his students with the best education possible was obvious. We also connected on a strong spiritual level, which is always a joy! I gave a presentation to a large group after dinner and was surprised how many attended on the night of the Houston Astro’s final World Series game. The students showed lots of appreciation for my talk. The next day, I addressed individual classes. The atmosphere in that music program was so positive that this was a big highlight of my trip. Aubrey was a big contributing factor. He’s going to try to bring me back and I hope it works out. I still hear from students in his program.

There was no rest when I was done at the school. I had a Borders event that evening. Melanie Carranza, who ran the event, has worked in the industry and was especially supportive. It was a great crowd. And still no rest. When I left at 9:30, I drove 3 of the 4 hours to Dallas, since I was nervous about being late if I left Houston in the morning. I stayed in a motel because I needed to speak at Dallas Baptist University in the early afternoon. In the morning I leisurely had some food and drove to the school. Indie Lesson –do what you can to not be late for a gig! ☺

Speaking at Dallas Baptist on Friday was awesome! People thought I was crazy to drive 4 hours each way to speak for an hour. But it was worth it! Terry Fansler, who booked me, said he’d work something out if I came on Monday, on the way to Austin. But, on Friday there would be a large very group gathered that I could talk to. His enthusiasm for me to come Friday made me do it. It was a great group. As I spoke to people after, Terry said he’d gotten a lot of complaints – the students complained that they didn’t want me to leave. I felt great on the 4-hour drive back to Madalyn’s house in Houston.

Still no rest! On Saturday morning I gave a Nice Girls on Top workshop at Leisure Learning University. I’ve spoken there before and found the attendees to be wonderful. They were! In the afternoon I gave a 4-hour workshop on how to earn a musical income – with or without a record deal. By Saturday night I was fried and relaxed a little before packing. Sunday morning began another long drive. I was supposed to speak in New Orleans and Mississippi but Hurricane Katrina caused them to be canceled. Atlanta was the next stop.

I had to pay my respects to New Orleans – a long drive. I’d never been there and had little time. I drove around for over an hour, occasionally stopping to say prayers. Many streets showed lots of life. There were signs on churches welcoming people back. But many neighborhoods were boarded up. The contrast was striking and sad. I left after dark. As I approached the highway, I saw darkness on the other side and drove over. As far as I could see, houses were boarded up and deserted. It was eerie, creepy. I couldn’t wait to leave yet I stayed. And looked. And prayed. Heartbreaking! People’s lives and dreams washed away. I met quite a few people along the way at colleges who were from New Orleans and had been taken in.

From New Orleans I had to drive another few hours north before there were hotel rooms available. Most of the closer hotels had hurricane refugees. On Monday I made another long drive to catch a flight home from Atlanta, where I had events the following week. I found a hotel that let me leave the car so it seemed best to be home with the Katrina cancellations. I barely made my 9:30 PM flight. But it was nice to be home for almost a week.

I didn’t sleep well after my stressful drive from Moscow, ID and late return to my hotel. Plus, I had to be up fairly early. It was still raining in the morning as I drove from Couer d’Alene to Eastern Washington University in Cheney, about 20 minutes from Spokane. Patrick Winters, Music Department Chair & Director of Bands, who came down in the rain to help me find parking, greeted me. I addressed a large and delightful group of students who seemed disappointed to have to go to another class when I finished. Patrick took me to lunch after. It was leisurely, as I had a lot of time to kill before my book signing in Spokane at 7. And I enjoyed getting to know Patrick.

Killing time actually turned out to not be a problem thanks to bad directions. In I Don’t Need a Record Deal!, Beth Wood suggests using Y membership to work out in other cities, so I did that when I had time. After getting to Spokane and the area of a YMCA, I called for specific directions. That wasted way too many cell minutes talking to people who had no clue. I told each person that I was from NY and didn’t know my way around. But the directions always began, “Do you know where X Street is?” “Go to Y Street and I’ll guide you from there.” I kept asking, “What part of I don’t know where anything is are you not getting??” I never did get through.

Over and over I was told to go somewhere I didn’t know. I finally asked a woman getting into her car. She gave me a simple question to ask them and when she heard the answer, felt sorry for me and drove to the Y with me following. It was only blocks from where I was so it was astounding that no one could just guide me. By the time I arrived, time was short. After a fast workout, I asked someone who’d just come in for directions to Borders. She actually gave me some that weren’t too screwy. I had just enough time to grab some dinner before my event.

I didn’t get done till 9:15, which was unfortunate – I had to drive to Seattle that night – 280 miles! The rain got harder. It took over half an hour just to get to the highway. Once out of the city, the road went into the mountains and got very curvy. There were no lights. I remembered how I thought last night’s drive would be my worst. Wrong! This one was! I was very sleepy. When I put on a lovely classical music CD given to me by Patrick Winters, I began to doze. This trip taught me that while I love a variety of music, there’s music more appropriate for long rides – driving music. Green Day’s music saved my butt that night. I want to thank them, first for making such great music. I’m grateful that there are 21 songs on their greatest hits CD.

I kept telling myself to stay awake. The windshield wipers have a lulling affect. So does too much concentration on looking ahead. Whenever I passed a truck or one passed me the water splashed up and another knot formed in my tummy. That was one of the worst nights I can remember. But once I threw in a Green Day CD, I stayed awake by singing along to their songs. Over and over. For 280 miles I played that CD. I took the mindset of “God is my co-pilot” very seriously that night and talked to God a lot, thanking Him for getting me to Seattle safely. And that I’d brought the Green Day CD. The rain stopped about a half hour before I reached Seattle. I was completely fried.

Got to my hotel at 2 AM and couldn’t fall asleep because I knew I had to get up at 7AM. It’s ridiculous how knowing you have to get up early prevents falling asleep. That happens to me a lot. So I felt on empty when I arrived at the Out of the Ashes Northwest Music Explosion Conference at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center, hosted by Urban Network Magazine. When it’s publisher, David Mitchell interviewed me for the magazine, he saw that I’d be in Seattle during the conference and asked me to speak on a 9:30 panel called “I Don’t Need a Record Deal.” The fit was right with my new book.

My panel had to be early, as I’d already scheduled a joint event with Elliott Bay Books and the Vera Project, a non-profit that has music events and also has educational ones. The conference was near the airport so after schmoozing for a while after speaking, I drove into the city to give a 2 hour workshop at 1:30. I didn’t get out till after 4, at which time I was starving. There had been no time for food earlier. A guy in the class invited me to join him for an early dinner and I went. Then I crashed in my hotel.

I was off Sunday but had to drive to Portland. Slept in and then had a leisurely drive. I arrived at the Jupiter Hotel in the late afternoon. They’re a hip, rock and roll hotel and came on board as a sponsor. It was a unique experience. Many musicians stayed there. The rooms have an almost futuristic décor. I needed earplugs to sleep as they had live music at the bar until late. Loud live music! ☺ But I’d been warned. The outside of each door was a blackboard. Inside there was chalk to write message. When I arrived there was an art fair going on so the doors had fun pictures. I just wrote, “Do not disturb” on mine. I was there for 3 nights.

Had a double header on Monday. In the late afternoon I spoke at Portland State University. Jon Newton, who set up the event, kindly invited people from local music organizations to attend, so I got to meet Bruce Fife, who heads the musicians union in that region, and Jim Corcoran, who is actively working to support jazz musicians. The audience response was very rewarding. I was sorry that I couldn’t stay longer to chat but I had to fly out for a book talk and signing at Powell’s Books. This store has a great reputation and I was thrilled to have that event. The store was packed and I was told it was one of their biggest crowds. I still hear from many people that were at my Portland events.

I actually had a day off that Tuesday, so I put on my sneakers, went to the Y to work out with weights for an hour and then wandered around the city. It was nice to relax a little. I didn’t have much time for that. On Wednesday I spoke at the University of Portland. My car was packed and when it ended I headed for San Francisco, which was a very long drive. I drove into the evening, as I wanted to arrive the next day to have Friday free. Made it there early evening on Thursday, so I walked all over the city on Friday. I saw the hills as an opportunity to burn some calories. ☺ My hectic schedule continued to afford little time for exercise so I tried to make up for that. The hills are very steep and I pushed myself up and down them.

It was Fleet Week in San Francisco. When I walked around Fisherman’s Wharf, there was a navy band performing outdoors. People were loving it. When they took a break I spoke to one of the singers, Sarah Janiak, who told me about the music programs in the military. She joined right out of high school and spends most of her time performing. Saturday I was up early to do a full day workshop from 9 – 5 at San Francisco State University. It was exhausting but also fun to spend the day with a wonderful group of musicians. My car was once again packed and from the school I drove to San Jose airport, where I left my car at a park and fly and took a redeye flight to New York for a few days to catch up on paying bills and other things. I got a great price from my favorite airline, Jet Blue!

From North Dakota I had another day to get to Billings, where Kelly Inn was my hotel sponsor. It had been quite hot until I got to North Dakota. Now the temps began to go down and I began to layer my clothes. I had packed for 3 seasons but had to rearrange everything to get my warmer clothes, knowing that I’d be going back to heat. But it was much easier to do this kind of travel in a car. The Cobalt has a huge trunk, which gave me a lot of flexibility in organizing my things. Since I’d mainly worn sandals until then, my shoes just hung out in the trunk. I got them as the temps dropped.

I’ve always loved Montana because I love mountains. That’s where I feel most peaceful. I got to do some hiking when I arrived that Sunday, which was a treat. Throughout the tour it was hard to find time and ways to get in the kind of workouts I do when I’m home, which was a very frustrating situation for me. I normally do an hour of weight training twice a week and get to Central Park at least 3 times for cardio. I got tired of jogging through parking lots in an effort to keep up. So getting out on a real hiking trail in a beautiful park was invigorating.

On Monday, September 26th, I spoke for an interesting group at Montana State University. The public was allowed in so the audience was very diverse and very enthusiastic. One woman brought her daughter to hear me. Since Billings doesn’t have a lot of conferences or opportunities to hear pros speak, she wanted to take advantage of the education and opportunity to ask questions, a sentiment shared by many of the attendees. That night I did a book signing at Borders. Danielle Egnew, who I interviewed in I Don’t Need a Record Deal!, went to school there and encouraged me to include Billings in my tour. I’m glad I listened!

Tuesday was a heavy driving day – almost 600 miles to Coeur d’Alene Idaho. Montana is a great state for speeding with a limit of 75 MPH. Idaho has high speeds too. Love it! I admit to being a speed demon and tend to live by the rule about going just under ten miles over the limit, unless of course everyone else is going faster. Then I position my car in between several other speeders. ☺ So I got to the intensely gorgeous city of Coeur d’Alene in great time. There’s a gorgeous lake in town with mountains all around. I drove in just before dark and was in awe of the view. Yes, that was me driving with my mouth open as I entered the region! ☺ I’d always wanted to see this city and was thrilled that it was on my route. I made that big drive so that I could stay there for 3 nights. I was craving some stability.

I had a lovely day on Wednesday before my book signing at Hastings Books and Video that night. The weather was perfect and I enjoyed a leisurely lunch, writing at an outdoor café and then taking a hike. It was delightful to meet people at Hastings. Actually the folks in that whole northwestern region were refreshing to a city girl like me. They were less complex and more open than in more urban areas. SOOOO friendly. Folks stopped to chat when they came into the store. Not only musicians. Just people who saw me there with my books. Some signed up for my Self-Empowerment Quarterly newsletter. They all wished me luck. I left the store smiling.

That was my last relaxing day for a while. On Thursday I got up early to drive to Moscow, ID. It was raining and the normally 90 minute drive took well over 2 hours due to construction and weather. I arrived just in time to address my first group at the Lionel Hampton School of Music at the University of Idaho, where I spent the whole day. Susan Hess, who had arranged for me to speak, greeted me. My first group was students who were more interested in the business end of the entertainment industry so the talk took a different twist. In the afternoon I spoke to a huge group of musicians who were eager to hear about the many possibilities for earning an income from music. After a lovely dinner with Susan, I spoke in the auditorium. This was open to the public and all the students from that school and Washington State University, which is just down the road. It was another diverse group.

My drive back to Coeur d’Alene was stressful. The road was dark, one lane each way, and had a lot of curves. I was tired and anxious to get back as I had to pack to leave for a school in Washington the next morning. I didn’t get on the road till after 9:30. As I drove, I thought about how many musicians must do this regularly after a gig. Sometimes schedules don’t work out perfectly and there’s no choice but to drive at odd hours and in ways that wear you out. But we have to do it if this is the chosen career. I chose to do this tour and had to go on, despite weariness. Every time a truck came toward me on the road back to Coeur d’Alene, it splashed a veil of water over my car, making it hard to see anything. I’d hold my breath and pray each time. I kept telling myself I just had to keep going and get the drive done, and hopefully this would be the worst. But it wasn’t. The next night was.

I finally have a minute to write and will pick up where I left off. Early on Tuesday morning, September 20th, I flew back to Chicago, picked up my car at Quality Inn, and drove to Madison, WI to do an event at Borders. After, I had to drive across the state to Eau Claire, where Econo Lodge was a hotel sponsor. From there I took a leisurely drive to Minneapolis/St. Paul. The next morning I addressed students at Augsburg College. They include music biz in their music program and it was a very attentive and packed audience.

That night I had an enthusiastic crowd at Borders. A special treat was having Kevin and Kimberly Gullickson surprise me there. They put on a music expo several years ago in Minneapolis and brought me in to speak. We bonded big time but I haven’t seen them since. So this was a real treat!

The next day I checked out of my hotel, packed my car, and headed for the McNally Smith College of Music. I’ve enjoyed all my talks but this was an especially memorable group. I’d found them because James Hearn, a professor at the school, signed up for my newsletter. I told him about my tour and was invited to speak. The group was very informal and relaxed. And exceptionally enthusiastic. The whole school vibed creative energy. I got very excited interacting with them.

The energy McNally Smith kept me awake as I embarked on a long drive into North Dakota. Before this trip there were 10 states I’d never been to. North Dakota was one. As I drove through it, I realized that I’d also gotten to Michigan and Wisconsin for the first time, so I was down to 7 states. I was really getting to see my whole country!

I was surprised at the landscape in North Dakota. It had hills and mountains reminiscent of the southwest. The red rocks also were unexpected and beautiful. I began snapping pics out the window (Warning – do not do this!!). I couldn’t help myself. It was spectacular.

It hit me suddenly – I was driving through North Dakota by my lonesome – but I wasn’t lonesome!! I was happy and felt fulfilled – living my dream of driving across the country by myself and making a difference for many musicians. It was an amazing realization! People thought I was crazy to do this. After all, women haven’t traditionally done this sort of thing nor felt comfortable about having nobody with them. We’re supposed to need company. And especially crave a man’s company – or anything rather than being alone. Well I was FAR from lonely. I was exhilarated! I did call a few people on my cell to describe the scenery. My pics will allow me to share too.

I actually enjoyed the solitude in between speaking gigs. I got to listen to lots of music as I drove. People gave me CDs wherever I went so I had lots to hear. Friends called to see if I was lonely. Okay, maybe something is wrong with me but I never was. NEVER!! I’ve really evolved a lot from the girl who was always scared of being alone. And I love it! Driving gave me time to think. Clear my head. And have a break from all the people at events. Over the years I’ve grown to appreciate my own company more and more. This trip has reinforced the joy of not needing someone else to feel happy!