Artist Residency: Week 2 of 6

Really? Did a week just fly by?! Woah.

Last Saturday I gave a performance on behalf of the Grünewald Guild at the Mountain Springs Lodge. It went pretty stinkin' great. 

The first half of the concert I used my looping pedal and walked the audience through a few spontaneous compositions. I loved opening up the time for questions. I've only seen a few other performers do that. I didn't intend to do that when I walked on stage, but it just seemed right.

The second half of my set of music was piano/vocal pieces. I played some Robyn, Regina Spektor, and Damien Jurado. I also debuted a song that I had written last week with some wonderful feedback in return.

It's really such a gift to have tight feedback loops. I'm grateful for those. 

If I'm being honest, it was the first full-set of sit-down-and-listen-to-this concert that I'd performed absolutely solo. And considering I've been a musician for years and years and years - that is kind of shocking. Like really shocking. At least to me. Why has it taken me so long?! 

Last night someone asked me how I decided to do an Artist Residency. My response? I just felt a deep need for my inner-artist to have a work-play vacation. and in this morning's writing I watched myself write the words "Ugh. I need to become friends with 'my artist' outside of work."

The pursuit to pay my bills by being a musician really does suck the joy out of the art of it. I'm really proud to say that I'm a "full-time musician." but that also means I am not proud to say that it's taken me this long to write my own compositions and songs. Thank God hat time is finally here.

More on Songwriting

After spending most of Monday, Wednesday and Thursday noodling around with oodles and oodles of ditties and little pieces of songs, I had a lot of trouble sleeping on Thursday night. I woke up twice and just could not get back to sleep. This is very weird if you are familiar with my typical sleep schedule. Also, all week long I've been having these crazy weird dreams. My friend Jessie said "the creative ghosts are taking hold." 

So thankfully, yesterday, I landed on some lyrics, and chords, and a melody that seemed to all fit together. I don't know if it's really finished, but it kinda feels finished. There are parts of it that I love more than the other parts, but I'm grateful to have something to show beyond a string of recorded ditties on my iPhone.

In fact, it really took a lot to sit down and write this blog post, 'cause I want to get back in the studio and play some more music. I have less time in the studio today because my inner artist's fairy godmother, Julia Cameron, is miraculously giving a workshop in Leavenworth today! This should make your jaw drop. This lady doesn't do many public engagements, but she's doing one here. I should stop being surprised when stuff like that happens. Anyways on that more later!

xoxoxo!