Tag Archives: OVFF

Mr. Rogers

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Here are the lyrics to Mr. Rogers, the song we debuted at OVFF!

He told us we were special
Success is being kind
We can build a better world together
Helping is where our real strength lies

He told us we were worthy
He told us we were good
It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood

He said “look for the helpers”
It’s a good feeling to know that we’re alive
No one in the whole wide world is like you
It’s good to know [that] you’re growing inside

He was everybody’s neighbor
He listened with his heart
He said I love you
You have value and I’m glad you
Are just the way you are

He said
Be a helper, be a light
Don’t be afraid to do what’s right
Loving yourself is part of loving me

So be courageous and be true
Be the best at being you
And be the person Mr. Rogers
Knew that you could be

Just a skinny kid from Brooklyn
Who was not afraid to fight
He knew that power’s not what makes a hero
He just wanted to do what was right

And he showed us he was worthy
To stand with the divine
Be it wartime or our time
He is with us until the end of the line

So stand up and join the fight
You gotta want to do what’s right
Remember sacrifice is part of being free

Don’t be afraid to disobey
You can do this all day
Just be the person that Steve Rogers
Knew that you could be

Be a gambler with a dream
Be an island in the stream
Be Reuben James or the coward of the county
Eat fried chicken every meal
Just don’t be Ruby or Lucille
And be the person Kenny Rogers knew that you could be

R: Be the person that Will Rogers knew that you could be
E: I’m pretty sure that he would like me

R: Be the person Carl Rogers knew that you could be
E: He thinks I’m phenomenal

R: Be the person that Wayne Rogers knew that you could be
E: Trapper John?

R: Be the person that Buck Rogers knew that you could be
E: I’m not taking marching orders from Gil Girard

R: Be the person that Roy Rogers knew that you could be
E: Again with the fried chicken?

R: Be the person that Stan Rogers knew that you could be

God damn them all I was told
We’d cruise the seas for American gold
We’d fire no gun shed no tear
Well I’m a broken man on a Halifax pier
The last of Barrett’s Privateers

Be a helper, be a light
Don’t be afraid to do what’s right
Loving yourself is part of loving me

So be courageous and be true
Be the best at being you
And be the person Mr. Rogers
Knew that you could be

OVFF concert set

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Rand and I had a truly fantastic weekend at OVFF. Among the highlights for us was our 4-song concert set on Sunday afternoon, during which we got to debut 3 new songs that will appear on our upcoming album! (Here’s our Indiegogo page, if you are so inclined!)

The four songs we played were:

I’m a much more confident performer than I was four years ago at FKO, and I owe it all to this wonderful, supportive, nurturing community. Thank you for making me believe I could do this!

I’m so proud of the songs Rand and I have written for this album. They are all the results of truly collaborative efforts–I don’t (yet) write any music, just lyrics, so the music/melodies are all Rand (except “Do As Peggy Says,” which was a collaboration with Adam!). With only a couple of exceptions, all the original lyrics on our upcoming album were written by the two of us together, with the actual process varying from song to song.

And I can’t end this post without mentioning the amazingly talented Amy McNally and Brenda Sutton, who helped make “Nasty” everything we dreamed it could be. <3

We also got to spend some time hanging out with the whole Vixy & Tony band to talk about some tracks on the album they’re going to assist us on. (squee!)

I’m probably not going to get around to a full con report, but it was an amazing weekend filled with friends and music and laughter, and I’ve got a bit of the back-to-work blues today. (And as usual, there was too much to do and I did not get around to a whole bunch of things I had planned on doing, so my apologies to anyone I neglected!)

As always, many thanks to the ConCom for all you do!

OVFF 2016 (with a brief history)

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I’ve told the beginning of this story before, but I’ll tell it again, (briefly) for the sake of those who need catching up.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, I met this nerdy guy named Rand, who was in a nerdy rock band. This nerdy rock band played at Comic and Science Fiction conventions, but they were also a part of this thing called filk. (Here’s a Wikipedia article about Filk; and Debbie Ohi’s Filk FAQ)

I’d been introduced to filk as a concept by my close personal friend Amanda before meeting Rand, but Rand brought me to my first filk convention in 2005. And (I know I’ve said this all before), while I was immediately taken with the community, I did not think I would ever sing in front of other people. Or write a song. Or sing a song I wrote in front of other people.

Well, slowly but surely, I was proven wrong on all counts. This community can be, uh, very persuasive.

pegasus-concert
(photo courtesy of Sunnie Larsen)

And this year, you guys, I (along with that nerdy guy of mine) was nominated for an award. (we didn’t win the award, but that doesn’t matter so much, really…) I got to perform that song in a concert with all the other nominees. And if you’ll forgive me for going all Sally Field for a minute (even though it didn’t win), people liked it. They really liked it. The response from the audience during the performance was amazing. And then, all weekend, people I knew, people I didn’t know, and people I’d just met made it a point to tell me how much they enjoyed it. Here’s a link to Cliffs of Insanity as performed at FilKONtario in 2013. (I’d absolutely love it if someone shared video from the Pegasus concert…)

It was a tough ballot all the way around. I mean, it usually is, but it was a really tough ballot. In multiple categories, there were at least two nominees I’d have loved to see win.I think I congratulated most of the winners in person, but if I didn’t, congratulations!

I have a lot more to say about this convention in particular, and this community in general, but I don’t think I have the brain cells for it at the moment. I’ll leave it at this:

This community means the world to me. There are infinite reasons I’m glad I met Rand, but you–the people I’ve met through and because of him, this found family full of acceptance and support and guidance that has helped me to find the courage to do things I never thought I’d do–I wouldn’t be who I am right now without you. Thank you. I love you.

(I didn’t prepare an acceptance speech, but if I had, it would have been something like that. And who knows…I might still get to say it someday. ;))

 

 

Is this thing on?

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I know, it’s probably hard to remember…I retreated into my little hidey-hole, and I’ve barely even poked my head in this last little bit. And then when I do come around, I can barely think of anything that’s worth posting about. Hrm.

Well, I posted a few photos of OVFF 2009. And when I say “a few,” I really mean it. 😉 Good times were had. Maybe, if I get motivated, I’ll post some more thoughts on that…maybe. No promises.

The college semester is rapidly coming to a close, believe it or not. I was asked to teach again next semester, and I said yes, for several reasons:

1. As busy as I’ve been, I have really, really enjoyed teaching this class.

2. It’s kind of fun to share a workspace with Rand, even if just for a small amount of time.

3. I like being in the city regularly.

4. I figure that accepting the position now will give me a bit of breathing room as far as planning and such that I didn’t have for the current semester. (I’ve been pretty much flying by the seat of my pants, which lends itself to the overall overwhelmedness…)

I’m pretty sure that I had more that I wanted to add to this post, but I got distracted while posting it, and now I don’t remember…ah well. 😉 Happy weekend, everyone!