Songwriting with a Sense of Place: Part 1- India
Emotional Maps: Songwriting with a Sense of Place Howard Gladstone explores the importance of place in his songwriting in this three-part blog series, writing about India (Part 1), Spain (Part 2), and New Orleans (Part 3). These are emotional maps, not travelogues — songs that grow from the character and contradictions of each locale. Rather […]
Howard Gladstone Recounts His Healing Journey
In 2014 Howard Gladstone experienced a sudden onset spinal stenosis, resulting in emergency spinal surgery. Four disks in his neck were fused with a titanium plate. He spent 10 days in hospital, three months in a rehabilitation centre, and a lengthy period at home furthering his recovery. Initially totally paralyzed, he eventually regained the ability […]
A Tale Of Two Guitars
My first guitar was a Kent 6-string, purchased from the Eaton’s catalogue, for $10. Whatever little money I had was earned from caddying for tips on the local golf course, and prior to that, delivering newspapers. I had that guitar for a few years until I could afford $90 for a nice 6-string Spanish-made guitar. […]
New book on miscarriages of justice and devastating personal cost; Howard Gladstone’s song covers same territory
Howard Gladstone’s song Tammy (The Wheels of Justice) musically recounts the miscarriage of justice in Ontario that led to the wrongful conviction of Tammy Marquardt in 1995. Tammy was accused of murdering her 2 year old son; she would spend 13 years in prison for a crime she did not commit. In 2011 a new trial […]
Art or Commerce? Or Both? Bob Dylan Box Set presents challenge.
I admit to a Bob Dylan addiction. Nonetheless I have a mixed, uneasy reaction to the latest box set release. I want it !! I don’t want it. I’m talking about “Cutting Edge 1965-66”, the box set of 18-unreleased CDs, in a limited edition of 5000. It’s not just the money – carries a big […]
Two New Songs and The Story Behind The Music
Howard Gladstone releases two new songs : “Gridlock City” and “Runaway Train”. Both are available for free download from his website www.howardgladstone.com … “Gridlock City” takes a humorous and satiric look at a big city’s traffic and transit woes, and the political gridlock that can’t find an effective way to deal with it. It has a fun, 1950’s […]
Remembering Sam Larkin
Back in the golden days of Groovy Mondays open stage, in the early 2000’s, held in the deepest dark dungeon of music in Toronto, Holy Joe’s, with its rotten old couches with broken springs- that was where I first met and heard Sam Larkin. Rarely did any of us (a small dedicated group that came […]
“Let Go Of The Rain”
Three years ago, on the first day of spring, I watched a late winter/early spring snowstorm from my living room window. Everybody was worn out and tired of winter, and anxious for the energy and newness of spring to arrive. I had the idea that the spring rains were captured and held captive in the […]
