Wow...been a while since I posted on the ol' blog. It's turned in to a very busy summer so far for me. I've got a regular Thursday gig at Nolen Kitchen in Myers Park on their patio, which is fantastic. The staff is super cool and it's been really successful so far. The only thing I need to figure out is how NOT to sweat so much!! It's so stinking hot when there isn't any sort of breeze going sometimes. But I will persevere! Stay tuned...

I've really enjoyed playing at Kennedy's every other Friday. Although the last couple have gotten cancelled due to rain. But I love that place.

D'Vine Wine down in Ballantyne has become probably my favorite place to play. People are actually coming back again and again to see me. It's been great. And I love the staff.

A close second favorite has become Mellow Mushroom, also in Myers Park. This place is really laid back, all the staff is super cool and friendly. Their beer selection is the best of any place that I play, and the food is super tasty. It looks like they're opening up another location down in Ballantyne in the fall, so I'm looking forward to hopefully playing at both locations down the road.

Two things I have on my radar: gigs after summer, and weddings for 2012. I want to really make a effort to get into the wedding circuit down here. I had a good thing going up in Milwaukee wedding -wise. And I think I just need to do a couple to start getting the word out. But it'll come in time.

All for now...stay cool!

Amileigha's New Band!

Hey there,

So Amileigha has started a new band in Milwaukee called Rebel Grace. She's really excited about the new project and I'm excited for her. I've always wanted to see her with a band, and I know that these guys are going to do great things. Make sure to "Like" them on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/rebelgrace

Later,

M

Back to the South!

Hey Everyone,

So a TON has happened in the last few months. To make a very long story short, I've moved to Charlotte, NC. I'm pretty sad to be leaving Milwaukee, but I'm really excited about starting music in a new town. I've already got one show set up and I'm going to be hitting the pavement pretty hard to get as many as I can.

To all my friends back in Milwaukee, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to play for and with all of you. I had no plans to make this my job but you all made it so easy for me. I'm looking forward to coming back later in August to play my last few gigs there. I'm looking even forward to seeing where my musician friends take their talents in the future (I'm looking at you Amileigha and Ryan).

To anyone that is looking at this blog for the first time from North Carolina, I'm really excited about any opportunity to play and hope that this blog will give you any info that you need. I'm in the process of getting a legit website together, but for now this is the place to go to find out where I'll be and where I've been. Can't wait to get to know you all.

Well...let's do this.

-M

Notice anyone you recognize in this ad?

Songs, songs, songs...

So a few days ago I sent out some demos of Amileigha for a friend to give out. One of the two songs includes me on background vocals. I'm soooooo happy with the sound of the song. Amileigha and I had a conversation last week about writing and recording and we have both decided to make this priority ONE. So we're going to be dedicating at least an hour every practice to writing songs. I'm so pumped about it because it's been so long since I sat down with someone to actually write stuff. I'm super excited to see what caomes out of it. I've already got a few ideas, and I know Amileigha does as well.

Speaking of...Amileigha has been writing stuff like a crazy person! She and Keith (her "guitar teacher") wrote a song about her father (who recently passed) that is truly beautiful. I learned it a couple weeks ago, and hopefully we'll start playing it out in a couple more weeks. She's asked me to sing it until she feels comfortable doing ti herself. I'm honored to be able to sing it until that time comes. Now she tells me she and Keith have started on a new one...man...aren't WE the ones playing together?! Just kidding, I'll take songs any way I can get them. I'm pumped to hear the new one for sure.

So this is all to say that, for the first time in a LONG time, I'm going into full on songwriting mode. I'm gonna somewhat put learning covers on the backburner, and concentrate on creating instead of duplicating. It feels good just to type that...

More to come...

M

GOOD NEWS!!!

Last week I suggested to Amileigha that she enter her original song, "Back To Me" in to the 103.7 Kiss FM contest called KISS ICON. KISS ICON is a contest set up much like American Idol. For the first two weeks, they put one artist up against another head to head. They play both artist's songs, and people vote by calling into the station, voting on their website, or texting it in.

The artist that wins will have their song put on then station playlist, and they will receive an opening slot at SummerFest, the world's largest music festival.

Well, Amileigha enter the contest, and she received a call from the station informing her that she made the top 20. We both had pretty much forgotten that she even entered it. So last night (3/4), she went up against another artist, and low and behold, she WON!

What this means is that she will make the top TEN. We're not exactly sure what the schedule is from here on out. But as soon as I find out, I'll post it here and everywhere I have access to.

STAY TUNED!!

Sad News...

Literally right after our gig at North Start Bistro on 2/7, Amileigha found out that her Father had passed away earlier that day. It wasn't something I was comfortable posting on the internet until I saw a note from her on Facebook about it. I think the note says it best:

Michael Kerry Troutman - Please Remember

If you have not already heard I want to let you know that my father passed away this Saturday. He suffered from a massive abdominal aneurysm and once he got to a hospital that could help him it was too late. He was 57 years old and we lost him far too early in life.

My father dedicated the last years of his life to helping other people and lived his life by his motto "Do Good Deeds". He has touched so many lives and the world will never be the same without him. He was the smartest, most creative, most giving, most wonderful person that I have ever and will ever meet.

In his memory I would like everyone to try and do as he would have done and "Do Good Deeds". Help someone with their groceries, give someone a ride somewhere, hold the door for someone, make a donation to a local charity or anything else that helps another person. This is the way that he did things and this is the best way for us all to remember him.

If you got to meet my father then you are very lucky and if you didn't then I only hope that you will keep his memory alive by helping others in the way that he did in the last years of his life.

He will never be forgotten.

Michael Kerry Troutman
3-23-51
2-7-09