May 2011

MAY 2011 E-ZINE
Happy Cinco de Mayo. A short E-Zine this month since we sent April out mid-month. The summer itinerary is filling up and the new website and CD/DVD are on the way (very soon and soon, respectively).

Concert details, latest news, much more at http://andrewmcknight.net
1. Upcoming Shows
2. SERFA Conference - Showcases, Workshop and More
3. Ten Years with Elixir Strings
Song for the Month: "Ansel Adams"
Essay: "So What Now?"

Help a little or a lot by sharing a song or CD from the website via email or Facebook, hosting a house concert or something in between: http://andrewmcknight.net/help
Thanks most of all for reading this!
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1. UPCOMING SHOWS More details and links at website.
SA 5/7 * POMFRET CT - Vanilla Bean Cafe, 8pm
At the intersection of US 44, CT 169 & 97 in Pomfret Center [ZIP 06258]

TH-SA 5/19-21 * MONTREAT NC - SE Regional Folk Alliance (with Beyond Borders)
Andrew and his bandmates do a 15-minute showcase Sat. 5/21 between 7-8:30pm, in the Upper Anderson Auditorium at the Assembly Inn. The public is welcome to attend the evening showcases Thurs-Sat.; one night is $10 or all three for $25, in cash only at the door. (see article below)

SELECT SHOWS ON THE HORIZON
SA 6/4 * PARKERSBURG WV - John's House Concert, 8pm
WE 6/8 * COLUMBIA MD - Lunchtime at the Lakefront, noon
FR 6/10 * FAIRFAX VA - Royal Lake Park, 7:30pm (with Beyond Borders)
SA 6/18 * ALDIE VA - Mountville Folk Festival (with Beyond Borders)
SA 6/25 * HARRISONBURG VA - Old Town House Concerts, 7:30pm

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2. SERFA CONFERENCE - Showcases, Workshop and More
In addition to being part of the Formal Showcase on Saturday evening May 21st, Andrew and bandmate Lisa Taylor will doing some solo "guerrilla" showcases as part of the late night music. Andrew is also one of the leaders of the "Presenters and Performers Working Together To Build An Audience" workshop on Saturday afternoon at 1:15pm.

For details on the band's schedule and general conference info, visit the calendar item at http://andrewmcknight.net/serfa

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3. TEN YEARS WITH ELIXIR STRINGS
We are thrilled and grateful that Elixir Strings is renewing our Endorsing Artist agreement for another year, making this a full decade of support. Andrew is thrilled about the sound and longevity on both his Martin MC-68 acoustic and the Fender Stratocaster electric guitar. Elixir has been busy developing some other great new products for guitarists from across the spectrum - take a tour at http://elixirstrings.com.

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SONG FOR THE MONTH
"Ansel Adams" from Something Worth Standing For; "writing the song helped put the tragedy of Virginia Tech into perspective by reminding me of the fleetingness of human moments, and the timelessness of the landscape"
http://andrewmcknight.bandcamp.com/track/ansel-adams
You can listen to the whole song, read lyrics, and share with friends via Facebook, email, blog and more.

Bandcamp.com is our direct partner for selling Andrew's CDs and downloads - they take a minimal percentage, it's easy to use, offers the best audio quality downloads, and allows us to personally ship your CDs.

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ANDREW'S ESSAY: "So What Now?"
The real world reverses the writing process, and inspires reflection on respect and dignity.

"Songwriting is the art and craft of translating the personal into the universal. To take one's experiences and perspectives and try to make them emotionally accessible to the many. Most of the time that is how I approach these musings as well.

But life often intervenes in grand and sweeping ways that cannot be ignored. I was already a bit preoccupied with the super tornadoes across the south, as well as ongoing developments in Japan and the "Arab spring". When the news came of the capture and demise of Osama bin Laden, like probably everyone else I was immediately drawn back into the whole 9/11 bad dream.

So I re-read my first journal entry post 9/11. It wasn't until November 2001 that I felt sufficiently stable to organize and share my thoughts, inspired by a visit to Valley Forge. . ."

[Read the rest at http://andrewmcknight.net/so-what-now-may-2011]

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