Ah, the thrill of a blank page… even more thrilling when it’s to be filled with the first blog on my new website.

So, what do you think of the new digs? Please roam around, kick the tires, and send me your comments and feedback via the Contact page. Remember we’ve only just launched. As we go along we’ll be fixing dings, adding new features and (of course) updating the content as regularly as possible.

In the meantime, I’m gearing up for the official release of “Halfway, pleased.” By release date (May 20), the album should be available not only on Amazon but on iTunes (worldwide), Napster, Rhapsody, MySpace and others. We’ll add other retailers as we go, and you’ll always find the links on the Music and Store pages here.

We’ll also be adding a few products that you can only buy from my site. One of them will be a deluxe edition of "Halfway, pleased.” We’re just in the design phase now, but it will be a beautiful limited-edition package with an expanded booklet, and each one will be signed and numbered by yours truly.

It’s a fascinating process to be doing this on my own. We’re at a point, technologically speaking, where there are no barriers to entry in the music marketplace. Any artist can readily record, mix, and master his or her music. Add a few more mouse clicks, and you can have the tunes available for sale and/or download, at minimal expense and without a “label” in sight.

So with no barriers to creation or distribution, the real challenge in today’s marketplace is generating awareness and sales. Without a massive marketing budget, that’s quite a challenge indeed. I’ll be doing my bit – blogging, promoting, POSSIBLY a few gigs (although that’s its own challenge, with two young kids in school).

But in essence, it’s you, my KOOKs, who are the marketing team. That’s right, you. I’ll do another post soon (so make sure to check back often, or better yet, subscribe to the blog feed) with more info on how you can help, should you be so inclined.

In the meantime, welcome…

Egg to the zone,

Papa S.