Hi all!  

Well, summer has finally arrived!  I vowed not to complain when it got hot because it took sooooo long to get here this year.  I am proud to say, so far, I have kept my promise!

The NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) Conference in Nashville was fantastic!  I think it was quite successful in raising awareness of the KEYS Program.  Colleen and Dave Bennett, KEYS founders, did a great job working the crowd while Katie Quick (www.KatieQuick.com) and I performed. The highlight for me was, of course, performing in the Foundation Lounge at the conference! I had my 15 minutes of fame in Nashville, actually 30 minutes! My latest release, For You and For Me (available on iTunes and CD baby) might have generated an opportunity to play at a military base in Ohio.  For that I am grateful.  Also, Katie and I were able to get our CD's into the hands of a relatively new, small publishing company.  I don't know exactly what this means, if anything, but when I do, I will be sure to let you know!  

This week I met with the graphic designer/publishing liaison for my children's book Good Days Are For Walking, and we have set the wheels in motion. I will have more details soon on pricing, as well as, opportunities to donate copies to the KEYS Program!  Stay tuned!

I am in the preproduction phase of CD #2!  I will be recording at SubCat Studios (www.subcat.net) in Syracuse.  I attended a mixing session of my friend Greg Hoover (www.GregHooverMusic.com) for his Players and Friends CD and was impressed by the facility and the people. (And of course by Greg's new CD!)

I hope to begin recording in August! Wish me luck!  

I have a few concerts upcoming, see below.  I seem to be hitting all age ranges this month, from preschool to nursing home, and lovin' every one! Each age group brings a smile to my face!  Sometimes for different reasons, sometimes not.

Please drop me a note or stop by a performance soon and say hello!  Don't forget to stop by my website for between newsletter updates! www.sunnyrockshoresmusic.com

Much love and blessings!

Donna 

Sunday, August 7th, 2011

Coffee House - 2-4 pm

Lowell United Methodist Church

Lowell Rd at RT 26

Lowell, NY 13037

USA

Price: Free Will Donation

Looking forward to an afternoon coffee house in Lowell NY, near my old stomping grounds!  I went to high school at Westmoreland Central School! Go Bulldogs!  Thank you Wendy for the invitation!  My friends Carolyn Henn and John Barattini will open. 

Friday, August 26th, 2011

Snowbirds Concert - 2 pm - 3 pm

Presbyterian Home

New Hartford, NY

Price: Free

I will be singing and playing with Dick Ulrich and Ed Gouger, The Snowbirds.  We try to entertain the residents about once a month.  Sometimes they entertain us!  Always a great time! And there are snacks too!

Saturday, August 27th, 2011

Old Forestport Days - for the kids - 1 pm - 2 pm

Old Forestport Days

Forestport Firehouse

Forestport, NY 13338

USA

Price: Free

A little music, a little dancing, a lotta fun!  Something for the little ones at the big event!  

Sunday, August 27th, 2011

Mohawk Valley Jammers - 6 pm - 7 pm

Old Forestport Days

Forestport Firehouse

Forestport, NY 13338

USA

Price: Free

The Mohawk Valley Jammers is a group of musicians from the Mohawk Valley Bluegrass Association. Sometimes the members change depending on availability, so I won't list them here.  Come and be surprised!  Always a good time!

Sunday, August 28th, 2011

90th Anniversary Service and Celebration - 10:30 am

Otter Lake Community Church

Rt 28

Otter Lake, NY

USA

Price: free

I am honored to have been asked to write a song for and sing at this special event! This will be a church service followed by a picnic celebration.  Several of the visiting pastors over the years will be in attendance.

Friday, September 9th, 2011

Coffee House - 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Forest Presbyterian Church

4019 Center Street

Lyons Falls, NY 13368

USA

Price: Free Will Offering

I am excited to be performing at the church of several of my friends from the Adirondack Community Chorus!  This is one of the small but mighty churches in the north country!

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

Utica Cayuga Syracuse Presbyterian Women's Retreat - This is an over-night event

Vanderkamp

Martin Rd.

Cleveland, NY

USA

315-675-3651

Price: $60

The program leader will be Rick Ufford-Chase.  He is the co-founder of the Luke 6 Project and the Community of Living Traditionss at Stony Point Center.  He will be speaking about "Pursuing Peace in this Time of Fear".  He is a very dynamic and energetic speaker who warms the hearts of all that hear him. Come and enjoy his message for us of love, hope, and peace and be Spriritually Renewed!  

I will be doing something music related, of course, still in the planning stages! 

Reservations can be made with Vivian Brucker, for more information contact her at vivbrucker@yahoo.com.

Or at least that is what the calendar tells us!  I hope you take every opportunity to enjoy the sun when it shines!  And when it doesn't I hope your smile helps light the day for others!  

A few updates...

I had the pleasure of performing at a KEYS Benefit Concert in June at the Whitesboro Presbyterian Church.  What a beautiful church, the building and the people.  Thank you for your support!

I also participated in a songwriters circle at the Tramontane Cafe in Utica in June.  It was a lot of fun.  I was given an assignment to write a song about Trash Cans!  It was pretty corny, but it got a few chuckles!  Thank you to John Keller for the invitation.  

Nashville is on my radar again for July.  I am going to the NAMM Conference once again to represent the KEYS Program.  This is the conference we went to last year and we were able to "drum up" support in the form of guitar picks, strumsticks, and partnerships!  Katie Quick and I have been invited to perform at the Foundation Lounge.  I am very excited about this opportunity!

I am getting closer to publishing my children's book about my dog Tasha's journey with cancer and chemotherapy.  I finally have a title too!  Good Days are for Walking!  It has been emotional at times, I still miss her a lot, but it has been therapeutic also.

Last, but most certainly not least, thank you all for your support of For You and For Me.  If you haven't shared it please do, especially this Fourth of July. They did it for you and they did it for me, in the land of the brave, home of the free!

Check out my upcoming dates below and check the website for updates!

Never forget, the Son always shines!

Much love and blessings to you and yours!

Donna

Thursday, June 30th, 2011
Curteis Harlander Memorial Concert - Sherry Lints - 7-9 pm
Village of Camden Park

Rt 69

Camden, NY 13316

USA

I will be performing a few songs at the Sherry Lints Concert!  I am excited to work the same stage with Sherry again!  She is a faith filled woman with an amazing testimony and the voice to tell it and sing it!

Sunday, August 7th, 2011
Coffee House - 2-4 pm
Lowell United Methodist Church

Lowell Rd at RT 26

Lowell, NY 13037

USA

Price: Free Will Donation

Looking forward to an afternoon coffee house in Lowell NY, near my old stomping grounds!  I went to high school at Westmoreland Central School!  Go Bulldogs!  Thank you Wendy for the invitation!

Saturday, August 27th, 2011
Old Forestport Days - for the kids - 1 pm - 2 pm
Old Forestport Days

Forestport Firehouse

Forestport, NY 13338

USA

Price: Free

A little music, a little dancing, a lotta fun!  Something for the little ones at the big event!  

It has been an exciting month! 

Thanks to some good friends and the JA Castle Recording Studio, my single, For You and For Me is ready!!!!  In honor of Memorial Day Weekend, May 27-May 30, For You and For Me will be available for FREE download at CD Baby. Thank you Mike and Chris Hoke for your help on this project! 

Use the following link to go to CD Baby and get your FREE download this weekend only!       http://cdbaby.com/cd/donnamucks2  

You will have to make an account, but you will NOT have to give any credit card information. Later this weekend there will be a link on my website.  It will be available on other sites in the coming days and weeks also.

If you would like to read the story behind the song you can go to my website blog atwww.sunnyrockshoresmusic.com.

After May 30 all profits from the sale of For You and For Me will go to the Heroes Song project of the KEYS Program. KEYS is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that brings comfort, hope and healing to the hearts of kids with cancer, serious illness, disabiltiy and to the families of those who serve (Heroes Song), through the POWER of music. 

Also, For You and For Me was selected for a compilation CD/DVD project called Tea Are the World, which is also being released this weekend! The proceeds of this project will benefit America's Mighty Warriors. www.americasmightywarriors.org. 

I was back at Little Bo's pre-school this week.  I love those kids!  They make me smile! We put God Bless The USA on the CD player and sat in a friendship circle, held hands and listened or sang along.  It was a precious moment! My little patriots!

The Hearts of Hope Concert was a great success!  Thank you Katie Quick, the VVS Community and KEYS!  Looking forward to the next one!

I might be headed back to Nashville in July...stay tuned for more information!

Thank you all for your continued love and support!

Please consider going to a Memorial Day Service or Parade this weekend to pay your respects to those who have sacrificed to keep us free.  And whenever you have a chance, say Thank You to a Veteran and their families!

Much love and blessings to you and yours!

Donna

Upcoming concerts and events - for more information please check my website:www.sunnyrockshoresmusic.com

May 30, 9 am, Memorial Day Service, On the Green, Woodhull Rd, Forestport, NY

May 30, approximately 11:30, Memorial Day Service, Boonville Cemetery, Boonville NY  

Friday, June 3, 7- 9 pm. New Day Church Coffeehouse, 8060 Turin Road, Rome, New York - (For You and For Me - only)

Sunday, June 5, 1 pm. Taking Steps Toward a Cure, Erie Canal Park, Camillus, NY, Sponsored by Optimist Club of Camillus NY.  

Wednesday, June 8, 8:30-10:30 pm, Tramontane Cafe, 1105 Lincoln Ave, Utica, NY 

Friday, June 17, 6:30- 9 pm, Coffee House, Whitesboro Presbyterian Church, 1 Elm St, Whitesboro NY.

In 2008 and 2009 I was compelled to attend the wakes of 3 local heroes.  I did not know any of them, nor did I know anyone who did, or so I thought.  I just knew I needed to go. At each event, I was of course, saddened. I was also uplifted though, by the support of the communities, and amazed by the strength of the family members in the receiving lines.  I also participated as a volunteer with the Red Cross at the arrival ceremony of one of these heroes.  During this time I came to know of the Patriot Guard Riders (PGR). When I attended the wake, there was the PGR again, with their “heads and flags held high”, silently standing and guarding the fallen hero and all those gathered.

I stood in line at the funeral home and asked myself, “Why do I go pay my respects to someone I don’t even know?”  I went to my car and took out a pen and paper tried to put my feelings into words.  I sat there for a while, watching people come and go, watching the flags that lined the roadside and the doorway, waving in the breeze.  I went home and sat with the words for a while, and thought not only about fallen heroes, but also of those who serve and who have served.  I managed to put the thoughts and feelings together as a poem. Friends, who know me as a singer and songwriter, asked “when are you writing the music to go with that song?”.  I had never intended it to be a song, but I sat down one afternoon, and it was there.  Another gift from God.

As I prepared to go into the studio, I knew I wanted a fiddle and a drum on the song, but I was not sure how.  I decided to ask a husband and wife team, Mike and Chris, if they would like to join me on this project. Mike is a fiddler and Chris a drummer.  I had run into Chris at the wake of one of the fallen heroes and learned that their families had been friends for many years. Chris, Mike and I had not seen each other except in passing for about 20 years, but when you know good folks, they are friends for life. I am so glad we are back in touch.  At our first rehearsal I learned that that Mike and Chris have a son who is a Marine.  This project was close to their hearts for multiple reasons.

In a brainstorming session with my husband John, he suggested I listen to the song The Minstrel Boy. I brought this idea to Mike and Chris and after several rehearsals and arrangements, we settled in on a beautiful blending of the The Minstrel Boy and For You and For Me.  The Minstrel Boy is also a patriotic song. It was written by Thomas Moore to honor his friends who were killed in the Irish Rebellion of 1798. It was popular in the American Civil War and WW I. The tune of The Minstrel Boy is The Moreen, an old Irish air.

That is “the story behind the song” For You and For Me.  Thanks for listening or reading! Never forget, they do it, For You and For Me!

Just a quick note to keep you up to date on the release of For You and For Me.  We finished recording on Wednesday.  A HUGE Thank You, to Mike and Chris Hoke.  Mike added his fiddle talents and Chris her bodhran (Irish frame drum) talents. These additions have made this a very special project.  Final mixing will take place on March 24th. Then it will be available as a FREE digital download on CD baby over Memorial Day Weekend, May 27-May 30.  After that it will be $0.99.  

Don't forget, this week I have the pleasure of sharing the stage not once, but twice with Nashville Singer/Songwriter Katie Quick.  

Thursday, May 19 at Scooters in Forestport, at 8 pm.  

Friday May 20 at Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School at 7 pm.

You can always check my website for updated information on the digital release and concert schedule.

Much love and blessings to you and yours!

Donna

Well it was a soggy April, and now it is a soggy May, good thing we have our music to brighten these dreary days.  I was practicing for an upcoming gig at a friends house today and Mary Jane said, "This made a dreary day so much better!"  Amen to that Mary Jane!

There are a few events coming up, I hope to see you at one, or many of them!

May 5 - I step into the studio (JA Castle Recording Studio, Inc) to begin my second CD!  I am so excited. I will start with For You and For Me, my tribute to our fallen military, those currently serving and our veterans.   My goal, a little ambitions but doable, is to have it done by Armed Forces Day, May 21, and it will be released as a single. I have asked some special friends to help me with this project. I will provide more details upon completion.  

May 7 - 2-4 pm. Rally on the Green in Holland Patent, sponsored by the Mohawk Valley Patriots.  There will be speeches, music, raffles and a food drive.  The food drive will benefit the Foothills Rural Community Ministry Foodbank, an outreach of the Holland Patent Presbyterian Church.  I will be singing a couple of songs at this event.  For more information contact Billie Stan athttp://mohawkvalleypatriots.org.

May 11 - Studio day to wrap up For You and For Me!

May 14 - Mohawk Valley Bluegrass Association (MVBGA) Spring Talent Show. Stitville Fire Department, Stittville, NY. 7 pm - This is always a fun event.  It is NOT a competition, it is just a fun night of volunteer performers.  Admission is $5 for all to support the MVBGA.  I will be doing a couple of songs solo, and I will be performing with The Snowbirds! There is plenty of room for more performers  so "get your act together" and share your talents. There is always a variety of music, bluegrass, gospel, folk, rock, and usually a bit of comedy too.  You can sign up at the door or by emailing President Dick Satterly at rsatterly@twcny.rr.com. 

May 19 - Nashville Comes to Scooters in Forestport!  I will be opening for my good friend Katie Quick, up and coming Nashville recording artist.  Show starts at 8 pm, but get there early, there is no cover charge and it is sure to be a full house!  You can check Katie out at www.katiequick.com.

May 20 - Nashville recording artist, Katie Quick, will be performing a benefit concert for the Hearts of Hope project at the Vernon-Verona-Sherrill High School in Verona, NY on Friday, May 20th at 7pm!  She will be joined by student performers and KEYS Musicians who have contributed to the Hearts of Hope Vol. 1 album. 

I have been very fortunate to have been involved with this project and these organizations for a couple of years now. They are doing great things in so many ways.  I am honored to be able to share the stage this night with the students and with Katie.

We will be collecting new (or gently loved) stuffed animals to donate with the Hearts of Hope care packages, so be sure to bring a cuddly stuffed animal with you to the concert.

Tickets are $8 and are on sale now! We expect this to be a sold-out show so be sure to get your tickets soon!

Tickets can be ordered by calling 315-380-9143

Please feel free to email us at keysprogram@msn.com for further information. Or check out http://www.heartsofhopeproject.org.

May 21 - Armed Forces Day.  Created in 1949 to honor Americans serving in the five U.S. military branches – the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard – following the consolidation of the military services in the Department of Defense. It was intended to replace the separate Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard Days, but the separate days are still observed, especially within the respective services.

May 22- My nephew, Gregory, will be graduating from RIT and will be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Air Force.  We are so proud!

May 30 - Memorial Day.  Take time to attend a service in your community to honor those who make our country the "Land of the Brave and the Home of the Free"!  (from For You and For Me) 

As always...much love and blessings to you and yours!

Donna

Off to do some more planning for my upcoming CD "There's a Song in That!"  I still need to write the title song...it is in the works, but not complete yet...

www.myspace.com/katiequickmusic

This Chicago born singer songwriter, now a resident of Nashville TN, has award winning original songs that are genre-less.  Her music has been featured on stations that play rock, pop, folk, blues, and country.  Her brilliantly pure powerhouse vocals and undeniable stage presence have given this gifted performer the ability to win over any audience, whether in an intimate acoustic setting or rocking out with a full band.  Maverick Magazine in the UK said it best when they said “Katie Quick is set for success beyond her wildest dreams”.  

Opening Act - Donna Mucks

www.sunnyrockshoresmusic.com 

Donna has been described as a folkie vocalist by her friends. She performs both covers and originals.  Her original songs tell of relationships with family, friends, flora and fauna.  She often writes while walking in the woods, the sound of the wind, water and creatures inspire melodies as well as lyrics.  Some of her songs are story songs based on personal experiences, tales read in books or stories shared by friends and relatives that have captured her heart.  She has been described as genuine, and this comes through in her songs and her singing, both straight from the heart.

Blessings to All!

Donna