My friend, Laura Morsman, posted this blog today, and you really need to read it. In it, she reveals a lot of wisdom about the depths of real love. So, with her permission, here it is:

"Two things I know in life, that may be the only things that really force my outlook on it to drastically change, or push me forward are this, That loving people, expecting nothing in return, selfless giving everything you have to others, spilling all honesty and rawness into someone without expecting an ounce in return, is one of the most gratifying things I have found. In the homeless, in children, the elderly,.. Its everywhere, love is everywhere, being sought after, being lost, or given up on, being taken advantage of.. It's something everyone is looking for, something that can repel you into bliss, or send you straight to the darkest place you could imagine..
Also, that when professing love to someone, and them professing it back, accepting that as truth is one thing, but seeing it through is another. If one claims it and the other does but denies any action to strengthen that claim, it is pointless, useless, and worth nothing. It's interesting, but through life i have found that the people who I have given nothing materialistically to, the people I have barely known or simply approached in love, have shown me more love, more genuine conversation, more raw human interaction than any romantic love I have encountered.
I am not claiming that love is this way or the other way, I am stating only what I have personally recognized.
When you find the real love in this life, it isn't supposed to keep you guessing if you're worth their time, it should energize you just speaking to them, love shouldn't make you feel used up, but continually filled with expression, emotion, and profound one-ness with that person. Love has been given such a tarnished coating and used so often in our world that when people find lust, or attraction, or even distraction in someones falseness which they disguise as loving the other person, that so many have given up, before they have even found the truest of loves, selfless love, and selfless loving."

And so it begins (finally)

Alright guys, the time has finally come for you to influence the new CD.  I have re-listed the steps for you and posted the first 2 songs for you!  We start tracking drums this week and then we start building!

P.S. - these two new songs - 56 and January - will be available for download starting now until next Tuesday, June 16 - for free at www.reverbnation.com/theothermarkmiller - just because I like you (and so you can listen for your ideas to flow).  You can listen to the new songs as well by clicking the music player to the left on my blog page at www.theothermarkmiller.blogspot.com

Step 1. I will be posting up acoustic versions of the album at www.reverbnation.com/theothermarkmiller

Step 2. You listen to the songs and step into the role of producer - telling ME what to add into each song - maybe you want to hear a cello in the third chorus, maybe you WROTE a cello part for the third chorus, perhaps you want me to play a toy piano, or bang on a bucket with a wrench - comment here, email your ideas to theothermarkmiller@gmail.com, or message me on the reverbnation page

Step 3. I take your suggestion, no matter how crazy it is, and if I can do it, or find someone who can, then I will. If it works, then it will be on the final album! If it doesn't, well, we shall see...

So what do you get out of this? Well, no royalties unfortunately, but you do get honorable mention in the CD cover - and satisfaction...

Also, I will pick three winners for the following awards, and they will all be getting extra special mention and free CDs :)

The Most Creative Award -to the most creative idea of all

The Song Maker Award -to the idea that ends up influencing a single song the most

The Make My Day Award -to the idea that is the most fun to try

So there you have it! Let the games begin!

The Quest for Commodore

Hey guys, I just got a call from a friend of mine who WAS playing a show this Friday night UNTIL he was reminded of a wedding he was supposed to be in the same night... so now its MY show :) Fun times. And perfect timing. And here is why:

During my trip to Ft. Wayne, IN, I stumbled upon a beautiful beaten up guitar hanging in a corner of a music store's dungeon. *Warning - the following couple sentences are intended for guitar players and should not be read by people who would care more about picking their teeth* As I picked it up, I realized that it had a L.R. Baggs duet pickup/eq (retails for $800 on its own). So I plugged it into an amp, ran my fingers up its delicate neck into the cutaway body, and instantly fell in love. Best part? They are only asking $400 for it.

I know what you are thinking... don't you already own 3 guitars? well... four actually... but the problem is that none of them are good, solid stage guitars. They take a lot of EQ, a talented sound guy, and a healthy dose of good luck to get them to sound good - and they don't really play that well and limit me to what I can do.

So this guitar would become my flagship, my commodore, as it were. And its on hold for me for another week while I see if can scratch up $300 more.

So, come listen to music! I plan to break out ANOTHER new song even, so yay. And if you could bring a dollar or two to rescue Commodore from the music store, you would make me and the guitar exceptionally happy. 

And how about this? If you donate $5 or more towards the guitar, I'll put your name in the thankyou section for my new CD (that I'm working on now :D) Cool? I think so. Hope to see you Friday at 7!

Details:

Scooter's at 10610 Shawnee Mission Parkway. Its in a bank. 

7 PM - but show up at like 6:30 to get some drinks and a seat :)

Josh Hafner is going to be starting us off with his songs at 7! So don't be late! 

We have something extra special too - you will just have to come to find out :)