Dan - It's Sylvia Massy. Got her start as a cashier at Tower Records. Gotta be part of the scene, man - one way or another.

Spent a good part of the day reading IRS codes and regulations concerning non-profit organizations - and subscribing to all of the IRS e-mail updates on all such subjects. Aspie me can argue every point either way, so no clear answers, but I'm feeling my interpretations are more and more correct.

I also contacted an organization called "California Lawyers For The Arts" - and asked when they would have their next seminar on this issue and also if the workbooks from the last seminar are available.

Learned that the prices for becoming non-profit will indeed soon slide down to $200 from the $400-$850 they are now - so it's a good time to learn and prepare and wait for their Beta testing of the software to end.

Got an e-mail indicating that I have never heard of any of the artists who will be performing at our Grammy party - but I bet they'll be really good. I love learning new stuff. Looks like lots of Jazz. Couldn't they have at least ONE punk band?

Also subscribed to the Pacific NW chapter of the NARAS on F/B so I can keep in touch with what's going on up there.

Also was invited to get a free pass to NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) which is apparently being held in Anaheim this year. Not worth it to go. It's like the kiddie version of AES - all the new gear they try to sell the kids. I'd go if it were in SF - but Anaheim? Gas and flights work out to be about the same $, but I'm just not that interested in the new consumer stuff. My interest is in pro level and vintage gear. Could they possibly have a guitar there nicer than all my customized vintage ones? I guess there are some new guitars I like - like the Rickenbacher 12-string reissue - but I'd rather get an original.

The Anaheim money goes into the IRS fee/London AES fund.

Plus, a friend invited me to his birthday party in Portland in Dec - so I might have to find a way to get a quick flight and rental car up there for that. I might have to find a one or two day temp job or something. But he's a great musician and engineer - and I'm sure he'll help with the CD more than I can even imagine at this point. Might be a necessary trip. Too far to drive though, really. I used to do it all the time in one day - but I was so much older then - I'm younger than that now.

So there's progress. Step by step.

I've been asked to sit in with the band at the party - so now I kinda halfta go. My chops are a bit rusty, so I'll have to play for 8 hours a day for a week or two - and I'm not sure I trust any of my guitars to any airline. But Jason has an exact copy of my Telecaster - I lent it to him, he tore it apart, sourced all the electronics, measured every bit of it with a caliper - and built his own out of some beautiful burled maple - so I'll just use his. I'm thinking of doing either Hendrix's "Foxy" or Stevie Ray's "Heart and Soul." Both songs which require very little vocal talent. Think I'd have more fun with the Hendrix. Maybe I'll brush up on "Are You Experienced" - Because I really love that. I have learned in life that when faced with the choice between the easy and the hard, the difficult is always more worthwhile.

Still - I can't really afford Portland. Bills are falling behind with all this travel.But it would be so great to play with Jason again. I can just imagine the dobro riffs he would put into are you experienced.

Off to the woodshed (as musicians call practicing.)

Definitely "Are You Experienced" - It will rock so strong with the Telecaster instead of the Stratocaster - and instead of tuning down to e-flat like Hendrix - I'm going to tune it down to D. It will be a sonic assault - and it will shake the room. Just need to practice a bit - as I usaed to play 2 hours a day but haven't done so lately.

I was born to do this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4yZXb4aD2Q

But a completely grunge versions- like the Stooges or the MC5 rocking it.

You continually amaze me.

Just heard back from California Lawyers For The Arts, and they offered an excellent book recommendation and a list of organizations, one of which I have just subscribed to, as it is dedicated to assisting artists with disabilities with all issues, including funding. They probably have a lot of experience trying to put these things together, so I expect them to be a valuable resource.

Just found an organization that gives grants to support organizations which involve disabled people in the arts. The money isn't much, $1k - $5k, but it looks like we would qualify two years after the 501)C)3 status is awarded us - and we could use THAT money to record a CD with unknown Aspie musicians.

So it's a future thing, and they don't support fundraising activities, so the current project would not really qualify.

The future project could be designed to qualify if we gave the music which was funded away via web download and had just a few CDs printed up to raise autism awareness as promotional items and/or to be sold near cost rather than at a profit.

I'm still looking for grants to get the original project started, but the requirements for each of them are quite stringent, and some a bit ridiculous for our situation. One wants you to include a detailed plan of how you will help the disabled in case of an emergency. An Aspie emergency? How bout a dark quiet room?

We just missed by 2 months a shot at a piece of the $500k of stimulus money given to arts programs in California. Shucks.

Reading over many of these grant programs, it seems like it is easier to create a program to fit a grant than it is to find a grant that fits the program you envision.

No one wants to give out seed money. It sure would be helpful if I could find a program that might buy a couple of books, send me to a workshop on grantwriting, maybe a trip to L.A. to find an agent to secure rights, maybe hire a lawyer to review the non-profit documentation and amend it if necessary - but they all want proposals for very specific programs helping specific people, with measurable goals. How do you measure showing the world that people with Asperger's can be very talented musicians and that maybe they shouldn't try to wipe us all out?

Waste money on a focus group where people listen to the Aspie music and then tell them it's Aspie music and ask if they feel better or worse about Aspies? That seems to be the kind of thing they want.

So many rules, regulations, forms, applications, requirements. And they want budgets. Music doesn't work that way. The cost expands to fit the money alloted - always. Music predates money. There will always be music, whether there is $1 in someone's pocket or $100 million in that same pocket.

So far, no luck with the present project, other than the book recommendation - but lots of good prospects for other, different projects that can be funded by outside sources and still put Asperger's in a good light and give some Aspies an opportunity to make art.

Good news - The book looks excellent and affordable, and was just updated in June. It also comes with a CD-ROM with templates for all the necessary forms.

Better news yet - It only costs $30 to file articles of incorporation for a non-profit corporation here in CA. There are a few other minor associated charges, but with the Feds lowering the fees to $200 early next year, things seem to be getting closer to in reach. The only possible obstacle is getting CA tax free status - for the simple reason that they don't work quickly, and if he deadline passes before they finish working, we owe them $800 as opposed to $0.

Also, will need a board of directors, preferably with an Aspie or two on it, because many grants give preference to such groups. Who do we have with a diagnosis? Seems like most of the grown-ups are self-diagnosed. (Plus it has to be someone I can get along with And vice-versa.)

Progress. I love it. I now know where to look and what to do to move forward, whereas I had only a dim outline a few short weeks ago. The California websites - both the Secretary of State for the incorporation process and the Attorney General for how to stay out of trouble as a charity - are absolutely invaluable.

We're getting there.

I suspect another obstacle may be actually getting permission to use the music.

My driend Stefanie - who just F/B friended me used to work for BMG and I'm looking for an agent on Wednesday.

We are by no means trapped in the mud.

Figured out the B-Day party setlist - Hendrix's "Foxy Lady" followed Stevie Ray's "Pride and Joy" - followed by Lee Ann Womack's "solitary Thinking" - since after meeting Chuck Ainlay - who mixed it - is my new favourite. Plenty of room for 7th chords and diminished chords if it is to be a guitar arrangement. Good closer. And perfect for Jason, who is in a country punk band now. Whip a little Nashville on him.

Progress!

Just heard back from David Byrne's manager who gave me the contacts for both rights to the masters and publishing for the tune I want to remix for the charity CD. Phone numbers and everything. That rocks so hard!

And, on Facebook, Kev Choice wrote a song about performing for us Grammy folks and posted it. If you can tolerate Rap music (the non-obscene lind) from a guy with, as it turns out, a Master's degree in Piano - you might want to look him up on F/B or gGoogle "Kev Choice Ensemble." He truly rocked the house - and I was just a few feet away.