Published in the January 10 – 23, 2018 issue of Gilroy Life

Another year begins … and so many restaurants, bars, coffee shops, wineries and other public places in the Bay Area are providing live music for their customers allowing musicians a variety of places in the South Bay and South County to perform and distribute their music.

I have hardly considered myself a singer-songwriter even though I have written well more than a dozen songs. Now that my first original song (a Christmas song “Christmas Time Is My Favorite Time” has been recorded, produced, copy-written and put out on more than 100 online music channels for all to hear and buy, I am officially a published singer-songwriter.

During live shows I often mix my own music in with the rock, folk, blues, country, and roots music, so recording, producing and offering these original songs to the public is the next logical thing to do. Most of the time people in the audience either do not notice I am playing original songs or ask the question, “who wrote that song?” I even had two guys at a bar arguing as to who wrote a song I had just played. Each thought they were right and had no idea it was my song. A nice compliment certainly. They felt stupid and put an extra tip in the jar.

I also spent a great deal of my down time during the holidays contemplating and creating a new song. There are so many Christmas songs out there. But where are all the Thanksgiving songs? So, I have written a new Thanksgiving song that I hope will get on the market for the 2018 holiday season. The next thing on my musical bucket list is to record a half dozen additional original songs, get them recorded and compile a CD that I can offer at live shows. It may even include both the Thanksgiving and Christmas songs on the same disc as bonus tracks. Welcome everyone to another year of live music!

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On another note, start off the year with the monthly Uke Jam located upstairs at Old City Hall, 7400 Monterey in downtown Gilroy the third Tuesday of every month. This month it’s from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 23. If you are a beginner, no problem. Just come early and enjoy free lessons from 5:15 to 5:45 p.m. There is a set theme for each of the monthly jams and they’d love your input and welcome song suggestions for each theme. Just the name of the song is fine, but if you have a chord chart to go along with it that will be great. The upcoming monthly theme is “Cold Songs.” For a song list, song charts and more information visit www.gilroyukulelejam.com.

Got a music tip? Send it to [email protected].

Marty Cheek