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
little things
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.…
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 #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
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.
Sometimes, “just a little different” is nice.
August 23, 2023
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…
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.
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…