Niwot author to speak at Niwot Hall

Niwot musician Michael DeLalla, a composer who frequently performs on guitar around Niwot, has recently turned to the written word as part of his creative efforts. "Instrumentalists are generally not known for their stage presence in the same way that singers often are, but I tell stories on stage, which is a great way to contextualize instrumental music," said DeLalla. "I try to bring these cosmic messenger moments to people to bring a little bit of insight into the lives of people and rotate out stories that I've learned and felt over the years."

DeLalla will be holding a book release, discussion and signing on Wednesday, March 26 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at Niwot Hall, 195 Second Ave. He will discuss his latest publication, "Encounters with the Cosmic Messenger," and the event is free and open to the public.

"Encounters with the Cosmic Messenger" is a compilation of 28 essays divided into three sections: "The Mysterious Wisdom of Strangers," "The Road Speaks Fluent Wisdom," and "Seeking Beauty, Finding Insight, Sparking Wisdom." These stories are all based on DeLalla's travel experiences as a touring musician.

"I look at all of these travels as opportunities to meet new people, see new places, and intersect with nature," DeLalla said. "Then I started journaling while I was touring and in between tours. I realized I was accumulating a lot of writing and felt like I had to do something with it. Thankfully, I had a really good editor who taught me how to reduce all of this writing to a few good essays that are demonstrative of the idea that every day you need to look for opportunities to gain beauty, insight, and mystery."

DeLalla moved to Niwot from Washington, D.C., in 2008 after first visiting the area as an expert witness on a music-related court case. He currently serves as an adjunct instructor at Front Range Community College.

DeLalla claims time management has been the most important skill set for him to develop. "I'm disciplined with my practicing, then booking, then classes, and then private students," he said. "I really make sure whatever block I'm in, I'm focused on that and not trying to multi-task and think ahead to whatever is next."

He explained, "When I'm practicing, I'm practicing, and even after years of practicing, I still need to practice. Each tour that I'm booking is also getting more complex as I add in book readings to the concerts and workshops. I stay busy with one thing at a time to avoid getting overwhelmed.

"When I first did readings, they were more geared towards guitarists and musicians or educational programs. This is the first reading with a general public interest and I'm really looking forward to that. I'm not so sure the typical book reading and discussion is the model I'm going to use. I really want this to be interactive and a place for the attendees to share their experiences as well. Everybody has these stories and encounters that happen to make you think about life."