Newsletter Archive

Hiya,

Happy summer. It’s hawt heah in Bostin. Hope you’re staying cool wherever you are.

Here’s what I’ll be up to in the next few weeks.

This Saturday night I will be making my annual summer pilgrimage to the northeast corner of Connecticut. That’s right folks it’s time for the summer show at The Vanilla Bean. This amazing restaurant and performance space is located 20 minutes from Worcester and 30 minutes from Rhode Island. The food is home made and incredible. The performance space is intimate. The ride there is beautiful. This is a great way to spend a summer evening. I have been playing this room for many years. It is ALWAYS a blast. Hope you can make it.

Saturday July 23rd The Vanilla Bean Restaurant Jcts of routes #44,169 and 97 Pomfret CT 860 928 1562

Three days later I will be doing a short feature set at the Continental Café in West Acton Mass. This is an open mike that is hosted by my dear friends Ellen and Jake. It starts at 6:30. I am the featured performer. I will be doing a 30 minute set at 8:00. If you live in the area, come on by and check out this great scene.

Tuesday July 26th The Continental Café  5A Spruce St. in  West Acton Mass. Info at www.ellenschmidt.com/openmike.html and 978-369-8090

Three days later I will be flying to Michigan. On Saturday I will be performing at an all day festival in Evart, Michigan and on Sunday evening I will be performing in a showcase at The Ark in Ann Arbor. I’m flying in on Friday the 29th and am available to do a private show that evening. I could also possibly fit one in on Sunday afternoon depending on where it was. Curious? Check out the private performances page at www.donwhite.net. Maybe we can work something out. I am able to bring the price down a bit when I am already in the area and don’t have to include the cost of a plane ticket. Contact my agent with any questions you might have at booking@donwhite.net or 617 539 3182

Saturday July 30th Evart Downtown Summer Musicale. This is an outdoor music festival located at 200 South Main St in Evart, Michigan. It begins at noon and goes till 8:00 PM. For info and directions call 231-734-6119

Sunday July 31st The Ark 316 South Main St Ann Arbor Michigan. This is an evening with Matt Watroba, Anne Hills and Lou and Peter Berryman We will be celebrating the fact that Matt’s Folks Like Us radio show has moved from Detroit to WEMU 89.1 FM in Ypsilanti. It’s going to be a great night. Check The Ark web site for start time and other vital data. 734 763 8587 www.theark.org

And my last scheduled public performance before September will be at the brand new Amazing Things Art Center in Framingham Mass. This is the latest creation of Mr. Michael Moran. There are very interesting things happening in this venue. Please come by and check it out.

Saturday August 4th The Amazing Things Arts Center 55 Nicholas Rd Framingham, MA 781-772-1945 www.amazingthings.org
 

Private Performances in New England

Are you putting together a gathering of friends, relatives or work associates this summer or fall?  You are? Well, I think you need to consider inserting a Don white performance into the heart of this event. It will give people something to talk about besides the potato salad. There are several good weekend dates open between now and when the snow flies. Learn more at www.donwhite.net. Contact my agent at don@donwhite.net or 617 539 3182 and he’ll answer any questions.
 

I’d like to send out a special thanks to all the Michigan folks who turned out last weekend to my shows in Ann Arbor and Flint. And a big thank you to the folks who put together the wonderful private show in Livonia. It was a
great weekend.

All my CDs and my DVD are always available at www.cdfreedom.com
 

The Endurance Award

Part 5 of my short story called Father’s Day

The previous excerpts are archived.
 

At the crime scene I said to my son, “You made a pretty big mistake today.” His eyes welled up. It caught me by surprise. It made me realize how big the world looks from three feet off the ground. I pulled up a milk crate that was next to the garage and sat down so he wouldn’t have to look up at me as if I was a giant. One essential tool for empowering little people is to demystify big people. The first phase of the demystification process is to un-giant yourself. The second is to tell the truth.

“I make mistakes,” I told him. ”I make them all the time. You know how I feel when I make a mistake? I feel like crap. I don’t just feel like regular crap. I feel like great big piles of steamy dog crap.” He can’t help ithe laughs. Trust me on this, nothing eases the tension of a five-year-old who has the weight of the world on his back quite like a little poo-poo joke from his dad.  “I hate how I feel after I make a mistake, don’t you?” He nodded his head in agreement. “Do you want me to tell you what I do that makes me feel good again after I have made a big mistake?” He looked at me with big round blue eyes that said, “If you are telling me sir, that there is actually a way for me to be a happy child again, then yes indeed, I am very interested. Please, do go on.”

I bit my tongue, and with all my limited intestinal fortitude, I resisted the temptation to say, “First you take the rent money, go to the corner bar and spend it on alcohol and cocaine. Nine hours later, after you have cheated on your wife with someone whose name you don’t know, contracted a social disease, smashed up the family car and been arrested for driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident, believe me little dude, this broken window won’t mean sh-t.”

Not unlike much of my humor, this would have been very funny, but inappropriate and counterproductive.

Instead I said, “Your dad has two rules about mistakes. First, try not to make the same one over and over again (a rule, I must admit, with which I have had varying degrees of success), and second, whenever possible reach in your pocket and pay to fix the damage." I watched his face transform from that of a kid who thought he was about to learn how to reclaim his happiness to one that said, “I’m five years old. How am I supposed to pay to fix this mistake? Thanks for nothing.” I said to him, “It will cost six dollars and fifty cents to buy the new glass and a can of putty to fix this window. I bet you have at least that much in your piggy bank. Your mother has some penny rolls in the top drawer in the pantry. If you roll up six- fifty worth of coins, I will take you to the glass place to buy a new pane of glass and I will help you fix the window.”

I imagined my dad saying this to me instead of walking away from me in the cellar. It made me wince.

Though I suspected that I might possibly be doing something useful here for the little dude, it wasn’t until I saw the look on his face and felt my ankle unleashed from my points of reference that I began to glimpse the potential of Daddy Don’s Little Dude Empowerment Program. As my proposal began to sink in, I watched this simple idea transform him from helpless, hopeless, and miserable to a small man on a mission. He bolted into the house.
 

Copyright 2003,  Don White

Hi,

This is just a short (by my standards) note to update my friends in the mid west on my weekend shows in Michigan and to start spreading the word to my New England friends on two very special shows with Jimmy Tingle in June.

My son and I will be making our tenth trip to Michigan this weekend. We will be doing three shows.

Friday May 6th The Greenwood Coffeehouse First United Methodist Church 1001 Green Road in Ann Arbor Michigan. This show starts at 7:00. 734 665 8558.

Saturday May 7th (at 12:30 in the afternoon) Christ The King Church 1550 West Drahner Rd in Oxford Michigan. This matinee show was added because we wanted to add a show for folks that might have had other plans for the evening or who might be driving a long distance and would rather not start their drive home at 11:00 at night. 248-236 0495

Saturday May 7th (at 8:00 PM) Christ The King Church 1550 West Drahner Rd in Oxford Michigan. These shows will be the first time that my son and I have been able to perform within striking distance of Pontiac since we did the CD release shows a couple of years ago. We are looking forward to seeing the folks that made those shows at The Lafayette Grande Ballroom so special for us. 248-236-0495 (A portion of the proceeds from these shows will go to the Church's new building fund.)

The Friday show in Ann Arbor is close to sold out so if you are planning to attend, you should call soon.

The shows in Oxford are in a much bigger venue so there are still seats available.

Your Exhausted Friend

Think about your friends who have the teenage kids that are driving them crazy. They haven't had a decent night's sleep since their oldest turned 15. They are in a constant state of heightened surveillance. Where you going! Where have you been? Let me smell your breath. What is this I found in your pants pocket?

These people need a night out. You need to kidnap them and bring them out to see my show. They need a few laughs. They need to know that this is survivable. If they tell you that they can't go out on a weekend night because their kids will throw a big keg party at their house, you can bring them to the matinee on Saturday in Oxford. Chances are that their kids will just be waking up when their parents return after the show. Think of me as the statue of Liberty for the parents of teenagers. Bring me your tired, your weary, your sleep deprived, heavily medicated masses.

 If you get them to the show, I'll take real good care of them.

The church in Oxford has a large seating capacity so even if you decide to come at the very last minute there won't be a problem. You will be able to buy a ticket at the door.

Two Special New England Shows

I will be doing two shows in early June with my good friend Jimmy Tingle at his theatre that he has aptly named Jimmy Tingle's Off Broadway Theatre.

Last June Jimmy and I split a show here and it was one of the best nights of my year. Please check out the web site www.jimmytingle.com or www.jtoffbroadway.com. This is an extremely intimate 200 seat box theatre. They have a beer and wine license. This is theatre the way it's supposed to be. Non corporate. A place where free speech is embraced. I saw Mort Sahl there recently. Mort told Jimmy that it was one of the best rooms he has ever performed in.

Check it out. Let people know that there are very interesting things going on here.

Friday June 3rd  Jimmy Tingle's off Broadway Theatre. (A split night with Jimmy and I) 255 Elm Street in Davis Square Somerville MA. Jimmy Tingle is one of the most talented, brilliant and compassionate people I have ever known. He is also by the way: hysterical. Our show last June was one of my favorites of the year. His theatre is quickly becoming the place to be in Boston. This will be a very special evening with a lot of heart. Don't miss it! 617-591-1616. www.jimmytingle.com  -  www.jtoffbroadway.com

Saturday June 4th Jimmy Tingle's off Broadway Theatre. (A split night with Jimmy and I) 255 Elm St in Davis Square Somerville MA.  617-591-1616. www.jimmytingle.com  -  www.jtoffbroadway.com

The Endurance Award

(The other installments are available in the newsletter archive.)

Father's Day

Part Three

"Wait till your father gets home."

My old man worked as a rigger at the General Electric plant. In 1967 he was forty years old.

Now, as I lay there simmering in my bathtub, hidden beneath a steam cloud of sweat, insulation and memories, I recalled him coming home from work that day and being accosted in the driveway by my mother with the lurid details of the baseball asteroid incident. I then added to my collection of identifiable facial expressions that of a man coming to grips with the fact that the closing of the gate behind him in his driveway does not necessarily guarantee the end of his work day.

My parents grew up in a time when people hit their kids. It is comforting for me to know that, without any help or guidance, they had decided not to discipline their children in that manner. It has always seemed to me like a major move forward in the evolution of the bloodline.

They didn't hit me. They yelled at me. They told me how stupid it was to hit rocks with a baseball bat.  My Dad paid for a new window and they both stayed angry with me for about a week. During that week they gave me the cold shoulder. It was as if they had made a list of things that they were obligated to do for me. "Feed him."  "Wash his clothes."  "Bring him to church."  But make sure that this ten-year-old knows, at least for a while, his dad is not his pal.

"Dad, I cleaned up the cellar today. I put all your paint cans and brushes into this cabinet."
"Fine." He walks away. Message clear: not your pal.

In retrospect I think I might have preferred to be hit.

After my bath I opened the door and emerged from the thoughtful steam. I was cleansed and reinvigorated. I was prepared to take up the reins and do my part to move my section of this ridiculous genealogy forward.

I measured the window. I called the McCarthy Glass Company. They told me that it would cost five dollars to cut a new pane of glass and a dollar fifty for a can of putty. They also told me that they would be open for two more hours.

My son was in his room. He was sitting on the bottom bunk staring at the wall. He was wearing the second identifiable facial expression that I would log into my collection that daythat of a person who messed up and had no idea that there was anything he could do to make it better.

I said, "Come on, let's go look at the window."  It turned out to be a longer walk than I expected. My left ankle was chained to my points of reference. They were heavy. I dragged them along and used the time to ponder them.
 

 Copyright 2003 Don White

The Annual Spring Michigan Pilgrimage

A Private Show on Sunday?

Upcoming Shows

The Nice Weather Private Show Conspiracy

Recordings

The Endurance Award

Father's Day

Big News in Michigan

A Private Show on Sunday?

New England

The Loomers New CD

Recordings

The Endurance Award

Father's Day

January 2005 Newsletter

Hi Kids,

The new year appears to have a few interesting things up its sleeve for Uncle Don. But before I get to that, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who supported my career in 04 by attending a live performance or purchasing one of my recordings. It was an amazing year for me and I am very grateful to you for helping to make it possible.

The Ark

2004 ended with three consecutive weekend trips to Michigan in December. On December 4th my son and I sold out The Ark in Ann Arbor. It was a dream night. 400 seats, a $17.50 ticket and many people turned away at the door. Those of you who have been following my Michigan escapades for the past few years will note that I have been drawing similar numbers twice a year since 2000. However, in the music biz, and life in general, perception IS reality. So the fact that we were able to do it at The Ark is significant because when you sell out a room with that kind of history and name recognition, everyone knows about it. That one gig did more to legitimize me in that part of the country than all my other shows out there combined.

So, thank you, thank you, thank you to the entire Michigan repeat offender inner sanctum for dragging your friends and families out to this show and helping to spread the word. I also want to thank Matt Watroba, Kattie Geddes, Pam Rossi, David Sigland, and David Tamulevich who each played a significant role in making this happen.

January Concerts

2005 is starting out with an exciting series of concerts beginning with my annual dead-of-winter trip to Pomfret Connecticut - Saturday January 15th  The Vanilla Bean Restaurant Jcts of routes #44,169 and 97  Pomfret CT 860 928 1562. Ok, boys and girls it's time for our mid-winter jaunt to the crossroads of nowhere and nothing. It's a half hour from Worcester and Rhode Island. This is one of those magical shows where the New England inner sanctum always shows up in full force. If you have never been here, you really need to check it out  fabulous homemade food  warm and friendly performance space and always a wild night.

Sunday January 16th The South Florida Folk Festival Easterlin Park in Fort Lauderdale Florida. This is very exciting. I will be performing in the evening. For more information check out the web site www.southfloridafolkfest.com or call 954 486 4040. I am so grateful to all my friends in South Florida for the tremendous support that they have shown me. Special thanks here to Ellen Bukstel. If you are wintering in South Florida or know anyone who is, please let them know about this amazing festival.

Saturday January 22nd The Stone Temple Coffeehouse at The United First Parish Church 1306 Hancock St Quincy Mass. This is the annual Dead Presidents show. Don't miss it. 617 796-5882.  http://coffeehouse.ufpc.org

Ok, what is the Dead Presidents Show? That's a fair question. Here is the answer. This show is held at the church of the presidents in Quincy. (it's that big stone church that looks like they built the entire center of downtown around it.) In the basement of this building are the tombs of John Adams, John Quincy Adams and their wives. During the intermission I usually lead the audience on a tour of the tombs. So those in attendance can also get an up close dose of American history along with their concert experience. This show is always packed. Be sure to call ahead for tickets.

Saturday January 29th The First Cup Coffeehouse at the Lutheran Church 280 Broadway in scenic Lynn Mass with The Loomers. Once a year we get together in my hometown and rock the Lutheran Church. This is always a great time. 781 598 6374. The shows with the Loomers are very special. The annual one in my hometown is almost indescribable. If you are curious about why I see the world that way that I do, you could learn a lot by attending a show where my family and friends are likely to be in the audience.

The winter and spring performance schedule has a lot of fabulous concerts in it. It is printed in its entirety at the end of this newsletter.

The Really Big News

As of January 1st 2005 Mr. David Tamulevich of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Will be handling the management and career development aspects of my career.

Questions? Of course you do. Let me try to answer them for you.

Question #1
Who is David Tamulevich?

Answer Part One.
He is a good friend and one of the most well known and respected names in the acoustic music world.

Answer Part Two.
David Tamulevich began his musical career in 1975, with the formation of the award-winning duo Mustard's Retreat, which he still performs with. After touring full time for nearly 10 years and looking to raise a family and be on the road less, he cut back the touring (now doing about 60 shows/year) and focused on agenting and management for other artists. He was instrumental in the development of the careers of John Gorka, Ani DiFranco, Greg Brown, Dar Williams, and Ellis Paul, among many others, as well as the late Stan Rogers and Kate Wolf. A founding member of the Folk Alliance, he also serves/has served on the advisory boards of Sing Out!, The Ark, The Eighth Step, Common Ground, and The Saturday Light Brigade.

David is considered one of the preeminent agents in the field by artists, managers, and venues alike. Known for his honestly and integrity, he is not only credited with helping establish the current folk circuit but also for redefining the traditional artist/agent/venue relationship to be more of a cooperative partnership based on mutual long-term objectives. He has presented many workshops on a variety of topics related to touring/management/ recording, and his articles are widely used by artists, agents, and managers.

Question #2
Does this mean that you have a new booking agent?

No. Michael Hill, of Critical Mass Media, will continue to handle booking and publicity for me. David is coming on as a manager. He will be working to accelerate the development and building of audience in areas where I already have some name recognition as well as creating and implementing a plan for establishing and developing new areas. In a nutshell, his job is to introduce me to as many new people as possible.

Question #3
Did our loyal support for all these years help to make this possible for you?

Answer
Yes. David has always liked what I do and he has been very kind and helpful to me through the years. However, my solid New England attendance numbers in conjunction with all the Michigan numbers from the past few years were invaluable in creating the case that this was the time for us to work together.

Question #4
So do we get a pat on the head for this?

Answer
Yes, here you go. (pat, pat)

Seriously, this would not be happening without all the folks who have supported me by coming out to concerts and telling others about me. This is a real victory for the concept of a grassroots, word-of-mouth career. Thank you.

Question #5
What is more possible now that was less possible before and what can we do to help?

Answer
That's really two questions.

Previously I was reluctant to travel to a new area even if I was receiving radio airplay there because I didn't have access to anyone on the ground (a concert promoter) to help me turn that airplay into attendees at a concert. Now if there is radio support or any other potential access to an audience somewhere, David will help open doors at local venues. I haven't spent a lot of time and energy on folk festivals in the past. Now some of those are at least back in the realm of possibility. Let's think of it this way, any opportunity to get me in front of an attentive, grown up audience is now at least worth a phone call because chances are that my manager probably knows someone involved.

So, any thoughts? Where are you? Any radio there? Let's talk. Send me your thoughts. I'll forward any suggestions that make sense to David. If there is some reasonable potential to develop a fan base in your area, I will consider traveling there for some shows and see what happens.

In addition to the standard venue approach, we will be working specifically on the development of fundraisers for schools as well as corporate and business shows.

So, did the government cut back on the money for your middle school or high school programs? (music, reading, art, athletic etc) Let's talk about a fundraiser. The parents and teachers of middle school and high school students are absolutely the PERFECT audience for my show. If you are willing to do the legwork, I will guarantee you a great night of laughter and heart.

So, are you spending a week in seminars in a hotel someplace with all the folks you work with this year? If they fall into the category of people with children, I'll provide them with some fantastic mid-week stress relief and make you look like a genius for hiring me.

Check out the Fundraiser/ Benefits page and the Private Performance page  and then call 617 539 3182 or email booking@donwhite.net

And as always, all my recordings and my DVD are available at www.cdfreedom.com - 1 800 937 3397

Here's looking forward to an interesting year.
 
 

Don

Hiya,

No, you are not dreaming, the Red Sox did win the World Series. The netherworld froze over, pigs flew and folksingers were driven to concerts in limousines. (One of these things didn't actually happen) As I had predicted, the day after the final game there were forty thousand available nursing home beds in New England, because that is how many people were born in 1919 and were only hanging on for this moment. They all went out smiling.

So Now it's time to get back to business, and you guessed it, it's time for:

Don White's Shameless Holiday Gift Giving Suggestions

Nothing says, "I love you" better than a diamond or a new car, but those things are really expensive. So maybe this year you can't afford to say I love you. Maybe you'll have to settle for "I really like you a lot" and almost nothing says that better that a Don White CD or DVD. Just picture it. Your dear friend, family member or peripheral business associate, unwrapping your gift, looking up at you with a warm tear in their eye and saying, "you really do like me a lot." It's not quite a Hallmark moment, but it's pretty good and you can pull it off while staying well within your financial constraints. We at Team Don are proud to be selling fiscally responsible (not quite Kodak) moments to our fans.

Before I list my dazzling array of recordings, allow me to remind you that  they are not available in stores, so when you give them as gifts it makes you seem really thoughtful.

Live in Michigan CD

Recorded in 2002 in front of a full house at the Lafayette Grande Ballroom in Pontiac (Yes, I said Pontiac) Michigan. This is a very popular CD with a lot of concert favorites including Rascal (the dog as dumb as mud) and Be 16 With Me. There are several spoken comedy pieces on this recording including the story about my daughter and her unslamable accordion door.

It's a Great Day DVD

Professionally filmed and recorded in 2000, this DVD really captures the live show. There are two performances that feature my son Lawren (one of which, is the improvisational "Volvo Dance." There are two songs that feature The Loomers, several solo songs and stories and 4 short excerpts from an interview. I mean really people, this is a fabulous gift.

Little Niche CD 2000

Half live, half studio with guest appearances by Maria Sangiolo, The Loomers and Anna Huthmaker. This CD features two of my most requested comedy pieces; Testosterman in Estroland and Option #3. (The story about my Dad and the Red Sox Knuckleballer.) Anna contributes a beautiful cello solo on Little Bird and Maria's voice brings magic to two songs; Little Bird and Marlene.

Brown Eyes Shine CD

This has become known as the teenager CD. It was recorded live in 1999. It features a story called The Adolescent Rant about my daughter's teenage years and several other observations on that subject as well as Two extremely popular songs with The Loomers: The Lumper Song and Angel in Pieces.

Rascal

This is a studio album recorded in 1996 when I was under contract with Lyric Moon Recordings. It features guest appearances by Christine Lavin and Barbara Kesslar. There is a full band Gospel-flavored version of I know what love is on this CD.

Live at the Somerville Theatre

Recorded live in 1995,this was the first of the two Lyric Moon recordings. It is still a very popular CD. It is mostly comedy songs and stories. It features Psycho Mom and Dad, I'm from Lynn, What Can I Say and Sassy Brat.

Two Vagabonds in Disguise.

My very first CD from 1992. Half live, half Studio, it features two duets with Maria Sangiolo; The title cut and a song called Ordinary Women and Men. This CD also features the only available live solo acapella version of I Know What Love Is which was recorded at The fabled Olde Vienna Kaffeehaus in Westboro Mass where I got my first start in this business.

The Acoustic Alliance Volume 1 Compilation 1993

This collection of songs by some of the most popular singer songwriters in the Boston area has withstood the test of time. My contribution to this compilation is what is considered by many as the definitive version of I know What Love is. It is a wonderful acapella version with amazing backup harmonies by Vox One. This is the version of the song that gets played on the radio.
 

Well, there it is, my entire life's work made available to satisfy your gift giving needs.

Ordering

All of these fab recordings are available on line at www.cdfreedom.com or by calling 1 800 937 3397. If you prefer not to order on line or via credit card you can print out the Don White Cdfreedom order form from my website www.donwhite.net and send a check by mail.
 

AND For Those Holiday Shoppers in The Boston area:

On Saturday November 20th from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM I will be hocking my wares at something called

The Bazaar of the Stars

On the campus of the University of Massachusetts, Boston. 100 Morrissey Boulevard McCormack Building, 3rd floor-Ryan Lounge Signs will be prominent once you arrive on campus. This is a wonderful opportunity that WUMB is putting together where forty artists all gather in a big meet and greet. People can purchase recordings and have them signed by the artists. It's a great chance to get to chat with your favorite folkies and get a lot of holiday shopping done at one time. For more detailed directions on how to get to UMASS  http://www.umb.edu/about/directions.html.  For info on the event go to http://www.wumb.org/news/bazaar.html.  Immediately following the Bazaar I will be doing my first ever

WUMB Members Concert

at the Media Auditorium, located in The Healy Library at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. This concert is for Members of WUMB and their guests. The concert will be taped and is scheduled to air at noon on Sunday Nov 28th. I am very excited about this opportunity and very grateful to WUMB for asking me to do it

The Final Push to Completely Sell Out The Ark in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Alright, this is the last time I am going to talk about this. On December 4th my son and I will be doing our first ever performance together at the legendary Ann Arbor concert venue called The Ark. There are 400 seats in the place. We really want to show the people who booked us that they were right to give us a chance. I expect this to be one of the most exciting nights of my life. Please help spread the word.

Saturday December 4th The Ark, 316 South Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan. Mustard's Retreat will be opening this show. 734-763-8587 or Ticketmaster at 248-645-6666. There is lots of info about things like limited reserve seating at the website www.theark.org.

Super Duper Big News For Michigan

As many of you already know, my dear friend Matt Watroba, who was the host of WDET's Folks Like Us acoustic radio show for eighteen years in Detroit was unceremoniously fired several weeks ago. He was told at the time that the trend was to move away from "fringe" programming.

Well, it seems as though the fans of  "fringe" programming decided to kick up a fuss until somebody put their darn music back on the radio and (Trumpets please) Dat da da daah, Mr Matt now has a new home on WEMU 89.1 FM in Ypsilanti, Michigan. And would you believe that his very first radio show will be from 2 to 5 PM on Saturday December 4th? Yes, that's right little dreamers, The new Folks Like Us Show will debut on the same day as my Ark debut. Trippy huh?  Anyway, Matt has generously offered to use part of his first show to help get the last minute word out about the Ark Show. And what we're going to do in return is to help get the word out so that his first show on his new station has the best ratings in the entire history of fringe music. Go little folk show go. Dat da da daah!!!

OK I've been banging away at this for hours now

I should make a pitch here for private shows, fundraising opportunities and requesting my songs on the radio, but I'm fried and I'm going to go lay down and listen to some of that there fringe music.

All the very best to you.

See you soon.

Don
 

The Endurance Award

Here's a little reward for being one of the eight percent of the people on my list who actually read through to the end. This is a little lullaby I've been working on.
 

You don't have to be afraid
When the sun goes down at night.
Because that doesn't mean
That the sun is never going to rise.

When it gets dark
It can get a little scary too.
But tomorrow that sun is going to rise in the sky
Just to shine on you.

The sun is going to rise
Just to shine on you.
Because he wants to shine a light
On all the nice things you do.

So close your eyes
And remember that this is true
Tomorrow that sun is going to rise in the sky
Just to shine on you
 

Don White Copyright 2004

Well, hello there.

How the heck are ya? It's been a nice summer for me. I didn't perform very much. I took the time to rest up, do some work on my book and prepare myself mentally, physically and attitudinally for what looks to be a very exciting fall and winter performance schedule. I will be returning to many of my favorite venues and I will be performing in some places for the first time. Here are my public shows through October. The full schedule is at the end of this newsletter.

Saturday September 18th The Light house Café at the Calvary Episcopal Church on Cherry St in Danvers Mass. 978-774-8171 This is a new place for me. I very seldom get to play on the North Shore. So if you live between Lynn and Portsmouth, here's one in your wheelhouse. (That's a forced baseball reference that has been included here despite all good judgement to the contrary because the Red Sox are driving me crazy by once again pretending to be a world series caliber team at the end of the season. Oh heartbreak, Red Sox be thy name.)

Friday September 24rd The Turning Point Club 85 North Main St. in White River Junction Vermont 603 491 4278 For some reason, Vermont has never been a place where I have found many opportunities to perform. However I was part of a very successful show at the Turning Point last year. I met some great people and I am excited about returning.

Saturday October 9th Club Passim 47 Palmer St in Harvard Square Cambridge Mass. Sandy Hammond will be opening this show  617 492 7679. Well, what can you say about Club Passim? It is simply the most prestigious acoustic music venue in the east. Every folk singer in the world dreams about playing there. I look forward to it all year. It only seats 120 people. The audience feel like they are on the stage. The performers feel like they are in the audience. Don't wait till the last minute. Reserve your tickets now.

Saturday October 16th The Bull Run Restaurant on Route 2A in Shirley Mass. This is an annual show in a great venue with my pals The Loomers. 978 425 4311. The Bull Run is located at the crossroads of Nowhere and Nothing in Shirley (Yes, I said Shirley) Mass. I have been playing this venue for many years. This is one of those very rare places where you can have dinner and drinks and still see a show in a concert atmosphere. It's a fantastic night out. This will be my only show with The Loomers before the snow flies. These performances when my son, the Loomers and myself are all available are getting much more difficult to put together because of the busy lives of everyone involved. They are very special to me. Hope you can make it.
 

Let's Talk About Michigan

My son and I are thrilled that we will be performing for the very first time at The Ark in Ann Arbor in December. If you live in Michigan you know what a big deal this is. We are determined to show the powers that be that we have the kind of fans that will pack the place. Please help get the word out by forwarding this info to anyone you know who might like to attend.
Saturday December 4th  The Ark 316 South Main St in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan Mustard's Retreat will be opening this show. 734 763 8587 or Ticketmaster at 248 645 6666. There is lots of info about things like limited reserve seating at the website www.theark.org.
 

The Live in Michigan CD

This CD, recorded at the Lafayette Grande ballroom in Pontiac Michigan before a fantastic audience, has become a fan favorite. There are several stories mixed in with the songs. It really captures the excitement of the live show. Several people have purchased copies for their uninitiated friends to show them what they can expect if they come out to one of my concerts. All my recordings are available on line at www.cdfreedom.com.
 

Private Shows

Many thanks to all the folks who have hired me to perform at private functions this year. I had a lot of fun and met some great people. Private shows are an important part of my career. They help make it possible for me to say no to all those gigs where the stage is beneath the TV in the corner of the bar, the hockey game is on above the head of the sad performer and the drunk guy is extremely vocal with his disappointment over the fact that I can't play the Jim Croce song that was on the radio back when he was captain of the high school football team. If you are planning a gathering of friends, family or business associates, check out the private performance page on my website www.donwhite.net. Maybe we can work something out.
 

Fundraisers

I was fortunate enough to have put on concerts for several groups in the past year who were raising money and awareness for different causes. I have several more benefit concerts planned for the next few months. If you are interested in putting together a show to raise money and awareness for your special cause, check out the fundraiser page at www.donwhite.net and maybe we can make it work.
 

News Briefs

I am very excited to be performing at the South Florida folk festival in Fort Lauderdale in January and to be returning to Tampa and Homestead Florida in March.
I will be making a rare appearance in Illinois to do a fundraiser in December.
I got quite a bit of work done on my collection of short stories this summer, but I would say it was still a year away from completion.
I really enjoyed taking it relatively easy this summer, but I am anxious to get back at it.

Hope you're well  see you soon.

Don
 

The Endurance Award

In appreciation of the fact that you are among the estimated eight percent of people who actually read through to the end of my newsletters, I have included an excerpt from my book-in-perpetual-progress here to show my appreciation.

Thanks
 

The Church gradually filled up with my parents' friends and their extended families. It was a rare opportunity for me to see them all in one place. Soon, under the watchful eye of the big guy with the beard, (a giant painting of god on the ceiling) I began to think about this tribe of mine.

All the elders were born during or just after the great depression. The elder men all had the experience of World War Two and the Korean Conflict in common.

They were all Caucasian, mostly Irish with the occasional Italian and Polish family sprinkled in. And, of course, they were all Catholic.

Most of these people grew up dirt poor. I mean great depression, pre-food stamps, empty belly in the classroom poor.

It defined them as much as anything else.

As I was watching them all gather in the church, I began to feel like time had placed a gray film over my eyes to insure that the black and white truths of my youth remained back in 1975 where they belonged.

The eyes I was viewing them with today were not oblivious to the things I saw as a teenager. This was still, to be brutally honest, essentially a collection of intolerant, hypocritical, white alcoholics and their offspring. But these annoying new eyes of mine would not let me see a single person in the room without acknowledging and deeply appreciating at least one of their extraordinary character traits.

It was infuriating.

When I looked at the priest that I knew was having an affair with a married woman, I could also see all the incredible work that he did for the homeless.

When I looked at the violent alcoholic who beat his wife, I also saw the war hero who saved the life of three men in Korea.

When I looked at the guy that I had heard make racist remarks all my life, I also saw a guy who always gave ten percent of his income to Catholic Charities, some significant percentage of which, went directly to people of color.

None of these positive attributes were redeeming. They didn't do anything to alter the other character traits. It just seemed as if they had all decided that they were tired of being overshadowed by the obvious and were demanding to be acknowledged individually.
 

Copyright 2004 Don White

June 2004 Newsletter

Hello,

Important Time change for show with Jimmy Tingle

I will be performing this Saturday night June 5th with my good pal Jimmy Tingle. Originally, this was going to be a 10:00 show. It has been changed to 8:00. Please help get this info out to anyone who you think is planning to attend. I'm really hoping to avoid that awkward moment when people arrive for the show when it's ending. Here's the correct info.

Saturday June 5th Jimmy Tingle's off Broadway Theatre. (A split night with Jimmy and I) 255 Elm Street in Davis Square Somerville MA -  617-591-1616. www.jimmytingle.com. This will be an 8:00 PM show.

Jimmy Tingle is, in my humble opinion, one of the most brilliant humorists of all time. I have been a big fan of his work since I first met him at Catch a Rising Star in Cambridge in the late 80s. This is going to be a wonderful night. Take a minute and check out his website. He is doing some amazing things at his theatre in Somerville that you, being the cutting edge person that you are, really need to be tuned into.
 

The June Schedule

Here are the rest of the shows that I will be doing this month. Some of them just came in recently.

Saturday June 12th The Walker Building, 255 Main Street Marlborough MA.  This is a benefit for Greater Marlborough Programs.  This is an organization that supports folks with difficult mental health challenges.  This is the same organization that sponsored the Arlo Guthrie Show at the Marlboro Middle School in February. They're awesome.  508-485-4227

Friday June 18th First Parish Unitarian Universalist, 1 Powderhouse Road (facing Main Street) Groton, MA.  This is a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society "Relay For Life" The show starts at 7:30. 978-840-0919

Thursday June 24th The Side Door Coffee House, 1109 River Street in Hyde Park MA. This is a new open mike. I will be doing a short feature performance (30 -40 Minutes) around 8:30. Sign up to perform at 6:30. Open Mike starts at 7:00.  617-361-0051

The complete performance schedule is on the Gigs Page.

Big News
Don and Lawren to Play The Ark in Ann Arbor

Since the autumn of 2000 my son and I have traveled twice a year to Michigan to perform. We have met the most wonderful people and had more amazing experiences that we could have ever imagined. I even recorded my last CD there. Anyway, The Ark is the most prestigious venue in Michigan. The list of famous names that have played this room will make your head spin. I think it would be fair to say that in years gone by the club has been a bit reluctant to consider me for a performance there. However, due to the buzz created by all the success we have had in the area, they have agreed to give us a shot. Here's the info.

Saturday December 4th The Ark 316 South Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor, Michigan. Mustard's Retreat will be opening this show. 734 763 8587 or Ticketmaster at 248 645 6666. There is lots of info about things like limited reserve seating at the website www.theark.org.

Boys and girls of the Mid West, I expect this to be one of the most magical nights of my career. Sure hope to see you there.
 

Speaking of that Live in Michigan CD

I must tell you that this recording has quickly become a fan favorite. Sales are very brisk indeed. The story from this CD about my daughter's unslamable accordion door has become the most requested piece at my concerts. The song "Be 16 with me" has become a radio favorite around the country. Many thanks to everyone who requests my music on their local stations. It's such a simple thing and it helps me in ways too numerous to mention.

All my recordings and my DVD are available at www.cdfreedom.com.
Or by phone at 800-937-3397.
 

Private shows this Summer

Summer is traditionally a slow time for me. Most of the Church basement coffee houses don't do shows in the warm weather and I guess it's no secret that a lot of the folk festivals have been remarkably consistent in their lack of enthusiasm regarding my services.

Summer is, however, an excellent time to hire me for a private show. Every year my son and I perform for people who are gathering with, friends, family or business associates in every situation imaginable. (and some that are unimaginable) So, give us a call if you're looking to make your summer gathering a bit more interesting. All the information you need is on the website www.donwhite.net.

Last summer I was able to co ordinate 3 private shows in one weekend in Michigan. Anything is possible. Call my agent at 617-539-3182 or email him at booking@donwhite.net.
 

The Fundraising Train chugs on

Have you noticed that my schedule has a lot more fundraisers in it? That's because while I am waiting three or four years for prestigious venues to decide that I am worth hiring, I need something to do. One of my favorite ways of manufacturing opportunities to perform is to get together with regular non-music-biz people like you and figure out some way of raising money and awareness for the cause you hold dear. This is something that is proving to be tremendously successful. I performed for 4 fundraisers in April and half of my shows this month are supporting worthy causes. Think about it. What group or cause do you want to help?  Read The Fundraiser Page at www.donwhite.net and then let's talk. Call my agent at 617-539-3182 or email him at booking@donwhite.net.

Thanks and hope to see you soon

I want to leave you today with an email I got from my friend Katie in Michigan. It made me laugh so hard I couldn't catch my breath. I hope it's a great summer for you.

Don

---

Dear Don,

I keep forgetting to ask you this when I have you on the phone.
Maybe it's better this way, anyway, because this question speaks to
your very character and I don't want you to feel awkward, or that I am
attacking or interrogating you...

WHY must you saw an angel in pieces? That's just sick.
K

Hiya,

This Saturday night is the annual Dead Presidents show in Quincy. (The Stone Temple Coffeehouse at The United First Parish Church 1306 Hancock St Quincy Mass.) What exactly is this Dead Presidents show, you might ask? Well, I'll tell you. In the basement of this church are the tombs of John Adams, John Quincy Adams and their wives. No. I'm not kidding. So it has become a tradition for us to walk all willing members of the audience down into the spooky basement for a little American history lesson during the intermission. I don't know how to explain it but believe me when I tell you that this is always an event that lends itself to interesting humor. Don't miss it.
 

Michigan in the Spring.

Go Tigers ( Oh my God, what's got into your baseball team?)

My son and I are very excited about returning to Michigan for two shows at The Greenwood Coffee House in Ann Arbor on Friday May 14th and Saturday May 15th. We are also thrilled to be doing a show way up north in Elk Rapids. (You know a town is out there when they feel the need to use the word "Elk" in their name.)

Anyway, we can't wait to see all our friends in the mid west again. Please help get the word out for us.

If you know anyone that you think would like the show, email them the info. If you have a friend who is being driven into madness from raising teenagers, go kidnap them and bring them to the show. I promise that I will take extra special care of them and give them a great night out. The Don White show has been known to cause the parents of teenagers to cut their prozac dosage in half.
 

A Florida Thank You

My shows in Florida last month were absolutely fantastic. Many thanks to everyone in Tampa and Homestead for making me feel so welcome. And thanks to both audiences for singing happy birthday to me. Awesome!
 

A Great Schedule

Please take a minute and check out my performance schedule. I will be playing several wonderful venues in the next few months. Hope one is near you.
 

The Fundraising Conspiracy

Four of my five shows in April are fundraisers. Is the city or state cutting your school program? Let's do a show. We'll call it "Surviving the teen years with humor. A special evening with Don White"

Do you have a worthy cause for which you want to raise money and awareness?

Take a look at the fundraiser page on my website www.donwhite.net and if you want to learn more about how to put something together, give us a call 617 539 3182 or booking@donwhite.net. We've had good success with our fundraisers. We look forward to hearing from you.
 

Private Shows

We have a lot of good dates in the summer months that we hope to fill with private shows.

Are you gathering someplace special with friends and family this summer? Why not give some thought to bringing in some unique entertainment? Last August I was able to put three private shows together in one weekend in Michigan. Anything is possible. Check out the Private performances page and let's talk.
 

A Short Excerpt.

Here are a few paragraphs from a story I'm working on. Thank you so much for the tremendous support and I hope to see you soon.

I sat in the chair with the phone in my hand and stared at the wall. Paul had hung up. I was dazed. It was too much to process right away. I could hear laughter rising up from the living room. My son and daughter were down there with their mom.

She has a great laugh, my wife. It's these short, high pitch, staccato half-yelps. It always sounds beautiful to me but there is a particularly magnificent texture to it when she is laughing with her children. It's a much warmer, fuller sound. It says, "This is the happiest I can ever be" to me. When I hear it, I get younger.  If I could hear my wife laugh with her children every day, I'd never grow old.

The telephone in my hand suddenly began to yak. It was that dreadful "I'm off the hook and I demand to be hung up immediately," sound. It dragged me out of my reverent analysis of the sounds of laughter. I obediently did as my telephone commanded and then I went to bed.
 

Don

Happy New Year.

Many thanks to everyone who came out to the live performances in 2003 and helped make this my best year ever for concert attendance. Thanks to everyone who hired me for a private performances or fundraiser. And thanks to everyone who purchased my CDs and DVD on line at www.cdfreedom.com.  I am so grateful. I hope this year brings much health and happiness to you.

Remember that there are simply not enough Don White fans in the world so all of you have to stay healthy.

How do you like the new ice age we're having? Our tribe here in Lynn has seen a dramatic reduction in the population of Woolly Mammoths. (Or is it Mammoth Woolies?) No matter, it's colder than a Titches wit. (And we all know what a cold wit those Titches have.) Cabin fever is spreading over the countryside. Fortunately the next few weekends feature some concerts that are guaranteed to put the hot air back in your conversation.

This Saturday Jan 17th my son and I will be making our annual winter trip to The Vanilla Bean in Pomfret CT.  This is the perfect cabin fever reliever because the food is home made and fabulous and the performance space is perfect. It's only 30 minutes from Worcester and Rhode Island. The concert will be filmed for use in a documentary about the Venue.

Jan 24th we will be back at the Appalachian benefit Coffeehouse in Natick. The original date of Dec 6th was snowed out. This is the new date. Please spread the word to anyone you know in metro west that you think might want to attend.

Jan 31st is the annual invasion of sleepy Londonderry New Hampshire by The Loomers and I and all our crazy north of the border fans. This show always sells out so call ahead. (Info for all the shows is in the performance schedule at the end of this newsletter.)

In February The Loomers and I will be doing our annual Lynn Show and I'll be opening for Arlo Guthrie in Marlboro Mass.

So don't let those cabin walls close in on ya. Venture out and have some fun.

Did Someone Say Florida?

Yes, I will be spending the weekend of March 5, 6, 7 in the Sunshine State. I'm returning to Tampa on the 5th and back to Homestead on my birthday March 6th.  Thanks to everyone who has helped me build up a following down there. The Florida thing has moved steadily forward in the past few years. I only get down once a year so please help spread the word to anyone near Tampa or Miami.

Hey Florida, how 'bout a private show on Sunday.

I'm looking to work on the East Coast of the state on Sunday March 7th. It would probably have to be private so it wouldn't draw people away from the Homestead show. If you're interested in learning more about how easy it is to put together a private show, give my agent a call at 617 539 3182 or send him an email at booking@donwhite.net. Maybe it'll work out that I can entertain your family and friends while I'm down there.

Michigan

I want to send out great big hugs to all my friends who turned out to the two shows in Ann Arbor last month. My son and I had the most wonderful time. Our Michigan weekends are the highlight of our year. Also, special thanks to everyone at the private show in Oxford. It was the perfect way to top off an amazing weekend. We're already looking forward to coming back in May.

And, just so you know, Sunday of that weekend is open if anyone wants to bring us in for something private. (Something musical, that is.)

Requests

If you are planning to attend an upcoming show and you have a song you'd like to hear, go to the message board at www.donwhite.net and let me know what it is. I can't promise that I'll perform it because some material is unsuitable for some audiences. But if I know ahead of time I can brush up on your request and have it ready if the situation feels right.

Fundraisers

The new fundraiser program has produced some very successful events in the past few months. If you are interested in learning more about how to raise money for your worthy cause check out the fundraiser page at my web site.

Private shows

Planning a gathering of friends or business associates? What to hire some entertainment that will make you look like the most brilliant party planner in the world? Let's talk. booking@donwhite.net or 617 539 3182

A few thoughts

Everything I was sure about in my twenties, I am mystified by in my forties. It's as if time has painted a gray film over my eyes to make sure that the black and white truths of my youth remain back in 1975 where they belong. This is why old people annoy young people. Old eyes see a complex world in which up may not always be up. It drives young people crazy.

One of the few things that has somehow escaped the clarity modifying effects of my world-weary eye is compassion.  I am as enchanted by compassion today as I have ever been. In fact, all the many challenges that I have weathered as an adult seem only to have magnified my appreciation for the magnificence of this quality.

Just before Christmas my wife bumped into an old woman that she knew at the grocery store. This woman has no automobile. My wife loaded her groceries into our car, drove her home, carried the groceries into her house and came home. It was a small thing. But to me it was pure. For twenty-five years I have been married to a woman whose heart walks down the street in front of her and leads her directly into situations that require compassion. She doesn't think about it. She doesn't want anything for doing it. She just does it.

She told me that she felt like these opportunities to help were gifts to her.

When she says things like that to me I can't help but think that she is the most beautiful person who ever lived.

Compassion is a ship designed for stormy seas and a long marriage sees many storms.

Wishing you all the best in the year ahead.

Don

Hiya

My kids make fun of me. They make fun of their mother too. We are helpless against them. Years ago we made the mistake of creating them through a mysterious biological process that bestowed upon them, among other things, our own unique wit and irreverence. Now in an impressive example of accelerated evolution they have taken this wit and irreverence to levels we never dreamed possible.

They'll be dancing in a group with their friends at a party and my son will suddenly yell out "everybody dance like mom!" Then all the teenagers on the dance floor begin to perform their own individualized version of the twirling hippie chick on acid at the Grateful Dead concert.

After they have all exhausted the creative possibilities of this delicious parental mockery, my daughter will yell, "now everybody dance like Dad!" The entire group will immediately break into their improvisational interpretation of the mating dance of the adult male uncoordinated, white guy who thinks he's cool. They call it the dork dance.

This activity often culminates with them all lying in a heap on the floor and laughing uncontrollably.

In addition to having become a great source of comic relief for these young people, I have also lost my ability to hold my own in repartee.

My daughter recently told me that I needed a haircut. I replied that I was going to grow my hair down to my knees. She then accused me of having a mid-life crisis. I told her that if I was having a mid-life crisis, I would have a new Corvette and she would have a new mommy.

Five years ago I would have blown the smoke off the barrel of my six-shooter, slid it back into my holster and commenced to do the Daddy Don victory dance. I was, in fact, preparing to do just that when my daughter said, "you can't afford that". She then commenced to do the sassy daughter dance. She also made up a song to fit the occasion and sang it to me using the melody of her favorite schoolyard taunt.

"You're having the poor boy's
Mid-life crisis.
I think it's funny.
Ha ha ha ha ha"

She danced out the door laughing while I stood in the kitchen like Sonny Liston after the first round of his second fight with Cassius Clay. I was just looking around wondering what hit me and mumbling to myself that I used to be invincible.

There are many humbling moments in this business of child rearing. Perhaps the most impressive is to realize that your own unique brand of obnoxious behavior has been processed and refined through the life experiences of your offspring only to reappear in the form of a much more deadly strain capable of conquering the world, beginning of course, with you.

There is nothing in a person's life that says, "it's time to pass the baton" more clearly than getting your big behind kicked by a stronger, smarter, cuter, younger version of yourself.

............................................................................................................................................................

Upcoming Show

My shows in the summer months are mostly private. However, this Saturday my son and I will be doing a public performance at one of our favorite venues: The Vanilla Bean in Pomfret, Connecticut. This is an absolutely fantastic place to see a show. The Restaurant is legendary for it's incredible menu of home made delicacies. If the weather is nice people can choose to dine outside. Pomfret is in a beautiful corner of CT that is very close to Central Mass, Rhode Island and many parts of CT. This will be our only public show till Fall. Make a day of it. It is always a special show for us.

Private Shows this Summer and Fall

Are you planning a gathering of friends and family in the next few months? Will there be people there that you would never like to speak to again? My son Lawren and I are uniquely qualified to accomplish this goal for you. If you hire us to "entertain" at your party we will play any song from our catalog that you think might encourage your stuffy aunt to stand up in indignation and refuse on moral principle to ever attend another one of your parties. If songs like "The Shameful ballad of Lijah the Precocious Orchard Queen", with it's detailed description of improvisational BVD dog chastity belts, doesn't get the job done, I will simply turn young Lawren loose on his telecaster guitar for a high volume extended version of his interpretation of Jimi Hendrix's illegitimate son gone wild. No stuffy aunt has ever survived this experience. No need to thank us. We're just doing our job.

But seriously folks, I will customize my set to suit the sensibilities of your group. I encourage the people who hire me to tell me as much as they can about the group I will be playing for. I ask them to tell me exactly what material is or is not acceptable. When you hire me to perform for your friends, family or business associates I will design my set specifically for them. The next few months are a fantastic time to have a private show. You can learn more about how easy it is by looking at the private performance page or by contacting my agent at 617-539-3182 or booking@donwhite.net

The New CD

My new recording is called Live in Michigan. It was recorded on a magical weekend in November 2002 at The Lafayette Grande Ballroom in Pontiac, Michigan. This is a live solo performance with no additional instrumentation or overdubs. The initial response has been tremendous. Christine Lavin featured three cuts from it when she guest hosted a radio show in New York. The response was amazing. Thanks Christine.

I also want to thank John Weingart of WPRB in Princeton NJ and Michael Stock of WLRN in Miami and Matt Watroba of WDET in Detroit. All of these DJs chose to play "She Sings Me To Sleep With Laughter" on their radio programs. For those of you who still don't have the CD, this is a thirteen minute long spoken piece. I never dreamed that anyone would play it. Their audiences responded with a tremendous surge of on line purchases of this CD.

Pam Rossi of Over Easy on WCSX in Detroit has been very supportive of this CD. She has played several cuts. When she played "Be 16 with me" I got emails from her listeners for days and I also saw a large surge in on line sales. Thanks Pam.

Most folk radio shows will have received their copy of this CD this week. Air play is a crucial ingredient in my ability to stay afloat in the music biz. If there is a station near you that plays acoustic music, send me the information and I will make sure that they have an ample selection of my music. Also please DO NOT pester them because that is extremely counter productive but an occasional request for one of my songs is very helpful to me.

Fundraisers and Benefits

There is a new page on my website dedicated to the subject of fundraisers. I have learned a lot in the past ten years about how to put together a successful fundraiser. This page spells out in detail a lot of the things I have learned. It is designed to answer a lot of the questions a person might have when they are considering putting on a benefit performance for their favorite worthy cause.

I enjoy being involved in these events and I have put a lot of energy into learning how to present them in a way that gives them the best chance of being successful. If you want to learn more about this subject check the new Fundraiser / Benefits page on my website. You could also contact my agent at booking@donwhite.net or 617-539-3182.

On Line Sales

Many thanks to all the folks who have purchased my recordings on line. I am very grateful to you all. My recordings are not available in stores. It is really important to me that people who want to purchase them are comfortable ordering from my internet distributor.

CDFreedom is the distribution arm of a company in Framingham Massachusetts called Artist Development Associates. It is a very unique company that helps independent artists with all aspects of survival in the music biz. They are the only distributors of my music. I chose not to use Amazon.com or any of the other companies because I only want to deal with one place. These are my friends. If there is a problem, I can always get a hold of someone there.

They are prompt. They are attentive. If you have a problem, you can talk to a real person there. They have been selling my product for several years and I am thrilled with the service that they give to my fans.

For those of you who are reluctant to purchase on line, they will take phone orders between 10:00 and 6:00 on weekdays. If you don't want to use a credit card, you can send them a check in the mail. The order form can be printed out from my website.  And finally, in the unlikely event that you are have an unsatisfactory ordering experience, you can contact me directly and I will personally get involved.

I sell recordings to many parts of the country and the world where I do not perform. Internet sales and mail orders are extremely important to my survival. I want everyone to know that this is a fantastic company with whom I have a long history and that your order will not be lost inside a multinational corporation. It will be in a building that I can drive to in 45 minutes if need be.

All my CDs and my DVD are available 24 hours a day at www.cdfreedom.com.

Thank you so much for your continued support.
I look forward to seeing you again soon.
 

Don

April 2003 Newsletter

 
Hiya.

I hope spring has sprung wherever you are. Summer is already over in New England. It was last Tuesday and Wednesday. Hope you didn't miss it - 81 degrees - lovely. However, as you know summer is fleeting here and on Thursday it was 31 degrees. I went to Fenway Park that night to watch the Red Sox. The poor guy who had the ice cream concession must have felt like he was in ice cream guy hell. He was walking up and down the aisles with a crazed look in his eye yelling "Who's brave enough for ICE CREAM?" The answer was "no one". If your boss gives you the ice cream concession at the coldest baseball game in history, that is his way of telling you that he doesn't have the heart to fire you but you really should start looking for a new career.

Upcoming shows

Saturday April 26th The Home Grown Coffee House 23 Dedham Ave in Needham MA - 781 444 7478

This is a wonderful coffeehouse series that has been bringing great music to metro west for several years. If you live in the area you should come on out and support this great venue.

Saturday May 3rd The First Cup Coffeehouse at the Lutheran Church 280 Broadway in scenic Lynn MA with The Loomers. 781 598 6374

Once a year I hook up with The Loomers in my home town of Lynn Mass and we rock the Lutheran Church in Wyoma Square. It is the only show my parents ever come to because they think the world is flat and if you leave the city limits of Lynn you will fall off the edge of the earth. We have been doing this show now for five or six years. There is a neighborhood bar across the street called The Four Winds. It's about as big as my living room. We have speculated that The Four Winds does a bigger business in the hours before and after our annual show than they do in the entire rest of the year. This is just another example of our unwavering commitment to helping the local economy.
This is always a very special show for us and it is always a lot of fun. Don't miss it.

The Live in Michigan New CD

I recorded two shows at the Lafayette Grande Ballroom in Pontiac Michigan last November. The audiences were incredible. The new CD is being manufactured now. I expect to have it available online at www.cdfreedom.com and at my shows by May 1st. This CD really captures the feel of the live show. Included are four comedy/stories. There are a couple of brand new songs. And at last some live versions of concert favorites that have until now only been available in studio versions. These are the cuts that will be on the CD.

1 Rascal (with much wild Michigan howling)
2 Falling in love at the big folk show
3 Breathing
4 Mrs White's thoughts on the previous song
5 Sense of humor (featuring 2 lost verses)
6 Great Day
7 She sings me to sleep with laughter (including the accordion door story)
8 Great Big Heart
9 My messed up friend and his backhoe
10 The Painter (solo acapella)
11 Be sixteen with me

The CD Release Parties

Friday May 30th The Greenwood Coffeehouse First United Methodist Church 1001 Green Road in Ann Arbor Michigan 734 665 8558

Saturday May 31st The Lafayette Grand Ballroom 1 Lafayette St in Pontiac Michigan www.thethirdcoast.com

As many of my Michigan friends know, Carey Carlson no longer has her radio program in Detroit. She has moved on to other endeavors. You can keep up with all her new and exciting enterprises at www.thethirdcoast.com. Carey will be promoting and hosting the Pontiac show. If you want to let her know how much you appreciate all that she has done over the years for the greater Detroit music scene, this would be a great opportunity to do so.

Since we don't have her radio show to help get the word out, we're hoping that you folks will help out perhaps by emailing your friends and letting them know about the shows.

Poetry and Spoken Word

In March I read excerpts from the collection of short stories I am working on at the Poets Parlor in Sturbridge Mass. Many thanks to all the poets and friends who came out that night. It meant a lot to me. I am interested in finding other similar opportunities where I can feature in this environment and read for 45 - 60 minutes. Any thoughts or suggestions? Let me know.

Private Shows This Summer

This is the time of year when we start to get a lot of requests for private shows in the summer. Many of these are not on the performance schedule because they are surprises. If you are planning a gathering of friends this Summer or Fall and you think I could add something to the event contact my agent at booking@donwhite.net or call 617 539 3182. You can also get a lot of info about private shows at www.donwhite.net.

See you soon
 

Don

September 2002 Newsletter

 
Hiya.

This has been a great Spring and Summer for well attended concerts. Many thanks to all the good folks who turned out for the shows. I really appreciate it.
There is a lot of news to get to so let me start by telling you about my new.........
 

Live CD To Be Recorded in MICHIGAN

I will be recording my next live CD at The Lafayette Grande Ballroom in Pontiac Michigan on Friday November 8th and Saturday November 9th.

My experiences in Michigan have been so amazing that I just can't resist capturing that magic on CD. The Lafayette Grande is a magnificient place to play. I want to encourage my friends in the Ann Arbor area to make the trip to Pontiac for these shows. I really want your energy on these recordings. One song I will be doing for the album at these shows is Rascal. So I will need a lot of enthusiastic howling from the audience. Tickets are scheduled to go on sale the week after labor day at www.thethirdcoast.com.
 

The DVD

In November of 2000 I recorded two concerts at the Unitarian Church in Watertown Massachusetts.
Several of the performances from that night wound up on the Little Niche CD. These concerts were also professionally filmed. I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to afford to do anything with the footage. I really just wanted to capture the show before I gained another twenty pounds and went totally gray. My friend Mark Steele brought his sixteen years of video experience with WGBH Public Television and a camera crew to the concert and recorded the evening on three cameras.

Technology Rewards Procrastination

In the year 2000 DVDs were simply not an option for someone at my level. The Authoring process (the programming that makes it possible to select individual segments on a DVD) cost $500.00 per minute. In mid 2001 when I began working on the video, this process had come down to a mere $75.00 per minute. (A rate that would still impress a Vegas call girl for a service that requires no people skills, special technique or exceptional athletic ability.) It was still well out of the realm of possibility for me. However, in the past few months the authoring technology has become available to mere mortals. This removed the financial barrier between me and DVD.

I am hereby pleased to announce that, to the best of my knowledge, I will be among the first performers at my level to make available to their fans a professionally filmed, edited, recorded and mixed concert video on DVD. It is scheduled to be available at www.cdfreedom.com by mid-October

It's called...

It's a Great Day
Don White Live in Watertown

It features two performances with my son Lawren.
Two concert favorites with my pals The Loomers
A solo acapella version of the popular "I know what love is"
Lots of solo performances, storytelling, comedy and mischief.
Four short interview segments
It runs approximately 60 minutes

Interview 1 (on being a writer)
Rascal
The Volvo Dance (with my son Lawren)
interview 2 (on working with my son)
Heartbeat of Heaven (with my son Lawren)
Moments
Great Day (the story)
Great Day (the song)
interview 3 (on comedy and drama)
I Know What Love is
interview 4 (on working with the Loomers)
The Second Chance Crew (with the Loomers)
Angel in Pieces (with The Loomers)

I am very proud of this video. I really feel like it captures everything that I love about the live concert experience. If you have never been to one of my concerts, this DVD is a fabulous introduction. If you are a card carrying member of the repeat offender inner sanctum, who are tired of trying to explain my show to your friends and family, this DVD should do it for you.
 

Big Show in CHICAGO

It's actually north of Chicago in Northfield. My music has been received very enthusiastically in Illinois. I am very grateful to Mr Rich Warren at WFMT for sharing my music with his listeners and to Bryn Benson for putting together this show. My hope is that this show will help establish me in the area so I can swing through and perform there once or twice a year. If you live near Chicago, I'd love to see you at this show. If you know someone who lives in the area, it would mean a lot to me if you told them about it.

Saturday November 2nd at the Church of the Ascention in Northfield.   847-446-8335
 

The Private Show Conspiracy

This has been a fantastic season for private shows. Many thanks to all the folks who have hired me to play for their friends and families. There are some excellent dates open in the fall and winter. If you want to learn more about how easy it is to hire me for a private show, go to the private performances page.
 

Where to Buy CDs

All my recordings are available on line at www.CDFreedom.com.  I have a great relationship with this company. They have done a fantastic job distributing my material for several years now.  If you are uncomfortable ordering online, you can order by phone during business hours at 1-800-937-3397 - you can also order by mail by downloading the order form.

Don

January 2002 Newsletter

 
Thanks

I want to thank everyone who supported my music career this year by attending live performances and purchasing my recordings.  (All my recordings are available on line at www.cdfreedom.com) I am very grateful to you.  I have included some thoughts on this subject at the end of this newsletter.  Special thanks to the repeat offender inner sanctum (you know who you are) for their tireless advocacy.  If you are a fledgling repeat offender and you would like to associate with other inner sanctum riff-raff, you might want to take a visit to http://www.simpleandtrue.homestead.com.

January Performances

I am very excited about my January schedule.

On Jan 11th I will be doing a show in Rowley Mass. The opener will be my dear friend Al Hezekiah.  Alan and I have a history of performing together that goes back to 1976.  This will be his first public performance in over five years.  If you were around the north shore music scene in the 70s and 80s, you know what a wonderful performer he is.  This show came up kind of quickly so I have not had a chance to promote it the way I would have liked to.  If this is something that sounds interesting to you and you know of other people who would like to see Al and I perform, please let them know about it.

Jan 12th will likely be my only trip to western Mass this year.  I will be doing a show in Greenfield.

Jan 19th looks to be my only trip to Connecticut this year.  The Vanilla Bean in Pomfret is a fantastic place to see a show.  It is pretty close to Worcester Mass and probably the only show I will do this year that is within striking distance of my six fans in Rhode Island.  Last years January show was packed and a lot of fun.

Jan 25th I will be at Center for the Performing Arts in Natick Mass. If you live anywhere in metro west, you really do need to support this venue.  They have raised millions of dollars to renovate the firehouse into a performance space.  They have the most diverse schedule of performances I have ever seen. Folk, Jazz, Rock, Poetry, Storytelling  you name it.  Their current space is a very warm and intimate room. I always love to perform there.  Hope you can make it.  Scott Alarik will open this show.

The Loomers

I have been working with this extraordinary group of musicians for about five years.  The shows are always very special. Unfortunately, it is becoming more difficult to get everyone together.  Jon Svetkey's wife just gave birth to their first child and the other Loomers are quite busy. We have not been able to coordinate everyone's schedules for almost six months. However, there are four Don and The Loomers shows between now and summer. There will be much mischief.

Jan 26th at The Muse at the Gray Goose in Londonderry NH (Simply the Dandiest, nick-nackiest venue in all the world)

March 2nd The Bull Run Restaurant in Shirley Mass. (one of the few places I play where you can have dinner, a few drinks and see an intimate show in a nice room.  Check out the photos page to see photos of the Little Niche CD release concert in this room)

April 6th at the Lutheran Church in Lynn Ma. (This is your one chance a year to see me in my native environment. Observe my blood relatives speaking in their local dialect. See if you can pick out my friends in the audience who are on prison work release programs.) This show has a flavor unlike any other.

May 11th at the Green Rooster in Worcester. (One of the first places we played together.  It's kinda like coming home)

The South Shore

A lot of people have been asking me when I was going to perform again on the south shore of Boston.  I have sold out shows there in recent years and I am anxious to return soon.  Unfortunately there are only a couple of venues there and they are not able to use me every year.  So how about this: Do you live between Marshfield and Cape Cod?  Do you have a group or a situation that you would like to raise money for?  Let's talk.  Maybe we can put together a fundraiser. It would have to be something that I was comfortable with and there would be several other things that we would need to talk about.  My feeling about this is that I do several fundraisers a year - I am thrilled to be able to help generate money and awareness for worthy causes.  It seems ridiculous for me to wait for two years to perform in a part of the state where I have an enthusiastic fan base without at least inquiring into the possibility of being able to manifest a concert in the area in conjunction with a worthy cause.  Any thoughts? - Email booking@donwhite.net.

The Wingate Micro Theatre

This delightful 44-seat theatre in Haverhill Mass. is where I will be doing a series of shows with the intention of trying out new material, resurrecting old stuff, reading prose and being more interactive, conversational and informal.  The next show is in April.  The last one was sold out.  ("You can always sell out if you play small enough places" Garrison Keillor.)  If you plan on attending this performance, and you would like to suggest a song for me to dig out of the archives, let me know.  don@donwhite.net.

Private Shows

Three years ago I introduced the private performance option to my audience. The response has been amazing.  Forty-five percent of my shows this year were private. To everyone who hired me for a private show this year: thank you, thank you, thank you.  I am so grateful. If you are considering a gathering of any kind, check out the testimonials on the Private Performances page.  Because of The Somerville theatre show in March, I have some rare weekend nights available in Feb and early March. It might be a good time of year for a little cabin fever reliever gathering.

Teaching Performance Skills

Over the years I have tutored many people. It is something I enjoy a great deal. Most people who are interested in my services are looking to move forward with their stage presence. Due to time constraints, I  have been reluctant to take on new students. However, I now have some time available. If you are interested in developing your stage presence and your ability to engage an audience, I am willing to consider tutoring you in the following areas:

How to look and feel like you belong on stage.
The fine art of between song banter.
Developing a sense of momentum.
Songwriting.
The many faces of humor.
The mechanics of storytelling.
How to assemble a set for maximum impact.
What it takes to create fans and how to do it.

I do not care how accomplished you are. Whether you are a novice or a professional, I am confident that I can show you the tools you need to move forward.  If this is something you are interested in considering, email me directly at don@donwhite.net.  I am also available to teach groups in a workshop setting.

Michigan

My November trip to Michigan was one of the most extraordinary weekends of my life. Two sold out shows.  A total of six hundred people. Many, many thanks to everyone involved in putting the shows together and to all the good folks who attended.  I am anxious to return in June and I am giving preliminary consideration to the possibility of recording a live album there in the fall.

Satellites

In addition to Michigan, these past few years have found me making friends and being able to perform in Miami, Tampa and Chicago. I may soon be adding Atlanta to this list.  Where are you?  Is there potential radio support near you?  Is it within the realm of possibility that there might just be enough people in your extended circle to financially justify a house concert or two?  If there is a chance that I could get in front of enough people to justify the expense of traveling there, I will consider going anywhere. I am particularly interested at this time in investigating the possibility of a trip to the San Francisco Bay area.  I have a lot of friends and family there and my wife and I would love to be able to work in a visit around a few shows. If you have any information on possible airplay in this part of the country, I would be most grateful if you would share it with me.

Ongoing projects

Work on my concert video is about half finished.
My collection of short stories is plodding along.  This may take a while.

A few thoughts

I recently attended a reunion concert with some of the alumni of the Old Vienna Kaffeehaus. This was the venue in Westboro, Mass. where I first began to perform regularly and began to try to build an audience.  It was the late 80s. I recall sitting there in 1992 and wondering aloud just how many planets would need to be in perfect alignment to produce an astrological configuration that would make it possible that twenty people would pay five dollars to attend one of my concerts. I had been in the scene long enough to realize that 90 percent of the people who want to write songs and perform for a living never get to do it. This is a tough business.  It eats its young. Make a list of twenty of your friends and it will likely contain the names of more than one who is a good musician, used to be in a band, wrote great songs but for any one of a thousand good reasons, doesn't do it any more.

I had this on my mind when I was reviewing my music - related activities of 2001.

Success is a big word. It's one of those words that keeps growing in meaning as you grow as a person.  It is a member in good standing of a very exclusive club of words that have an ever - expanding capacity for depth of understanding. Love is another word like this. Your understanding of what love is when you are fifteen seems absolute, but when you are holding your first born, your understanding of the word has expanded exponentially to the point where your prior comprehension of love seems narrow and irrelevant. Your new understanding will seem equally as narrow as did your fifteen  year  old interpretation as soon as you hold your first grandchild. As long as you continue to grow as a human being, these few special words will continue to grow with you.

I think hearts are this way too. To me a heart is kinda like a baseball glove. The more you use it  the more times it is hit  the more flexible and durable it becomes.

I remember being with my grandfather when he was in his eighties. He was sitting at a desk he had set up in a corner of his basement. Above the desk was a family picture of him and his brothers and sisters.  He was the only one left alive at this time. He pointed to each one, told me their name, the date and the year they died and what they died from. I was in my early twenties. What the hell did my heart know about the depth of emotional capacity necessary to bury your parents and all your siblings?

The next day was thanksgiving. We were all at my grandfather's house for dinner. After the meal he sat my infant son (his great grandson) on his knee and played with him.  He sang him songs in Greek. The entire family was there  some forty or so people  but he was totally oblivious to anything but his interaction with my son. The love he was experiencing at that moment was one of the most amazing things I had ever seen. He looked high. There was no one in that house  not even the aunts and uncles in their sixties  that could even begin to fathom the depth of the love he was experiencing. It was a love that is only available to an eighty five-year-old heart.  It was a testimony to the astounding ability of the human heart to expand infinitely its capacity to feel.  The depth and passion of his experience of love with my son was as deep as his experience of sorrow and pain over the loss of all his siblings. I thought about how huge his heart must be. I also thought that the reason that people don't live to be two hundred years old is that there would be no room inside the body to contain an organ so determined to constantly expand it's ability to experience life more deeply.

Soon it was time to go. He was tired. It had been a long day. I picked up my son from his lap  they both looked high to me now  and as we were leaving I thought, " nice glove gramps".

Anyway  "back to success."

I am not even a blip on the radar of the music industry. However, I have an understanding of the word success that is 45 years old. It is a grown up view. Every step forward comes at a price. In the music business the price is the time you have to spend with the people you love  your friends and family. Giving up something I love to acquire something I love has always seemed like a fifteen-year-old version of success to me not especially well thought out. I reject the MTV interpretation of what it means to be successful. To me, success in music means being able to perform on a regular basis in attentive environments for people with whom I can connect on some level, while increasing my standard of living and without becoming an absentee husband, father, son, brother or friend in the process. The one other essential ingredient is to feel like I am contributing something useful to the world.

So, my friends, on behalf of my family and I: Thank you very much for your invaluable help in making 2001 a great success for me in a very grown up sense of the word.

Don

Fall 2001 Newsletter

Hello.  Please forgive the length of this newsletter.  There have been a lot of interesting things happening in my career and this is my first chance to include them all in a newsletter.

The Book of Prose
This has been my current passion I hope to have a collection of short stories available in book form by spring.  I have included an unedited excerpt from one of the pieces I am currently working on.  It is at the bottom of the newsletter.

The Shameless Sales Pitch
All my recordings are available on line at www.cdfreedom.com.

Little Niche
The new CD.  Mostly live with three studio tracks. It features The Loomers on four songs, two duets with Maria Sangiolo, a beautiful cello arrangement from Anna Huthmaker and several comedy pieces.  This recording contains the seven-minute story called "Option # Three" about my Dad and The Red Sox.

Brown Eyes Shine
This has come to known as the teenager album. Recorded live in 1999. It features The Loomers on "Angel in Pieces" and "The Lumper Song". It also contains the three teen favorites, "The Adolescent Rant", "Brown Eyes Shine" and "Stupid"

Rascal
The 1996 studio CD that features several of my most requested serious pieces including Heartbeat of Heaven, Sense of Humor and the spoken piece "Postscript"

Live at the Somerville Theatre
This 1995 live recording really boosted my career.  It is still a fan favorite and features "I'm From Lynn, What Can I say?", "Psycho Mom and Dad" and "Sassy Brat"

Two Vagabonds in Disguise
Unavailable on CD for over five years, this 1992 recording features the original acapella version of "I Know What Love is" recorded live at the Old Vienna Kaffeehaus. It also features two duets with Maria Sangiolo.

The Acoustic Alliance Volume One
This 1993 compilation was out of print for years. It features ten Boston artists.  My contribution is the version of "I know What Love is" that features vocal harmonies by the Jazz acapella group Vox One.  This is the version of the song that has received such tremendous airplay around the country.

None of these recordings are available in stores. If you give them as holiday gifts, the world will be forced to admit just how truly amazing you are.

If you don't want to order on line at www.cdfreedom.com, you can order by phone at 1 800 937 3397 or you can purchase by mail by printing out the order form.

The very special private performance gift
Your friend, lover, wife, husband, brother, sister, mother, father is a fanatical Don White fan.  They already have all his recordings. What could you possibly get them that would prove once and for all that nobody loves them as much as you do? How 'bout a Don White private show? That's right. You hire me.  I send you a certificate saying this entitles the owner to one private performance by Don White.  After the holidays we arrange a date and I come over and perform. It could be a gathering of all your friends or just you and your special one. It?s all the same to me. I get to meet some new people and make some money and you come off looking like the most amazing friend, lover, wife, husband, brother, sister, mother, father in the whole wide world. Give it some thought. Things are moving pretty fast for me.  This is probably not something I will be able to offer in years to come. This isn?t going to work for everyone.  You have to live within a couple of hours of Boston and be willing to be flexible with the scheduling of the show.  For more information email booking@donwhite.net or call 617 539 3182

The White Brothers Reunion
I will be doing a very rare performance with my dear friend Leroy White at the Green Rooster in Worcester this Saturday November 3rd 508 798 3010. This is not necessarily a show for everyone.  However, if you are among the many people who are familiar with Leroy?s work, you know that this will be a very rare evening of hope, healing and joy.
Leroy and I have precious few opportunities to work together. If you know of someone who could use a night out like this, please let them know about it.

Michigan
My son and I will be returning to Michigan for two performances in November.
Friday November 9th at The Greenwood CH in Ann Arbor 734 665 8558 And Sat Nov 10 at The Lafayette Grande Ballroom -  www.thethirdcoast.com. These are two of the best shows of the year. We are very excited about them. Michigan is like home for us. Many, many thanks to all the folks that have come out to the shows there and made it so magical for us. Special thanks to Carey Carlson of Alice?s Restaurant, Matt Watroba of WDET and Katie Geddes of The Greenwood.

Chicago
In September I performed for the first time in Chicago. It was amazing. Many thanks to Mr. Rich Warren of WFMT and to Bryn and Ronga for their great house concert series. I hope to be returning in the spring with the possibility of including a show in Wisconsin to take advantage of the fantastic response to the airplay from Judy Rose of Wisconsin Public Radio.  (Who knew that Wisconsin was so close to Chicago.)

Florida
I will be returning to Florida for two performances in April. Sat April 13th at The Jewish Community Center in Miami and Tuesday April 16th at Skipper?s Smokehouse in Tampa.
Many thanks to Michael Stock of WLRN in Miami and to all the good folks at WMNF in Tampa.

The Radio Sampler
I have a cd called Radio Favorites that is just for radio. It features a handful of songs and comedy pieces that have a long proven history of making fans on the radio. My ability to play in different parts of the country is directly attributable to this CD. If you have a radio station near you that might consider playing my music, I will be glad to send them a copy of this recording. If the listeners of the show respond favorably, I will try to put together a show there.

Little Niche
This is my newest recording. It just received a nice review in Sing Out Magazine calling Little Bird ?An Instant gentle classic? and proclaiming that ?Option Number Three will make you pull the car over with laughter.? Doctor Demento played Option Number Three on his nationally syndicated radio program last month. Thanks Doc.

The Concert Video
On November 2nd, I will begin work of a full-length concert video. This will feature footage from the concert in Watertown Massachusetts last year.  This was a dandy night with The Loomers and my son Lawren.  Several of these performances wound up on Little Niche.  (The CD Rom version of The Volvo Dance is from this night.) It was recorded with three cameras, under the supervision of Mark Steele, who?s credits include work on Nova and Frontline.

It?s Cool to be Forty (an excerpt)

I must have skipped school on the day that they handed out the ?Things you can expect to experience in your forties handbook.?  As a result, I have been caught totally unprepared for a lot of this stuff.  Don?t get me wrong. It?s not like I didn?t expect all of the marvelous physical limitations. The eyes that refuse to read road maps, the back that will give you the same sharp pain for standing up too quickly that was once reserved for falling off a mountain, and of course, the ultimate relinquishing of that childhood dream of an NBA career.
I am not exactly thrilled with these things but I did know that they were coming.

What I didn?t see coming, because no one ever seems to talk about them, are all the amazing benefits of having been around long enough to see how things work and to get an idea of where you fit in the world.  What I am talking about here are accumulated points of reference.

When I was seventeen years old I hitch hiked around the country for eleven months. Prior to that time I had felt pretty comfortable in my world. I had a documented point of reference for most of the types of people that I might encounter in a working class urban community near Boston.  When I would see someone walking toward me on the street, the manner in which they carried themselves would trigger the memory of some previous experience that I could use to help me decide how to behave around them.

The process seemed to be visceral but somewhere inside my computer mind a subliminal conversation was taking place. It reminds me of an animated film they showed us at Breed Elementary School circa 1964. It was designed to show us how quickly and efficiently the human mind would process and respond to the information it received through the senses. It was very cool.

The brain looked like the flight deck of a Starship. There were people sitting at computers paying close attention to the information being brought into the command center from the eyes, ears, nose, mouth and skin. When the eye guy would see that the hand was about to touch something hot, his computer screen would call up a memory of the boy touching a hot iron when he was a baby. The screen would show him crying and the computer analysis of the memory would print out on the screen. HOT THINGS HURT AND MAKE HIM CRY.DO NOT TOUCH. The eye guy would then leap into action by summoning a man on a motorcycle. He would quickly dispatch the motorcycle dude down the two-lane highway of the body?s nervous system to deliver an executive order to the hand, commanding it to pull away from the flame.
These animated images taught us third graders that our senses and reflexes were always working to protect us but that they really couldn?t complete the job without the support of the Hells Angels.

So, I would be walking down the street in the town of my birth and when my eye guy would see someone walking toward me he would do a memory search on his computer. Young white male.  Approximately sixteen, wearing one of those caps that the Irish kids wear. Initial analysis of body language is a cross between actual tough guy and teenager trying not to show fear.

The computer would process the information and print out an analysis and a recommended series of commands like?

RED FLAG, RED FLAG. Initial analysis indicates the kind of kid who likes to slap people in the head just to see what they are made of. (Reference: Joey McCarthy after school railroad track incident August 71 and Billy Kelly cheap shot during basketball game Oct 70)
Recommendations: Show no fear Shift into ?I?m not intimidated by you? body language and prepare hands and arms to block sucker punch to command center.

The eye guy would then dispatch his three fastest biker dudes. One to tell the chest to puff out. One to ready the arms for blocking and one to put the head (invaluable domain of the eye guy) on super red alert.

I felt well equipped for survival in my world. I had assembled an impressive body of references that were all relevant in my community. I had competent people at the computer screens and some of the fastest biker dudes in town.
So when I decided to go on my hitch hiking adventure it never occurred to me just how big the world was and how my impressive encyclopedia of urban references would prove to be practically useless.

I am seventeen years old. Through a convoluted series of ridiculous circumstances and abysmally poor decision making, I find myself in a campground in Colorado with a severely drunk cowboy who is behaving in a way that is threatening and other worldly to me.
The crisis in my command center is unmitigated. The Starship is in a free fall. My poor eye guy is on the verge of an aneurysm. He is feverishly typing in raw data to the search engine. Drunk Cowboy.  What he gets back is that kind of useless information that search engines will send you when they can?t get a direct hit and instead give you possibilities derived from searches done on individual words.

4 results from search of drunk Cowboy

1 Dad drunk and acting like an asshole Christmas Eve 72
2 Don drunk and acting like an asshole Christmas Eve 73
3 Don dresses like Cowboy for school Halloween party 64
4 Patriots lose to Dallas Cowboys Autumn, 70.

The eye guy is screaming across the command center to the other sensory observation supervisors: WHAT THE FUCK IS A DRUNK COWBOY?!!
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER A DRUNK COWBOY YELLS ?HEEEOOOW!??
No one has any idea. They go into the bluffing mode. They send a biker dude off with a message for the hand. The hand opens the envelope. (Hands are good at that part) and the message reads ?Wing it.?  Biker dudes are being sent off and then called back before they can deliver the message. There are skid marks, head on collisions and all kinds of motorcycle carnage strewn along the nervous system highway.
My unscathed survival of this situation is attributable to good old fashion dumb luck. From that point forward the crew in my command center (Team Don, as I like to call them) Were a lot less cocky about their abilities and resources. The drunk Cowboy incident ushered in a new era of accelerated information gathering that would force me to develop, and rely heavily upon, my bluffing skills for the next several years whilst I built up my reference library on what turned out to be a remarkably large and extraordinarily diverse world.
 

 
The New CD "Little Niche" is now available.

I began work on this recording in October of last year. It has been an amazing and exhausting eight months. This CD is primarily from two live recordings from November 2000 and February 2001. It also includes three Studio tracks, two of which feature the beautiful voice of my dear friend Maria Sangiolo. This is the first time we have put our voices together as a duet since the Two Vagabonds CD in 1992. Her performances bring a very special warmth and depth of heart to this project.

Four songs on this CD feature The Loomers.  I have been performing a percentage of my live shows with this band for the past four years. In addition to their extraordinary musical talents, they bring a unique brand of mischief, camaraderie and pure joy to these performances.  My friend Anna Huthmaker who lives in Georgia, laid down the most beautiful cello part on a song for my daughter called Little Bird. Between her cello and Maria?s voice there is real magic here.

There are three live comedy/storytelling pieces on this CD.  (Including the very popular one about my Dad and The Red Sox)

There is also a CD-ROM movie featuring concert footage of my son and I performing The Volvo Dance.

The artwork and purchasing info is scheduled to be online at www.CDFreedom.com sometime on Wednesday May 30th.They have the CDs in stock now so you can order by phone during business hours 1 800 937 3397. You can view the artwork on my web site www.donwhite.net.  If you preordered a CD, yours went out in the mail Friday. May 25th If you ordered the package that included the blackmailer?s video, yours were mailed on Tuesday May 29th.

The CD Release Party

The ?Little Niche? CD release party will be held at The Bull Run Restaurant on Rt 2A in Shirley Mass on Saturday June 2nd. I am very excited about this show. This CD project has given me the opportunity to work creatively with many of my closest friends. This concert will be the one time when we will all be together. It will be held in the ballroom and will feature performances and collaborations from The Loomers, Maria Sangiolo, Seth Connelly, my son Lawren, and a fabulous cello player from Georgia; Anna Huthmaker. I have been doing this long enough to know just how difficult it is to assemble such a talented group of artists for a performance and I look forward to savoring every moment of it.

Michigan

I am very excited to be returning to Michigan on June 8th and 9th.  Many thanks for the tremendous support from everyone out there.  The concert information is on the schedule.

A few thoughts

This is my fifth CD.  (For those of you, who like to resurrect embarrassing moments from my past, there were actually three dreadful cassette endeavors before the CD era.)  I am forty-four years old. Both of my children have grown into extraordinary young adults. I have somehow managed to design a humble career in music that has not come at the expense of my family.  I have been fortunate to live in New England where the acoustic music scene is lush and diversified and rich with listening rooms. The combination of this amazing scene, private performances, and radio support (and my willingness to live on five hours of sleep per night) has afforded me the very unique opportunity to build a healthy fan base without having to be an absentee father and husband. I feel very blessed and fortunate.

I have a friend who is very sick. I am going to relate to you the events surrounding a conversation I had with her husband. This is an extremely difficult subject and normally I would keep this to myself. The reason I have chosen to talk about this here is that in the days following the conversation I had what I would describe as half of an epiphany (an ?epiph? if you will) and I thought I would throw the idea into the world with the hope that it might be of some use out there.

My friend?s name is Jackie. She has had cancer for many years. She is unable to breathe on her own, and according to her husband, she is very close to the end of a long struggle.  During my conversation with her husband, he told me about her situation and all the incredibly difficult decisions that he presently faced. In a voice so soulful and rich with the kind of focus that only these situations can truly manifest, he kept saying to me ?be sure to hug that beautiful wife of yours.? There was something in the depth of his voice and in the simple, yet immensely profound truth of those words that spoke to me. I thought that this was not a voice coming through a telephone, it was my own voice and it was coming directly from my own heart.

At work in my alarm technician job the following day I was having one of those days where everything I touched miraculously turned to shit. I was like the incompetent, dysfunctional stepbrother of the good fairy. I would wave my magic wand with the best of intentions at a perfectly good five thousand dollar alarm system and ?poof? it would miraculously be transformed into a useless piece of shit. (It did occur to me that I should recalibrate my magic wand.)

On my way to the office to pick up stock, the weight of the situation for my friend and her family kind of snuck up on me. I suddenly felt tremendous sadness. I thought ?here?s another situation where the time to tell someone why and how much I love them and what it is that makes them special to me has passed.? I resolved to take the time to seize these opportunities in the future. I saw a technician in the warehouse who in the course of five years has transformed himself from a heavy metal party dude to a compassionate massage therapist.  His growth as a person has been amazing. I seized the moment and congratulated him on his accomplishments. I told him that what he has done with his life was amazing and inspirational.  He lit up like a Christmas tree. We shook hands and I went upstairs to the office.  I sat down with a woman I have worked with for a year. I said, ? I have a friend who is dying from breast cancer. It?s probably too late to tell her all the things that make her special to me but you are right here and I can tell you.  I love the way you always treat me kindly and with consideration. I  love the way your face lights up when you talk about your son.  One of the reasons that you are special to me is that of all the people in this office, you are the one who always is genuinely concerned for me and always treats me fairly. I can not bring my friend back but in her name I can take the time to tell you why you are so special to me.? I fully expected for her to look at me like I needed stronger meds but the exact opposite happened. She suddenly was beaming.  In an office with dozens of cubicles full of grumbling humans all it took was two minutes of kind words to turn one of them into a joyous beacon.

On my way to my next appointment I decided that I would make a list of all the people I care about starting with the ones closest to me and working outward. Over the next month or two I would tell each one of them what I love about them in person or through email. I began to think about different people and all the unique things that made them special to me.  It was like discovering a book on each one that had already been written but I had never thought to open.  I opened the book to the page for my brother and there in black and white it said, ?You have such intense kindness.  It is totally unwavering.  If anyone in this family asked you for your last dollar you would give it to them and then go to the bank to borrow more for them. You have the quickest, most evolved sense of humor I have ever known.  I may be better at delivering it from a stage but you are the king.  There couldn't possibly a better person in the world to have for a brother.?  This was so exciting.  I opened to my sister?s page and read.  ?I love the sound of your laughter.  It?s music to me.  I am in awe at the way you rise to the occasion when the stakes are high.  The way you took control of the situation when Dad had pneumonia and wouldn?t go to the doctor stands out in my mind as one of the most impressive examples of refusing to surrender that I ever expect to see. The way you have dedicated every waking moment of your adult life to what is best for your children is quite simply the way it should be with everyone.?

I am not trying to change the world. It just occurred to me that I should take advantage of the opportunity to tell people why I love them while I can.  It also seemed like a nice thing to do in the name of my friend.

Rest easy Jackie Thibeault.

There are many kind words being spoken in the world this day.

You are the reason why.

Sincerely,

Don White
 

April 2001 Newsletter

 
The New CD

The new CD is called ?Little Niche.? I had hoped to have it available this month. I still need to do some final mixing and mastering on it. Since I am painfully aware that these projects live longer than their creators, I am very reluctant to release them before they are ready. The new release date is May 31st.It will be available at www.CDFreedom.com

There are twelve tracks. Six were recorded live at the First Parish Unitarian Church in Watertown Mass.

1 A little More Love
2 Moments (spoken)
3 Like a Friend, 4 Project Girl, 5 Not Scared Anymore. (These three feature The Loomers)
6 The Volvo Dance. ( This is a video clip with my son Lawren)

There are three comedy pieces recorded live at The Muse at the Gray Goose in Londonderry NH.

1 Option Number One (The piece about my Dad and The Red Sox)
2 Miserable Niche ( a frightening look forward in my career)
3 Testosterman in Estroland (The piece about my cat)

There are three studio tracks

1 Silver Crown (with the Loomers)
2 Little Bird (With Maria Sangiolo on Vocals and Anna Huthmaker on Cello)
3 Marlene (With Maria Sangiolo on Vocals.)

The CD Release Party

The "Little Niche" CD release party will be held at The Bull Run Restaurant on Rt 2A in Shirley Mass on Saturday June 2nd. I am very excited about this show. This CD project has given me the opportunity to work creatively with many of my closest friends. This concert will be the one time when we will all be together. It will be held in the ballroom and will feature performances and collaborations from The Loomers, Maria Sangiolo, Seth Connelly, my son Lawren, and a cello player from Georgia; Anna Huthmaker. I have been doing this long enough to know just how difficult it is to assemble such a talented group of artists for a performance and I look forward to savoring every moment of it.

Back to Michigan

My experiences in Michigan are still a little difficult for me to believe. With the help of Carey Carlson, Matt Watroba and Kattie Geddes, I have gone from having never even visited the state, to selling out seven hundred seats last fall.  My son and I will be returning in June for a show at the Greenwood Coffeehouse in Ann Arbor on Friday June 8th and a return engagement to the Lafayette Grande Ballroom in Pontiac on Saturday June 9th.  Matt Watroba will once again be opening this show. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all my new friends in Michigan. I can?t wait to perform for you again. Ticket info for all my upcoming performances is included in my schedule at the end of this newsletter and can always be found at www.donwhite.net/gigs.htm.

Florida

In March I did two shows in Florida. I had never performed there before. The response was overwhelming. Many, many heartfelt thanks to Michael Stock of WLRN in Miami for playing songs from my radio sampler and making everything possible. To Ellen Buckstel Segal for putting together one of the warmest and most professionally done house concerts I have ever attended. And to Randy Wynne and all the staff at WMNF in Tampa and everyone at Skipper?s Smoke house for giving me the opportunity to bring my music to their extraordinary supporters.  I expect to be returning to Miami to perform again this year. When that date is secured I will try to build a weekend of  performances around it. Do you live in Florida? Do you have any suggestions on possible venues or house concerts that I might investigate near Tampa or Miami? I?d love to hear from you. don@donwhite.net.

Wisconsin

Yes, Wisconsin.

There is a radio show called Simply Folk hosted by Judy Rose in Wisconsin that has been playing songs from my radio sampler. The response from the listeners of the program has been very generous. I am very grateful to Ms. Rose and to everyone from her listening area that has encouraged me to travel there. If you live in this part of the country and you have any suggestions on how best to maximize an initial adventure there, I would be most interested in hearing it.

The Radio Sampler

This CD collection of the specific versions of songs that have a long history of creating listener enthusiasm on radio is making it possible for me to reach new audiences in several parts of the country. If you are a radio personality and you would like a copy, let me know where you want it sent.

If you know of a radio personality that plays this kind of music where you live and think they might give me a try, let me know where to send it.

The Private Show Conspiracy

Private shows made up a full thirty five percent of my performances last year. It made a tremendous difference in my ability to increase my music career without having to be on the road for long stretches of time. I met a lot of delightful people. Do you have a special occasion planned this year that could use a Don White performance to shake things up a bit? Check out the Private Shows page at www.donwhite.net/private.htm and contact us.

Recordings

All my recordings are available on line at www.CDFreedom.com.  If you don't want to order on line, you can call during business hours 1 800 937 3397.  I will be working this spring on a concert video that was filmed at the Watertown show in November. This was a three-camera shoot and will be professionally edited. I hope to release it this summer to see if there is any interest out there for this sort of thing. My new CD "Little Niche" will be available on line by the end of May.

Many thanks for all the support.
I hope to see you soon

Don
 

January/February 2001 Newsletter

The New Years Wish

   I look out my window and I see my depressed friend driving a backhoe into my yard. He digs a hole eight feet deep at the end of my driveway and then rings my doorbell. When I open the door I see that he is no longer on my porch. He has, in fact, climbed down into the hole. ?Look at this terrible hole that I'm in?, he says. ?Look at this terrible hole you dug for yourself?, I say. He pleads with me to climb down in there with him so that I can see just how dreadful the world looks from where he is. I say, ?Brother, there are two things that are definitely not going to happen here today. Number one is that I am not going to try to fix you. We both know that you have to fix yourself. Number two is that there is absolutely nothing that you can say or do that is going to get me down into that hole.? I reach back into the house and pull out my easel. I set it up on my porch and say, ?However, because I do care about you, there is one thing that I will do.? I then proceed to paint a beautiful portrait of my friend. I hold it up for him to see but he doesn't recognize that it is a portrait of him. This is because I have chosen not to portray him as he sees himself. (That would be equivalent to climbing down in the hole and acknowledging his view of himself and of the world.) I have instead, chosen to draw him as I see him in my mind. In all the glory of his fulfilled potential. This is a portrait of my friend with his wings.

   As he continues to try to coerce me down into his hole, I continue to hold up the portrait and say, "This is all I have for you. This is the only thing you get from me when you come here."

   He goes away. They always go away. My yard looks like it has suffered aerial bombardment from all the holes my friends have dug and beckoned me into. When they realize that they will, in all likelihood, be spending the night alone down there, they climb out and drive their backhoes elsewhere.

   Sometimes, (not half the time, not even twenty percent of the time, but once in a while.) they go away and do whatever is necessary to straighten out their lives. Then one day you answer the doorbell and your friend is standing on your porch looking as if he had just climbed directly out of your portrait of him.

    It is a rare and extraordinary moment in a person's life when he can look into the eyes of someone he cares about and say "Look at you! Look how beautiful you are! Aren't you glad I didn't climb into that stupid hole with you? Aren't you glad that I didn't agree with that ridiculous view that you had of yourself and of the world?

Look at your wings!"

This is my New Year's wish for you.

I hope that you have many people to believe in.
I hope that many people believe in you.
I hope that every time you put your hand in your pocket, you pull out Zuzu's petals.

I hope that when the people you care about look into your eyes, they see a reflection of themselves in all the glory of their fulfilled potential and with the wings that your eyes have always seen on them.

Happy New Year,

Don White

Upcoming shows with The Loomers

The shows with The Loomers are great fun. They are usually sold out. We only do about six or eight a year because all the band members are very busy with their own projects. Hope you can make it out to one this year

Sat Feb 24th at the Lutheran Church in Lynn Ma.
Sat. March 24th at the Green Rooster in Worcester Ma
Sat June 2nd at The Bull Run in Shirley Ma. (This will be a CD release party)

The New CD.

This is the way the new CD is shaping up.
There will be some songs from the live show in Watertown last November.
There will be a couple of things from the show at The Muse in Londonderry NH on Jan 27th.
There will be four studio songs.
I am hoping to have it completed in April.
These are the titles that look like they are going to make the final cut

Little More Love --- Option #3 (the story about my Mom and Dad) --- Silver Crown --- Like a Friend --- Marlene --- Testosterman in Estroland (story) --- Little Bird --- Moments ---- Project Girl (a very spirited live version) --- Christmas Memories ---- Not Scared Anymore --- The Volvo Dance (this will be a video clip that you will be able to view on your computer)

The Radio Sampler

This is a CD called Radio Favorites that is not for sale but is available to radio personalities that want to have the specific versions of my songs that already have a proven record of making fans over the Radio. Because of radio I have gone, in one year, from having never even been to Michigan to selling out seven hundred seats last November. Next month, with the help and support of radio in Miami and Tampa, I will be doing two shows in Florida to see if there is interest enough to build upon there.

If there is radio support where you are, I will consider doing some shows there. Let me know who to send the sampler to and we'll see if anything develops. I already have had some response to airplay from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Alaska, Maryland, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Oregon.

"I know what love is" by Don White has garnered more attention than any song I have played in twenty five years on the radio. It Just grabs you.  I'll get forty inquiries a week from people calling the station asking how  they can get a copy of that song.
-  Carey Carlson WLLC-FM Detroit

"I know what love is" is the song of the year on my radio show.
-  Michael Stock WLRN-FM Miami

Every once in a while songs come along that I call "showstoppers" on my radio program. We all have them. These are the songs that get requested every week and generate lots of e-mail inquiries. Several of these lately have come from Don White. Songs like "MTV Love Song" and "I Know Exactly What Love Is" literally light up my phone lines in the studio. Don has put six of his most popular radio songs on a CD sampler and is making this available to radio folk. I strongly recommend you check them out. If interested, drop Don White an e-mail at: don@donwhite.net?
-  Matt Watroba WDET Detroit

Michigan

I will be returning to the Greenwood Coffeehouse in Ann Arbor on Friday June 8th. I have a tentative agreement to return to The Lafayette Grande Ballroom in Pontiac on Sat June 9th. I hope that this date will be confirmed soon. My trip to Michigan in November was one of the best experiences of my career. Many thanks to all my friends out there.

The Private show conspiracy

Private shows made up a full thirty five percent of my performances last year. It made a tremendous difference in my ability to increase my music career without having to be on the road for long stretches of time. I met a lot of delightful people. Do you have a special occasion planned this year that could use a Don White performance to shake things up a bit? Check out the Private Shows page at www.donwhite.net and contact us.

Recordings

All my recordings are available on line at www.cdfreedom.com. If you don't want to order on line you can call during business hours 1 800 937 3397. I will be working this spring on a concert video that was filmed at the Watertown show in November. This was a three-camera shoot and will be professionally edited. I hope to release it this summer to see if there is any interest out there for this sort of thing. If so, I will consider releasing a second video from a show at the Bull Run last fall. This is an off-the-cuff, one-camera shoot that was originally intended to give the cameraman an idea of what to expect from a show with the Loomers. He wound up capturing an evening when the audience was out of their collective mind and the band was on fire.
I am also considering releasing some collections of short stories that I have been working on. I guess time will tell.

Thanks for all the support.
I hope it's a great year for you.

Don
 

© 2005 Richard H. Fox