Changes and Hope

When I started up patrickcostello.org, the hope was that the users of the site would wind up taking over.

That has not happened, and with the hosting fee nearing renewal in the  spring, it is starting to look like my idea for the archives is not  going to work out.

So, there will be some changes to patrickcostello.org in a few months. Simultaneously, the YouTube channel is open. Go nuts.

I am also working on something for our Patreon sponsors. Just moving  slower than I would like. My mind can envision so much, and I have the  will to make it happen. Alas, my body is slowly turning into one of  those road crews where five union guys leaving on shovels while the one  person that works is currently out getting donuts.

The cold February weather has my arthritis going to beat the band.  Some nights the arthritis, neuropathy, and migraine trio plays jazz on  my frame, leaving me unable to even sleep for a few days straight. That  sets off the epilepsy I also deal with. I fell the other day and somehow  managed to land my entire body weight directly onto the tip of my left  index finger.

I did not break, thank God, but I am not ashamed to admit that I cried a bit.

The good news is that I am seeing a specialist in neuropathy pain on  Friday. Once we get my pain managed better, I will be able to start  hitting some projects Dear Old Dad and I have in the works.

The electric banjo is a marvel. I am adapting my EMG acoustic banjo  pickup to fit my Somerset. Once I can compare solid-body,  acoustic-electric, and acoustic banjos side-by-side, I will be starting  up the Eclectic Electric Banjo workshop series. I am trying to set this  up to be accessible to every budget, right down tot eh amps. More soon.

In other news, I volunteered to compose a banjo tune for a short animated film.  I have a composition written. I’ll be sending her a rough track today or  tomorrow for the go-ahead or think-again. After that, we’ll go back and  forth to work on the beats until I do the final recording. I hope it  works out. It’s a cool project, and the artist has a great design for  the characters. I’ll keep you posted.