Blog
Travelogue
Rolling With The Punches & Shaking Things Up (The Island Edition)
I returned home yesterday afternoon from a gorgeous 10-day Artist Residency on Orcas Island, WA.
It was sooooo needed.
I got to sit in a hot tub while staring out at this gorgeous view...
Are you kidding me?! Look at it!!!
I went on some luscious walks. (You guys! The moss is at least 6 inches deep in some places!)
I got to do a couple ferry commutes to go teach cello in Seattle.
I got a visit from a friend from Texas on one of the days!
I ate some mint ice cream while staring out…
Mile High Confessions
I am a mile above earth's surface and there is a well-dressed stranger sitting next to me. He’s attractive. He’s not wearing a wedding ring. He’s sleeping. If it weren't for that airplane window, he’d be leaving a trail of drool across the Midwest. It’s all very endearing.
So naturally, I'm furiously thumbing at my phone, typing as fast as I can, trying not to stare.
*DING! The seatbelt signs turns off.*
You are reading my attempt at fighting the hormonal urge to wake up this complete strange…
29 Things You Won't See Me Do This Year
I have officially completed 29 years of life.
This makes today the beginning of my 30th year.
Dude.
3 decades ago there was no internet.
3 decades ago the Berlin Wall was a thing.
3 decades ago Janet Jackson released Control.
Someone asked me the other day what I’d be doing next year.
The only thing I could say with any certainty was that I knew what I WOULDN'T be doing in a year.
29 things you won’t see me do this year...
(and a few of my favorite .gifs)
- Gone are the days o…
I need your help: Who do YOU know along my way?
My Goal for 2015: house shows all across the US.
House concerts (aka Living Room Shows) are the single best way I can think of to create the kind of experience I wish for my audiences. Intimacy, connection, authenticity, and community.
& I'm partnering with Fanswell.com to make it all happen!
They've got a great thing going and have made it really easy for YOU and potential hosts to throw a concert with really fabulous musicians, like myself. ;)
I already know a lot of people across the U…
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 w…
Day 7 of 46: 1 song down!
Woah. 4 solid days of work in the studio evidently equals 1 almost complete song. Phew! It's fun, but I need a nap.
Although I probably need a nap more from all the shoveling of snow than the songwriting. Ha! (That snow is heavy once it starts melting!)
The Birth of a Song
The first day of writing this particular song I was suuuuper aware of the 'infant stage' of the songwriting process. It was clear to me that previously I'd allowed songs to "die" because I wasn't protecting them from the h…
Day 3 of 46: I'm ready for bed.
My new music studio: it does have a window, but you can't tell because there's a huge WALL OF SNOW outside.
I'm pooped. and I can't tell if it's because I arrived totally and utterly exhausted. (I most certainly did.) or if it's because the adjustment to new community, environment, climate change, wardrobe alterations, and daily schedule have drained me.
Today felt really really really good. I finally was able to wrap my beast-of-a-keyboard up in a big blanket and get some help carrying i…
Countdown to Leavenworth: 12 days
"You're so lucky!"
When I tell someone I'm a professional musician, I frequently get the "Wow. You're so lucky you get to pay your bills doing what you love" response. And though I agree, I also get a little sad that not everyone believes they too can live their life doing what they love.
On a related note, when I tell a fellow musician about my artist residency I get the same response... "You're so lucky - to spend 6 uninterrupted weeks making music!" But it equally saddens me to hear this t…
2014 Grünewald Guild Artist Residency
I'm soooo happy to announce that I've been awarded an Artist Residency by the Grünewald Guild in Leavenworth, WA!
March 1st through April 15th
I get to spend 6-weeks of this spring tucked away in the mountains practicing, honing my craft, and writing new music. I'm really looking forward to all the artsy juiciness that will come from my time with the lovely folks at the Guild.
The Grünewald Guild
The Grünewald Guild is an ecumenical Christian community & retreat center in Leavenwor…