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on December 27
John Highkin
backed a project
West Coast Cabaret by Todd A. Davidson
Beautiful dancers, amazing performers, and a red-hot band. The West Coast Cabaret brings back the spirit of Vaudeville and Burlesque.
Funding Unsuccessful (12/29/2011) -
on November 20
John Highkin
commented on a projectThis is going to be a great program -- the impact on the lives of the kids who participate (and their families) is going to be amazing and surprising. Go Crystal and Craig!
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on October 21
John Highkin
backed a project
National City Youth Theatre Ensemble by Crystal
A theatre ensemble for 4-6th graders to envision, create and perform their own plays about their community.
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109% funded $5,458 pledged
- 79 backers
- Funded Dec 03, 2011
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on July 28, 2011
John Highkin
backed a project
let the monkeys out of the box! by THE WIYOS
An exciting new album of entirely original material loosely based on Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz.
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126% funded $18,978 pledged
- 267 backers
- Funded Aug 19, 2011
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on June 2, 2011
John Highkin
commented on a project updateIt's wonderful to hear from you, Melanie! Thanks for your kind words. I'll send your regards to Cindy. Yours, John
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on June 1, 2011
John Highkin
Posted project update #15Hello Out There
Good Evening, Friends.
It's a cool evening in San Diego. I'm about to run up the street to watch the first game of the NBA finals already in progress. Good to be here in Southern California.
Hope all's well in our former home of Salina, Kansas. There have been times during the past year when my wife Cindy and I both mourned for the life we had created there.
But, I've got a good job as director of the arts education non-profit Young Audiences of San Diego, a quality organization doing good work. And we're here with our nearest family. Everything's a balance, I suppose.
Concerning the CD. The title's Heart of a Clown, after one of the songs on it. I've worked ever so slowly during the last year, recording solos here, scratch vocals (i.e., practice or place-holder) there. Mostly I've concentrated on making the family and job transition my priorities; wasn't playing music out in public. either alone or as a sideman. Since January, however, I've played 4 or 5 times pa month on mandolin and tenor banjo with singer and occasional songwriter Russell Thompson. We play a lot of songs by Gillian Welch, Townes van Zandt and Bruce Springsteen. A bit mournful, very soulful. And great for my playing.
A couple of months ago I started back in the studio, in the studio of friends, Mike Stewart and Mark Danisovszky. Mike leads Raggle Taggle, a Celtic and swing band I played with a number of years ago. Mark is a master accordionist/pianist/theater music director, and an ace studio engineer. He and I have collaborated for over 20 years, including theater productions and, for many years, on Fern Street Circus.
In the studio, we've concentrated on finishing up recording solos and adding accordion fills, building up to recording and mixing. The last frontiers.
For the past couple of days, we've mixed Route 66, which has Lindsborg's Steve Jirak on finger-picked acoustic and electric guitars. I play mandolin and upright bass, Mark plays accordion.
Here's the 2nd draft of the mix for the song. As we move along - which should be increasingly quickly - I'll post more tunes.
Hope you like the song. I am always grateful for the support you all showed me last year, and want to make sure that each of you enjoys the music. Please keep in touch. So long!
Yours,
Johnny High-Hat (aka, John Highkin)
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on September 12, 2010
John Highkin
Posted project update #14Hello Again from CA
Post CommentGreetings on a Southern California evening. Wanted all of you to know that I'm quietly making progress on the CD -- still. Recently I've been recording scratch vocals (sort of like place holders) on several songs. Actually this is very good, because it's giving me a chance to more thoroughly work out the songs, especially those with which I'm less familiar (e.g., "Rocket 88", "One More Ride"), songs I've not sung much in public.
I'll contact you all from time to time to give some progress. In time, it'll be complete.
Thanks again for your support and patience.
Yours,
John -
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on May 24, 2010
John Highkin
Posted project update #13Website Begun
Post CommentGood evening, friends!
Such as it is, my website is up a little bit. I've posted a picture by Tom Dorsey, listed all the supporters of the project and hung an under construction sign. Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home.
More news to come.
With warm regards,
Johnny -
on May 17, 2010
John Highkin
Posted project update #12I'm Still Here...
Post CommentGreetings, Friends!
John Hartford was a favorite of mine for many years. One of the first songs I ever heard him sing was "I'm Still Here." ("Now trains are runnin' towards each other/Shotguns are pointed at my head/
Tornado clouds are forming at the cross roads/H-bombs are fallin' towards my bed Chorus:
But I'm still here...")Well, I wanted to let you know that, indeed, I'm still here. Things aren't as dire in my life as what Hartford describes, that's for sure. But with my moving from Kansas to California, starting a new job and camping out in a nearly empty (albeit cool) old house, my life has been a bit topsy-turvy.
Last night I started back on the album by recording rhythm mandolin on Steve Jirak's "Gingerbread Waltz," a lovely tune with complex jazzy changes. This afternoon I recorded a lead line. Though I'll probably re-record both parts and still have to mix the tune, I wanted you to hear a little bit of the rough piece.
I'm talking with a couple of vocal and recording-savvy friends out here to begin working with them once I've finished recording all of the mandolin parts. It's nice to be able to touch the project again.
I want to thank you all for sticking with me and believing in the CD project. It's moving!
Yours,
John (Johnny High-Hat)P.S. My new job with Young Audiences of San Diego is going well -- a quality organization from top to bottom, providing much needed service to kids across San Diego County.
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on April 28, 2010
John Highkin
Posted project update #11Route 66
Good morning, all y'all!
A quick note to let you know I'm heading out to California this afternoon. Stopping overnight in Oklahoma City ("...looks mighty pretty"), then again in "Gallup, New Mexico". I'll go through Flagstaff, Arizona (and won't forget Winona, which comes before Flagstaff), then onto Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino... Then, San Diego.
The recording project's about 80% done. I hit a wall last week trying to get it and moving and teaching all done simultaneously. My body gave out.
I'm packing our Subaru Impreza with my instruments, recording equipment, p.a., papers for work and home, and clothes. Should be set up quickly at our cool rent house in North Park and able to get down to finishing things.
I'll keep you all (all y'all) informed about continuing progress and will send out some rough mixes as they're done. Please know how honored and excited I am to have the support of so many friends and family members.
So long from Kansas...hello from California!
Love,
John (Johnny High-Hat)-
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LaNay Meier on April 28, 2010
John, I wish you and Cindy the very best. Sounds like a fun adventure. Keep in touch. LaNay
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Courtney McLean on April 30, 2010
Best of luck to you, John!! I totally used to live in North Park! Such a great area. I love San Diego.
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Post Comment -
John Highkin
San Diego, CA
A musician and circus director for over 30 years, John is feverishly exploring Texas Swing music in all its early forms. John played bluegrass mandolin and bass in the 1970s in Los Angeles and Nashville, worked in theater in the 1980s (studying at Be... view more
Great to hear from you. Oddly enough Mike and I were just saying yesterday that we wondered how progress on your recording was going, after Mike had read an article about the success of Kickstart in raising funds for projects in addition to art. Give our greetings and salutations to the lovely Cindy Z, too. We miss your creative thinking here! -- Melanie & Mike
It's wonderful to hear from you, Melanie! Thanks for your kind words. I'll send your regards to Cindy.
Yours,
John