I CAN'T BREATH-ID!

The only time I can breathe is when I'm playing taiko. The rest of the time my nose feels like it is imploding. Literally. It feels like the works that are up my nose are closing up like the little hole on the top of a dolphin's head just before it dives beneath the water. What is wrong with me? My body is 100% great. My nose is filled with peas! Allergies? Maybe. A cold? Doubtful. It's weird because my body has never done this to me before and it's hard to say that I can look forward to a time when this will be over since I don't even know what "this" is. Well today was a little better than yesterday. And hopefully tomorrow will be better than today.

This is going to be a very busy next few days. Tomorrow me and Janet play a gig at La Pena for the Born to Drum folks. And then Friday-Sunday we are up in Petaluma teaching taiko at the Born to Drum Camp. That's always a great event--this will be my 3rd year. The only hard part is transporting the drums, but we are getting some extra help so it should be easier. We are performing a new, 2-person version of an old song that required me to write a new, longer solo, but one that I refused to let myself stress out about. Hence, I have a new, longer solo that I am proud that I managed to pull off without the usual insecurities involved in solo-composition. This is a great leap forward for me. Then on Sunday evening Maze has another gig to help out fellow artist Todd Blair in his recovery from an accident. I can't say I know anything about Todd or his work, but I am glad that people from a wide variety of genres are coming together to help one of their own. Then the following Friday we have another gig. And then Saturday, August 2nd Maze will be presenting a second, by-popular-demand performance of Ghosts and Girls.

Phew, yo.