Hi Everybody, Yes, it's been a while (six months) since I've communicated ... due to Ruby's passing and many of life's challenges.  

But here's news and it's all good :)  I'll soon have ready my new music CD "Here In The Moment", the title of which sounds quite Zen. The genres are a heady mix, spotlighting of course, blues and ballads and jazz that feature my vocals, keys and bass and the ingenious talents and engineering skills of William (Sandy) Garrett of Songwriters Studio (who also created the cover design).  Several other talented musicians also enhanced the musical offerings. The title song was written in 2008 (the year of my church shooting injury) so its recording has been in "mothballs" until recently, when I brought it out and fell in love with it. The CD also has other treats and surprises too! And you'll notice that Clara the Lady Wolf has re-named her musical self and is now Clara M.L. Wolf (although I'm still a lady!) I'm hoping for a musical reappearance of sorts.  The new CDs (still in design completion and duplication process) can be ordered from me at (865) 659-5383 and I'll have a number of complementary discs.  

Are there any musicians who might like to jam and play music for fun?  Or maybe form a new band?  My home studio is available for us to use. Let me know at 865-659-5383.

And ... this is major news ... I have adopted a canine who is believed to have been found homeless in Memphis.  He was in rough shape when I got him, having been seriously attacked by the younger members of his pack at the rescue facility. He's got a lot of character, many vocal talents (he actually talks), and amazing intelligence. See his pictures on the right side of blog text. And ... we'd like to add that Sampson and I approve this message!   :)  :)  :)

Peace, love, and blessings ... Clara

One Important Way To Sustain Efforts Of Talented Musicians of Knoxville!

Most of us Knoxville musicians have found, over the years, that this area is challenging and competitive. The names of bands and soloists come, stay, and go after a while. The number of venues with live music declined when the economy sank several years ago. I can remember walking up to the doors of venues I played just weeks before, and finding the outer doors closed and locked with padlocked chains.  At that time, some music venues installed multiple television sets and became sports bars, others went with karaoke. Yet, some new venues opened and most thankfully, live musicians persist (new ones hit the scene and some of older ones are still around). The area also still has several music stores.  

Occasionally I make the rounds of the music stores and put up promo flyers for my adult piano lessons and my favorite professional recording studio. This morning I had time to go to two of those music outlets. One is Open Chord, where a lady behind the counter cheerfully handed me a spool of scotch tape so I could put my flyers in the front entry windows. I did suggest to her that for the open mic at which they have some resident instruments provided, it would be wonderful if they could also include a keyboard so that keyboardists like me wouldn't need to carry in a full keyboard, stand, and mic. OC is a very pleasant venue and all-around music-oriented center ... and I applaud their sincere efforts on behalf of musicians.

My gut feelings are what prompted me to write this post, because of a situation I found at Guitar Center today.  Now, for months -- maybe a year or so -- GC has removed all musicians' posting areas from the front of the store.  Granted, these needed occasional neatening up and culling (not a big deal).  Most posters were neat. The removal of these posting boards was, IMO, not the right thing to do to musicians, who are the very people that spend their money at the store.  To sort of throw us a crumb, GC set up a small bulletin board way, way in the very back of the store next to the two restrooms and the employees-only areas.  So in order to see a posting for musicians or musical services, a person visiting the store would need to use the restroom (and would probably need directions on how to find it).  I felt a sense of abandonment and that the arrangement was insulting to musicians … but I posted there anyway. Today I walked back to that restroom area to find that the musician's small bulletin board was covered up with boxes of inventory that could easily have been stacked elsewhere.  The only two visible postings were partially ripped down; probably the rest were behind the stacked boxes on the floor.  I tidied up the couple of things that were still readable … a bassist looking for a band or maybe it was the other way around … it was a neatly hand-printed posting, so I found a place where I could tack it up and did the same for a small notice put up by a guitar teacher. Then I shifted a portable inventory sign to the side of the stack so there would be a small space for the studio flyer I had brought to post. I left the store in dismay, wondering how a music store that used to have a stage and be very pro-musician could want to prevent musicians from posting their upcoming gigs, need for players, and other important services for musicians and aspiring musicians.

The loss of Broadway Sound has had far-reaching effects; for one thing, their huge, friendly musicians' board was a wonderful place to connect.  And their personnel were knowledgeable and helpful. Yes, we have Craig's List and places for paid notices but they can't take the place of a music posting on a friendly local bulletin board.

Life needs music and musicians.  Musicians need audiences, contacts, and music services which they can access via  BULLETIN BOARDS.  So my request to area music stores and outlets is to please happily provide this courtesy to the musicians who support your businesses and brighten up the world with their talents.

Get A Very Nice CD -- Help A Great Charity!

My legacy CD "Lifescape -- Dreams, Innovation, Feelings" is now available! Proceeds from CD sales will be donated to Sweet Relief, the wonderful charity that helps aging and ailing musicians in need.  Along with the CD (which has seventeen songs) I will also provide a copy of my very newest song "Dance With Me", while supplies last.  DWM flew into my head sort of as a caboose to "Lifescape"; I love the song and I think you will too.  Please contact me at claralandau@yahoo.com for ordering info and remittance address.  $12 cash, check, or paypal.  

Back In Blogland :) Clara's Autumnal Post --

My last post mentioned my previous absence and here I am again after another bunch of months away from my blog.  Apologies to readers and to my blog, itself.  The myriad of reasons I didn't post in such a long time includes the fact that I was doing a lot of introspection that was better left publicly unsaid.  On the heels of that came sweeping changes in my personal life, including a residential move.  Since February I've been preparing the house I now live in and going through separation anxiety with my former residence.  I'm a very sentimental person and that sentiment runs deep.  The new abode is much, much larger than the old one.   And it even has modern electrical outlets !  It's very nice :)

A persistent stream of family crises involving relatives hit the scene, too. For the most part those matters are still manifesting -- are unresolved, except in my mind -- where I've turned the corner and am good with that wonderful axiom "It is what it is"  :)  Tra la!  And I'm blessed to have the very most wonderful of friends with whom I can share life's ups and downs.

Here's some happy news I can give my readers who followed my posts about my dog's (past) serious medical problem:  She is in great shape now and, in August, celebrated her 11th birthday!  Dixie Lee is showing signs of age, but still scouts the yard tracking the scents of rabbits and squirrels; and she can break into an easy gallop in a split second when she wants to.
    
A couple of months ago I recorded two songs at Songwriters' Studio; they are my original "A New Face On The Blues" and my arrangement of cover "Blue Moon".  I need to put them up on my Reverbnation page. They turned out really well :)

I  now have three pianos (plus my Yamaha keyboard).  They are Buddy, Bunkie, and Bonnie.  Bunkie was in residence here when I moved in.  He's a great piano, though way different in style and character than Buddy the baby grand.  And Bonnie came to me via a neighbor on  my former street, who didn't want her anymore.  

Please do check out my website at http://www.claralandau.com -- which I updated yesterday -- new pictures, text edits, and some new stuff! 

Yes, I'm as upset as everyone about current and recent politics ... NSA spying , the Obamacare tax mandate, and an article I read a few days ago that reports on government vehicles and weapons being turned over to local police departments to use on Main Street, USA.  This points to the prediction I made months ago (when I hoped to be wrong) about local police departments being sort of "deputized" by the feds in order to prevent any perceived overt action of citizens against government policies.  

I'm ready to start jamming again, so I'd love to be in touch with musicians who are like-minded. I've got the space here now to jam; I also would love to find or form a hand-drum circle.  

We're heading into the "holiday season" ... hard to believe; it seems like yesterday was mid-summer.   Thanksgiving is, in my opinion, the most worthy of all holidays!  I know we should be thankful every day and I am, but I think that designating and celebrating a day in the spirit of thankfulness is a really good thing!   I wish a gracious and joyful Thanksgiving to each and all. 

Jamming –

It felt good to jam with a band-in-the-making last Saturday. Although they don’t do my musical genre-of-choice, (they do southern rock), it was a fun day and their wives served up some great food. The music had a lot of repeat patterns and became almost like a meditation. Yamaha (my keyboard) said to me, "What have you got me doing now?" I replied, "Just do it, you'll never have it this easy again".

Knox area musicians – I’d love to get together with a local or regional blues and/or jazz band or with musical individuals. If this describes you, please contact me. There’s something magical about the energy that flows among musicians when they play together.

Please check out my website at www.claralandau.com.