Hey, Friend,

This morning, long before dawn, I was already en route to Madison, Wisconsin, to participate in another Wizard World Comic Con as a musical guest and vendor.  Seven hours in the car proved perfect for ruminating on the past year, the goals and intentions I set for myself in January, and the journey I have taken since the beginning of 2018.

It has become a tradition of mine to outline a series of personal and professional goals each year, to keep myself moving forward and to constantly strive for new ambitions.  Some of this year’s goals have been absolutely crushed – especially the release of my sixth album, House of Ghosts, which came out on Halloween!  Thank you to each and every one of you who has supported that endeavor by attending release parties, streaming the album, and buying a copy of your very own!  I cannot celebrate successes like this one without all of YOU making it possible.

On a related note, House of Ghosts vinyl pre-orderers will be pleased to know that the manufacturing process is moving forward splendidly!  One of the major steps along the journey from studio to turntable is the lacquer test cuts, which have been created and sound fantastic.  We’ll be entering final production as soon as the final master is approved, and House of Ghosts will be in the queue for pressing shortly.  If you haven’t reserved a copy yet, there’s still plenty of time!  Drop by the website to order yours here!

Touring was a big goal for 2018, as I have always loved hitting the road with my guitar and meeting new fans, bands, and communities across the country.  A surprising opportunity arose in the spring to help make some interesting travel shows possible: I joined the Wizard World entertainment lineup!  From local Ohio cons, as far south as Austin, Texas, and west right now to Madison, Wisconsin, I’ve been able to experience incredible venues, share the stage with not only other amazing musicians but also various celebrities, and even start a NEW venture in visual art!

Creating visual art isn’t exactly new to me, as I went to school for visual communication design, which included studies in illustration and other forms of visual art, but it has been quite a while since I was so immersed in the creation of my own works. This was due to a challenging physical condition that makes it difficult and painful for me to work with small utensils while hunched over a drawing desk.  Being a part of the diverse and extremely creative Wizard World community has reinvigorated my passion, though, and thanks to modern digital drawing technology, I was able to tackle the Inktober Drawing-A-Day challenge to jumpstart my portfolio as a visual artist.  Now, I have the opportunity to show my work alongside the very artists who inspired me! You can check out all my work on my Instagram Art account.

Finally, creating and building the McFarland Manor music venue has been one of the most surprising and exciting accomplishments of the year.  It is always a risk to open your home to parties and events, but I have found nothing but overwhelming positivity, talent, and generosity via this venture.  Cleveland’s music and arts community is constantly raising the bar for excellence and always defies expectations.  It has been nothing short of an honor to host acts of all genres, including visual artists and dancers, along with so very many guests who not only wholeheartedly support our musicians and artists, but also give generously to local charities at each show.  The energy created every month has added a new dimension of warmth and love to my home, and I am looking so very forward to continuing what has become one of my favorite monthly traditions.

Overall, 2018 has been an incredible year – and it’s not even over yet!  There’s still plenty of time to come catch a live show, as my December calendar is full of performances all across Northern Ohio and Pennsylvania.

As always, there’s a chance I might end up picking up a few more shows over the coming weeks, so be sure to like my various social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) and keep an eye on the Tour Dates page to make sure you don’t miss anything.

Once again, thank you for taking this journey with me. Let’s take a new road together, and follow it home.

Cheers,
Michael

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