Firstly, thank you so much to the Reading Liederkranz, Musikfest Bethlehem, VE Club, and Bavarian Brauhaus in Hanover, MD for hosting us in these crazy times. It means so much that we were able to perform for them and most importantly for our fans that could come out for these gigs. We are all working to make sure that people can safely enjoy live music and abide by the state and local regulations.
I am also very appreciative of Liberty Bellows for having me as an artist in residence for two weeks. Having the opportunity to demonstrate a large collection of the instruments they have for sale, as well as produce a few instructional videos on Steirische Button Boxes was a fun time and great experience. Please check out the videos on their YouTube channel and see the wide selection of instruments they have available.
This weekend I have a short performance stream on Sunday afternoon from 5-5:30 pm (Eastern time) as part of the Cotati Accordion Festival in California. It’s been a while since I’ve done a stream so I hope everyone will tune in and support this amazing festival. (It’s on their YouTube & Facebook channels on Saturday and Sunday)
I’ve been focusing a lot of my energy on the Patreon page and hope that you will consider joining me on this platform. I’ve been posting a lot of music and there’s a lot more to come- from the studio and vintage archives. I will have exclusive videos there as well soon. Quite frankly, even though a few gigs are coming onto the schedule- most of our major work has been canceled for 6 months, and the gigs coming back are having to be done in baby steps to be as safe as possible… We have cancellations into the spring of 2021 and most people in our industry are doubtful that major events can resume until the summer or fall of next year.
If you enjoy the music I make, this is the easiest way to support that work as well as influence what directions my music takes. For $3/ month you get access to all of the music being posted… that’s only $36/ year. Of course, you can also pledge at higher tiers which also offer access to advance tickets for some live events when they’re happening; virtual fan meetups/ live streams and even personal online music lessons. Other perks are being devised and I’m totally open to suggestions.
Amidst these challenging times, I’m excited by the new waves of creative solutions and ways to connect people through music. Playing with other musicians last week in front of an audience for the first time in 5 months reinvigorated me even more and is really inspiring me to make more music. I hope you will continue to join me on that journey. I am greatly appreciative of your support and look forward to choosing happiness as much as I can!
Best wishes always, alex