Over the weekend, I sang at the Old State House in Dover. It was with the Happiness Project, a group focused on benefiting mental health awareness. It is run by two amazing people, and I've done lots of shows with them. There were two other performers at the Old State House; the first band was called Here for the Night and the other was a duet called The Jayplayers. It was a low-key night with a small crowd, but it went well and the other bands sounded great. Next weekend, I'm doing another show with the Happiness Project at the Christmas Village in Baltimore.

Fake News Story

A fight broke out on Friday at the Target in the Christiana Mall. Since it was Black Friday, the mall was packed with people looking for the best deals. The fight reportedly broke out around 5 pm between two middle-aged men over a 70 inch television. There were many bystanders who stood and watched the fight as it occurred. One woman, who was shopping with her husband, stated that “there were so many people running around and trying to grab as much as they could. It was very hectic, and then I heard two men shouting from across the store. It was crazy”

No one was harmed in the fight, but the two men did damage the television. The owner of Target commented on the subject and said “I tried to keep the store as peaceful as possible. I know that many people rush around to try to get the best deals, but I have seen people get very crazy over items that they really want and it can be very hard to control”

Witnesses have shared details of the incident, saying that the two men were both inspecting the television at the same time, and once they realized that it was the last one left, they began to argue. An elderly man who was shopping right near them at the time the fight broke out explained that “they were talking quite nicely to each other, and they laughed about the Black Friday madness. Then, they saw it was the last television and started grabbing onto it.” The men were trying to pull the television away from each other, but were unable to do so because of its size and weight. They wound up knocking the television off of its display, which wound up shattering the screen.

Police arrived on the scene after the television was broken. They arrested the two men for damage of store property; the men are being asked to pay for the damage and disturbance they caused on that night. Most people were shopping peacefully before the fight broke out, so many were frightened by the commotion. A woman shopping with her son and daughter said “my kids and I were having a good time looking for Christmas presents for their father, and we got very scared when we heard shouting from across the store. My four year old daughter began crying; it was a shame to see such violent actions while people were trying to enjoy their day.”

Black Friday has proved to be frantic day for most shoppers, and many fights have occurred in the past. It does not come as a surprise that many people avoid going out to shop on Black Friday; they merely do not want to be a part of the madness and potentially violent shopping experience. Police have stated that they will be more forceful in years to come in order to stop violence from occurring as much as they possibly can. The police captain stated that “the police department will try its best to prevent fighting. It is sad time when people are willing to hurt each other over objects, especially during the holidays.”

I have realized that it's pretty difficult to play guitar and sing when it's really cold out. I mentioned in my last post that I get cold very easily, so when I'm outside in cold weather, it doesn't go over very well. I've sang outside a few times this fall, including this past weekend. My hands got numb and, as you imagine, it can be kinda hard to play guitar when you can't feel your fingers. I was also sick last week, so that also made it pretty hard. Stuffed up with a sore throat and frozen hands? It doesn't sound like a very good time to be singing. I got a warm drink, though, and I made it through 2 hours. I also mentioned earlier that my grandpa was coming from Texas, so he got to hear me sing, which was an upside. No matter what happens, one good thing usually comes out of it. 

Over the weekend, I sang in Swarthmore for a show called First Friday in this little outdoor seating area. I've done that show once before, and it went pretty well. Lots of people walking by stopped to listen and I gained a little crowd. When I got there, the lady that runs it told me and my dad that a good amount of people come to the shows, so it's usually pretty crowded. However, that was not the case that night. It was getting dark and it was cold, so I wasn't surprised that not many people wanted to come sit outside for 2 hours; I didn't want to play there for 2 hours because I get cold really easily. So most of the time, it was just my dad sitting there listening to me. A few people walking by would sit and watch for a little while, but there was never a big crowd or anything. But the people that did stop to listen were really nice and supportive, and I at least had my dad there. It was rather uneventful, but it wasn't bad. I actually got an opportunity to sing at another restaurant right near there, so it worked out pretty well. 

My Dream Place to Live

I'm not sure exactly where my dream place to live is, but I've always wanted to live in a small town where you can walk to most places. Not a super small town with barely any people, but small enough that you know a good amount of the people. Those types of small towns always have the activities that everyone goes to, like festivals and things like that, which I would love. I want to have a really big house (like most people). My house would be white, with 3 floors and lots of rooms. I would definitely have a movie theater in my house, cause I would use it all the time. Also, I would have a really big yard so that there's room for a big pool and hot tub, trampoline, and play house. 

Over the weekend, I sang at the Fall Fest at Argilla. There are always spring and fall festivals there, and I always perform at them. When I started performing  a little more than 3 years ago, the open mic night at Argilla was the second place that I ever sang in public. The manager is super supportive and he has been since the first day we met back in 2013. He has me sing at the restaurant a lot and he does whatever he can to help me. Most of the success I have is all about the people I meet, and I've been lucky to meet some really good people.

Last night, I sang at a small restaurant called Bellefonte Cafe in Wilmington. It's a really cute and homey cafe, and it's a good place to perform. It's small and never crowded, but there are always at least a few people there. Everyone is always supportive, too. I'm playing there again next month when my grandpa comes in from Texas. He's never heard me play in person, so it should be good. They also have really good food there, which makes it even better.

The other day, I opened for another performer. You may not know her by name, but you've probably heard a song she sings. Her name is Leigh Nash, and she's the lead singer of the band Sixpence None the Richer. The song you've probably heard by her is called Kiss Me. It was a last minute opportunity to open for her, and it went really well. She was really nice, and she was an amazing performer. The people that came to see her were also nice and a bunch of people said they really liked my music. It was a great opportunity, and it's crazy that I got to open for such an experienced and well-known musician. 

Here's a short video I took of her singing Kiss Me 

On Tuesday night, I sang at the place I talked about in my first post. I opened for Liz Cooper; the Stampede (aka her band) wasn't there. It was just her on her guitar, just like me. There wasn't the biggest crowd ever; it was only a little antique shop. There were a good amount of people though, and everyone was really supportive. I performed and everyone seemed to enjoy it, and then she performed. She's a lot like me; she started out around the same age and she did the same things that I'm doing now. And now, she lives in Nashville and she's on a tour. That shows me that I can get to that point as well. She worked hard and kept at it, and I now know that if I do the same thing, anything can happen.

I've realized that music can have a big impact. I volunteer with an organization called Musicians On Call; they take musicians to various hospitals so they can sing for the patients. I volunteer once a month; I walk around with a guide who asks each patient if they want to hear a song, and if they do, I play one for them. After doing it for almost a year, I realize how much of an effect music can have on people. I get to see the reactions on the patients' faces when I sing to them, and it always makes them happy. It can be rewarding to sing to people who aren't in the best situation at the moment because I can cheer them up. Not only is it rewarding for me, it's also rewarding for the patients.

Here's a video of my newest original song, Daydreamer. 

I'm a singer-songwriter who plays guitar. The other day, I met a man from a little antique shop in Swarthmore, PA. In the antique shop is a stage. I had been singing at a nearby farmer's market, and four people, including his sister, went and told him about me while I was singing. When I talked to him, he told me that he was definitely going to have me play there at some point. As we continued talking, he had an idea. He told me about a band, called Liz Cooper and the Stampede, that is going to play there in September. They are on a national tour, and he told me that he wanted to get me to open for them. Now, they may not be the most popular band ever, but I thought it was pretty exciting. There'll be a lot of people at the show who want to see them, and who knows what doors it could open for me if I play before them. We'll see what happens.