A week ago, my dad and I drove up to Lake Geneva for a four day Under the Radar music conference. And it was marvelous. Talk about fantastic music. Seriously, good stuff. But there was more than just concerts. During the daytime there were break out sessions like listening in on an interview, Q&A’s with different artists, song writing seminars and so on.

I actually got to have the opportunity to have a one on one hour talk with an award- winning song writer Nicole Witt about my songs. That was a little freaky. It wasn’t only an amateur talking with the pro. I just don’t like sharing my songs with people. At all. People say to write about what you know, and so I do. But that makes it personal. And I express things through songs that I wouldn’t dream of ever telling someone, so it’s kind of an inward look into the part of me that I don’t show. Not that it’s a bad or secretive part, but we all have memories or feelings or thoughts what we keep inside. So anyway, thanks to my dad’s pushing, I sang one of my songs for Nicole and showed her some other lyrics of mine. I’m glad I did it. Feedback is amazing especially when it’s good.

I also got to hang out with one of my favorite bands again. Yes, it is The Vespers. I got to have pizza and chat with them one day. And I got a pretty fantastic photo with them. Just wait for it.

It was really kicky getting to know all the artists over the weekend. Guests and musicians both stayed at Conference Point, which is a campground. Needless to say, we all saw a lot of each other. There was a real sense of community that I haven’t felt since I was in the Ger District of Mongolia. It’s great to make memories, but it’s also great to be reminded of the good ones.

And what makes great memories? The people. There were some cool peeps there from other teens to the artiests to retired piano teachers to little six year olds with gaps in their teeth.

I know, it’s incredible, but I actually made friends with a six year old, Lanie. Normally, I don’t know what to say or do and I’m just plain awkward and no fun around kids. But not this time! Lanie heard me singing on the back porch the first day and would peep around the corner to watch me and then shoot her head back as soon as I looked up. During the concert on the second day while the musicians were changing over the stage, she ran up with a huge inquisitive smile on her face and said, “You should sing.”

I said, “Now?” Thinking, what on earth do I say to this girl?

She replied, “Sure. Or whenever.”

“How about tomorrow morning you and I sing together?” I said, still unsure.

Now it was her time to be a bit nervous, “Me? Sing with you? But…”

“Please?” looking slightly disappointed.

She said okay still smiling. She sat with me for the rest of the concert. During the next change over of artist she said, looking at her bare feet, “I only have four toes.”

I looked down startled (that’s not something that usually comes up in conversation) and sure enough Lanie only had four toes. Thinking that I need to keep this girl from being insecure I said probably too fast, “That’s cool. It means that you’re unique.”

She looked up quite pleased and surprised me again by saying, “I know. I like being unique.”

It was then I knew Lanie and I were soul mates.

Another person that I met was Nick Flora. He’s one of the artists, and let me describe him by something he said while telling someone about a joint where he plays, “You know, it’s a totally hipster place. People just go there, drink their lattes, smoke their pipes, grow their pretentious beards.” Yup, that’s Nick for ya.

I think the only other topic worth writing about unless I want to turn this into a book would be the fact that everyone mistakes me for a twenty year old. I don’t get it. I don’t look that old nor do I try to act that old. But if people want to mark me as twenty, who am I to argue with them? It’s only when people ask if I’m married that I set the record straight. Oh, and I also got asked if I was in one of the bands quite a bit.

Anyway, as usual, here is a plethora of pictures of the trip to browse through.

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