Rowan's Tree: A Year-Long Photo Project

On September 26, 2016 we lost a wonderful friend in the form of a Golden Retriever named Rowan.

He was diagnosed with a rare form of stomach cancer and died at the age of nine.

Anyone who ever met Tom Solinsky knew Rowan, and he brightened the days of many people as he smiled out of the side of Tom's Jeep.

Rowan Solinsky, friend to all
Photo by Tom Solinsky

On the day of his death, we gathered with the Solinskys and some close friends and performed a rogue burial and tree-planting in Rowan's favorite park.

After that day, I went to the tree on an almost weekly basis to document it's first year of growth.

Going so often to the site of Rowan's grave helped me process the grief I feel from losing him. Documenting the tree also gave me a physical reminder that, while Rowie is no longer with us, his body is helping create nutrients for this tree to grow, which means there's still a piece of him in the park, and will be for years to come.

I've selected the best examples of the seasons here:

I've created a slideshow (less than a minute long) of the entire project through the year. 

Original music by The One and Only Bill Davis

I have admiration for other artists and their bodies of work and ongoing projects, and I often overlook my own. While I regret the circumstances, this project was a positive and productive way to move forward through the sadness of losing such a great friend-dog.

Did you complete any self-appointed projects in 2017? Share your successes and challenges in the comments.

Attention Musicians (and all creatives): Your Success is Up to You

Hello there, readers!

I've had a good year with plenty of lessons learned and goals reached, and I want to touch on an important aspect of starting and running a business in any creative industry, with a particular focus on music: it takes hard work, and there are few, if any, shortcuts.

Don't get me wrong, there have been times when it felt like something has fallen into my lap, but the reason that sort of thing happens is because I work hard, I'm dedicated, I'm always researching and learning, and other people see it. I also network, talk about my work with joy, and follow up with potential clients to keep my name and brand in their minds.

I have a very good musician friend who is talented, smart, and extremely capable, but he expects things to happen with little to no effort on his part. While he's dedicated over fifteen years to music, he doesn't actively seek out new venues to play, or market his music across different platforms, or research and try different ways to get his music to new audiences.

I've offered him plenty of advice over the years about steps he can take to increase his online visibility, how to earn income via different revenue streams, and I've provided services and tools that will give him a leg up - if he does the work. Unfortunately, he's not doing any of it. There's always an excuse, never a solution.

If he'd been putting more effort into the business side of his music over even the past five years, he would undoubtedly be in a better financial position and could focus on building upon that. Instead, he's still in the same place and likely won't move forward unless he starts committing to himself by putting in the work.

Here's the thing: you cannot Tom Sawyer your way into success in creative fields. If you're a band leader, you can't expect your side guys to book gigs for you. Clubs and venues aren't going to call you (some won't even call you back), you need to be persistent. If one publication doesn't respond to your album review request or story pitch, you have to keep trying.

Booking agents, managers, and labels all want to work with artists who have proven dedicated to their craft, which means the artist has to do the hard work of running their music business for years before anyone will be willing to shoulder even a tiny part of the burden, and, even then, that burden will be lifted for a chunk of money.

Making money in music has become increasingly difficult over the decades. It takes time, savvy, and sacrifice to build a large enough following to support a solo artist, much less a full-scale band. A booking agent wants to book artists that will sell tickets, which is how they earn their percentage. If you're not willing to build your following, no one is going to do it for you. Even the most dedicated fan will lose interest if you're not regularly engaging and sharing your story with them.

On the other side of all of this, one of the great parts about creative marketing is that most fans are less interested in a constant onslaught of new work than they are in the story of the artist. Want to keep your fans engaged and build your audience with people who legitimately care? Start with the 80%/20% rule: make 80% of your content personal and 20% promotional or professional. Once you figure out your rhythm, you can experiment and adjust those numbers according to your experience.

It's never too late to start promoting yourself and your creative business. While it does take hard work, don't forget to take care of yourself while you're in the building process. Your fans and followers know you're human and will stand by you when you're feeling overwhelmed. In fact, the occasional display of vulnerability can solidify their dedication to you and your brand.

Want more tips and ideas about marketing and promotion? Sign up for my email list to keep up with my ideas, suggestions, and projects.

Tennessee Parks and Greenways Land Celebration

I had the good fortune to get invited to the Tennessee Land Celebration hosted by Tennessee Parks and Greenways. Formerly Sunset on the South Harpeth, the day-long event was full of activities and presentations, and I had a great time taking advantage of the perfect day. The open bar and taco bar weren't too shabby, either.

There were plenty of animal presentations throughout the day, beginning with these beautiful snakes.

The scarlet king snake is one of the many harmless snakes found in Tennessee and throughout the southeast.

This pretty guy is about fifteen years old. Snakes in captivity can live up to thirty-five years.

The markings on the scarlet king snake are meant to mimic the markings of the coral snake, which is a venomous snake. Coral snakes have yellow stripes where the king snake has white.

This snake was totally chill and had no problem being passed around and handled by different people.

The ball python was a crowd favorite.

A closeup of the ball python.

I'm not into snakeskin, but it's easy to see why these animals are coveted for their skins. This corn snake has stunning markings.

The kids loved the snakes!

This little girl posed patiently with her brother for photos, but she was so ready to hold the snake on her own.

Success! She loved holding the king snake.

I loved the presentation of the birds of prey. The first round featured a baby barn owl, a red-tailed hawk and an American Kestrel.

The barn owl was pretty shy. She's only ten weeks old here.

This red-tailed hawk is also young. She's lost most of her fluff, and her tail feathers are in the middle of molting. Her adult tail feathers are just starting to come in. 

Ian Turner is a professional falconer, and he'll be releasing this girl into the wild when she's full-grown and ready to hunt on her own.

The American Kestrel is a fierce hunter. 

Although she's much smaller than the hawk and her talons aren't as dangerous, her beak is a force to be reckoned with.

She's at the end of her rehabilitation and is ready to GO.

It was awesome to see her in motion.

I was thrilled to get this beautiful fanning of her tail.

I went on a guided nature walk on a path through a meadow edged in well-kept woods. It was supposed to be a bird walk, but I had more of a butterfly and insect walk. I was with folks who are really knowledgeable about local flora and fauna, and I learned quite a bit.

A HUGE praying mantis.

This mantis could easily have taken down a small bird. 

A black swallowtail butterfly.

An eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly.

I loved the archery! I am definitely not a good shot!

It was so fun to see one of the attendees holding a falcon before the second Birds of Prey presentation. This little girl was in awe.

A wonderful day with so many learning opportunities and activities!

I also took a guided horseback ride, but it was only my second time ever on a horse, so I figured I'd pay attention to her and what I was doing. She was beautiful, and so big. Tennessee Walking Horses tend to be tall, and she measured 16 1/2 hands, or 5'6" at her shoulder.

While I walked and photographed and ate tacos and hit the bar, there were other presentations and activities going on, including a farm & garden presentation by Lauren Peterson of Lupine and Poppies, hay rides, a temporary tattoo station, family yoga and several drawings for prizes.

To round out the day, Catie Offerman and her talented band played their classic country and fun originals. I loved that her original lyrics made you keep up and think as she sang them, and her arrangements were spot-on.

It's not a Tennessee event if there isn't some live music!

We're so lucky to have organizations like the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation protecting our beautiful natural areas. It was really fun to have a casual day of photographing, being outdoors, and meeting proprietors of local businesses. Feel free to follow Tennessee Parks and Greenways on

Facebook 

Instagram

or donate to them directly and become a member.

If you're interested in booking me to photograph your event, contact me here.

Ducks, Races, and Livestreaming

Saturday, August 26th I was on camera detail for Very Entertaining Records for two performances, but before I went to work I spent some time with Bill and a couple of our friends for an early afternoon sail.

We had some ducks follow us for a while (the pretzel snack they were tossed might have had something to do with it), and they had no problem with the attention from the camera.

Ducks in a row. Sort of.

You can just see a hint of purple in the wing feathers of this duck.

I enjoyed seeing the differences between the ducks' feathers.

Ducks on Percy Priest Lake.

Loons, herons, and ospreys are among the other types of birds we see regularly on the lake.

The wind was pretty mellow at this point, and these guys had no problem keeping up with us.

The ducks lost interest in us after a short while, and then the wind picked up and we were off!

After a lovely bit of sailing, we came back in and headed to the Nashville Speedway at the Fairgrounds for The One & Only Bill Davis to sing the National Anthem.

The race track is a solid part of Old Nashville - they're celebrating it's 60th anniversary this year - and a point of contention for some local residents. Racing can get really loud, and you can hear it for miles (we live 4 miles away and can hear the races on occasion), so there are plenty of people who would be happy to see it torn down. However, the Speedway has persisted, and it was fun to do something outside of my normal zone.

We stuck around for the first few races, then I had to get ready for the evening show.

Some of the trophies and awards to be handed out.

In addition to the races being outside my normal zone, I've been delving into live video, which is apparently all the social media rage.

I posted both the National Anthem at the Speedway and the Dutch Whisky show at Dee's live on the Very Entertaining Records Facebook page. You can click the links below to catch the replays:

National Anthem sung by The One & Only Bill Davis

Dutch Whisky live at Dee's Country Cocktail Lounge

There's nothing like having a productive weekend, especially when it involves doing so many different and fun things. I also enjoy finding new ways to use social media to the advantage of the artists I work with. I'm so grateful to have such a diverse and challenging career.

Need some advice on how to use social media for your business? Contact me here to set up a consultation.
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Weekend in Wisconsin

This past weekend, I went up to southeastern Wisconsin with Bill to visit his family and hometown. We usually end up in the Midwest in the dead of winter or late fall, so it was nice to explore Manitowoc with the sun shining and no coat on.

We were pleasantly surprised by the size of the Farmers Market, as well as the number of public murals that dot the downtown.

Lake Michigan is a huge part of Manitowoc's history and industry.

On a bridge going over the river.

This one is my favorite.

The classic, historic Budweiser mural. There are way better shots of this beauty. I was dancing in and out of traffic.

On the street side of the Maritime Museum.

Saw this gem a the Farmers Market and had to share it.

We walked around the marina for a while and ended up being right in time to see the SS Badger come in from across the lake.

This ferry crosses Lake Michigan twice a day between Manitowoc, WI and Ludington, MI.

The SS Badger is the last coal-burning ship in the US.

Seeing one coal-burning ship is novel, and quite enough.

I opted out of walking down to the lighthouse. I wasn't wearing the right shoes.

It's a lovely view.

I love looking out over Lake Michigan. Nashville is my home, but I miss living near such a large body of water.

This was at the beginning of the trip in Milwaukee. Wisconsin does have some great delis with clever names!

This trip was the last of four in six weeks, and, though it was another road warrior whirlwind, Bill and I had a great time exploring his old stomping grounds.

Hot Topics: Self-care and Work-life Balance

Over the course of the last eight months, I've been part of a group called Music Biz Besties, which is a group of mostly Millennial women working in the music industry (or hoping to be). I am about ten years older than the average woman in the group, which has been a boon since Millennials are a wealth of knowledge when it comes to apps and self-promotion. I don't mean that as an insult; as a self-employed person with a husband who works in music, self-promotion is part of the job.

One of the things the group has touched on in several capacities is self-care, and taking time away from work for down-time. It can be so hard to do that (when I was starting MAW, I had a full-time job and would work another 30-40 hours per week in addition to that to build my business), but it's the only way to keep up the energy to meet the demands of running a business.

Every time someone talks about work-life balance, the founder of the group mentions taking evenings and weekends off, and I've always liked those posts and commented with my agreement. My evenings and weekends are free, right? I take those for myself!

Turns out, that's only partially true. Bill and I are in the throes of our seasonal gig at The Belle Meade Winery, which is a two-hour performance every first and third Saturday of every month from April through October. We also perform weekly at Dee's Country Cocktail Lounge for two hours.

It might not seem like much, but performing takes it out of me. Bill can go for hours and hours, but I'm pretty good after a two-hour set, and when we have other shows in the mix, we can be performing three or four times a week.

And did I mention I'm writing this on a Saturday morning? Not much of a weekend off.

Part of the reason I fell into this trap is because I like my work. The other part is because I see performing as such a huge shift from my job that I haven't viewed it as real work-but it is, as is all the promotion I've been dedicating myself to in efforts to help my husband.

The reason I'm sharing this is because I need some accountability for myself, and writing down what I need to change is a good first step. Sharing it with the people I respect (you) makes it real. So, whether you're a client, family member, friend, or a reader I've never met, you're helping me find the balance I've so effectively pretended to have for the better part of this year. Thank you!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm heading off for an afternoon on our sailboat.

Even though I may have been fooling myself about a significant percentage of my down-time, Omar is a true form of healthy, (mostly) relaxing recreation for our household.