Short and sweet

Man, this is so fuckin' rough. I have to write this bio thing to try to get gigs at rest homes and day-care places. Kids and seniors. Anyway, it's just been hard writing this thing. Can I bounce some ideas off you?


Sure, farmboy. I'd love to hear whatever you've got. I'm glad to see you've been working.


That's tough, too. Tough to get disciplined, hard to get past the guilt and shame. But we can go over that at another time...


Yes, I think it's better if you tackle the bio today.  Just concentrate on that for right now. It's a concrete action. Not that there's not a time for planning and thinking and daydreaming, it's just that I want you to feel like you've accomplished something when you go to bed tonight.


Okay, man, here's the first paragraph:


With fingers on strings and joy in his voice, farmboy has been entertaining people for over ___ years. He utilizes his skills on guitar, banjo, and piano to accompany himself performing American folk music. The songs he sings -- from such writers as Woody Guthrie and Stephen Foster, as well as traditional songs -- lend themselves to group participation and singing along. Everybody is apt to have a good time when farmboy performs.


How does that sound? Is it too flowery?


What I would suggest, farmboy, is that you write whatever comes to mind and then edit and rewrite later. 


Kinda like how I write songs?


Exactly, farmboy.


Okay. Here goes nothing.


farmboy's music has taken him to such diverse venues as senior centers and daycare facilities, churches and festivals, radio and television programs, coffeehouse and county fairs. He has opened concerts for musicians like Ricky Skaggs, Lucinda Williams, and Portland's own Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer. He currently works for Portland Public Schools in special education, where he plays music for his students, among other duties.


His musical accomplishments since moving to the Pacific Northwest include winning first place in the songwriting competition at Artichoke Community Music's folk music festival in Portland, Oregon in June 2007. farmboy has released four CDs of original material and is currently recording a fifth recording.


Wow, farmboy! I had no idea you had four CDs.


I have a lot of songs, man. That's what I do.


So how does that sound? I'm figuring that I'll put a photo of myself playing guitar on the bio, and contact information at the end. I also need to get some music on You Tube at some point. 


So that's it, man. I'm keeping it short and sweet. Just one page, that's all I want.


I think you have it, farmboy, but I'd read it over again tomorrow and see what you want to change. I like the way it's worded; it doesn't limit you to just playing one kind of place.


Thanks, man. Thanks for listening and thanks for your input. So tomorrow I'll firm this up and make a master copy that I can use. And I'll look into my method of getting them to places, which I think may be driving to places with my ukulele in case they want a sample.


How do you feel?


Like I haven't done anything. Like I'm a fuckin' lazy slob that can't do anything right.


You're wrong, farmboy.


Man, I hope so. I'm so fuckin' tired of being a failure.


Stop that, farmboy. No putting yourself down.


I know, man. It's hard...


But not impossible.


No, sir.