I wrote a song about the Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahommes and how we all want to be winners like them. It is called Me.

ME 

Watching TV, wearing jersey fifteen 

cheering for Mahommes, and the KC Chiefs 

I ask myself, What would I do? 

if I was wearing his quarterback shoes 

Chorus- Oh, it's all about Sundays at Arrowhead 

hear the chants from the faithful in red 

I wanna shine like those stadium lights 

If Patrick can do it, maybe so can I 

believe, I believe, I  believe 

someday that'll be me. 

Could I thread the needle, for a touchdown 

or scramble for my life, get a first down 

I feel his joy, I feel his pain 

two kindred souls, who both love the game 

Chorus- Oh, it's all about Sundays at Arrowhead 

hear the chants from the faithful in red 

I wanna shine like those stadium lights 

If Patrick can do it, maybe so can I 

believe, I believe, I  believe 

someday that'll be me.

Sometimes life don't play out  

like it does in my mind 

but the dream is the gas 

that powers my ride, and  

Chorus-   it's all about Sundays at Arrowhead 

hear the chants from the faithful in red 

I wanna shine like those stadium lights 

If Patrick can do it, maybe so can I 

believe, I believe, I  believe 

someday that'll be me. 

I believe, I believe, I believe 

someday, that'll be me.

Yes, even though I am just a fan. Never was a football player. When we see a great play completed. Yeah, I wish it was me.

     Yesterday, I went to the Bluegrass Festival at Prairie Lake. It is a small lake a couple miles from Holton, KS. I have been going to this event for years. On Saturday afternoon they had an open mic for bluegrass bands. This could be a band that was established (been practicing together for years), a new band (just starting out), or a thrown together band of anybody who wants to play.

      I was playing in the campground with my friend Tim. He is a fiddle player that I had played with before at the festival. A guy with the open mic came up and wanted to know if we wanted to play. Tim told him that he wasn't interested. He asked me if I wanted to play. I told him I didn't have a band it would be just me playing my original songs. He said, That would be great and signed me up to do a half hour set. 

      So I proceeded to work up a set list of my songs to play. I had forty minutes to pick out my songs. Here is a list of the songs that I played. 

1. Long live the King

2. Polaroid Memories

3. Linwood Cafe

4. Best Friend

5. Sing

6. Shades of Gray

7. God sized hole

      It was fun to get to play my songs for a crowd. It was an opportunity for me to play and I was prepared. (Not totally prepared) I knew the songs but had to brush up on  a couple of them to remember what key I sing them in. I am glad I had the forty minutes. 

      I had an opportunity and I was prepared. So many times we have opportunities and we are not prepared. We don't have what we need, a guitar, a stage, don't know the lyrics, don't have a copy of the lyrics with us, or we make excuses. If I had more time, If I had known, or if I had somebody to play with me.

      So if you are a dream chaser like me, remember to be prepared to make the most of every opportunity that comes your way. What a great way to live and not have regrets. Good luck chasing your dreams. 

      Here is a lyric I wrote in the last week or two. It is saved in the notes of my phone. It might never be nothing, it might become a song, or never ever be looked at again. I hadn't shared anything lately, so I thought I would share it for fun. I wrote this as my grandson, Aiden was playing baseball in the 3A Kansas baseball tournament. I was thinking about baseball and how it relates to life. Here is the start of Fastballs

Fastballs

Throw a strike but not down the middle

a fastball inside to scare them a little

Then a slow curve ball that catches a corner

keep 'em off guard, until the games over.

She threw me a kiss with some sizzle

An innocent, "I love you" to scare me a little

Then she said, You're out as I was digging in

I threw down my bat, as the inning ends

This is the type of lyrics and scraps that are filling up my phone, computer, and old NSAI cards on my dresser. I have old NSAI coordinator card, (a box of 1000) that I write lyrics on in the middle of the night. When I get a big pile, I take and type them in the computer so I can't find them later. lol Yes, this is the life of a songwriter. 

     I was talking to my friend, Fletcher, who I write with. He told me that he heard that George Strait was looking for songs for a new album. That started me to think, If I was George Strait what would I sing about? The honest answer is I have no clue. Just like George would probably have a rough time writing a song for me. I didn't let this bump in the road stop me.

    I decided to do some internet research on George. I found out that he still owns his family farm. He is about as close as you can get to a real cowboy. Especially when you do a comparison of him to his contemporaries in country music. Also, he wears a hat when he sings. How cool is that? 

    Here it is- Be a Cowboy. If you know George I am cool if you share it with him. Seriously, I am good with it. lol

     Five years ago, I shared my story about sending my songs to songwriting publishing companies. I was full of hope. I made a list of major and minor publishing companies. I think I had seventeen publishing companies I contacted asking for permission to send them a demo of my songs. 

     Do you wanna guess how many contacted me back? Zero. My hopes were dashed. So I did what every songwriter does when life don't go how we planned. I wrote songs. Then I wrote more songs and I kept on writing songs. 

     So I squeeze in songwriting whenever I can. Every month  I go to a monthly NSAI meeting. (Nashville Songwriting Association International) meeting. My goal is to have a new song every month. At the beginning it was hard but songwriting get's easier the more you do it. Not easy. It is never easy to pour your heart out on paper. 

      I contacted by songwriters looking for a publishing deal on my website. Can I listen to their songs? Am I interested in giving them a publishing deal? Can I give advice on how to get a publishing deal? There is a real need for answers to these questions and I don't have the golden ticket. 

      I do have some advice that I try to follow. Keep on writing. Write, Write, and then write some more. Get better. Listen to your favorite songs. Learn what it is you like about your favorite songs? What chords they use. The structure of the songs. Is it verses and chorus's? Does it have a bridge? Does the song tell a story? Does the song make you fell something? Sad, happy, lonely, or does it make you dance? 

       Read, read, and read some more. Read books about songwriting. Books about songwriters like Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, or whoever floats your boat. Read books about anything and everything. You never know what will be the four leaf clover in your song.

       Share, share, and share some more. We have so many ways to share our music. Facebook, Tic Toc, Twitter, Spotify, Apple Music, etc. and the list goes on and on. I have tried selling my music. No pot of gold on that rainbow. So I give it away. Place it on my website, share it on twitter, and occasionally play it at open mics. 

       Let me ask you a question? What would you do if you made the best apple pie in the world, Bar None! You set up a website, take pictures of your pies, develop a marketing plan, buy a new oven, get the best mixer you can find, and you still can't sell your delicious apple pie. Give it away. 

         Sample, sample, and sample some more. Take that pie to a church dinner, take one to your neighbor who just had a baby, take it to work and share some with the employees in the breakroom. It makes sense when you look at it that way.

         But what if somebody steals my songs? Really? I got to be honest with myself. I haven't written a song good enough that anybody wants to steal. Remember, I can't get people to buy downloads. It is hard to get people to listen to my songs. 

        If you're writing songs and people are stealing them, Congratulations! You are on the right road. You are doing exactly what you should be doing. Writing songs. What do you do about someone stealing one of your babies? Hey, have some fun and go make another baby. You got the talent, you did it once, you can do it again and again and again. 

        Now if you do write a mega hit and you hear it on the radio. That is a different story. You might need a lawyer but that would be a sweet problem to have. You are going to make some money and you will have some to pay for your  lawyer too.

       If you are writing songs as great as you think they are. Publishers, artists, music attorney's and everybody else. They will find and love your songs and want to help you on your journey in this crazy music business. Have a great day and keep on writing songs. 

        If you're reading this here is one of my latest songs I wrote.