It seems that the Summer 2025 tour (“Stormin’ Bob’s Rockin’ Rainbow”) is barely in the rear-view mirror, and I’m already thinking about Summer 2026.
Part of the reason is because I’m a member of the MAC (Mississippi Arts Commission) artist roster. As such, organizations (such as libraries) who want to book me can get up to half of my performance fee covered by MAC grant money. The only catch is that you have to jump on the application early. That is, for planned performances during the first half of 2026 (through June 30 — many of my Summer Reading Program bookings are in June) — the grant application deadline is Monday, November 3. More information about mini-grants can be found on this MAC website. The tutorial video details the mini-grant application starting around the 22-minute mark.
The Summer Reading Program theme for 2026 is “Unearth a Story” (Dinosaurs/Archaeology/Paleontology). This is a little far afield from my wheelhouse of weather and astronomy. But as you know, I like a creative challenge. The “Color Our World” theme of 2025 inspired one of the best tunes I’ve written, “ROY-G-BV,” which Nate, Henry and I played at Starkville Park & Rec’s Trunk-or-Treat event at Cornerstone Park last evening.
MAC grant or not, please feel free to pass along my contact information to your favorite librarian. Hopefully, we can find a good day/time for me to come to your town.