April

It’s just shy of a month till my first gig. It’s coming fast and I pray I will be ready. I got the go-ahead to start actually playing guitar from my physical therapist a week ago, and I am now up to playing almost 30 minutes a day. My range of motion is improving, and I am able to reach the chords much easier. It’s so great to be playing guitar again! On Wednesday, it will be three months since the surgery. Seems like forever ago, and forever’s a long time to wait when you’re dying to play guitar.

So, for the next few weeks, I will be working on regaining my strength, rebuilding my callouses, and restoring my confidence. The first show is Friday, May 2, at the Olde Church Acoustic Series in Meriden, CT. The Martin Girls are opening for Inner Groove. Check my shows tab for details. Thank you so much for your support, and for traveling this road with me. Can’t wait to see you!

Here are two videos from this past week: Wishing on Planes and This Land is Your Land.

How is it March already?

The days seem to be flying by, and we are already halfway through March. How does that happen? I’ve been here the whoie time! I am still soldiering on with my physical therapy sessions, trying to gain strength and mobility. I’m even doing chord formations on the guitar! It does seem easier now to get to the chords than it was before the surgery, but I have a ways to go before I’m actually playing. I did have two shows scheduled in April, but I have rescheduled them for later this year. My goal for April is to do some online shows in Second Life and/or on Facebook to get me game ready.

The Martin Girls (Anne Marie Menta & I) are opening for Inner Groove on May 2 as part of the Olde Church Acoustic Series. Inner Groove will be celebrating their latest CD release and I will be celebrating my very first live show since December 2024!

Since it’s March, and St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, perhaps you’d like to check out my song, Bridget Keane, about an ancestor of mine who came from County Clare during the famine and settled in Newtown, CT. You can read the story behind it here and you can listen to it here or here.

I am really looking forward to playing and performing again. In the words of the great Joni Mitchell…”Don’t it always seem to go, you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone…” Luckily for me, I’m just on a small hiatus. Thank you for being there for me. I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Hello 2025

Welcome to 2025! I can’t believe it’s been four weeks since my surgery. Thankfully, i made it through the worst part and am here one-handed typing. I started physical therapy this week and am already making progress!

There’s still a ways to go though, and I am trying to be patient.I miss playing and performing, and I especially miss seeing all of you. I have shows booked in April that I really hope I’ll be ready for: Cafe Atlantique on April 5, and Klekolo World Coffee on April 22. I guess time will tell. I will keep you posted.

Thank you so much for being here with me. I appreciate you all so very much. Looking forward to seeing you all soon. In the meantime, you can find me on the streaming platforms and social media. Come say hi.

Post-op and ready to go home.

Two-weeks of this cast.

No more cast! Stitches are out. The work begins.

As 2024 Draws to a Close...

As we come to the end of the year, I am looking back at what 2024 brought to me. I was blessed with a wide variety of shows and opportunities: The Martin Girls’ (with annemariementamusic.com) at the Oxford Baking Company (Turned out to be the last show ever. I still miss that venue), solo and Martin Girls shows at cafeatlantiquemilford.com, an appearance on WOWRadio, Monsters of Acoustic Rock with @zachandersenmusic at sagesoundstudios.com, Martin Girls at CTRocks Fest, a solo show at Easton Public Library, an appearance on Bill Revill’s Acoustic Blender on wesufm.org, Catstock at Best Video, the Ball Pond Music Festival, the Martin Girls at Deer Lake Festival, milfordporchfest.com, the Martin Girls at the Downtown Coffee Shop and shaynabsbythesea.com, the Christmas Tree Sale and Open House at sterlingcommunitycenter.org (artsallianceofstratford.org), and the Pass the Guitar benefit show at milfordarts.org.

The Martin Girls at Cafe Atlantique - 2/24

Ball Pond Music Festival

Cafe Atlantique-5/24

It was a wonderfully busy year for me musically, one which saw the growth of the Martin Girls, thanks to the hard work and patience of Anne Marie Menta, who’s an amazing singer, songwriter, and guitarist from the New Haven area. Anne Marie and I started doing a few shows together a couple of years ago, but in the last year or so have been adding more of our originals to our sets. I am really loving the vocal blend! The name comes from our love of the same Martin guitar model, the 000-28.

Connecticut has an extraordinary community of musicians, many of whom I have met and and have been lucky enough to share a stage with over the years. I am ever grateful for the experiences I have had and the friends I have made. The love and support I have received is the fuel that keeps me going.

For over 16 years, I have been playing online in Second Life to global audiences. Every Sunday night at 9pm eastern, I play a 90-minute show that is broadcast on Facebook Live, that I post on my page. It is still amazing to me that I can reach people across the globe while I’m playing from my basement studio. Over the years, I have made so many friends and have heard some really great music.

To the fans, I thank you for your unfailing support. There’s nothing more gratifying than seeing and meeting fans at a venue or an online show. I love that you’re listening on Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, etc., and following me on social media—I love the connection. To know my music speaks to you in some way is such a gift.

What’s ahead for 2025? In January, I’m having surgery on my left hand to replace a finger joint. I have been suffering with arthritis for a couple of years and I am hoping that this will make it much easier and less painful to play chords. Recovery is about six weeks, and guitar playing two months. I’m not even going to make a guess as to when I will be playing shows again, although I have one booked in April and one in May. I have to say, this is a bit scary for me, as I am facing the unknown. Logically, though, the surgery should make a major improvement in my playing ability, and I am looking forward to that possibility.

Thank you to all of you, for being here in my 2024. Thank you to all of you who booked me for gigs this year, listened to my music, played my songs on the radio (cygnusradio.com and any others I may not know about), voiced words of encouragement, went to a show, shared a stage, and read this blog. I see you, and I appreciate you. May 2025 bring you all you have wished for.

New Song Dropping Soon!

Hello, 2022, we’re here! I’m kicking off the year with a brand new single, which releases on January 15, to Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora, and all the other music services. 

The song, My Last Goodbye, was written for my mom, whom we lost in September. Saying goodbye to a loved one is one of the most difficult experiences we all face. In My Last Goodbye, I addressed that feeling of words left unsaid. It has been a healing process for me, and my hope is that it will be for others as well. 

The song was recorded at Long Hill Recording by Paul Opalach and features Colin Healy on fiddle. I’m so excited share it with you!

I hope all your dreams come true in 2022! Thank you for being a part of mine!