a year ago…

I woke up today thinking about where we were and what we were doing a year ago today. So I opened up the calendar on my laptop and saw where right about this time last year we were about to board a flight to Seattle. We were working hard planning a tour in California. We were getting ready for the WFA conference in Reno, NV. We were promised double the dates than the year before from our booking agent that we no longer work with (I won’t go there). Needless to say, our July this year looks a little different than last…Now  here I sit in Spokane Washington, in my Mom and Dad’s house, in my little bedroom.  My Dad sick with cancer in the next room and me listening to the last mixes for our new album on my iphone. I have it set to shuffle.  The next song comes on in my playlist. It’s “In the arms of the angle” by Sarah McLachlan. Remember the live performance with Emmylou Harris?

With tears running down my eyes (this song does it every time!), I realize how much I miss the road. I miss Nashville. Miss Music. Miss my band. We have been here a year!  It’s been a hard year of trying to keep our music business running.  Trying to find time between my Dad’s cancer appointments, tube feedings and Insurance phone calls, etc… This has been harder than I can describe.

My Dad is getting better. We are (hopefully) through all the chemo’s and radiation. We have one more Ped scan to find out if the cancer is gone for sure. We are still waiting for the VA to get all this approved. By the way, the VA has been horrible to work with. I won’t get into details. But our vets deserve better care and a choice to go where they want treatment!

For a musician this has been a hard row to hoe. This is not in my DNA. I miss the road, I miss performing, I miss recording, I miss writing, I miss my fans… But one thing is for sure, through all of this, I will not miss out on being here for my Dad. Family first! This experience has almost broken me. Although those of you that know Kerry and I also know that “being broken” is not in our DNA.

We are looking fast ahead and looking forward to touring the new album in 2016! I cannot wait until you all get to hear the album. And we get to perform the songs for you! Please keep the band and my Daddy in your prayers. As this has been one of the hardest years I have ever had.

Musically Yours, Donna XOX

We thank you for over a quarter of a million!

Focus On The Finish

In every sport, players are taught a game plan, and then how to execute that plan. They’re trained to follow through, no matter what sport they’re in.
I remember a basketball coach who we called Coach Carnes. He always pushed the point to ‘focus on the finish’ regardless if you got hit on the way up, or not; And he led by example. Every once in awhile we would hook up and play school yard ball, and he took a beating at an age where the pain might be drawn out the next day. He never complained; just kept scoring.
I thought about Coach Carnes recently and it made me think about how the competition we’re taught in sports could be used in everyday life. It’s no surprise that competition teaches us to win. Not to beat the other guy or team, but to have a strong team, a game-plan, and to make sure everyone does their job to execute that plan with follow-through, while ALWAYS focusing on the finish.
If one person drops the ball, it disrupts the flow and progress of the game plan. In addition to everyone else having to work extra jobs or play a lot of defense, due to the fact the momentum is gone, usually one person eventually ends up carrying the team on their shoulders. If that’s the case, burnout more than likely sets in, and all creativity is out the door because of one person with no follow through. Without new ideas and creativity, there’s no future plans. None of that has to happen. It just takes everyone playing (as big as they talk) and show that they can deliver.
So, while my advice is probably just worth a beer or a cup of coffee, use Coach Carnes’ philosophy and ‘focus on the finish.’
Be real and chill, Kerry

Failures And Victories

This week’s NCAAB Poll put the Gonzaga Bulldogs at #1 for the first time in school history. Now anyone who knows me, knows that I am a fanatical, homegrown Zags fan. The ups and downs this team has had through recent years has given me vertigo; However, I’ve always and will always be loyal to the core. We all know that any team is only as good as the one who leads them. Gonzaga coach Mark Few is an example of a great leader. Watching him, whether on the floor or on camera, it’s easy to see how he handles wins and losses. Never apologetic, points out good and bad without humiliation, while always looking ahead. You can see the effect of his philosophy and disposition in the way his players handle themselves on and off the court. Sure, there’s a lot of great coaches and the Zags may or may not win a national championship. However, this week, Coach Few has led his team to the #1 spot in the nation for the first time in scool history. It’s just business; It shows that any team with a great leader, sooner or later, is going to win. It’s the small failures and victories that make any one person, team, or business grow. Actually, they go hand in hand. Success comes for each of us in its own unique way. Just like Coach Few and the Zags, with a well led team, we all have our own shot at a #1 spot. The key is to focus on the finish and enjoy the ride. Another great leader, Stephen Covey put it well; “Intelligence is not to make no mistakes, but to see quickly how to make them good.” Listen to our song-Walk A Mile. It’s a life story about failure on the road to victory. GO ZAGS!!!!
Find Walk A Mile here