ARGH! I'VE BEEN HIT!

Despite being oh-so-careful for nigh on three years, I finally got COVID. I got it at the end of a trip to Santa Fe and the Southwest. Fortunately, being vaccinated and boosted, and holding out that long, meant avoiding the delta variant and catching the milder omicron version. True to what you've generally heard about this (assuming you haven't had the pleasure yourself), it's been like having a really crappy cold. I don't want to suggest that we shrug it off as no big deal. It's not been fun, but it has certainly been in the realm of stuff we were already familiar with. I'll live, and fortunately, I think I'm far enough along to be mended in time for a couple of juicy gigs. READ ON McDUFF!

First, I'll be performing with Rebecca King on my own porch on Sunday, July 31. You'll find us there at 361 Franklin Street (between Pine and Laurel streets) at 2:15pm. We won't be the only ones performing on porches! Napa Porchfest will involve a lot of musicians in a cordoned off area, safe for walking. There'll be a food truck roundup at nearby Fuller Park. Porchfest has an interactive map; you may not find us in the pictorial list, but at this writing, we're on the map. I hope you come and make a day of it in Napa at Porchfest!

Then from August 3 - 7, I'll be teaching Harmony Singing Basics at Lark Camp Online, a five day online series of workshops that are FREE! Registration is open and allows you to receive the free Zoom link that is used for all five days. I'll be joined on the final day by Libby McLaren for a fun demo of how to "hunt for harmonies" with a pal. I'm on at 3:00pm for all five days. You can go to the Lark Camp website and click on "Register NOW! It's FREE!" I'm really proud of this program of workshops—be sure to check them all out! (photo credit below: Dana Dubinsky)

OTHER AUGUST GIGS:

Assuming they are not cancelled for COVID-related reasons, on Saturday, August 27, I'll be calling the Sacramento Contra Dance and then the following Wednesday, August 31, I'll call the Berkeley Contra Dance

JONI MITCHELL PERFORMANCE:

You really must watch Joni Mitchell singing Both Sides Now at the Newport Festival last weekend. In 2015, she suffered a brain aneurysm, so this is an amazing performance. Her music has been a significant part of the soundtrack of my life. Hankies out! Here's an article about the performance.