Artist Bio
Influences: Lots of Johnny's-- PRINE, Cash, Hiatt, Horton, Clegg. Elvii: whether mythical, Presley or Costello. You! Every Year I am inspired by the amazing musicians in this community. You are my mentors.
Whoa!
Tenth FAWM!
FAWM transformed me as a musician and songwriter. I find that FAWM gives me a pass from the seasonal blahs of enduring long Canadian winters.
Every year I use this space to post a FAWManifesto of my FAWM Goals.
In the past year I slowed down on playing and writing after FAWM. In the midst of the pandemic, I've been trying to establish new healthy patterns including lots of walks in the woods.
I have a longstanding musical goal to learn at least a bit of drum fundamentals. I am trying to get a glimpse into what it is that drummers do. The answer appears to be: "alchemy".
This fall and winter I have been practicing diligently with my midi pad controllers to understand basic drum concepts and try to get my mind around the process of making music with sequencers. I have a NI Maschine MK2 and software and I'm just scratching the surface.
FAWM Goals
1. Make at least 1 track where I program/play my own drum parts with the pads.
2. Attempt some Kind of sample based electronica with the pads.
3) I got my first electric guitars at 50 after 30 years playing acoustic. I have been stumbling into an electric aesthetic that is in the territory of Crazy Horse, the Heartbreakers, The Vileators, Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, Corin Raymond, and some of the alt-alt-alt-country rock guys. I am going to keep pursuing this sound.
4. Back to my centre: Lots more of my folk and folk rock story songs. Lots more of my usual mix of folk, kids music, ukulele experiments and a partridge in a pear tree.
5. Collabs very welcome. I learn so much from every one of my collaborators.
I have been enjoying using songcraft.io and I'd love to try out some of its collaborative features.
Every year a few more local songwriters dive into FAWM. We have been meeting weekly on Zoom to skirmish and encourage each other. I am so glad that my FAWM community is both worldwide and right in my backyard.
This year, my local songwriter's group cannot meet at the Midland Cultural Centre. But @crutherford has stepped up to host a weekly Monday evening Zoom check-in during FAWM. Contact me or her for details.
Update: Local FAWM Winners:
@crutherford, Myself: @ductapeguy @moonraccoon @mrgee1952 @mandolinda
@freddie13 @tippyteapot @robheron1, and my old friend John Vella is @sailings1
Other Simcoe County area songwriters participating in writing songs during FAWM this year, @nibor @rangermike, @dedrood @lnh @musicbymichelle
I don't know if @beesmusic @sebscorner
@cleansupafterburn will be participating this year.
Every year in January I make an album cover to prime the creative pumps for FAWM. Here is this year's.
Songs (31)
Edith's Symphony
Soundboard
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@stickyfingers Mar 2022
thank you for the comment! I'm glad you like my song.
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@heuristicsinc Mar 2022
Super cool that you played my song for your class. Thanks for the sheer volume of reviews :)
Wondering why you picked that one specifically? -
@rwhosings Mar 2022
Thanks so much for the comment on The Destroyer. It was great fun to make!
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@samplebandit Mar 2022
hi! big up for showing my tune to your music class, made my day :)
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@robynmackenzie Mar 2022
Congrats to *you!* 31, wowza!!
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@infilktion Mar 2022
Thank you for that! I love playing for young people. Tell them thank you for their comments
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@davewermers Mar 2022
Thanks for listening to "Better Friend".
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@psyt Mar 2022
Hey, thanks for the comment and recommendation on Oppressive Consumerism. :)
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@marthie Mar 2022
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@marthie Mar 2022
Thank you for all your listening and feedback and recommendations! Tge song you were following has a Berniced version(where David decided these lyrics should do- so I recommend you catch that one too dobedobedoo.
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@fearlessflight2014 Mar 2022
Me and John are dining out on the ABBA comparison. We are considering retiring on the strength of that one comment - our work here is done!
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@robheron1 Feb 2022
Nice to meet you all virtually. Thx for being the record keeper for our Local FAWMers! This has been a great experience.
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@actualjulian Feb 2022
Hey thanks for the awesome feedback this year! May the FAWM be with you ALWAYS!
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@nancycunning Feb 2022
Dear Mr. McGaughey, your second and third graders rock. Can we write them a song together? I was in third grade when Mrs. Johnson used to let kids in her Grade 3/4 class bring 45s to school for us to listen during Milk Break. Pretty much everything I know about songs and songwriting I learned sucking on a straw in the second row. "Wait, that's not fair. Is he really so vain?" "Oh, wow, you can rhyme Fire and Delilah" Thank God for Mrs. Johnson and my classmates who had access to records. You tell your kids, they made my day.
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@tfish77 Feb 2022
Wow thank you for the amazing comment on my Star Wars song!!
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@dragondreams Feb 2022
Thanks, Sean. I wasn't going to... but I seem to be on the way there now. ;-)
Time for some food here, but I think I only need four more to do it! -
@potentialspam Feb 2022
Mr. McGaughey: Thanks for sharing my bear song with your class! It made my day. I have a 1st grader myself so a lot of their reaction sounded pretty familiar, haha. Love that you are able to share your FAWM experience with the kids and hopefully it will inspire the next generation of FAWMERs!
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@fearlessflight2014 Feb 2022
Not a winner yet… there’s 3 or 4 songs that are just bass or harmony overdubs. But I WILL get over the line
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@cts Feb 2022
Hey bud - the tune is finished. Did you need me to tag you as collaborator? I hope your students like it. If there are any concerns from parents or what have you, let me know and I'll do what's necessary to correct it. Please thank your class for the opportunity to turn their lyrics into music and that I enjoyed collaborating with them.
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@ayehahmur Feb 2022
Ha, Sean! Can't it be both?
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@trebled Feb 2022
I cannot tell you just how touched I was to hear how your students enjoyed my song ‘Get Up And Dance’. My music hasn’t been getting a lot of attention so far, but that alone made the whole FAWM experience worth it for me! Buzzing - thank you soooo very much! :-)
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@gordon Feb 2022
Thanks for the comments on the happy banana song. Glad the class enjoyed it sir!
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@jaegerin Feb 2022
Hi Mr. McGaughey, So great to hear that your class enjoyed our chocolate mug cake song. That made my day! Are your students going to write food songs too? If so, I'd love to hear them.
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@klaus Feb 2022
Thanks for the comments, Sean!
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@musicbymichelle Feb 2022
Wow I just noticed you're at 24 songs! That's amazing!
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@musicbymichelle Feb 2022
Thanks for the encouraging words!
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@dragondreams Feb 2022
Thank you loads!
The drone is just really long ambience reverb from the Stone Voices VST (the setting is called "Long Ambience"). It's my go-to freebie reverb. The Raum reverb is a bit more sparkly and immediate. I had them running in parallel as I was playing, so I could hear the reverb in real time. :-) -
@radioovermoscow Feb 2022
You did what?! Hahahahahahaaha oh my god
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@atam94 Feb 2022
Whoa, thanks for listening to my song with your class!! That's really cool!
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@moonraccoon Feb 2022
Notifications still seem pretty broken this year. I just saw your note on Stephen's An announcement, and yeah, I have no prob at all. I'll just put off listening to your interpretation till mine is done :)
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@lmr Feb 2022
Hey Sean, thanks so much for your comments about "Lost Highways", you've been so helpful and kind. I have to say, "Under a Cherry African Sky" is so amazing, what an incredible soundscape that brings so much life and imagery to mind. It should definitely be a movie soundtrack.
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@cts Feb 2022
Wow, man. Congrats on the win! I'll be back in March for commenting. In other news, yes, I receive the lyrics. I should be able to work on them in the next day or so. Finishing production cleanup at work. Please let you students know I'm very honored to work with them on this project.
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@emkeev Feb 2022
A heartfelt THANK YOU for recommending me on the forums!! I'm humbled.
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@srcoops Feb 2022
This is my favorite kind of music. My jazz CD collection includes about 500 discs.
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@srcoops Feb 2022
Oh Man! I loved every aspect of this. Great work!!
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@srcoops Feb 2022
Glad to have you work on anything I wrote.
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@stephubik Feb 2022
Mr. McG's class' comments on my instrumental about Gipsy just made my day. No, forget that, it made my whole week. If not all of this year's FAWM. Thank you very much :)
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@crutherford Feb 2022
Pop syrup is the BEST syrup!!! Thanks Mr McG and his class - you made my day! :)
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@freddie13 Feb 2022
Thank you Mr. G's class for the awesome comments.
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@chrisshepard Feb 2022
You are too kind!
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@jonmeta Feb 2022
Thank you, Mr. G, and Mrs B’s 3 kids! My best reaction of the month so far!
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@sailings1 Feb 2022
I was more than honoured to think that you would play one of my songs for your kids...loved the reactions.
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@mckillop Feb 2022
Thanks for your comment on "Unforgettable"!
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@hummingbear Feb 2022
Thanks for your comment and sharing your class comments on "The Timer Goes Ding." Loved their enthusiasm for cookies! It's wonderful that you can share FAWM with them and it tickles me to see their comments on a variety of songs. Win-win.
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@jtsteam Feb 2022
Thanks for your comment! I feel that Mr Jones at least *ought* to be hip with the kids. As a university educator I have long since given up trying to pretend to be hip (as if I ever was) although I do sometimes tell them which films to watch and books to read to keep up with my favourite cultural references :).
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@valeriecox Feb 2022
You do remember singing Purple Octopi too? Cool. I thought maybe I was high, and just made it up. :P
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@lhcisco Feb 2022
Dude I don't know if I ever told you, but your classroom breakdowns are amazing. I just imagine a room of kids listening and making faces like the Kombucha gif. https://tinyurl.com/yckneypa
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@jsini Feb 2022
Mr. McGaughey, I am so honored you chose my song, The Frog, the Cow, and the Fish, to play for your students. I appreciated their comments. Please thank them for me! Oh, and please give extra credit to whomever liked the fish. The fish is my favorite too. Thank you!!
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@popmythology Feb 2022
Hey, Sean, thanks so much for sharing those comments from your class for "Star Ark"!! Those were great and made my day. Of course, all the credit goes to @cts. :)
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@wylddandelyon Feb 2022
I'm enjoying the comments from the kids' music class when I see them. Thanks for sharing my song with them!
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@povosos Feb 2022
Thanks for your comment on "From the Outside"
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@bethdesombre Feb 2022
Please send my best wishes and thanks to your first grade class -- I love their early-stage music criticism!
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@pauloramos Feb 2022
Hey, thank you for listening to and commenting on my song. Really glad you enjoyed it. How have you done 12 songs already!? That's insane. Enjoy the rest of your FAWM-ing :)
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@sunnysays Feb 2022
OMG I just wanted to thank you and your class so much. My jaw was dropping just read the comments in disbelief. Thank you so soo soo much! Your such an awesome teacher show these kids some underground hiphop! Hope they and yourself have awesome end to the school year! Also good luck on your bold FAWM goals I too have be working on my pad playin always been inspired by J dilla!
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@cts Feb 2022
Hello @ductapeguy! I want to thank you and your music class for stopping by the factory and sampling the goods! I am humbled that it has brought nice vibes to budding musicians. Please let your students know how much I appreciate them AND if they collectively want to write lyrics to a song, I will personally make a demo...just for them! Thanks again, and I'll be back for commenting. I'm behind on everything, but I will not forget those who took the time to stop by.
Keep the party moving! -
@dutch1967 Feb 2022
Gotta love that class of yours!
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@p3t3h4rv3y Feb 2022
Thanks @ductapeguy those words were pretty much verbatim from a conversation I had with a guy on a campsite in Collioure years ago. He was a computer programmer by then, there were more words about clean code that didn't make the cut (hence the title).
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@nadine Feb 2022
You comment made me smile! Poor Joe. He has to play a fretless 1-string bass or a shamisen. So fun to see the song developing
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@joefahey Feb 2022
Hey Sean I was touched by your heartfelt comment about my stream of consciousness lyrics being an influence on your own writing, much appreciation, cheers!
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@frank Feb 2022
Wow, thank you so much for sharing my music with your class! I'm glad they enjoyed the beat, and I'm hoping it was as fun for them to listen to as it was for me to make it!
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@elainedimasi Feb 2022
Thanks, that comment made my day! You can tell your class these are pretty authentic "Mario" sounds. I used a tool, FamiStudio, that emulates the sound chip of the Nintendo Entertainment System and did my best to write in the correct fashion. I'm glad they liked the beat! And - I'm glad if they didn't try too hard to understand the grown-up lyrics!! X-D
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@torniojaws Feb 2022
Wow, cool to hear group comments :) wish we had something like that around here.
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@darcistrutt Feb 2022
Ah the Spinal Tap drummers! Guess I need to tell those I love to keep a dustpan and whisk broom ready.
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@dragondreams Feb 2022
Once again, please thank your class most sincerely for me. I really, REALLY value their lovely feedback!
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@grayland Feb 2022
Hi! I wanted to stop by and tell you how much I appreciated reading your comments on One More Mile!!
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@dragondreams Feb 2022
I added some cowbell... ;-)
https://fawm.org/songs/129141/ -
@jmso91 Feb 2022
Thank you so much for your lovely comment on my song! I've fallen off the wagon a little bit due to some extenuating circumstances but hopefully will carry on soon. Comments like yours are really motivating :)
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@dvdshnsmth Feb 2022
Thanks for listening!
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@emkaydeebee Feb 2022
Thank you and your grade 2 music class!! I’m so touched at your taking the time to listen and gather their responses to it!
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@paulmilne Feb 2022
Thanks gor the comments of your Grade 3 music class on Plant A Tree - it makes me want to dance too! It proves we can achieve great things by working with other people.
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@unici Feb 2022
Hey. I just checked out your website. You are so creative and you are such an inspiring and sweet person. Reading the comments here on you confirms that this is not just my opinion. Thank you for your presence and for stopping by at my profile.
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@nobodyofficial Feb 2022
Thanks for sharing with the class, that comment made my day!
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@joefahey Feb 2022
Thanks for the AWESOME comments from the class for "Two Left Feet"!
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@owl Feb 2022
Mr. McGaughey, I am CRYING, thank you for sharing the lovely comments from your class!
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@pontiuspython Feb 2022
Thank you so much for commenting on my second song, "Done with that". It means a lot. <3
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@bethyrose Feb 2022
Oh my goodness, it is amazing that your 1st grade music class listened to my song- thank you for sharing all of their beautiful feedback! I will tell my daughter that the kids enjoyed the song she made with me <3 Happy FAWMing and music teaching!
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@stevenwesleyguiles Feb 2022
That's so cool to have the music listened to by your class! Thanks for sharing that feedback! So fun!
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@crutherford Feb 2022
I am SWOONING over the fact you sent my tune to be reviewed by your grade 8 music class. Thank you so much for this - (I don't think in the mish mash of words i was quite swearing - so this is a good thing!) i wish i had you as a music teacher when i was growing up Mr McGaughey!!! so happy they could understand my apocalyptic lullaby!!!
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@heuristicsinc Feb 2022
Thanks, I didn't find the arpeggiator yet, I'll have to go find it.
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@joefahey Feb 2022
Hey Sean, thanks for the greeting and the good words for Trending on Twitter. looks like your being quite productive, I’ll have to get busy listening!
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@emory Feb 2022
Thank you for the comments on my songs! This isn't my tenth FAWM, but I think I did my first one in 2011 so it has been about 10 years for me too. It's been fantastic for me as a musician over the years.
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@unici Feb 2022
Thank you so much for your lovely comment on my song "?!" and for watchlisting me. I was surprised and very happy about that.
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@jaegerin Feb 2022
Aw, glad it helped, Sean. Thanks for the kind words.
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@beat Feb 2022
Thx for the words.
Am glad to be your tour guide. -
@metalfoot Feb 2022
Yes, when you posted yours that made critical mass of 4 versions OTHER than mine in the wild, so it was safe for me to release mine!
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@lmr Feb 2022
Hey Sean, thanks again for stoping by my page and for your continued encouragement, yes I think I've already gotten bids here in NYC for that Fixer Upper...I have to say, you are incredibly prolific, congrats. Just listened to squall warning which was supper cool and atmospheric. What a thoughtful use of the traditional and contemporary.
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@gwyn1234 Feb 2022
Many, many thanks for the listen and your kind and encouraging words again...
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@tcelliott Feb 2022
Thanks for the comment(s). I got that scared feeling for a moment as I didn't know I was going to be graded. For real, though, that brightened up my day.
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@dasbinky Feb 2022
I'm glad to finally be reaching the youth with my work. Thank you, good sir.
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@trebled Feb 2022
Thanks so much for your kind comments about my song, “Head First Into Heartache”. It’s much appreciated!
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@stephenwordsmith Feb 2022
I hereby uphold my open invitation and warmly welcome you to my song.
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@mikehind Feb 2022
So glad you liked my song about old love. (Although, I'm only 53! LOL So watch the old stuff! :D (JK))
Love the album cover! -
@hmorg Feb 2022
Thanks for the comment on "Wireweaver's Theme"! Early on, it felt like the kind of thing you get lost in, then snap out of it and wonder how you got there. I think I managed to keep that feeling intact.
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@jacobeverettwallace Feb 2022
Hey Sean, it's always a pleasure to hear from your class kids! I'm honored they listened and commented. Please let them know I'm grateful and thankful and I wish them the best in their musical journeys!
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@katpiercemusic Feb 2022
Wow! I think that might have been one of the nicest compliments I've ever gotten on my music, from some of the toughest critics. Do you have any experience with MLT? I had a former student at our All State Conference so I was his "chaperone." All the PD sessions I went to were based on it. I probably dropped a couple hundred dollars on books and joined the GIML society. I may be one of those people that obsesses a little too much...
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@burrsettles Feb 2022
That comment with reactions from your students is perhaps the best FAWM comment I have ever received! Tell them all thank you for me! :)
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@dasbinky Feb 2022
Thanks for the shout-out on the recommended tracks thread! :D
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@jaegerin Feb 2022
Hi there, and thanks for your kind words on my Groundhog Day song! Yep, got me a uke a few weeks ago! It is so much easier to handle than my mandolin so I’m hoping to bring it in a lot this month.
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@darcistrutt Feb 2022
Your comment on my groundhog song made me laugh out loud! Thank you for that my friend!