Dispatch from The Road

Howdy, Friends, from Red Oak, Tx, down here south of Dallas.

I performed this morning at Shields Elementary. The kids were fantastic! It was K-2nd. They had a lot of fun. Everyone participated well, and when it was time to get quiet they were self-quieting. My favorite kind of group! My host,John, observed that all the teachers were participating too. That really does make a positive difference.

I'm writing to you from the library at Red Oak Elementary where I will perform here in a couple of hours. John has hired me the past four or five years (neither of us can remember how long it has been) as a thank you to some of his best customers. He is a book salesman who supplies school libraries with new books. I'll be in the area for three days.

Lisa and Evalyn are with me - we are staying with friends in Plano. Yesterday I performed for their son's fifth birthday party. Happy Birthday Chad!

Before we left, I spent a stressful last day working on the new CD. Stressful because it was my last chance to make any changes. Also because I waited until the last moment to figure out what software I needed to add ISRC numbers to my tracks, a technical little detail that can turn into money down the line. ISRC codes are what allow your songs to be tracked when they are broadcast or downloaded online. Without them it's tougher to receive royalties for such uses.

Anyhow, the point is, I spent all day Friday and Saturday morning putting together the CD, and I got it mailed off to the duplicators!! It sounds great! Now all I have to do is wait!

Well, not really - as soon as we get back to the office, Lisa and I will be spending our days preparing envelops so that when the CDs arrive the 15th or thereabout we will be able to send them right out. Pre-order yours today at ReadingSongs.com!!

We also sent a pre-release copy to XM Kids. So if you listen to XM Kids, please call up Kenny Curtis and ask him to play a song from my new CD, Paws Claws Scales and Tales. Right now it's the only way you can hear an entire song. To hear samples, visit the ReadingSongs.com website.

This is my 97th blog post, by the way! I think I will time it so that number 100 will announce the arrival of the new CD. Stay tuned!