#15: A Painful Week, The Oak and The Willow, Urban Stages, & Don't Tell Mama!

Many exciting things to report this week! Personal stuff, a new song, a violin, a new friend, a new band, a sudden concert for Winter Rhythms and a new Don't Tell Mama concert date for next year.
First, a quick link to the song because I don't want you to miss Charlie Viehl's gorgeous violin work on this new release.
"The Oak and the Willow" featuring Charlie Viehl on violin. (Story below.)
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/track/6Zku8cyA2VynLH1P6cDt4j?si=09d49508f3f84b2b

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA22QcOd430

Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-oak-the-willow-feat-bonus-round-band/1785369242?i=1785369243

Amazon Music:
https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0DQ6DGN93?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_LiP0ZiKjvmkfuC9FThKO5xhyL&trackAsin=B0DQ6DHWPL

Now to all the news.

1. Personal note. My Dad.
I am in Arkansas at my brother David's home. I'm here to help him pack up my 95 year old dad's belongings and drive dad by truck down to Austin to his new forever home with my brother, Scott and his wife, Annette. An eight hour trip.

I knew my dad was in declining health, both physically and mentally, but until yesterday at the assisted living facility, I didn't realize how dramatic the change had been. He was truly a great dad when I was a kid. I always felt loved and protected.

Since Dave is the primary care giver, I decided that I would try to take care of him with good cooking. First we went to the most gigantic grocery store I've ever seen in my life. I'm so used to the tiny NYC grocery stores where you buy what you need for the day.

Sunday night, I made chicken vegetable soup -- with onions, garlic, carrots, celery, green beans and peas. He said, "When I open a restaurant, this will be on the menu."

Monday night, I made pan roasted salmon and zucchini slices, caramelized onions and baked sweet potato. He asked me, "Do you eat like this every night?"

I cook like that every night. Being diabetic and wanting to help Jim with his health, I only learned it a couple years ago off YouTube -- and I went to one cooking class on a ship.

On Saturday, we will drive the eight hours to Austin in a U-Haul. Yes, I have my camera and yes, I'm going to document it. Maybe write a song or make a movie or both.

We will have a family Christmas on the 23rd. My dad will be meeting some of his great grand kids for the first time. I hate that I lost so many years of "family" during my self-imposed exile away from them.

Fly home on Christmas Day.

2. The Story of The Oak and the Willow and Charlie Viehl, violinist.

I met Charlie Viehl barely a month ago. He was referred to me by a mutual friend, Alicia Irving -- a great actress Jim once directed back in Los Angeles and is now here in my acting class with Andy Gale -- that he was young, new in town with a degree (Magna Cum Laude) from Boston College and looking to connect with the music theater scene as both a musical director, harmony singer and violinist. He also plays guitar.

Here's his resume. https://charlieviehlmusic.com/resume

I was recording this new medium tempo country folk song called The Oak and the Willow," about -- well, two trees in love -- and I had a space in the arrangement for an instrumental solo.

I said, "Wanna be on a record?"

We made a deal. I'd trade studio time and engineering to him and he'll play violin for me.

I brought him into the studio, set the mics and as soon as he played the first note, I knew he was amazing. Clean, tasteful, with chops and an ability to self-arrange around the vocal. When the solo happened, he soared.

He said he was eager to do stuff, anything. I asked him if he knew any Beatles songs, and he said he actually took a class on Beatles music at Boston College. Very popular course! So I said come down to Strawberry Fields and play "Eleanor Rigby" with Gavin and me. (It got too cold that week, so it's still on our ToDo List, but he came and met Blake Zolfo there and they bonded.)

3. Winter Rhythms at Urban Stages

Then, I got a call from Sue Matsuki and Frances Hill at a theatre called Urban Stages, that they wanted me to perform at the opening night gala with NYC cabaret legend, KT Sullivan. She would be the headliner, but she'd go first. I love being a closing act!

It would be a test. A new set of people. I love my ship people, but New Yorkers? They've heard it all, seen it all and will let you know if you're lousy.

After having done it onboard the ships several times this past year, I had a running order. Knew what worked and didn't work. This show is socko stuff, I told myself. Can't miss! But I needed to assemble my Bonus Round Band, which over the years, always consists whoever shows up to the gig.

I asked Charlie if he wanted to be in the Bonus Round Band and play his violin solo on "The Oak & The Willow."

I also called Blake Zolfo and Bill Goffi, because it was so last minute, they weren't available.

Then, Carl Draper, our friend who sings lead and dances on the Crystal Cruise lines, had arrived in town looking for something to do. So I said, how about learning and singing a new solo I wrote about being on the ships?

Here's a rough video of Carl singing "All That and More" at the show:
https://youtu.be/RgUnIdogT8U

He said yes, so now it's a week away and i have two new members, neither of whom know these songs.

I called Jane Goldman to see if we could rehearse at her place. Unfortunately, the piano was out of tune. So I got some tuning software, watched a few YouTubes and tuned it myself. I wrote out sheet music for all the backing vocals.

We rehearsed the day before the show.

I had planned on the violin only being on a couple of the songs. But it sounded so good, I told him to play on all the songs -- just make something up and stay out of the way of the vocals. He's so tasteful and non-showy, I had to coax him to blast off every once in awhile. He's a dream musician.

Rough video of us performing that night "I Only See You Young." https://youtu.be/w25cB_xdmME

Backstage, Charlie told Carl and me about how he learned to improvise as a good Catholic boy. Playing at Mass -- during the later verses of hymns that repeated over and over, he'd go off making up his own parts, just to be inventive and not get bored.

I told him I learned improv by trying to make the Baptist songs in my daddy's church sound like Credence. ("The church is not a rock group," my mother would scold.)

(In the mix of The Oak and The Willow, linked above, on the final chorus after his solo, I pulled out all the other instruments. All you hear is my voice and his violin. It's so haunting and yet joyous at the same time!)

THE SHOW WAS AMAZING.

The response was over the top. ESPECIALLY because, at the last minute I decided to bring Gavin Gold on stage, we changed into our Sgt. Pepper jackets, and the two of us led a singalong of "Eight Days A Week" complete with a bending-from-the-waist Beatle bow.

Now, listen. People sing along at Strawberry Fields when we busk, but they are shy. I have to usually coax them.

Not at Urban Stages. The whole crowd was LOUD and rocking that song. They knew all the verses, too.

I had an epiphany that Beatles songs are like hymns, in that everyone seems to know them and sing along to them -- and they heal the soul. Even when they don't know them, they still sing along to them because the hooks are fresh and catchy after all these years.

Whenever you sing a lot of new material to an audience, it's asking a lot. They have to do a lot of work, too, listening and concentrating. So, when they get something they know, they can finally relax and just have a release. It's so satisfying.

Now I knew we had something. A new show! Out of thin air!

With the addition of Gavin plus his bass player and singer, Jake Adams from the Rebel Nerds, who is a total genius of a musician, we're gonna combine forces, creating a new super group of the Bonus Round Band and Rebel Nerds, complete with a Beatles -- dressed in our Strawberry Feels NYC uniforms -- singalong at the end.

But now we needed was a place to play, So, I wrote Tanya.

4. Don't Tell Mama, March 7 at 7pm

I contacted Don't Tell Mama, Tanya immediately wrote back with a date. They are thrilled! Friday, March 7 at 7pm. 7@7.

I like that! The emoticon looks like someone looking up and to the right, just as Joan Crawford told Jim she was taught at MGM when posing for a photo.

I STRONGLY suggest making a reservation. It's a small room. Which I like even more because it will be an intimate show just like on the ship. Personal. And the music is going to be so good.

Reserations: https://shows.donttellmamanyc.com/8788-steve-schachlin-friends-3-7-25

And that's all the news, which is a lot for one week. Welcome to the Bonus Round.

If you need a violinist and you're a performer or producer in the NYC area, be sure to put Charlie Viehl on your list.

A very happy Hanukkah and Christmas season to all.


Steve
--
You are free to stream the songs but purchasing them is the best way to support independent artists such as myself. Or if you have the means, you can make a small donation through PayPal or Venmo using my email address: steveshack@gmail.com.

And please share this with friends!

[This is the hand-crafted, no-AI, non-bot newsletter of Steve Schalchlin. If you wish to be removed from the list, send me an email. If someone sent you this and you want to be added, write me at steveshack@gmail.com]
--
Steve Schalchlin

Living in the Bonus Round

Spotify Links
Love Songs by Steve Schalchlin Spotify Playlist https://tinyurl.com/stevelovesongs
Personal Songs by Steve Schalchlin Spotify Playlist https://tinyurl.com/stevepersonal
Comic/Humor Songs by Steve Schalchlin Spotify Playlist https://tinyurl.com/stevehumor
Inspirational Songs by Steve Schalchlin Spotify Playlist https://tinyurl.com/steveinspire
Meditation Music by Steve Schalchlin Spotify Playlist https://tinyurl.com/stevemeditate
Political Songs by Steve Schalchlin Spotify Playlist https://tinyurl.com/stevepolitics
Rebel Nerd Songs - lyrics by Steve Schalchlin
https://tinyurl.com/steverebelnerd

"I Only See You Young" Live at Urban Stages NYC

Beatles Singalong at Urban Stages - Eight Days A Week

#14: My Thanksgiving Prayer

Dearest friends and readers of my newsletter,

Next week, I'll be performing a concert, along with cabaret legend KT Sullivan, at Urban Stages in New York City at the Opening NIght Gala of the Winter Rhythms songfest, which is an amazing series of concerts they hold every year as a fundraiser for their library and community outreach service to young people all over the city. https://www.tixtree.com/e/winter-rhythms-kt-sullivan-in-my-piano-me-c4f1f4f46e1c

Nine years ago, I was privileged to present "New World Waking" there as a part of this same series, featuring an incredible chorus of singers and, on the stage, a group of young people who were a part of their theater outreach program.

In that presentation, we performed "My Thanksgiving Prayer" sung by Stephen Anthony Elkins and Jake Wesley Stewart, written by myself and Rev. Peter J. Carman. There are a number of versions of this song, but this one is kind of special because of Stephen's amazing vocal, but also because of the context of the song, offered as a prayer of peace in response to violence in the community, in our souls and in the world.

Here is the link to that performance. And in this holiday season, as we gather and hopefully enjoy being with friends, family and loved ones, we also remember how many lives right now are scarred by war, terror and isolation.

I do pray for peace and the best way to start is by being thankful and grateful for the things we have that give us life, joy and comfort in our own lives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PbdXgt-Vvg

Next is a link to that same song being performed by the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus and Women's Community Orchestra at Davies Symphony Hall.

Apple Music
https://music.apple.com/us/album/my-thanksgiving-prayer/481791968?i=481792769
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/track/682AnA5Z8xKiheqDm897J0?si=86ef44ce9dc54328

And another version sung by the Sanctuary Choir at Christ Church Bay Ridge Brooklyn

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/track/4fp4Ddu5AJ5Jbe9Er7BhEu?si=a1f47939efba44c0

Apple Music
https://music.apple.com/us/album/my-thanksgiving-prayer-feat-christ-church-bay-ridge/1038988148?i=1038991188

#13: The Rain Will Come

“This is one of my favorite songs you’ve ever written!”

That was the unexpected response from Jim Brochu when I played him the first demo for this week’s new song, “The Rain Will Come.”

And I knew he meant it because he played it five times in a row!

This brand new song uses rain as a metaphor, not for relationship troubles as is often the case, but for the renewal that follows hardship. The character, driving through the desert, encounters a storm and realizes that rain signifies life. It brings forth new growth in a barren landscape and revitalizes all living things.

This reminded me of the dual nature of rain. While we've seen the destructive force of hurricanes in recent years, rain is also a blessing. It cleanses and nourishes life. This resonates particularly strongly now, as drought conditions across the USA have many people praying for rain.

I hope you enjoy "The Rain Will Come." Here are the listening links. The lyrics are below.

Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/track/3euc0HVAbamBFBbvtyNyuI?si=f43e65af45b44788

Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-rain-will-come-feat-bonus-round-band-single/1780375701

YouTube link:
https://youtu.be/rHJZTvRdpK8?si=_uz-GbyvHmWOkWC-

THE RAIN WILL COME
©2024 by Steve Schalchlin

Mile Marker 102
Temperature says 103
Driving from where I was before
To where I never wanted to be

Heat waves dance on the blacktop
Mirages of what we could have been
Broken highway up ahead
Prickly cactus dusty green

The rain will come
The rain will come
The desert knows
The rain will come

Jack rabbits dash across the road
Wildflowers push through the rock
I pull into a barren stop
When the engine starts to knock

I listen to it tick as it cools
I take a dusty breath of air
I see a gathering storm
On purple mountains over there

The rain will come
The rain will come
The desert knows
The rain will come

My heart beats faster with each flash of lightning
My windshield pops with heavy drops
Burned out seeds spring into action
Colorful blooms pop in blazing reaction

Mile Marker 101
I turn the car to go back home
We shouldn’t be afraid of rain
It’s something that’s just gonna come

I burst into the open door
Apologize for my retreat
A storm can bring out signs of life
No reason to admit defeat

The rain will come
Let it come
The desert knows
The rain will come

You are free to stream the songs but purchasing them is the best way to support independent artists such as myself. Or if you have the means, you can make a small donation through PayPal or Venmo using my email address: steveshack@gmail.com.

And please share this with friends!

[This is the hand-crafted, non-bot newsletter of Steve Schalchlin. If you wish to be removed from the list, send me an email. If someone sent you this and you want to be added, write me at steveshack@gmail.com]

-- Steve Schalchlin
Living in the Bonus Round

Spotify Links

Love Songs by Steve Schalchlin Spotify Playlist https://tinyurl.com/stevelovesongs
Personal Songs by Steve Schalchlin Spotify Playlist https://tinyurl.com/stevepersonal
Comic/Humor Songs by Steve Schalchlin Spotify Playlist https://tinyurl.com/stevehumor
Inspirational Songs by Steve Schalchlin Spotify Playlist https://tinyurl.com/steveinspire
Meditation Music by Steve Schalchlin Spotify Playlist https://tinyurl.com/stevemeditate
Political Songs by Steve Schalchlin Spotify Playlist https://tinyurl.com/stevepolitics
Rebel Nerd Songs - lyrics by Steve Schalchlin
https://tinyurl.com/steverebelnerd

#12: Beatles Singalong and Two Things Too!

Am I a heretic or a believer?

A liar or an Honest Abe?

A genius or a fool?

The answer: YES. And so are you. We are all these things. To someone, at least.

That's why it's useless to try to label yourself as all good or all bad. All sane or all crazy.

That's the beauty and terror of being human. We are all these things. And that's what I tried to comically convey in this new song, released this week, called Two Things Too.

But before that, here is the YouTube link to this week's Beatles Singalong at Strawberry Fields. If the news from this past week, has you down, this will put a huge smile on your face.
https://youtu.be/3P9nCstPgcM?si=jL2AI_kv0EzB8R37

Two Things Too
©2024 by Steve Schalchlin

I'm a dream come true, I'm a nightmare too
I'm the stars above and I'm hell to love
I am Lancelot, with a twisted plot

I'm a Shakespeare sonnet, with a murder on it
I'm the Taj Mahal, with a crumbling wall
I'm a saw that swings, with an edge that sings
Cause it cuts both ways
And it's oh so true


You can be one thing and be two things too

I'm the king of hearts throwing poison darts
I'm the ace of spades tossing handguns
I am comfort class and a donkey's ass
A romantic tale on a gothic scale
I'm a valentine from a withered vine
I am French champagne made from acid rain

If that makes no sense it can still be true
We can be one thing and be two things too

Two things too no matter what we do
A mirror wall in a fun house mall

We can dive so far that we get the bends
We can both be lovers and yet still be friends
We can run red hot and sometimes feel blue

I can be a woman or a man for you
I can be too busy and have nothing to do
If I'm lost at sea, but my course is true
I can be one thing and be two things too

We can be one thing, and be two things too.

Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/two-things-too-feat-bonus-round-band-single/1778376503

YouTube:
https://youtu.be/lu8wZ18DSRc?si=1CMxKAMsLCSYchX_

Spotify link:
https://open.spotify.com/track/5IIxfONESnIQk31TVg7TwI?si=b292f9d4399646e


-- [This is the hand-crafted, no-AI, non-bot newsletter of Steve Schalchlin. If you wish to be added to the list, send me an email. If someone sent you this and you want to be added, write me at steveshack@gmail.com]

STRAWBERRY FIELDS Beatles Sing-Along - Nov 6, 2024

Newsletter #11: Comfort Food - Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Since today is voting day here in the United States, most of us are going to be breathing a sigh of relief that all the political ads are going to be over. We’re gonna be huddled around our TVs hoping for our desired outcomes.

So, today, a little comfort food. This past year, I recorded "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." I hadn't intended to, but I was rehearsing for a show I was putting together for the folks in my dad's assisted living facility, recording myself singing this.

The original was released in 1939 on the brink of World War 3. No one knew what was up ahead. Or maybe it had already started and the world needed some hope. But this simple song has such a lovely message.

Perhaps because I wasn't trying too hard, or because it was a labor of love, I released it after polishing up the accompaniment. I hope it gives you a little breath of fresh air.

YouTube Link:
https://youtu.be/ZrpmDyXS0Fc?si=b4ala0O2r4Z977YH

Spotify link:
https://open.spotify.com/track/33gkPCHqKZtkjJNIWTRHjn?si=e0aa6a231062417c

Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/somewhere-over-the-rainbow/1705326781?i=1705326782

Newsletter #10: Teddy Bears and Going It Alone

One of my most treasured friends is suffering in the aftermath of a severe medical condition. When she discusses her painful situation it reminded me of a song I wrote for The Last Session -- maybe the most popular song from that show, Going It Alone. Last week was the anniversary of the opening of our NY Off-Broadway production.

As for my friend, as part of her volunteer work, she would ride along with the local police department during domestic violence calls and care for the children during those intense moments. In her trunk, she kept a pile of Teddy Bears. She gave me permission to share one of these moments as an example of how we all can be of service to others.

#1: The Power of Plush

It was 1 AM as we pulled into the apartment complex in answer to the call of a break-in. The parking lot was dark; most of the street lights shot out.

The apartment we were going to was on the interior of the complex, also dark and sinister. It was the sound of crying that led us to the broken door and dimly lit apartment.

I drew the two twin girls onto the sofa and into my lap while the officer was gathering information and taking statements from the tenants. Both were sobbing uncontrollably, tears streaming down their little faces and little noses running.

I pulled tissue from my pocket and wiped noses and told them my name was and I was a friend of the police. I asked their names and they responded. I asked their ages. One held up three wet, pudgy, adorable fingers while the other just clung to my neck. I asked if they were twins and they both nodded "yes".

As I held them, I gave a quick glance around their home: only three small rooms: a tiny bathroom, a small bedroom with a mattress on the floor and the kitchen/living room we were sitting in. All dimly lit. Windows covered with black trash bags; no curtains. Front door with a now kicked in lock and what looked like multiple gunshot holes.

No pictures. No decorations. No color. And no toys.

As I held them, their sobbing calmed, but their grip on my neck and arms never lessened.

I asked if they would like for me to read them a story about a little mouse. They responded with a nod, but no words. I pulled a storybook from my bag, "The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and The Big Hungry Bear." It's a delightful book with beautiful expressive illustrations. I drew the girls closer and had them take turns turning the pages.

They were able to identify with the fear and anxiety of the little mouse who wanted to protect his treasured strawberry from the hungry bear. We scoured each page carefully, the girls showing me something special on nearly every one. I asked them which they thought was cuter: the little mouse or the hungry bear. Both said "bear!"

The officer finished her report and indicated to me with a nod toward the door that we should leave.

I pulled two six-inch plush teddy bears from my bag; one with a pink bow on one ear, the other with a purple bow. Hoping they would not both want the same bear, I offered them to the little girls as I rose from the sofa. Fortunately, no fighting!

They ran to show their mama and as I looked back to wave en route to the cruiser, I saw both girls holding their bears tightly and smiling. It hit me that there is power in plush! Little girls comforted and distracted from the violation of their home and hearts by brown bags of bear-shaped stuffing.

A reminder that we all find comfort when we have something or someone to hold onto.



So my song link today is "Going It Alone," which I put on my Tales from the Bonus Round many moons ago. I encourage you to share it -- and this newsletter -- with anyone you think it might help. Whether they be a caregiver or a patient.

Here is a rare video clip shot from backstage during an actual performance of the great Stephen Bienskie singing it with Bob Stillman.

And for your playlists, this is me singing Going It Alone: Apple Music link:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/going-it-alone/1082085482?i=1082085646
Spotify Link:
https://open.spotify.com/track/1y18S4tGWHOG05mqu5ekYx?si=efd9c6f3cd814314

As always, these are free to stream, but if you can afford to purchase the tracks from Apple Music, it's how independent artists such as myself can earn a living.

[This is the hand-crafted, no-AI, non-bot newsletter of Steve Schalchlin. If you wish to be removed from the list, send me an email. If someone sent you this and you want to be added, write me at steveshack@gmail.com]

Newsletter #9: Halloween Song No. 2 & New Beatles

"After I Die" (below) is a new COMEDY song that ISN'T ABOUT ME, but Jim doesn't like it because he doesn't like to think about me dying, so I get that. And my friend Jane, when I played it in her living room last week, didn't love it because "It doesn't sound like you!"

However, they BOTH agreed it was funny and witty and worked AS A SONG. They just didn't like me doing it. :)

But I made it for your Halloween Playlist because it's silly and perfect for the kind of dark humor Halloween plays around with. Me, I like to joke around about death because that's what this kind of holiday is meant to do. It's like laughing at monsters or going to a horror movie. It's good for the soul. I swear I wasn't trying to upset anyone.

But before that, my Beatles Sing-Along video of the week. It's short because this past Wednesday was John Lennon's birthday, so a big band took our place in the garden and they had an all-day Beatles sing-along where the huge crowd sang all the songs with the band.

But on Friday, we got our usual morning slot and I managed to coax a few ADORABLE folks up to sing. https://youtu.be/m0p_riKg1MA

AFTER I DIE
©2024 by Steve Schalchlin

After I die I want college students
Playing with my bones
Breaking in on drunken nights
After hours puppet shows

When I will my body
To a science class
They can play with all my parts
And show my bony ass

I won’t care
Playing marbles with my eye
I won’t care
After I die

After I'm gone hang my skeleton
High on Halloween
Scare the kids on trick or treat
Make them scream

I will listen closely
From the great beyond
I’ll come back and haunt them
Even after I’m gone
I won’t care
After I die

Since you’ve already torn my heart to shreds.
And hosted so many others in my bed
Since you’ve cut me apart
While me I’m still alive
I won’t care
Cuz I’ll be hard and dry
After I die

Use me like a sex toy
Or beat me like a drum
Finally I can be of use
To someone

You already killed me inside
And that’s why
I won’t care
After I die

See? It's just some dark humor for a dark and spooky night. Put it on your Halloween playlist and run it all night! Or better yet, make a video with yourself singing it in costume! I'll feature you here on the newsletter!

Spotify link:
https://open.spotify.com/track/3Hdl72zMzYa5SnldRJszsr?si=9269925824f94ed0

Apple Music link:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/after-i-die-feat-bonus-round-band-single/1773280518

Amazon Music:
https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0DJRPD99B?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_KwBgNSaXyudXZ58yePvdPXoYR&trackAsin=B0DJRPNJGT

YouTube Music:
https://youtu.be/wgqB6FLwBxY?si=hDhBdP4WAOLzU47C

[This is the hand-crafted, no-AI, non-bot newsletter of Steve Schalchlin. If you wish to be sign up for the list, send an email steveshack@gmail.com.]

#8: Halloween Song #1 - Zombie Funk

I know you've been looking for Halloween songs for your party playlist or to play for the trick-or-treaters. I got ya!

Also, this week at Strawberry Fields, singing Beatles songs with Gavin Gold, I made a video made on my birthday featuring tourists from around the world. They are so adorable and it's personally thrilling to be able to spread so much joy.

Beatles video:
https://youtu.be/XCl0TbHCAfM?si=e4HA-chFt2XNTTDl.)

The Zombie song is a few years old. But next week, I have a brand NEW Halloween song. Both of these enlist a little dark humor. And if you look really closely, maybe a little social commentary. But mostly, it's fun and silly. Lyrics for today's song with links below:

ZOMBIE FUNK (I'm So Glad I'm Not A Zombie)
©2015 Steve Schalchlin

If I were a zombie
I’d stare into space
and wander around
Shuffling from room to room

If I were a zombie
I’d stumble thru life
Not noticing art
Looking for stuff to consume
Stuff to consume

My skin would be rotting
My teeth falling out
My arm prob’ly broken
My legs barely moving
No grooving to the music

I’m so glad I’m not a zombie
I’m so glad I’m not a zombie
I’m so glad I’m not a zombie

No, not me

If I were a zombie
I wouldn’t have to think
I’d just let feelings
Push me into the street


I’d see other zombies
And smell their zombie stink
But I wouldn’t notice
I’d only want fresh meat

My feet, they would fall off
My hands, they would grasp for
More steaming entrails
People to tear apart
Lives to annihilate
No time to hate just moving on
Just moving on

I’m so glad I’m not a zombie
I’m so glad i’m not a zombie
I’m so glad I’m not a zombie
No, not me, no way

I’m so glad I’m not a zombie
I’m so glad i’m not a zombie

Like you
I’d be surrounded by flies
I give each one a name
They’d bury eggs within me
and I get to know their kids
I’m so glad I’m not a zombie
I’m so glad i’m not a zombie

Like you

YouTube link with lyrics:
https://youtu.be/uwNvdLTMZiw?si=NCuIfmNGk-yFbrSU

Spotify link:
https://open.spotify.com/track/1hMlQxVcZ0bKj4tSZofmdp?si=ccfae08e27234ad6

Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/zombie-funk-feat-steve-schalchlin-single/1050474927

Amazon Music:
https://amazon.com/music/player/albums/B016SS9K9Y?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_3VpYytBZDrA7GOoQUpxLIhVd8&trackAsin=B016SS9L5C

[This is the hand-crafted, no-AI, non-bot newsletter of Steve Schalchlin. If you wish to be removed from the list, send me an email. If someone sent you this and you want to be added, write me at steveshack@gmail.com]

#7b: Birthday Quick Links to "All That and More"

Today actually is my birthday, so All That and More is officially released. Here are the lyrics and the links to listen to the song are below.

All That and More
©2024 by Steve Schalchlin

I recall a meal aboard a
Luxury cruise line
Where the champagne was poured
From a silver chalice
Engraved with the name of
An old Russian palace

Then an orchestra played
A gossamer icing
Danced across the mirrored floor
I look at you and think
You are all that and more

I saw a museum in Paris
On a tree-lined boulevard
With Picassos on the walls
Adorned in rivers of blue
Even recognized
A masterpiece or two

I’ve climbed the Great Wall
Stretched across China
Saw fields as old as the sun
With acres of gardens
Planted centuries before
Then I see you and think
You are all that and more

The aurora borealis
Dazzling curtains of color
With light from heaven’s shore
Of every place I’ve ever been
Any poem I’ve ever read
Every song that’s drifted through my door
But then I look into your eyes and see
You are all that and more

You are all that and more

Spotfy link:
https://open.spotify.com/track/6gMu9D4z5qtRlXoFQiSRGu?si=2bbf9bad396742d6

Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/all-that-and-more-feat-bonus-round-band/1771907094?i=1771907095

YouTube:
https://youtu.be/ID2NJmyOSfc?si=yv2wwB8SjXHbi5FR

Amazon Music:
https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0DJC94VTH?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_Ud0B4BtrPJpYkCjmxP2cKbk2r&trackAsin=B0DJC81HJ9

If you purchase the song, that's the best way to support indie artists like myself. But please feel free to stream it, but if you do, add it to a playlist.

And thank you for all the wonderful good wishes I received this week. Being alive is a miracle so don't waste it! --

Newsletter #7: It's my birthday week!

I'll be 71 on Friday, October 4th.

It seems unfathomable. Jim and I were watching an old What's My Line from the 50s and they introduced a very old man who, when he said he was 70 years old, got a huge round of applause from the audience. Back then, that was OLD. I used to think it was ANCIENT. Unreachable, when I was a kid.

After my AIDS diagnosis and subsequent trauma and near-misses, I remember writing in my diary how much I hoped to just see one staged reading of The Last Session. I didn't so much see it as experience it from the stage still hooked up to "Louie," my feed bag. Some of you may remember those days.

Here's a link to the opening night as recorded in my online diary: http://bonusround.com/july96.html#7_18_96

After I won the lottery and Dr. Bruce Dorsey's magic pills saved my life, my goal was to see the year 2000.

So to be here, still grinding away and writing and recording and playing Beatles music in the park, this is a bonus round I couldn't have expected. I'm still making it up as I go along, not knowing what's going to happen next.

The new song gets officially released on Friday, my birthday. It's called, appropriately, All This and More. It was debuted "live" onboard the Crystal Serenity, our cruise a few weeks ago by a singer named Bruce Hammond, who learned it only two days previously. (I chased him down after breakfast and said, "Hey Bruce! Wanna debut a new song?")

Bruce Hammond did a beautiful job, captured here:

I'll send you the link to my new version next week after it's released so you can include it in your playlists. Meanwhile, enjoy Bruce's version and remember to be grateful for all the people around you and for every breath you take.

If you wish to donate to my work on Venmo or PayPal, use my email steveshack@gmail.com

This is the Steve Schalchlin newsletter. If you wish to be included on the email list, let me know!

Newsletter #6: Monks at a Tea Party

Today, I'm spotlighting a beautiful and peaceful meditation i composed with Blake Zolfo last year called "Monks at a Tea Party."

Going against the current pop trend for shorter and shorter songs, this four-part 17-minute piece begins with "Letting Go" and moves through four phases of relaxation and meditation, but also inspiration and energizing with an end piece called "Safe and Sound."

And no, there are no monks chanting at a tea party. I named it that humorously to describe a moment of stillness in a world of random silliness, avoidance and chaos.

If you're looking for music to relax and de-stress, I highly recommend carving out these few minutes, lying back in a quiet place with a cup of tea or other refreshment and giving "Monks at a Tea Party" a listen.

I created a hypnotic short film featuring the music, which you can find on YouTube.
https://youtu.be/p4DPaT51TIo?si=vvnT5tRcs5tJLQhD

Spotify link:
https://open.spotify.com/track/0dAmYiUOwxIgBz9KooKktm?si=15c9b58d548447da

Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/monks-at-a-tea-party-feat-steve-schalchlin-blake-zolfo-ep/1701510138

Amazon Music:
https://amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0CDZ2LT2L?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_7C9KX6HbwhYPq3XYKlbl19mat&trackAsin=B0CDZGVJ7M

As always, you are free to stream the piece, but if you purchase it at Apple or Amazon, it's the best way to support independent artists. It's only 99-cents.

Newsletter #5: Steve Goes Punk?

I told you in previous newsletters about singing Beatles songs in Central Park with Gavin Gold, my South African punk rocker friend from the band Rebel Nerds. We met at a songwriter group and became fast friends.

The Rebel Nerds have a comical, tuneful twist to their music that is totally accessible. Naturally I had to horn in on the act by writing lyrics for them.

So the spotlight single this week is "Sooner or Later," which may be the most mainstream song of the bunch -- and even got a good run on a Bruce Ravid's popular alt-rock playlist, up against a lot of mainstream, big label artists.

Give it a spin and tell me what you think! (And listen to that killer bass line!) I love this YouTube video version with the lyrics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dknUvJL90Ac Sooner or Later: Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/track/5TbFH1N5FH7lVkPn7ctCzl?si=71c8d0d559dd4533

Apple Music:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/sooner-or-later/1571781221?i=1571781226

Amazon Music:

https://amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0BBPFJ62P?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_DJPKHRPrI3xHQdeAACeQevgog

Here's the whole playlist of Rebel Nerd/Steve Schalchlln collaborations:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5UwIQFVhykonJlfKtweKzw?si=4ca7084c13a34a9a

As always, purchasing music from these stores helps support indie artists like myself, but feel free to stream for free or share the links. My gift is my song and this one's for you!

Newsletter #4: Someone to Get Groceries With

Last year, I was feeling so old and tired, I literally told myself I was never going to write another song. That I was out of ideas. Exhausted.

Suddenly this year, I'm writing the best songs of my life. There's a lesson here, that if you stop trying so hard and just let the stress and expectations go, the light of inspiration will pop up and shine everywhere you're not looking. That's how this song happened.

It came from a personal ad brought to me by Blake Zoflo, from my Bonus Round Band. It was such an honest statement, "someone to get groceries with," I immediately wrote it down.

Maybe that wish was a reflection of how I was feeling, that instead of looking for THE GREAT AMERICAN SONG with high expectations or unrealistic goals, maybe what we really need in life is a simple song on a small scale, something clear and honest and real.

Blake helped me shape it and I recorded him singing it. If this doesn't melt your heart, you ain't got no heart! :)

Someone to Get Groceries With

Spotify link

https://open.spotify.com/track/5Pr3k6QuduSf0WzL4L3jgq?si=11df76d37a104641

YouTube link

https://youtu.be/vKeihne7JiQ?si=IfEwjwLqtxWbUtv4

Apple Music link

https://music.apple.com/us/album/someone-to-get-groceries-with-feat-bonus-round-band/1748334462?i=1748334463

Amazon Music link

https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0D4XCVRGL?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_lj1hJH2sw2ZxcAwkXTsrBQZ0t

If you purchase the track from Apple Music or Amazon, more money comes to the artists (that's me and Leo the cat!) but you are welcome to stream it for free.

If you wish to support my work more directly using PayPal or Venmo, use my email address steveshack@gmail.com.

[This is the hand crafted no-bot Steve Schalchlin Newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, just hit reply and send me a note. If you got this indirectly and you wish me to be on it, write me directly at steveshack@gmail.com! I send it out every Tuesday.]

-- Steve Schalchlin

Living in the Bonus Round

Spotify Links

Love Songs by Steve Schalchlin Spotify Playlist https://tinyurl.com/stevelovesongs

Personal Songs by Steve Schalchlin Spotify Playlist https://tinyurl.com/stevepersonal

Comic/Humor Songs by Steve Schalchlin Spotify Playlist https://tinyurl.com/stevehumor

Inspirational Songs by Steve Schalchlin Spotify Playlist https://tinyurl.com/steveinspire

Meditation Music by Steve Schalchlin Spotify Playlist https://tinyurl.com/stevemeditate

Political Songs by Steve Schalchlin Spotify Playlist https://tinyurl.com/stevepolitics