All Things 2025

How can I sum up 2025 in a few words? How about, challenging, frustrating and confusing? The year screamed, "I'm throwing you for a loop!" Rudely, it didn't call a sit-down meeting with me about it ahead of time or give me a heads up.

When January rolled in, I knew things were different. I blame it on the election, the economic uncertainty and the political climate. As the year went on, I recognized other things, like a shift in shopping trends for live entertainment, much shorter booking times and more specific and customized requests when it came to live music. These changes required much more than a pivot, but the need for a "custom menu" in a way I have never experienced before. A lot of requests that made me scratch my head and go, "huh?" Not only this, but there were a lot of shifts internally with business operations. Changes I was excited about and changes I saw looming. Ultimately there were some HUGE shifts, and I had to figure them out whether I wanted to or not.

Wedding in Chautauqua, NY

There were some definite highs -- we played some great weddings and events that left me on Cloud 9. For a moment, I was left remembering why I loved to do what I do but then there were some definite lows. Here's the thing about me, I can't blow smoke, I'm a terrible liar and I hate "rolling shit in sugar." I KNOW I'm not the only one reeling from what I consider a mediocre year at best, but many of my predecessors wouldn't dare speak of it, and that's ok, because I will.

Around June, I decided I was going to commit to planning a big holiday show. I started planting the seeds, getting the band on board with the idea, finding the perfect venue, lining up the guest talent, the repertoire, solidifying the production team, the sponsors and everything else that goes into planning a large-scale concert event. Of course, when I say large scale, that is EXACTLY what I mean. I don't do anything small and I have never really been able to scale down my ideas without disappointing myself. I always shoot for the moon and do my darndest to get there no matter what. This includes nearly driving myself looney. We settled on the name, "Valencia Wonderland: A Holiday Music Experience" and billed it as a holiday variety show spanning all decades, genres and styles to be set in the timeless, historical venue of the Valencia Ballroom in Downtown York, PA.

Honestly, the impact of a lackluster year began to show in the fourth quarter, especially with the pressure of organizing this major event. I became stressed, had trouble sleeping, and felt very anxious. Naturally, since it was the "beta testing year," I didn't secure any sponsors as it was an unproven concept. Additionally, I only began planning the show six months in advance. Ideally, I should have started at the year's beginning. Unfortunately, that's not how things unfolded or when my mind decided, "let's do this!"

I could dwell on the stress, anxiety, and stomach ulcer leading up to the show on December 19th, but honestly, I’d rather not revisit it. During the ulcer-inducing fourth quarter, just weeks before the holiday show, my dog's health began to decline. Four days before the event, we had to make the tough decision to put her down. It was truly an emotional rollercoaster...

Valencia Wonderland Band & Guests

The show was a tremendous success in its first year, and I am proud of the team and our achievements. Extremely proud. I can't think of any other group of musicians and crew who could have accomplished what we did. As I write this, I sit on my mother-in-law's lanai in Clermont, Florida on day 6 of our family vacation. We managed to escape Central PA just before a massive snowstorm hit the area. I am using this week to reset my brain and my body. 2025 left me feeling mentally, emotionally, and physically drained. I need to learn to slow down and prioritize myself and my family. It's been a long time since I've done that. I'm constantly in a frantic rush all the time, which isn't a healthy way to live. Ultimately, it doesn't bring me joy, and I need to change my approach. While I love the music biz, which has been a part of my life for a very long time, 2026 will be a bit different for me, and I'm very ok with that. I'm not broadcasting it to everyone but hoping it will be a natural progression of quiet change for the better.