#shadowsandsmoke

Let me begin by noting that these are in no certain order.

The event is held at one of the coolest spots around, The Turkey Hill Brewing Company in Bloomsburg, PA.

The Luzerne County Brewers have worked up some fabulous craft beers for you to sample.

Your favorite singer songwriters have written songs that match the names of said fabulous craft beers.

Some really talented artists have also designed art/labels that are based on the names of those fabulous craft beers.

The Peculiar Culinary Company Food Truck will be open for business! Yes, you heard that right.  I said, “FOOD TRUCK!”

You want to do good things? Proceeds from this year’s show benefit the ThinkBIG Pediatric Cancer Fund.

You like good music, right?

Here are a few good reasons, all wrapped into 1: Aaron Fink, Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen, Ed Randazzo Michi, MIME TRIBES, GillaWatts, Jung Bergo, The Mighty Susquehannas, Tony Halchak Music

Did I mention the beer + art + great original music?  This is a great equation.

Your favorite singer songwriter, Kate Hearity, IS PLAYING AT 12pm!

Most of you are used to seeing me with guitars slung around my back, but did you know I'm really a piano player? I started playing when I was about 6, starting officially taking lessons at 7 or 8, and I haven’t been without keys ever since.  Growing up, I had two of the best teachers around- Phil Latella and Danny DeMelfi.  Even with the best teachers in the biz, I had grown frustrated with being stuck on some traditional classical music.  Let's face it, I was FOURTEEN.  I didn't see the value in those songs, they weren’t on the radio, Mariah Carey wasn’t singing them, and so I wasn't going to practice them! There was just no pulling me into it at the time.  My stubborn Taurean self decided that I was quitting piano that year, right around the summer of 8th grade, and Mom and Danny decided to allow it.. or so I believed...

After a few weeks without my piano lessons, I found myself right back where I was meant to be- at the piano bench again.  Only this time, there was no Fur Elise or Minuets to play.  This time, it was my choice!  And so, I would play my Dad's old sheet music for The Beatles' "Hey Jude" or write songs of my own.  My secret made its way to the DeMelfi School of Music and so began my updated curriculum-  chord structures and progressions, jazz, blues, etc.  By the end of that summer, I returned for my lessons and when I did, Danny had not only reserved my usual lesson time (turns out that Danny and Mom had conjured a secret plan together, knowing that this would happen!), but he also brought in sheet music for songs that would make me WANT to play on my very own.  Songs that were of an equal level of difficulty as the classical tunes I had been stuck on, but songs that I CARED about and WANTED to hear.  I still remember walking into my first lesson after the hiatus to find sheet music spread out across the bench-- Mariah Carey's MTV Unplugged version of I'll Be There, Guns n Roses' "November Rain", and Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart."  

"So what do you want to start with?" he said, with a smile.  

I'm pretty sure I went on to learn those three songs to perfection over the next three lessons- quite possibly the fastest I had ever learned any songs in all of my lessons EVER.  

The thing that makes Danny so special is that he has done this for THOUSANDS more than just me.  He cares about the kids, he goes the extra mile, he’ll help you get as far as you want to go w music, and he simply LOVES it.  

Thank you, Danny, for caring enough to not give up on me, for finding another way to keep me in it, and for remembering that it's always all about the love of music.  Congrats on your 40 years- and here's to many, many more. <3

Nonsexual acts of Intimacy - Select from the following for my muse to respond to…

♦: Slow dancing