Wonderful Being

I recently found out that San Diego Fringe is happening this year. Should I do "Yes, No, Maybe So" even though most folks I know have already seen it streaming? For a summary and video, click here . 

Lynne Jassem is a tap dancer, comedian, and solo performer extraordinaire. We sat down to talk about her new show, "Being Richard Greene," which tackles Lynne's struggle with gender identity starting in the late 1940's - long before anyone was asking for pronouns - using spoken mime, characterizations, and multimedia. For video and ticket information, click here .

Here is my pandeiro cover and English translation of "Nada a Declarar" by Ultraje a Rigor, a Brazilian rock band. For video, lyrics, and more, click here .

As a neurodivergent musician, I am actually very glad that I know how to read (musical) notes. Here are some situations where it has come in handy. How has your ability to read notes (or not) helped YOU as a musician? For video and a brief summary, click here .

Not all cultures rely on note reading to communicate musical ideas. Here's what happened when I went to Brazil and experienced a culture with a very different viewpoint on reading notes. For video and/or a brief summary, click here . 

I saw "Admissions" at OnStage Playhouse in Chula Vista last Saturday night (2/5/22), and it was OUTSTANDING. Here are my thoughts about the show. Warning: there are spoilers at the end! For ticket links, additional commentary, and video, click here .

Nothing gives me anxiety quite like recording does. Here are the top three things I learned from recording six songs in two weeks for my Zoom musical, "Thank You! It's True." What recording tips do YOU have to share? For a brief summary, click here . For video, click here . 

I just got done performing my new musical (or perhaps "play with music" is more appropriate) "Thank You! It's True" at the Tucson Fringe Festival. Here are my tips for anyone else looking to perform a musical (or "play with music") live on Zoom.

At last...an interview with One Man Bond himself! Tune in to hear Tom Steward talk about his TWO SHOWS playing at this year's Tucson Fringe Festival. For tickets to "The Godfather Two Parts," click here . For a recording of One Man Bond, click here . For video and more information, visit queenmabmusic.com .

Besides having the coolest name on the planet, Lion Fludd is a magician who will be performing his show "The Hustle" in person at Tucson Fringe on January 13 at 6:30 pm, January 14 at 7:30 pm, and January 15 at 12:30pm Get your tickets here . Find Lion on Instagram @lionfludd . For a video of this interview, click here . 

Azo Safo and Catherine Barnes went live on Instagram on December 27, 2021 to discuss their new show "Thank you! It's True," which will be premiering on Zoom as part of the 2022 Tucson Fringe Festival. Show dates are 1/13 at 5:30pm PT and 1/15 at 6pm PT. Get your tickets here ! - Find Azo on Instagram or Twitter - Visit Catherine's website

I sat down and talked with Matt Denney about his new solo show "Matt-chong: A Swagapino's Search for Identity" that will premiere at the 2022 Tucson Fringe Festival ! Buy tickets here , and catch his show in at The Screening Room in downtown Tuscon on January 15th at 8:30pm and January 16th at 1:30pm  Matt's Website: https://www.mattdenney.net/ Matt's Social Media: @therealmattdenney on all p...

I am sorry for not having posted an episode in so long! To be honest, my video frequency will likely remain slow; I'm in get down mode finishing my new show, "Thank You, It's True," which premieres on Zoom January 13 at 6:30pm Mountain Time as part of Tucson Fringe! This show is all about metabolizing a crappy experience I had several years ago. Have you ever used a creative project to make someth...

I’ve been a fan of comedian, podcaster, drummer, and solo artist Bethany Vee ever since we started working together in Jessica Lynn Johnson’s solo theater classes. We sat down together to talk about comedy, podcasting, recovery, neurodivergence, and of course, drumming. For a summary of the interview, click here . For video, click here . 

I took a break from video blogging because my students had a concert. In my opinion, it's much harder to do a concert with my students than it is to do a concert on my own. So why is there such a stigma about being a teacher and not a "performer?" For a transcript, click here . For video, click here . 

Here's the opening chapter from "The Three Fleas," the novel I started writing last year as part of National Novel Writing Month. We meet Andreas Kaladro - sailor, navigator, and bounty hunter - who arrives at The Three Fleas tavern in search of Aurelia Gonzaga, the notorious proprietress of the establishment. But the tavern is full of surprises, as he finds out to his dismay... For a transcript,...

I participated in National Novel Writing Month last year. I made it to 50,000 words, but the novel isn't finished. Here's a word about my plans for participating this year. Have YOU ever done NaNoWriMo? What was your experience like? For a transcript, click here . For video, click here . 

While watching a lot of streaming solo theater during the pandemic, I noticed that I have intense reactions to certain shows. I thought this might be a result of online viewing, but then I remembered that reactions like this started for me in high school with "Oedipus Rex." If you're too emotional to attend a talkback, how do YOU handle a strong reaction to a show? For a transcript, click here .&n...

Today I ran across the weirdest thing I have ever seen...ASMR videos on YouTube. My faith in humanity has evaporated completely. Can someone please explain to me why people like to watch/listen to this?!?!?

I've spent the past few videos ranting about the aspects of 12 Step Programs that I don't care for. Here are some of the things that have kept me coming back for the past 10 years...especially as a neurodivergent person. What aspects of the program work for YOU? For a transcript, click here . For video, click here . 

The word "ego" has a very negative connotation in our society, and it might as well be a swear word in the Twelve Step rooms. However, I haven't found obliteration of the self to be helpful to me in my own recovery journey. What does YOUR relationship with ego (or self) look like? For a transcript, click here . For video, click here . 

I have always struggled with the insistence in 12 Step Programs that "God's will" is good and "self-will" is bad. At the same time, I'm grateful for having learned to surrender the things I can't control. How do YOU decide whether to push through a challenge or let it go? For a transcript, click here . For video, click here . 

I'm working on a new show that will premiere in January as part of the virtual arm of the Tucson Fringe Festival. It's all about a struggling mid-thirties woman who is seduced into an Internet self-help program by an unscrupulous female empowerment guru. What's YOUR experience with these types of self-help programs? For a transcript, click here . For video, click here . 

I've been attending 12 step groups for codependency issues for the last ten years. After looking at my own experiences with the program and reading three books written by women in the program, I have some questions about whether or not it actually works. What's YOUR experience with 12 step or any other form of support group (provided you're comfortable sharing, of course)? For a transcript, click...

I've been publicly sharing my art - in a gallery exhibit at work and on Instagram - even though I am not a trained artist. This is both frightening and liberating. I discuss why it's much harder to share my music with the same abandon. Have YOU ever tried creating in an art form in which you weren't trained? What was the experience like for you? For a transcript, click here . For video, click here...