tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-115381312026-04-17T01:01:43.689-07:00The Steve Schalchlin BlogSteve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.comBlogger2515125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-71197314936207985332026-04-11T03:35:00.000-07:002026-04-11T03:35:31.274-07:00

This morning, I’m free writing and thinking of the past week. I’ve been so busy, I can barely keep up with anything. My newsletter is two weeks late, and my diary is way behind. In the past, this would cause me great stress. But I’ve been stumbling along by keeping forward physical motion, good cooking habits, yoga stretches, and time to myself to just think.BUT AT THE PARKI invited a woman to

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-34222274838085060762026-03-24T14:07:00.000-07:002026-04-12T01:47:26.912-07:00

Summary: Recovered Audio from 54 Below & The Power of Community. This week, we finally have the audio from the standing-room-only performance with Blake Lee at Peter Filichia’s Broadway series—now captured in a new lyric video. Inside: A report on our inter-generational Beatles singalong on Riverside Drive, a first look at Jim Brochu’s new memoir Exit Laughing, and a major concert

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-63521926027619779822026-03-11T02:45:00.000-07:002026-03-11T02:45:29.781-07:00

 This past week was the first week we weren't buried in ice here in the City. The first time Gavin and I got to be out at the Imagine Circle where we actually had real people staying and singing along with us, as opposed to standing in the ice just long enough to take a photo! Then just yesterday, this note sent through Facebook:"Hello. Just wanted to stop by and say how much I appreciated

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-52488587351343891112026-02-25T04:16:00.000-08:002026-02-25T06:19:31.933-08:00

 This week has been a harrowing week of storms, blizzards and piles and piles of snow on the streets.When Gavin and I went out to Strawberry Fields on Tuesday morning, the entire park was encased in ice. Someone had scraped away just enough of it so that you could see the mosaic, but the benches were covered, the ground was covered. So what did we do?We brushed off the snow from the

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-24599662779218187332026-02-18T13:14:00.000-08:002026-02-18T13:14:28.515-08:00

This past Sunday night, Jim and I performed at 54 Below with a star-studded line-up of Broadway legends like Charles Busch, Lee Roy Reams and Tony winner Daisy Eagen. Just to be on a show with them was already a most high honor that we did not take for granted. I wrote up a diary entry on how it felt and just before I hit SEND, they sent me the video of the night, and then the next day,

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-66628236494972663372026-02-10T04:16:00.000-08:002026-02-10T04:16:56.987-08:00

This week, no tricks. No AI. No weird looking cartoons. Just me singing directly into the mic with a camera watching.No autotuning. No edits. No cuts. And no politics or issues. It's a love song called “Old Fashioned?” (with the question mark). After last week's total immersion into the AI world of music production and filmmaking, I feared people would think I was an AI evangelist. I am not. I'm

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-31111778821481900622026-02-10T04:15:00.000-08:002026-02-10T04:15:04.475-08:00

Guess what I did during the Deep Freeze of 2026 here in NYC? We couldn't sing our Beatles songs because it was too dangerously cold to be outside. So, I decided to deep dive into programming, songwriting and filmmaking. I'm anxious to get your reaction to the result of this week's project.But first, Jim and I both will be joining a myriad of Broadway and stage stars for a glittering night of

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-13486886992189394702026-02-10T04:10:00.000-08:002026-02-10T04:10:54.878-08:00

A new song and new video. If you want to skip the whole story and just watch the video, now that you're frozen into place wtih this storm, the video link is on the next line and the lyrics are at the bottom of the newsletter.Video of Nancy Drew is Free (Nothing Sacred). https://youtu.be/nnrsWCZM1R0THE WHOLE STORY:Since my goal is to write a song a week for the Jack Hardy Songwriter Exchange

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-16254662780079909462026-01-16T03:18:00.000-08:002026-01-16T03:18:09.676-08:00

Summary: At 72, I’m experiencing a health and professional "reboot" that feels like a miracle. By using AI to engineer a gourmet, health-focused kitchen and manage my chronic conditions, I’ve dropped my estimated A1c from 7.2 to 5.8 in weeks. This is a report on how I’m using new tools to stabilize my body, clear my mind, and prepare for my 2026/2027 comeback.Dearest friends and fans,This is

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-9365482323025586172026-01-13T02:51:27.147-08:002026-01-13T02:51:55.556-08:00

 Brief summary: This week’s newsletter recounts a freezing Saturday night at Strawberry Fields that transformed into a spontaneous, international prayer circle for peace. Silhouetted against the jagged backdrop of The Dakota, strangers from Greece, Mexico, and Tibet stepped out of the shadows to form a circle around the Imagine mosaic, breathing as one in a rare moment of total unity. It was

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-39232571512484534372026-01-13T02:50:01.801-08:002026-01-13T02:50:31.342-08:00

 The best news happened on Tuesday. We got reviewed. One mentioned us on his Best of the Year roundup. Or as my fake press agent, whose name I keep changing, put it:"The critics have confirmed that the December 9th concert was something special, with Peter Filichia declaring the ballad 'My New York Life' to be the 'song of the year for this type of venue' and noting that the applause sounded

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-74864637772056136602026-01-13T02:49:00.000-08:002026-01-13T02:49:18.474-08:00

Here is the full Living in the Bonus Round concert video + Brian Krinsky's big moment.You have to understand that no one in the cast of Living in the Bonus had heard the show before. Except for their particular moments, nothing was rehearsed. We had no run through. As we all told my story (with script), some cast and musicians were hearing it for the first time and reacted (crying, laughing) just

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-81811141305925592562026-01-13T02:47:00.000-08:002026-01-13T02:47:36.460-08:00

I have to dream new dreams. Last Tuesday night, when I stood holding onto the man whose molecule saved my life, facing a room of people standing and cheering for him, it was the culmination of a dream I got possessed with only several weeks ago.He found out from my newsletter about the December 9 Urban Stages show, then wrote me that he and his wife were coming. I tried to get publicity for it.

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-10927437685110444742025-12-02T12:35:00.000-08:002025-12-02T12:35:31.708-08:00

Quick note: Had our first vocal rehearsal with Brian Krinsky andAlicia Irving. The music was SO BEAUTIFUL. Brian's voice will melt youinto a thousand puddles. It's a new song, so I don't want to give itaway by even telling you the title. My only challenge now is how tomake the song longer. They won't let him off the stage.Alicia and I have known each other for decades. She was in a showcalled

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-5088502075069822342025-12-02T12:33:00.000-08:002025-12-02T12:33:13.335-08:00

Howdy! I wanted to share some exciting news about the upcoming Urban Stages show, Living in the Bonus Round: Winter Rhythms 2025.I recently learned that Dr. Bruce Dorsey—the man who invented the drug that saved my life—will be attending that night with his wife. I have some special surprises planned for him, and I'm very excited for this to be a historic event.This is an entirely new show with a

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-39151290628976482702025-12-02T12:30:00.000-08:002025-12-02T12:30:30.797-08:00

30 years ago at this time through to the end of the year, I was writing the songs that saved my life: The score of The Last Session.First came "Connected" in September. Then, in October, "Going It Alone," "Save Me A Seat," and "The Group." Four powerhouse songs that jolted fresh energy into my failing body. At the time, I had lost so much body weight, I was barely a skeleton. By December, I

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-23434035869827364492025-11-07T03:20:04.135-08:002025-11-07T03:20:59.256-08:00

I took a chance on a stage this past week that had my stomach in my throat. Last Tuesday, instead of writing this newsletter, I was behind a grand piano at a night club called The Triad, which has been around since forever. My job was to musically assist in a show created by The Three Tomatoes Publishing, a company devoted to new women authors over 40. Most of them were accomplished in other

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-20397126962682132912025-11-03T11:50:00.000-08:002025-11-03T11:50:26.564-08:00

Back in the summer, when I fell on a slick subway grate, landing on my wrist, the xrays indicated trouble with my shoulder implant. I tried to get an appointment - using my lousy insurance - to see someone and they scheduled me for this month. Finally, a week before my appointment, that office called me to say they didn't do shoulders.So frustrated! I waited months for this

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-12650501916837673992025-10-16T04:06:09.661-07:002025-10-16T04:06:46.167-07:00

I just learned Doug Leland, a neighbor, died. He had been suffering from cancer. I got involved with him purely by chance a couple of years ago when, on Facebook, I saw a note from him saying he needed some help with someone bringing him coffee and a morning breakfast sandwich because he was trapped at home due to swelling in his legs.(His usual set of close friends who took care of him, were all

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-83611390529923926522025-10-13T14:02:00.000-07:002025-10-13T14:02:54.199-07:00

My birthday last Saturday was the best day of my life. First, I did the laundry, then we saw a Broadway show, “Death Becomes Her,” then a quick visit with old friends at the Greek restaurant downstairs, where I scarfed down all their crudo, then the C train to Strawberry Fields. Because we were starting at 6, I knew there was not much time left in the day.But I declared it “Beatles Birthday Bash”

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-13778718620518379922025-10-13T14:01:00.000-07:002025-10-13T14:01:36.772-07:00

This past Saturday night, I did something brand new for me: Side man musician in a band playing the Latin-influenced music of a Billboard All-Time Top 27 dance pop star from The Bronx named Corina. And I had a slight costume failure.It was a great experience because I met three new musicians, one of whom is an outstanding artist/performer on his own, Edwin Vasquez +E. He has a featured song in a

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-34151506642212629942025-09-26T03:13:19.808-07:002025-09-26T03:13:52.172-07:00

This past week, after together singing "Yesterday" by one Paul McCartney, a man looked over at me and said, "This has been a lifelong dream."He was from Ghana and his little girl was in his lap as he sang, bright-eyes filled with wonder. What we must have looked like to her, two guys in bright satin pink and green coats with shiny gold buttons and dangling epaulets. We even picked up a couple of

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-72481850443510259432025-09-11T06:06:00.000-07:002025-09-11T06:06:39.457-07:00

Quick note: I'm honored to be a singer/accompanist at a terrific event here in NYC on October 28 called "The Power of Women's Voices" at the Triad Theatre, sponsored by The Three Tomatoes Book Publishing. I'll talk more about it as the date gets closer. Link here: https://www.thethreetomatoes.com/power. But Cheryl Benton has a knack of finding lost or ignored female voices and bringing them to

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-17701846401278185262025-09-11T06:05:00.000-07:002025-09-11T06:05:19.388-07:00

Jim is back to totally normal.The doctor told Jim that his partner had a similar occurrence, several days of chills, no fever, no appetite, sleeping all day also just recently. And like Jim, bounced right back with no lingering effects. He also speculates a mild kind of new little virus or "bug" popping up. (He googled the symptoms and then proudly announced he had malaria. Thank you, AI. He did

Steve Schalchlinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11538131.post-89400170536622038812025-09-11T06:03:00.000-07:002025-09-11T06:03:33.685-07:00

1. ERClose friends know that Jim was in the ER this weekend. He had a very bad weekend where he was almost catatonic, sleeping 23 out of 24 hours. It was so weird and inexplicable, when he finally agreed to go to the ER on Sunday morning, we were relieved that there was no one in the waiting room and we went right in. They tested everything but nothing came up positive. On Monday, I was really

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