"AND YOU CAN'T FAULT A BIBLE BELIEVING CHRISTIAN WHO LOVES AEROSMITH."

Finally!  It's about time someone recognized this!  Am I the only person who has watched the you-tube video of Steven Tyler singing Amazing Grace???  (One dear friend saw it and said "George Beverly Shea is spinning in his grave" and those of you old enough to have watched the Billy Graham Crusades will appreciate that.)

I received the Judge's Notes on the screenplay that I entered in the Austin Film Festival.  They were all very positive but I cherish the line printed above.  They were commenting that they LOVED the characters:  "wonderful, sad, beautiful, strong people".

Since that character in the story is based on myself, I take it as a lovely compliment.  And it conveys very well what I actually believe - that my faith does not narrow my life and my interests.  In fact, it causes me to see the divine where others may not:  Steven Tyler's vocal range; David Fishof's Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp; my son's sense of humor; the high school physics teacher's enthusiasm; other moms who feed my son; the neighborhood I get to live in; our puppy flopping on his back so everyone can love his belly.  They are all gifts in my life and I am always happy to give God credit for anything good that happens.  (I'm trying to make up for when He gets blamed for all the bad stuff.)

So - in that vein - don't you just love Bo & Jim on 92.5???  As you know - they invited me on to chat about Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp and play the harmonica.  And I was "live" last Thursday morning!  What a hoot!!  (that's harmonica humor there - Harmonica Organization Of Texas - HOOT)  I had a blast and played 2 or 3 good notes as well.  My son said I should practice more since now everyone will be calling!  (So I gave him a twenty.)

But the treat for me was those guy's personalities.  I had never thought about it, but it makes sense.  If you are going to come across as a big personality over the radio, you have got to be a really big personality in person.  Randy James opened the door to their recording room and a huge wave of Bo & Jim just poured out and swept me in.  I felt so welcome and immediately at ease and laughed the whole time.  Now - that's a gift.  And it is being used for good.

I'll be absent next week as I will be at the Austin Film Festival glad-handing industry big-wigs and learning a lot more about writing. 

But for now, I have one less thing to pen myself as the festival judges just gave me what I want inscribed on my tombstone:

"And you can't fault a Bible believing Christian who loves Aerosmith." 

Years ago a friend told me about her sister's unexpected hysterectomy.  The sister awoke from an exploratory surgery to be told that they had done a complete hysterectomy.  The woman burst into tears and said, "Now I will never have Eric Clapton's baby."

I love that story - a pretty unlikely scenario had been secretly giving that woman joy for a long time. 

Which means - we can get our joy wherever we want -- it is completely up to us. 

A friend of mine wakes up every morning and chooses to thank God that she is one day closer to being with her son again.  She doesn't complain that he was taken to heaven too soon.  And she knows joy.

Years ago, another friend became ill during her pregnancy and was almost entirely paralyzed by the time of the birth.  Her joyful letter read, "I was so glad I could breathe on my own when she was born."

Some people live lives of quiet desperation.  Some people live lives of joy.

I'm getting ready for the Austin Film Festival and have signed up for the "pitch" contest.  I want to win so I can "pitch" my screenplay to an audience of producers and directors.  The inside scoop is that I need to say something that no one else says so that I am memorable. 

So I want to mention Steven Tyler.  You are now overly aware that the screenplay has a tribute to him and that I have gone to extremes to give him a copy of it.  Since I remember every nanosecond of our meeting, I feel certain that he does also.  I'm sure he is carrying around the same headline I am: "Rocking out with Steven Tyler and the Chick That Plays Harmonica".

I included my phone number with the screenplay and I have been waiting for Steven's call for 5 months.  No - I'm not sitting and waiting for the call the way I used to wait for a date's "I'll give you a call".  It is just a little source of joy for me to believe that at some point, Steven is going to call and say he likes my story.  It doesn't hurt a soul for me to believe that and it always makes me happy. 

Every couple of weeks I facebook (is that a verb now?) with someone from Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp that really is friends with Steven Tyler.  Among other topics, I occasionally ask if he knows if Steven has looked at the screenplay. 

Today's facebook (now it's a noun) said he was on a plane with him and that we should talk about the screenplay and asked how to get in touch with me.

I whooped and hollered and ran down and told my 17-yr-old son that when I yell at him, he needs to come up and listen to the conversation when Steven Tyler calls me.  I can read my son's smiles now.  This one said either, "that's funny, mom" or "so senile so soon".  I told him what I just told you and he assured me that no one had told me that Steven Tyler was going to call me on the phone.

But you know what?  I can spend the next 10 days telling myself Steven Tyler is not going to call me or I can spend them joyfully awaiting his call.   And timing is critical in this way of living.  Another 'dating' example: after the first date but before the second, is the time I called my sister to say "I'm dating a stock broker." (Back when that was something to brag about.) 

I am choosing to follow the example of the people I know who are the happiest . . . in cheerful expectation . . .

And we will just see how long my blog has this title!

You go get your picture in the paper playing a harmonica, and before long, some wise guy asks you to play the darn thing!  In public!!!

As I have written, my harmonica lark was my ticket into Rock and Roll Camp - all in an effort to get my screenplay into the hands of Steven Tyler.  I thought I would be noticeable as a 50ish mom playing a harmonica.  And it worked.  And it is still working. And that's great - except that people want to hear me play now.

About my harmonica skills - my favorite comment from Rock Camp sums it up:  A guy asked me how long I had been playing.  I said three weeks!  He leaned in, smiled, and said, "Sounds like four to me."

Playing at Rock Camp was doable though, because everyone there says you are good and the bass player drowns you out when you are off key.  Great system!  And Rock Camp is all about the effort - having the courage to get out there and do something that brings you joy - no matter how you sound. 

Marcus, the Editor of Garland Neighborsgo, gave me my first scare when he asked me to bring my harmonica to a "Meet and Greet".  Instead, I brought photos of me and Steven Tyler.  Perfect distraction -  whew!

Then Randy Davis at 92.5 calls and invites me to be on the Bo and Jim Show.  "Sure!  What fun!  I've got great stories from Rock Camp!"  "No - we want you to play."  "Play what?"  "Your harmonica."  Oops.  Photos of Steven and me won't have quite the same effect on the radio.

Now I am scrambling.  They sent me something easy to practice.  I got an emergency lesson from my harmonica teacher (who still prefers to remain nameless).  And I'm practicing!  And while my playing doesn't sound good to me - it feels wonderful. 

So I am going to play my harmonica on the radio . . . on the big classic rock station . . . on the hit Bo & Jim Show . . . during morning drive time.  I guess I should be more nervous or afraid - but I'm not.  I just don't scare easily anymore.  I'm a mom of a 17 year old son and have done too many frightening things with him - high ropes courses, off road dune buggies, motorcycles, scuba diving, parent/teacher conferences.  Good sense and self preservation were scared out of me a long time ago.

So turn your radios on early next Thursday morning, October 1st and listen in.  I'll be playing a familiar Muddy Waters riff.  You won't hear any great harmonica playing.  But you will hear a little bit of courage and a whole lot of joy!

First of all - here is the link to my now famous headline on MSN.music: 

 http://music.msn.com/fantasy-camp/story/feature/

If you read my article in the Dallas Morning News Garland neighborsgo . . . you are probably flocking to my blog to follow my skyrocketing musical career, but....

We interrupt this program to bring you the following message:

I wrote a screenplay last fall.  My first.  With no instruction and no training.

I had the privilege of having witnessed an amazing series of events in a lifelong friends' (Shirley) life and asked her if I could write a book about it.  But as we discussed it, the story line became so visual and so funny that she suggested it should be a screenplay.  It would be about events that had happened in both of our lives as we had raised our sons.  (And, of course, Diane Keaton would want to play her and Meryl Streep myself.)  And I could throw some Aerosmith music in there. Sold!

Less than one year later, through unseen forces that I am happy to give God credit for -

MY SCREENPLAY MADE IT INTO THE TOP 10% OF THE AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL SCREENPLAY COMPETITION !!!! 

(out of 4000 entries)

I knew I had a GREAT story - I did not know I had written a good screenplay.  Until this Tuesday night when I opened my mail.  I screamed and shouted and ran upstairs to show it to my 17 year old son, Will.  Nothing beats the sly smile fleeting across his face, "Cool mom".  "I'm in the top 10% out of 4000 - that's the top 40!" I bragged.  "No mom, that would be the top 400."  (Now the private school education kicks in!  If he had poor math skills, I could have thought I was in the top 4!) 

The next night came the invitation to the Festival to attend the writers workshops and meet producers and directors and the opportunity to "pitch" my screenplay.

Today I awoke to a text from Sadie telling me I was on the cover of NeighborsGo.  Throw in all the teachers at Back to School Night complimenting my son - and it has been a very good week for the Newtons.

So while I am keeping you posted on my harmonica practices - I'll also be sharing with you my process of getting ready for the Film Festival.

Keep coming back - I think it's gonna be a good ride . . .

Rocking out with Steven Tyler and “the chick who plays the harmonica”.  That is the headline of a recent article on MSN.music. 

That would be me!  I’m the “chick” that headline is mentioning.  Or – as us musicians say – “the chick that plays harp”.  That is the name bestowed on me by my summer camp counselor, Slim Jim Phantom of The Stray Cats.  I didn’t even know musicians called the harmonica a harp a few months ago.  And now I am in a headline with Steven Tyler.  The Steven Tyler – legendary lead singer of Aerosmith, the greatest rock band on earth! 

I'm a late bloomer.  I was 48 when I realized I wanted to be a rock star.  Specifically, I want to BE Steven Tyler.  Unable to sing or even clap to a beat, I simply enjoyed my dream.   And became an “uber” fan.  I joined the fan club (they aren’t a bunch of nuts), bought great seats at concerts and bought my son Guitar Hero Aerosmith and played it with him.  It was a fun little spark in my very normal life. 

The Hollywood Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp announced in March that Tyler would be the headliner at their May camp.  My first question was to ask to be in his cabin.  "Uh...No."  My second was to ask if I had to have any talent.  “No” was a welcome answer that time. 

So here was my chance to not only act like him but actually meet him.  I tossed and turned over whether to try to learn the keyboard or guitar in less than a month.  I wanted to know something when I got there.

Then - divine inspiration - the harmonica!  It had to be easier than learning guitar, I didn't even need to be able to play a complete song, I would get to be center stage - maybe solo - and Steven would surely notice me . . .

How many other 52 year old women would show up and play the harmonica?