Newsletter, December 2007 – The Kitchen Musician

Hello Friends,
Welcome to the December 2007 issue of The Kitchen Musician, my occasional newsletter.

Featuring my new song A Prayer for Peace, plus “Mr. Wonderful”.

Upcoming Shows

I have not scheduled any performances for December. Lots of family comings and goings this month. Several shows in January.

Jan. 9: CANCELED: Please note that my feature set at Emack & Bolios in Roslindale, MA is canceled. This open mike is on hiatus until the spring. Hopefully, we can reschedule.

Jan. 14, Monday, 8:30 pm, Emerson Umbrella Center for the Arts, Concord, MA. I am one of two feature performers at this long standing open mike, hosted by Ellen Schmidt and Jake Kensinger. The folk group October’s Dream and I will each do a 30 minute set. If you have never been to an open mike, this one is a classic. Please come. Admission $5, plus “pass the hat” for the feature performers. Light refreshments are provided.

Jan. 30, Wednesday, 8:30 pm, Main Streets Market & Cafe, Concord, MA. This evening I will do a 1 hour set as the guest of High Sierra, a six member folk group. This restaurant has a wonderful menu and bar. If you would like dinner, I suggest you call for a reservation. No cover charge.

Click for more upcoming shows.

Recent News

Last week, I was asked by our first grade teacher, Ms. Willig to be “Something Wonderful”. Could anyone refuse an invitation like that? On Friday mornings her class has “Something Wonderful”, a thirty minute period with a surprise guest. When the big moment arrived, I appeared with my guitar, spoons and Jack, my limberjack dancing doll. What fun, and mostly for me! Ms. Willig’s camera caught us as we were “Going on a Bear Hunt”.

Phil Knudsen kindly sent the above photo of me at the Center for the Arts in Natick, MA on November 26. Phil and his wife Trisha host a wonderful open mike there on most Monday nights. The open mike community in the Boston area is a wonderfully supportive one, fostering self-made music by people of all skill and experience levels.

This Month’s Song

A Prayer for Peace, © 2007 Tom Smith
Performed live at Emerson Umbrella Center for the Arts
Concord, MA, December 3, 2007
Lyrics in the comments below

The chords of this song haunted me for months, with no words to join them. About two weeks ago, the muse finally visited when I happened upon an old Book of Common Prayer with some page corners turned down at the psalms. From Psalm #11: “For see how the wicked bend the bow and fit their arrows to the string to shoot from ambush at the true of heart”. Several other phrases jumped out and influenced the words that ultimately joined these chords… my offering to you for this holiday season, and all seasons.

As a Kitchen Musician I usually just sit next to the refrigerator to record the music for my newsletters. A Prayer for Peace can’t really do its job when sung by a solitary voice in the kitchen, so I took my video camera to four open mikes last week and asked a friend in each audience to “press record” when I sang this song. All of the recordings were wonderful. Thanks to all of the open mikers who learned my song and sang beautifully. The above video was recorded on December 3 at the Emerson Umbrella Center for the Arts in Concord, MA. I will be the feature performer at this wonderful open mike on January 14, hosted by the goddess and god of open mikes, Ellen Schmidt and Jake Kensinger.

Wishing you peace and music,

– Tom