Bread and Roses, the wonderful organization that brings live music to audiences who can't get to them, recently asked me to perform for group of developmentally disabled adults at Marin Ventures, a day art facility serving them. They were one of the most involved and appreciative audiences I have ever had the pleasure of performing for. Following is a description of the show by Audrey Spector, Bread and Roses volunteer:

20 minutes before the show, the audience was ready and eagerly waiting for the performer to arrive. They were clearly excited to have a musician come and join them and kept asking us when that would be! After the first song that Dan started with, someone in the audience asked if it would be OK if they sang along! Many of the folks were familiar with the tunes, Blowin’ in the Wind, Imagine, Turn, Turn, Turn. They were clapping, singing and there were lots of contented faces with eyes open and eyes closed swaying to the music! When Dan said that he was coming to the end of the show and had time for a couple more tunes, they were clearly disappointed. They asked if he could come back, and if possible play some Elvis Presley when he does! Dan is a great guitarist, harmonica player and singer. He also played some of his original pieces that were very heartfelt and appreciated. Everyone enjoyed the show immensely!

I am honored and grateful that I have the opportunity to give back to the community doing something I love...playing music.

A Memorable Bread and Roses Show

From time to time, I volunteer my services to Bread and Roses, a wonderful organization that brings live music to audiences that lack access to it, and can be enriched by the experience. I have performed both by myself and with others to various residential treatment programs in the Bay Area, and it was my privilege to perform recently for Center Point, a drug rehab facility in San Rafael. The audience was large for this type of show, and very enthusiastic. I brought my guitar and songbook to perform a mix of originals and covers, and was intrigued when one of the audience asked if he could sit in. After hearing several other audience members vouch for his ability, I thought, "why not" and encouraged him to get his guitar. He turned out to be both a great player and an intuitive follower, and he added some harmony vocals and very nice solos to a number of songs. Turns out he used to play with Bonnie Raitt.

The show and the vibe were really amazing. I'll let this write-up from Bread and Roses tell the story...

Of the many locations I have hosted B&R performances, Center Point has always been my favorite because of the genuine responsiveness of the audience. Last night was no exception and, in fact, exceeded that of previous visits. From the moment Dan started with Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" followed by a song he wrote called "SUV" the audience was into the performance with finger-snapping and toe tapping. Within a few numbers, this led to audience participation sing-along on the more familiar covers and the choruses of Dan's own songs.

Several numbers into the performance, a member of the audience, Charlie, volunteered to get his guitar and play backup with Dan. While there might have been some initial reluctance, the audience seemed to feel confident that Dan would not be sorry if he accepted the offer. As it turned out, Charlie added a dimension to the performance through his skillful guitar playing, which even lead to playing a solo on each number, by providing the Center Point clients with an investment in the show through the participation of one of their own.

At the end, the audience gave Dan and Charlie a long standing ovation after which many in the group came up to personally thank both Dan and B&R (through me) for the wonderful show.