Thoughts

Let’s do this again!

April 20, 2026

And here we are, 15 years later, about to do it again, bigger, better, and honestly, still a little bit crazy. Saturday, April 25, 2026. 18 venues. 27+ bands. 100+ musicians. One ticket. We start at 5 PM and go…

A Washington State Musician Tax & Licensing Guide

October 4, 2025

A Washington State Musician Tax & Licensing Guide. Trying to make this easy to get updated on, I have made an audio book and printable PDF. Check them out and share away. The following information has been compiled to help…

“As a Musician do I need to pay taxes in Washington State?”

October 2, 2025

Do I Really Need a Business License as a Musician in Washington State? So all this talk about the new sales tax has resulted in my receiving many, many, many messages from musicians about taxes. Unfortunately, most of whom don’t…

Musicians & B&O Tax in Washington State?

October 2, 2025

This post is a continuation of the topic of being a musician and taxes in Washington State. Bottom line, if you are getting paid to perform or if you are teaching lessons, you are going to need to pay B&O…

The Tax Ruling Is In, And It’s Messy

September 30, 2025

Well, I got my answer. And honestly, I wish I could tell you it was all a bad dream. After weeks of waiting and wondering, the Washington State Department of Revenue sent me their official binding ruling yesterday September 29th,…

Jazz Musician and Now Tax Collector – Is This True?

September 6, 2025

There are big changes in the works in Olympia that are going to dramatically impact a hard working community of musicians and educators. I have been trying to understand exactly what it means and I’ll just say that it’s very…

2025 North Bend Blues Walk

August 26, 2025

The Blues Walk is Back October 4th with 22 bands across 18 venues downtown North Bend, WA One ticket, one night: 6 p.m.–midnight in historic Downtown North Bend NORTH BEND, Wash. — August 26, 2025 — The North Bend Blues…

The Band Director Handbook for Bebop by the Numbers is Now Available!

August 19, 2025

Well, here we go again. It’s time to push the go button on another project. I’m excited to share that my new book, Bebop by the Numbers – Band Director Handbook, “A Super Fun, Super Simple Step-by-Step Guide on How…

Here We Go… Starting a New Music Festival – Haystack

June 26, 2025

I know what you’re thinking: Really, Danny? Another music festival?Yeah. I guess I can’t help myself. This time, it’s not jazz. It’s something that’s been rattling around in my brain for a while—like this has been three years in the…

Another Year Goes By

March 13, 2025

It used to be a really big number, 95. Not anymore. And he was so healthy up until a few months before he was gone. It was cancer that took his life, not old age. I still think at 91,…

Lesson #4 – We are all individuals…

February 14, 2025

I woke up this morning thinking about this lesson again and I thought it was worth sharing, again. It’s from my book, Lessons from My Father Available on Amazon and wherever you buy books these days. #4 We are all…

YOUGETTO

February 4, 2025

You get to choose. Don’t let the evil things others do influence you. Don’t let the crazies make you crazy. You get to choose. This game is not decided for you. What you get to think, you get to choose.…

Christmas by the Numbers

December 6, 2024

For my Bebop by the Numbers friends, here are 19 Christmas tunes by numbers. Tis the season, so have some fun.

My Life is Meaningless

September 5, 2024

and other dark and true thoughts, and what to do next.. At first glance, we want to argue with this thought, struggle against it. We feel bad, then we feel terrible, then we have regrets about even thinking these things.…

It’s that time of year again – Thank You Americans

July 3, 2024

I just want to take this moment to say one thing — thank you, Americans. Let me tell you why. I am a first generation American. My parents families were oppressed, lost their property, their liberty. My grandfather was taken…

The Next Chapter

June 20, 2024

If you are like me, it’s time for the next chapter in my story. What is behind me is over, and what lies ahead is what is now most important. I can’t leave everything behind. I have memories, I have…

Thirteen years later – Why are we hosting a jazz festival in North Bend, Washington?

April 22, 2024

In 2011, I started the North Bend Jazz Walk, followed by the North Bend Blues Walk six months later. These annual events raise funds for Jazz Clubs NW, a nonprofit organization supporting live jazz performances and education. Initially, the goal…

We Made a Game – Well, Leslie did Most of the Work

March 23, 2024

It started with a question from a very good friend: “What kind of people are fun to be with?” I said, “Gamers”. That led to an idea, which led to another idea, which led to my recruiting my daughter, and…

Happy Birthday Dad

March 13, 2024

Today would have been my dad’s 94th birthday. He was born March 13th, 1930 in Poland. More of his story is here… Happy Birthday Dad. I certainly do miss you, still. It’s been a while since I got a hug…

The Gap – Wanting a Good Life

February 15, 2024

Is there a gap between what you want, what you expect, and what you have? How things “should’ be? Maybe it’s something you’d like? Maybe something doesn’t feel quite right? Maybe you can’t put your finger on it, but there…

The Final Lesson –

December 28, 2023

It’s Our Turn I already mentioned this in a previous post, but I thought it was worth repeating. I think it’s a good way to sum everything up. The End of the Story As my dad was in his last…

Lesson # 15 – I don’t need anything. I have everything I need. I am so thankful.

November 20, 2023

This is the last lesson in my series Lessons from My Father and the timing of this lesson could not be more appropriate. The end of the year is approaching and the holiday season is kicking off, this is Thanksgiving…

Lesson #14- Life is a gift. Walk more, Chop wood, Don’t give up. Fight for the life you have been given.

November 17, 2023

When my dad was 21, he was in a tragic accident that burned nearly all of his upper body. His face and his hands were forever scarred as a result. He spent more than a year in the hospital, in…

Lesson #13 – Don’t wait to go to the doctor

November 16, 2023

Continuing my series on Lessons from My Father… In my opinion, my dad learned this one the hard way, and it may have cost him his life. That pain in your back, well, you are not just getting old. It’s…

Lesson #12- It’s hard to take your own advice. I make dumb mistakes all the time. So do others. It’s okay.

November 2, 2023

I’m continuing my series on Lessons from my father. They seem to be getting harder, and more profound. My dad was brilliant in many ways, but he was horrible at taking his own advice, or at least it seemed that…

Lesson #11- About Evil – Evil is a real thing, and there are people who serve it. Most of them are foolishly unaware of the evil they do. Be careful of them, but love them too, and pray for them. Remember that even the best people, with the best intentions can hurt you.

October 16, 2023

This is not a blog post about morality. This is a post about understanding that there are people who do harm, either intentionally, or unintentionally. The harm itself, is real, and has consequences.

Lesson from my father #10 – About Church; don’t go to church to get something, go to church to serve other people.

September 21, 2023

I am at a point in my life where I feel that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to do, and I have never been happier or more fulfilled. Here’s the short version of how I got here.…

Lesson #9- You can learn to enjoy Jazz. You can learn how to do anything.

September 7, 2023

My dad didn’t start out a Jazz fan at all. He found it confusing. He was not a musician, and he didn’t think of himself as having musical talent. Growing up, I rarely heard him sing, I sometimes heard him…

Lesson #8- It’s okay to change your opinions, don’t be too proud of them. Change them all the time.

August 31, 2023

Lesson #8- It’s okay to change your opinions, don’t be too proud of them. Change them all the time – from Lessons from My Father. I have learned that I do often need to examine my opinions, and be willing…

Lesson #7- Serve others and you will find happiness

August 24, 2023

If you don’t know where to start, start by listening to them. – from Lessons from My Father ”It’s not about you.” I don’t know who said that first, but it’s a pretty common saying. I find myself repeating it…

Read these books – The Happiness Trap & Man’s Search for Meaning

August 17, 2023

This month I have been consuming two books, one on audio and the other on my Kindle. I have admittedly shared before on my blog that I am a worrier, and for me it is dibilitating at times. I am…

I’m learning to celebrate what I don’t do.

July 11, 2023

I’m learning to celebrate what I don’t do; the TV I don’t watch, the debts I don’t take on, the expenses I don’t have, the desert I don’t eat, the drink I don’t have, the time I don’t spend on…

Finding a Routine

June 30, 2023

I have some things that I want to accomplish and I am not satisfied with my progress. A routine will help me, I think. I hear people say it helps them get stuff done and build good habits. I want…

Lesson #6 – Listening is Love, be a good listener. And hug people too.

June 22, 2023

This morning I am again reflecting on lessons I learned from my father. This one usually comes easy for me. I like to listen to people. I like to hear them tell stories, share experiences.

Doing Something Else

May 31, 2023

I am amazed at how much can be accomplished by following the principle “do something else.” And how often nothing gets done because I don’t follow that principle. I must admit that I am still trying to get comfortable with…

Why did you start a Jazz Festival in North Bend Washington of all places?

April 17, 2023

“Why did you start a jazz festival? In North Bend Washington, of all places?” Ha. The better question is probably, why do I still run a jazz festival in North Bend? For those of you that don’t know, I started…

Hey I published a book this month

March 31, 2023

I haven’t been blogging as much lately, but for a really good reason… I finished, and published my first book. [ Sidebar, I actually wrote another book before this one but didn’t publish it. ] Bebop by the Numbers is…

Lesson #5- Try to understand what other people think, and “why” they think that way

February 27, 2023

It is far easier to judge and condemn others than it is to seek to understand their point of view. It’s far easier to not care about what they think. It’s also popular, everyone is doing it. It’s all over…

A Friend Without Condition

February 14, 2023

I think the hardest words you’ll ever write are for someone that you love, especially if that someone loves you. The same is true for true friends.

Too Busy for Friendship

February 7, 2023

Are you too busy to be a friend? “If I have not time for friendship, I am not a friend.” We are too busy these days, aren’t we? It seems like there’s no shortage of things that need to be…

How are you doing? The Journey vs the Destination…

January 31, 2023

How are you doing? Me? Tough to say sometimes. I think I am doing well. I am not a “happy-go-lucky” type of person. Actually, if I was going to give a color to my disposition, it would be a dark…

Don’t Do It! Procrastinate Your Way to Success – Seriously

January 1, 2023

Sounds odd doesn’t it? After all why do today what you can put off till tomorrow? If you are like me you have had it beaten into you that procrastination is bad. You’ve been told all your life to, “Take…

Lesson #4 – We are all individuals…

December 18, 2022

Wondering how I am doing in comparison with others has never helped me. It’s only led me to discouragement and despair. I don’t know if I will ever match my hero’s abilities, and there always seems to be someone better…

To be Thankful, is to be Wealthy…

December 14, 2022

It’s not how much you have around you, it’s how thankful you feel inside. To be thankful, is to be wealthy, to have regret, is to be poor, and you get to choose.

The December Fog

December 8, 2022

There is a fog between everything I need to get done, I can only seem to see in front of me a few feet at a time. Life doesn’t stop for the holidays, the holidays are just piled on top.

“Well that didn’t work out.” When plans change…

November 24, 2022

I have learned that it’s worth the disappointment. It’s worth the discouragement. It’s even with the battles with depression. It’s perspective. It’s how I choose to look at it, and accept things. I decided at some point to no longer…

Lesson #3 – Love everyone for who they are now, not who they can be, and not what they should be.

November 14, 2022

Love everyone for who they are now, not who they can be, and not what they should be. This includes your spouse, your children, your friends, and total strangers. – Lessons from My Father What they “should” be? Let’s face…

Worrying – A mostly complete guide to

November 2, 2022

If you can worry about it, I think I got it covered. But I am worried that I may not… You know, have worried enough about it? Worry is one of my defining characteristics. I don’t actually take action on…

Accepting Things

October 29, 2022

Accepting Things. Accepting things and doing what you can to move on. Maybe you can change things? Maybe you can’t? That’s how things are? I’m trying to not get angry over the things that happen in my day, especially the…

Lesson #2 – Time is Short, Don’t Waste Your Wit on Anger

October 17, 2022

In the end, our time is so short. Don’t waste your time judging others. It’s not worth wasting your wit on anger. Just focus on what you can do, yourself. – Lessons from My Father I used to take pride…

Memories

October 14, 2022

What are we without our memories? What is our worth? How are we different than any other living organism? How important are the thoughts we have, and the memories we have, to the value we have? I must admit that…

Busy is easy. Less is hard.

September 27, 2022

Busy is easy. Less is hard. Will I ever have enough time? Probably not. Time seems to be the thing that I lack the most. Time with friends, with family. Time to exercise, to read, to think, to reflect, to…

As Long As I Am Going to Die ..

September 22, 2022

“As long as I am going to die someday, I may as well play jazz…” That about sums it up for me. I walked away from my career in corporate America for my kids, and all the students I work…

Lesson #1 – Be Thankful for Everything You Have Been Given

September 19, 2022

Lesson #1 – Be thankful for everything you have been given, and say thank you all the time. – Lessons from My Father It’s easy to notice. It’s easy to compare what you have or don’t have with others. Afterall,…

Lessons From My Father

September 18, 2022

“It doesn’t matter how much money you make, how high you rise in rank in the world. You do what you love, and do it for the sake of loving someone else. There is nothing more beautiful, nothing more precious.…

Think Well, Be Well

September 16, 2022

“Thinking makes it so.” ~ Hamlet via Shakespeare Thinking makes it so. I can’t agree more. Whether it be positive or negative in its impact, what you think about, and how you think about it will have an effect on…

Deception for Protection?

September 14, 2022

Probably the most common form of deception is lying to “protect someone else”. Maybe you don’t see it as lying because you are just “not telling them”. It shows up because you “don’t want them to worry about it.” If…

The Secret is What You Don’t Do

September 11, 2022

Often in life it’s what you don’t do that helps you succeed at the things you want to succeed at. To take a look at this we can start pretty simple. It’s not eating that extra piece of dessert, and…

Starting Something New

September 10, 2022

My decision is not new. I decided a long time ago I wanted to do it. I just have been putting it off, and putting things off seems to be what I am best at. I seem to be a…

Happy Birthday today to my hero! My dad!

March 13, 2015

Happy Birthday today to my hero! My dad! Daniel Arthur Kolke, Sr. is 85 years young today. I took this first picture of my parents in Krakow Poland on a family trip to trace our roots. My dad was born…

This is what it’s all about…

March 12, 2015

Some people just don’t get why it’s a big deal… On the eve of the fourth annual Jazz Walk I am reflecting on two conversations that I just had with two patrons of Boxleys while at Pioneer Coffee – the…

Why do a thing? Or Not?

May 1, 2013

Why? Not? Why do it? Seriously. Why do it? Why invest the time? Or why do you not invest the time? Why “waste the time?” Why do you return to a habit that you regret or detest? And what keeps you…

My No-News News Report

August 14, 2009

Since I have been on a recent news media diet; I duct-tapped my business hat to my forehead and started grinding my nose as hard as I could in an effort to turn my own economies around. I’ll update you…

What declaration shall you make?

July 2, 2009

Just think that 233 years ago; the continental congress was in the final hours of deliberating what to do. They decided to risk everything so we could have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They stood…

Procrastinate Your Way to Success – Seriously

June 20, 2009

Procrastinate Your Way to Success – Seriously Don’t do it!Okay, it’s time to procrastinate your way to success. Sounds odd doesn’t it? After all why do today what you can put off till tomorrow? If you are like me you…

What Makes Someone Great?

June 19, 2009

What makes someone great? What creates greatness? Do leaders ask to be great? Do they desire to be great? Or do they come from ordinary stalk and somehow they make the decision that something has to be done. Do they…

CEO Tip – It’s Okay to lose your Balance

May 16, 2009

I have an adverse reaction every time I hear someone give advice about living a balanced life. It doesn’t matter who it is, it drives me crazy. I was talking with my pastor and it finally occurred to me what…

Chasing the Clouds Away

May 5, 2009

I’m watching the sun chase the clouds away. It’s as if the weather doesn’t remember how cruel it was a few hours ago. The camera on my smartphone really doesn’t do my picture justice – I’m amazed at how beautiful…

Another Day – Another Miracle

April 30, 2009

Whether you believe in God as I do, or you believe that a series of random unplanned sequence of events (probably trillions of them) in which you have somehow survived and which has lead to your very existence – either…

It’s Still A Stupid Idea

April 26, 2009

Let’s call it what it is, “stupid”. Mass adoption of a stupid idea does not in anyway alter the intellectual value of that idea. It’s still stupid. For me when confronted by a populist idea – I remember an anonymous…

Thought Momentum

April 26, 2009

Thoughts combined with action and deeds creates momentum towards a goal. Thinking about something, committing it to paper (or a different media) and starting to take action on that thought is what gives us substantially all forward progress. Thinking…

Thought Injection and Thought Security

April 21, 2009

Accepting the thoughts of others without validation is foolishness. The more thoughts that you accept, the more momentum you create in those thoughts and the more vulnerable you become to the influence of others. Surrendering your thoughts without conscientious…