2025 Thankful & Wrap-Up

Thankful for so many things in 2025!

Agatha & me in Nashville

Lots of ups and downs....

On the personal front we saw some kid drama, health scares with parents, & more, but everything wraps in 2025 on an up note: Parents both doing well, kids & grandkids are good, siblings are out there rockin' it! And, as many of you know, Agatha and I have been together a year come January!

On the professional front, we're making a LOT of changes to music education (group vs private lessons and more), I've stepped down as executive director of the Lexi Music Awards to hand the torch to the VERY capable Angelee Feltner while I work on satellite projects (like two educational scholarships, UKY &/or EKU projects, "Walk of Fame", etc), and finally getting my focus on several album projects for 2026. Story on the official Lexi Music Awards blog.

You might also wanna check out the new Skinny Devil Music Lab website!

Odd to say anything about COVID in late 2025, but I just want to say to my friends in the arts: Yes, brothers & sisters, our industries have not recovered. The reality is that they will never recover...they have transformed, and we need to adapt to the new world. I'm there with you. We'll figure this out and ultimately, we will thrive again. So take a deep breath, buckle in, and let's get to work!

With Angelee Feltner & Bill Meck at the 11th Awards

Thankful also for several cool interviews over the past 18 months or so.... Yahoo News (originally Herald-Leader) and WEKU's Eastern Standard and others from when I did the free summer session due to budget cuts at FCPS, plus other cool press like Undermain (which covered topics from background to teaching to Lexi Music Awards).

I was reminded of a two song EP my oldest sons did as a present for me back in 2020 for Father's Day. Taking two songs from my album "Innova Mode" (way back in the 90s), they re-imagined the songs and recorded them for the EP "Nova Commode" (humor in the title, but the music is pure rock insanity). If you're metal &/or avant inclined, check them out. But be advised: These are NOT for the timid....

Lots of stage time in 2025, from my First Friday gigs to hosting my Second Sunday to tribute gigs like the Bob Dylan Tribute at Fish Tank and more. In fact, a big breakdown of the crazy year that was 2025 is on my birthday post....which also details some of the writing I've done here and at Skinny Devil Magazine, as well, as well as some workout & health markers.

Speaking of workouts and health & fitness, 2026 should see some grand leaps in cardio and some dietary experimentation (as always). I'll keep folks posted here and at Patreon, where I will be featuring not just music & music education, but fitness & diet stuff, old literature, and more!

At any rate, its been a great year and I plan on 2026 being even greater!

See ya'll out there!

#StayFierce #SkinnyDevil #DogsLife #CloseToTheGround #HungerAndFear #LuckyMF #GoBigOrGoHome #GuitarLife #MusicLife #PirateLife

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