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…
Tag
getting things done
“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…
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,…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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 #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…
I can never find something when I’m looking for it.
November 16, 2023
You’ll feel better on the other side of your excuse.
August 24, 2023
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…
If you want more time, pick something to not do.
July 11, 2023
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
What you fix your attention on accumulates
April 19, 2009
What you fix your attention on accumulates. What you apply pressure to either strengthens or weakens. In this way good thoughts become great ideas and bad thoughts become potentially destructive. What you fix your attention on will grow in strength.…
Thinking in a Straight Line
April 19, 2009
To decide to do something and get it done has to be one of the most difficult things to do. I can’t speak for you, but to me – to start with a thought and convert it into a…
CEO Check List
April 5, 2009
So here is the CEO to-do list. Think, talk, listen, buy food and wait to sign things. There was a phase in the business where I did everything and now I can’t seem to do anything. My day and…