May 2012 - The busy season is here! The time of year where events come quick, and I try to do my best to keep my online calendar up to date. If you think you see a conflict with an event you are planning, I would still encourage you to drop me a line for the final word on that day, and for a recommendation if I am indeed unable to do it.

Followers of my on Facebook have been getting doses of my back catalog (from my days in Ann Arbor in the 90’s thru my first years in Chicago before I was a full-classical guitarist), as I’ve been posted old tracks to my YouTube account:

http://youtube.com/neildixonsmith

Of course, you could simply go to the My Music page here and find your way to the Back Catalog to check some of that stuff out (with editorial annotations).

This month has been about learning wedding music for this year’s season, as well as getting my new trio ready. By this time next month we’ll have a name, but I can tell you it features myself, the incredible singer Leanne Araya (of Maracujaz) and multi-instrumentalist Emiliano Rojas (of Fandanguero), we’ll be doing a great mix of music from Brazil, Chile, Peru, Jamaica, Mexico and the EEUU.

If you’re really curious, drop me a line, and I’ll send you links to the demo in process. I hope this trio will be a new option for those looking for cocktail party music.

Unfortunately my calendar has been filling mostly with private events. It’s looking like I won’t at Green City Market this Summer, as a new ordinance prohibits amplifiers, but hopefully that will change soon enough.

Enjoy the early Summer!

April 2012: It’s a beautiful sunny Spring day as I write this, I hope that is the same for you!

Lots of stuff going on. First, I’ve been continuing my writing habits of the past several months. Here’s a link to a piece I wrote about my “nail guy” here in Chicago, and his remarkable story as a Vietnamese immigrant:

http://detourproject.org/essays/my-nail-guy/

As you’ll see, this is for the Detour Project blog, part of the Know Resolve organization that conducts workshops for young folks dealing with issues surrounding suicide. Though that is a grim subject, the blog is all about stories of personal transformations, and I’ll be continuing to contribute pieces about my experiences as a musician.

I also had the incredible experience of performing a for a Yoga Class, a special “Earth Hour” restorative session at my local studio, Tula. To commemorate that I wrote this piece about how yoga has shaped, and continues to shape, my development as a classical guitarist:

http://blog.tulayoga.net/2012/03/how-yoga-has-shaped-my-music-guest-blog.html

New repertoire: I’ve been shedding Gato y Malambo by Hector Ayala, an Argentinian composer, who also wrote Guarania, one of my all-time favorite pieces. These are both part of his Suite de Sudamerica, a collection of South American dances. Gato y Malambo are two “gaucho” dances, basically, Argentinian cowboy music - super fun stuff!

And then it will be high season for bearing down on wedding requests. Already in the queue: Ed Sharpe and Magnetic Zeros, Adele, and some long overdue Bach.

New Projects - they are bubbling. An amazing new trio (guitar, percussion, voice) covering a wide range of latin sounds, with heavy emphasis on Brazilian and Mexican Son Jarocho, is in the works…details will be coming soon! Plus a couple different guitar duet projects. I have never been more challenged.

After a slow start, 2012 is looking like another great year of music. I hope to see you soon!

March 2012 - Happy Spring!

I write this News update on the heels of putting together 225 Wedding Music demo CDs, bound for the swag bags at Chicago Social’s annual Evening of Modern Luxury on March 18.

And with that it can be officially announced, I am now an official advertiser in Chicago Social Brides magazine, beginning with the Fall/Winter 2012 issue. This is by far my biggest step in terms of marketing myself, so I am equal parts nervous and excited.

It definitely feels like the season of change. With the passing of my mentor/duet partner/quartet director Alfonso Chacon in December, and the news that my band of the past 5 years, Mas Trueno, is going into hibernation (lead singer moved), my plate is suddenly a bit less full than i like.

Rest assured, new projects are in development, and I hope to have news of new excitement soon.

But mostly what this has meant is a re-dedication to the art of solo guitar.

I look forward to playing outside on what is shaping to be a long and warm Chicago Spring (famous last words, I know). Drop me a line for some early season entertainment!

February 2012: A long-awaited vacation! I’ll be out of town from Feb 4-11, heading out on a Great American Road Trip! Two nights in Nashvile, then 4 in New Orleans, and then a night of barbeque in Memphis on the way back. I will be in communication over this time, but please do give me a day or two to reply to any inquiries!

After that, I look forward to getting cracking on new projects, but for now, it will be a nice break for the hands!

Happy 2012!

Welcome to my new site, just updated for the new year! As this is Wedding Planning season, you may be visiting this site considering me for your ceremony or reception.

If so, please do visit the Music for Weddings page, you’ll find my new Wedding Music demo online, and I would also encourage you to check out my new longform piece called A Musician in Procesional, which tells the story as to how I started playing weddings, and what it means to me. I hope you’ll find it entertaining!

Also new is my solo guitar demo, accessible here on the main page, and then all demos and links are also available on the My Music page. The My Music page also has a link to my SoundCloud page, where I post multi-guitar arrangements of original music and recordings that I’ve done for wedding videos, commercials and other projects.

Theme for this year? Going deep! Trying to raise my game in every area. Look for a new single from Mas Trueno this Spring/Summer, and plenty of new recordings of guitar music throughout.

New in heavy rotation, additions to my Brazilian repertoire: Canto de Ossanha and Xodo de Bainia, and there’ll be much more coming!