Our Tenth Year!

June 3rd, 2013 marks the kickoff of our 10th year for Pickin' on the Patio.
Please join us on the patio at 7126 W 8th in Overland Park, KS. Bring your instrument and a couple of good songs. We are going to have fun.

From open mic to regular gigs

Do you want to move from open-mics like Pickin' on the Patio to your own gigs? Here is some good info..http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/2012/05/7-tips-on-how-to-transition-from-open-mics-to-longer-gigs/trackback/

First Night of the Ninth Season

Pickin' on the Patio 2012 is under way. We had a great turnout with a lot of new people both performing and in the audience.

It is going to be a good summer for Pickin' on the Patio.

The 9th season for Pickin' on the Patio is fast approaching. The first night will be Monday, June 4, 2012.


I am sure that you all have some tunes ready to perform for the folks, so we will see you in a few weeks.


Jim, Bob, & Theresa.

2011 Season starts Monday

The eighth year of Homer's Pickin' on the Patio hosted by Sky Blue starts this Monday, June 6 at 7:30.

Everybody is welcome and anybody who wants to play or sing will be given an opportunity.

See you then.

Our eighth season!!

Pickin' on the Patio is just a month away. The eighth year for "Pickin'" will start on Monday, June 6 at 7:30.

I hope you've all been practicing up and learning some new tunes so we will all be ready to go on June 6.

See you then.

Singing Lessons

All my life I wanted to be a singer, but I was never very good. One day I decided I would get out a tape recorder, record myself, and try to figure out how to improve. As I got better, I tried singing in public with some success.

Before long my wife suggested that if I was a going to sing I should take some voice lessons. Rather that take that as a criticism, I decided she was right.

I signed up with a voice coach named Ronni Ward. mailto:rwsings@att.net Ronni helped me learn to breathe, to get more sound out. She helped me with phrasing and getting more emotion and energy into my voice. With her help I was able to expand my range by several octaves.

In short, spending three years with Ronni was one of the best things I ever did. I still have a long way to go, and I practice everyday, but I am now confident of my singing, I've been able to develop my own style, and I am not afraid to sing any place.

I regularly hear people who could be very good singers with a little bit of training and coaching. The most common problem is weak sound and wimpy tone due to poor breathing techinique.

Ronni says that singing is about energy and communicating emotion. If people start yawning or head for the door when you start to sing, you are ready for voice lessons.

Singing is learned skill just like playing an instrument. If you want to be a better singing, I would strongly encourage you to enlist a voice coach, sing everyday, and come to Pickin on the Patio to practice in front of an audience. Jim Mathis