some thoughts from something i believe ..
Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the
ultimate anti-depressant.

Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have
to.
Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep.
When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, ‘My
purpose is to __________ today.’
Live with the 3 E’s — Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy.
Play more games and read more books than you did in 2007.
Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, and prayer. They
provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.
Dream more while you are awake.
Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is
manufactured in plants.
Drink green tea and plenty of water.. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan
salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.
Try to make at least three people smile each day.
Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and
flowing energy into your life.
Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, issues of
the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest
your energy in the positive present moment.
Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are
simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class
but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a
college kid with a maxed out charge card.
Smile and laugh more. It will keep the energy flowing.
Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.
Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
Don’t compare your life to others’. You have no idea what their journey
is all about.
No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years, will
this matter?’
Forgive everyone for everything.
What other people think of you is none of your business.
GOD heals almost everything.
However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will.
Stay in touch.
Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
The best is yet to come.
No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
Do the right thing!
Call your friends often. (Or email them to death!!!) Hey I’m thinking
of ya!
Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am
thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.
Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly
don’t want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the
most of it and enjoy the ride. Anonymous

 Its been a roller coaster ride here in Montrose, weather wise. I have a small portable heater and a portable air conditioner in my studio here and I swear depending on the hour of the day either one can be running. I guess life kinda runs hot or cold just the same. My business is the same, just like every aspect of my life. Although I used to only seem to write well when life was a lil chilly, now I seem to get visitied by the muse randomly. I had a friend comment on how mellow my music has become, but really I have always been a mellow guy at heart. I do love to get crazy on the stage though. Thats because your all there. And it should be a party. Now some gigs, especially latley and here in this small town, call for a lighter touch. I do enjoy becoming Jackson Browne, But I think I still have a lot of AC/DC in me.
 You have to be able to express your many sides with music. Jazz seems to be able to do both. Like most artists I do seems to have a hidden dramatic emotional self. I think you call it bi-polar. lol. Music has always been the best therapy for that. Its been said that your thoughts, or what you think are what your world becomes. And I agree. And since our thoughts are about the only thing we really own and can control you'de think with some practice and discipline we could think only posative things. And by doing that we could attract the positive energy that comes along with positive thoughts. I think it works that way. But, isnt there always something out there waiting to suck all that posative energy from ya? It seems that way. Im lucky i guess because spending some time with my guitars usually helps me put things into perspective and dispell negative energy. If you cant play and instrument you still know what I mean. Just stop thinking and put on your favotite music, get comfortable and let the music sweep away all the negativeness around you. try it.
 Im looking forward to seeing you all soon. I have a few shows comming up that will be really great. Top Shelf will be playing more this summer also. Lets just hang out and remeber how important art is to our lives.
Before I go take a look at http://www.blueskymusicpresents.com/ and come out to one of the great shows that Dave Bowman is bringing to town. And I have to say thanks to Bob Benitez. Bob cuts my hair. very original guy. His technique is unique and very cool and his tools.. well they scare me..lol. but he does a great job. if you ever need a cool hair cut let me know and I'll hook you up with him.
BE Great!
Alan

 Welcome back! You know I'm so happy right now. seems strange, but as much as Ive learned to love the slow pace here in Montrose, I really miss living in Ft. Collins. And I get to go back this weekend and make some noise for the friends i made when it was my home. And I do consider it home and always will. So Luck has had it that Im able to return and visit and share what I love with all those who i miss so much.
 being a musician is a strange thing. its seems to never be understood that its not the artist that makes the music so much as the audience. The energy i get from my audience and the love I feel from them, not for me but for music is what brings the...tao of sound together. and I dont experience that everywhere i am able to play. i supose its like any relationship. if the audience is not intrested in the music it wont be intrested in them. And it wont find the energy it needs to glow with the life they could give it. So..I hope to be re aquainted with the people I loved so much for the energy that they gave me to make the music that really came from them. Im talkin like manson is circles...but...its almost imposible to put into words what beauty or peace is. if you make it to one of my shows...just have a great time. Im just a juke box..and ur the dime that lights me up.

 hey guys,
 I really dont have much news...so I thought i would just say hi and thank you all for visiting. i really would like you to put a message in my guest book. i get e-mails from you all with questions...and I hope im answering them on time.
I have had a few questions about the pic in the store on the lessons. And to answer..no thats not me..lol. thats Clay Gorman. one of my friends that took lessons and became a buddy. he was just over jamin a lil with me and i was testing a camera....the photo was kinda bad so i photo shoped it one night when i was bored. Clay's  good dude..and one of my few friends here in this lil town.
  It's been a long winter and as much as I enjoyed our snow..I'm looking forward to some warm days and out door gigs.
 A strange thing happened after the radio interview I did up at KVNF. I sounded so bad that I started playing my guitar more than I have in a while. i had a few gigs that i felt like my..P.A. equiptmentwas kinda robbing me of sound. i bought a small p.a. a few years back in the hope that i could make it work for smaller venues.then i had to buy outboard proccesors to try and make it sound good. but i had bad sound and troubles at every gig i used it at. So after making sure I had my chops down and going through the p.a. to make sure everything was working right i had a gig and...problems. so i used my old peavy head and speaker minus some of the out board stuff (like my delay and vocal pre-amp) at the coffee house gig I had at Jovis coffee last weekend. Oh man..
now i remember why i bought that P.A.  to begin with. it sounded perfect ( I on the other hand...well). It is so nice to use the tools that work instead of what you hope might work. so the lesson is..always use the right tool for the job. that means if your playing is suffereing..it might not be YOU. It might mean your axe needs set up or replaced. the guitar is as imperfect intrument as has ever been invented. there in lies its beauty and your artistic lisence. so ..I know my recording are never equal to my live performances...but i think i might know now how to record stuff that at least is as fun as what i do live. im also kind of a weiner cuz i have to have control over my recording. i'de rather sound bad than ...not like me..(um...u know). so im getting this stuff down. anyways i guess im saying keep cheking in and showing up. it just keeps getting better. and thanks to all my students for making me a better player. looking forward to seeing you all on the front range of colorado.
Be great!
p.s. my spell chek doesnt work...lol

  hey guys....it's been a pretty busy few weeks for me even though I havent had gig's to deal with. I've been trying to start production on a new CD..but i decided to buy a new PC to do production on....and that meant setting up new programs. which is fun but time consuming. And I still haver a few awesome students that keep me busy. I should just call you all friends instead of students....sorry. Im also trying to get ready for my east slope gigs...I'm looking forward to playing with and seeing my old friends again. Kevin and Dave and myself go back a few years and have been jamming together when ever the chance comes up...so....its gonna be great. Daves sister has a great group she works with called  chaotic serenity and they have agreed to do an acoustic set to open the show up. and....check this out...its all girls. ya i know! all girl band. they asked me and dave to open for them last year...so...its a coool chance to work together again. Ah....i grow wings just thinkin about the fun were gonna have.
 kevin and  me were "little Fish" for almost a hundred years. And we get to make some noise together again. what a great thing. It will be magic. Plus I am hoping that some other music bud's will show up and sit in and do some jammin. we have a few that plan on it.
 and dont forget the show in boulder the night before. Dave and I will do a  couple sets at Folsom Coffee...a nice mellow venue....to start the weekend off. Im back at Jovis coffe here in mo-Town on the 22nd. bring whiskey......no. just kidding. Its just a great time here and Ive been busy as hell....so let me know how u all are and I hope to see you all soon. B Great!
Al

 hey..I had a great week last week and I really want to thank KVNF radio and Skip and Smyth for having me up for an interview. If you miseed it you can hear it on kvnf.org ..just click on talkin live and youll see my interview and a ton of other great interviews they have done. I always hate the way i sound on radio. I feel like Im better with all my toys that make me sound good...but its good to hear what i sound like just playing guitar and singing without all my bells and whistles. they did a great job up at KVNF and I know they are going to be a major influence on the music scene in colorado.
  The Montrose daily Press let people know I was on the show and I want to thank them for that. The Press is about all we have here in Montrose and they do a ton for the community....so thanks Woody.
 Also on my list of people to thank is Dave Bowman . Dave is Blue Sky music Presents and seems to be that rare kinda guy that understands we like music and want to have not only acts come in and gig here locally but he also is a champion of local music.
 Top Shelf   did a smokin job up in telluride this last weekend..like always and it was..like always....a great time for me. the bummer is in my inter view on KvNF i mentioned everyone except the actual members of the band. I wanted people to know about all the great guys we had sittin in with us this last weekend. So...thanks to Jon Phillips...Chris Tarman and Rick Mainiero. That is top shelf...although i think i can add John White now ( I hope as a core member) on sax.
Getting tired here so...thanks to everyone who came out and had some fun with us. be great!

  well..tommorrow the 18th of feb. Im heading up to paonia Co. to the new KVNF studio to do a interview. It should be a great time, the studios are brand new and from what i understand state of the art. KVNF is one of I think 2 public radio staions close by here that i can get on my radio, And they do a pretty good job. Smyth is going to be doing the interview with me. He wanted to do a live broadcast but I was to busy this week to sit down with him on air so were going to record it to be aired sometime this weekend. I hope i get to hear it. Ill be up in Telluride with Top Shelf this Friday and at the Pavillion on Sat. so I might miss it. you can hear KVNF online at KVNF.org

 well I just got back from the Camp Robber here in Montrose. it was the 1st time ide been in there to play and I gotta say.....it was a great place. First off ,Doug was behind the bar tonight, and he was a great host. Doug is a local business man but seems to find time to have some fun with his friends serving up drinks there a couple nights a week. and i was probably lucky that he was behind the bar cuz the folks in there were awesome. it was a nice mellow gathering of people who seemed to just wanna get out and enjoy the night. I'm a little tired from a long day but i just wanted to say as far as my experience goes in this  quiet lil town...the Camp Robber is a place i would take my friends when they come in to town to visit. thanks to everyone there.....hope you ask me back. be great!

 So you all know I also play with the Jazz/Funk group "Top Shelf" right? Well we have been asked back up to Telluride this year to play at the Historic Sheridan Opera House for the 3rd annual Telluride Mardi Gras event to benefit the San Juan Riding Program . This is always a great time and a great cause. tickets are $50.00 and available at www.tellurideticket.com and i really think you should be there. just chek out the riding program and if that doesnt make ya wanna help out then just come for the good time! i really hope you can make it. I know im looking forawrd to it. And like always we have some great special guests sitting in with us. were gonna have Donny Morales back up to sing and blow some harp and Michael Sher from Fractalia will be on keys. and John White will be  on the sax. dude...this is a line up! ok enough! chek it out and say hi when u see me. later all