My Survivor audition video

As many of you know, I went to the casting call for Survivor in Spokane but my number wasn't picked. So now, I am applying online. Here is my video: http://youtu.be/QzF9bWGfAYQ It could have been better, but I think they will get the point- I AM a survivor!

The Real Stories behind My CD Songs

Now that I have a CD available, online at my website and at local stores in the Colville area, I thought this would be a good time to relate the stories behind each song. So, here they briefly are:

1.       Somehow This song is about how I feel about each day of life. Composed early January 2008

2.       The Party Is In My Mind I wrote this song out of my mind at 4am, living alone in a friend’s cabin during a year separation from my wife and child. I’ve been trying for 20 years to get it to Willie Nelson. Winter 1992

3.       Laugh At The Blues Written after the Fat Lady sang, when I was asked to leave my home on a restraining order and took refuge in another friend’s cabin with a bottle of red wine. This song just came to me instantly. Written February 1991

4.       Healing The Holes In My Heart Written in Kingman Prison in March 2005, this song is about the healing that was occurring during in my incarceration.

5.       I’ve Got To Let You Go Written in March 2005, just prior to my release from 25 months of prison in Arizona. I wrote this song with my son in mind. I knew that I would only be seeing him for a matter of hours after my release, as I had to leave immediately on an interstate compact for Washington.

6.       She’s There This song is about every single person’s longing and hope for love, to come back into their lives. Written January 2007

7.       Dave Is On The Moon A true story right out of my book, written on Christmas Day 2004, after I got the letter in prison informing me that Dave had died of heroin.

8.       Last Call For Alcohol Written in Kingman Prison January 2005, this is my testimony of why I quit drinking. It’s definitely a country song!

9.       Nothing More I Can Say Written in May 1991, after my accident that broke my body in 12 places. I was finally able to hold my guitar again, and this song was penned. It is about my soon-to-be ex-wife, and mother of my son, and all the feelings of hopelessness that were surfacing; knowing that I was going to lose her.

10.   You’re Already There Penned again in Kingman Prison January 2005; this song reflects what I was learning from my studies of The Course In Miracles- a highly recommended course! This is one of my favorite songs and very dear to my heart.

11.   Just The Thought Of You Written in September 2010 prior to going in the recording studio. This is my most recent recorded song, but I’ve written many more since then for my next CD. This song is about my first real girlfriend Jeanne, whom I’ve not seen in over 40 years and couldn’t locate anywhere. However, after the song was released on my CD, I did locate her on Face Book but she didn’t accept my invitation to be a friend. So, now she has no idea I wrote such a pretty song for her.

12.   Still Singing, Somehow Written on my porch June 2010, this is the musical nut shell version of my inspirational memoir of the same title. The melody is catchy and stays in your head. I especially love the mantra Om Namaha Shivaya being chanted to this melody, at the end of the song. It translates, “Lord, Thy will be done” or “I take refuge in God”.

North Columbia Monthly's Review of my CD

Working like a soundtrack to his self-penned memoir, Rob Rideout's Still Singing, Somehow CD draws from his storied life in melancholy fashion. Home-spun recordings with backing from local musicians that flesh out Rideout's acoustic guitar musings, this disc is partly album, partly scrapbook.

Most chapters here begin with Rideout's mid-tempo acoustic guitar and plaintiff vocals before opening up into tavern-esque, basement excursions like "Laugh at the Blues" or "Healing the Holes in My Heart" with subtle infusions of guitar texture by local artist, Clifford Ward, to give songs expansion and color. On "She's There", the standout moment is a poignant sax solo by Jai Ram Rideout, almost transforming the number into something like an early Pink Floyd demo.

It's great to see local musicians coming together to help turn ideas into an album, and at least four or more local bands are represented on Still Singing, Somehow.You can find out more at www.stillsingingsomehow.com
The CD is also locally available @ Reflections in Colville & Meyers Falls Market in Kettle Falls.

The Naked Truth About My Book Cover

I recently became aware that the cover of my book, Still Singing, Somehow, and the cover of the CD of the same title that accompanies it, has made some people feel uncomfortable; all because of my quote "nakedness"! How I am viewed here as "naked" is beyond me. It looks like I have no shirt, granted, but naked? It makes me question the perception of those offended. John Lennon was totally naked on the cover of his album, Naked Virgins. Now that's bare naked.
Just to set the record straight, this cover picture of me was taken by a Frenchman named Alexis with my camera on the sacred bathing day at the 1995 Kumbha Mela in Allahahbad, India; right after I walked out of the Ganges River. Just to be at that gig, is the equivilant of a thousand other pilgramages. To bathe on the astrologically predicted sacred bathing day, increases that ten fold! That camera image was copied and super-imposed into the river mountain scene that graces my book's cover today. This new image strongly resembles the way to Haidakhan and Babaji's ashram, or the Nooksac River flowing off Mount Baker, where I grew up. I was in a very high spiritual place when this photo was taken. This is a picture of Hari Om, my spiritual name and self. I'm sorry if it offends anybody. I'm totally naked inside the book, so you make up your own minds if I'm naked on the cover!

My CD Release Party

My CD Release Party for "Still Singing, Somehow" at Northern Ales Brewery in Kettle Falls turned ot really well. The three musicians backing me, Mark, Terry and F, played my songs with a lot of energy and feeling, producing a profound sound. Hilary Ohm video fimed most of the gig and had my song going out for Wille Nelson up on FaceBook the next day! Hopefully, if enough friends pass on the YouTube link about this song, "The Party is in my Mind" to their friends, Willie just might find it somehow. This gig was the very first time I have ever had other musicians playing my songs along with me. It felt incredable! I never knew my songs could sound so powerful, as I'm so used to playing them alone to the cats. Just type my name, Rob Rideout, in on YouTube to see "This one goes out to Willie."

A Daily Spiritual Practice

How many people do you know who have a daily spiritual practice; one that they’ve been doing for many years? Most of us are aware of devotional practices, but how many of us actually put any devotion into practical application? Counting myself, I might know of four or five people who have some form of a spiritual discipline. If we profess to love God, then why don’t we make the time and effort, daily, to show that we do care enough to remember Him?

I personally have been practicing a daily spiritual routine, on and off, for over three decades now. Being a student of A Course in Miracles, I begin my day with a reading from Karen Casey’s Daily Meditations for Practicing the Course, which I keep on the toilet for this very reason. I’ve read this 365 Book daily now for over four years straight. It hammers home, in a simple condensed way, many of the Course’s finer spiritual concepts. This is a good way to start my day, by reminding me again why we are here and what it is all about.

Next, I have my ritualistic morning bath – not shower – to cleanse my body and soul before beginning my sadhana. After drying off, I sit crossed legged on my bed, facing my altar. I too have had an altar, wherever I’ve lived, for over thirty years.  On it are pictures of my deceased parents and sister, along with Jesus, Yogananda and Mahavatar Haidakhan Babaji. Other special stones, brass statues and candles decorate the altar. Every home in India has a family altar, which is maybe why I loved India so much. They remember God and their loved ones daily there. My advice is to be creative in designing your own altar. Make one that reminds you of how much you love God and your Self. My altar is not some kind of false idol set-up, but a daily visual reminder of everything sacred to me.

Now it is time to pray. I’ve used this daily prayer my whole life:

Heavenly Father, Divine Mother, Friend, Lord, Beloved God-Jesus Christ, Bhagavan Krishna, Mahavatar Babaji, Paramahansa Yogananda and sacred Peyote; I humbly bow to you all.  May Thy love and light shine forever, on this, the sanctuary of my devotion, and may I be able to awaken Thy love within my own and within all hearts and bring them to Thee. Amen

Being a singer/songwriter, I sing to God on my two stringed Indian dotara- a simple pumpkin gourd mounted to a long bamboo neck; both strings are tuned the same to produce a hypnotic drone effect. As a devotee of Yogananda and Babaji, I’ve learned many chants over the years, both in English and Sanskrit. I begin with the Gayatri mantra, then the Om Shree Ram mantra, both three times, before concluding with Om Namaha Shivaya in a soulful rendition. I’ve been working with this mantra for many decades now, and chanting it daily has helped greatly to get it programmed into the hard drive of my subconscious. After hearing my own voice sing to God, I then sit quietly to meditate. That is how I start my day, every day, year-in and year-out. I love having a daily spiritual practice and hope others will consider making it an option in their lives too. It’s sweet to return God’s love to Him.

Media release released!

Yesterday, March 1, 2011 my media release was released onto the web. It goes out to search engines, journalist sites, social media and the "blogosphere". It can be seen at http://www.freepublicitygroup.com/release_rob_rideout.html I googled Still Singing, Somehow and it came up. Now if others notice it and respond, that would be way cool!

The inmate and the mantra

I recently had a very rewarding experience, as an author. After the release of my book "Still Singing, Somehow", which can be viewed at http://www.stillsingingsomehow.com/ , I gave a copy to our local county jail, hoping to reach some inmate with my story of hope and redemption. Well, it happened at the bank the other day, when a recently released inmate recognized me in line. He had actually read my book, liked it and asked me, "How do you pronounce the mantra?" I slowly said "Om Na-ma-ha Shiv-i-ya". This soul got more out of my book than many readers, I feel. He found the hidden bottom line message of my book. Then he requested to become a friend on FaceBook. Cool!

Still Singing, Somehow

Thanks to my geek friend Bob, my book website @ http://www.wix.com/rrideout/still-singing-somehow is now a completed dream come true. I've hopefully taken it to the next level by using key search words and branding on the home page. My best short radio interview off "The Authors Show" can also be easily heard from the home page too.And of course there is a link to this blog there too. Give me some feedback!