10:30 AM on August 24, 2025

I haven’t looked at this page since I wrote the post that is now at the bottom of this one. Much has happened since then.

For one thing, last June I decided to enter the 2024 International Finger Style Guitar Championship. I started practicing with that goal in mind. It paid off and I won. Which felt great, as you can probably imagine. New tunes and songs continue to pour out of me. Another album went out digitally into the world a couple of days ago and should start showing up on the platforms in a week or so. The manufacture of some CDs is underway and a double LP will be tomorrow. It’s called Still Got It.

For another, invitations to perform have come in. I got to play at Carnegie Hall in March, which was great fun. I’ll have played in half a dozen states when this year is over, which is not many compared to what I used to do, but more than I have the last few years. Among other things, I did a guest appearance at Andy McKee’s Musicarium in Kansas last month, subbed for an ill instructor at a guitar camp in NH a few weeks ago, I’m booked at the Walnut Valley Festival in Kansas , another guest appearance at a fingerstyle guitar retreat in Nashville next month, and have some solo shows coming up here in Connecticut. A guest appearance in Canada early next year is lined up. Personally, life is good. Nancy and I love living here in the woods of northwest Connecticut.

Now if we could just stop this awful slide towards becoming a full-blown authoritarian country here in the US. The lies are relentless, ICE is an abomination, the “Justice” Department is a joke that’s not the least bit funny, the esteem given to the murderous Putin by this administration, the pardoning of the January rioters, the retribution campaign – all of it is maddening. It’s not like we couldn’t see it coming; it was atrocious the first time around, this time’s worse. I have no idea how parents can look their kids in the eye and tell them they should respect the president and his minions.

Best to all. Stay safe and well.

9:00 PM on January 24, 2024.

I’ll turn 68 tomorrow. It’s a good thing.

If you happened to read my post from last year that I was done playing live shows, that was nonsense. I miss playing in front of people. A lot. Do I miss traveling to do it? No, that I don’t miss much, especially getting on airplanes. I’m very happy I got to play all the places I did over the years, but I really like being at home in my own bed most of the time. So I’m starting to look around for shows to play locally. Not so easy a task when you live in as rural a place as I do now, but I’m working on it. And if you want me to come play somewhere for you that’s a reasonable drive from northwest Connecticut, I’d probably be interested.

SB is the name of my most recent album. It was released onto the digital streaming & downloading platforms in September last year (2023).

My next project is getting mixed now and should be out this Spring. It’s a joint album with my friend Stephen C. Bennett. My middle initial is M. We’re almost exactly the same age but he’s from the UK originally. Which means, of course, that he’s got a much cooler accent than me! Anyway, I think we’ve created some really good songs together and they will be coming down the pike before long. We’re calling it BOGO – which stands, of course, for buy one, get one.

I’ve got more new music percolating right now and I’ll be starting to record it before long.

On the cusp of 68 (which I think of as late middle age), I think I’m playing better than ever.

Stay happy, healthy and well! And please keep listening to the music! If you like it, that is.

Best wishes to all.

Stephen Bennett (the one without the British accent)