Market Street Coffee 

2/19 Market Street Coffee

There are places to play and truly special places to play; sometimes the only difference is location. Market Street Coffee is a quaint, cozy venue, with an appreciative staff. Justin Trawick, an impressive writer and performer who’s starting to get noticed in the DC vicinity, also books the shows there. But, what makes it great for me is that it’s only a mile away from my sister’s house.

There are many other ingredients that made this night a special one. Sharing the set with Dave Dorst, the twin brother one of my musical partners-in-crime (Jonathan Dorst), was great. Dave’s musicianship and energy provide a contrast to my songwriting-first approach.

About 70 folks came to the show: some for Dave, some for me. I had friends from Texas and Florida show up. Many of my gifted writing friends were in attendance; which was very humbling. My latest partner-in-crime, Jean Bayou, played keyboards, and the wonderful Yvette Barnes added vocal stylings.

Normally, my rule is that it’s much easier to play for a room full of strangers than a room filled with friends. That said, it’s a privilege to play in a room filled with love. Having nephews and niece there made it perfect. Sure, I’ve sounded better, but I’ve never had more fun.

I debuted a new song, Turkey Bowl Blues, which is a about the adults playing the kids in holiday football. It went over well (understatement).

We'll be playing there again on Saturday May 21. Hope to see you there.

David Lamotte (photo courtesy of www.davidlamotte.com) 

2/12 SAW Workshop- David Lamotte

First, true confession, I'm the education coordinator for Songwriter's Association of Washington (SAW). So, much of this blog will focus on SAW educational events...not just out of self-promotion (or SAW-promotion), but because many of these events are very, very cool. I've met some talented folks because of these workshops, and...oh yeah....my art has grown, too.

The subject was applying the principles of tension and release to your songwriting. However, David Lamotte's just one of those people that you can be in a room with for 3 hours and be a much better person for it. In addition to being a great songwriter, he's extremely intelligent, and capable of intelligent conversation on practically any topic.......and he has really cool hair.

The one aspect of the workshop that I gained the most from was the writing exercise. It was to write an West African Praise poem, an artform designed to raise yourself to a place of honor by making your tribe aware of your accomplishments. One of the requirements was to write about yourself in animal form. The choice was agonizing, and the spirit of my long-deceased dog , Josh, was begging me to be an Irish Setter ("face it, Cary......you're as stupid as me"). Perhaps the best idea for a spirit animal came from my friend Zoe, who told me that I was a duck. Her rationale: a duck looks dignified, but isn't. So, I submit for your approval, Cary, the world conquering mallard.

Cary Whaley taking a new song to the Baltimore Songwriter's Association (photo courtesy of Gar Ragland). 

Testing......

This is my first blog entry. Consider it an online sound check. If I run with this, it will provide a window into the my world of open mics, songwriting workshops, writer's circles, and festivals. Stay tuned, it's possible you'll learn some good places to play and hear me talk about some good people.