Happy 2022 to all my Dreamwalkers out there,

We made it! Got through 2021 alive and on the very last day, December 31, 2021, our Music Is The Ride album arrived. You can check out the unboxing in the video section. 

After 19 months, a marathon sometimes run as a sprint, sometimes as a crawl, we have our album and it sounds great. As this is posted on the first day of 2022, lets be positive and grateful. I am immensely proud of what our band and support people have accomplished. Thank you to my wonderful band: Tony Sheppard, Dave Ross, and Debbie Stern with help from Jeff Hocker and Patrick Russini. Much gratitude to Executive Producer Patrick Russini at Alpha Ear Studio. Appreciation to Kali Dass for photography and Daniel Schulman of Schulman Media for art direction.

We are about to embark on a new chapter for the band. I am excited and happy.

Peace,

Dr Dreamwalker

Greetings to all our Dreamwalkers out there. . .

2021 is gratefully coming to a close and we are still looking forward to receiving the "Music Is The Ride" album from the printer. The band is still in process of reconfiguring. Rehearsal on Monday focused on vocal harmonies in two new cover songs, "Runaway" the old Del Shannon song which was covered by Bonnie Riatt, and will be brilliantly covered by Debbie Stern, and "Let It Rain" the great Eric Clapton song, which will feature Tony Sheppard on lead guitar. Dave Ross started singing Jethro Tull's "Locomotive Breath" and we will attempt to arrange it (although we don't have a flute in the band) it was still fun. Then we tried out some interesting open tunings to play Crosby, Stills, and Nash songs.

I saw an interview with Graham Nash who echoed some thoughts Debbie Stern told me years ago about singing harmony. He said, "When I sing harmony, I have to become the other person and sing the notes like they sing it." It was almost word for word what Debbie had come up with independently, years ago. She is a master of her craft and an amazing voice teacher. 

We had fun working on the covers, but our core intent as a band is to play original songs and both Debbie and I have several new ones to share. Writing and playing personal material is a bit like potato chips in that once you get the taste you want more. We are getting set to do some open mics at local venues while we still search for a drummer.

Peace,

Dr. Dreamwalker

We thought we might have the new album as a Christmas present, but I guess we were bad boys and girls so we have to wait. The proverbial fingers are crossed that they arrive before the New Year. In any event, Christmas is a time for giving and re-birth. We hope you all have a sweet day and spend a little time in gratitude for all the gifts of life we might take for granted. We also are hoping you connect with friends and family in a positive spirit of love rather than the fear that has been permeating our land. The separation that seems to plague us as a nation is an illusion. 

Peace,

Tony, Debbie, Dave and Doc

P.S. Dontcha love those glasses? Relics from World War II, thank you Kali Dass.

The long journey of making "Music Is The Ride" is at the last step. Everything has been double checked, i's dotted and t's crossed. The album was sent to the printer today. I listened to it one last time to make sure there were no glitches (I knew there wouldn't be) and now we wait. 

We started in May 2020, just after the beginning of the pandemic and while I thought we would finish before the pandemic did, I never thought either would still be cooking on December 1, 2021. We moved in time through uncertainty, delta, omicron, George Floyd, a disputed election, two Stanley Cups for our beloved Bolts, a Super Bowl for the Bucs, censorship, mask and vaxx mandates, a pushback, woke, wake, sheep, vaxx, anti-vaxx, a run on toilet paper, death of friends, new relationships flourishing, a country split in half among other things. We saw Florida become a place where radicals like us could flourish (who could have figured that one). There were unforeseen problems, delays, disease, gremlins, disagreements, sweetness, harmony, flow, genius, and finally. . . creation manifesting in real time.

I am truly proud to be part of this wonderful group of musicians and even better people. Thank You Tony Sheppard, Debbie Stern, Dave Ross, Jeff Hocker and Patrick Russini. Appreciation to Kali Dass for photography and Daniel Schulman of Schulman Media for graphic design.

Peace. . . Music Truly IS The Ride.

Dr Dreamwalker

The first song on our new album, Music Is The Ride, is "Everything Is Changing." Well, not everything, but our drummer resigned from the band due to creative differences. The band was a bit in shock at first but we got together for a rehearsal at Debbie Stern's music studio and had a great time. The focus was more on vocal harmonies and a dealing with a different dynamic. Music IS the ride. The joy in playing our music wiped away the personal loss and we sounded terrific. Debbie's vocals are sparking, Tony is an absolute wonder at lead guitar, Dave is solid on bass, and I could actually hear my voice in the mix so I was able to hit my harmonies. We are all looking forward to the next chapter in the band's evolution. 

Peace,

Dr Dreamwalker

Apologies for everyone waiting for the album to be completed. We ran into a few glitches but wanted to get things right. We are a dot or two away from it and I promise will have it very soon. I love the cover. I took the photo in London, England in 2017. The design was a collaboration with Kali Dass. Daniel Schulman of Schulman Media put it together. 

Hey Dreamwalkers out there,

Finally, all the lyrics are up on the website and impressions by myself and Debbie regarding the songs are in the Lyrics and Thoughts section of Music Is The Ride. 

We are working on the cover art and should be done very shortly. Which means. . . Album soon.

Peace,

Dr Dreamwalker

Hey Dreamwalkers. . . and aren't we all walking through some kind of wild dream?

All tracks from the new album, Music Is The Ride, are up on our website. You can listen to previews or download the entire album for free with your e-mail address.

We are working on album cover art (calling it an album is really old school, but I guess I am) and getting it printed, but you can get it today if you wish. I am so incredibly proud of our band and this song cycle. 

Special thanks to Patrick Russini, without whose brilliance (and patience) this would never have manifested. Much appreciation to Jeff Hocker, founder, who played Bass Guitar on "Two Insomnias," and again to Patrick Russini who played drums on "Road Song," and "Music Is The Ride."

Thank You Dreamwalkers Band for hanging in there for this long awaited accomplishment. Now lets play it live.

Tony Sheppard: Lead Guitar

Dave Ross: Bass Guitar and Vocals

Daniel Polyak: Drums and Percussion

Debbie Stern: Vocals and Keyboards

Dr Dreamwalker: Vocals and Guitars

Hey Dreamwalkers out there,

I'm on vacation right now (first one since before the pandemic) and where else but Nashville, Tennessee. Tonight I'm going to see blues guitarist, Christone (Kingfisher) Ingram at the Ryman Theatre. Tuesday will be Eric Clapton at the hockey arena, and then Saturday, back to the Ryman for Tommy Emmanuel. What an incredible lineup of guitar masters.

So to commemorate this, I've posted nine finished tracks to out Dreamwalkers album, Music Is The Ride, over in the music section. Listen with headphones or really great speakers, because the soundscape created by Patrick Russini is something to behold. 

Peace,

Dr Dreamwalker

It was 10.03 PM on Wednesday, August 18, 2021 when the final touches were put on the Dreamwalkers Album, "Music Is The Ride." Thanks to the herculean efforts of Patrick Russini at Alpha Ear Studios, we have completed the more than one year journey from our first scratch tracks to this final moment. 

Kudos to band members, Tony Sheppard, Deborah Stern, Daniel Polyak, Dave Ross, special guest Jeff Hocker, and Executive Producer and Sound Engineer, Patrick Russini.

The album is a gem. Can't wait to share it with everyone. 

Peace,

Dr Dreamwalker