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
happiness
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.…
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…
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 #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…
You’ll feel better on the other side of your excuse.
August 24, 2023
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…
Sometimes, “just a little different” is nice.
August 23, 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…
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…
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…
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.
“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 someday, I may as well play jazz…
September 22, 2022
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…
Why is it important to play music?
March 27, 2016
Walter Blanding and I spent a week together on tour visiting 100’s of students across the Pacific Northwest. I managed to grab this gem of a talk answering the question, “why is it important to play music?” Click here to…
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…
North Bend celebrates ’embarrassment of riches’ in volunteer spirit with the Kolkes, Nela Cumming
January 16, 2013
Originally posted http://www.valleyrecord.com/news/187171211.html by CAROL LADWIG, Snoqualmie Valley Record Editor Jan 16, 2013 at 12:14PM Citizen of the Year Nela Cumming, Director of Pediatric Therapy at Encompass, was recognized at the Jan. 15 North Bend City Council meeting, where Mayor…
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…
Leadership is Difficult – If you think you can’t do it, you are right… and?
June 12, 2009
Leadership is difficult. The burden of doing what is right with what is trusted to you is heavy. And it’s certain you will stumble and you will fall. You will make mistakes and you will make missteps. The longer you…
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 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…