ETHAN SELLERS MUSIC |
Hey Everyone- Based on the last few days' snowfall, it appears that we are well and truly into winter. I have a bunch of private engagements and one public gig before the year is out, and then a surprisingly busy January. Here's what's up this month and beyond... |
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BOURBON ARISTOCRACY CHRISTMAS DUO: Banjoist Steve Martin and I have started a fun little acoustic duo spin-off from Bourbon Aristocracy that plays winter holiday music, bluegrass style. You can hear us do it in public at this gig: Friday, December 19th 6-8pm You can check out some videos of us getting ready, here: Let It Snow - https://youtu.be/yuspRuysVig We are still booking the last few available slots and would love to spike the egg nog at your events, musically speaking, so drop me a line if you'd like us to come play at your holiday party! |
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LE TRAVAILLANT GIGS - EARLY WARNING:
My Cajun/zydeco band Le Travaillant - which performed on WGN TV this summer - has a cool pre-Mardi Gras gig coming up in early 2026...: Saturday, January 10th 7-9pm Believe it or not... you (or your organization) can hire us. It's true! Inquire within for booking! Mardi Gras is coming up (February 17th). If you can't make the gigs, we do have an EP for you to enjoy! |
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BOURBON ARISTOCRACY BAND GIG: Bourbon Aristocracy will get back to playing its usual mix of classic bluegrass at this quintet concert in late January: Sunday, January 25th, 2026 2-3pm I had a good time playing at this concert series with Le Travaillant a while back, so I expect that this should be a good one to catch. |
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TAUTOLOGIC - 25th ANNIVERSARY OF WEST IS NORTH, EAST IS SOUTH: My rock band Tautologic’s debut album, West Is North, East Is South, turned 25 in June. I'm featuring a song from the album in each month's newsletter. The lyrics to this month's featured song - “Tube Socks” - have a goofy poetic conceit that compares the notion of soul mates to tube socks. It made sense to me at the time…. When I saw the Pixar movie _Soul_ years later, it resonated for me as it does for a lot of people. What if all of those souls in pre-life/Heaven have perfect mates there, but circumstances on Earth mix them up so that they couldn’t recognize their perfect match? At my age, I’m suspicious of the “soul mate” concept. Is there really only one person that’s really right for us out of 8 million people? Do we expect that we’re going to meet them - and that they happened to be at our college’s freshmen student mixer or whatever? Seems a tall order. Of course, the alternative is also a tall order - that love is a verb, and that it takes work… but tell that to a romantic twenty-something with minimal real life experience. Anyway… I think the melodies are really nice and the band plays well. I’m very proud of the violin and cello counterpoint that kicks off the extended instrumental section, and the 5/4 section, and the other manipulations of the theme. If nothing else, it shows that I paid attention in college composition classes, singing Renaissance polyphony with local choirs, and my own private study of Johann Fux’s _Gradus Ad Parnassum_. You can trace my (and Tautologic's) evolution through our albums.
GET TURTLE DOWN MUSIC AND MERCH: Can't make the gigs to buy stuff in person? Searching for the perfect gift to get the music lover in your life? No worries. As my son says, "I got you." Just head on over to https://turtledownmusic.bandcamp.com, pick yourself (or a loved one) out something nice (downloads, CDs, t-shirts, posters) by me, Tautologic, Logical Fleadh, or Le Travaillant. Turtle Down Music is operated by me and Tautologic co-founder Pat Buzby. Pretty much everything we make goes into making the next recording, so your ongoing support is appreciated. Buy the current stuff and we'll make some new stuff! Next Bandcamp Friday is December 5th, but any day is a great day to get some of my music! |
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SUPPORT SHARING NOTES Through Sharing Notes, I've been volunteering at several Chicago hospitals for the last year. I've drawn on repertoire from all of my bands and more, playing acoustic solo/duo for patients, staff, and families at Gilda's Club and La Rabida Children's Hospital. At first, it was a bit daunting, knowing that my audience was in a vulnerable state - I was afraid to play, do, or say the wrong thing. As time has gone on, I've found my depth in this milieu. I've always wanted for my music to have the healing effect that some of my favorite music has for me - and Sharing Notes has given me numerous occasions to really feel the impact of my work as a musician in a deep way. I hope that you will support Sharing Notes. Your donation helps keep music — and hope — alive where it’s needed most. Donate at https://sharingnotes.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/sharingnotes/donation.jsp MUSIC LESSONS - ONLINE AND IN-PERSON AT MY STUDIO: I have some openings for piano, guitar, and voice lessons. I also teach
theory and sight-reading for all instruments - and I have worked with some advanced students to write songs, set career goals, and plan large projects like albums. Inquire within and referrals always cheerfully accepted! Hope you're doing well, Ethan Sellers |
