California Dreaming Tour - Setting the Scene (part 1)

So much has happened these past two weeks that I am going to break the Tour down into a few blogs, this being the first.

Where to begin? Let's start with the conception of the music festival. A friend of mine named Dan Albert sent me a message maybe half a year ago where he told me about a dream he had the night before in which I was playing music on the field at my folks apple orchard for a multitude of people. This planted a seed, partnered with listening to a podcast by Alyn & AJ Jones talking about this being a year of going after dreams, watching a video by Jeremy Cowart (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC-rpAkfE2I), and hearing a message by a fire-filled believer named Shav who spoke about dreaming bigger and not putting limitations on our dreams. And that God's desire is for us all to be dreamers, that He wants to take our good dreams and turn them into God dreams.

So dreaming got in my bloodstream.

I spent the first month of summer in Guatemala and while I was there two things happened, 1 - I had time to breathe and think about life and the future and 2 - I started writing a blog, finding my voice, and overcoming the fear I had of people hearing my thoughts written down. One night I was in the zone writing and I sent out an email to three of my close friends who are musicians in the Nashville Yacht Club with me (a songwriters collective) inviting them to partake in the California Yacht Club Tour and finishing at my parent's apple orchard for the festival. They all were in, then several weeks later I revealed my dream to the world of starting a music festival in my hometown, Sebastopol (http://www.joeymaloneymusic.com/blog/2016/6/20/dreaming-big). That was June 20th, exactly 2 months before the August 20th date.

Once I returned from Guatemala I called my former college rugby coach, Jeremy Castro, who runs a branding and t-shirt company and told him about my dream of starting this music and apple juice festival. He wasn't only down to help but he was also excited about it. We made a game plan. My rugby buddy Tucker who works for him got on board with the branding. He made a sweet logo. Then a killer website. He got a few sponsors. I got a few sponsors. And we were in business! This was actually becoming a reality.

Other people got on board. My Dad built an incredible stage. My mom prepared the place. My brother Parker decided to be a part of it and sell his cider at the event. Buzz, Jenny, Patio, Quinn, Sarah, Margaret and so many other people wanted to help out and it became so much more because of everyone involved. I watched it take on a life of its own. I will leave you with this. Fast forward to just before we were to leave for California. I started writing a blog about all the emotions I was feeling but unfortunately didn't have time to finish it. It was titled [Scared] and is as follows:

[Scared]

You know that feeling you have before you jump. That moment when you just don't really know what is going to happen and it goes against everything inside of you to take that leap of faith but you know you need to because you are desperate for more, you are desperate to really live life to the fullest and if we only get one shot at this thing you aren't gonna go down any other way but swinging with everything you've got.

That's the feeling I have right now. I'm about to embark on one of the boldest moves I've ever gone for. A California tour finishing at the apple orchard with a music fest.

I don't know what tomorrow will hold, who will show up, how everything's gonna go down. But I do know that I am going to soak up every ounce of this adventure. I'm not gonna let the gunk and stress get me out of purely enjoying the present. Maybe Mat Kearney will show, maybe we'll go surfing with Jon Foreman, maybe Bob Goff will host a house show, maybe none of this will happen. But I have a good feeling about it, and there is something contagious about being fearless and dreaming big, there is something freeing about it and free people free people. The same goes the opposite, hurt people hurt people. But I am a free bird and I'm ready for my homecoming to Cali.

So here it goes. Call me crazy. Call me maybe. Heck, you can even call me baby. Frankly, you can call me anything but you can't call me a realist.

May your love be strong,

Joey

Hobbits, Axe-Throwing & Mariachi Bands

This is a story about spontaneity and saying yes to adventure. It took place about a month ago, a few days into my Guatemala trip.

I woke up early to go running through the narrow cobblestone streets of Antigua. I felt good, it was a bright day and I was excited about exploring the city. I decided to run up to the lookout so I could get a glimpse of the entirety of what some people call the most beautiful city in Central America. I ran to the top, stood beside the towering cross that overlooks the city, laughed in conversation with a Chilean who had a sweet ponytail, then made my way back down. As I got down to the main road I decided to walk for a minute. A familiar looking guy with a rugged beard came up to me and asked if I was going to the battle of the bands. I looked at him with a confused look then asked him where it was happening. He told me it was going to be at the top of a mountain and it was for Mariachi bands. I hesitantly said yes, he told me to hop in the back of his pick-up truck next to a guy named Fernando, who was fully equipped in Mariachi garb with one hand on his guitar case, and we were off.

The most unpredictable adventures I have experienced always began with this moment of wanting to stay comfortable, wanting to stick with the usual routine but then saying "Yes" to mystery instead, yes to the unknown. I also think spontaneity is the birthplace of adventure. When we learn to let go of control or even our set schedule, just for a moment, we find ourselves on these incredible rides that take us where we've never been and completely illuminate life.

As we drove up the mountain we passed a bare-looking building with the windows missing and bullet holes and I was told that it used to be the main drug-dealing place in Antigua. We finally arrived at the top of the mountain and as I got out of the truck I could not believe what I was seeing. It looked like a little Hobbitan village. And it was!

As we hopped out of the pick up my new friend, Luke, who invited me along said "Welcome to Hobbitanango!". I was literally in heaven. A small Hobbitan village on top of a beautiful mountain in Guatemala and Mariachi music?! Game over. Take me now Lord.

Luke showed me around and we started talking. I learned that he was like an onion, with so many different layers of intrigue. He was a world traveler, played multiple instruments, had spearheaded this Mariachi band festival and had written 5 books. Luke had written 5 books! And he was maybe 30. And the timing of it was so funny because literally weeks before I thought to myself "I really want to write a book one day, that's a dream of mine". I love how God shows you what is possible in your life by bringing other people into your life who have what you've always dreamt of having. These people arrive not to tease you or show you how incapable you are but to show you that if they could do it, then so can you! Ironically, I think that's also why we so often get jealous of other people because we see them with what we want and instead of acknowledging and accepting the invitation to step into that as well we think our situation will never change. If we were to see that person as a testimony of what God wants us to also achieve then we would stop being so bitter and become better at celebrating people who have what we want, knowing that we can have that too if we dedicate ourselves to it and make sacrifices.

Luke encouraged me with writing, saying he could totally see me writing a book. I told him it seemed like kinda a heavy and unattainable dream. He responded with words from Ernest Hemingway about getting over that roadblock and actually writing a book saying "All you have to do is write one true sentence". I was inspired.

The afternoon carried on and this Mariachi battle of the bands fest was the real deal. It was called Mariachi o Muerte (Mariachi or Death). I found out later that it only happens once a year so I really lucked out. Incredible food and drinks, the hottest Mariachi bands from the neighboring villages, an axe-throwing competition (harder than you'd think), a random goat wandering around and all the while I felt like I was in the Shire! Fernando even let me borrow his guitar at one point and so I sang my heart out to "Bailando" by Enrique Iglesias (Yes I know all the words in Spanish and yes the Latina ladies were eyeing me). I met some new friends that evening and one was from the Bay Area! We connected while talking about the Warriors and then all of us piled into a pick up, drove down the mountain and went to a free salsa dancing lesson back in the city. It was an adventure of a day! One of those days that leaves you wondering was that real or just a dream.

Life is exciting. But it's on you to take that risk of jumping into the pool of adventure that is ready to be cannon-balled into. And there's something truly special about experiencing other cultures and seeing the beauty that they each bestow. I think that is why I enjoy traveling because even though each culture is so different, kindness, love, laughter and community are all factors that unite us.

May your love be strong,

Joey

[The Bed Bug Guy]

If you are wondering how I have been recently the answer is exhausted and ready to get some rest. Two of the past four nights were spent sleeping in my car and I have felt more like an outcast recently than an insider. I'll explain.

Here's the deal. Last 3 months for me. I finished my masters program. Celebrated with family. Road tripped through rural Minnesota then cornfields in Nebraska with a good friend. Flew to Guatemala. Climbed volcanoes and learned Spanish. Flew back to play at a good friend's wedding in Virginia. Got back to Nashville. Slept on friends couches. Housesat a friend's house. Went to Kentucky to be a counselor for an awesome Christian camp for teenagers called Revive. Moved into a halfway house as a house manager. Then I got destroyed by bed bugs. Which brings me to where I am right now.

Life is so awesome. I love it and can't get enough of it. There are so many ups and downs, highs and lows and the way that you deal with the tough things in life really reveals who you are. Life is not about cruising, that's what old people do, they go on cruises. It's about being in the battle, pushing limits, loving people recklessly, and letting go of any sort of ego that could make you think that you are any better or more valuable than an old homeless guy named Rooster who lost both of his hands in the Vietnam war.

So, I moved into the halfway house about two weeks ago. Love the guys there. Each of them are unique, awesome and have a story. A few days in I realized that the super itchy red spots on my arms were not mosquitos but bed bugs. I then moved all my stuff to a different room next to mine, sprayed, washed and cleaned everything with bed bug approved killing supplies. A few days later got a few more bites. Did the same thing with more extreme measures. Then two days later I woke up, did the normal bed bug bite check. Was relieved that I didn't have any bites. Then noticed my left eye felt sore. Looked in the mirror and realized I had 3 bites. Over the next two days my left eye/face got so swollen that a) I could barely open my eye b) everyone asked me if I had gotten in a fightc) I felt ashamed/embarrassed and tried to hide from public. I ended the next two nights at The Cookout. Drinking a milkshake. In the corner. By myself.

It was such an interesting and difficult experience because when I would talk to people their first response after hearing "Bed bugs" was usually 'am I safe being around you?' or 'do you have them on you now?'  AKA How dangerous are you? Which made me feel like a leper or an untouchable.

I love how God does things though. Even this small taste of feeling like an outcast was a way for me to understand, if even just a little bit, what it has felt like for some of the guys at the house being rejected by people in society. You see, there's always something deeper going on in the midst of our trials if we really look for it and dig through the frustration or anger we feel in our initial response to them. That's a mouthful of a sentence but read it again because I think there's a lot of truth in it. So often when you're in the middle of the trial you can't see it clearly, what is happening, why it is happening or how it is changing you. But on the other side you can see so much clearer. Like they say hindsight is 20/20. I'd like to think it's 20/10, even clearer than the present.

My face is better now. I'm staying at a different house until the bug situation is completely solved. And I leave for California in 4 days for my first music tour. Life is good. God is good. And I'm so excited about what is to come. Hopefully I can get some rest after I get back from a non-stop 8 days in California. Needless to say I will never ever again be saying "Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite". I am so done with that phrase.

May your love be strong,

Joey

[A Grateful Heart]

Life is interesting. Because it is so different for different people. To some people it is exciting and full of awe and wonder and then to others it is dull and constantly filled with worry and stress.

I think life is supposed to be incredible. And I think perspective is huge.

It's funny how when you have a grateful heart you find yourself being so much more excited about things. When you start your day and end your day thinking about all the gifts and blessings you have, your day usually ends up being a day filled with you seeing all the other blessings that are added to you.

I have been pretty humbled by how good we have it in the United States. In the past few years I've spent time in Haiti, Honduras and Guatemala and the thing that always surprises me about spending time in developing countries is how grateful the people are there, which usually translates into joyfulness as well. But then coming back to the US we have it all but somehow we are not that stoked about life, we are not that joyful.

So, what does it take to BE or BECOME joyful? I really think the first step is a grateful heart. Because when you are grateful you have this contagious attitude that nothing is going to slip by (even the little things) without you acknowledging how great it is and how thankful you are that it is in your life. When we are grateful we stop focusing on the handful of negatives and we open our eyes to the buckets full of positives.

When we are grateful for what we have we cannot stop smiling. And smiling is contagious. And so we smile at people on the street and then their day gets brighter. When we are grateful we realize that we have more than enough for ourselves, so why not go hang out with people who are homeless and bring them an awesome lunch with exactly what we would want in our favorite lunch.

When we are grateful we are excited about our future because a heart that is grateful is a heart that is hopeful, and a heart that is hopeful is a heart that is going to bring life to others and change the world.

May your love be strong,

Joey

***The picture is of my Spanish teacher in Guatemala, Carlos, and I. He was such a grateful person and was so excited about life and loving other people. He had this contagious joy which got other people to appreciate the little things about life.

[Gold In Everyone]

I love meeting new people. It's so fascinating. Someone who you had no clue existed and all of a sudden they are a reality in your world. And they are the only them that there is.

It is pretty incredible if you think about it that there are over 7 billion people living and no two people are the same. Each person is a little bit different or a lot different but regardless each person is their own person.

There's something special about differences. There's something special about uniqueness. And it's so funny how as a culture we are often trying to move the opposite direction where we are fitting in and compromising towards the social norms and towards the person who doesn't stand out in the crowd.

Well, I think that's stupid.

We weren't created to fit in. If we were, then why are we each so different. We each have a unique expression. Some people like to sing, some people like to draw, and some people like to do Zumba. We each have different passions and different things that bring us to life.

I think there is gold inside of everyone. The moment you try to become someone that you aren't, you begin to sacrifice that authentic gold that is solely inside of you for a counterfeit fool's gold. Here's the thing, even if you somehow achieve getting that fool's gold it will sparkle at first but then people will see past the surface and realize it ain't the real thing. It ain't the real you.

I think God is awesome. I believe that we are created in His image (Genesis 1:27). Honestly, I think that's why I get so excited when I meet someone new, because I am meeting a new expression of God. How cool is that? And because we were created in His image we each have inherent value. He placed the gold inside of us. No one person is a waste. No one person is a re-do or a mistake. And each person is a different picture of the heart of God, a different snapshot, a different angle.

You see, life is amazing. We are surrounded by intriguing people who are each so different. What a great opportunity to highlight the gold in others and to remind them of their inherent value. It's funny too how when you start seeing the gold it other people, your gold starts rising to the surface.

May your love be strong,

Joey

P.s. The cover picture is of Jemima. Last summer I was in Haiti teaching English and working with a microfinance company. When I first arrived to the compound I was staying at she ran up to me, grabbed my hand and kissed it. I later found out that that was her technique to get money to pay for fresco (shaved ice) but she still stole my heart from day one.. and got her fair share of fresco money from me as well Ha! She is the sweetest little girl, a total fireball. Her mother passed away about a year ago but she still lights the world on fire with her joyful smile and her playful presence. So much gold in this girl.

[Dreaming Big]

I am a dreamer. And I'm not gonna try to hide it. I have these big dreams deep inside my chest that are desperately yearning to be brought to life.

And this is the thing about dreams, you can either fuel them with life and hope or you will find that others will snuff them out (usually because that is what other people did to their dreams).

You are the one who has to claim your dreams, to hold to them and relentlessly push onwards. No one is going to do it for you. And I think most of us have this idea that "everything happens for a reason". The downside to this mindset is that we feel like everything in life is going to just fall into place and happen naturally. Well, a normal life happens naturally.. but a Dream-Conquering awe-inspiring life does not! Dreams have to be CAPTURED! They have to be claimed! They have to be spoken into existence. You need people surrounding you who will hold you to your dreams, who want the best for you and see the best in you.

Dreams are not lofty tease balls floating off into the sky, they reveal your greatest aspirations, you at the truest version of yourself, where your passions are ignited, fulfilled and you fully come alive!

One of my dreams is to start a music / apple juice festival in my hometown. I just bought my ticket to California a few days ago and I am planning to make it a reality August 20th. That's right, and it's going to be called The Gravenstein Music Festival. You are all welcome. It is going to be Legendary.

Here's the thing, we only get one shot at this thing called life. Why not go for it? Why not give it all you have? Live to the fullest? It is a scary incredible thing when we finally come alive. When we realize that life is not a series of difficult trials we must survive but an abundance of beautiful opportunities that we get to make the most out of. Be a dreamer. Live a passionate life. There's more available! But it has to be taken hold of, it has to be claimed.

May your love be strong,

Joey

"Do not ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive."   -Howard Thurman

[Failing]

Before you begin reading please watch this video of me attempting to sled down a hill. Ok now that that's done let's begin.

Failing. It is so embarrassing. It is our worst nightmare.. To fail. On the news. With Joe Dubin.

Except it's not really that bad.

When you are not afraid to fail you try new things. When you try new things life is so much more exciting. There is this huge reservoir of life that so many people are missing out on because they are too afraid to fail, to get out of their comfort zone, try something new, risk looking goofy.

When did life get so serious? When did we all start caring so much about what other people think of us that we are too afraid to truly live? I think failing is one of the greatest things that could ever happen to us. It makes us not take ourselves too seriously. It's so important that we can laugh at ourselves when we make mistakes.

Recently, I started trying to skateboard. I'm a night owl so around 2am'ish I would ride down this parking garage while rocking to Michael Jackson. One time I was riding back to my house on the street and while crossing the cross-walk there were some of those small yellow bumps on the road (I think their exact purpose is to prevent skateboarding, but I thought I could manpower through them). Anyways, I was excited because there was a Dominoes truck waiting at the stop light and I was gonna look super cool in front of the Dominoes driver. Exact opposite happened. I lost my balance on the bumps, tried to maintain it by leaning backwards, ended up getting air, then eating it SO HARD. As I staggered up, the Dominoes driver was cracking up in the car and gave me a thumbs up. I failed so hard! It was so embarrassing. Then I started laughing at myself and thought to myself "That was pretty funny". And then I couldn't stop laughing. It was SO funny because I thought I was so cool and I ended up looking like a total goon. It actually ended up making my night.

There's a Freedom that comes in looking like a fool and not caring so much about what people think. We care too much about what people think of us and I think that is a big reason why we are so afraid of failing and thus we miss out on so much of life.

But I'd rather be a free fool than a professional prisoner.

May your love be strong,

Joey

[Fear]

Before you start reading this blog there is one requirement. You have to listen to this song while reading, it is the only way you can truly experience what I am trying to get across.. And you have to turn it up LOUD. Alright let's dive in!

Fear.

So many of us live consumed by it. It is paralyzing!

If fear were an animal it would be a python nestled somewhere in the Amazon rainforest. I have had periods in my life where I wasn't sure if I could get up in the morning because it controlled my world. I could not escape it. I would run and run from it or try to roundhouse kick it in the face like Chuck Norris. Those were the options. Run away or completely destroy it. Bam. But somehow neither worked. They both just left me exhausted. And when I did destroy one by Chuck Norris'ing it, another would pop up like that annoying whack-a-mole arcade game. So what to do?

My favorite line in this song is "I learned to dance with the fear that I'd been running from"

I never even thought about dancing with my fear. It just wasn't an option, you see fear was my enemy.. or the small troll under the bridge or Darth Vader... And dancing with Darth Vader would be super awkward, especially slow dancing. HA!

Anyways, the difference between dancing and running is that when you dance you have to engage with your partner. You even begin to understand and predict your partner. You look him/her in the eyes, make strong eye contact.. And smile. "Hello fear. so you are the one I've been running from all these years. You're not all that bad. Matter of fact you make for a great dance partner". I think of my fear as a spicy Latina named Esmeralda. And we always dance to Enrique, no questions asked.

There's something about engaging our fears. When we engage our fears we do not only understand the root of the fear but we also get a glimpse of how powerful we are. We are powerful people! All of us.

This is my challenge to you. Don't try to overcome your fear. Don't try to run from it. Just dance with it. Engage with it. Acknowledge it and see how it moves, sways, learn about it because when you do you learn so much more about yourself. Fear is not the enemy, quitting is the enemy, not trying is the enemy, apathy, giving up, believing that you are not special or a powerful person is the enemy. But you are powerful, you are unique, you are the only "you" there will ever be. And the best in life is yet to come! so get excited!

Now please listen to this song and imagine me playing it on a rusty mini guitar in a small cluttered living room/kitchen in Northern Honduras to the sweetest old lady named Dona Tina and her son named Kevin. This happened. You're welcome.

May your love be strong,

Joey