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<title>Daniel Mandel RSS Feed</title><link>http://www.danielrmandel.com/index.html</link><description>Music News - Daniel Mandel</description><dc:language>en</dc:language><dc:creator>dm_music@comcast.net</dc:creator><dc:rights>Copyright 2007 Daniel Mandel</dc:rights><dc:date>2008-03-01T14:07:42-08:00</dc:date><admin:generatorAgent rdf:resource="http://www.realmacsoftware.com/" />
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<lastBuildDate>Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:20:34 -0700</lastBuildDate><item><title>Red Rock Coffee - Leap Year Performance</title><dc:creator>dm_music@comcast.net</dc:creator><category>Performance</category><dc:date>2008-03-01T14:07:42-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.danielrmandel.com/Blog/files/8cb51e43317071366195e76fc08327b9-12.html#unique-entry-id-12</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.danielrmandel.com/Blog/files/8cb51e43317071366195e76fc08327b9-12.html#unique-entry-id-12</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[Right up front - they should call this place the "Connection House of Coffee". ...  Although maybe it should be revised to Big Open-Hearted Community!


...As I was setting up I got to know a small family, right down to the favorite stuffed animal, named simply, "cat". ...  So the show began before the show started and it made set up a little more fun than usual as I described the space ship of equipment I bring with me.   I also realized that maybe I need to simplify the space ship of equipment, because the Red Rock opened up the 2nd floor for performances on weekends and I am the roady.   So I had an interesting time getting to know the elevator.   After the show the Big Open-Hearted Community kicked in and I had two additional roadies to help lighten my load! 

...Special thanks to Alicia Crank who single handedly brought a bus full of friends to the show!


You can see some video highlights from this performance from my video podcast which you can view on my website or you can subscribe to my podcast from iTunes.


Thanks to the entire crew that came out to see me perform!
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>I Don&#x27;t Need A Record Deal&#x21; - Review</title><dc:creator>dm_music@comcast.net</dc:creator><category>Book Review</category><dc:date>2008-01-07T07:07:39-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.danielrmandel.com/Blog/files/0465d2dc72d7b4983e94eb2e3ecb4446-10.html#unique-entry-id-10</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.danielrmandel.com/Blog/files/0465d2dc72d7b4983e94eb2e3ecb4446-10.html#unique-entry-id-10</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I was more interested in the subtitle of this book than the title because I have taken the approach of an independent solo acoustic musician which means that a lot of the options available for bands are not open to me.   Not to suggest that bands have an easy time of it; but a lot of venues and clubs are organized around the expectations of a band. 

...In one sense this book can be read as a general reinforcement &mdash; much like a lifestyle review that would draw the age old conclusion that good health is a result of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly and getting regular good nights sleep. ...  Meaning if you have a quality offering however you are defining it then you can take it to the next level. 

...There are so many good ideas that it would be a waste just to read about them and not take some action. 

...I also saw this book as challenging because it is a sort of check list of all the things that I need to be doing! ...  That is what I loved about this book is that as I checked off each chapter's suggestions I could look back and say, 'Web site. ...  That doesn't mean that I have mastered these areas, but I do have a sense of how to make them work for me and what to do next. 


...Rather than aspire to have a record contract with a big company the goals now are to understand how I can reach out to audiences and create awareness of my unique offering. 


For me this reinforces that I am on a good path and that all of my little goals, even sharing this blog are worth doing. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Songwriting</title><dc:creator>dm_music@comcast.net</dc:creator><category>Songwriting</category><dc:date>2008-01-18T22:17:28-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.danielrmandel.com/Blog/files/dc4db95b554841e9e06b9a9912515c7f-7.html#unique-entry-id-7</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.danielrmandel.com/Blog/files/dc4db95b554841e9e06b9a9912515c7f-7.html#unique-entry-id-7</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I get a sense that I want to say something (a theme) in a song and sometimes that will percolate around in my head for weeks or months or longer.   For example, one theme I have been kicking around in my head for many months is the idea that it would be interesting to hear a dialogue between my younger self, my current self, and my elder self across time. 

...But lyrics come in and move around in my head from so many sources, I actually find it difficult to force myself to sit down and write a specific lyric about a specific topic.


...So keeping this example alive &ndash; I might take the point of view that is universal that would be we all need to keep perspective as we go through our lives and remember that we will be older than we are today, but also to keep our childhood playfulness alive and honor the kid that we used to be, as well as respecting ourselves right now. 

...When I ask that it reminds me when I was 7 years old I use to take some picnic table benches and other furniture and set it up in our basement and pretend that I was 18 years old. 

...I need to say more about how cool it would be to hang out in my apartment as an Eighteen year old. 

...I'm sure that I squirrel all those melodies and chords somewhere in the back of my head and then I beg, borrow and mash them up until it comes out as something that seems right. 

...Very cool concept indeed, but I do sometimes find myself getting too involved in some aspects of the writing and then I look at the result and it doesn't capture my initial premise. 


In the end when I have captured a premise and put it to an interesting melody with a chord progression I like &mdash; I feel very validated. ...  Some of the best feedback that I've gotten is when audience members will come up to me after a performance and quote back lyrics they liked. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>My Influences</title><dc:creator>dm_music@comcast.net</dc:creator><category>Background</category><dc:date>2007-12-23T08:26:32-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.danielrmandel.com/Blog/files/e6af2eb2e43340e3dc66e8c76e8fbd5d-6.html#unique-entry-id-6</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.danielrmandel.com/Blog/files/e6af2eb2e43340e3dc66e8c76e8fbd5d-6.html#unique-entry-id-6</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[But I'd have to say the high trinity of my sister's musical legacy would have to be: Crosby Stills Nash & Young (Four Way Street), Cat Stevens (Foreigner), and Jackson Browne (For Everyman) . 


...The band is already starting to play the song, picking up the tempo and in time Graham says, "...remember... if you can't be with the one you love... ...  That was the first time they heard the title of that song and it was delivered like a joke!   I fantasized what it must have been like for that crowd to hear all those songs - many of them for the first time! ...  It was probably 23 years later when I heard CSN live at the Shoreline amphitheater and I still have this image of Graham Nash and David Crosby harmonizing so beautifully. ...  When the song finished &mdash;they looked at each other in astonishment and started laughing because they were so blown away by how well they had harmonized!


...Somewhere along the line, I think it was the 500th singing of "This Old Guitar" my brother popped his head into my room and said, "Hey have you heard of this great new band?! 

...I had enough of a kick start to start my own collection: James Taylor (Mudslide Slim and the Blue Horizon), Simon & Garfunkel, Jackson 5, The Guess Who, Queen, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the Eagles and Elvis Costello. 

..."How Did You Find Me Here" took me from my house in Minneapolis and back again to the dinner theater in Chanhassen where I ran sound for a while. 

...I would love to hear from you to know your favorite band or artist, or perhaps a memory you have about a particular song that was meaningful to you. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Home Concerts &#x2014; An authentic intimate experience you won&#x27;t forget&#x21;</title><dc:creator>dm_music@comcast.net</dc:creator><category>Performance</category><dc:date>2007-12-10T20:23:13-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.danielrmandel.com/Blog/files/507f9929aafa87a5c4f2d2a0aec9bd2f-5.html#unique-entry-id-5</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.danielrmandel.com/Blog/files/507f9929aafa87a5c4f2d2a0aec9bd2f-5.html#unique-entry-id-5</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[After I had created and manufactured my first CD, "Might Be You" I sent out an email with the intention of letting everyone I knew that I wanted to play my music and I asked if anyone had a home and was willing they should let me know. 

...They allow fans to see and hear great artists up close, and these artists get to perform for attentive and appreciative fans, away from the distractions that most music venues attract. 

...I have also been an audience member in a few of some absolutely amazing and inspiring local Bay Area home concerts such as Peter Case and Joel Ackerson. 


...Even some small clubs with basic light systems have a set up that prevents the performer from being able to see past the stage lights. ...  Let's say you were going to tell a group of people that dinner was ready and you'd like them to come into the dining room.   If you walked into a room of 15 people and you had bright lights on you so you couldn't see faces &mdash; right away there are barriers that make it more difficult to connect directly with each person.   Some performers have developed a definite talent for making their performances seem very intimate and directly accessible even through all those barriers of a PA system and the distance from the stage.   We can see how large arena shows do what they can to bridge the gap so that video screens give the audience the appearance of being right up on stage with the performer. 


...Some of the guys who perform in bands that play at clubs and large venues described how scary and intimidating it can be to face a small audience with nothing but your voice and an acoustic guitar.


...It has been a fascinating journey to play as connected and as open as I can in front of so many intimate receptive audience members &mdash; face to face.]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Red Rock Coffee&#x2c; Mountain View</title><dc:creator>dm_music@comcast.net</dc:creator><category>Performance</category><dc:date>2007-11-19T06:27:41-08:00</dc:date><link>http://www.danielrmandel.com/Blog/files/695c7f126e7e304e422263f370aecdbb-4.html#unique-entry-id-4</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.danielrmandel.com/Blog/files/695c7f126e7e304e422263f370aecdbb-4.html#unique-entry-id-4</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I am not an expert at this gigging scene &mdash; so I spent the day carefully doing a bit of rehearsal, but not too much. ...  But beyond that car traffic was still not moving even out further... and that's because about 10 miles down the road from the first car was a massive accident. 

...I arrived about half an hour later than I wanted to, and still somehow was able to unload, park, set up and start a few minutes after 8pm!


...It was kind of funny as people were coming into the Red Rock they got very polite and conscientious and most of them were doing that &lsquo;walking under the radar&rsquo; dance so they wouldn&rsquo;t block other people&rsquo;s view. 

...The Red Rock is lined with these nice big low windows so folks on the street can see in and gauge if they want to go inside. 

...My theory is that if more people knew what Home Concerts were all about, they would turn their next party into a home concert!   So I have put together a gift bag with my CD, "Might Be You" and a kit of goodies to inspire the imagination and set expectations for a home concert. ...  One young lady at a table of three won and it was gratifying to see the tables eyes light up as they opened up the gift bag and looked at all the goodies. 

...For the first few songs I didn't have everything patched the way I wanted it and I had to plug and unplug once I found it.   I was spoiled by being able to play acoustically for lots of my performances recently where I didn't have to think about anything more electronic than my tuner.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Discipline of Freedom Workshop: Creativity and Expression led by Paul Oertel&#x2c; Tamnies France</title><dc:creator>dm_music@comcast.net</dc:creator><category>Creativity</category><dc:date>2007-10-17T07:04:19-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.danielrmandel.com/Blog/files/dae8259284abaf2b7ea5c4a12f5c5851-3.html#unique-entry-id-3</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.danielrmandel.com/Blog/files/dae8259284abaf2b7ea5c4a12f5c5851-3.html#unique-entry-id-3</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[This is a journey that began for me three years ago when a friend, an actress (and at the time my sister-in-law) Gemma Wilcox was kind enough to include me in a small circle of artists who would travel to a beautiful area of Southwestern France.   Being that this was my third (trois&egrave;ime) time participating in this workshop, I headed into this wondering where I could challenge myself. ...  This was a shift from the first year where the challenge was to head into the mystery of the experience remaining open to what might appear.   The second year my approach was a very focused intention of developing a show a new presentation for my songs that resulted in my current performance called "Brave Open Love".


...Then Paul asked me right after the dance was finished to pick up my guitar and play the last song I had played again. 

...I didn't want to be in front of a group of people and end up crying. ...  He just suggested that I tell a story or present an introduction that had the very qualities I was afraid of presenting! ...  This did bring tears to my eyes, and to do so in front of the group was a vulnerable place to be.   I realized that I wanted to follow this with a meaningful song &mdash; so I told the group that my Mom's favorite song that she sang to us a lot was 'You Are My Sunshine'. 

...This has fed many performances where I have learned with each performance to reconnect to the emotion of what I am singing and hook that into the people in front of me so that I am fully sharing myself. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>2007 Boulder International Fringe Festival</title><dc:creator>dm_music@comcast.net</dc:creator><category>Performance</category><dc:date>2007-09-03T14:24:36-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.danielrmandel.com/Blog/files/92d655064839a397c25a31ee64f51d13-2.html#unique-entry-id-2</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.danielrmandel.com/Blog/files/92d655064839a397c25a31ee64f51d13-2.html#unique-entry-id-2</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[A long time Boulder couple that I have known for only a few years accepted my request to put me up (or to put up with me) while I was in town for the Fringe. 

...The first time I actually played at this same gallery, so this was like a bit of a homecoming for me.   Also my one-man acoustic performance "Brave Open Love" is really in its infancy, so I was thrilled to have a chance to perform it in its pure intention, that is, as a theater performance concert. ...  So with my mind all a tingly from the excitement I showed up at the gallery and met Greg Tobo (a wonderful guy, and a magician). ...  When it came to designing the lights, we didn't have many choices within the gallery space, but there were a few basics we were able to arrange and design to enhance my show. 


...One aspect of putting on a show in a city like Boulder, when I live in Oakland is how to market the performance and get the word out. 

...I'm not sure, but maybe it was my busking bravado, or maybe it was how I perceived his bad attitude, but I just said, "Listen.   I'm not getting in your way - and I'm not competing with you, so I think I will just stay here and play guitar." 

...And then a few nights later an old high school friend I hadn't seen in 24 years came rocketing across the room as I was setting up my guitars. 

...Daniel's new performance was developed in collaboration with Boulder's extraordinary artists Paul Oertel and Nancy Spanier, who worked with him to sequence and choregraph his songs into an evocative and moving show. ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title>Back Porch Concerts</title><dc:creator>dm_music@comcast.net</dc:creator><category>Performance</category><dc:date>2007-08-07T18:49:36-07:00</dc:date><link>http://www.danielrmandel.com/Blog/files/bbdef4ba440f375b669de7e08037f4bd-1.html#unique-entry-id-1</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.danielrmandel.com/Blog/files/bbdef4ba440f375b669de7e08037f4bd-1.html#unique-entry-id-1</guid><content:encoded><![CDATA[I think it is worthwhile for me to begin at this point as a singer songwriter being given some unique opportunities. 

...I'll start with my experience performing at the Back Porch concert series here in Oakland. ...  I knew Gabriel previously and he had seen me in two previous shows at Spuds Pizza in Berkeley as well as at another Home Concert at the home of Bruce Blouin in October of 2006. ...  Before I take the focus off of him, I will reveal a little known fact that Gabriel was brave enough to allow me to "noodle" on my guitar during a meditation prayer event - which served as a great experiment and and interesting experience for those who joined us that evening. 


...He put me at ease and I have to emphasize that he really went out of his way to be approachable.   His voice and keyboard playing are a powerhouse and I was so impressed and thrilled to have shared a stage in that context. ...  One example of Andre's stage - side manner, he wanted to be sure to include me in one of his songs in his set and set me up to play guitar with him and his band on "Blue Moon". ...  All of this inspired me to return the favor, when I asked Andre and Lisa to back me up on my song "Find Me A Lover".   They took my suggestion and quickly came up with backing parts and it was really great to incorporate the community of musicians during the performance that way. 


...Of course the plan was to be shaded by the canopy, and that's how we set up. ]]></content:encoded></item></channel>
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