Kicking around the southwest getting ready for summer touring.

Greetings I hope this summer is finding you and those close to you safe and happy. Last Blog I reported I was up for several New Mexico Music Industry Awards. I am happy to report I won one of those nominations in the category of New Age Contemporary. I was surprised and honored as I accepted the award for all the hard working musicians in my part of New Mexico. It was a top-notch awards ceremony with amazing performances, formal banquet and all the major players in New Mexico Music. Lest you don’t think that is much several are Grammy winners and recently Oscar winners. Music is big and close to the burgeoning film industry here as well. I met the two other musicians from Las Cruces who were also nominees, C.W. Ayon in Blues and Mick Harris in Pop. C.W. Ayon won his very competitive category. Though we had met half-an-hour before the awards show I hit it off with he and his wife immediately. Maybe it is because we are both extremely hard-working independent artists. Or maybe it was that we were all three sitting at tables nursing beers because no one would talk to us. The music industry in New Mexico is heavily represented by the northern cities of Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Most have never been to Las Cruces, which is, incidentally New Mexico’s 2^nd largest city. I introduced myself to one of the major distributors of Native American Music who was presenting that night. He dismissed me quicker than you can open a beer saying, “I was wondering who ‘Randy Granger’ was.” Okay. I was polite and professional and slightly embarrassed that I had been so nice to him and his wife.  He was presenting two of the categories I had multiple nominations in and mispronounced my name. I wanted to show my award to him afterwards but thought better of it.

Awards do count. Especially the awards where you don’t have to beg every Facebook friend, relative and acquaintance to go vote for you. These awards were pre-judged by New Mexico music pros then sent out to some seriously qualified national judges. I mean seriously well known. I was blown away by that. The people who weren’t talking to me before all of a sudden were seeking me out saying hey we have your music in heavy rotation at our station could you record a station ID? It is all part of it. Awards for independent musicians help bring us cred, attention and better paying gigs. You have to make really good music first though. No substitute for music that sounds killer, has feeling and raises you above the hundreds of thousands out there. Here is some good press we had in our local papers http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_15156196 my hometown of Hobbs, NM ran a front page story and interview on my award. I was so happy knowing my family would read it and feel proud. They have always supported me in everything I’ve done. You can read the articles and more at my website http://www.randygranger.net/press.html.

I was in Santa Fe playing some shows and thought the awards ceremony was Saturday night so I rushed to my room after playing followed by a trip up to 10,000 Waves to soak in the communal tubs. Drove an hour south to Albuquerque only to find it was the wrong night. I just laughed at myself and went back ending up with a great night strolling in and out of live music venues around the Santa Fe Plaza. I conducted a flute playing workshop for the Albuquerque area flute circles and had a wonderful time seeing some friends and meeting new ones. Melissa Dominguez, a Santa Fe photographer and college friend I hadn’t seen in too many years took some really nice photos she let me post here. Yes that’s a Kilt I’m wearing. Specifically a Utilikilt which I absolutely enjoy wearing both on and off stage. You’ll love their approach and humor.

My schedule for this year’s International Native American and World Flute Association’s (INAFA) convention for me is:

Lead a Clinic titled “The ABC’s of Playing the Native American Flute” in Lecture Room 143, July 15^th at 1:00 PM

Perform July 14^th at 7:30 PM with Michael Graham Allen aka Coyote Oldman in Gantner Concert Hall

Perform Solo concert: July 15^th at 3:00 PM in the Phillips Recital Hall

You can find out all about the Convention at http:///www.inafa.org. For the first time INAFA will be allowing main performers to offer private lessons during the Convention. You can email me directly for info an costs at lonegranger@netscape.com. I have over 15 years teaching guitar, percussion, voice and Native flute along with being a lifelong, classically trained musician I have worked with some of the best flutists such as Michael Allen and R. Carlos Nakai. If you want to get an intense private lesson and evaluation feel I don’t have much free time at the convention so slots are going quickly. I will also have a booth with my Indian Summer Music Award and NM Music Industry Award winning CD’s, t-shirts and more. I plan to have two new CD’s available and am working on the details now and will be ordering them soon. I am so absolutely excited about these new CD’s.

I’ll be playing in El Paso at the end of June. You can always bookmark my calendar at http://www.randygranger.net/calendar.html. While up north in Wisconsin I will do a few other gigs including the 6^th Anniversary World of Faeries Festival in South Elgin, IL. I am open to booking some House Concerts or flute circle performances/workshops. Email me if there is an interest. I look forward to seeing again the friends I made at the 2008 INAFA Convention. Don’t be shy. Say hello.

See you down the trail,

Randy 

Native American Flute Firefly music in the Texas Hill Country.

Following the Flute Road East

Fall came overnight here in southern New Mexico’s Mesilla Valley along the Rio Grande. Then almost 80 degree days meant lots of yard work for the industrious. Our 14 Pecan trees require lots of love and soon they will freeze the husks and be ready for harvesting. That is a serious task that usually means lot of hot baths and Aleve. A Harvest Full-Moon this week was astonishing and beautiful. I find myself busy as ever managing my career and time. I had a couple of weeks off preceeded by shows in a Cave in Boerne, TX, Austin, Dallas, Arlington and back again. I played this week for the Hospice Candlelight Memorial and it was as moving as ever and the most people they’ve had. For the first time it was in their expanded facility and I’m very proud of them for the work they’ve done and the $6million they raised for the expansion.

Full Moon Rising over the Organ Mountains in southern New Mexico. November 2

Saturday Nov. 7th I’ll return to the Dona Ana Arts Council’s Renaissance ArtFaire. I’m really glad. Wasn’t sure if they were going to include me due to mid-stream staff changes, but I talked them into it. I always enjoy it and the 30,000 people who attend do as well. We are so lucky to have the best November weather. It is always deep blue skies, dry air and in the mid 70’s. They put a dragon in the moat and have giant smoked turkey drumsticks, the best pastrami and kosher dills this side of New Jersey and lots of entertainment. I will be on the Rio Grande stage Saturday at 11:30 and 3:30 playing my Native flutes, Hang drum and singing up a storm. I’ve invited a dancer, Terry Alvarez, and a cellist from la Cella Bella, Allison Reynolds, to sit in with me should be fun. Here is a link to some press about the RenFaire as well call it http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-sunlife/ci_13680330

A Place Called Peace continues to receive great reviews and of course winning the Indian Summer Music Awards in the Flute category is something I am so proud of because it was a blind judging and not a popularity contest. Beating out a Grammy® and several NAMA winners really didn’t mean much other than it validated that if you express yourself from the heart 100% and have faith in your music you will be recognized and heard. A music journalist who is the most sought after critic in the New Age genre said “there is deep feeling here, and that is something you can’t fake” as Bill Binkleman said in a review on NewAgeReporter.com. You can read the full review here: www.randygranger.net/REVIEWS.html I found out this week that I’ve been invited to perform and conduct a flute playing workshop at the 2010 International Native American and World Flute Association’s conference in Eu Claire, Wisconsin and am delighted and happy about it. Learn more about the conference at http://www.worldflutes.org/

Sunday I am on my way to Florida, Melbourne specifically for the 1st Native Rhythms Festival November 13-15. This is a new festival put together by the Indian River Flute Circle, a whole host of passionate volunteers and sponsors. I will be performing solo as well as with Michael Graham Allen, aka Coyote Oldman. Mark Holland and N. Scott Robinson, Jonny Lipford, Jan Sieden, Clint Goss, Doc Green and other musicians will be there along with Native American Flute makers and other crafts people. I will also be one of the judges for the Flute Playing Competition which will be an honor. I am excited also because a few NASA launches are scheduled while I’m there and Cape Canaveral is just miles from Melbourne. I love Florida’s people and food. I will be travelling through San Antonio, New Orleans, Tampa, Savannah, Macon and hopefully Arkansas depending on the weather. Originally the Poet Wayne Crawford would be travelling with me and we scheduled performances from our collaborative CD “Oasis Bound” however, his duties as poetry editor, Arts Council work and more piled up so I’ll be driving alone and may or may not book a gig in your town… Of course, if you have a flute circle or would like a house concert get in touch with me. My Hang drums are always a real hit especially when people hear them for the first time. I always look forward to bringing my unique Native American flute music from a trained musician, healer and native New Mexican perspective. My own ancestry is so rich with peoples who journeyed far, held rituals, were seers and resilient. I’d like to think they all meet in my Heart—and that is where the music is made.

Randy

Here is a video of the Police song Every Breath You Take on Native flute and Hang drum. Enjoy.

What the Luck?

“Luck? I don't know anything about luck. I've never banked on it, and I'm afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: Hard work -- and realizing what is opportunity and what isn't”.- Lucille Ball:

“I don’t believe in luck, but I could sure use some.” – Randy Granger

I’ve been hearing luck attributed to success lately. Roger Moore said on a morning talk show recently that it was just luck that he got the James Bond roles and further that the idiom of success being 33% talent, 33% looks and 33% luck but that he thought it was actually 99% luck. A few other interviews I’ve come across lately all pointed to similar ratios of luck being most important. A major-label Native American flutist said he “just got lucky” when I congratulated him on an extended feature on Echoes the New-Age Radio program. I’m suspect of this attitude and make it a practice to never wish anyone good luck opting to say I know things will go well for them and reminding them to enjoy themselves etc. I meet a lot of musicians who know about the Hang and how challenging (understatement) they are to get right now. They always say how lucky I am to have one. I remind them I did Pay for it (maxing my credit cards) and tracked down how to find a used one. So lucky? If that’s another word for determined I guess so.

I don’t feel lucky. I do feel grateful and fortunate often though. I’m grateful I’ve driven over 11,000 miles this season and not been in an accident—especially through places like Oklahoma and Chicago where driving is a combat sport. I’m very glad my snarky mouth didn’t get me into too much trouble or get me punched out. I’m fortunate my carelessness with my instruments resulted in zero loss even while singing CD’s for an hour while my Hang and Flutes sat behind the stage for all to procure… Dang I need some roadies. Any takers? Ha-ha

John Lennon said that life is what happens while you’re making other plans. So true. I’m tempted to change my bio on my website and MySpace to a more truthful one like: “Randy…..an overly talented musician mired in self-doubt and prone to panicking at the lack of interest in his music and a total Gig-whore who will play at your house-cleaning for a discount.” Wouldn’t that be funny if all the musician profiles were that revealing? I had been feeling self-indulgently depressed so last week I vowed to make my performances about sheer enjoyment. It helped. Last weekend at the Dona Ana Renaissance Faire I gave up any expectations about the future and dove into the moment. It worked. I had such fun and even with over 450 vendors, five stages and between 35,000-40,000 people all of my performances drew excellent crowds and I made some nice coin. Yesterday I dragged myself down to our weekly Farmer’s Market a huge 10 block open air local growers and craftspeople market, and with my Hang and Native Flutes I Busked up a storm. The Hang is such a people, and money, magnet and I had crowds just circling me with all ages, races and types. No one was Republican, Democrat etc. everyone was just completely puzzled and smiling about this flying saucer that makes music. I must have said, “It’s called a Hung, from Switzerland…etc” several hundred times. I came home and ordered 1000 postcards with all my info to pass out at gigs.

Its funny people always talk to me while I’m playing and engrossed in my music. This used to irritate me but I have a better perspective and attitude now. The late Studs Terkell (he died on Halloween this year) said that “In our impersonal world of ours pretense is put at a premium.” I think my lack of pretense is why I’m approachable. That or they think I’m homeless. This summer I witnessed how unattractive pretention is in performers and hope all of you will set me straight if I get that way. I know working hard, being prepared, being authentic and working on your craft are what you do because you call yourself a musician—however, I would sure enjoy having an honest manager, a decent booking manager, a supportive record label and as much radio play as possible and I for one would love to be on the Echoes playlist. In the meantime I continue to make music because It is what I do and so far people enjoy it. Thankfully! The NMSU Dance Program recently commissioned a song from me they will premiere in December. A local NPR radio program asked me to compose a new theme song for them. I have a song on the INAFA 2008 Compilation CD. Yeah! My CD was #12 on the New Age Reporter charts. I’m playing at the El Paso Museum of Archeology. I'm on a Fundraiser Compilation CD for La Casa a shelter for abused women and kids, a serious problem here and I love what I do so even if I never get invited to perform anywhere ever again at least I can take my music to the streets any given day and bring people joy. Lucky me.

A couple of photos from the Renaissance Faire.

Wisonsin Road Trip - INAFA Convention

Well about two weeks ago I set out on a tour that would end up in Wisconsin at the 2008 International Native American and World Flute Association convention. I was driving so set up a couple of gigs along the way to break up the 23-hour drive. First night I stopped at the KOA in Amarillo, Texas. It was pleasant except that it is wedged between the railroad lines and the airport. I played my flutes and Hang drum for a group of nice people and sold a couple of CD’s. I headed down to Palo Duro Canyon south of town. It is a beautiful canyon reported to be the world’s second largest canyon. The history of the Native peoples, Spaniards and outlaws who lived there is interesting. I stopped and had lunch and played my flute as a Buzzard circled overhead. Next night was in Oklahoma City. The drive between Amarillo and Oklahoma City is where time actually stops. It felt like an 8 hour drive. There is the world’s largest crucifix along the way and it is huge. Kind of surreal really.

I wanted to attend the monthly Oklahoma Flute Circle meeting in the historic Jacobson House. I did. It was a nice turnout considering it was the 4^th of July. I met some really great fluties who even showed up the next night to hear my play at the Borders Books in Norman, Oklahoma. I had a great time and was grateful for the review in the previous day’s newspaper The Norman Transcript. The audience was attentive and bought quite a few CD’s. I was thinking hmmm maybe I should have brought a lot more…. I played the flute and Hang and sang and people seemed to enjoy it. Afterwards some of the people from the flute circle and I went to eat afterwards and had a really nice visit. As I was driving back to OKC there were fireworks going off everywhere and especially downtown. It was cool.

The next day I was scheduled for another show in Kansas City but as sometimes happens in the music business the person I booked with originally was several people ago. I had been trying unsuccessfully to confirm and skipped that town altogether and head on for Des Moines, Iowa. I had scheduled an extra couple of days in Minneapolis to see the Modern Art exhibition at the Walker Art Center and the Sculpture Garden next door. It didn’t disappoint. Seeing the modern art pieces up close and personal always has such an impact on me. The great restaurants, bars, lakes, coffee shops in Minneapolis’ are really fun.

The INAFA convention was pretty awesome. Between the beautiful flutes, amazing musicians, workshops and concerts I don’t think I slept much. I presented a couple of workshops as well a concert that were so much fun—and a lot of hard work. Working hard is the part that comes naturally and from the feedback and CD sales the work connected with people, something I’m always grateful for. I stayed in the dorms which did not have air conditioning, ventilation or fans and it was humid beyond what I’m used to. My dorm mates were great and we all developed a sense of camaraderie I think. I feel I made some amazing friends and that is always worth it. Some of the highlights for me were hearing Michael Allen, Joseph Firecrow, Bill Miller, Skip Healy with Mark Bachand among others. I was honored to be invited to lay down a song for the INAFA compilation CD that will be used for fundraising. A huge honor was to be included in the INAFA All Star’s concert the closing night. Sharing the stage with R. Carlos Nakai, Peter Phippen, Mark Holland, Skip Healy, Mark Bachand, N. Scott Robinson, Sara Maurer and a few others was amazing and even though I was exhausted and dripping once we got started those wild endorphins kicked in and all was fantastic.

I drove back over a couple of days listening to music and was glad to be home. Work continues on music with interviews this week and mailing out of more CD’s. I sold out of The Roswell Incident pretty quick and need to get more for my next trip to perform at the World of Fairies Festival in South Elgin, IL August 2 & 3. Here is a short slide show of some pics. I haven’t developed the film yet.

There is nothing like performing your music for people live. That exchange of energy, the interplay and suspension of time and hopefully the transcendence is meaningful. Knowing that what I’m playing will only exist in this form in this moment is precious. When they come to you afterwards and mention a specific note or word you said it is humbling and reminds me to be present and aware every time I play. As a performer you are in it “with” the audience and it is a responsibility and a privilege and I don’t take it for granted when I finish a song and people applaud. See you down the road.

Randy