Autism Thoughts

I stepped into Court Street Pizza here in Bedford at noon on the 28th, as I was told to do. I had an idea what they wanted, but I would find I was wrong.

“We want to do a fund raiser for autism,” they said. That much I already knew. “We want you to do a concert. Two hours.” That was the part I did not know.

The first thought I had was all those songs I had been dying to do at the church for the past seven years. I have been able to do a couple of them, but there were more in the back of my head. I thought maybe I could do them here at the fund raiser.

So I agreed.

It will definitely take a bit of self confidence to pull this off, to mention just a bit of talent. It was pointed out to me that even if people had no idea who I was, there were so many things they could put after my name, so many credentials, that people were bound to show. Indeed, “As Seen on Oprah” alone may get a few people in. And I have been blessed to do far more than just Oprah.

The pressure is on!

I got to thinking about the music. They didn’t tell me what to play, they pretty gave me free reign. So long as I raise money, it seems they are okay with it. So I decided to reflect who I personally am in the music as best I can.

That’s my goal in choosing songs.

I also thought it might be good to have variety, so I have been attempting to recruit talented friends to come up on stage for a song or two. Nancy is interested in singing Dylan’s I Believe in You with me, which is a song I have been wanting to sing with her for years now. Ginger and I are working on another Dylan song, Boots of Spanish Leather. I want to do more the Nanci Griffith version if I can. Ted and I are thinking about maybe doing (or at least trying to do) The Tennessee Flat Top Box, another song I have been wanting to play onstage for a very long time. That may the most difficult song of the evening.

I chose all of these songs myself. When I approached the people above, I asked if they would do those specific songs. I also want to do some by myself. I want to play a few of the Irish songs I grew up on:

And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda
Four Green Fields
Red is the Rose
A Place in the Choir

To name a few. Who knows how many I will have time for, but it would be fun. My mother won't be there (I don't think?) but I am sure she would be pleased to hear I am doing these songs.

Of course I will want to do some original Thomas songs:

Build Me a Bridge
Dreamchild
Soon Will Come the Light
(The song the book was named after. The song came first.)

Maybe a few others.

I feel kind of like I want to do some Townes Van Zandt. I like his work. He never really got the credit he deserved. Here was a man with the genius of Dylan himself, and he could sing! I’d love to cover some of his work:

If I Needed You
To Live is to Fly
Tecumseh Valley
Loretta

And of course we can’t forget White Freight Liner or Pancho and Lefty when we talk about Townes.

I thought about doing some Tom T. Hall. I thought about taking a crack at I Like Beer or maybe Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine, but so far I have changed my mind on that.

Last, of course, I want to do the praise I've been wanting to play in the church. I really like playing praise. I have been playing a lot of praise at conferences lately. People seem to like it.

Who knows if this will work out or if it will fall through? From the meeting, it sure seemed they were absolutely determined not only to do it, but to advertise the heck out of it to get people to come.

Guess we’ll see what happens. Currently scheduled to take place October 27th, 7 to 9pm.