Hilary Scott's Weblog Journal

2011-10-09T20:02:00.001-07:00

Recording my EP "Still," (to be officially released 11/1/11) with my new band - Hilary Scott and The New County Line - was a fantastic, frenetic experience. We chose the oft-praised Sawhorse Studios in St. Louis with engineer Jason MacEntire. (Recently voted Best Recording Studio by the Riverfront Times). Every good thing I had heard or read about Jason and his studio was proven true a hundred times over.

On this EP, I play a lot more piano than on previous records, where I mainly composed and performed on acoustic guitar. To have access to the same Baldwin baby grand that Ike and Tina recorded their first hit on was fabulous - it has a sharp, cut-through, driving sound that is perfect for the indie-folk direction my music has taken in its newest incarnation with my fellow musicians AJ Gennaro and Josh Schilling. I also had the chance to record organ tracks on Jason's studio Hammond - could there be a cooler sound on earth?

We booked two back-to-back days in the studio and managed to get all bass, drum, piano, and acoustic guitar tracks in one day, and all electric guitar, organ, main vocals, harmony vocals and additional "sounds" on day 2. Spending ten hours in the studio at a stretch is like being in purgatory and heaven at the same time. Recording is one of my favorite things to do - songs take shape, sometimes get pushed in an entirely different direction, and pull you to your limits in the studio. You hear everything through the best microphones and speakers, you use the best equipment. That is the heaven...But having a strict time limit makes you ever-conscious of the deadline, a pressure that adds increasing weight to your shoulders as each minute ticks by. Will we get everything done we planned and wanted to? That is the purgatory...

But the answer to that question is we accomplished all we wanted, and more, due in large part to Jason MacEntire's professionalism and speed. Some of the "additional sounds" on the record were incredibly fun to perform. After getting large chunks of main tracks laid down, we'd break for pizza or cheap mexican food, shovel it in, then play around with hand claps, stomping on a piece of wood, and even using the sound of an anvil being dropped.

Side note now that I typed the word pizza: the pizza delivery guy, wondering what kind of place it was when I opened the door to him, was a bit awestruck when I told him it was a recording studio. He started nervously rambling about how he did some graphic work if the owner ever needed help with anything like that. I responded I wasn't too sure, but... I handed him the money for the pizzas, and he laughed nervously and turned to go. He was still holding all three of our pizzas. I had to ask him if I could maybe keep the pizza in exchange for the cash. Poor guy...

In a future blog I will relate the story of our photography session with Corey Woodruff - replete with mosquitoes, sandy lake bottoms and rock climbing, but for now, suffice it to say once we got the graphics and mastering done, we were excited to see the finished product, which just shipped a few days ago. I am so proud of this project I am bursting at the seams for everyone to hear it!

We are pre-releasing "Still" in Columbia, Missouri on Friday October 14th at The Bridge, for the special fans who have been with me since the beginning of my journey in 2001. Then, in November, we will start the first leg of our US tour, beginning in Seattle and heading back down through Colorado. We have many great shows planned, including a couple of performances with Darren Smith, a show with CA's Megan Slankard, and one with Seattle's Altin Jimbiz. We will even hit up my hometown, Pullman, WA, for a show we will hopefully share with Charlie Sutton, who has been featured on NPR's "A Prairie Home Companion". Please join us somewhere along the road if you can - dates are on the website and more are possibly being added so do check back.

See you out there - bring some noisemakers - we need your help on Labor of Love, it's a crowd-participation type of song!!

2011-02-03T09:06:00.000-08:00

Goodbye France - it's been a wonderful two weeks! I want to use this entry to thank all my friends here, and the new fans I met at shows. It was really a cool surprise to have someone come up to me at the merch table and point to a disc here and there and say "I already have this one, so...." and choose another title. It's great when you're in another part of the world and someone has already discovered your music.

After a change in recording plans in Italy to health issues of one of the parties involved, I'm flying home tomorrow. I wrote extensively about the Cock Robin shows, and wanted to elaborate briefly on the show at La Bamboche. The venue was quite full, and I played two long sets, with my friend and agent Agnes translating for me so that I could communicate the meaning of the songs to the audience. I even spent some time telling jokes at the beginning of the show and was pleased when the humor translated. A couple of days after the show, my friend Sophie forwarded me a message her friend Said had posted on his Facebook page after seeing me perform that night. Here is the translation of what he said:

"A marvellous voice and a few guitar notes played in a remarkable way can make you forget all the rough things in life for a while. Music brings sweetness to your mind, but the talent of an artist brings you much greater happiness. I experienced some wonderful moments last night."

Well, France, I experienced some wonderful moments with you as well. I look forward to the next adventure. (Thanks Agnes, Sophie, Claude and Lisa, my family in France!)

2011-01-29T17:45:00.000-08:00

I seem to be in some sort of waking dream. I flew to Europe last Sunday not sure what this experience would be like. My French agent had earlier planned a longer tour for me, but due to visa restrictions we were limited on performances this time. I was very excited about opening for the legendary American band Cock Robin, but could not have imagined, in my wildest hopes, all the wonderful experiences I would have, and all the possiblities this short trip would open for me. I am not even sure where to begin, as the last two days have been an endless string of fabulous anecdotes and amazing surprises.

I was very nervous for my first performance of the two openers I would do for Cock Robin at La 2Deuche, a very nice theater venue in the Auvergne region of France. Agnes (my agent) and I drove to the venue with plenty of time to spare and I waited anxiously to meet Peter and Anna of Cock Robin. I could hear their sound check reverberating through the venue. I started recognizing some of the songs Agnes and I had been listening to during the day. Not only are Peter and Anna (the two founding members of Cock Robin) amazingly talented, but the French musicians they are touring with to promote their new album are also some of the finest I've heard. Their performances left me with goosebumps, and tons of energy - those two things do not always go hand in hand, but with this band, it does. I would be thrilled to see them live again and again. Their songs are different each night, oozing with creativity and complexity. I was so honored to share the stage with them these two nights. Peter Kingsberry has written some of the best songs I've ever heard - and even with the fame Cock Robin has achieved, more people need to hear these songs! Everyone needs to hear these songs!

As for my performances, I was nervous on a number of levels. I always am more nervous for solo shows than I am for shows with a full band, or even just one other musician supporting me. Carrying the entire show by yourself makes you hyper-aware of every note, every sound, every whisper, every breath. You can't escape the sensations your mind is throwing at you even while you try to focus on the music. I was also nervous because it would be only my third time presenting to the French audience, an audience that had come there for the main act, a band that has been famous in Europe (Agnes compared their fame in Europe to that of Elvis Costello, or Sheryl Crow to give just a couple of examples from the French perspective) for about thirty years. And I was to be the unknown quantity, not speaking their language, and hoping they would accept my orginal music, which they had never heard before. With all of these things working on my nerves, I came out onstage and in my limited French was able to say "Good evening La2Deuche, how's it going? My name is Hilary Scott! Let's go!" Their positive response gave me a second's thrill, and then I immediately plunged into my song And Just which won the international division of the Festival Degli Autori songwriting competition in Sanremo, Italy this past June. (I will be heading to Rome on Tuesday to record the album I was awarded for my win with producer Euro Ferrari). The audience response was incredible. Not only were they paying absolute attention but they were laughing at my lame attempts at humor with a bastardized mix of English and French, and whistling and applauding and motivating me more and more with each song. The set list was: 1. And Just 2. Help (brand new song!) 3. Loser Blues 4. My Friend 5. Calls From Springfield 6. People on a Train

After the set, I was flooded by kind words from so many people working on the technical side of things, from the stage manager to the tour manager for Cock Robin, to the sound technicians, to the proprietors of the venue. Some of the truly kind things they said were, "your voice is incredible, so warm," and "you are superb, just voice and guitar, absolutely stunning," and receiving comparisons to Rickie Lee Jones, Emmylou Harris, and Joan Baez certainly didn't hurt my feelings at all. :) (I hope it doesn't sound incredibly snobbish to write those compliments down here, but I'm afraid I will forget them if I don't record them, and they really meant so much to me). I also couldn't believe how many people, while purchasing CDs and asking for autographs came forward to offer contact names to my agent Agnes for press, TV, etc. The proprietor was so pleased with how things went, he wants to bring me back to La 2Deuche in the future, perhaps for a double-headlining show with another singer-songwriter. I am very excited about that.

I've played some big shows and had some amazing experiences, even been treated a little like a rock star before, but this venue really has it together! Nice rooms and great spread for the artists, which was full of fruit, wine, chocolate, cookies, and more! (If this was Cock Robin's rider, I give them massive cred for the Twix and the peanut M&M's, right on!) I also thank CR for the pre-show-calm-your-jitters-sip of whiskey, and the venue for the amazing catered dinners we ate two nights in a row. Woo! Good stuff. I also send a special thank you to Cock Robin's crew, their stage manager treated me like I was one of them, although he had no obligation to even say hello to me - he could have just made sure I didn't step on any of the band's cables! :) He actually took care of placing and removing my guitar, un-plugging and plugging it, and tuning it right before my set. I enjoyed not having to worry about the technicalities so I was free to think about the music I was about to present. Made my job a lot easier! Most of all though I must thank Cock Robin, Peter and Anna, and all the musicians for embracing me (literally and figuratively) and my music. I know we will have more adventures in the future, and the experiences with this band created memories I will carry with me forever. And the sound tech offered to record my show the second night so I will have recorded memories to share with all of you, as well!!

Upon our arrival for the second night of opening for Cock Robin, the proprietor of La2Deuche gave us a copy of a newspaper article that was released that day, reviewing the show the night before. We had never spoken to a journalist, never sought out any press, and yet there was this brief, but incredible quote: "after an astounding opening performance by Hilary Scott - (what a voice!!!!)" and then the continuation of the review of Cock Robin's show. Agnes was thrilled since opening acts usually don't get press and often not positive press, so it was really a boost. After the show, I had the chance to talk with Anna and Peter and the other musicians and crew - and everyone was absolutely wonderful. I especially appreciated the fact that Anna and Peter have an incredible wealth of experience and have had the kind of heady success that might turn many people into divas, but are two of the kindest and most grounded people I've met. I felt a kinship with them in terms of how they are approaching their music now - touring a new album, which was produced independently, and mixing up the performances each night with the sort of attitude that "we can't rest on our laurels - there is always more to discover!" I was inspired.

A fun story from the second night is that when Peter thanked me for my opening set from the stage, he also noticed one empty seat in the front row, and asked what that was about. The man sitting beside the empty seat yelled out, "this is for Hilary!" The entire crowd laughed and applauded and I stood up and walked across the front row to the open seat. This kind of bantering continued throughout the show, and the crowd warmed up and became more and more enthusiastic. About halfway through the show, Agnes and I got up to dance right in front of the stage. When performers see people dancing, their energy increases, and the audience feels this. When the audience sees that people are not shy and are getting up, they follow, and the reciprocal energy in the room is increased exponentially. It was just a fabulous experience. It was also Anna's birthday and they gave her a cake onstage, and afterwards we celebrated with some champagne Agnes brought. All in all, two truly fabulous shows, and the kind of experiences that were even better than I could have wished for.

This blog has grown very long, so I will write about La Bamboche in my next installment. Thanks for reading!

2011-01-02T14:31:00.000-08:00

When it rains it pours....this is true on a number of levels. On a quite literal level, the weather here in Fukuoka this winter has been Seattle-like: lots of rain. But today I felt the sun on my face for a few minutes when it broke through the clouds.

On a metaphorical level, good fortune has rained down on me for my last week here. I've recently been featured on BARKS, a popular Japanese entertainment website. Apparently my artist page will remain there and be udpated with a news feed from time to time. I also am fortunate to have an interview lined up for January 7th, at Japan's LOVE FM, on a show called Natural Woman. I find this fortuitous not only because it's international radio and that is ALWAYS a good thing, but also because the show is named after a Carol King song, and one of the biggest compliments I've ever received was to be compared to her by a Chicago DJ. I also am fortunate enough to get to meet a new friend of mine, a Japanese woman who has been in PR and worked in conjunction with some VERY famous artists in the past. She is coming to my last two performances here, and hopefully we will discuss a direction for furthering my original music career here in Japan.

On the European front, I'm going to be the solo opener for two Cock Robin shows in late January in France, which is a very cool thing as they have had hit songs in Europe and been popular there for several decades. I then head down to Italy for 7 intense days of recording, a possible meeting with a professional photographer for an album shoot, and to meet up with publicists and managers with the goal of finding representation for Italy and beyond.

Heading back to the US in only 6 days, I look forward to a midwestern show or two with my new band, The New County Line. I'm excited about this band because it's a fusion of different styles based on the musical backgrounds of its members. We have a drummer who comes from a punk background, a bassist who's heavily influenced by jazz and soul, and a guitarist who loves classic rock. We morph this into our alt-country-pop-folk sound, and we're going to start experimenting with changing up instruments between members since we're multi-instrumentalists. I also plan on re-uniting with the Hilary Scott Band for some shows - the feeling when we play together is unparalleled as it can only be with a band that's been together as long as we have (nearly 10 years!) and we anticipate each other's moves and balance each other so well.

I'm missing everyone back home so much, and grateful for the short stop I'm making in Seattle on the way back to St. Louis. I will go wedding dress shopping with my mom, see some family members I haven't seen in quite a while, and celebrate a late Christmas. Then, when I get to St. Louis, my fiance and I plan another late Christmas with family on his side. I have a lot of catching up to do, and many friends to see in the short 10 days I am there before heading to France. The first half of 2011 is going to be busy with travel and wedding plans. And I do mean it when I say I hope I see you all at shows this year. Many of my closest friends started out as fans who came to shows....and so I count myself blessed to have friends all over the US, and now scattered all over the world as well.

Happy New Year to you all!!!!!!

2010-12-15T21:00:00.000-08:00

I have been a BAD BLOGGER for the past handful of weeks, sorry! November saw me quite happy as AJ visited and we truly "Did Fukuoka" in the ten days he was here - we hit a couple of nightspots that were very fun (one a country bar that had hundreds of beers and more American country music and beer paraphenalia than I've ever even seen in the states, and played only old-style - i.e. REAL - country music on the jukebox) and one a cool little traditional Japanese restaurant/bar where we had our own secret hut to hide inside as we drank. We saw many temples and shrines, walked all over the city, went to visit the beautiful beach, Yahoo Dome and Fukuoka Tower, the Fukuoka Castle ruins, and much more. I had saved all my sightseeing for his visit, and am pleased to say we hit up everything I wanted to see, except the brewery. :)

In terms of my performances, I'm down to 20 remaining, in a total of 89 I will have done in my time here. Things are getting busier and busier as the hotel gears up for Christmas and New Year's Eve, and there are decorations decorating, dressed-up dancers dancing, fake snow a-blowing, and recorded carols a-caroling, all over Canal City. I may be spending Christmas alone over here, but it is hard not to feel the 'spirit' when around here everyone else definitely celebrates the season.

I have been asked to do two sets of piano/vocal and one set of guitar/vocal on New Year's Eve, so I'm preparing for that, and excited to mix it up. The crowd will be full of people coming from Tokyo to visit family for the first part of the year, I'm told, lots of young couples ready to party.

To sum up my performance experiences here in Japan, I have a couple of anecdotes. A couple of weeks ago, a couple came and sat right in the front of the audience. They were obviously really engaged, and right before the last song of my second set, the gentleman approached the stage. As the staff does not allow anyone onstage, someone came to escort him off and tell him 'no requests.' He had started to tell me how much he loved my voice and music, and to ask me to play a song, but didn't get to finish his thought before the staff started to pull him offstage, so he held out his hand to shake mine, I thought, and there was a piece of paper in it. I thought maybe he had written a request on it, but instead he had given me the yen equivalent of $125. I had to speak to him and see if I could do anything to fulfil his request, especially since he had given me the tip even without being able to ask for what he wanted. On my break I went to his table, thanked him profusely and asked him what song he had wanted. He actually hadn't been asking even for a specific song, just one song dedicated to his lovely wife on her birthday. (He was wanting to surprise her, and was asking me this while she was in the restroom). He wanted me to pick any song and just mention her birthday. It was so touching. When I got back for my next set, I wished his wife happy birthday and dedicated 'The Way You Look Tonight' to her. They were so thrilled. I approached them afterward to thank them again and wish her another Happy Birthday, and expected to either shake hands or just bow in recognition, but the wife grabbed me and gave me a huge hug. I was absolutely astounded and touched by this rare display of warmth. It has never happened to me here, before, or since. And it let me know just how important what I had done was, for them. It was a reminder of the power of music, and its ability to cross any boundary. Then, a far shorter and simpler example of what has made this job so enjoyable for me: last night a table of three, as I was leaving the stage for the night, stopped me and said: "your voice makes us so happy." These things happen frequently, and give me back the energy I put out, ten fold. I love playing music for a living!

Looking forward, I depart in late January for France and Italy - several shows in France and recording the album with Euro Ferrari in Italy. Then it's back to the U.S. for full-speed-ahead wedding planning! I also will be performing with The New County Line during that time, and hopefully reuniting with the Hilary Scott Band for shows as well. And I will do my best to keep up with all of you through this blog. Thanks for reading, and thanks for your patience!

2010-10-20T22:47:00.000-07:00

Officially feeling "settled in" in Fukuoka as I've been here just about four weeks, but now that I'm settled, I just wanna shake it up a bit! Getting to know some people that work in the hotel and meeting some guests has put me on the right track for getting out and about more, and experiencing more of the city and culture. On Halloween I will be heading out with a new Canadian friend I met, the wife of the executive chef here, so I'm really looking forward to that. Everyone I've spoken to has said that Fukuoka is a very nice city to live in if you speak the language fluently, but that it is a tough nut to crack for foreigners. Well - give me the nutcracker - I'm up to the challenge!

Last Sunday I took a little walk in the opposite direction of where I'd been exploring previously, my destination being a department store - not because I seriously wanted to shop, but because it would be a big eyesore on the horizon that I could easily identify. As soon as I stepped in and saw the Tiffany store, right next to Louis Vuitton, I knew I was most certainly in the WRONG place. :) It was kind of fun going up and down the escalators seeing how the other half lives while scandalizing the upper crust in my jeans and cowboy boots. OK - not really....everyone was very welcoming to me even though I surely didn't scream, "I can afford this stuff!"

But the walk there was far more interesting than the destination...I crossed over the river, which was shallow and dirty but nonetheless had several older men in waders fly-fishing in it....though what they might catch was a mystery I wasn't sure I wished to uncover. When I left the immediate environs of the hotel and Canal City I felt much more like the "foreigner" and my different appearance got more stares on "this" side of the river.

I saw a great example of teenage fashion I don't ever want to forget: lumberjack plaid shirt with micro-mini black schoolgirl skirt, thigh-high tites with pink lace on the top, and gold heels. I guess even in an ultra-fashion-forward place like Japan, teenagers still struggle to find their identity. :)

For the first two days of my work week, the national baseball play-offs were happening. Fukuoka apparently has a pretty hot team, so Canal City set up a public viewing on a huge screen projector right outside Bar Fizz's windows. While I was entertaining bar guests, the people watching the game outside were entertaining me. I could see the back of the screen and get a basic, mirror-image idea of what was going on in the game, but the reactions of the viewers were what really let me know. I'd be in a quiet moment of some song like "Summertime," and suddenly there's an "Oh no" type exasperated sigh coming from the crowd.....or during the romantic refrain of "Wonderful Tonight" I might hear a big "Yeah!" type cheer, and smile to myself, "yeah I really like how Eric Clatpon said that, too....oh wait!" :)

Then the night before last, a regular patron of the bar handed me some Halloween candy out of the blue. Almost brought tears to my eyes, as it was a perfect example of random kindness. She had no idea her little gift would make me feel so much better. I've been extra homesick since I'm missing my three favorite holidays back home this year, and that's always tough. The wrappers on the candy are great: along with a cute picture of a vampiric ghost or a knife-wielding pumpkin it says: "HORROR TIME!" (the beginning of MC Hammer's song goes through my head at this point) and then across the bottom it says: "Good Taste." Well, it's good to know that the person who eats the candy can interpret that as meaning the candy will be good, and also that the eater has "good taste" in having chosen that particular brand. Too funny.

My rehearsal experience this week was one I hope never to relive, however. They had me in a banquet room that had been shut all day with lights blazing (we're talking chandeliers and stage lights and every hot type of bulb you can possibly imagine) without air con. It was, no exaggeration, at least 90 degrees. I was sweating just sitting there, and after 90 minutes of playing piano and singing felt literally sick. A staff member came in at one point and apologized and started turning down lights, but it was already too late....whew. I hope next time they turn off the lights a few hours before my scheduled rehearsal time. I mean, not to complain too much - I want to learn "At Last" and all - it's one of my all-time favorite songs, but not sure it's worth dying for! LOL

My fiance comes to visit in three weeks and I am full-throttle thrilled! I plan on getting lots of video and pics while he is here since that is when I will do a lot of sight-seeing.

More soon! Thanks for coming along on this journey with me....

2010-10-08T21:50:00.001-07:00

Almost a week has passed since I took my first exploratory walk around the immediate area where I live in Fukuoka. I posted the pictures I took of my adventure on my Hilary Scott Facebook page. There was a lot of activity going on last Sunday as I walked through Canal City. There had been concerts going on all day on a stage near the hotel, and when I started out on my walk there was what appeared to be a game show going on. Black or White by Michael Jackson was blasting out of the speakers, three women were standing in the center of the stage clapping and cheering and trying to get the crowd involved, and about twelve young men were walking around the outer edges of the stage in a circle. I had no clue what was going on - some version of musical chairs? When the music stopped, however, the men lined up across the back of the stage, then one by one stepped forward to introduce themselves and, I suppose, to say a little about who they were, etc. I figured perhaps it was some sort of "bachelor" style game. Not understanding the language sure takes the fun out of a game show, though, so I continued on my way.

Amidst all the Japanese brand stores, I ran into a Barbie store and a KFC next door to each other and was curious if I had been transported back to America somehow. :) I've noticed that in Asia, the main fast food brand is KFC, not McDonald's, and some Asian countries also have Pizza Hut. I haven't, nor am I planning, to try any of them, though!

I found a veritable "kareoke palace" across the street from the Canal City, and it's on my list of things to do. Also on my list of sight-seeing must-do's: Japanese temples, the highest building in Fukuoka, the famous baseball stadium, a club that is apparently quite the rage called Infinity, and if possible, taking the high speed train to Hiroshima.

The Japanese do everything with attention to detail, and they do it well. While I usually appreciate this very much, when it comes to Halloween decorations, I wish they weren't quite so creative! :) I took a series of photos of the "pumpkin-head men" that stand outside the hotel along the canals, and they just scare me! I know it's because of my traumatic childhood experience with horror movies, but, really....They also have some very cool light statues of skeletons that are poised over the water right next to where the dancing fountains go off.

Work this week was fun - although I caught a little bug and felt sick for a few days. The staff was wonderful to me, made me a ginger tea that has now become my favorite and they have ready for me every night (the bartender said it is his special recipe just for me - apparently he had not made it before) and continually ask after how I am doing or if I need anything. The crowds were bigger this week, and will continue to grow as we near the holidays. An interesting difference between American and Japanese culture is that whereas Christmas in America is usually a family holiday, in Japan it is considered one of the foremost nights each year for couples to go out on the town, very romantic and celebratory. And whereas in America New Year's is seen as a go out and party night, in Japan it is a stay-at-home holiday with family.

AJ comes to visit me in less than 5 weeks, and I'm really excited! For now I'm mostly buckling down working on original songs for the recording in Italy next year, and constantly trying to learn new songs to perform here at shows. One nice side-effect of having a lot of time on my hands is that it usually means lots of time to be creative...we will see what songs come out of this time!

2010-09-30T01:15:00.001-07:00

At Bar Fizz, each performance is more fun than the last. This is definitely one of the hippest stages I've ever performed on. Across the venue from the stage, the bartop is made of a material that looks like blocks of ice covered in glass....hence the clear glass-like piano to retain the "ice" theme. The floor of the stage also mimics this ice-block pattern, and the blocks at the bar as well as on the music stage, are lit from within. The lights rotate through colors ranging from snow white to teal blue, to grass green, to royal purple, to fuschia, to red. As the bar fades from one color to the next, the stage soon follows the same pattern. Behind me on the stage is a running water feature, in fact the entire venue feels almost as though it is suspended in water, as the tables and chairs butt right up against these pools of water, and the huge windows looking out onto Canal City show the viewer dancing water fountains and decorative pools. At the beginning of each of my sets, at the top of the hour, the water fountains begin their dance, and the dance lasts for about as long as it takes me to complete my first one or two songs. One can imagine why it is called Bar Fizz.....an effervescent drop of color and movement in the midst of all this water.

I am looking forward to my day off on Sunday in order to explore more of the city. The only walking around I have done so far was to register at city hall, pop into a photo booth to get passport pics, and head to the convenience store for bottled water. Canal City is a little incubator of activity, where you can find all you need in one place, but I am anxious to move beyond its walls. First on the agenda is to find an English bookstore. I can survive without English television and movies, but I cannot thrive without books. I am struggling to remember some of the Japanese I learned years ago and to learn more, but my mind seems too tired to retain it right now. I am surprised to learn that fewer people speak English here than did in Korea and Vietnam, so the language barrier is a bit isolating. But I've already made some friends, especially with my co-workers, who have promised to show me around a bit. Hopefully my next installment will include more information about the city itself, and some photos of the area I am in!

2010-09-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here in my room at the Grand Hyatt Fukuoka, Japan, which overlooks a similar but smaller version of the choreographed water fountain one can see at the Bellaggio in Vegas. Neon lights are everywhere, as well as impeccably manicured floral gardens and greenery exhibits. The Grand Hyatt is part of a place called Canal City, which is a conglomeration of the hotel, shopping, art, movie theaters, entertainment, and more all in one small "city within the city." Bar Fiz, my venue for the next few months, overlooks all of the activity. When I arrived late last night to be met by the Japanese agent, Hiro, I immediately went to meet the performer who left today, and check out the venue. The stage is beautiful, a lighted floor, a clear glass-like piano, bamboo and water features surrounding you as you play. The bar creates a "signature drink" for each performer, and I am waiting to see what mine will be made of, and what they will call it. I watched some of the drinks being carried out from the bar, and every detail is seen to, including lighted ice cubes inside the drinks that are different colors depending on what you ordered.

Saying goodbye (twice!) back in the states was very difficult. When I left St. Louis and my fiance AJ, I kept looking back over my shoulder as I headed to security, wishing I could turn around. I absolutely am going to love this job and the people here and the adventure, but leaving home and the people I love for months at a time has always been difficult for me, even more so now that I am trying to plan a wedding! Ater St. Louis, I visited family in Seattle for a couple of days and it was again difficult to leave my mom and stepdad and grandma and get on that long flight to the land of the rising sun. However, now that I am here, I am ready to begin performing and learning about this place and the culture, which so far, is beautiful and inviting.

I am thrilled to report my guitar made it through the two flights here, so I must give kudos to United Airlines and Asian Airlines. The only casualty was a broken high E string when I was trying to tune it after opening the case. And that isn't their fault; the nut seems to have a sharp spot that often causes the high E to break. So, even without a heavy-duty flight case, my guitar survived the trip! And I survived the trip, being pleasantly surprised that all the flight attendants were very kind and helpful, and everything in the Tokyo airport was easy and efficient. I've had some rough trips lately where attendants were more than rude, (or where EVERYTHING went wrong, like it did on my last trip to Italy) but this one gave me back a bit of hope for the airline industry. I heard on the news that they are doing really well for the first time in a long time - making a big profit again. So, now I guess they can start giving us free peanuts again on domestic flights? Or how about NOT charging one hundred dollars for an extra domestic-flight bag anymore? One can dream....

So, I've decided technology and I aren't the best of friends. My room here is great - but everything runs on automatic switches. You come near the bathroom, the fan kicks on in anticipation; you walk by the closet, a light switches on even if you weren't planning on opening the doors; and there are no light switches, just a multi-button "console" (for want of a better word) near the bed that controls all the lights in the room and which I still haven't fully figured out. I'm not even going to go into detail about the bidet that can give your bum a wash and blow-dry! OK, maybe that was more detail than was necessary, but I'm thinking I will steer clear of that!

I start performing tomorrow evening after registering and getting my ID card, and sound-checking at the venue. I'm always a little nervous before a new job begins, but this one seems like it will be great in every way. I get to perform a nice mix of my original music and my choice of covers ranging from standards to modern pop and everything in-between. It keeps it interesting. While putting together my song list the other day, I realized that through these jobs I've learned nearly 150 new songs I had never played before! I will also be selling CD's, and here you must sell them for $20 or more....they actually view a higher price as a sign of better value. So I guess I've been spoiled by the music prices in America, which so many of us think of as high, but which are quite low in comparison to here. Also, after meeting the F&B director here today, I learned I will be doing different types of performance while here, such as guitar/vocal, and performances outside of the regular venue.

I hope to write blogs often, as I don't have a movie channel on my TV - therefore lots of time on my hands, haha!

2010-07-07T21:04:00.001-07:00

For my birthday this year I have a very important wish: I wish that everyone who means so much to me would know it! Also, a huge thank you to my mom for all her help and support through the years. And mom and dad - thanks for creating me!

2010-07-07T19:12:00.000-07:00

Two people who attended the 4th of July show at Faurot Field have raised a concern with me over why I chose to perform John Lennon's song, Imagine, at the festivities. I would like to address my decision here, in my blog.

Anyone who knows me even a bit knows that this next statement is absolutely unnecessary, but I will nonetheless say it: "I absolutely did not choose that song to antagonize, offend, or be anti-patriotic!" Quite the opposite, in fact! In college, I not only studied music, but I graduated with my degree in English literature. Any art form, in my opinion, is open to multiple interpretations, be that visual art, poetry, literature, or song lyrics.

One of the things I most strongly feel about Lennon's Imagine, is that it calls us to do exactly what the title implies: IMAGINE the world of which he sings, not take literally the world of which he sings. When Lennon sings "imagine there's no countries" for example, I believe he imagines a world in which divisions between people and the need to fight and kill each other for land ownership would be unnecessary. I won't go into all of the lyrics, because needless to say, each and every line is rendered with the possibility for multiple meanings and I choose the euphemistic interpretations. I consider this a simple and beautiful song about peace, definitely NOT an anti-patriotic song. I have the utmost respect for our troops, I have supported them in more than just my words, for several years, by donating to several military-based causes.

Furthermore, I performed this song in Asia, in countries that America has a history of war with, but with whom we are currently allied. I got chills when Vietnamese, South Koreans, or Japanese audience members started singing along. It was a glimpse, through music, of a possible peace. Like so many others, I too have had family members who served in the military, even during war times. I know there is a need for our strong military men and women, and I respect and honor them for their service – how wonderful it would be if none of them had to march to war ever again.

I believe the finest point that can be gleaned from this song (and the reason I ultimately chose it for performance on July 4th) is that if we could all IMAGINE a world more at peace, we might come a few steps closer to that peaceful world, where war would be null and void, and therefore our friends, brothers, sisters, daughters, sons, husbands, wives, or parents would not need to fight, and possibly die in a war for ANY cause. I find that a wonderful thing to IMAGINE. Is it realistic? Am I being a Pollyanna? No - I feel that with this song, we get a respite from some of the brutal realities of this world, and imagine something different, even if only for three short minutes.

Thank you for reading this - if you were concerned enough to ask me for my reasons, I hope you will try to understand my point of view.

2010-07-06T18:35:00.000-07:00

Oh, travel!!!! It seems I was fated to have alarmingly uncomfortable travel situations on my European adventure, but my ill-fated voyages resulted in very good luck once I arrived at my destinations, both with the un-forseen win/recording contract in Italy, and the performances/TV appearance in France.

My agent, Agnes Dautraix, of Miss Lucy and Company booking, met me at the train station on June 22nd, after my 14-hour mishap which included six train changes, two late trains, one train one which I almost didn't have a seat, and a full day with almost no food or water. But all complaining aside, seeing her face at the train station, along with her friend Sophie who soon also became my friend, was like a scene from a movie! We've been acquaintances on My Space for three years, and Agnes was one of those rare internet contacts who truly stayed in touch and we talked about significant things together; our personal lives, our musical dreams.

One of those dreams was for me to come perform in France one day, but it seemed unlikely. Because Agnes enjoyed my music, she asked if she could interview me. In the following months she interviewed more and more artists, eventually getting to the point where she was given backstage/press passes at shows of very famous touring and local acts. The culmination of her adventures was that she was asked to represent Kate Taylor (James Taylor's sister) and Murray Head (hugely popular and successful European musician and actor) and she asked if I would like to be on her roster as well. I jumped at the possibility, and with my trip to Italy coming up, we decided to try to book a few shows for the same trip. Somehow or other, we pulled it all together, and one of Agnes' great suggestions was that I perform shared shows with Norfolk, a local artist who writes and sings a folk/country style quite complimentary to my own.

So, on the 24th, Norfolk and I shared our first show at a club in Clermont-Ferrand called The Rat Pack. We had a good-sized, extremely appreciative crowd, and after only rehearsing for five minutes, we pulled together two songs that we performed as a duet. After that show, around midnight, we walked to a studio where we would film the "Sex Room Sessions," which is an internet/TV program quickly gaining popularity, and which has featured very well known musical acts. Despite the name, this is a quirky, inventive, hilarious short program intended to feature musicians in a raw live performance. Norfolk and I performed a duet, and I performed one song solo, crammed in a tiny closet-like space with twelve other individuals as a live audience, the cameraman and soundman, and a twin sized bed we stood on in order to record! It was quite an adventure, and I look forward to seeing the rough edit before the show is released.

On the 25th, we performed in Vichy at a wonderful micro-theater above a restaurant called La Bamboche. It was a great listening-room atmosphere, very intimate, and I sold a lot of CDs at the show, so it was clear people had just come to listen to the music. Afterwards we ate some of the best food ever at the venue's restaurant, then proceeded to decompress at Agnes' house, by staying up until 6am listening to music, chatting, and yes, sipping some great French alcohol! :) As I was struggling to recall some of the French I learned in the two years I studied it in high school, the girls decided to teach me this phrase: "je suis un peu pompette" : I am a little bit tipsy! I guess that night that was a perfect description of me! :)

I attended Agnes' daughter's ballet performance on the night of the 26th, and it was wonderful! We got to see all the classes perform at different levels of advancement, and then we saw some famous ballet dancers from Poland perform many different styles of dance. I was exhausted but incredibly happy with my experience, and also full of good cheese and Agnes' home-made lasagna!

Before heading back down to Rome on the train on June 27th, Agnes and I discussed future plans. When I return to Italy for recording in February of 2011, I will also head to France for a three week-to one month long tour of theaters and venues, most likely shared shows with Norfolk again, as that seems to be a good musical match. There were two promoters/agents for venues at the show we played at La Bamboche, and they are interested in helping us plan the tour. In conjunction with the album release in Italy and hopeful collaboration with publicists and agents there, the hope is to tour in Italy, France and possibly Spain as well.

My trip back down to Rome was uneventful and fairly easy. One train to Lyon, one bus to Torino, and one more train to Rome. Then I spent that Monday the 28th discussing plans with Euro Ferrari, as I have mentioned, and then flew back home with fairly little incidence. It feels great to be back home, and at the same time I'm excited to dive right in to plans and preparations for all that I need to do before next year's touring and recording.

I hope you all had a wonderful Independence Day - I performed with my band at the Fire in the Sky celebration in the football stadium on Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri and it was the most fun I've had in a long time. Happy Birthday, America. Oh, and my birthday is coming up in just four days, yikes!

2010-06-28T20:10:00.000-07:00

The Festival Degli Autori singer-songwriter competition in Sanremo, Italy was an experience of a lifetime, and one that I am sure will launch my career to the next level. Beyond all of my expectations and hopes, I won the international section of the festival, and have been offered a record deal with Sanremo Productions. Other competitors were so fabulous I truly feel humbled and honored to have won. (Photo by Rosita Bonelli).

In the international section there were artists from America, Canada, the UK, and elsewhere in Europe. I met so many people who were not only wonderful artists but kind and humble people who were there for the love of the music and for the hope to take the next step in their careers by performing for important industry contacts. In the Italian section were huge talents I had met in November and also some new discoveries that I was incredibly pleased to come into contact with.

The competition itself was incredibly intense. On the first day we stayed inside the theater for a total of fourteen hours listening to 75 different artists perform their songs for a preliminary panel. Out of the Italian performers, ten were chosen to move on to the next day, but no one knew who had moved on until the next morning. On the second day, the ten Italian finalists were announced, and that afternoon the international artists presented their pieces, though I had also performed the day before, a duet I co-wrote with Maurizio Opinato. I felt so incredibly good about my performance that afternoon that I forgot that it was essentially the competition itself, for the third, second, and first place winners were to be announced that night after dinner. I had no expectation to win and simply felt pleased that I had sung my heart out, alone on a stage, a song that I had written and that meant so much to me, to the best of my ability. I had a couple of glasses of wine with dinner and ate avocado and shrimp and then suddenly my friend Rosita (who, interestingly, shared a hotel room with me and ended up winning in her section of the competition as well - she and I became fast friends) reminded me I might have to sing again that night if I placed in the top three. GULP! It really didn't seem possible.

Filing back into the theater, I didn't know where to sit or what to do with myself. I didn't want to be so presumptuous as to sit behind the curtain on the side of the stage waiting to be called, but I didn't want to be in the audience battling my way through the seated people if I was called on to perform and accept an award. And if I were called on to perform, I had a guitar that needed to be tuned! I decided to compromise, and when they announced it was time to call out the three top place-winners for the international section, I went and waited in the outer hallway of the theater, so I could run onto the side of the stage, grab my guitar, and race onto the main stage if needed. I heard my friend Marilu from Luxembourg get announced as third place, and she performed amazingly. I then heard my friend Laure Pere from Canada get announced as second-place winner and she presented a song that is very special and distinct. I felt sure the winner would be Marco who has a great voice, a stellar band, and was presenting a pop-rock song that the audience had really enjoyed. So when Maestro Ermanno Croce said "and our winner comes from very far away! All the way from Seattle, Hilary Scott!" I literally couldn't believe it. I managed to move my feet and pick up the guitar and felt somehow that there was a huge grin plastered on my face, but the next five minutes were somewhat of a dream as I walked onstage, thanked who I could remember to thank (forgot to thank Euro Ferrari but have since apologized to him and he understood - now I know how people feel when accepting awards and trying to remember all their thank-yous - I didn't prepare any because I sure didn't expect to win) and then performed "And Just" for the second time that night in a moment I will never forget. It felt amazing. Afterwards, I was so stunned, I didn't even realize exactly what had happened and I asked Maurizio, "what does this mean, exactly?" He said, "It means you got a record deal!" I literally hadn't gone into this expecting anything, so to suddenly realize how huge this was overwhelmed me a bit, but in the best of ways.

I want to thank Euro Ferrari for the amazing production and arrangement of my song, Maurizio Opinato for inviting me to apply for this festival, and Ermanno Croce for giving us all the opportunity to be part of this. I also need to thank my supportive friends and family who have helped keep me going on this long journey to a place where it now finally feels the flowers on the fruits of my labor are going to blossom. Thanks also to AJ for being a constant source of insiration and support, and being the story behind my winning song.

After accepting my first place plaque, we all went out to celebrate, and discuss possibilities for the future. I think many collaborations are going to come out of this, and since I sang for many important industry people and appeared on national TV, I feel like I have a great kick-start for all the things that are going to happen in 2011. Today I spent about an hour talking to Euro Ferrari about the plans for recording, publicity, promotion, concerts, etc. More on that to come, as well as a blog entry about the amazing and crazy whirlwind four days I spent in France with Agnes Dautraix and friends. Stay tuned!

2010-06-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

...a quick note from the Hilary Scott webmaster...

Hilary Scott won the International section of the songwriter competition, Festival Degli Autori, Sanremo, Italy!!! More details to follow....

She is currently in France performing with artist Norfolk in two venues.

Expect another blog post from Hilary very soon!

2010-06-18T18:44:00.000-07:00

For the past 6 days, I've been working in the studio with songwriter Maurizio Opinato and producer Euro Ferrari from the moment I wake until the wee hours of the morning. I wasn't aware of all the projects I would be asked to be a part of before I arrived. Not only did I record vocals for the song I wrote for the finals, and the song I co-wrote with Opinato as a duet for the finals, but I sang on another three songs for other artists, and wrote two verses in English for the theme song of the entire festival. I'm excited to have so many writing and performing credits on the project. The CD, to be released in October of this year, will therefore feature my writing on three songs and my performances on 5 songs.

The genres of music I've worked on since arriving range from classic Italian pop songs, to Spanish dance, to epic-group songs ala "We Are the World" featuring rap solos. The arrangement and production on my song "And Just" give it an alternative-pop sound that I am very excited about. Though Euro Ferrari brings a special vision and new ideas to my music due in part to being from Europe, he also tends to approach recording and production with a perspective he describes as being "more worldly". The marriage of the two perspectives is creating a sound I am incredibly satisfied with. One of Euro's pet peeves is when the vocal track is not forward and centered in a song, and when the voice loses one or more of its harmonic ranges due to EQ and compression and other factors. His treatment of the vocal is wonderful, and I can hear every subtlety of my voice, even with an incredibly dense layering of instruments and sounds underneath.

Euro never hesitates to teach as he works, so I've gained valuable insights during my time in the studio. He is also extremely humble and never hesitates to compliment artists on their strengths. This has given me a great shot of confidence! Hearing his stories about people he has worked with from Sting to Luciano Pavarotti to Isaac Hayes to....(and the list goes on and on) has been incredible as well. I feel like I am getting a week-long immersion in music, culture and history, all in one, as well as a workshop where I have gotten to work intensely on writing and performance.

Tomorrow, in the early morning, we depart fo Florence so that myself, Euro Ferrari, and Maurizio Opinato can appear on a television interview and live performance to promote the festival. Apparently people come in from all over to attend the two nights of festival performances, and both nights are sold out. I even have friends from the UK coming in to watch me perform. I will perform the duet with Opinato on Monday the 21st, and my solo song "And Just" on Tuesday the 22nd. Executives from Sony and other large labels, studios, media, etc. will be there on the judge's panel. I will definitely be nervous but it will fantastic exposure. The country's premier television network will record and air the second night of performances.

On Wednesday I depart for France to meet my agent Agnes Dautraix of Lucy and Company who will also be kind enough to put me up in her home for the duration of my stay. I wil appear on an internet/television show there, and perform on the 24th and 25th with French artist Norfolk. Agnes and I have been in contact, and internet friends, for three years. The possibility to work together and for her to book me in festivals and theater venues in Europe is a dream come true.

So, after all the spectacle and debacle of my ill-fated voyage here (haha!) I feel so fortunate to have arrived into this melting pot of talent I have been blessed to be part of. I look forward to seeing where this all leads....because if I have learned one thing, it is that you never know when or where a chance meeting or connection will blossom into a new and incredible collaboration or experience.

2010-06-16T19:25:00.000-07:00

Wow! I've traveled internationally quite a lot, and have been fortunate, I now know, to have mostly avoided the kind of travel tribulations I endured on my way to Italy this time around. The first leg of my journey was from St. Louis to Chicago, usually an easy forty minute up and down ride. But there was 'intermittent weather' at O'Hare and apparently some planes were getting in, others not. We were in the line to land, but lost our spot after hovering in a holding pattern over the airport for more than an hour, when the pilot informed us they 'put all the fuel they possibly could on board the plane' but they were low on fuel and we'd need to divert to Peoria, Illinois, to re-fuel. I was supposed to be in Chicago by noon, with three luxurious hours to get a new boarding pass for my international flight to Rome. My bag was checked all the way through so no reason to worry (I would soon learn differently) and not having eaten since 7am I thought O'Hare would be a perfect place to grab lunch before boarding the international flight. Well, we ended up staying on the tarmac in Peoria for nearly TWO hours before taking off to Chicago once again and having to wait our turn for a spot on the landing strip. By this time it was after 3pm. My flight to Rome was supposed to leave, from a different airline in an entirely different terminal of the sufficiently LARGE O'Hare airport, at 3:35pm. While we were on the tarmac in Peoria, I happened to hear the gentleman in the window seat ask the girl sitting between us where she was headed. When I heard her say Bologna, I realized she was Italian. I struck up a conversation with her in Italian and we discovered we were on the same flight to Rome and thus in the same predicament. Her traveling partner was seated six rows ahead of her. For some reason they had seated me next to her instead of her friend. But I tend to meet Italians wherever I go in the world.On a plane of more than 150 people, I was sitting next to one, and there were only two on board. :) So we struck up a fast friendship based on wondering if we could make it to our next flight, if our bags would make the connection, and what we would do if we couldn't get on the plane.

We got off the plane at 3:15. We first had to battle our way through much of terminal 2 and 3 and ask a lot of questions before we realized we would need to hop a shuttle train to terminal 5. We boarded the shuttle train ten minutes before our flight was to depart. When we raced off the shuttle upstairs to the ticketing counter, we saw there was only one person at our particular airline's counter and she completely ignored us. Finally we managed to get some response from her and all she said was 'you are too late for the flight.' She then said we needed to go back to the other airline and force them to put us on their flight to Rome since they made us late. But the other airline had told us to come to THIS airline and see if they could re-book us if we missed the flight. She acted as though if we missed the flight we'd have no re-course and they would do nothing for us. I was afraid we would have to pay for new tickets. When we explained it was not our fault but that we had all come from the same late flight from a different airline, she sighed loudly, acted very put out, and called the airplane to see if they might wait a few minutes for us. She said she could issue us boarding passes but if we didn't hustle, could not guarantee that we could get on the plane. After getting my boarding pass I raced in my high-heeled boots (mistake I will not make again-my feet are still paying for it, I have scrapes on the top of each foot and they are SORE from running more than a mile in them) to security, the line for which was very long. An airport staff member told me I could not go to the front of the line even though my flight was supposed to be leaving right then, unless I had an escort from my airline. So, I ran BACK to ticketing, waited for the other two people to get their passes, and the agent escorted us to the front of the external security line, but didn't escort us past the point where our passports were checked, so there were still about thirty people in line ahead of us waiting to remove shoes, take out laptops, basically undress and re-dress. We politely asked our way to the front of the line, and sweaty, disgruntled, and afraid we would lose all our belongings while rushing through security, we made it through without major incident and prepared for the long run to our gate. With bags in hand, uncomfortable shoes and low energy from not having eaten for almost nine hours (they hadn't eaten either) we ran the mile or so to our gate.

The stewards looked at me like I was crazy when I ran onto the plane soaked in sweat and flushed from running. Bienvenuto! Welcome aboard, want a glass of water? What's the rush, right? Well, the ticketing agent hadn't told us that the flight was delayed anyway, due to some faulty piece of equipment. I was so tired and shaky from adrenaline I just wanted to sit down. As soon as I did, the woman next to me asked if I would mind trading seats with her husband so they could sit together. Of course not! So I moved. And we all sat on that plane with no fresh air for more than an hour, but hey, I was getting to Rome, I figured. My bag might be late but a day or so wouldn't matter. And actually, since we were delayed I thought perhaps my bag would make it onboard anyway. (Oh, and as a side note, we were told no other flights left from Chicago to Rome that day, this was our only chance. In retrospect, it would have been better to stay in Chicago and take the next day's flight, but we had no idea what was in store for us). I was completely unimpressed with the lack of communication between airlines, but was relieved just to be sitting on a flight to Rome. Realizing that my entire body was shaking and hurting from adrenaline and lack of food, as soon as we took off I stood up before the fasten seatbelt sign went off to ask for crackers or something. The steward was luckily really nice and stuffed my hands full of these nice little cracker snacks. I was a happy camper.....for a while.

They served us dinner early - I felt like luck was shining on me when I realized I had forgotten to order a vegetarian meal and didn't know what to do, when the girl next to me told me her parents had ordered her a vegetarian dish but that she would prefer to have the meat, so we traded. After dinner, a movie started, no babies were crying, I had a book to read, an iPod to listen to, and a window to look out of. Out that window all I could see were clouds and what was surely the darkness of the ocean below. We'd been on the plane for more than 5 hours (the entire trip to Rome was only to be 8.5 hours). Then over the intercom, I heard somerthing that I thought was surely a joke. The weather radar had gone out and though they had tried for 'more than thirty minutes' to fix it, it would not be safe for us to fly over the ocean at night without this radar. (I found out later it might not only have been the radar, but a rudder, so perhaps we had been lucky to even get on the ground safely). We were told we would be given rooms in New York City. We were circling over New York City waiting to land for over an hour and when we got on the ground they turned off the air vents and made us wait without giving us any information as to what was going on, for more than an hour. Even the stewards were nowhere to be seen, as obviously they wanted to hide from the irate passengers! Once we finally de-planed, we were bumped into another long, meandering, seemingly pointless line in the middle of the airport to wait for info on our hotel. By now they had had nearly three hours to organize a place for us all to stay, 300 of us, at least. They had one employee walking down the line asking us for our names and how many were in our party. Out of the 300 or so people on that plane, I managed to stand next to a family of 5 that ended up having the SAME NAME as me. We had a good laugh about this, since this had also been the family I was seated next to on the flight that had asked me to move so the husband and wife could sit together. People in line were half-asleep on their feet, removing shoes to stand barefoot, rushing off to buy water and hop back in line. (One other complicating factor to all this was that no one was allowed to claim their checked luggage. They said this was due to security rules, but since we all had to get new boarding passes and go through security again the next day, they surely could have scanned and re-boarded our bags - I firmly believe they left the bags on board overnight to save themselves the cost and time of getting workers there past hours to do it.) So, not having a toothbrush, clean undies, what-have-you, was also making people a bit crabby. When busses finally started coming to transport us to the hotels, we had just about had enough. Then another hour of shuffling around and I finally made it onto a bus. About fifteen minutes into the ride, the driver stops the bus in the middle of a lane of traffic, and just gets out, leaving the door open. He didn't even bother to tell us what he was doing, just left us all alone there on a bus with the door hanging open. Turns out he was trying to see where he could park the bus at the hotel entrance since the bus was too big for the parking circle. When we finally got off the bus, it was midnight. I'd already been traveling for 17 hours and had only gotten as far as New York City from St. Louis, which would normally be a two hour flight or so.

I was one of the first people in line at the hotel. There was only one person staffed at the front desk of the hotel, and you would have thought they did not have any preparation for our arrival, even though the airline had given them three hours notice or more. They even one time commented they did not have room for 'all these people'! The hotel was old, but supposedly just renovated, and they didn't even have electricity in some rooms, and none of the keys were programmed yet. Even though I was the third party in line to sign up for a room, I waited another hour and a half in the lobby for my key. I feel sorry for the hundred or so people who were behind me in line. They probably didn't get into their rooms until after 3am. I started hearing people say that they were putting families of five in the same room with only one bed. They were also putting strangers, male and female, together in the same room. Talk about safety and liability issues, not to mention just plain discomfort and embarassment for many of these people. But, after 1am, I finally got a key. When I entered my room, it was boiling hot, the air conditioning didn't work, the lights were on, the TV was blaring, and there was a dent in the bed where someone had been laying, a used towel in the bathroom, a key card on the desk. no toilet paper, etc. I was worried someone would walk in on me any second, so I called down to the front desk to make sure the room was not already booked. They assured me it was not and sent a maid to clean the room. She was moving so slowly I wasn't surprised that it took her nearly 40 minutes to change the bedsheets, bring me toilet paper and shampoo, and have a conversation about how they were not paying her for her overtime. This certainly wasn't a chain hotel, not was it one any of us had heard of. Anyhow, after 2am I finally managed to close my eyes, though my sleep was fitful due to a migraine I had from all the stress, lack of water and food, etc. (I know I sound like I was suffering out in the desert somewhere rather than just having an unfortunate travel experience, and I don't mean to sound like a whiner, but it was pretty tough on all of us by the time we got to this point in the night.) The airline had also left us with no vouchers for breakfast or anything, so the next morning when I awoke to catch shuttle back to the airport, I spent about twenty bucks in the hotel's gift shop for a small bottle of excedrin, a diet coke, and a small bag of fruit snacks. Breakfast of champions, but at this point anything with calories in it was absolute manna. We arrived at the airport without incident, but we were wrong in thinking they would have a quick and easy system in place for us to get our new boarding passes due to all that had occurred the night before. We were again in a line for over an hour, but at the end of this wait we not only got new boarding passes, but we received a twelve dollar voucher for lunch. I guess gone are the days when the airlines would give you a free travel voucher to somewhere in the continental US, refund your money, or at least double your frequent flier miles, anything! A twelve dollar voucher for lunch in an airport where a sandwich costs ten bucks was the best they could do. Anyhow, I didn't care, I was so happy to have put that night behind me. We were a little worried they were going to put us on the same plane after trying to fix it, but apparently they had secured another place, so by the time I was at our gate and looking for a place to eat, I felt pretty confident about the rest of the trip going well.

I sat down in a little cafe near our gate. They had really nice menus, the prices were reasonable. Well, most of that turned out to be a facade as the lone man working there informed us most of the menu items were not available. We could go look in a little glass case at the sandwiches available. So, I found one that worked and sat down to wait while he served the other twenty people there.....needless to say the poor guy was frazzled since he was the only employee, but he was friendly and helpful. I did have to wait a long time for my sandwich, but no biggie. Most of my complaints about this day are only in build-up to the next thing that happened; I actually felt pretty good and didn't mind the little inconveniences - and this is somewhat true of the the whole trip - I don't mind waiting for things and can be flexible when unexpected things happen, if the powers that be give me the information they have in a timely fashion. Being kept in the dark until they decide what to do with you (and whatever is most convenient for them) is what really irks me. So anyway, I'm feeling pretty good about things until I see something move out of the corner of my eye. At first I think something has flown past me, uintil I realize it is something scurrying along the floor. And then it is something scurrying over my foot - a mouse! I couldn't believe it! I shot out of my seat, ran to pay the bill and got out of there as quickly as possible, only to run to the waiting area for our gate and see birds flying about, one of which came and stood by my feet and fell asleep and then was startled and flew directly over my head on his way to safety. At least he didn't poop on me....What they say about the wildlife in NYC is really true, I guess, even inside the JFK airport.

We boarded the plane, and I'm thinking nothing else can possibly happen, and even the bird and mouse incidents were more comically bad than anything else. Well, I was assigned to the same seat, so of course the other family wants me to move again, so I switch to the window seat I had before. Well, a lady comes to my row saying I am in her seat. Lo and behold, her ticket stub does have the seat I am in printed on it. So, either the husband was wrong about having the same seat he had before, or there was a mix-up. I glady offer to give her the window seat since I usually prefer the aisle, but little did I know, this seat would end up being broken, and it wasn't even my assigned seat! With no other available spots on the plane, I end up with the one seat that is entirely boken, the metal seat sticking up in back so far that I was practically slipping off the seat forward and it was hell on my back. The stewards apologized and tried to tuck pillows and blankets under me to even it out, but it was all in all a punishing place for my bum to be parked for 8 hours. Oh, and our flight was still nearly two hours late taking off.....

BUT we finally arrived in Rome! It did take us nearly two hours to de-plane, get the shuttle to the main terminal and go through passport control. I felt bad for my friend who had been waiting at the airport already for nearly three hours, but figured my bag should be there waiting for me on the carousel since it took so long to get through passport control. However, my bag never arrived, and I was one of only three people who did not receive their bags. I was very worried about where it could be. Thank goodness I speak Italian or the process of claiming a lost bag would have been ten times more difficult. I did get shuffled from one counter to the next similar to what had happened in Chicago with the flight, but after another 1.5 hours, even though I had no clue where my bag was and they apparently could not get any info on it for me, I at least had filed the claim and was on my way out to meet my friend. I also felt a wee bit like a zombie since in two days I had gotten maybe five hours of sleep.

To make the rest of this incredibly long story shorter, there were no flights arriving the rest of that day, which was Sunday. I'd been without my belongings for two days now, and it took another day and a half to get the bag. I opened it up, so glad to be reunited with my belongings, and all my clothes were wet. My bag was probably unlucky enough to be left out on the tarmac in the rain in Chicago. But, nothing was ruined, and I was happy as a clam to have it. I started to get everything in order, and took out the converter I was going to use to charge my computer, flipvid, camera, iPod, phone, etc. Well - it didn't work. So now I've been without all my electronics and appliances for four days, borrowing other people's computers for blogging and e-mail. I have tried to find a converter but in the countryside outside of Rome they just don't carry those items in every store. :) No Radio Shack here....so I will wait a few more days and then hopefully be back on line so I can post more photos, vids, and blogs. I honestly think I've had my share of bad luck on this trip and it's time for things to turn around....except for the fact I still don't have my train tickets to France for next week - they seem to be lost in the mail system.

Sigh.....the truth is, I wanted to recount this story because it's humorously unbelievable, and then my next blogs will get down to the nitty gritty of how GREAT this week has turned out to be since getting into the studio with Euro Ferrari and songwriter Maurizio Opinato. Everything is going wonderfully and I'm thrilled with the possibilities for this project. So....don't worry, the next novella will be much more positive....just had to get all this complaining off my chest! :)

'Til next time.....

2010-06-14T06:07:00.000-07:00

Arrived safely in Rome on Sunday, nearly a day late. After a few hours sleep, began working in the studio with producer Euro Ferrari. Bag did not arrive on the same flight, but just heard that it has arrived in Rome. Check out tweets on www.hilaryscott.com. More details coming!

2010-06-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

Hilary Scott asked me to post this for her, since she is STILL traveling.

She experienced delays in Chicago due to a thunderstorm. Circled until the plane got low on fuel, then they were diverted to Peoria for refueling. Although late, she made her connection to Alitalia for the flight to Rome. Halfway to Rome the plane was diverted back to New York because the radar stopped working.

Quite late last night they found a hotel for everyone near the airport in New York, and she hopes to be flying out today at 3:00 pm Eastern for a very early morning arrival in Rome.

More later....

(Hilary's Webmaster)

2010-06-08T17:04:00.000-07:00

Today my agent from Premier Talent International sent me my flight confirmation for Japan in September when I am slated to be artist in residence at the Grand Hyatt in Fukuoka from late September 2010 to early January 2011. It reminded me how quickly the year is flying by and how much I have to look forward to musically this year!

In three days I leave for Italy, where I will start in Rome working with producer Euro Ferrari on my song "And Just" which is the song that got me into the finals of the international songwriting competition, Festival Degli Autori, in which I will be competing after recording in Rome. On the 20th of June I head up to northern Italy, the Italian Riviera to be exact, to Sanremo, and on the night of the 22nd I present "And Just" live to a large festival audience. The recorded version of the song, produced by Euro Ferrari, will appear on a compilation CD to be distributed nationally in Italy. I have a chance to win a recording contract with Sanremo Productions should I place in the finals.

After my performance on the 22nd in the competition, I take a long and winding train ride to France to meet my new European booking agent, Agnes Dautraix, who represents several artists through Miss Lucy and Co. Booking Agency. Agnes has booked two shows for me this summer in which I will share the stage with French artist Norfolk, and I will also appear in a French TV program performing live. These shows are an exciting preparation for summer of 2011, when Ms. Dautraix will be booking me as a headliner for my own shows in theaters and venues around France and in music festivals around the area as well. One of the artists she represents is James Taylor's sister, Kate Taylor, and I may perform as an opening act for Kate at some of the larger festivals. I'm thrilled with all of the possibilities!

Now it's just time to get down to packing....and to remember all the vital electronics for the trip! FlipVid: check! Computer: check! Camera: check! If I am able to keep up with it, you can expect You Tube videos of my performances abroad as well as scenic "movies" of the places I am traveling through, as well as plenty of photos and blogs.

Au revoir and arrivederci!

Hilary Scott Band - 2009-06-09 - Coopers Landing

2010-06-04T19:15:00.001-07:00

Thought you might enjoy this performance by the Hilary Scott Band at Coopers Landing last year. We are playing, "You Electrify Me".

more about "Hilary Scott Band - 2009-06-09 - Coop...", posted with vodpod

2010-05-23T10:00:00.000-07:00

About two months ago, I drove my sturdy Honda most of the way across the US after performing shows in my home town(s) of Pullman and Seattle, Washington. In just three days it carried me all the way from the northwest to Missouri. The year is flying by, with two tours in the US, and preparations to head back to Asia, this time to Japan for a three and a half month artist residency in the southern prefecture of Fukuoka. In June I head to the Italian Riviera for the finals of the Sanremo Festival Degli Autori competition and several recording sessions on many different projects. Hello, 2010!

2009-03-01T00:15:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I had an amazing experience at the Paris Bar.

Admittedly, I do my job and don't think too much about the venue itself. But, through conversations with people who live in Seoul and go there regularly or travel through often, apparently Paris Bar is considered one of the very best venues in Seoul. Considering what a big city this is, that's pretty cool.

I've had the pleasure of being introduced to many important and famous Koreans who patronize the bar. However, a couple of weeks ago I had an encounter I won't soon forget.

I was only playing piano on my first set, which I sometimes do in order to build the momentum of the show. There was a table of Korean men and women seated right next to the piano who were applauding and whistling in appreciation. They invited me to their table for a drink on my set break. While a couple of them spoke English, the man who had been most vocal in his appreciation for my performance was sitting quietly, not saying a word. Suddenly he leaned over to his wife and began speaking in Korean. She began translating to me.

"My husband is Lee Seung Chul, and he is also a peformer. He wants to make sure you know how much he enjoys your piano playing. He thinks you are wonderful." I thanked them profusely for the compliment, and decided to give them a few CDs. I asked them to please stay for another set so I could sing for them.

Well, they ended up staying the entire night. I sat with them on every set break, and received more information about this man as the night progressed, both from himself and from all the staff in the bar who were telling me, "he is the MOST FAMOUS Korean musical star." By the end of the night he had, through his wife's translation, let me know that I could consider our friendship a true one, and that I could "drop his name" if it might help me at any time in my career. He then gave me an autographed copy of his CD and proceeded to invite me to a big concert he would be playing the following weekend in Busan. He was offering me free tickets, free accomodation, and inviting me to be a guest at their private party the following day. Unfortunately I was unable to attend becuse it was Valentine's Day, and my supervisor couldn't allow me to miss my performance that night.

It is difficult to express how much of an honor this interaction was for me because it involves many components of the Korean culture. For an older professional of high societal standing to (as they put it in Korean) "make a friendship with me" is one of the highest compliments that can be paid. Furthermore, to allow me to speak his name to others as a friend is also huge. I was extremely disappointed to not be able to accept his generous invitation, but he has been back to the bar since, and it is clear that he meant what he said about having a true friendship. In a society where "face" and position on the social hierarchy are things you encounter and deal with daily or even hourly, and where you are constantly expected to behave according to a complex set of social rules (which foreigners often admittedly do not completely understand), it was interesting to me that a common respect and love for music cuts through all of that, and allows genuine human interaction to take place.

One more reason why I love music......

2009-01-18T03:08:00.000-08:00

I've been learning more about Seoul in the past few weeks. I think it's taken me until now, nearly the halfway point in my time here, to "settle" in, but I finally feel I am starting to understand the place I will be living in for the next nearly four months.

Highlights for me have been discovering the 24-hour women's spa, which offers two hour Thai style massage for under fifty dollars, amazing saunas of different intensities and styles (one was almost like a brick igloo, and was so hot they keep a sand hour glass inside to warn you of over-heating, and they actually had eggs hard boiling in their shells in there) great hot baths and all the spa services you could possible want. I've never been much of a spa-goer at home, but here it is very much a part of the culture - the Koreans literally schedule time to relax into their lives as regularly as possible.

I also did some reading up on Itaewon, which is essentially my neighborhood. Itaewon is considered the "international" neighborhood of Seoul, and is located directly near the US Army Base. When you walk down the streets of Itaewon, you will see faces from all over the world, and of course many soldiers walking around as well. Food from every culture, imported goods from places such as Egypt, and Africa, interesting vendors (like the man who sits all day knitting various items of clothing in his little booth on the corner near the grocery store where I shop) and live music venues give the place a lively feel - it's active around the clock, especially on the weekends. Itaewon is a bit run-down as the business fronts have not been re-done in decades, and the city is debating what the "new look" of this international district should be. Most people argue that since it is already international in flavor, more Korean flourishes should be added to the look of the storefronts. Overall, Seoul is one of the cleanest-feeling and cleanest-looking cities I've ever visited.

An interesting fact about Seoul is that while it is (I think) the largest city in the world, it is also considered just about the safest, and you might, in the wee hours of the morning, see adolescent kids on skateboards, ex-pats out for a night run, or insomniacs walking their dogs.

The Grand is located essentially on a small mountain, and next to the hotel is an expanse of land which has been turned into a park with miles of walking paths, "fitness" areas, ponds, outdoor art sculptures, the highlight being the 30-minute climb to the top of the mountain where one can go up into Seoul Tower - which reminds me of the Space Needle from home, though Seoul Tower is nowhere near as fetching - and get an amazing view of the sprawling, light-bejeweled Seoul.

In terms of my gig - I am enjoying this opportunity to learn many new songs, and transpose songs that I usually play on guitar to piano versions. I'm also trying every night to be creative and re-interpret songs I play almost every evening. Regulars at the bar have started coming in specifically to see me, and I've "earned" many Korean friendships with guests and co-workers. Where at first I was befuddled by the social hierarchies here, I've started to appreciate one aspect of this system very much: when you do obtain respect from a Korean and a friendship is begun, I absolutely get the feeling that this is taken very seriously and that the friendship will be cherished indefinitely. This reminds me of when I visited Japan as a teenager and stayed in a guest home. My initially reticent Japanese host father (who was disappointed I could not speak Japanese) ended up spending hours with the Japnese/English dictionary the night before I was to leave for home, writing me a letter telling me I would always have a family in Kasai. Hard-won affection, when given, is especially touching.

I have friends coming to visit me in Korea - a blessing which makes me realize how fortunate I am to have so many wonderful people in my life and also gives me so much to look forward to for the duration of my time here, much as my family coming to see me in Vietnam got me through some of the lonely spots there, as well.

I am making it a goal to write more often in the blog, so please check in every week or so to see if I've kept my promise! :) Also - if you're a Facebook member, you can look up the Hilary Scott fan club. It is actually a site written completely in French, because it was started by my French friend Agnes Dautraix, who is not only a singer herself, but is making a name for herself by interviewing music artists from all over the world, some of them quite big names. Please join - English language posts are welcome, and Agnes would like me to spread the word about the group.

More soon!@

2008-12-22T20:18:00.000-08:00

Hi from Seoul, Korea!

Christmas is only a couple of days away. I am trying to figure out ways to "invoke" the holiday spirit over here, even though I am far from most of my friends and family. So, with the new friends I've made here, I've been baking cookies, listening to Christmas carols, and wearing as much red and green as possible. :)

More importantly, I'm trying to count my blessings and make sure to express my appreciation for those blessings.

I am playing music, which is my love.
I am making a living playing music, in uncertain economic times.
I have people who love me, whether they are right across the street or thousands of miles away.
I am healthy.

I can't think of much else I need - and I realize that I also can't think of much to complain about, though there have certainly been difficult and lonely times here in Seoul. For every blessing I counted above, there are people struggling, and it's important to remember that as well. What can I do to help other people? My friend Mary and I are looking into volunteering at orphanages and women's shelters here in Korea. Something to bring myself OUT of myself will probably help me a lot when those lonely, sad times occur.

So, no matter your beliefs - I hope that during this holiday season, right before the new year begins, you count your blessings and also recognize your own ability to make the world a better place on whatever scale you can.

And - musically speaking, I'm finding the blues to be the best cure for my blues.

2008-11-21T02:29:00.000-08:00

Well - many people probably won't find this blog for a while as I assume no one is following a blog that is more than a year overdue! I hope we can get you back on the site after sending out a notice in the next newsletter. I apologize for my blogging absence - but I hope to be back "on the wagon."

2008 brought about many changes for me personally and professionally. In the summer of 2007 I moved back to the northwest to be near family, sadly leaving behind a nearly seven-year run with the Hilary Scott Band, which I miss very much, and for a period of time had been focusing on writing and recording. I took three trips back to Columbia, MO between summer 2007 and summer 2008 where I played in shows with members of the Hilary Scott Band and worked on an album with Wes Wingate at Mansion Studios (the album will be released in summer of 2009). In April of this year, I was contacted by an agency called Premier Talent International, and offered representation by Vanessa Feltner, the owner of the company, who finds musicians jobs overseas. My first placement was for three months in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and now I am working my way through a six month contract in Seoul, Korea. I may have future placements in other areas in Asia, the UAE, and Europe. The job combines cover music and some originals, and I perform piano and vocals. I have found pleasure in developing this other aspect of my life as a professional musician. On the flipside, I recall with nostalgia the wonderful music the Hilary Scott Band made, and I still plan to return to the Midwest for shows with the band when possible.

Since this lifestyle is so different from what I had been doing previously, I have interesting stories to tell, which I will try to find time to blog about. Thanks for reading this and please keep checking in.

2007-08-05T20:32:00.000-07:00

Life got the best of me over the past few months. For those of you who usually check the blog (and haven't given up on me yet) I hope this brief update will serve as my apology to all of you.

I recently moved across the US, from Missouri back to Seattle. Although the move was mostly for personal reasons, sad personal reasons, I am also looking forward to a wide array of new musical opportunities, and so far haven't seemed to miss a beat.

Before leaving Columbia, me and my second family, The Hilary Scott Band, had the opportunity to play Fire in the Sky for our second time. Performing in a football stadium is certainly fun! We had to dodge a couple of fleeting rainshowers, but it was a beautiful, and blessedly cool night (by Missouri standards!)

Since arriving back in Seattle, I have taken a couple of trips, mostly for personal reasons. I visited an old friend of mine, Shannon, on the east coast, and it was an enjoyable, whirlwind ten days that included dinner in Baltimore, several days in rural Pennsylvania, a day in New York City, several days in New Haven (recognized a few of the landmarks from when I went to Yale summer school) and several wonderfully relaxing days in another rural Pennsylvanian town near Pittsburgh. It was great to see Shannon - whom I met when we both studied abroad in Milan, Italy.

This weekend, I went to visit my dad and stepmom in Idaho on Pend O'Reille lake. Sandpoint is the site of the Festival at Sandpoint (which I played last year as the opener for Tanya Tucker) and this year I was able to attend Jonny Lang and Lyle Lovett's shows, and last year after performing, I stayed an extra few days to see David Grey. What a beautiful festival it is....and what awesome musical performances I have seen there.

I have several projects going on right now, all of which are exciting. Here in Seattle, I have begun collaborating with Robert Parks, who produced one of my first albums, 'Hypothermia,' (a die-hard fan favorite). We will be performing here on the 18th of August, and I have another solo show on the 22nd of August. After that, I fly back to Columbia, thrilled to see friends whom I miss like crazy already, and ready to play with the band again, for 5 or 6 wonderful dates packed into a couple of weeks. All show dates will be available on the various websites.

I have almost completed a project I started working on a while ago, with Keith Colley, songwriter and recording artist out of LA, who wrote several hits, with heavy exposure in the '60's. He has started a couple of awesome projects, one called Can Do! to help raise self-esteem in children, and now the Salute Amerca project, of which I will be a part. I have written a song called 'America's Song' for the project, which at some point I will record with Keith in either his LA or Seattle-based studio, and possibly I will record a couple of other songs which Keith has written for the project. The project is directed toward re-invigorating positive feelings about this country, and will serve the dual purpose of promoting some artists, such as myself.

It looks like there is a good chance I will be touring abroad, in Italy, this fall and winter, with a band of italian musicians. I have also befriended a musician in France who has done booking in the past and is looking to help book me more extensively abroad. I am very excited for these opportunities!

Recently, the Kansas City Rockers for Life project I was part of was released. We hope to get extensive promotion for this project, as it benefits the very important cause of raising awareness about, and against, drunk driving. My song 'Sugar Bomb' was included on this compilation CD of Kansas City-area artists. Links to purchase and for more information should be on the website.

I also was recently contacted by a company out of LA, Hitt Street Music, which will hopefully be instrumental in shopping my songs to various TV, Film, Label, and review opportunities.

All in all, these coming few months are going to be busy, filled with travel and music. I want to say, to my band members, friends, and family: THANK YOU for all you have done over the past 8 months to support and love me. There are not words enough....

To fans - please keep coming back! No matter where I live, I can't do this without you, and there are so many exciting developments I hope you will be a part of. Stay with me on the road to hope, I need you....

2007-02-07T16:45:00.000-08:00

OK - you can officially string me up by my toenails for being out of blogdom since August. My life has been utter chaos, and it's time to fill you in.

Within the last week, some great possible developments have come about with the music. Keep in mind all of these are 'possibilities' and I'm not making grand announcements here, just talking about stuff that I think you will be interested in hearing about, especially after my prolonged absence! :)

First of all - drum roll - the long awaited booking agency has finally entered stage right! Through Hometone Records (check them out - great Columbia-based record label/promotions company) I've gotten the opportunity to work with Sound Mind Booking out of St. Louis, which is going to be a wonderful opportunity beginning with a possible spring break tour and an extensive tour in June starting in the midwest, heading up to New York and circling down the east coast to finish in Nashville. This is a huge step in the right direction for promoting my music and taking it to the next level. Through this same booking agent I may have the opportunity to compete in a wonderful north Hollywood showcase for female singer-songwriters that might enable me to be seen by TV, film and label types.

Locally, the Hilary Scott Band has some great gigs coming up like a two-night-stand at Uncle Bo's in Topeka, Kansas, a huge blues fest in September, another appearance at Jim Curley's Mountain Music Shoppe and Knuckleheads, all favorites. We recently were chosen from Sonic Bids to compete in the Wakarusa Winter classic (national competition happening in several cities across the US) at the Blue Note - we made connections with the festival which may eventually lead to a booking there.

I've been asked to appear as the feature artist on the radio show Homegrown at the Lake of the Ozarks this weekend, which is also a tremendous honor.

Recently, my mother got in contact with a friend of hers from many years ago, Keith Colley, who is incredibly successful as a songwriter for Sony and who has many years experience in the music business. He has agreed to become a mentor of sorts for me in terms of polishing my songwriting, possibly helping me direct who I send my material to and how to present it.

In Nashville, the songs I completed several monoths ago with producer Matthew Wilder are in their final stages of production, mixing and mastering. Matt has said several people with whom he is working have shown interest in the material - this could lead me to several different types of opportunities and is very good news.

I even received an e-mail from someone who probably found me on My Space, and who has a successful (ie label, promotion, distrbution, touring, opening for major acts, playing the best festivals, radio play, etc.) three-girl-fronted band and who needs a replacement for the singer/violinist who left the group. I don't know if I'd be exactly what they are looking for but it's great how, just as my good friend Steve once told me, when the opportunities start to pour in they don't stop - it's an AVALANCHE!

I know the above comments are vague, but that is all they can be at this time. Details to come - but the good news is that all the years of hard work start to pay off and as more opportunites present themselves I realize that there are multiple paths that can lead to success. Patience and readiness are the keys!

I apologize for being silent for so long. Forgive me, and let's blog again soon, OK?

2006-08-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

Getting back from a long, amazing trip can sometimes be incredibly depressing. I feel overwhelmed by the things I need to catch up on, but ultimately refreshed when I think back to all the wonderful things that happened to me in the past four weeks.

I have some catching up to do! Back in July, BA and I hit the road for Wisconsin, shared driving duties and a hotel room, and a lot of great laughs on our 'northern tour.' Little Feat let us be their guest for their show in Madison at a beautiful theater venue, then the next night we played in Middleton at Club Tavern. The house was pretty full, and some old friends from Chicago surprised me in the crowd, Rob Lampe and his wife Lynn drove up (eight hours) and back in one day just to make that show better - it was three guitars that night - and I marveled at their incredible friendship and devotion to the music. The next day brought us down to Mattoon, Illinois where we enjoyed playing a beautiful evening concert outdoors at Uncommon Ground. We were well fed and coffee-d, and we hope to return to that welcoming little place sometime soon. It was on to Champaign-Urbana the next night. We have several friends in that city due to gigs we've played in the past, and Gary and Dennis were there to cover merch, treat us to dinner (Gary, you're too generous) and make the night smooth. The venue was an outdoor patio with strings of lightbulbs forming a delicate canopy above our heads. We enjoyed sweating out the gig (yep - over ninety degrees at 9pm), staying up very late drinking good beer while Griff continued his DJ services from his laptop computer long after we stopped playing, and staying at his aunt and uncle's house, where we shot BBs, played with the dogs, and bonded.

One short day in Columbia and then Michael and I were off to Hawaii. My grandmother Glenda made the trip with my mom and her husband Pete, and Pete's mother Marie. My sisters Heather and Dede were there, as well as my stepbrother John and his girlfriend Cassandra. Our condo was gorgeous - Michael and I shared a loft with a gecko - he scared me the first time he dropped from the ceiling in the shower, but then I grew accustomed to him! Snorkeling was an almost daily priority, and on our first full day there we lucked onto a beach called Chang beach (discovered in the book Maui Revealed) and just a couple hundred feet offshore, hidden behind a group of rocks, were two huge old souls: sea turtles. I swam among them, close enough to touch a shell, but just observed them in awe as they nibbled at treats on the rocks. My goal for the entire trip was to see sea turtles, so finding them on the first day was perfection. Tattoo number three (and last?) might have to be a tribal sea turtle - I find them to be a connection to calm, peace and wisdom. We took the road to Hana on the third day and found a couple hidden pools where the natives go. At one of them we saw some nudists singing - we listened and swam with them (in suits :)) and then went to another place called Venus Pool. We felt like trespassers as we jumped through a fence, walked in a wheat field for a couple hundred yards, past an old abandoned bread oven, and down some steep rocks which opened into the most amazing 'swimming hole' we'd ever seen. Michael was able to cliff dive (there were perches as low as six feet and as high as thirty or forty for us to jump from) and the water was so deep that even with its clarity you couldn't see the bottom. Although the car ride home from Hana made me sick, I had some Dramamine on hand and survived! The next day we went sailing on a catamaran that had been built especially for the cove in which it sailed daily; it traveled over 20 knots (faster than most racing vessels) while we were on it getting showered and bounced by the waves and holding on for dear life - what a thrill! Although I once had a scary run-in with a catamaran, I enjoyed every minute of this adventure, and we snorkeled at Molikini with some amazing schools of colored fish, eels and other sea creatures. (My fin managed to do some damage to my heel; it scrubbed off an inch-long and half-inch wide portion of skin over my achilles tendon - I had to use Chacos as fins for the rest of the trip - the sore is just now healing almost three weeks later!) Evenings often found us playing dominoes or sitting and reading with the family, (cocktails in hand) or even trading the salt of the ocean for the chlorine of the condo's pool and the amazing breezes that would wash over us from the beach. We did our fair share of eating too - discovering one of the THE best sushi places Michael and I have ever eaten at! We couldn't have had this most perfect of vacations without the help of my mom and Pete who helped with expenses all over the place. Thanks, guys! This will always rank as one of the best times of my life. There was so much more - Big Mama's Fish House, best ice-cream sandwich ever, hippie town Paia, amazing sunrises, and a rooster that woke us up every morning before the sun - but mostly it was some of the best family time I've had in a while. Being around my sister, mom and grandmother at one time was reminiscent of family gatherings when I was a child - it was incredibly special. I could go on for hours - but I'd better not!

Then came opening for Tanya Tucker at the Sandpoint fetival - something we've been anticipating and looking forward to for months now. Right before we left, our bassist Mike Robertson got sick and couldn't make the trip. We missed him very much, but lucked out by catching Jeff Mueller and Ruth Acuff of the band Rutherford before they left on a trip to the east coast and inviting them to come along and share bassist duties. Michael, BA, Griff, Jeff, Ruth, our publicist and 'merch supervisor' Melissa, and myself piled into the fifteen-passenger Ford with instruments and luggage for a week (we must have re-packed the van five times before we figured out how to get it all in) and headed out west. The entire trip was 30 hours, but we stopped in Fort Collins to party with my sisters Heather and Dede and about forty of their closest friends! A rehearsal there at their house turned into an impromptu performance, and we had a fantastic time playing and partying. After two restful nights there in Colorado, we finished the next eighteen hours of the trip with Michael at the helm. He's a driving maniac!(Backtracking a bit, let's give a round of applause to Michael for being the most excellent captain of that ship - he got us safely though a blown tire in Kansas - scary as hell, let me tell you I screamed! Apparently, the pavement was too hot for peoples' tires - we saw evidence of more than thirty blown tires as we made our way through that hot, long state!) Griff's computer became a makeshift movie screen and Office Space and Mr. and Mrs. Smith accompanied us for part of the long drive. We talked about songs, chords, arrangements, set lists a bit as we drove, but mostly looked forward to arrival and some sleep. Arriving in the dark of night, nobody could tell just how paradisical Sandpoint Idaho is, but the shock of 45 degrees after having been in 100-plus heat earlier in the day was incredible. The next morning, everyone oooh-ed and aah-ed at the view of the incredible Lake Pend O'Reille from my grandmother's comfortable lakefront cabin. My dad and stepmother Robin had set us up with a stocked refrigerator, we had cards and poker chips, a dock, beer, and when we weren't rehearsing with a mountain view, we were swimming, sunning, kayaking, hiking. (Several of the band members went huckleberry picking on Schweitzer). It was truly paradise. Thursday night, Robin and Dad threw a BBQ party for many friends, neighbors and family members, and the band members couldn't tell me enough how welcomed they felt. Press poured in; the Spokesman Review, the Daily Bee and the Sandpoint Reader ran nice half-page photo ads and I got a great interview in the Reader. We were told this festival hasn't sold out pre-show since 2001; our show (OK it was Tanya's too!) of over 4000 people was sold out long before Friday the 4th. We were treated like kings and queens in our air-conditioned trailer with food, beer, bed, private bath, and massage therapist on hand. The crowd lapped it up; we all felt high after performing, then gorged on catered gourmet food, and I mingled with the crowd, signed CDs, and basked in the feeling of playing at a festival I've dreamed of being part of for years. Several friends and family members who have never seen me perform were able to be at this show, and that was probably the highlight of this experience for me. I can't thank friends and family enough for helping make this all happen, selling merchandise at the show, and supporting us. It took a village to make this the awesome experience it was for everyone involved. I will write a part 2 of this soon - there is much more to the story, and the fact that I stayed an extra week in Idaho after the show and got to see David Grey in concert is something I definitely want to write about. Let's see, meeting Tanya Tucker, baking biscotti, visiting Grandma, seeing my cousin and her daugher Rowan, my aunt's connections, and more! If I write the keywords down, perhaps I won't forget, and perhaps it will get you back on here to read the next update! For now, my fingers are cramping! More soon.... :)

2006-07-26T22:37:00.000-07:00

July blog here I come! Things I need to remember to write about when I get a chance:

Four-day tour of the northern states!

Tattoos, mai tais, snorkeling and sea turtles in Hawaii!

Preparation for Tanya Tucker opening (one fun little hint - our monitor man just finished a stint doing sound for Pearl Jam and our front-of-house sound man often mixes for Pavarotti - should be some good sound, huh?)

Best fish around

Overcoming my fears of catamarans

Pupunene

All for now - have to write myself reminder notes or you'll never hear the whole story!

2006-06-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

Two blogs in three days - it's a veritable rainshower of words! OK - just had to kid around since everyone's always on me about writing in the blog more. I have found undeniable reason to today, since 'coincidence' (which I believe is always just a convenient word used to describe something much more important) slapped me right between the eyes today as I was sitting and eating my lunch and reading 'Hammer of the Gods' for the third time.

Those of you who've read the book will understand the following story in greater depth, but for those of you who haven't read this book, if you're a Led Zeppelin fan, or a blues lover in general, you should read this book. It not only details the Zeppelin 'myth' (and some of their truths) in detail, but it outlines the birth and lifeline of blues and how it has influenced so many different styles of music from rockabilly to metal. Good read....

In any case, while digging into a tuna salad sandwich, I was just at the point in the book where they talk about the profound influence Robert Johnson has had on music, as the father of Delta blues. BOOM! First hit of 'coincidence' lands a right hook! Last night, we played at Knuckleheads in Kansas City on their outdoor stage. Following our set, which ended at 11:20, Honeyboy Edwards, the last living link to Robert Johnson, and in his early nineties, was to play a set on the indoor stage. It was legendary, and here I was reading about the 'school' he came from, and the very musicians he played with. Earlier in the night, the soundman, Pete, had said I might have to sit in and accompany Honeyboy with a little keyboard - he ended up bringing someone with him, but I came THIS close to playing with Honeyboy.

The other interesting moment of serendipity was that Van Morrison is only mentioned once in the book, and I was sitting in a restaurant that was playing an 'oldies' station. Right as my eyes scanned his name, a Van Morrison song started to play. I take these things seriously - so is this telling me I'm in the right place at the right time?

Whether it's by luck or design, we've found ourselves on a very cool blues circuit in the company of some of the best bands around. The Bel Airs played Knuckleheads the night before us, and we share a show with them and Dave Alvin next Wednesday in front of the Blue Note. In our own way, we're doing the kind of networking that these bands in the biographies I read were doing when they were struggling up through the ranks. I don't for a second intend to compare myself to the legends of music like Zeppelin and Clapton or anyone else for that matter - but it's interesting how there really is a pattern to the work and results you achieve in this business of music. You take the raw material and you mix it with stick-with-it-ness, luck, timing, and the constant small steps you are taking as you meet people who can help you with the next leap.

Jimmy Page hung out and played with Jeff Beck and Steve Winwood and the Stones and Eric Clapton before these people were known. They played colleges and dance halls and state fairs and sometimes crummy bars. They didn't always have energy, they got tired, they kicked their amps off the stage when they malfunctioned, dealt with problem crowds and crooked venue owners. Who was it who said music is such a noble art and such a sad profession?

By the way - last night everyone was calling for me to play more fiddle. The devil is commonly painted (whether visually or simply in lyrics to a blues song) as a fiddler. Does this mean my band is at the delta crossroads waiting for our guitars to be tuned by the devil? Is the soul-trade the only way to make it? :) OK - not so fast there! Read the book and you will know of what myth I speak - I've not yet been approached by a cloven-hooved man hoping to re-string my guitar, although there have been plenty of people with promises of fame and glory! I think it all boils down to old-fashioned hard work. I think it's paying off - I see exciting things happening in 2006, and in case I don't say it enough, if you're taking the time to read this blog, you've either played an important part in helping me, (so THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU) or you're lurking on the net and have too much time on your hands. :) (OK - if you are reading this by happenstance, I thank you too - now go buy a CD!)

2006-06-22T23:33:00.000-07:00

Just spent a fascinating two hours driving around with my friend and harmonica-player, Griff. We were listening to the Volume 1 live cuts CD and after every few songs, as part of a 'mini pub crawl' we'd stop and grab a brew. Mostly it was fascinating conversation - I realize time and again how lucky I am to have the great guys I have in my band not only as fellow musicians, but as dear friends.

Michael and I were talking the other day about how, if we step back and really look at things objectively, the last two months have signaled a changing tide in this 'business of music.' All of a sudden things are exploding - and I'm holding on for the ride, grinning from ear to ear as the wind whips me around, a punch-drunk smile plastered on my face from the exhileration of yet another loop-de-loop.

Certainly a focus of my excitement is the upcoming Festival at Sandpoint (Friday August 4th) at which we will have the opportunity to open for Tanya Tucker. While we've opened for people whom I consider legends in their own right (Little Feat and Beth Orton among them) it seems to be now that everyone is oohing and aaahing! :)Our desire to break into the elusive and elite festival circuit seems to be coming to fruition. I have wanted to play in the Festival at Sandpoint, not only because it's a fabulous well-known festival, but because it takes place in one of the most beautiful places in the world, and my family and friends are nearby and will finally have the chance to see me play. (Many of them have not seen me in live concert since I moved so far away from the northwest).

Tonight is one of those nights where I sit back, and in full beer-soaked appreciation (I promise I am not drunk - but the beer was delicious) I realize that the dreams I've had, by day, by night, or in my secret heart, are coming true on a daily basis.

SEH - you are watching over me, Magellan. I know this all is because of you.

2006-05-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

Colin Hay sings in my ear....

I drink good coffee every morning
Comes from a place that's far away
And when I'm done I feel like talking
Without you here there is less to say
Don't want you thinking I'm unhappy
What is closer to the truth
Is that if I live 'til I was a hundred and two
I just don't think I'll ever get over you

Wow...I love music. I am reflecting on the trip my band and I took two weekends ago. We played West Plains Friday night, Houston Saturday night, and Earth Day in Columbia Sunday afternoon. To bring so much music to so many people in such a concentrated period of time brought home to me that THIS IS IT! Touring is exhausting but thrilling....

The theater in West Plains was beautiful and modern, the crowd was beautiful and timeless. I am constantly honored by the opportunity to play my music for people, and consistently shocked by the capacity of the heart to embrace it.

The local commercial radio station interviewed me, played a couple of my songs, and also ran a station-identification promo for me all the next day, two times an hour, as an advertisement for my Houston show that night. It was great to get such support. The band was ON...almost all of our Floating World CDs were sold that night on the basis of how we performed 'Gravity' that night.

We stayed that night after the West Plains show with a friend of ours, Spencer, who took us to a little house in Van Buren, in a beautiful tree-filled plain. We were up until the wee hours driving there, and then eating cardboard box pizza (no food had ever tasted so delicious at that point) and then we crashed. The next day Spencer took us to this amazing Spring (Big Springs was the name, I think) which is this gigantic rush of gorgeous blue water... while I've heard many people say they feel small and insignificant around natural wonders such as this, I instead feel an incredible calm at the purposefulness of everything around us. Small we are....insignificant, no.

Saturday night in Houston was something special. I will never forget it. It was in an old church, hence the name 'Stained Glass Theater.' Unfortunately, our show was to be the last in this venue. (Not enough community support to justify the renewed grant, plus the owners of the church were moving elsewhere - arts must be supported -it's dire!) The crowd was immediately responsive and it was so comfortable playing for them. As soon as I said 'good evening', they said 'good evening' right back, much as you might imagine a church congregation responding to a pastor's welcome. From then on out we were like old friends. At one point my voice failed me (I sprouted a cold the next day) and I re-started a song. I've never had to do that in a show, and rather than feeling mortified, these people made me feel it ENHANCED the show...they clapped laughed and supported. A highlight of the evening was being offered an artist's trade: my CDs and a tee-shirt for a beautiful hand-etched silver bracelet. I've worn that bracelet almost every day since.

I learned a lot about my two band-mates BA and Rob on that trip; Rob likes to eat lots of junk food when travelling, and BA doesn't love it when other people drive! But you know, we got along well - they really took care of me. I felt so good that this time around I could actually pay them well (these gigs were through the Missouri Arts Council, hence grants paid us nicely) but I also realized they will suffer almost anything, for little to no pay, just to play music with me. I couldn't ask for anything more...in fact, it'd be a SIN to do so! :)

Earth Day was a glowing example of all that is right with Columbia. The park was full, the sound was great, Loyd was back onstage with us (I have missed him) and the weather was heavenly.

Since then we also played the Hep C awareness gig at the Martini Bar, and met a very nice group called Kelly's Lot who has invited us out to LA in October to play a telethon and also to perform in some cities around the LA area, through their connections. It is great to start networking like this, but more importantly I so respect these people for bringing awareness through music, and using their talent to put as much good into the world as possible.

This week I will be heading to Nashville - a solid week of writing sessions and recording vocal tracks. There is some possiblity of one of the tracks being shopped to movie soundtracks - always a great way to get 'discovered' and make some money so I can keep touring. We shall see how it goes.

Now it's Simon and Garfunkel:
Tom, get your plane-ride on time
I know your part'll go fine

Until next time!

2006-04-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

I do belive 2006 is shaping up to be the busiest year of my life thus far. The pace of travelling back and forth to Nashville, the increasing amount of gigs we are hired to play, the dual studio projects I am working on, the appointments and rehearsals and meetings put all of those college exams and term papers I completed to shame! OK - different things entirely, I admit - but I have never been busier...and I am loving every second of it!

I don't know how many life-changing experiences or 'firsts' I've had since the birth of this year which I have failed to write about, but I do know that I can count among them: 1.The best live concert I've ever seen (Sigur Ros at the Pageant in St. Louis) 2. The first co-writing project I've ever undertaken (Matthew Wilder in Nashville - also have had the chance to write with some 'Nashville royalty' - more on that in a future blog) 3. Hiring a new promoter/booking agent (Melissa) and starting to work again with a great one I had been working with previously (Tim) 4. Two albums being written, produced, and recorded concurrently (or as close to concurrent as you can get without two sets of vocal chords) 5. Being featured on the cover of a magazine

So, there's more I could list, but lists are shallow and limiting - and I don't have anywhere near enough time to give enough attention to each of these subjects. I just realize that life is full, and I am often tired, but it's the best kind of fatigue I've ever known because I truly feel as though this road is leading somewhere exciting.

On March 25th, our band had one of their most successful gigs ever at the Martini Bar. Whether aliens snuck into our bedrooms the night before and implanted mind-reading chips in our brains as part of an experiment that allowed us to anticipate each others' every note or we were just ON - may never be known. What IS known is that every song that night had a special vibe - like playing them for the first time.

A week prior to that show, I had another special 'first' at the Mountain Music Shoppe in Shawnee, KS. My mother and sister were in town visiting, which was special enough in and of itself, but they attended the gig, which doubled the fun. (None of us were chewing Doublemint, but we had a great time.) The venue, small and intimate, and truly meant to be a 'listening room' provided us with a fantastic live recording of myself, Michael, and BA, and some truly heartfelt versions of songs we've played hundreds of times. The concept of building your fan base one person at a time was alive and well at that show, as many of the people from the Kansas City area who have expressed a love of my music at one time or another over the last five years made an effort to come to that little show. Also - if I didn't mention it before (I might be repeating myself) we had Jim Curley up onstage to give one of his world-class spoons performances. How awesome!

This past Thursday we opened for Lizzie West at the Martini Bar - it was, as usual, a very fun night. While I was there, I was handed a cell phone by Blues Man B and told that Kelly from California was wanting my band to be part of an upcoming (April 29th) benefit for Hep C and AIDS awareness. Needless to say, despite hoping we don't overstay our welcome at the Martini Bar with the many appearances we've made there as of late, we will be part of that fundraiser for a very important cause.

Richard King (owner of Blue Note and MoJo's) also got a hold of me and asked us to be part of the 9th Street concert series this summer, which will be a fabulous triple-billing including the Bel-Airs and another well known group out of LA. More to come on that! Further, Tim got us a return booking with the Shelter Gardens concert series that we enjoyed so much last summer. I won't for a split-second complain about the busy schedule - this is what I live for!

Finally - although October seems months away (oh wait - it IS months away!) :) it will come sooner than we imagine and we are frenetically planning for our CD release(s) in the fall by even at this very moment coming up with great promotional packages with oodles of goodies for fans. People will have the opportunity to pre-purchase the CD, get a copy of a never-before and never-again released compilation of live performances, get a t-shirt of their choice (our new design is way cool and comes in two different styles, three color choices of each style) poster, another fun item (still in the works) a ticket to the release party and a ticket to a special party for only those people who purchase this package, meant to give them a chance to hang out with the band and receive their copies of the CD weeks before it's available to the public, eat some catered food and drink some good wine out at the Courtyard Winery....PLUS the final fun feature: their names in the CD acknowledgments for being a Road to Hope 'roadie.' It's going to be a very fun deal.....

Alright, I'm sleepy. It's SO early by Hilary time (not even 9pm) but time is different here in Nashville - and creative energy oozes out my pores and saps me dry.

To you all a goodnight.

2006-03-10T19:58:00.000-08:00

Wow - I am quite literally a woman obsessed. Having seen none of the Oscar-nominated movies this year (except Harry Potter - I NEVER get to the theater anymore) I was unbiased as I watched the awards ceremony. Then I saw 'Walk the Line.'

Regardless of the speculation over whether Reese Witherspoon deserved the best actress win or not, I have to say I am completely blown away by Phoenix as Johnny Cash. (His competition was formidable and I'm certain deserving of the win, but I can tell he put his all into this role). And OK, maybe I'm just the slightest bit 'in crush' over the incredible love story those two portrayed. It is interesting how the very passionate, other-worldly love stories are always the ones that go against everything we are told is 'healthy' and 'reasonable,' and yet it is those stories that survive and inspire. I also felt compassion for John's early family life - nothing I will go into now or ever on this blog, (more than just the death of his brother was familiar to me) I'm afraid, but let's just say I related in a way I didn't anticipate. Look for at least one Johnny Cash cover in future shows - I repeat - I am a woman obsessed.

My latest trip to Nashville was very short, as I arrived there several days later than anticipated due to my attendance at the funeral of my great aunt. It was a bittersweet affair, for I 'reunited' with family I barely ever knew. Here I am only a couple hours' drive away from so many of my relatives - and yet it seemed blind fate that brought me to Missouri. How small the world is and how by design do our lives seem, the older I get.

In any case, Nashville was a successful three days. Matt and I went into the studio with Gary Lunn and Lonnie Wilson. My project is the first to be recorded in Lonnie's new home studio. I've been awed by the musicians in Nashville many a time, but Lonnie is arguably not only one of the best drummers in the world, but also one of the best and most successful songwriters, and he and Gary are two of the nicest people around. I sat back and listened as I was given hours of ear candy in the form of their delicious playing. I am incredibly pleased with the progress of the songs Matt and I are co-writing, and I look forward to seeing how everything turns out.

Tomorrow the band and I perform at Luna Fair - but it will not be the whole family. Loyd, who is incredibly busy as of late will not be able to make it, and my thoughts are with Matt, our harmonica player, as his father is ill in the hospital, and we are worried for him. I hope it is not out-of-line for me to put this on my blog, but let's just view it as a public prayer for his father's recovery. We will miss both these guys - truly brothers to me - tomorrow.

One more day to do what I love with people I love - let that always be enough.

2006-02-05T19:25:00.000-08:00

Well, I promised at least some more discussion on the songwriting progress here in Nashville, but I have to begin by saying my precious Seahawks lost the Superbowl a few short minutes ago, and I'm sad. They played very well though, and the teams were evenly matched. I don't have any hard feelings against the Steelers, but as much as everyone raved about their defense, I have to say that Seattle's defense was great too, and there were some bad calls made tonight that hurt them pretty badly. BUT....no dice this year. My boys in blue did their best. I've never been a big sports fan, but the '05 baseball season was exciting as I was allowed to be an honorary Sox fan for Michael's sake. Then, when the playoffs started for football, I was rooting consecutively for the Bears and the Seahawks to do well (Not to be sexist but I guess it seems like women can get away with having such traitorous feelings, our ambivalence is more 'allowable' - men are more die-hard about their teams!?) and I was pleased they made it to the Superbowl at all.

On to music. The writing process, as I think I mentioned a bit in yesterday's blog, is very different when writing with someone else. I've always written my own material exclusively, and the only person I've ever used as a sounding-board on a few occasions is Michael. I never thought that co-writing would allow for songs to remain personal, since no two people can share the exact same experience, or view something exactly the same way. However, having said that, there's a beauty to the discipline co-writing requires. The one goal Matt and I are trying to achieve with these songs we are doing is to push me into popular territory so that once I've been noticed or established on a larger scale, my other original songs can gain a wider audience as well. Wrapped up inside that goal is the absolute intention to retain my artistic integrity, which is a dime-a-dozen term that is thrown out there a lot these days, but which is the best term I can think of to express what I'm feeling.

When we start a song, we actually go for a rhythm track first. We're using rhythm samples from the best programs in the world. We layer and edit them for a precise feel, even choosing a tempo for the loop. Honestly, as the songs are now, they remind one more of Moby than, say, Sarah McLachlan. We're using a lot of inorganic sounds to create an intense feel, but when the songs are actually recorded, most of the tracks we are writing will be re-recorded with acoustic instruments, so the drive will remain, but the feeling will become more organic. The rhythm tends to draw a certain 'feeling' out, leading us to either pick up a guitar, or lean into the keyboard. Once the chord progression starts to take shape, we tweak it little-by-little as each of us come up with ideas. Generally, Matt will sit and play our chord progression over and over again, as I start taking notes on lyrical ideas and I pick up the little hand-held tape recorder and hum melodies into it as they come to me. Concurrently, we're building the format for the song. NEVER before have I worried about song format. I understand various song formats, I've read about them, analyzed them, and basically thrown them out the window when it comes to my own music. My songs speak through me - I've never been all that disciplined about tearing them apart and shuffling them around to fit the commercial format. However, amazingly, it does lend a certain freedom to the process when you start only with a musical concept, and immediately force yourself to decide how many bars of a certain theme you're going to allow for a verse, whether you're going to put in a bridge or simply tag a different theme onto the end, etc. Depending on how long your melodic ideas are, much of the format 'places' itself. Once things feel right, (and keep in mind we're checking the 'clock' to see if we sit in prime radio-length real estate) you start finalizing and refining the melodic ideas you've been tossing around. The lyrics have been coming last. I had thought that lyrics would be the most difficult, and in some ways they are, but NOT for the reason I had anticipated. Generally I have been throwing out a nearly completed line, and then we refine them together. I've enjoyed the way that having another person there allows you to discuss the direction of the song, make sure you're sticking to the theme, etc. It's been interesting, and incredibly enjoyble. I can't believe how different and yet still MY style the songs are...I am really glad I'm having the opportunity to do this with Matt. I've probably made this sound like a science, not very romantic at all, but for all my worries about being stymied and feeling like these songs have no hart, I find the creative thrill is very much alive even in writing songs this way.

The differences in the above-described process from my usual process are: I never worry about form when starting a song; I almost always have separate lyrical and melodic and chordal concepts running around separately in my head and marry them later when something suddenly 'clicks'; I never take notes or discuss my ideas or themes, lyrics usually are spit out of me rapidly after an experience or feeling occurs about which I feel compelled to write; and I never worry about how long or short the song is. I find value in both methods, structured, unstructured, disciplined or entirely free.

We will probably have most of three songs done and a fourth song started by the end of this trip. On my next trip, which will be either late March or early April, we will finish writing, and also start laying down the final tracks on these songs. I have a feeling things will continue to be altered long-distance as the songs have a chance to sit like a good stew. The lyrics, in particular, will probably go through several more iterations.

Well - I'm off to get a good night's sleep. I am so energized during our sessions and then all of a sudden my body lets me know I've been using more energy than I thought I had. Good night....

2006-02-04T19:55:00.000-08:00

Wow! Here I am in Nashville with some time to spare between writing sessions, thinking about how amazingly this year has begun.

The first thing that comes to mind is the show we played in Versailles, MO at the Royal Theater, which I don't think I will ever forget. If I could spend an entire year travelling to little cities of this size and play shows for crowds this friendly and appreciative, I would actually consider it an ideal way to tour. I've played for bigger crowds (the theater holds 300 and was nearly full) but rarely has the entire experience seemed so...easy, and completely centered around the art.

When we arrived, we met Elvin, who helped us load in our gear, and along with his son and daughter, mixed our sound. His family is full of accomplished bluegrass musicians, so we were working with people who understood our needs, were efficient and responsive, and utterly friendly. The theater, which was a converted movie theater and still had the decorative neon lights along the aisle walls and a big black velvet curtain in front of which we played, was beautiful. It is now a playhouse and performing arts theater, so we had a huge green room/dressing room, (hot water from the sink to warm our hands!) and was connected to a large storefront next door where they do art shows and community events. There was a stained glass art exhibit the night we played so all the season ticket holders browsed through the art next door and partook of snacks and beverages before heading to our show.

We planned an intense two hour set. The crowd was also interested in hearing a little about me, where my career is headed, where I'm from, and the stories behind my songs. It was such a refreshing change of pace to play to an audience where - no exaggeration - you could hear a needle drop. It was also - no kidding - a bit disconcerting. Every slip of finger on string, every flick of the Djembe, every step, every sniffle, every cough, every whisper of my breath, was heard. As a performer you become more conscious, and it draws more out of you, but you also have to be careful not to become SELF-conscious in the extreme, which is difficult when suddenly everything that is normally muffled by the drone of clinking classes and filtered through the haze of cigarette smoke is suddenly crystal clear and Dolby.

I played only with Michael and BA, and we really played to each other's strengths. The songs were allowed to beathe in that sparser surrounding, and the recording of the night turned out really well. I wouldn't be surprised if some of those cuts end up as bonus tracks on the fan club site or elsewhere.

The trip itself was memorable, because we also had our photographer Kevin Dingman along for the ride, and his sense of humor lends a whole new ambience to the experience. (And let's not take for granted the fact that he continually and uncomplainingly donates his time to photograph us - any of you who've visited the website have seen much of his work). Three of my longtime listeners (and now friends) from Columbia, Mark, Melissa, and Jeannine, went out of their way not only to attend the show but to sell merchandise for me. I KNOW I'm not very good at selling and promoting my own music - I don't know what that says about me, but I have a hard time doing it for some reason - but these three are a force to be reckoned with. Since many in the audience were of an age where I didn't anticipate they'd feel the need to take the CD home with them, I was pelased and surprised at the great sales, and it's due to Jeannine, Melissa, and Mark. I know I say it ad nauseum, but I am blessed beyond measure for the people who surround me and believe in me.

Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the evening was finding a little local restaurant at which to eat dinner. It's the type of place where you've got to try the special because you know you've never tasted anything like it and never will again - each small town seems to have a slightly different take on something you've eaten thousands of times in your life. To the rear of our table sat Elvin and his family, so we ocassionally bantered over our shoulders at them. Right as we got up to leave, a group of four friendly retirees at the table to our right who had been eating their dinners unassumingly said to me, "don't start the show before we get there!" I figure about half of the people eating there that night were headed to our show afterward (and yes, they knew who I was)! You can't PLAN that kind of experience....it was too cool.

This year is also starting out well, as we got booked to play Senator Chuck Graham's birthday party at MoJo's, started a new recording project with the Hilary Scott Band, and finalized the publishing deal (which I am this very day working on) in Nashville with Matthew Wilder, among other things. I am hoping to write about our first recording session at the Bridge Studio and the current Nashville project today or tomorrow when I get more time to blog; you might hear more blabber from me than you have in a while, which could be good or bad, you choose. Right now I am planning on watching a brainless flick so I am fresh for tomorrow. We've been spending 8 hours each day writing, finishing a song a day - and laying tracks at the same time. It's intense, but invigorating. I never knew creativity 'on demand' could actually be so nearly effortless. Ironic, eh?

GO SEAHAWKS! (I might be watching the SuperBowl with Nashville singer-songwriter Steff Mahan who I just met at the recent Columbia show she played at MoJo's - she's a peach to invite me when she doesn't know me from Eve, but hey, I can't celebrate alone!)

2006-01-02T17:58:00.000-08:00

OK - I deserve to be drawn and quartered, or at the very least flogged a bit, for my complete lack of attention to this blog spot. I apologize, because so much has happened. The end of the year flew by in a blur or shows; December was amazing with another incredible Martini Bar show, an appearance at the University of Missouri bookstore, a private party at Grindstone Fitness studio which was incredibly fun, and of course the amazing First Night celebration we played just two nights ago at the Historic Missouri Theater.

Michael and I spent quite a bit of time contemplating the set list for that show, and after viewing the videtape taken of the show, I don't think it could have gone better. Here is the list:

Blind Me
Sugar Bomb
Hallelujah
Road to Hope
Long Ride Home
Blessed
You Electrify Me

The energy flowed perfectly, and as the theater was nearly full, the crowd was noisy and appreciative, which made me feel like a million bucks. Despite having had a rough, stressful day, and having just gotten back from Chicago late the night before, I can honestly say it was one of my best performances in months. Adding to the night was the fact that someone who has heard me play 2 or 3 times in Champaign-Urbana (his name is Gary, by the way!) drove down through St. Louis, picked up a friend of his, and the two attended our show. Not only were they pleased to see us play, but they had great things to say about the city of Columbia's First Night celebration overall. Columbia may be small, but we are blessed with a plethora of things to do, and great people who support the arts and the artists that create them.

After our show, we were feeling a little high (au naturale of course) and we headed to a party we had been invited to several weeks before. We had trouble not going to 3 other parties we'd also hoped to attend, but the night is only so long. We ended up at Danielle Johnson's home, where we ate great food (hmmmmm....can we say it was my last chance to gorge before my New Year's resolution, which happens to be the same every year, takes over?) drank amazing alcoholic concoctions, watched and sang along with some funky karaoke, and eventually ended up outside, in a car, listening to incredibly great music, very loudly, on the stereo. What I love about the Rubins and the Johnsons (Danielle was a maiden Rubin and is now a married Johnson - and by the way, her husband Sephus is a total sweetheart too) is that, like me, much of their lives revolve around music, literature, and the arts in general. You don't have to worry about small talk with these people, there is always something of depth to discuss. And Jason, Danielle's brother, and I, always trade suggestions for great music. My life is so much better for knowing these people (and my other friends whom I've met through Oakland - Leia, Helen, Lori, the list goes on!).

As for 2006 - it has entered with a bang, and I sense great things on the horizon. We have started brainstorming our band's upcoming recording project, which will begin within the next 2 months. The song list is difficult to pare down, since I have many new songs and a handful of highly-demanded covers that could be included. But we will persevere! We hope to pre-sell the CDs, plus a limited-edition t-shirt, plus inclusion in the CD credits plus a private invitation to a pre-CD-release party with the band and other people who've bought the 'package' plus who knows what else, for interested persons.

I should also be heading to Nashville before February comes to begin the next project with my producer, if all goes well.

I know I am forgetting much, but my computer is slowing down and I am concerned that perhaps it will cut me off before I have published this blog. I think there must be a small, but very hungry animal living in my hard drive, whose primary diet is ram. I will, as always, try to write more soon. Sorry!

2005-10-23T19:23:00.000-07:00

Last night we returned to one of our favorite venues; the Martini Bar in Columbia. I am extending a huge thank you to all the friends and fans that came out, the house was packed and it was such an incredibly welcoming sight. We saw many new faces, as well.

Melissa, Mark and Jeannine, three people who've followed the band and my career for a long time now, were there to congratulate me on the 'pending' offer by Sony Records. I am making this my 'official' statement that neither I, nor the talent scout who's shopping my music, can make any guarantees as to when or IF this will actually happen, but the news that my press kit has made it through executive channels (farther than I ever dreamed) is extremely good news and adds to the general excitement and momentum of everything else that's been happening. Melissa, Mark and Jeannine gave me the sweetest card congratulating me on my achievements, and also a beautiful yellow-flowering plant. (Easy to care for, as they made sure to specifiy, since it's probably self-evident that I might be forgetful about tending to things other than my career - even though I do feel my career is a living, breathing being as well!) :) The plant seemed a metaphor for new beginnings, and the need to nurture anything that has the potential to grow and blossom, which is the direction I always hope my music is taking.

I was also fortunate enough to see a group of my friends who I care for dearly, in the crowd. One of these special people was Jon Rubin. I've written of Jon before. He was severely injured in a fire this spring. To see him move from the point of near-death to the place he was in last night, happy, content, and free, with that same beautiful smile on his face, was so uplifting to me. I dedicated 'Hallelujah' to him, since he was the one who sang it to me many months ago and inspired me to cover it myself. He's taught everyone who knows him so damn much...and it's our duty by him to never forget what he went through.

It is easy to get mired when life's roller coaster takes one of its downward dips. But I am repeatedly reminded of my blessings....they are many. Last night was one such blessing. And I will say thanks to the three audience members, who, after hearing my tequila story from last weekend, bought me shots. Was I a better entertainer for y'all after that? :) Seriously though, when the audience hears the stories, responds, and involves themselves, it obliterates the separation between perfomer and audience member. And I'm a big believer in everyone knowing how thin that line is, anyway! Just as a negative comment overheard from the sideline can completely ruin your moment onstage, so can a positive comment, a requested song, a hush that falls, make the whole night worthwhile. We know you're out there, we see you, we hear you, we're not immune to your comments and feelings. Stages are an illusion, lights are window-dressing. We're people trying to communicate with you; and it's so beautiful when you let us.

2005-10-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

Wow...another month gone by between postings. Since we sent out the October 1st fan newsletter, I've gotten offers from people in various cities ranging from Boston to Doniphan to help with my Hurricane Relief idea. I still intend to record 'Blessed' as a single, get 'sponsors' to donate a certain amount of money that would go with the CD to a charitable organization such as Habitat for Humanity, where the money would be utilized for the rebuilding process in the affected cities, and the CD (signed by the sponsor and myself) would be distributed to people who might find some comfort from the lyrics of the song, which seem poignantly applicable to the recent tragedies. I've had people who had relatives in the path of the hurricanes approach me at gigs and say 'I wish so-and-so could hear that song.' Comfort and assistance is what I hope to bring to the table through my music....

Along those same lines, (those of comfort through music) the band and I had a gig this weekend in Kansas City at a venue called Knuckleheads. I've got to say, first off, that we've been treated so well at venues this month. At the Schluckbier fest in Fayette on October 8th we had the coolest green room and tastiest shrimp and ribs ever, plus chocolate cake to die for. Everyone involved in the event was first-class, so kind and generous. I hope that festival lasts for years and years to come. This past weekend at Knuckleheads we were in extremely good company as we looked at the promotional pictures of all the famous blues musicians who've played there, hanging on the walls of the green room, which was equipped with air-conditioner, TV, radio, fully stocked fridge, and sofa. We were also well fed, and treated like gold by Frank and Steve and Radar, who gave me the coolest free tees at the end of the night. (I also gained an honorary coolness point by being allowed to get my picture taken on the Knuckleheads' Harley.) The crowd was loud and racous, but extremely appreciative and we hope to be back there soon. BUT....I said I would get to the comfort through music part; I'd better get back on track.

Our sound man, Pete, who I didn't know had heard my music at all prior to Saturday night, had an amazing request of me before we began our third set. He asked if we would play 'Find Heaven' for him. I told him we'd played it in the first set (I thought maybe he just hadn't heard it.) Turns out, he had heard it the first time, but had also been pretty involved in dialing in the sound still, and he wanted to be able to sit back and really listen to it a second time through. The day before, he'd been to a funeral for a friend's teenage son who had been killed in an accidental shooting. The story broke my heart. (Grif, a member of the band, had also suffered a loss that I had learned about just that same day). All of a sudden, the meaning of the words to that song, (which I used to have trouble even getting through since I had written it for my brother after he died) became somehow...BIGGER. As I've said before, songs grow beyond the person who wrote them, when they head out into the world to be used and interpreted by others. And suddenly, our third set became this amazing blend of sound and emotion, and everything came together perfectly. It was one of those "this is why I do this and this is enough" moments. (And I promise it wasn't the tequila Radar had given us talking.) :)

So thanks to Pete, (who in an instant made everything I do worthwhile by requesting one of my songs to bring him comfort) Radar (happy birthday again by the way - who has been one of my biggest fans since we played Davey's in KC a couple years ago and who said so many kind things and who was ready to give up his paycheck to get us to Knuckleheads, but luckily didn't have to!) Steve (thanks for taking us 'across the tracks' so to speak), Frank (who took a chance on us 'not-strictly-blues' musicians), and dozens of other people I met that night who treated us with respect. Thanks to my bandmates, who share the van, the music, and the life with me. Thanks to Kevin and Sam, people from Columbia who came to KC to be part of things, and thanks to anyone who EVER travels for one of our gigs....it's a special sort of honor to see your faces in the crowd. The list of people who have touched me in my life is longer than the distance from here to the moon, and again, that's probably just shy of not being an exaggeration. (See if you can figure that one out.)

The moments of being reminded of why we DO what we love and why we LOVE what we love, are the moments where life is most real. I've been in a humdinger of a bad mood today, and just writing this puts me nearly back in that place...

2005-09-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

Underlying everything I've done over the past couple of weeks is a sadness about Hurricane Katrina and her victims. This Saturday, I get to contribute in some small way, by participating in the Martini Bar's Hurricane Relief fundraising concert. My set is at 10:30pm, and there will be other great bands playing, all proceeds and donations go to relief for hurricane victims. Happening so close to the 4-year anniversary of 9-11, the overwhelming devastation hits me doubly hard.

This past week has also been an eye-opening experience in other ways. I've felt so great about where my career is going, and things have been so wonderful, I guess I needed a reality check. This past Friday I received tickets to the Grammy Association's Missouri Demo Review contest in St. Louis. The literature said that even if we were not one of the ten finalists chosen for live review by judges that night, we'd have access to talk to the judges during the concert, to give them our demos and press kits. (These judges are all heavily involved in the industry, we're told.) First of all, two of the judges didn't even show! Even more disappointing was that of the ten finalists, only one was female, and 7 of the 10 finalists were in the same genre. (Hip-hop/rap). I have absolutely nothing against hip-hop, but it certainly wasn't a representative group of ten artists to have 70% of them be from one genre, and 90% of them were from one gender. Furthermore, we were sort of 'held hostage' by the people putting the program on, because contrary to what they'd said in the invitation, they would not allow us to speak to the judges while the show was happening, they wanted us to stay until after all 4 bands had played (this would be about 1am when they would finish) and then the judges would set up a booth and accept a FEW demos. Everyone there (other artists) who I talked to was livid and felt very misled. However, at one point, our favorite judge of the evening (a gentleman who was from Memphis and not only has ties to the record industry but books for Memphis House of Blues) came out on stage for a moment while the second band was setting up. My promoter Tim and myself were on it! We approached him, expressing our dismay about the nature of the evening, the misleading way the night had been described, and told him we'd appreciated his comments during the demo review. (He kept repeating that he wanted to hear something new, something original, something that broke boundaries - he was disappointed by the 10 finalists.) He immediatley took my press kit, along with several copies for the other judges, and mentioned that he would talk to us further about getting booked at the House of Blues/Memphis. So, all was not lost, and we ended up leaving at 10:30pm, instead of waiting until 1:00am and possibly being disappointed and still having to drive nearly two hours back to Columbia. The moral of the story was that just because something has ties to a professional and well-respected organization (The Grammy Association) doesn't mean the people in charge of it are professional. It was a poor reflection of what the Grammy Association tries to do to help artists.

The biggest disappointment was that, believing this night would be a help to my career, I cancelled our appearance at the Habitat for Humanity kick-off (the home being built entirely by women) which had been scheduled for the same night. I had hoped (and still hope) they could find another night sometime during the home-building process to have my band back to be part of things, since the Grammy Demo Review was a one-shot deal, and you had to be there or you'd forfeit your rights to any awards or anything else you might receive. The coordinators of the Habitat for Humanity event were extremely understanding and said they'd do the same thing in my shoes, but I am huge on honoring previous engagements and I felt terrible, especially since it is a cause I very much believe in. So, I cancelled something important to me, possibly letting down some local people I wanted to help out, for this event. I know there's no way I could have known, but perhaps it will prompt me to do a little "investigating" next time something like this comes down the pike. They made it sound SO great in the invitation, but it was much less than great, to say the least.

Anyhow, there are some positives on the horizon. Our fall/winter calendar is rapidly filling, and we're playing in some great venues, including ones in Kansas City and Chicago. My promoter Tim, and booking agent Jane have been really helping us out. I also recently got some more good news from both Nashville and some 'mystery news' I can't disclose at this time, but I hope to be able to shout it to the hills at some point this coming year.

Finally, to all my fans who've made the move from the Yahoo fan club to the new Belltown-hosted site, thank you! It's hard to get the word out, and we're still working out a few kinks, but the new site is beautiful, interesting, full of great options, and we definitely hope everyone checks it out.

Please keep the hurricane victims (and all people in need who you come across in your life) in your thoughts. Take action when you can. Boundaries are imaginary, and we are not truly separated from other people. We never know when that 'other person' could suddenly become our parents, our children, our siblings, our spouse, our friends, ourSELVES.

2005-08-23T19:29:00.000-07:00

Our vacation in the Northwest was amazing...hiking, swimming, kayaking, sailing, eating! I got to see family, college and high school friends, wrote a new song, and learned some covers I've been wanting to add to my repertoire for a while. A month seemed like a long time when we planned our trip, but it certainly flew by. We are ready to get back into the swing of live shows, with plenty of dates coming up this fall and winter. Our promotions rep, Tim, is doing a great job of filling every Saturday through December; we're well on our way to being booked every weekend.

Last Wednesday I went to a Little Feat concert with my guitarist, BA, at this lodge in Steeleville. It was an amazing venue, as only about two hundred people could crowd into this room to see Little Feat playing in front of a fireplace, three feet away from where we were all dancing. Anyhow, we arrived early in the afternoon so that BA could help with set-up for Little Feat's merchandise display. (They have a very dedicated 'street team' of fans that help them with various things when they're on tour. Any musical group should aspire to the level of contact and friendship that Little Feat has with their fans.) I sat and watched things for a while, and also had a chance to talk to a couple members of Little Feat who remembered me from when my band opened for them in Kansas City and Columbia. Then we were invited to grab our guitars and head out on the porch for an impromptu jam session with some musicians from California. We played and sang a lot of classic rock songs. After a couple hours sweltering in the amazingly oppressive heat and humidity, we headed inside for dinner. We luckily had "free passes" to attend the show and dinner, but the draw for other people was the very cool package deal that the lodge owners offer: dinner, two nights at the lodge, and the show for a great price. The owner brings many famous musical acts to this lodge every year. Dinner was fantastic, and with a full belly and a glass of wine in hand, we headed out to watch the most intimate show I've ever seen played by a famous band. Little did I know the shock of my life was to come!

While dancing and enjoying the show, I suddenly saw Shaun (LF's female vocalist) approaching me from the stage, walking into the audience and holding the microphone towards me. I sang a couple lines: "Take a load off, Annie. Take a load for free. Take a load off Annie, and put the load right on me!" It was fun, hilarious, and totally unexpected. At the end of the show, Shaun invited me up again to sing Dixie Chicken. Embarrasingly enough, I didn't know all the words, but when I was able to sing (be it lyrics or oooooohhs) the 3-part harmony of the "Chickettes" sounded pretty sweet! I can say it was one of the great honors of my life and I will always remember it. One of BA's friends bought me a Little FeatCD and ordered me to memorize all the words should I ever be called upon to sing with them again! The show was fantastic and I couldn't keep my eyes off the band, as each member left me with an impression of incredibly mastery and skill. They're the best....

This past weekend, Michael and I attended a very special celebration for Jon, the friend of ours who was burned in a fire. (I've written of him before). It was a birthday/graduation/life celebration, and when Jon's sister and dad spoke about him after dinner, there was not a dry eye in the room...and I was overcome with memories of that scary and difficult time. But as hard as it was for the people witnessing it, it was that difficulty multiplied by a million for Jon, who fought with courage and grace. There are no words strong enough to describe what he went through, and he truly is recovering amazingly. I am so happy for him....he's a great guy with a full life ahead of him.

After Jon's party, we drove to southern Illinois where much of Michael's family was gathered for a get-together. Centralia, Illinois is home to a great hot-air balloon fest. I've never seen so many hot-air balloons gathered in one place. At night, the pilots "lit-up" their balloons so we could watch them glow, and then in the morning they flew the balloons right over the park. Seeing so many colorful, beautiful balloons flying through the air at once was amazing. I have a newfound respect for them (and their pilots) after seeing what it takes to get them filled, hoisted, and airborne. I'd definitely like to ride in one someday.

I'm ready and excited for a fall filled with music...the band just got back together for a rehearsal last night after not playing for over a month, and as always, our 'home-comings' feel so good. We're working on new arrangements, several new songs, and planning for the unprecedented 'Holiday show' we're playing in December. All I can say is there WILL be costumes...look out!

2005-07-19T22:06:00.000-07:00

Shelter Gardens was an amazing gig, and served as one of the best birthday celebrations I've had in years. I was honored to have somewhere around a thousand or more people sing to me, the evening was beautiful despite the heat, the surrounding flowers and babble of water was a wonderful accent. At the end of the night, I realized how lucky I am to be able to celebrate with music, and to have so many friends who support and encourage me. I have such a full life, truly, and I think it hit me very hard this July 10th.

I also dodged a few age questions. Not that it's any big secret how old I am, but ever since I was a teenager I've marveled at how much we use age as a tool to judge others by, when the one thing we truly have absolutely no control over is when we are born. What changes in your perception of someone if they are older or younger than you thought? We should challenge our perceptions... I think it is interesting how a very young person with incredible talent is held up as the epitome of achievement in our culture, but that young person will age as inevitably as anyone else, they will celebrate one birthday every year just like you, and even if you only encounter their talent when they're in their thirties or forties or beyond, that doesn't mean they weren't a child prodigy, or that you wouldn't have been impressed at them at age 14. Talent should be ageless. Its maturation should be celebrated. We trade youth for other virtues. I don't say this because I feel like I'm old, just the opposite. I feel young and vital, a baby in fact, in an industry where everyone around me is listening to the ticking of the clock. Good songs are never written with a timer in front of you. Do you REALLY care how young I am? :)

Anyhow, on to another subject. I went to dinner with friends last Thursday night, and the girls and I sat around listening to music for hours after the meal was over. These two girls, Danielle and Lori, shared an experience with me that night that I haven't felt able to indulge in in years. I love sharing songs and artists with people who might not have heard of them before, and one of the artists I really wanted to introduce to Danielle and Lori that night was Patty Griffin, although I had a tremendous brain fart that night and kept thinking she was Nanci Griffith. Totally different artists, though both incredible in their own right of course. After leaving Danielle's house the night of the dinner party in utter frustration that I couldn't find (or even remember) what I was looking for, I suddenly pictured a cassette tape of this artist's music that my friend Phoebe had made for me and realized it was, after all, Patty. I went out and bought three of her albums and proceeded to discover that music still has the ability to throw my world into a fast spin, stand me on my head, make me fall in love again, make me weep while driving in my car, make me want to spread the joy I've found far and wide. I encourage anyone reading this who doesn't already know Patty to invite her music in. Patty Griffin is a consummate songwriter. Here are the lyrics to her song, "Long Ride Home." :

Long Black Limousine
Shiniest car I've ever seen
Back seat is nice and clean
She rides as quiet as a dream

Someone dug a hole six long feet in the ground
I said goodbye to you and I threw my roses down
Ain't nothing left at all at the end of being proud
With me riding in this car and you flying through them clouds

I've had some time to think about it
And watch the sun sink like a stone
I've had some time to think about you
On the long ride home

One day I took your tiny hand
Put your finger in the wedding band
Daddy gave a piece of land
And we made ourselves the best of plans

Forty years go by with someone laying in your bed
Forty years of things you say you wish you'd never said
How hard would it have been to say some kinder words instead
I wonder as I stare at the sky turning red

I've had some time to think about it
And watch the sun sink like a stone
I've had some time to think about you
On the long ride home

Head lights searching down the driveway
The house as dark as it can be
I go inside and all is silent
And seems as empty as the inside of me

I've had some time to think about it
And watch the sun sink like a stone
I've had some time to think about you
On the long ride home

-Patty Griffin

I also adore her song "Mary" and on my drive out west (where I currently am) I saw a HUGE statue of Mary atop a mountain in Montana and every lyric of the song rang truer than ever before. I have much more to write about in terms of our three day drive across the country, and my new musical inspiration, but it's late and I'm exhausted. I can hopefully plant in your mind the image of a magnificent white stone statue of Mary so huge it dwarfs two hundred year old trees, yet manages to seem only regal and beautiful, not gaudy or intrusive, no matter your religious beliefs. I think anyone can relate to the pain and loss Patty Griffin describes through the experience of Mary in this excerpt from the song:

Jesus said 'mother I couldn't stay another day longer'
And he flies right by and leaves a kiss upon her face
While the angels were singing his praises in a blaze of glory
Mary stays behind and starts cleaning up the place...

2005-06-30T20:18:00.000-07:00

Now that the band's got a blog, I guess I have to keep up? That's not really fair since it's 6 against 1, but I will do my best.

I just finished my stint as one of the judge's for Mid-Missouri Idol. Tonight's finale was a tough call, because there was a lot of talent onstage. The ultimate winner scored points with me because he wrote and arranged his own song for the competition. "Idol" is seemingly anti to everything I am striving for in my career, but I loved getting to hear all these great singers and it was admittedly a heck of a fun time. I'm so glad they asked me to be part of it...I met some fabulous people and had a bit too much of an amaretto sour tropical liquer after the show! So forgive me if this blog is rambling, nonsensical, or just plain random, it's the drink talking!

On a serious note, one of the reasons I've been out of commission on the blogs for a while is that our neighbor and good friend passed away just a few weeks ago, and it was devastatingly difficult. We visited him in the hospital the day before his death, and although it was a beautiful and comforting thing to get to say everything we wanted to say, and to see his cancer-riddled body finally escape into peace was a relief, it was so difficult to say that final goodbye. How do you turn your back that last time? I leaned over Maurice's bed, looked into his eyes, and promised him I'd be writing him a song, commemorating the way in which he touched so many lives. Polite and thinking of others 'til the end, he said, "why thank you!" He told us we could still keep mowing his lawn, and that he'd be keeping an eye on our houses, too. There we were, laughing even at the endtimes.

His family said the CD that was in his car stereo when they went through it after his death, was one of mine: Come In, Come In, I believe. While it brought me comfort to know he enjoyed my music, that CD also served as a painful reminder that he'd not drive in that car and turn on that stereo again. The tie that bound us on this earth was in some way represented by that CD, and now the bond is broken. We miss him very much.

It seems wrong to jump into any other topic from that one, in fact it is strange that I started this blog talking about Mid-MO Idol and THEN spoke of Maurice. I'm not going to erase the first part of this blog though....it was the vehicle that drove me to this point, and I think Maurice is the true story, what I really what I wanted to talk about. But it's so hard for me to face loss of any kind, I sometimes have to shut down all the pathways, all the outlets, all the songs, all the writing, all the stories, or it just hurts too much. I think of how hard it is to leave the house, look across the street, and know he won't ever come loping out of that house again. I think of our experience with him in the hospital during his last days, and it reminds me of being an eleven-year-old girl saying goodbye to my grandpa, who also died of cancer. All I could say at that time, through the fear and confusion, was "I love you Grandpa." Does he know I was there? He responded, and I wonder if it brought him any comfort, the only grandchild of 5 who was able to at least stand by his bedside and kiss his cheek. And then I think of my brother, to whom I never got to say goodbye, to whom I never even apologized for our last fight, whom I hadn't hugged for far too long, and I wonder if he and Grandpa are partying somewhere only they know.

OK....where did this come from? Obviously there's been more on my mind than I realized. But blog time must end for now, or this pathway will lead me to the cliff's edge! :) I have much more to write about, but in deference to those I've lost and am thinking about tonight, I will sign off and say to them: goodnight, sweet princes.

2005-05-27T11:47:00.000-07:00

Today I have a lot on my mind. For starters, what does a girl have to do to find a quality women's magazine? Go buy one targeted at men....

Drawn by an interview topic on the cover of a certain men's monthly, I purchased my first magazine marketed almost exclusively toward males yesterday and inside was revealed the well kept secret: there is actual READING MATERIAL in there, not just a few prettily-printed-paragraphss meant to appease us women! Plea to journalists, advertising companies, celebrities, photographers, magazine and marketing moguls, anyone involved in the publication of a magazine: sometimes we DO get tired of the ads, the hype, the see-through faux intellectualism. Give us real articles, decent music and film reviews, thoughtful commentary, sarcastic humor. I know magazines like this exist for both sexes, but the number of what I call "glamour-tax" magazines we see on shelves FOR women is somewhat insulting. But hey....if there's a market, right?

Which brings me to my next topic, something I've been thinking about for a long time, but which was brought into clearer focus thanks to a couple of articles from the above-mentioned men's magazine. One article was a tongue-in-cheek, autobiographical look at the nature of fame written by Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas. He "bemoans" the fact that he's one of pop's most mocked musicians. I'm guilty! Years ago, I bought the single of "Push" and spent the next couple of years redeeming myself by, yes, hating 'everything Matchbox Twenty stood for.' I don't think I really asked myself "what DO they stand for? Do they care to stand for anything?" Thomas' self-insight ends with the conclusion that even people HE admires don't have to admire him or like his music, and that when he began writing and performing, he never envisioned being the butt of people's anti-commercialism jokes. Heck, at one point, even Rob Thomas thought he was an ARTIST! Perhaps he still does, and he admits to having his OWN Rob Thomas, a musician he thinks is a slave to the money-machine: the lead-singer of Creed. With apparent irony, he says, "now THAT guy sucks!"

The way I see it....the ability to hate another artist in ANY medium is a luxury. Sometimes what we hate in others we'd see in ourselves if we paused to take a closer look. Rob Thomas, who I have felt writes shallowly, arrogantly commercial love songs, was doing something I've wondered if I could do: reach millions with his music. If people are buying it, if he's being voted BEST SONGWRITER, then by what yardstick are we measuring artistic integrity and honesty? Does he curl his moustache with an evil gleam in his eye while typing formulaic "song plots" into his magic song-a-matic machine and while waiting to 'see what pops out' belch effusively after a grand two-hundred dollar meal? I truly think he believes at least SOME of what he writes about. We might not be able to compare him to Dylan, but let's grant him some credit for knowing he isn't in that league to begin with.

And what about the artists we grant "cool" status to? As another article in above-mentioned men's magazine notes, COOL band Coldplay was once a well-kept secret you could enjoy keeping from your music-loving friends just to one-up them. Now, your teenage daughter and your grandmother might both listen to this band. So, do we turn our backs on them now? Is obscurity the only measure of artistic integrity? The tides of fortune change...

It is exciting that we are given access to much more indepedent and unknown music than ever before through the internet. Should I wish for "success" on a large scale and risk losing all validity with my long-time fans? What will they say about me if I do? Even if I'm writing the same songs, will they sound the same when pumped through Clear-Channel owned radio stations across the country on a four-hour rotation? Should I shun the possibility of this "success" and hope I remain valid and honest and unknown? Ultimately, the answer must be to come to terms with WHY you do what you do, and be satisfied with yourself. Surely I perform for the people in the audience. But I also must retain a "true north" when it comes to my artistic purpose. Commercialism on the right, obscurity on the left, and the truth somewhere in-between. I will write what I believe....

2005-05-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

I am writing this entry on Mother's Day from Chicago where we are celebrating with Michael's family. We did the traditional Italian over-eating, but luckily I had a good workout today to try and compensate. My post-feast digestion might be aided by a little typing. (At least my fingers will be moving, while the rest of me sits and soaks up the calories!) :)

I realize that I haven't written anything about my trip to Nashville and the current project, the showcase I did there on the 26th of April, or the great Little Feat opener we played on the 29th. Nashville was a whirlwind, but a great one. With only one hour of rehearsal, I performed with three excellent studio musicians, two of whom played on "Out of the Wilderness," at the club 3rd and Lindsley. The crowd was so gracious and wonderful. I have never performed in Nashville before, so to be so welcomed by people who had come to support other artists was phenomenal. Matthew Wilder and I are in the midst of contract negotiation for a 5-song publishing deal which is being funded by an "angel investor" who was also at the showcase and was happy to finally see me perform live. He and his wife were kind and generous and I was thrilled to finally meet them. Hopefully the negotiations will go smoothly, and, as planned, we should be co-writing our songs in early June, with a tracking date to follow soon thereafter. The goal is to move ever-closer to the elusive radio-hit, while not sacrificing quality, heart, honesty. It's strange and terrifying to commodify art, which is why I never go into anything with that intent, or try to block the awareness of it that looms around me. But I don't want to go down some negative path right now, because overall I feel very good about the direction things are going and I truly believe I have good people around me.

I am ESPECIALLY thrilled with the band....The Hilary Scott Band, with whom I have peformed for nearly 5 years. At our recent opener for Little Feat (the second we have had the pleasure to do) we were tight, we were together, we clicked. We've had many shows recently where I think it can't possibly get better, and then it does. Standing on a stage with 6 men who are friends and brothers to me, who have my back, who tease me enough to keep me tethered to the ground but who build me up when things get toughest, and who I truly can trust is an AMAZING feeling unlike any other. I might be walking a tight-rope up there, but they are the ones holding my hands on either side, or standing below with the net. They see me through to the other side. They're not playing with me for the big bucks (obviously not - or we would have all split long ago) or the fame (though our fans make us feel like rock stars) but because they love music, they find something of value in mine, and because we all, at the heart of things, get along like a family. I realize I've made some of the best friends of my life in my bandmates.

As for the show itself (sorry - I got sentimentally sidetracked) the crowd was phenomenal. I believe I might have remarked on this last August after we opened for Little Feat in Kansas City at the Beaumont Club, but Little Feat fans are loud, friendly, and open music appreciators who make you feel completely at home. Several people travelled a great distance to see US play, which was a hell of a compliment considering Little Feat's legendary status. As always, when we did get to chat for a minute with a couple members of LF, they were kind and real, and I am so grateful to them for the opportunity to open for them a second time. We hope there is a third! And with our acoustic guitarist, Bill Adams continuing his radio show on KOPN 89.5 FM, we are sure to stay in touch with Little Feat; his featured band of choice.

Well....I just finished a bowl of Moose Tracks ice cream and I think I am ready for sweat pants and a good book. Michael and I took the day off tomorrow so we could maybe sleep in a little and drive home at a leisurely pace. Here's to my mother, grandmothers, stepmother, mother and step-mothers in law, grandmothers-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, friends who are mothers, and all women out there: Happy Mothers Day. In Italy, there is "Festa Della Donna." The Festival of the Woman. They celebrate us all, regardless of our maternal status...but let's face it, we all have a soft spot in our heart for mothers, the noblest of creatures, in my opinion.

2005-05-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

So much has happened in the last few weeks. Part of the reason I haven't blogged is due to utter lack of time, the other part is due to not being certain I can adequately describe some of the things that have happened in my life recently.

One of my friends and fellow musicians, Jon Rubin, was critically burned on over 65% of his body a little over a month ago. Although Jon and I had only hung out a few times, we shared opinions on, and a passion for, music that immediately made me feel a bond to this incredible person. Jon reminds me a bit of my brother as well, who passed away several years ago. Jon and his family attended the Officer Down Benefit in late February and I also ran into him several times around town, in almost cosmic coincidence and was always thrilled to see him. He's the sort of person that brightens your day, is incredibly funny and intelligent, always has something valuable to add. It came as a terrifying shock to learn that he had been in a fire...but it came as no surprise that he had heroically jumped out of a second-story window, through the flames, and rushed to inform firefighters of where the other people in the house were. His concern was so focused on the others, and Jon's family tells me the firefighters get tears in their eyes just recounting the story.

He has been in the hospital for nearly 5 weeks now, and has gone through multiple surgeries. He is making fast and amazing progress, even though to those who care about him it seems painfully slow. He is no longer on dialysis, and they've replaced the respirator with a tracheotomy. Last week everyone was reminded of the roller-coaster ride of this type of recovery, as Jon had some very scary minutes when a mucus plug blocked his tracheotomy and his heart rate fell unexpectedly. The term "flatline" is spoken with fear and superstition now. I am so glad to see Jon sitting up and "responding" wih hand movements and his beautifully aware eyes, but all of us await the day when he gets the tracheotomy out and we can once again hear his voice. His family is amazing, and they have embraced all of the friends that come to the hospital to check on Jon, including Michael and myself. I wish I could do more for them, his dear sister Danielle and amazing brother Jason, his sweet parents and closest friends. I admire their strength, and see where Jon gets it!

I have felt like the clumsily bumbling idiot who wants so desperately to tell Jon how we've been praying for him and thinking of him constantly, and when I actually come face to face with him, the words either seem wrong, or fail to come at all. So, I do the only thing I know, which is play songs at shows that are dedicated to him, tell his amazing story to anyone who will listen, and hope that when he's done with physical therapy and we once again get together for the jam session to end ALL jam sessions, he will not chide me too much for being overly sentimental or corny. I can't help it....Jon is the sort of person who inspires much emotion and whose story inspires us all to live each day more fully, fight a bit harder for what we believe in, relegate the unimportant everyday bothers to the level they deserve, which is to be swept from our mind as quickly as possible, to make choices based on the truest desires of our heart, and to believe in miracles. The strength of the human spirit is amazing, and Jon is a testament to that....

This is not the appropriate blog in which to discuss anything but Jon, so more will come soon.

2005-03-25T14:59:00.000-08:00

My recent trip to Nashville to discuss my next project was awesome. Michael accompanied me and we stayed at the home of my producer, Matthew Wilder. Matt and I discussed which songs we'd like to work on together for the next 5-song project. We are even more focused on creating radio ready singles, since that is what we were"hired" to do by the people who are investing in the project. They will pay for the recording and mastering of the project, and possibly even the packaging, as well as give me a stipend for my travels. This is essentially my first 'publishing deal'. The object is to get the songs heard by as many industry contacts as possible, get the tracks on radio or purchased by a major label as part of a deal. Meanwhile, my first 5-song EP "Out of the Wilderness" continues to be presented to industry contacts, and is doing very well on college radio.

While we were in Nashville this time, we discussed the showcase series Matt Wilder will be directing, which is hosted by ASCAP. It will take place once a month (I will probably go once a month or every other month to showcase) at a club called 3rd and Lindsley. We went to the club to check it out. Great sound, good crowd for a Monday which bodes well for our Tuesday night showcase, and one of the places alternative-rock talent is being searched-for right now in Nashville. Matt ended up sitting next to a man I didn't recognize, but was soon introduced to me (I won't give his name in the interest of his privacy). As we chatted I learned more about this man's history, and realized I was in the presence of someone very important. It was only when the night was over and we were in the car on the way home that I learned just HOW important this man is. He single-handedly was reponsible for getting Celine Dion her first hit in America, persuading radio to play it. He has managed bands ranging from heavy metal bands like Slayer to country bands like The Judds. He's the type of man who could take you under his wing and make your career happen. And, he was down-to-earth and easy to talk to. He will possibly be at my showcase on the 26th, which makes me a little more nervous, but mostly I'm excited about performing. Although details are not finalized, it looks like Michael will accompany me on Djembe if he can make the trip, and possibly some of the amazing musicians who played on my first EP and who I've talked about a lot in previous blogs, on my website, and in my newsletter will also perform with us that night.

Speaking of those studio musicians, we had a chance to have dinner with Gary and Jerry and their families. Mexican food! These musicians raise cool kids! :)

I also had a chance to work out in an awesome YMCA. I'd been wondering about those 'cool gyms' which are kept at a lower tempetature, like 60 degrees or so. It was almost cold when we got in, but it made my workout easier, I didn't feel as sweaty and uncomfortable, and supposedly you burn more calories working out while also trying to stay warm. I'm running an average of 7.6 miles 6 times a week, and I guess I'm publishing this in my blog because I'm proud of myself. Running and working out like a mad woman is a way for me to test myself physically and mentally, and push my boundaries. It is also improving my performances, breath support, posture, strength, etc.

My mother sent me an Easter basket, it was the cutest thing ever. I get all sappy when I talk about my mom. She is one of those wonderful women who remember every holiday and make you feel so special by sending you something. I ate all the chocolate right away. When it comes to candy and gifts from my mom, I am like a five-year old at Christmas!

April is going to be a great month music-wise, with the band playing on Sunday the 24th for Earth Day in Peace Park, the Nashville showcase on Tuesday the 26th, and a second time opening for Little Feat at the Blue Note on Friday the 29th. Into the wild blue yonder!

2005-03-12T10:08:00.000-08:00

The Officer Down Benefit Concert on February 26th was amazing....as you can see by the current date, it has taken me a while to absorb and reflect on everything. Although I could go into extreme detail about the night, as it is burned into my memory as a nearly flawless event, there are only a few very simple things that really need to be said.

Meeting Molly's parents, others who knew her, and meeting Curtis Brown (the other officer wounded that night) was incredible. I hugged them, and tears that had been threatening behind my eyes all evening finally came forth. That was the moment it ALL became worth it.

The songs felt so right that night, imbued with higher meaning.

God was with us, guiding us. Must have been, because the band played better than ever, and I don't say that from an egotistical place, I just believe that it was meant to be a great night, even beyond us. The crowd gave us a standing ovation, which was a wonderful feeling since I truly felt it was not just about the music we had played, it was about the feeling we had given people. I hope, as I said that night, we gave them a little joy and a lot of hope.

The people who were there in the crowd that night receive my warmest thanks, and the appreciation of everyone in the band, and of the organizers, particularly Tim Fancher, who started the whole thing.

Next we must send out many thank you cards (and this will also be a digital thanks) to all the media supporters, those who gave donations, ticket outlets, and private individuals who helped make it happen. We will remember those who gave of their time, talent, energy, and hearts.

Perhaps in another e-mail I will speak more about the songs that night, some of the experiences I had meeting audience members, the venue and the cool things that happened, even a few amusing stories, and some of the post-show facts like how much money was raised, etc, but for now, let's just leave it at this: it was as it was meant to be. And it was phenomenal.

My heart, once again, goes out to Molly's family and friends, Curtis Brown and his family and friends, and my warmest thanks possible to everyone who supported the concert and the Officer Down Fund in whatever way they could.

Marisa, Shawn, Anthony, and Michelle: you guys rock! Family is what it's about.

2005-02-22T17:28:00.000-08:00

I have been busy for over a month planning a very special concert to be held this Saturday, February 26th at Launer Auditorium at Columbia College, and the planning has taken precendence over everything else, hence the reason I haven't written in so long. The sad part is, there's been SO many wonderful things that have happened in the last few weeks that would have made for expansive blogs, but now you'll probably be left to a short run-down of all the facts.

This Saturday's concert is a special benefit for the Officer Down Fund in memory of Molly Bowden, a Columbia police officer killed in the line of duty. She was only 26 years old, a wife, stepmother, sister, and daughter. Her story resonated with me as it did with so many people, and while police officers have good insurance coverage, they often have continuing medical costs or are unable to work for a period of time, and the Officer Down Fund is for those officers. It's relatively new in many cities, and Molly's tragic death has called attention to its importance here in Columbia. I was glad to donate my time and music to this cause, I know how much it hurts to lose a loved one, especially one so young and full of life who was only trying to live the best life she could and help the rest of us in whatever way she could. We hope to raise $10,000 for the fund this weekend, as well as provide comfort and hope to Molly's family and friends, and the community at large since the recent rash of violence in Columbia has shaken us all.

In the past two weeks I've had many radio and TV appearances to help promote the concert, and have had the challenge of waking up early, singing in the wee hours of the morning, and then trying to make it through the rest of my day on minimal sleep. I guess it's good practice for what I say I want to do with the rest of my life! :) Seriously though, last Thursday evening was our appearance on the Amy Miller show (93.9 FM) with Tim Fancher who organized the concert, Friday morning I was on David Lyle's show on KFRU AM 1400, Sunday morning I was on BXR 102.3 FM and sang live on Tony Barbis's Acoustic Sunrise, today I was on KMIZ Channel 17's morning news show, and this Thursday morning Tim and I will be on Y107 FM's morning show. I've always been comfortable talking and even singing on air, but the interesting highlight of these media appearances came on Amy Miller's show when a caller phoned in to say some very thoughtless, rude, and critical things about all of the attention Officer Bowden's death has gotten. He used the non-word "heroizing" and said we shouldn't be turning Molly into a hero because so many other people risk their lives every day. Hmmmm....I'm sure, dear reader, that you can see the inherent flaws in his argument. First of all, it takes so much more energy to be critical like this than it does to simply be glad Columbia is coming together and supporting the law enforcement community. Secondly, there are many people who RISK their lives every day, but Molly actually died. Third, for those people that die every day, they are mourned by friends, loved ones, and acquaintances too, and the nature of their death and how it resonates with people determines their 'hero' status. And let's not forget the heroes we create that are still living. Finally...acknowledging Molly as the hero she is does not take anything away from all those other people who are also giving the best they can to the community each and every day. We should celebrate them too...

The caller also said I must be getting great publicity from this. Well, the publicity is certainly the farthest from my mind on my list of reasons for doing this show. I have gotten pretty decent media coverage in the past so I didn't need this for my career. It's just been wonderful to see how many media outlets have been willing to help out. It's a fact; the more people hear about this on the radio or on TV, the more likely they are to buy a ticket and attend the show, and the closer we get to our $10,000 goal. If more people learn about me in the meantime, I certainly don't scorn the publicity, but this man had no clue what I've done to make this show happen, how much it means to me to be part of this, or how much time I've given to other charitable causes in the past, never being paid a penny, just hoping to make a real difference. Perhaps if this man had ever listened to my music he would know that. Here's lookin' at you, Joe...if anyone who was a friend or family member of Molly heard your call, I'm mortified for you, and you should be ashamed...

On to happier subject...the weekend before last we travelled down to West Plains and played a show at the Yellow House Performing Arts Center. It was a great show, about three times as many people there as last time, although since it is truly in a HOUSE it's still an intimate crowd where emphasis is placed on telling stories and bantering with the crowd, which I did a lot of. We got to stay with one of Michael's friends near Doniphan in a cabin right on the river. It was quite the experience. We had some bonding time in the long ride there and back, and our photographer Kevin Dingman came along to donate his talents.

Then last weekend we had a Friday night show at D'Agostino's which was a blast with Rob on electric, Mike on bass, and Michael on percussion. Saturday we played for the University of Missouri Women's Leadership Conference and sold CDs like crazy...they were a great audience.

Sunday's live show at BXR was a lot of fun. It was the first time Tony had done an in-studio on his show, but it went very well. 40 minutes flies by when you have so many things you want to talk about. Jeff Sweatman might play one of the live cuts on his lunch online show, and has been very supportive of the upcoming show as well.

Press kits are going out to major labels, radio, festivals, and reviewers, so the big push is just around the corner. Several investors are also interested in funding another writing/recording project in Nashville, so we are ironing out those details as well. Early reports from Belltown are that Out of the Wilderness has gotten great reviews from radio DJs especially in Chicago, and Europe is taking more notice as well, with a possible article about me in Aktueel magazine, a Netherlands-based men's magazine somewhat akin to Playboy. (I'd be fully clothed however...)

Well, there is the long and short of it (OK....mostly short) and here's to hoping I stay more on top of my blog writing in the future. But don't I always say that?

:)

2005-01-23T09:24:00.000-08:00

Today I look forward to a milestone that is important to me as a teacher: the winter recital for my private lesson students. It is amazing how the year flies by, and since we only have one or two recitals a year, I always reflect at this time on how quickly time marches on. (I also tend to view a "year" in terms of a school year, as many teachers do.) I am very proud of my students, who have achieved so much and who continue to amaze me. In just a couple of hours, 17 of my students will play piano, violin, or sing for their friends and families. Today I am not on the stage, they are. Today I hope to focus on how wonderful it is that they are giving their gift of music to other people by performing, but also talk about other ways in which your talents can affect and help people.

Which brings me to the next topic, that of the Officer Down Fundraiser concert which we are in the process of planning. Although the details are not yet 100% certain, (hence my reluctance to mention time, place, date, or hosts) it WILL happen within the next month or so. A friend of mine, who has been interested in aspects of sociology, criminal justice, safety, and law, for most of his life, and who happens to also be a music fan, had the idea of bringing the community together to raise money for the families of officers, and the officers themselves, who were wounded in the recent, tragic, rash of violence in Columbia, especially Molly Bowden, whose future health remains uncertain. I know I have been deeply alarmed and affected by these events close to home, and worldwide events, such as the Tsunami, that have all of us perhaps reflecting on the frailty of life. In recognizing that any one of us could be gone in an instant, we not only must appreciate life and those around us more fully, but give of what we can to provide comfort for those going through a difficult time.

Of course I am biased, but I believe music can bring people together and stir emotion unlike almost anything else. I am honored to have the opportunity to help bring people together to help, if we can. I DO know that tickets will be $10, ALL money will go to the Officer Down Fund, (the band and I receive no money for our performance) and a portion of CD sales will also be contributed to the fund. Additional donations are of course welcome. Local media is being very supportive, and this event will be getting great radio, newspaper, and TV coverage. Molly's injuries were so severe and will require such long-term care that her health insurance will not be able to cover all the hospital costs, and she may not be able to return to work in the future. I am hoping we can raise $10,000, which will still only scratch the surface for her and her family, but will hopefully provide them with a little comfort. Molly, and every officer, was and is serving our community in the capacity of a protector, so we should try to give back whenever possible, and recognize the risks they take when serving us.

I will provide more details on the concert as soon as I get final confirmation. Again, the concert WILL be in a venue in Columbia, tickets will be available for pre-sale at $10, it will be on a Saturday evening, and an early show (7:30pm) so that families with children can attend. All ticket proceeds, additional donations, and a portion of CD sales for that evening will go to the Officer Down fund.

Thanks for your support of music, and each other.

2005-01-01T16:07:00.000-08:00

Wow! Last night the band had a fantastic New Year's Eve gig for First Night in Columbia. The venue we played at was so stuffed past capacity that I was told by a neighbor of mine who tried to attend that the site manager wouldn't allow them into the room, due to fire codes. There were people in the hallway and lined up the stairs, as we played on the second floor. Anyhow, it felt great to have such a full, responsive, fun crowd, and I couldn't have imagined a better way to ring in the new year. The band also was in rare form musically and everything came together beautifully with a couple of songs we had changed around. A few of my private lesson students attended, and it was so fun to see them sitting front and center. Also, CD sales were great, so I send a huge 'thank you' to everyone who supported us by attending the show, and everyone who gave their support by purchasing the music.

Since we only got back from Colorado Thursday night, we felt pretty pooped after the show, so we weren't able to take people up on several offers we had to celebrate downtown, go to private parties, or do much of anything except walk to our next-door neighbors house, drink a couple of beers, watch Seinfeld re-runs, and then say goodnight as soon the 2005 was born. But if New Year's Eve is any omen of things to come this year, I have nothing but high hopes.

Thanks to BA, who called us up after midnight and told us to turn on KOPN 89.5 FM. He was playing several cuts from Come In, Come IN: LIVE and wanted us to hear.

Happy New Year to everyone!

2004-12-26T20:21:00.000-08:00

Christmas has just come and gone, and the New Year is rushing toward us. I am currently in Colorado, celebrating the holidays with friends and family at my sister Heather's house. Much has happened in the last couple of weeks. As I sit and type I am enjoying music on my new MP3 player, a gift from my sister who knows I have started to become avid about my running routine and want to hear whatever music I desire on my jaunts. Currently Peter Gabriel is telling me he hears that voice again, from the annals of one of his best albums, 'SO.'

On December 11th, my band and I played the Lee Ruth CD/celebration party in Boonville at Thespian Hall. So many local/regional musicians were there to play, help, celebrate, and commune. I met people I've heard of for the past four years but never seen in person, and I felt completely energized getting back onstage with the guys after a couple weeks away from performing. We re-arranged 'You Electrify Me' (our contribution to the Lee Ruth project) and had solos highlighting each member of the band as I introduced them. It was awesome. The venue was almost as beautiful as the kind people I met that night.

Shortly before Michael and I left for Colorado last Wednesday, I received a call from my Nashville producer telling me that some investors have decided they would like to fund the recording of several more songs. Although Belltown isn't sure of what the exact parameters of the project will end up being, it is incredibly exciting to have people willing to invest in me and my music, and trusting that the outcome will be worthwhile. The response to 'Out of the Wilderness' has been incredibly positive and encouraging. Although I continue to operate under a need to remain mum about specific details about the project...things continue to look up, and up, and up. I promise the full story will one day be told! Hopefully soon...

I have done/will do a couple of things I've never done before on this trip. I went to a spa and got a pedicure by Michael's request that I allow him to give me a gift of 'relaxation.' It was pretty awesome. I just don't usually do things like that. But my feet are softer than they've been in a long time. After scrubbing and massaging my feet, they pushed down my cuticles and put my feet in a hot paraffin dip, then painted my toenails and moisturized my skin. I know some women do this all the time, but it was a treat for me, and reminded me of those things, with ten toes, that get me around all the time and deserve a little better treatment! I usually ignore my feet.

I also plan to try my luck at downhill skiing before we head back to MO. I am a little nervous....let's pray nothing is broken by Tuesday night.

I am looking forward to Friday's First Night performance in Columbia, and the start of a fresh year of possibilities. As of now, I am scheduled to showcase in Nashville on Groundhog's Day...and whether Phil tells us we have six more weeks of winter or not, I am guaranteed to have a great night playing music in Nashville. I really have a good feeling about 2005. That's a nice number...and I feel there are 2005 things I want to do in the coming twelve months. May you all dream your 'crazy' dreams, and may many of them come true.

2004-11-26T15:43:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving, one day late! We're up in Chicago, celebrating with Michael's family. I've basically followed strong turkey day tradition by spending not just the ACTUAL Thanksgiving holiday, but most of the day after as well, lounging on the sofa, making a trip to the kitchen every half hour or so for more food, and napping while watching re-runs of Seinfeld and the Simpsons.

We also watched 'The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' (is that right?) this morning. Interesting. I actually like Jim Carrey in dramatic roles, but there's something so comedic about his VOICE alone, that it's sometimes hard to remember you're not watching a comedy. He is funny without trying to be so.

Holiday tradition also called for a lengthy debate/discussion about politics, religion, gender issues and the environment today, but luckily most of it was punctuated with laughter and more gulps of beer, or wine, or cream soda, or coffee, or better yet a bite of cheesecake. Michael's mother is Italian and his father is Polish/German, so Thanksgiving dinner, while always including the pre-requisite turkey and stuffing, is actually more about lasagna, sausages, spaghetti, and other Italian or Polish dishes. I even learned the names of some of them while I was eating them, then promptly forgot what they were while digesting.

I spent three hours helping Michael's mom cook. I was pretty proud of myself, as it included some tasks I've never been responsible for before, and I might even have learned a family secret or two. The coolest was contemplating the irony of drying out several loaves of bread for the stuffing, only to re-hydrate them in water, bunch them up into little balls of dough, and add all the other ingredients to them, mushing it together with your bare hands like a kid with Playdough. Fun!!!! I can't believe I've never taken the opportunity to do some of this with my own mother, who's a great cook, and I vow to do this in the next year or two if we're with my family for Thanksgiving. I've got all of her great recipes in this huge family cookbook she puts out every few years (we're on the third edition) and yet there's something extra that goes into those recipes, beyond the list of ingredients and temperatures and cooking times. I'm sure everyone can attest to that 'un-nameable' something that guarantees that even if you follow your mother's recipe to a 'T', it never tastes as good as when she cooks it herself. SIGH!

I do miss my family, and phone calls aren't enough. We're looking forward to Christmas, which we will spend in Colorado, with my sister and other family members. I hope to downhill ski (watch out trees, small animals, and people in my way) and relax before the BIG PUSH which is going to occur in my music career with the ringing in of the New Year.

More to come...

2004-11-10T16:40:00.000-08:00

Just a few days ago, I was asked by a student at MU to answer some questions for a story he was writing in one of his classes. The topic is how digital distribution of music affects artists, music stores, and music itself. Another point of concern is what might happen to albums as an art form. I don't know what will ultimately happen with his story or if it will be available for the general public to read, and since the topic fascinates me and is quite pertinent to what I do, I've decided to basically re-print my reponses to him here in this blog.

First of all, my performance and recording career began right as the push for digital distribution was gearing up, so I've been involved in it from the start. In speaking with musicians whose careers began years before mine and have been at it longer, I know the general perception is that digital access to music has changed and is greatly changing the musical landscape for artists, labels, record stores, and consumers alike, but it seems there is a positive and a negative side to these changes.

First, for the positive side of digital distribution: it affords artists more ways to get their music to the public, plain and simple. For some artists who do not have distribution deals in music stores, they can still have their music listened to, and purchased by, an international audience through various digital distribution websites, or their own website. It also provides an excellent way for people to "review" your music if they haven't heard it on the radio or attended a live show. I do have song clips on my website and on CD Baby (great online music store) because the more informed people feel about their decision to purchase, the more likely they are to do so. So, in this way, many artists probably sell more music to people who would not buy their album on the basis of seeing the cover alone. I'd liken this phenomenon to the way that record stores, in the last two decades, brought in "listening stations" where you could review a CD you were interested in buying to make sure you wanted it. In general, I think this increases CD sales. I also have individual songs available for sale and download on several websites like Apple iTunes and others. I still sell more complete albums than I do individual downloads, but part of that may be due to the tremendous amount of information consumers have to sift through in order to find a single artist or song. The added income from digital downloads isn't something I'd turn my nose up at, however. It gets my music to more people and doesn't seem to be hurting my CD sales at all. In my experience, people still seem very interested in purchasing CDs at an actual music store, or purchasing it at a show, and often their last option is to order it online if they can't find it elsewhere, so right now I feel digital availability of music is an ADDENDUM to the other ways that music is available, rather than something that is ringing the death knoll for those other options. However...everything changes as technology grows and as we grow accustomed to new ways of doing things, so certainly the various ways in which digital distribution will affect music, not just as an industry, but as an art form, will continue to be seen in the years to come.

Because of my label and some of the websites I'm carried on, I've had the opportunity to be on these digital pay download sites, and also to be distributed 'online' in stores like Tower Records. This is beneficial to me because I'm not on a major label yet, so I don't have hundreds of thousands of CDs manufactured to physically stock in Tower Records stores all over the United States. But if someone can go online at Tower and find my CD, I'm still 'available' in every state without having to expend millions of dollars to make enough CDs to physically stock in each of these stores. Is this necessary to be competitive in the music industry? To some extent, yes. As my demo gets shopped to labels, I'm able to show them what my appeal is to a wider audience than just my local one, because I have customers all over the world. I can point to how many hits my website gets, how many CDs I've sold online and where those CDs are going to, and how many times a certain song has been downloaded. They're not just looking for how many people you draw at a local show, they want to know if you can attract listeners from anywhere, and how well you're able to market youself. Online and digital distribution is just one vital part of that beast now. And if a major label is not the route someone wants to go, it's infinitely helpful for those who are independent and want to remain so, since it gives them more options for reaching an audience without spending millions on marketing.

I do see some negatives to the increase of digitally available music. First of all, my biggest concern is what I view as the "Tangible and Visible" side of music. I do feel it is important to be able to hold an 'album' in your hands, view the artwork and lyrics, and feel a physical connection to the music you are hearing. Already in our lifetimes, the actual 'record' has become almost obsolete. (On the flip side, however, vinyl is now seen as "collectible" and quite coveted.) But if you think about the "tangible and visible" quality of records as compared to CDs, the first noticeable change is that on CDs everything is smaller. Not quite as visually impactful. If you have a thousand records, you really know it because it takes up half a room in your house! :) So we have CDs, which sound better, and are smaller, and now 1,000 of them can fit into a couple of shelves in your house. This is more convenient for music lovers, but CDs just aren't as "interesting." Will CDs go the way of cassette tapes? That depends, I believe, on the technology of the system, not on digital availability of music. For example, tape players sounded better than record players and 8 tracks, so people stopped buying records and 8 tracks. CDs sound better than cassettes, so people stopped buying cassettes. I don't think people will stop buying CDs in favor of digital downloads, because the comparison is not as direct. There is nothing "tangible or visible" about a digital download. I think in order for CDs to become obsolete, a better sounding device will need to be invented. And then I still believe people will want something physical they can look at. This is due to the emotional significance many people place on music, in relation to the artists that create it. I think people want to see their favorite artists live because it creates a personal connection for them between the music and the person. If you don't have the option of seeing the artist live, the pictures and artwork on an album provide the next best thing, at least SOME connection to the person creating the music. In no other art form are the art and the artists so vitally tied into each other.

As for losing the visual art with the increase of digital distribution, I sincerely hope this never occurs. I don't feel it will for a long time, at least, because I can say that my albums sell on the basis of the cover art first if someone has not heard the music yet. A good graphics job, a nice photo, can impact someone's emotions and sensibility more immediately than anything else. I can't count the number of CDs I've purchased becuse of the cover art when I'd never heard the music. (But my favorite one is Screaming Trees 'Uncle Anesthesia.' Bought that when I was 13, and it opened up my eyes.) If music stores were ever to become obsolete, I'd imagine online record stores would STILL offer complete albums with cover art and photos, because it's human nature to want to "hold and see" things. CD Baby is one of the most successful online music stores, and they rely heavily on the visual impact of your album to get people interested in reading more about it and listening to sound bytes. If someone doesn't have a clue who you are, how will they ever find you on the internet? They won't find you by name because they don't know it yet. They won't find your music by song title, because they don't know it yet. But if they go to an online music store and type in their favorite genre of music, and see your album pop up with awesome cover art, they're going to look farther. Just seeing your name and a song title won't do it for them because it's not necessarily interesting in and of itself. People need a "weeding out" method. I would never want to spend hours and hours a day clicking on song titles of people's names and just "hoping" I'd land on something good. We need more information, and visuals can provide that extra incentive to get us to look farther.

I think the value of 'album as art form' will be self-preserving. All the very best musicians have historically been concerned not with "singles" but with the flow and connectedness of the album as a whole; ten or so songs that create a musical masterpiece, rather than isolated bodies of work meant to sell commercials on the radio. Count on your Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Nick Drake, Led Zeppelin, Joan Baez and Beatles of the world (just to name a few for whom the idea of 'album' is important) to save this art form. Modern musicians can hope to aspire to this level of artistry. In the same manner that painters must learn the rules of the past before they can break them, so must musicians. We can alter the way that music gets to the people, but I don't think we can ever eradicate entirely the traditions and modes that have made music, and albums, such a central part of our lives.

2004-11-04T10:44:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I sang 4 services at Woodcrest church, and it was amazing. The second song I sang was by a young artist named Katy Hudson, called "When There's Nothing Left." It was bluesy and incredibly fun to sing besides having a wonderfully spiritually and emotional message. Otherwise, I've been making sure I'm totally healed from the "amazing strep experience"! Can't believe I went a couple of decades without catching that nasty bug and then got it as an adult.

Jane, my booking agent, is working on setting up our tour dates in other cities for November and December, and so it looks like we might not be playing much in Columbia for the next couple of months. (Hopefully we will be involved with First Night again for our Columbia listeners.) Besides showcasing in Nashville, the band will most likely be travelling to Chicago, St. Louis, KC, Bloomington, Champaign-Urbana, and some other cities as well, possibly. These gigs will be "CD release parties" for the Nashville EP wherever we play.

So, lately I've really gotten into decoupage. (Using a high-gloss glue to put image collages on wood, ceramics, etc, to create a decorative surface.) I've been working on Christmas gifts using this technique and I love it. Last year I think I knit about 20 scarves (OK - I exaggerate) but this year I'm going out on a limb, putting the knitting needles down, and trying my hand at itty bitty scissors, lots of thin tissue paper, wood and cardboard boxes, and MOD PODGE. I've made one really awesome (if I do say so myself) heart-shaped box (it's a song title too, eh? ARTIST anyone?) and I'm quite proud of it. I incorporated a butterfly and dragonfly theme, and put green and gold accents everywhere. I'm going to line the inside of the box with velvet, so it's like a little jewelry box. I feel like Martha Stewart without the prison jumpsuit. OK - bad joke. But I've always loved creating things with my hands, and I try to use that interest to make gifts. My family always knows they're going to get something hand-made, and they've graciously smiled every year when they get the latest installment. :)

I don't know why I felt the need to write about that, but it was on my mind, so there ya go.

It would be only fitting to describe my feelings about the recent election on this date, but I am going to defy expectation and remain mum. I do have plenty of thoughts on the subject, perhaps I will share them in a future blog.

2004-10-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

It's amazing how the 'business' part of the music business really makes you contemplate the meaning of those words and the fact that they pretty much define 'oxymoron.' Perhaps the best oxymoronic two words since Led Zeppelin. MUSIC BUSINESS. The words scare me, let alone the actual things taking place that involve negotiations, legalese, new personalities, and the realization that life can change in an instant. Having said all that, this is a very exciting time. Perhaps my mental state is the actual oxymoron! :) There's not much I can publicly talk about right now, so unfortunately this message will not be specific to any certain event, person, or project, but it's definitely been forefront on my mind for the last several weeks so I felt the need to address it.

I'm looking very much forward to the Nashville showcase, which will either be the first or second Saturday of November. It's nice to take the step to showcases and theaters and festivals and competitions, because although we will still make our bread and butter at bars and clubs, the shorter more impactful gigs where someone is there specifically to hear you play rather than to have background entertainment are a really wonderful way to keep your energy and spirits up.

The CD release was just a little over a week ago. I've been down with strep for the past week and haven't had time to write about the party, and I'm not going to say much about it here in my blog. Too many thoughts and not enough time for them. I'm looking forward to releasing the CD in other cities as well, especially at the Nashville showcase! I think our CD release unfortunately missed the listeners who weren't able to make it out on a Friday night, and we even had a technical difficulty which impeded the excitement and impact of the keyboard I introduced for the first time that night. But it was still a party, and I want to thank everyone who came, it was nice to see a full house.

Just last Sunday I went to a solo singer-songwriter showcase called Writers in the Round in Champaign, Illinois, and it was a blast. I loved the other 3 performers, and the crowd was fabulous. Cowboy Monkey is also a beautiful club. I played both guitar and piano for the show and it was really entertaining and fun to experiment with switching between instruments. A new world has opened up to me. Or maybe it's more that I'm rediscovering the instrument that first made me want to be a part of this MUSIC WORLD. There....that's not an oxymoron.

2004-10-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

September flew by like a bird and October is rushing past me like the scenery outside my car window. Not that I'm currently driving - that would be dangerous. :) This past Saturday night we played a short but enjoyable opening set for the Jonatha Brooke concert that was part of the Women in Tune Festival to donate money towards cancer research. I played a song on piano for the first time with my band, and I felt it was a success. I was telling Michael that the only instrument that has the power to bring back all my worst memories from recitals, adjudications, and competitions like that is the piano. I know the piano like the back of my hand, yet when I sit down to play it in front of an audience, it can sometimes look like a foreign body. Pianists, unless they are wealthy and famous, rarely get to play their own instrument, they must play different ones everywhere they go. Well, one day the Yamaha grand I want will be shipped to and fro right along with me on tour, eh? Yeah, I'm allowed to dream...

This Friday, only two days away, is the CD release party at MoJo's for the Nashville EP. I feel as though we've gotten some great gigs this month for publicity, and I was on the David Lyle show on KFRU AM 1400 a couple of weeks ago for a great interview. We got a couple of calls while I was on the air which was fun. I've also been interviewed for a profile piece that should be published in Vox magazine sometime in November. It's very in-depth and covers material that's not been covered before by any local paper. BXR has kindly played some of the Nashville cuts at the noon hour and on "What's New For Dinner?" and MoJo's has been publicizing the event for us as well.

The CD is rapidly becoming well-traveled. Billy Burns, a former drummer for Ray Charles, heard it and loved it and asked if he could give it to his best friend, Pearl Jam's manager, Kelly Curtis. Kelly liked it so much he played it for Hootie and the Blowfish's manager, and then asked if he could hand it some other top management people who would be more in my genre. So, as far as I heard at last count, it's gotten to management fro Norah Jones, James Taylor, the Dixie Chicks and Neil Young and may get into the hands of Earth, Wind and Fire and the people at the Jimi Hendrix Foundation. It's pretty cool to know it's floating around out in those circles.

Otherwise, I look at the rain and feel the chill and realize winter is coming. Usually fall is my favorite time of year but this year somehow I don't feel ready for it. I want summer to last a little longer. I want the days to stay bright until 9pm. Already my work day doesn't end until it's been dark for over two hours. (And then of course there's the part of my work day, gigging, which starts long AFTER the sun has gone down - but that's when the dark provides the perfect backdrop.) If it weren't for gigs, I'd love sunlight all the time. But when I'm onstage it's all about artifical light, baby!

I continue to be amazed at how awesome my band is, and how consistently supportive are all the people who surround me. BA plans on driving to Urbana, IL with me this weekend the day after our CD release, even though he's not going to play the gig with me, he's providing me company since Michael cannot attend. I've got several photographers who give me their photos for website, CD and personal usage. (I'd not have a single photo of any gig if it weren't for them) and the number of people who have jumped on board to help in little and big ways boggles my mind. Some of the band members might even carpool down to Nashville in November for my first big SHOWCASE!!!!! I'm nervous. I will probably go down a couple of days early to rehearse with the band that Matthew Wilder (my producer) hires, and then it's BAM onstage for a half hour set in front of 'people.' I'm going to miss the band I know and love that night but it's going to be an exciting opportunity and a couple of the band members that night may be the ones that played on my CD.

All in all, things are going well. I'm tired and have the worst neckache in the world from sleeping on 3 pillows last night (what was I thinking?) but I'm content. I love that word. My CONtent is conTENT.

2004-09-20T18:41:00.000-07:00

Wow...September has been such a busy month that until one of my photographer friends, Kevin Dingman, reminded me at last night's gig that I hadn't written in my blog for nearly a month, I had no clue how fast the time had flown by!

....but let me start back at the beginning. Early in September I flew back home to Seattle to attend my best friend Sandy's wedding. It was an awesome, laid-back affair. The ceremony was outside, and Sandy rode up to her groom on a tractor! There was tons of awesome food, beautiful weather, dancing, karaoke, and a bonfire. Although the trip was a whirlwind, we had a fantastic time. The following weekend we attended another friend's wedding in Iowa, where I performed and where we had the opportunity to get completely silly. I even danced....

In-between family and friend events, we've had one of our busiest months ever, as a band. We've had the opportunity to play (or are going to play) Twilight Fest, Flatbranch, Cherry Hill outdoor concert series, the grand opening of the Virginia Avenue dorms at MU, the Light the Night Walk for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, D'Agostino's and we have many more cool events coming up in October. We're stoked about the upcoming CD release. (Friday, October 15th at MoJo's.) I've been pulling my hair out getting the details together for the enhanced portion of the Nashville CD, but it's going to come together beautifully. DiscMakers is rushing me some of the CDs overnight tonight so I have them in time for the MU gig tomorrow, and I will have the rest of the CDs in my hands by the end of this week, but let's keep that between you and me (and whoever else reads this, right?) because the OFFICIAL release date is not for three weeks!

I've blogged about the Nashville project perhaps ad nauseum, but I'm just so excited about it. It looks like it's going to sprout some other great opportunities for me as well, like a possible showcase spot in Nashville sometime in the next couple of months, and perhaps on a recurrent basis. My producer, Matthew Wilder (who I hope to work with again in the near future) is putting together a showcase with myself and some other up-and-coming acts at a great club, and with fabulous Nashville-area musicians. (I think the bassist who performed on my CD, Gary Lunn, might be performing with me). Although the rest of my awesome Columbia-area band won't have the opportunity to perform with me this time around, it looks like several, if not all of them, might pile into the big ol' "touring van" and come along with me for moral support. Anybody who reads this is welcome to come, actually, if you want to spend a weekend in Nashville and lend me the support of your body filling up space, your voice calling out and letting me know you're there. I will appreciate it greatly! Details of the when and where for this showcase will be posted on the website under "gigs" when available.

As for that "touring van" I just spoke of, we bought a big, used Mo-Ex van, which has room for 15, plus cargo. We've had to replace the battery and it has a couple other little quirks, but it's the first vehicle that can handle the entire band plus gear, especially if we get a little trailer. We're really proud of it!

I wish I could write more about all of the events we've experienced recently, and share my thoughts about things to come, but it seems when I actually get around to writing in this blog, I never have the time I had hoped for. I'm sure I've forgotten a million things. But hey...I guess this computer screen will be there when I wake up. So, goodnight.

2004-08-22T16:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's band practice has me flying high...although not the full band was there, we had all but 2 members and started working on some of my new tunes with a new instrument. My KORG keyboard finally had to put its walking shoes on and I introduced 3 new songs to the band, plus we worked up 'Brave New World' with me on keys instead of guitar. Although it had seemed in months previous that there might have been some reservations about how things would work with me on piano (I play piano entirely differently than I play guitar - and I don't just mean in the obvious ways due to the difference in instrument. I play the piano more as a self-contained solo instrument, and am definitely a background rhythm player on guitar) but everyone jumped right in and seemed very excited about the new songs. Ideas were flying from every direction. BA recorded the session and it's amazing how 'nearly complete' those new songs sound after only a couple hours of practice. We are planning on having these new songs ready (plus several more) for the October 15th CD release of the Nashville EP, 'Out of the Wilderness.' We are experimenting with different genres and sounds, as this is a good time to allow ourselves total freedom since we're taking this new direction with the keyboard. The songs that I write for piano are distinctively different than those I write for guitar, so it's going to be a lot of fun to follow this path where it leads us.

Kevin, who has been taking photos for us for several months now, was also there but regretfully didn't have his camera. It would have been fun to have a visual memory of this night. I was once again reminded of how and why I keep doing music; it constantly surprises me. I am renewed and excited about things.

2004-08-15T09:39:00.000-07:00

Music Folk in St. Louis, where I performed last night, is a very beautiful little music store specializing in wood instruments; guitars and violins abound, and they make it their goal to promote acoustic music and get songwriters together to network and share fans. I performed in-between a set by Tom Wood, and Patsy O'Brien. Patsy, a guy who has toured all over the states and in some other countries (like his ancestral Ireland) was exceptional in his live performance and songwriting. Tom had some great stories to tell and was a dynamic personality. I felt honored to be playing among these two gentlemen, and the night went well. It felt a little bare and a little strange to be stripped of all the usual "gear" that stands before me onstage; no microphone, no stand, no cords, no nothing. Just me and a stool and a guitar and my voice, belting it out to the very back row like I used to when it was just me in my little apartment and someone would come and ask to hear a new song. I don't know why I was nervous to get back to that, but it did, after all, feel pretty good. And it was my first ENTIRELY solo performance in about 5 years!

2004-08-09T15:23:00.000-07:00

So last Saturday night was definitely one of the highlights of my performance career! My band had a chance to open for Little Feat at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City, and it was fantastic! First of all we had great gear and great sound, which always makes performing more fun; we were in great playing form, and we appreciated the excellent crowd response! There were some tapers there, and so our opening set is floating around out there, followed by Little Feat's 2-1/2 hour mind blowing set!

A couple of Little Feat's band members congratulated me on the set and said they thought my music was great, which was the height of a cool compliment from these musicians' musicians. Little Feat concert-goers are mostly musicians themselves, and they can be both critical and die-hard loyal. These were die-hard loyal and they embraced us like they'd come to see us just as much as to see Feat. We've gotten lots of free photos from photogaphers who were shooting pics during the show. I was telling my mom about the show yesterday and one of the things I said was that it's so awesome to me that we have these photographers who attend our shows and share their talents with us. If it weren't for them, I'd have no recorded memories of anything I am doing right now because I never have a camera in my own hand, I always just have a guitar, a microphone, or a CD in my hand. Thank you Kevin!!!! Thank you other photographers who've given us permission to use your work!

Thank you to the 1200+ crowd that was at the club Saturday, many of whom came up and talked to me after the show with words of support and encouragement. It was a great night for all of us.

Thanks to Little Feat for helping get the ball rolling to get us on the stage before them. These people, who've been on the road for about eight weeks without a break, pushed their sound check up 45 minutes for us so that WE'D get a chance to sound check and have the best show we could have. Thank you members of LF!!!!

Also thanks to my other acoustic guitarist Bill Adams who really sparked this whole thing. He has a radio show on KOPN 89.5 (Blue Plate Special) which showcases much of Little Feat's music and he's been a fan and follower of Little Feat for nearly as long as they've been around. If it weren't for him handing my discs to the members of LF and keeping us in their minds, there's no way this could have happened. Thanks BA!

I also had a chance to meet a representative from the KC-based Clear Channel promotions office, and he heard our entire set, which is great. I hope we have the chance to work with these people again in the near future.

In any case, we met some new listeners, we shared a stage with a fantastic band, we had a great time and we won't soon forget it.

2004-07-26T14:14:00.000-07:00

Got the first set of art proofs for the Nashville release today, and I
am pretty darn excited about them. The graphic artists at DiscMakers are damned good at their jobs. (Free plug for them, eh?)

Anyhow...this weekend we had a fun gig down in West Plains, MO. There is this converted old yellow mansion there which they've turned into the "Yellow House" Community Arts Center, where there is live music, art and photography exhibits. The performance was a blast for an intimate, very involved audience. We hope to be back there again soon.

The best part of the night may have been at the beginning of sound check, when my bandmates presented me with a new vocal microphone. I had been upset when everyone showed up nearly an hour late to leave for the gig, and then I found out it was because they were all in cahoots to get me this wonderful microphone. I had been needing one for some time, and I am thrilled with how it sounds, and send a huge thank you to Michael, Matt and BA, who knew what to get me, and how to keep it secret from me! (And how to deal with my silly mood when they were all late because they were doing something nice for me!) :)

I want to send a HUGE thank you from the entire band out to Kevin, who has been taking photographs for us at several gigs, and has travelled extensive distances on his own time to take pics for us. He was at the Yellow House gig, and we really appreciated it.

Along those same lines, anyone who takes pics for us regularly (Kevin, Stacie, Brooke, Doug) and anyone who's taken pictures of us on occasion and given us copies for our own use or for placement on the website, (there are many of you, and some of you I don't even have names for) THANK YOU!!!! We cannot tell you how much the support means, and it's a source of PR for us which is invaluable.

Very cool news is that my band is going to get to open for Little Feat in Kansas City at the Beaumont Club on August 7th. Their promoters are part of Clear Channel, and it's very difficult to become involved with that company, because of its size and scope, so to be able to do this show and get our names out a bit more is really going to be fabulous exposure. But hey, we're also not forgetting for an instant how incredible it's going to be to share a stage with Little Feat, and we're going to make the most of every second of our opening slot.

There is good news and lots of excitement on the horizon...things are going very well. Keep checking the blog and website for updates.

2004-07-15T18:38:00.000-07:00

Before I forget, let me take a minute to say my birthday last Saturday, the 10th of July, was awesome. We played at D'Agostino's and Debbie let us kick up our heels and create a ruckus in order to celebrate. She also gave me free tiramisu, a gift certificate, and she sang Happy Birthday to me. (How rare is it that someone sings to ME?) :) I loved it.

Very touching also was the fact that someone who I won't name in case she'd like to retain her privacy, left me a birthday surprise before I even arrived at the restaurant. She's attended some of my shows and was thoughtful enough to think of me on my birthday. A lot of my very good friends also attended the show, so it was like one big party. Two of my friends brought their new little baby Isaac, and gave me a framed photograph which I've been meaning to purchase for some time now. (I didn't really think that if I held out for long enough I wouldn't have to pay for it, but it worked out that way and was a lovely birthday surprise.) :)

Also, I met a fabulous guy (also to remain anonymous) who is fast becoming a good friend, and is full of ideas about PR, since he runs his own business in town. I can't wait to see what schemes we cook up.

But the coolest part of my birthday was just before midnight on the 9th, Michael and Griff went to KOPN on BA's radio show, and had him play a bunch of my music. Later, they were interviewed about some of the things happening with the band and wished me Happy Birthday over the radio waves. So awesome...

After the show, Michael and I drove to Chicago, and spent a great weekend with family. OK...I needed at least to write a LITTLE bit about my birthday, because it was a good one. We had a party in Chicago with the family too, since my sister-in-law and aunt both have birthdays right around the same time as me. We swam, ate, played with the little kids. Good times...

2004-07-15T18:20:00.000-07:00

This summer has absolutely flown by. Here I am, looking at the date, July 15th...wondering where it went? We've had some big gigs this summer, we've taken some nice trips, and I've gotten some great news in the career department:

-My amazing booking agent, Jane Accurso, helped me get organized and apply for the Missouri Arts Council touring magazine, and out of ten new artists accepted this year for the honor, my band and Jane's bluegrass band were two. This book goes out all over the state, and will get our names out in Kansas City and St. Louis, besides looking great on a resumee! :) Not only does it assist my band in getting great gigs at festivals, private events, city events, etc, but it also allows me to give talks on various subjects such as Kindermusik, Suzuki, and other subjects I currently teach. The touring year will run from July 2005-July 2006.

-The Nashville EP is well on its way to completion, at long last! Just yesterday I sent off a photo CD, prints, graphics and liner notes to DiscMakers, who will also put together the audio and enhanced video portion of the CD. I'm very excited about how this disc is going to turn out. It's going to be directed toward radio and record labels, and by having the video portion with interview and live show footage, it better represents everything that I am attempting to do.

-I've met some fabulous new people in town who are actively helping me with PR and trying to find new avenues of reaching the community. One of the ideas which I am very excited about is to have a show to benefit a charity or cause. I have always wanted to raise money to aide in epilepsy research (caused my brother's death) heart disease, and cancer, as well as any and all women's issues. While I have been involved in several benefits in the past for a number of causes, I haven't ever had the opportunity to create an entire event where ticket sales and a portion of CD sales can go toward a worthy cause. I'm very excited about the possibility.

-There's too much news to write about all in one day. I guess I will need to get better about keeping up with the blog. (How many times have I said that?)

Otherwise, we are also preparing for THREE weddings coming up within the next couple of months. I am singing at one or two of them. The first one in line is my sister-in-law's wedding in August...should be a huge and lovely event, almost like a family reunion! (I think there could be nearly 500 people there.) My best friend Sandy is getting married in September, a laid-back, campfire and tent event, which will also be beautiful, and finally in September a very good friend of Michael's gets married.

So life happens and time flies by and here I am taking a moment to sit back and think about it all. This has been a really fabulous year if I look back at all of the great developments that have occurred in my life, both personally and in my career. I guess I can truly say I'm happy. How awesome....

-

2004-07-05T17:22:00.000-07:00

Wow...the band and I just had an awesome gig last night. We celebrated the 4th of July by performing in the football stadium on Faurot Field here in Columbia. The crowd was fantastic, truly appreciative, the weather was gorgeous, breezy and not as hot as it usually is in July in Missouri, and musically we felt more together than ever.

In Michael's and my absence, the band practiced the Nashville version of one of my newer songs, 'Brave New World' and we chose to include that in our set, along with some 'old' standards. (It is strange to reflect on the fact that we have been performing many of my songs for 4 years now.) Even though we all got a little sunburned during sound check, spirits were high, the sound turned out to be awesome in such a challenging space as a football stadium, (Nelson Audio and everyone involved are fabulous)and we just generally felt on top of the world for 50 minutes.

Tom, a close mentor of mine, convinced me to make an "entrance" and be driven up in a golf cart, their version of a limo, they joked. I tell you, it felt weird, all these insecurities popped into my head: 'I don't want people to think I'm trying to be a diva...', but then I thought, a DIVA in a golf-cart? It was so amusing, and it was played off so well by everyone involved, that it turned out to be incredibly fun, and funNY. The only unfortunate aspect was not getting a chance to check my instruments and realizing right before my big violin solo that my shoulder rest wasn't on my electric violin, which hindered my ability to play the way I normally would. However, the entire show was one in which all of us soaked up every second. We were a little high on life, I'd say.

I've come to the realization that the band is my second family (maybe I've said this before) and all those guys are some of my closest friends. They keep me in line, (plenty of teasing and such) and have saved me numerous times when I've forgotten pieces of equipment or am otherwise occupied during a show. They see me at my worst and I hope sometimes at my best, and have fostered my growth as artist and person. They've put up with me, and they've put me up. They are brothers, fathers, friends, and in a way I'm married to them all (okay, really only one of them) but the relationships involved have to be so based on trust and reliability, that they are similar to marriages. We spend enough time together to get sick of each other, but we never do. Maybe every once in a while we argue, but it's always resolved because ultimately there is love and respect between band members that is its own unusual and unique brand.

I've been really lucky.

2004-07-03T14:41:00.000-07:00

Well...due to computer glitches, the two blogs I tried to do at the end of my trip to the Northwest didn't publish, and here I am back in Missouri, writing this blog from a more reflective perspective, rather than being in the middle of the experience.

The first thing I want to write about, now that I have the opportunity, is that in the future, whenever possible, I will drive across country rather than flying to any destination in the US. It's not simply that you get the opportunity to see the landscape, (although we were certainly blown away by the changing vistas, sometimes alarming and fun storm systems we drove through, and the incredible, mood-lifting open spaces that still remain untainted) it's also about the fact that driving makes you much more aware of the connectedness of everything. When I FLY back home from St. Louis or Kansas City, I step off the plane into an immediate climate change, an immediate scenery change, an immediately different group of people and sets of attitudes. So...when you drive, these changes are gradual, and in that way, after three days of driving from Washington, through Idaho, Montanta, Wyoming, part of South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and finally Missouri, it was almost like I was STILL home, because the trip was so connected. So now I feel closer to home than ever before...strange as that may sound.

When I arrived home, there was a HUGE pile of mail and a long list of phone calls to attend to, but also the final Nashville mixes to listen to. Now that I have those in my little hands, I am VERY excited to see the final product from the filmmaker, Brian Quist, who did the live concert/interview footage for us. We did get an opportunity to see a little of what he had done with the editing and special effects, and we were thrilled by his artistic approach, and his understanding of what we wanted to get across to anyone viewing it or listening to it. We are hoping for a release date in September.

I also had the opportunity to take my CDs and press kit to one of Seattle's best radio stations, 103.7 the Mountain, which is housed in a gorgeous, tall building near Capitol Hill in Seattle. Some of the people in the audience recommended we get our music to them since they not only play a tremendous selection of music (you'd hear Tracy Chapman back-to-back with the Beatles back-to-back with Pearl Jam in any given hour, LOTS of variety) but they are also indy and local-musician friendly. If you are a radio listener in the Seattle area you can check our radio station link on the website to e-mail or fax or phone in requests to them. Or you can probably visit their website and request from anywhere in the nation. We always appreciate the help and support.

Speaking of help and support, my mother and stepdad Pete have helped us out SO MUCH with their love and support, and I'm unabashedly sending out a huge thank you to both of them. And Grandma too! :)

My high school reunion was a blast, depite the fact that only about 25% of the graduating class actually decided to come to the event. I reunited with some fabulous people I'd known as a little bitty girl, and got to know a couple people better than I'd ever known them previously. I've been told the 10-year is often about people trying to prove how far they've come and how well they've done, but there was surprisingly little of that competitive spirit happening. It was a good time.

We stayed at my cousin's house, which is an old restaurant, called the Seasons, purported to be haunted. After Saturday night's reunion events, several of my old classmates (many of whom had worked at the Seasons when it was a restaurant, including myself) met up there and in our slightly tipsy stupor scared ourselves spitless with tales of flickering lights, cold spots, and strange shadows. My cousin Brenna Helm-Manwaring, who is a great visual artist, gave us an original piece of art, which we are so thrilled about. Right now I can't afford to buy one from her, but she was kind enough to give us one.

We also spent two days with my dad and stepmother, which was great since we don't get to see them very often. They were very interested in the new Nashville tunes, and I even got to sit down and play a couple of piano duets with my dad, who is now learning piano. He's a brilliant and talented doctor, and he's never really had time to devote to learning an instrument, but now that he has more time, he's learning quickly! We cooked burgers on the grill, ate at a floating restaurant over the water for my upcoming birthday, and got to relax on the water, and sit in the sun for a while. The Sandpoint, Idaho area is beautiful, if starting to be a little over-populated with the people who move there with a resort mentality. However, it's still one of our favorite places, Pend O'Reille lake.

I also met up with a long-lost cousin, Julie Fox and her husband Dave and son Anthony, and although the visit was brief, this three-week trip was almost like a bunch of scattered family reunions for me. I felt happy and so HEALTHY. (My body remembers those allergens, and these MO ones are foreign to me.) The only problem was a blinding migraine on my second-to-last day there that prevented me from going down to the campfire on the beach.

There's much more to tell, but this is quite lengthy already. We are gearing up for our 4th of July gig in the stadium tomorrow (Faurot Field) and are so excited about the prospect of having at LEAST 15,000 people there. Could be many more. Definitely our biggest audience yet, but the weather is supposed to be 80 and cloudy. Considering that a Missouri July day is usually 100 and blindingly sunny, this should be a great day for it, and it shouldn't rain.

Good things are happening all the time....

One more thing. Today I met a new baby boy, Isaac, and he's a wonderful new addiction to this world. He's the son of two of my VERY good friends, I wish them so much happiness.

2004-06-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

The gig yesterday at See Sound Lounge was absolutely incredible. The place was packed, which they were very happy about since it was a Sunday and Father's Day. The front of the venue has a huge window which was opened to let in the breeze and it managed to draw some passery-by in as well while we played. We didn't set up under their big movie screen, rather we were right next to the bar and the window facing the street. Brian Quist came in with his cameras and filmed the entire event.

We met some fantastic people there, including a guy named Spencer, who gave us some great ideas on other Seattle venues to play, and some radio stations to contact about our material. He also said we should consider playing in the beautiful state of Hawaii. If we can swing it, the whole band would have their airline tickets and hotel accomodations paid for, and we'd be the exclusive band for one venue for a several weeks' stint, earning whatever they were able to pay us. (But when you're in Hawaii for free, you've already been paid, really.)

We were also offered another gig to play for an opening of an art exhibit. It's involved with the Seattle Art Musuem and would be a high-profile, high-exposure show, but we would have to stay through the evening of July 1st, and we simply don't think we can make the drive back to Columbia, Missouri in two days, in time to rest and rehearse for our Fire in the Sky show. But the man who offered us the gig is on our list to keep in contact with!

Prior to the show I conversed with a woman named Dinah Brein who is a songwriter whose music has been placed on numerous television shows and movies, who's been in Nashville for a decade, been in LA for a while, and is now in Seattle. She shared some advice, and we chatted for a while about my goals and direction, and she took my bio and other materials to peruse. I will be keeping in contact with her to see if we can establish a beneficial working relationship. A publicist can really make the difference between a flop and a successful show when you go to a town in which you are virtually unknown. They set the stage before you get there, setting up in-studio performances with radio, interviews sometimes on TV, usually radio, etc. It generally works better in catching people's attention than does putting up flyers on telephone poles, although that's something else that a publicist can line up if you get some people working for you.

The last time Michael and I played in Seattle as a duo we were at the Intiman Theater in Seattle Center and that was 4 years ago. Several people in the audience who had been to THAT show noted the change, the growth, the improvement in that time. Many people came up to us and commented on our chemistry onstage, which has been there from the start and is the reason this whole thing began. It was a very cool way to get back to our roots. At that time, four years ago, Michael's favorite song of mine was 'Sometimes Sun, Sometimes Rain' but now it is a newer song called 'All Along.'

We had a sound-duo (two people running sound for us) and one of them was a friend of the family named Lisa, who was one of my brother's very best friends from college until his death. Her drummer, Dave was also there with her helping with sound. At one set break, there was a group of people who had asked about my brother's death and were given the story behind 'Find Heaven.' Although we'd opened the show with it, they requested we play it again, so we made it the finale. The people who had requested it were very appreciative (one of them had recently lost a brother) but the sound guy was also teary-eyed over it. He's never met my brother, but said he felt he knew him through the music, and through what Lisa had told him. We all felt like he was there somehow, especially since my brother's probably the person most responsible for my love of and commitment to playing music.

Finally, perhaps the most special part of the day was having my grandmother Glenda there, who hasn't seen me perform live in over 6 years. She's 80 years old but looks and acts 60, and managed to calmly accept the hot venue, the loud music and the slightly tipsy people. She loved it. Her word was 'awesome.' And I thank her for requesting 'People on a Train,' because it may well be the best tune we performed that night, and most likely will be chosen for the live DVD footage that will be accompanying the Nashville EP. Thank you, Grandma! And if any of you reading this haven't seen it in my liner notes for my CDs, my grandmother is the true voice of an angel, the first person I knew closely who can sing like nobody's business.

It was a great day...the only thing I didn't get to do was talk to my father personally. He was gone and I had to leave a message on his answering machine. I don't think he'll ever make it to one of my live performances unless it's in Sandpoint, ID. Oh well, I still thought about him all day. It was Father's DAy after all.

2004-06-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

Wow! Being in the Northwest, in my home territory again, makes me remember what it was like to look FORWARD to summer rather than DREAD it. Although the intense heat and humidity of Missouri is something you get used to after a while, it can never compare to the memories of my childhood summers when you could play outside for hours and only break a light sweat, it took a bit longer for those deadly ultraviolet rays to burn you, and the nights cooled down to where you could sometimes even see your breath, but you still didn't feel like you needed a jacket. It's light here until 10:15pm, the sky a beautiful indigo above the evergreens. The mountains and the water still take my breath away and I'll never get sick of this view.

It's so good to see my family again. Although my sister isn't here and I miss her very much, I get to see my mother, father, step-parents, grandmothers, cousins, and old friends. (I think I might even see some aunts and uncles and extended cousins this trip, too.) We're pretty concentrated in Washington and Idaho.

Since Michael and I are playing this Sunday (Father's Day) at a new martini bar in the Belltown area of Seattle (the area of the city the record label I am on was named for) we decided to do some pre-promotion for the show and get some strangers interested in coming. We saw a poster for an open mic yesterday at a Starbucks here. We showed up a half an hour after it had started and realized it was the last one of the year they were putting on and that it was primarily for students of the nearby high school. We signed up anyway (slot number 8, which ended up being place number 4 since nobody else had really signed up on the sheet - people were just being called out by name by the MC since everyone knew everybody else) and decided to play Gravity since everyone was only allowed one song. We were greeted by warmth and interest immediately, and the MC said we should play another tune. We'd definitely travelled the farthest and were the oldest ones there so our butts needed a break! :) Seriously though, we sold CDs to several attendees and hopefully those will multiply to be heard by more and more ears. There is NO wasted gig. And besides, my cousin Betsy won a free cup of coffee for us by guessing how much the MC paid to buy his pants and tailor them. She guessed $23, and it was $20, so she was closest. We also saw this kid named Dan get up and thrash around on-stage like every great rock star down the ages. He had Elvis, Mick Jagger, Robert Plant, and Trent Reznor down pat. He's one to watch for... :)

We did however, have to learn a little lesson about the venue we are playing at. We foolishly thought that since they served food, minors would be allowed and told several people at open mic who were interested to definitely attend. However, Washington liquor laws are much stricter than in other states, and now we don't know if these teenagers can attend, even with parents in tow. We were disappointed, but at least we got those CDs into their hands, even if we don't see them this Sunday in the crowd.

We've nailed down details with an independent filmmaker here named Brian Quist (he's fabulous - check him out online if you get a chance. He did a movie called 'A Day in the Hype of America which won the Rhode Island International Film Festival for best documentary - along with many other things) who's going to film the live show this Sunday and also film me being interviewed. This will be cut and spliced and put into DVD/CD format and hopefully tagged onto the end of the Nashville 5-song CD, so people will get their money's worth in a different way than the usual 11 or 12 song CD.

There may also be a publicist in the crowd who could get the band into the Bonneroo Festival here in Seattle - a GREAT one to play for exposure! All in all this is going to be a very productive trip.

Happy Father's Day to any dad that reads this...

2004-06-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

Michael and I have decided to try to be ahead of the game today, and we spent all day and evening packing up the car in preparation for our trip across country to the northwest, even though we don't leave for another 24 hours. We plan on playing our D'Agostino's gig from 7-10pm, then breaking down and getting a couple of hours of driving in before we snuggle up in our comfy little car seats (yeah right) for a nap.

Our itinerary is to get to KC by 1 or 2 am Sunday, sleep for a few hours, then get up and drive all the way to Denver Colorado by Sunday evening. We then plan to head up north, passing through much of the southwest corner of Wyoming and to Idaho Falls on the next day. Our last day will be a long haul through southern Isaho, over into Oregon, then straight northwest to Seattle.

Great things are going to happen while we are in Seattle, including a gig at a new venue called See Sound Lounge. The gig might be filmed by an indy filmmaker there, who would then cut and splice pieces of an interview with me to be used as DVD footage on the Nashville CD.

Belltown was also recently contacted by a publicist who's going to come out to the show and meet with me. Some of the band members and I were talking the other day about the fact that I have a booking agent and everything else, but I really need a publicist! So perhaps this will work out. Apparently this woman has lived in LA and Nashville, and deals heavily with radio promotion, which is exactly what I'm looking for.

I will also be thrilled to see family and friends, some whom I haven't seen in years. We will also be attending my high school reunion, and it will be interesting to see what has happened with everyone in the intervening years. We also intend to enjoy the drive as much as possible, seeing some landmarks, some quirky roadside attractions like the biggest ball of twine, and whatever else floats our boat.

Then we will race home for what may prove to be one of our most exciting gigs: playing on Faurot Field for the pre-fireworks show on the Fourth of July. We can't wait to play where the Rolling Stones did... :)

2004-05-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

So much has been going on lately that I haven't been good about writing blogger updates. But now that I have a minute, I'm going to write about all the great, exciting news that has come up of late. First of all, I am looking forward to a great string of gigs we have in the Columbia area through the summer. My incredible booking agent, Jane Accurso, has managed to book us in all the great festivals. The first is Art in the Park, June 5th, and we play at 1pm. The second, and one of the most exciting, is that we were invited to play for the 4th of July fireworks festival on Faurot Field in the Hearnes Stadium. The other band playing will be Del Alma, and our show will be followed by the symphony playing along with the fireworks show. Should be an awesome event! Also, on September 9th, during the second Twilight Festival month, we will be playing the mainstage on the courthouse aquare, another thing we've been really looking forward to.

The Nashville project continues to plod along. After a whirlwind rush of activity, I'm a little dismayed by how long these final steps are taking, quite honestly, simply because while I know everyone involved is doing their best job, and has my best interests in mind, I'm a 'let's get it done NOW!' kind of person, and I have no control over other people's timelines. So, I wait. But it's going to be something I am SO very proud of when it's finished, hopefully ready for radio play on commercial, college, and community radio, and ready to try to attract labels and investors. The band has heard the demo and we've decided to work up live versions of the Nashville sessions. Lately we are playing more festival and showcase type gigs, which don't last for 4 hours like the bar gigs we 'grew up' on, so we don't need to stretch everything out to 10 minutes. This way we will give the audience a little more 'bang for the buck' at a shorter show.

We've been discussing what steps to take once the Nashville demo is completed and besides the huge radio campaign, we will be creating a multi-pronged approach to inform press, having several CD release parties in different cities, researching distribution and on and on and on and on and on.

Michael and I are most looking forward to our trip out to Seattle this summer! We are going to have time for one performance amongst all the other things we have scheduled to do, at Seattle's See Sound lounge. It will be great to meet with all the Belltown execs, and see family and homestead all at the same time.

Have a great summer, and I will check in from time to time...

2004-05-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

Well, this is the second time I've attempted to publish today's blog, so if it shows up twice, I do apologize. My first attempt doesn't seem to have made it to the website. This past weekend we had a great whirlwind trip to Chicago to play for my brother-in-law's surprise 30th birthday party. It was at a small southside bar called Paddy B's. We wish we could have taken the entire band, but since the bar was so small it was just Michael, myself, our other acoustic guitarist BA, and harmonica player Matt. We woke up early Saturday morning to drive to Chicago, and we got to the bar at 6pm, set up, and played until nearly 1am. We can't quite decide if it was more fun to play the music, or to ride up and back together, teasing each other the entire time, stuffing our faces with Krispy Kreme donuts and hoping to stay awake on only a few hours of sleep. We had a great brainstorming session on the way back...ideas for where we'd like to play next, what I should call the Nashville project, etc. These are the times I will remember.

2004-04-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

Because I was asked several times, I thought I'd explain why the Hilary Scott Band didn't play the Columbia Earth Day festival this year. Our band was invited to participate by the Earth Day committee, and we had planned on performing, until several weeks before the event I was reminded of a prior commitment of mine, the date of which had been unknown to me when I accepted the Earth Day gig. So, I had to cancel Earth Day, unfortunately, and then what I WAS going to do was altered because of another occurence within my family, and I went out of town for a different reason. So, I didn't even get to attend Earth Day, but caught part of it on KOPN towards the evening. It sounds like it was a great event with good tunes, which is nothing less than what we always get from Earth Day. Wish we could have been part of it, but I just wanted to explain why we weren't.

2004-04-18T13:28:00.000-07:00

Back in Nashville...but I'm now almost done with what will be my last trip for several weeks. I thought I was done back in late March, but it turned out I was needed to be part of the final editing and mixing process, and now that we've done it, I'm certainly glad I was here.

It's been amazing to see the development of these songs and I am thrilled with the *nearly* finished product. We're done with mixing, and I'm spending these last few minutes before Steve and I get in the car for the eight-hour drive home writing a blog about this great weekend.

The last time I left Nashville, I was homesick and just wanted to get back to Michael, home, friends, the band, etc. This time I am appreciating and savoring the experience, knowing I will miss it. I feel at home in this house (that's what spending nearly two months somewhere will do to you) I love Matt's family, and musically there has been SO much I've experienced and learned, so many incredible people I've met.

I spent all last evening (and into the wee hours of the morning) mixing 'People on a Train' with Matt and Steve, but the entertainment lawyer, also named Steve, was there with us, and it was incredibly fun. He had some fantastic ideas about promotion and several different career path ideas I've never even considered. I will expand on those when I've got more time. Suffice it to say I'm excited, and a little overwhelmed by what awaits me.

After being in the studio ALL DAY until 11pm, we decided to cut loose and go to several venues in town at which I might want to play in the near future. We went to 12th and Porter, The Mercy Room, and Exit/In. The problem was, we weren't floored by what was being offered music-wise (an oddity in Nashville) and the Exit/In wanted $15 per person for a DJ. I respect what DJs do, so don't get me wrong, but a live band of 5 or 6 people only draws $10 per person, and I don't think that's quite fair. We did, however, linger for several minutes in the other 2 rooms, and it was definitely an experience of 'counter-culture' in Nashville. Wonderfully, I left the Mercy Room to discover that my eardrums WEREN'T bleeding, they only felt like they were! :)

I'm about to go pick up my audio CD of the final mixes of the 5 songs. Some of my earliest predictions about the songs we chose have proven to be true; some have been turned on their head. For instance, I've always felt 'Calls From Springfield' was one of my most mainstream, catchy songs, and this version is no different. I am thrilled with it, it's perfect for radio, it's strong and punchy and doesn't lose any of its integrity. I hoped for and expected that outcome. 'People on a Train', however, I was cautious about re-doing, because my Columbia band and I really give it a great go when we perform it live. I was scared cutting several minutes off of it would do irreparable harm. It has turned out to be, arguably, the strongest song of the 5. However, when we play the tracks for people, most find 'Brave New World' to scream out to them, grab them, and not let go. It will probably be top pick for shopping to labels, searching for investors, etc. 'My Friend' was one I was hoping would be transformed, and it was, but I had no idea how much I would love the finished product. Finally, 'Sometimes Sun, Sometimes Rain' turned out not to have the straight-forward commercial sound we thought it would, although it is still strong, and fun.

I'm pleased with all the tracks, and ready to let people hear them!

2004-03-28T12:42:00.000-08:00

Last night was so much fun! The band and I (with a fill-in bassist named Andrew Young and minus our kit drummer, Loyd Warden) had a great show at MoJo's. The place was well-filled, tables and booths full, people standing and sitting on extra chairs. We had some technical difficulties in the first set which threw our momentum just a bit, but the second two sets were great. I think I played one of the most fun violin solos I've ever done on 'That Kind of Woman.' It just went on and on and all these new ideas were flowing out of me. I haven't been in the pocket like that for a while.

I also notice that my body is out of "full playing mode." When we were busy touring to different cities and playing several times a week, my fingers and arms were well adjusted to the demands placed upon them, but now that I've spent the last two months in Nashville not having much time to play my instruments (or certainly not for several hours a day as I was) I'm actually a little bit SORE, like a runner who didn't train all winter and suddenly goes full-bore for a six mile run. It's so weird to realize how much energy you utilize in performance.

The best part of last night was seeing so many friendly faces. I can't express how great Columbia is. It's a tight-knit, but accepting community, and I would be lost without the awesome support base we have here. I met some new faces last night two, such as a couple from Jefferson City who heard a couple of my tunes on KOPN and so came to the show on that basis, and a man from Columbia who had been referred to our show by someone who heard us play earlier this month. There were many other people there who were obviously new to our show but I didn't have the chance to meet them. I want to just thank anyone and everyone who came! It was a great show to get us back in full swing! I also think last night was a great example of how word-of-mouth and local advertising can work so well. Many people had heard of us from other people, or from the local paper, commercial radio ads, etc. And to all those KOPN DJs doing late-night shows...community radio works! You're doing a great job! Thank you!

2004-03-24T18:15:00.000-08:00

Some stories I'd like to write key-phrases for so I remember to write more about them later:

Hot Steve (Barry Rex)
Lezzzzzley
Wouldn't see me for 3 weeks if...

These don't make sense right now, they might some day!

2004-03-23T12:42:00.000-08:00

A small investment I made this week is paying off. I spent nineteen dollars on a Monchhichi (yes there are two '"h's" in the middle) shirt at a vintage clothing store in Oxford while walking around the square with my sister. For those of you who don't remember, or never knew the Monchhichis, they were toy monkeys, fuzzy little things with soft fur and hard plastic faces and they sucked their thumbs. One was a boy and one was a girl. My sister had some. Anyhow, I wore the shirt today, and so am sporting two monkey heads on my front. For the most part, nobody that I've run into has remembered the Monchhichis, but I even remember the theme song: "Monchhichi, Monchhichi, oh so soft and cuddly."

I had some time to myself today while Matt was working on another project, and decided to go to Starbucks and sit and read a book. A guy approached me and said, "hey, I like the Monchhichis." He then explained that he lived in France for a while and had a girlfriend there. He asked her if she knew of the Monchhichis and she said no, then they got on a bus, headed somewhere, and there was, of all things, a Monchhichi monkey hanging from the overhead handrail of the bus! Funny coincidence. The t-shirt and I are making friends wherever we go! :)

2004-03-22T20:02:00.000-08:00

I LOVE recording vocal harmonies. Even though I'm a little under the weather I have found today's sessions invigorating because I get to do what I love which is harmonize. I've always found harmony to be one of the most vital and interesting parts of musical composition, it is a big part of what creates the "feeling" of music for me.

Most of today was experimental in nature although there were some harmonies I had "nailed down," so to speak. The added voices are creating some great layers and automatically kick the intensity of the songs up a notch or two.

I am staying in Nashville through tomorrow to work on some more harmonies and possible some editing/production, and then will head home on Wednesday! Yeah! I get to rest, maybe visit friends, get together with the band and get ready for our Saturday MoJo's show, which we are all excited for! I'm hoping to see a lot of people I haven't seen in months. It should be awesome...

2004-03-21T18:39:00.000-08:00

Back in Nashville. Had a GREAT time with my sister in Oxford, Mississippi for the last two days, but the time was far too short. The weather has been as extreme as my mood, going from a hot nearly 90 yesterday while we wandered around Oxford to a breezy 49 here in Nashville today. It might freeze tonight. I've been sick again, and I think I'm just exhausted. I'm ready for several days of NOTHING on my plate so I can gather my thoughts back together and feel like I can get my body back on a schedule.

I am so ready for spring. I see it everywhere, especially here in the south. New things are happening everywhere, in my life and all around me.

But I miss home...

This BLOG is like a diary, but people have the key.

2004-03-18T17:42:00.000-08:00

Heading back to Nashville tomorrow after a 10-day hiatus to finish backing vocals and work on some more production of the tracks. I'm so excited to hear the finished product and see where it takes me, but this time at home has been great. Of course, my body let down enough, as it always does after a long stretch of intense work, to let in my second virus in the last month, and now I've got bronchitis really making me feel wonderful.

However, right at the beginning of this week before the cold had truly attacked, the band and I got to play together (it's been a while) at a gig we are jokingly called the "Tiffany Tour." Yes, we played at the mall, but it was for the colleges in town. People came in to get info, and there was also a prize drawing. The grand prize was a trip to Cancun, and this girl the band has known for years (one of our very first Stephens College Fans) won the trip. She was so shocked and she said she'd only come there to hear us play...so it turned out to be a great night for her. I couldn't think of a more deserving person. She's a sweetie.

It felt great to play with the guys after such a long break. The room was echo-y and boomy and problematic, and we were right next to the deep fat fryers, but hey! It was music, and we were together again, and it was cool. I was flying high on Day-Quil which is always a good thing :).

I will keep this blog updated on the final days of the Nashville project, which will be coming right up!

2004-03-08T21:19:00.000-08:00

Out of all the nights I've spent in Nashville, two of them have been the most special so far; the night when I finished the rhythm tracks with the studio musicians, and tonight. I just had my "audition and meeting" with the entertainment lawyer, and he loved the tracks. Surprisingly, 'People on a Train' was one of his very favorites, as it has the Led Zeppelin, classic rock twinge to it. He thinks pitching songs like that to the labels, investors, radio, etc., songs with edge and meaning, will carve a unique nitch for me. To think the song I thought would be most problematic to re-arrange and edit, has turned out to be many people's favorites, even in this difficult industry. I've managed to meet people who are still interested in making and receiving good music, not just aiming for a narrow, formatted box!

Although I'm not wishing upon a star, putting all my eggs in one basket, or any of those other cliches that mean you've got your head in the clouds, I realize I've taken a huge step in getting the attention of an influential music lawyer. With him in my court I have a much better chance of getting my music out to a wider audience.

I'm elated, and a little tipsy, and I am going to bed!

2004-03-07T17:23:00.000-08:00

Tonight is my last night of main vocals, but I'm feeling icky and weird after eating WAY too much at lunch with my sister. I ate the best burger I've had in a while, and some Ben and Jerry's frozen yogurt. My stomach is revolting! BUT....I had the most fun day with my sister. When we woke up, it was gorgeous outside, so we took a half-hour walk and looked at all the beautiful trees, which are now in bloom.

After doing some editing early in the afternoon, we were given some time "off" and Heather and I took off to the Opryland Hotel! This place is a world in and of itself! There are trees, canals, gondolas, birds, ducks, fish, tropical flowers, waterfalls, little boutique shops, great restaurants, etc. Quite an experience. As a "post-Christmas" gift, my sister bought me this microphone pin, which has rhinestones for the mic holes. I'm going to pin it on my guitar strap. I love it. You've got to leave with one piece of Opryland, and that was mine.

Anyhow, tonight, after singing 'Calls From Springfield' (again) we might go see a movie. I saw 'Passion of the Christ' about a week ago, and it hasn't left my mind, but that's a topic for another day. We might go see 'Butterfly Effect' or 'Big Fish' or '50 First Dates.' Anything to get my mind out of the studio and ready for tomorrow when I have my big 'audition' with two certain very important industry pros. I'm a little scared. It's easier to perform for hundreds, thousands, than TWO. But I'm going to give it all I've got.

2004-03-05T15:56:00.000-08:00

Well, vocals are coming along nicely. Last night we got the final vocals on 'My Friend,' which means I now have 'Brave New World' and 'My Friend' locked down. I am going to tackle 'Sometimes Sun, Sometimes Rain' tonight. During the day we've been editing guitar tracks, fleshing out solos, making decisions about what sounds and effects we'd like to use, and then during the evenings we do vocals. I can see everything coming together and am getting more excited every day.

On a personal note, my sister Heather is coming to visit me tomorrow and will stay for a couple of days. It has been a long time since I've seen her. We will have some time to spend together during the day while Matt works on some other projects, and then she will probably observe me in the studio for a while.

Let me take this opportunity to tell you about the great vocal booth I sing in. Matt has it decked out inside almost like a castle. The walls have this stone-like facade on them, the lights are in these very gothic-looking casings, and I've requested red and orange lights to keep the look "fiery." It manages to create a great mood without leading one to a completely "dark" energy. There are some rooms that either have too MUCH personality and are distracting, or have too LITTLE personality, and make you super-conscious of where you are; a sterile audio environment. Matt's booth stands perfectly between too much and too little. It sparks your imagination but you manage to stay focused.

My allergies have been terrible, so in order to be in good voice I take a non-drowsy antihistamine an hour before singing and gulp down water like nobody's business, gargle with salt-water, and then suck on Ricola. It seems to do the trick!

Off again I go...

2004-03-03T20:59:00.000-08:00

Today was fabulous! (I wonder how many times I've used that word in recent weeks). Seriously, though, today we got Jerry Kimbrough, the session guitarist, back into the studio and he laid down smokin' guitar tracks on 4 of the 6 songs. I thought I was happy after the first session, now I'm wallowing in it! The impact of the original tracks was multiplied a thousand times, and I'm so excited to start laying down my vocals.

We spent from 10am to 5pm working the guitar tracks, (okay, and taking an hour respite for a great Mexican lunch) and then we got a call from a Nashville entertainment lawyer (I won't give names but let's just say he's done great things for many artists here) who asked us out for a drink. We had some great conversation about the future of labels, artist development, etc. He had some wonderful ideas and got me even more excited about the near future. I love being completely immersed in the music, and right now I eat/sleep/breathe it.

I feel that my joy is redundant. But right now I can't say anything else. I am in a state of happiness. I am learning an incredible amount and seeing things in a new light. I feel that one of the lines of my song, "Lay Your Burden Down" is appropriate here: 'we're all leaving something that we've been'...

It's not so much that I'm LEAVING what I've been, but I am in a state of "becoming," as we all are. We're different people every day. I wish I could take a snapshot of every moment.

2004-03-02T07:54:00.000-08:00

I had the funniest dream last night. It was a very restless night, as I spent most of it tossing and turning and trying to get comfortable. It seems those nights are always when the best dreams are brewed. I have a high school reunion coming up, and the dream was a hilarious way for my brain to work out all of the questions I must have about the people I used to know.

In the dream, it was a blazing hot June day, and yet all the girls who I knew of, but never knew well because they wouldn't deign to speak to me :) were wearing leather pants and jackets, like some kind of uniform. I could see they were miserable, but hey they looked good!

People were playing some sort of weird "sport" tossing balloons around, but there didn't seem to be a goal, a purpose, a point system, anything, but they were sure competitive with it. It's hilarious to see someone trying to act barbaric with a balloon.

All the old groups sort of reformed, but I was this floating observor kind of weasling my way into every group and not caring. I was having fun listening to everyone's stories, and then one girl showed up with two new babies and started talking about how she avoided getting stains on her clothes during feeding time, and the dream turned very commercial-like, with her holding up bottles of detergent, different samples of baby food, etc. Crazy!

Then the most frustrating part of the dream was that I couldn't find any of the old friends I was really curious about. Random...there was more to it that I just don't remember, but those details were quite clear. Funny what the brain does to sort out information. Oh, and one more detail I remember is that people looked like themselves, but I kept saying their names wrong. I was aware in my own head that those weren't their names in real life, but in the dream their names had changed, and it was perfectly normal that someone named Mark suddenly became a Paul or Dan, for example.

Anyhow, I'm definitely not feeling that refreshed, but today is keyboard day! I am going to lay down some keyboard tracks on Calls From Springfield, My Friend, and People on a Train, and possibly Brave New World.

Wish me luck!

2004-02-28T16:35:00.000-08:00

Well, we've run into a little delay in the project. Matt's internal drive crashed, but none of my tracks have been affected, thank goodness. We should be getting back on track in a few days. I'm getting anxious for the project to be done, not because I'm not enjoying every minute of it, but because being away from home and "making do" and eke-ing out an existence is not easy and certainly not always fun. And I miss people, darnit!

I am looking forward to the next gig I have with my full Columbia band, which is on Tuesday, March 16th. We won't really have had any time to rehearse and get back into the swing of playing together before the gig, so it will be raw emotion and getting back into the good old groove.

I'm really excited that one of my band members, Bill Adams (acoustic guitar and slide) had taken over some of our radio promotion work. He's been in community radio for years and has connections, plus the knowledge and savvy to get our music to the correct people. If you read this blog and would like to know more about some of the stations that have our music and are willing to listen to your requests and suggestions, check out the radio station link on the website. We actually have CDs at radio stations in several different states now. When the Nashville sessions are completed, we will be able to send those radio-ready songs to these stations, plus many more, since it's more likely to fit the commercial-AAA format. However, we really appreciate community and college radio, and they've been playing my music already, in its current format with longer songs, etc. The goal is just to get it out to as many people as possible!

On a totally unrelated note, I cooked this week! Really cooked! (Anyone who knows me knows this is a rare occurence and I did it four times this week!) I made up a bunch of stuff, instead of looking in a cookbook. I found a great way to prepare asparagus, and suddenly it's just about my favorite food, especially sauteed with garlic, onions, spices and balsamic vinagrette. I put it in soup, in spaghetti sauce, on salads, on the side, anywhere! It tastes so GREEN...that's the best way I can describe it. And since spring is coming I crave vegetables all the time. Everything will soon be green, the coolest time of year for me.

GREEN! My favorite color...

Well that's enough babbling for now.

2004-02-19T20:57:00.000-08:00

Today provided me with another example of why I love the night. I woke up SUPER early this morning (okay, so for me EARLY is 7:00am - but still) and was raring to go, but I still had some stuffiness in my head from this cold I'm just getting over. I laid down final guitar tracks on 'My Friend,' then decided to go for a vocal take on 'Calls From Springfield.' Well, we got some acceptable, good takes, but things just didn't quite fall into place as I had wanted them to, and I think a big part of that was trying to lay down my most emotionally-effective vocals at 10am. It just wasn't happening. I am a night owl, and I am usually onstage at night, when all emotions seem heightened, and I needed to capture that in the studio.

I spent several hours this afternoon watching Matt work his magic on 'Brave New World,' (he's added some amazing guitar licks and also used a special effect that synthesizes the natural voice - sounds almost like strings, but very cool and subtle and is built directly from my ACTUAL voice) and I was so inspired I asked him if he'd mind going back into the studio after dinner to let me have a go at final vocals on 'Brave New World' and possibly 'Calls From Springfield.' Magic happened in the hours between 8 and 10pm. I can honestly say I may have delivered some of the best vocal takes I personally ever have. The emotions were there, right on the tip of my tongue, and I was able to recall why I had written these songs in the first place, as they came alive to me again. It was fantastic. It wasn't about absolute technical perfection, just raw emotion.

I feel this week has gone very well. We've run into a delay getting Jerry Kimbrough back into the studio to lay down some more guitar parts, but I feel very confident in how the songs are shaping up. Apparently, especially after tonight, so does Matt. He said I had 'made him a believer' tonight with my vocal performance, which meant a lot to me and was a relief, since my voice has been so sub-par lately with this cold. However, having just a hint of rawness from the illness adds a touch of pathos. Ask any member of my Columbia band who has worked with me on past projects and they will say I've got at least one song on every album recorded when I was, to some degree, ill. (It's a state of being for me - allergies, colds, etc.)

Anyhow, I will take this opportunity to say that even amidst all of the great musical creativity and excitement I am a part of down here, I miss home. I miss my band mates, whom I had gotten used to being with nearly all the time since we spent the last few months touring. I miss Michael. I miss my cats, Biko and Dewey. I miss my friends in Columbia. This project is necessary and it will be a vital part of the growth of my career, but leaving home, even for only a month or so, sucks. But I let that pang of sadness drive me on. It's great creative fodder...

2004-02-18T14:38:00.000-08:00

Music Row has to be one of the most beautiful neighborhoods I've seen in any city. (It's a musicians' paradise.) From the mammoth ASCAP building to the tiniest houses hiding world-famous studios, it's a glorious place to see. I can only imagine what it will look like in the spring with the foliage and flowers. Immediately surrounding Music Row are several blocks of ritzy shopping and great dining. I can see why Nashville is so beloved by the industry, but it's also a town of great dichotomy. You go from the poor industrial sections immediately into the wealth of Music Row. Of course, this is true of many big cities, but Nashville has more the feel of a small town. Just as Music Row is a loop to drive in, once you're "in the loop" so to speak, you get to know people very quickly, and the circle isn't that big.

We also went to see a couple other studios in Berry Hill, which is a mile or so from Music Row. Just bunches and bunches of little homes that have been converted into studios for recording, mastering, mixing, what have you. 75% of the businesses in Nashville, it appears, are directed at the music industry in one form or another, be it directly music-related or an offshoot like photography, disc pressing, advertising, lawyers and agents, etc. It is almost overwhelming, but it's a living example of why networking is so important, and in Nashville the "network members" are all within a few miles of each other.

I'm tired. I'm going to drink some Throat Coat and take a nap. Today Matt took some serious time on "Brave New World," and it's shaping up to be a fascinating tune with subtle string sound, harder-edged guitar, and a very cool drum track where Steve Brewster took a kick drum, turned it on its side, and used it as an extra tom. It creates a huge, low, open sound that is very unique.

2004-02-16T21:19:00.000-08:00

Isn't the night supposed to be darkest before the dawn? The only low point of my Nashville experience has been leaving my purse unattended in a restaurant for a few minutes and returning to have several hundred dollars (all I had to live on) missing. Well, 'missing' implies something can again be found, so let me use the correct word: STOLEN! It has made me feel depressed, and a little wary of humankind. Not that bad things haven't happened to me before, but almost never at such an inopportune time. It filled me with such angst I couldn't even write about it until now though it happened 4 days ago. However, I've taken the last few days to try to put it into perspective, and I've gone through the immediate despair, the subsequent anger, the kicking myself because 'I should have done this or that,' and now I'm almost to acceptance. (Isn't that the grieving process?) OK...it's just money, and luckily I'm not hung up on that, but it was money that was going to buy my food. So now, let me relive some of those college days when I ate mostly cereal, Ramen, and PB&J. I'll survive. I sure hope whoever took the money needed it more than I.

Correction: Steve Brewster's drum work is on 'Breathe' and several other Faith Hill records, but I don't believe, after all, that it is on 'Cry.'

2004-02-13T18:12:00.000-08:00

WOW! The session Wednesday was a dream...I don't know where to begin. The three session players were Jerry Kimbrough on guitar, Gary Lunn on bass, and Steve Brewster on drums. These guys are all over hundreds of grammy-winning best-selling records in many different genres, yet they were the most down-to-earth, modest guys I've met in a long time. The minute they sat down with their instruments in hand, I heard my songs transform into pieces of art beyond my wildest dreams. The best part of the experience was that they listened to my input and used it to create the new versions of the songs.

From the moment I started writing songs, I had ideas about what they might sound like with full instrumentation. My Columbia band and I have created a very cool, roots/folk/blues sound which I love. I also thought it would be great to experiment with a bit heavier, more edgy rock sound, and I feel that is what I have gotten from this particular group of guys. It's so great to see your songs develop down different paths with the different influences of certain players. Some people believe your records should sound exactly like your live performance, or vice versa, but I am from a slightly different school of thought. I believe records are records, and they are works of art that should stand alone. One option for live performance is to try to replicate the sound of the album exactly, but I always enjoy live shows where a favorite song is done differently, be it something as simple as playing a guitar song on piano instead, changing the tempo, or extending the song by five minutes, it's great to see musicians in creative action onstage. I think the Nashville sessions will bring my music to a radio-ready level, but my band and I will be free to bring our interpretation of the songs to the stage whenever we like and in whatever way we choose. I feel much more freedom in this approach, as the songs can truly be organic, changing and growing as it feels appropriate.

The day after the session (Thursday) I turned on the radio to hear Faith Hill's "Cry" which was on one of the multi-platinum selling records which Steve Brewster played on. I was so excited to listen to his drum work and realize he'd played on my songs as well. Another highlight of the session is the guys gave a lot of time and energy to give the songs a creative edge. They weren't simply reading off a chart and laying down the tracks, they were helping develop the direction of the take, and they really seemed to enjoy that. I'd sing the song live for them in the studio, they'd make sure the chart was accurate, then they'd ask questions, give suggestions. We also joked around a lot. I felt comfortable and accepted by these amazing talents.

It is difficult for me to pick a favorite song from the session, but I did go absolutely crazy with joy when 'People on a Train' came together. We had arranged the song a bit more for radio, and I was wary about that only because in our live performance it's been established as more of an 'anthem,' where we build and build to the song's cresendo of an ending. It takes eight minutes to complete the song live, and I wasn't sure what would happen when it was cut down to four. Well, the drums became an unimaginable, and unexplainable force in creating the song. I cannot do justice to the drum track in any words printed here, so I will simply say, wait until you hear it!

The day will forever be imprinted in my mind as a turning point in my development as an artist. I recognize that I had a unique experience in terms of Nashville studio sessions. These guys gave me their all, and I didn't ever feel I was being pushed into a pigeon-hole of a certain sound or genre, they never acted like they were 'on the clock' and they never treated me as beneath them. It was simply, in one word, fabulous.

2004-02-10T14:35:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the big studio day. We will probably track from 10am well into the evening, as I said before, and I may not have time to blog tomorrow evening, but I will try my best, since tomorrow will be one of the most exciting days in the entire process. (The day when it is completed will be pretty darn exciting too.)

Today we nailed down the tempos on all of the songs and I fell victim to vivid flashbacks of the wretched metronome I always had to practice piano to when I was a kid. I know it's a vital part of the process, but it's difficult to get "lost in the song" when you're playing to a click track!

My nose is dripping and I should go take care of it. I am VERY hopeful that by the time I start recording vocals I will be in full voice again. Today we had a bit more down-time, but it's been great to actually have a chance to discuss the songs at leisure. The "think tank" time will stretch way beyond the tracking time, I have learned!

2004-02-09T17:07:00.000-08:00

Today was an intensive day, but that's probably me being a wimp because I've been thinking through the fog of a head cold. We went through the arrangements on songs again and laid down some more rough cuts for the studio musicians to listen to. Most of the six songs were already in very good form, but on a couple of them (Blind Me and People on a Train) we moved around a verse or chorus here and there, held a chord longer, cut a line or two. So far, I feel only positive about the changes and letting go hasn't been as hard as I had anticipated it would be.

Tomorrow we will finish our brainstorming on the arrangements, and then the bassist who is also very good at making charts, will come and chart out all the songs for the entire band. Apparently he is Amy Grant's bassist, and has played on uncountable major records, as have the other two musicians. They've been responsible for many a Grammy win, it seems. The funniest thing is that oftentimes they spend days in the studio cutting tracks for people, and then they never hear the finished product. Matt says a lot of times they will be listening to the radio and realize a minute or two into the song that, "hey, I think that's me playing guitar in this song!" So, the fruits of their labor aren't always readily apparent, they don't always get instant gratification, but luckily they just love what they do and are wonderful at it (to my benefit I get to meet them.)

Anyhow, I'm still waiting to see how drained I will be after Wednesday, when we work from 10 in the morning until about 8 or 9 at night solid. A solid 10-11 hour day. I suppose that's not a stretch for a lot of people who work 12 hours or more a day! I need to just suck it up and enjoy! Because after all, we can call it work, but it's still really the only thing in the world we wish we were doing.

2004-02-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

I've arrived in Nashville! And I feel I've truly "arrived" at a place that will give me all sorts of new creative energy. Certainly I will learn a lot in this month. My first challenge is to combat the nice cold virus my body waited until now to let in, but luckily Matthew Wilder (the producer) and his family have basically adopted me, and I'm very comfortable. They've got this great bassett hound named Scarlet who makes me feel at home with her slobbery kisses. (I had a bassett hound when I was a child - she was named Bridgette and was my very first pet.)

Matt and I come from a very simliar place both in our musical background and our future vision, so it is an excellent pairing. I may be too excited to sleep tonight, but I'm going to go try right now. And since I have access to internet while I am here, my e-mail addiction will be adequately fed and I also hope to keep a better blog diary while I am experiencing what will surely be one of the very best months of my entire life!

2004-02-03T20:38:00.000-08:00

Tonight I had a fabulous experience. My harmonica player Matt passed along two tickets to me today for the Judy Collins concert at Jesse Hall. I went with Michael, and we just got back. Judy, in her sixties, still has the clear-as-a-bell voice of an angel. She did nearly as much story-telling as she did singing, and she is a wealth of history, knowledge and humor. Before the show Michael and I chatted with the couple next to us, and they are regulars at the University Concert Series and donate money, so they get some perks. We got to talking about the fact that I am a musician, and at intermission, the man asked
me if I'd like to go meet Judy with him, since he has the option of meeting all of the performers. I jumped at the chance, and although they pushed us through in quite a hurry (there were about 15 of us that got to meet her downstairs in her dressing room) I had a chance to get my picture with her, and slip her assistant my card. (Oh the degrees of separation!) I unfortunately didn't have a CD on me. I couldn't have imagined I would have had such a perfect opportunity to give Judy a CD. I am so uncomfortable with the idea of self-promotion. Everyone says you have to do it, but it's so uncomfortable for me to push things on other people. So here I missed a chance to possibly have her ear turned on my CD. But, just the experience of seeing a 60's icon sing, shaking her hand, and having my picture taken with her was great.

I have one of Judy's albums, and I have to say she's more fabulous live. It really caused me to think about how much more listeners are endeared to performers when they actually get to see them in the flesh. You might listen to someone on CD and think they're good. But when you have a chance to experience their art firsthand, get a feel for their world view, and their sense of direction, you feel you know them, if only a little bit. Live performance is truly where the magic happens...

2004-01-19T19:08:00.000-08:00

Today was sort of a rough day, but I am kept happy with thoughts of this past weekend. The band and I had two gigs in Champaign/Urbana, and the weekend was full of new experiences for us.

When we arrived at the Iron Post to talk to the owner and check out the venue we also asked him about inexpensive places to stay. He referred us to the hotel next door, The Historic Lincoln Hotel, I think it was called, and got us a reduced rate since we were performing that night. This place was a castle! The wallpaper was ornate and made of fabric, there was tons of dark woodwork, the walls were high and curved, the rooms had canopied beds and turn of the century ornamentation. It was built in the 1920's, we discovered, and everything in there was an attempt at authenticity. I do believe they succeeded! We had the best time there! We kept joking that some horror flick should be filmed there, and imagined corpses falling out from behind every closet door, but in actuality it was beautiful and very fun.

We played Friday night at the Iron Post (which turned out to be a great show and a good crowd) where we were given a toy Santa Kermit the Frog by a member of the crowd named Mike. I announced to the crowd that we were trying to collect toys or momentos from each city we play in (you might recall the boggle-headed moose) and that we had bought a tie-dyed monkey earlier that day at a Road Ranger gas station. (He now proudly hangs on the rearview mirror, and each band member probably had a turn making him dance or sing as we drove along). Anyhow, I also mentioned it would probably be more fun if the toys happened upon us, rather than us buying them for ourselves, and lo and behold, Mike from the audience runs up to the stage and hands me Santa Kermit. He said he felt like he should bring that to the show for some weird reason, and was looking for an opportunity to give it to me, and when the chance came, he took it. So, Kermit is now a very special part of our momento collection. He sits on the dash by the moose, behind the tie-dyed monkey.

After the show, we were hungry, even though it was a bleary-eyed two in the morning, so we went to Perkins for some breakfast. There we discovered a little-known talent our harmonica player Matt apparently has. He can actually get those toys out of the claw machines! :) While we were ordering milkshakes and coffee, he was putting quarters in the machine, and came back with a hockey-playing bear! Now the bear stands on the dashboard beside Santa Kermit and Boggle-headed moose behind the monkey which hangs from the rearview mirror. It's a convoluted trail of toys!

We crashed for a few hours at the motel after our gig, and attempted to sleep in on Saturday morning. Three of us were in one room, three in the other, and a quick phone call down the hall let us know that a couple hours before checkout we were all watching the same movie on TV: some dragon movie! Great minds think alike. The hotel had kindly given us late checkout, so we finally dragged our instruments and selves downstairs around 1pm. Then, since we didn't have anywhere to be until 6pm, we decided to eat in the hotel's dining room/library, where they placed us directly in front of a beautiful roaring fire! Much eating and conversation ensued, and we rowdies sat around for about two hours enjoying the warmth and the comfortable seats. The staff had treated us so well we left them two CDs to share with everyone.

They had to close up the library, so we had to move around 3, but we weren't ready to leave the shelter of their hospitality, so we moved our lazy butts into the bar (The Alumni Tap) which was ultra cool, complete with jukebox and wide-screen TV. But our downfall was to be Griff's deck of cards. The men decided to teach me to play Spades, and from then on I was addicted.

The Borders gig that evening went well. It's definitely different playing for attentive, quiet, book-reading individuals as opposed to smoke-filled bar patrons, but it was equally worthwhile.

At 10pm we finally got on the road, deciding to make the haul back to Columbia that night rather than pay for another hotel room. We've found the best stay-awake foods are jerky, sunflower seeds, gummi bears, and Frappuccino. (The Mountain Dew and Exedrin headache medicine standbys came out once or twice.) Even though we were all exhausted we couldn't help but sing along to every oldies station we could find from Urbana to Columbia. Its great driving music and you're almost never going to hear a song you don't know.

Every trip I take with the band we get closer, like a family. There simply aren't any taboo subjects between us anymore, which leads to many interesting conversations. And other than the music, which of course is our reason for going through the fatigue, poor food choices, expensive hotels, and whatever else, the best part of what we do is getting to spend so much time with each other. And I do mean that. My band is made up of the greatest guys. Thanks to all of you, Michael, Griff, BA, Rob, Mike and Loyd (who unfortunately couldn't make it this weekend.) You're the best!!!!!

2004-01-14T22:12:00.000-08:00

In the course of a day, each person probably has about a million thoughts or so, I'm thinking. (There's one right there!) But seriously, with all these thoughts that run through my head, you'd think I could get around to writing them down more often.

Today one of my band members complained that they only have to check my blog once a month to keep up with it, and that's pitiful. If my BAND members are complaining, I'd really better get my rear in gear.

So, today's thought is somewhat unrelated to music, but very much a part of creativity.

I am an avid reader, and recently I've taken to going to the dollar store and buying cheap books by unknown authors that look interesting. This is not a large investment, maybe $1.08 with tax, and since I read a few books a week (can't go to sleep without having escaped into some book for at least an hour or so) this is an economical way to get my fix, and also to discover things I'd never have found otherwise.

I picked up this book yesterday called 'The Bearded Lady.' The cover is very carny-like, with that carnival poster drawing and catch-phrases all over it, but it reads more like a depression-era southern novel, and it is very well written. But, the best part about it is that it has a weird undercurrent to it, a macabre aesthetic, and those kind of books always appeal to me the most.

Hilary's must-read list:

-House of Leaves (I need to find my copy and give you the author, but his last name starts with a 'Z' and ends with "owski," or some such thing, I think. You will be sucked into this book, literally feeling as though you are right there. The author does the most fascinating three-degrees of narrator removal, and yet also mirrors the movement of the story in the very way the pages are laid out. If he's talking about a spiral staircase going down, the words will turn. Rather than being annoying, this is a disturbing, yet effective ploy that he uses sparingly, and which, rather than feeling like a trick, comes off as the most brilliant thing ever attempted.)
-As I Lay Dying (William Faulkner - or for that matter read ANY Faulkner book, just read him for God's sake - he puts Hemingway into left field. Having said that, Ernest is great in his own right but when you want to step away from masculine projection for a chapter or two, read Faulkner!)
-Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston)
-The Stand (Stephen King - or, again, pretty much anything by King, especially his older collections like Skeleton Crew - he's vastly underrated even if he DID finally win a much-disputed literary award. If anybody in the academic world ever figures it out, King will be in the college canon, and will be taught in more classes than just his own.)
-Carrion Comfort (Dan Simmons - the darkest, most thought-provoking yet entertaining read I can promise)
-Song of Kali (also by Dan Simmons - this one could have you laying awake sick for days...but if you're up to that, it's fascinating.)

My list could go on and on and on and on and on...but this is a start. I studied both English and Music in college, (only 1,200 students at my school and so we spent a LOT of time in philosphical debate) and yet rather than become snooty and classist about my reading choices, I'm a champion of everything from the classics to pulp fiction. My one sticking point is that everyone deserves to learn to read, and to learn to ENJOY to read.

I am filled with despair and anger at the rate of illiteracy in this country. I also find that school kids are reading so much they DON'T enjoy, and are rarely allowed during school time to read for enjoyment, that they never CHOOSE to read at home because they're too busy or too bored with what they've had to read that day that the last thing they'd want to do is look at another typewritten page, so click goes the TV remote. Other than play music, I will always try to take some of my time and/or money to help literacy and reading programs.

Enough soapbox...

I'm going to go to bed and read...

2004-01-04T18:34:00.000-08:00

I just returned from a fabulous whirlwind trip down to Nashville to meet with a producer, Matthew Wilder, who will be producing several of my songs for a radio/major label demo I am going to be doing in the month of February.

First of all, for a big city, Nashville is really a small town. I was impressed with the friendliness that surrounded me. Considering how much money and fame has been generated in that town and how much everyone there is striving for SOMETHING, there wasn't the restlessness and snobbery that I expected.

As soon as Steve (acting as a sort of manager for me right now) and I arrived at Matt's house, I had a great feeling. I was greeted by the sweetest bassett hound in the world, who leaped up on me and demanded attention. Matt took us down to his studio, which occupies and lower floor of his house, and I discovered we were definitely in the house of an all-around artist. Not only is he a fantastic writer, producer, and musician, but he's a painter, the evidence of which is all over the walls, on which he has created un underwater world. I'll probably be cutting my vocal tracks next to dolphins and sharks...

Matt played us some of the things he's been working on recently, and I was floored. If you mention a particular style of music, he proves very quickly that he can create that sound effectively and uniquely. I have no doubts he will take my music to new levels.

I also had the pleasure of meeting a songwriting teacher, who makes his living consulting with songwriters all over the world via the telephone. I will hopefully get a chance to speak with him much more, as we only had a few minutes to philosophize about the art of songwriting, and I'd like to get much more specific and get his pointers and tips concerning my own songs.

Here we get to the biggest thing this project will teach me: how to edit and arrange my songs. My songs are organic, and most of them are little babies that grew to be eight feet tall. There's just a little too much for them to fit through the doors of most people's houses (or their ears in this case.) Radio is unfriendly to folks like me, who tend to write ANTHEMS rather than songs! :) On the seven-hour car ride back to Columbia I began the process of thinking about my songs in a different light, prodded on by Steve's questions about lyrical passages and musical themes. I tend to write lots of meaty lyrics, and create four or five important musical themes to most songwriters' one. This almost gives the listener too much to grab onto. Today I sat down, and within an hour had come up with edited and re-arranged versions of eight of my best songs (or what I think to be my best) which are shorter and more radio-friendly, but still retain the meatiest parts of the songs, and remain organic and honest. It is a process of letting go, and challenging myself. It isn't ever going to be a bad thing...the longer versions of these songs will always exist SOMEWHERE (probably in performance) but these new versions might get my ideas and thoughts and music out to many more people.

I can't wait to head down there. We start the project on February 9th and it looks like it will last until the end of the month (20 studio days). I'll be crashed out on the studio futon, living like a starving artist. And I'm thrilled...

2004-01-01T15:22:00.000-08:00

Wow...I had a great New Year's Eve! The band and I celebrated by performing at the Historic Missouri Theater from 7-8, then we ate, drank a little, and spent time with friends. I have to say, singing in a real theater with amazing acoustics is the best experience. I have missed it since my days of singing classically in college. Back then I almost never used microphones, just sang on beautiful stages with built-in acoustics. Last night I had the best of both worlds with a great sound company running the system, and a beautiful building to perform in. I saw a lot of our friends there, and it cheered me, since I was and am fighting a cold. I made it through nearly two months of touring for gigs, and finally my body is letting go, and saying I'm finally able to get sick without guilt! (GREAT!) Michael noticed that while I was performing last night I looked like I was going to fall over a couple of times, and I felt that way myself. Dizzy and disoriented. But I made it through, and let the music carry me. It was the strangest feeling to wonder if I was going to fall over in my high heels and break my guitar, all the while singing lyrics that are as much a part of me as my fingerprints.

But hey...that makes it sound like my New Year was a wreck, when really it was fantastic. I am so happy that so many community members came out to see the show and I got some new names on my mailing list and distributed some CDs as well. Columbia has been and continues to be such a wonderfully supportive community and I am glad the HSBand got to ring in the new year with our "home" town. (I still miss my family in the Pacific Northwest though - is that okay?) :)

2003-12-11T11:29:00.000-08:00

I've been sort of delinquent about writing my blogs, but I'm pretty excited about a recent show we played in downtown Chicago. I went with my other acoustic guitarist, Bill Adams, my electric guitarist, Rob Lampe, and my harmonica player, Matt Griffin to play a Tuesday night shared show at the Beat Kitchen in downtown Chicago. It was an unusual venue, but we split the stage with two other bands, everyone got an hour. It was a great time, and beneficial to us because we met some great musicians who we are hoping to keep in contact with in order to share shows in other cities at future dates.

Seeing how the other two bands travel and perform was interesting. While we were told it was to be an "acoustic show" there was one band that had full drum kit, bass, guitar, keyboard, two vocalists, everything! We were thinking maybe next time we will bring everyone regardless of what the venue tells us. But just as those thoughts were running through my head, I was approached by the two female vocalists from the band Michelle Anthony and Stick Pony, who said they were thrilled to see an acoustic show like ours, and that we gave them the courage to say they could do an acoustic show like that in the future too. It's extremely difficult to travel with a full band, ONLY because you often lose money rather than make it. It's not an easy life, but it's such a rush! There's value to presenting your biggest sound to new listeners, then there's value to stripping the sound down and tyring to make the most of what you've got. It's all a learning experience.

Luckily, even though it was one of our first shows in Chicago, we pulled in nearly 40% of the overall crowd because our percussionist, Michael Bielski, (who wasn't able to make this gig) knows plenty of Chicago-ans. I'm really looking forward to the Elbo Room...I've heard it's a beautiful venue, very well established and well known.

I'll let you know how it goes...

One thing I regret about our trip is we didn't make it to McDonald's to buy a Happy Meal. We've decided the best way to commemorate our road trips is to buy a Happy Meal, keep the toy, and write the date of the gig on each respective toy. Presently there's a boggle-head moose sitting on my dashboard from Bloomington. I think we will run out of room within the next few months on the dashboard. It's not really a space-saving way to memorialize the trip, but it's sure fun.

2003-11-25T17:28:00.000-08:00

I'm stoked because CD Baby, one of the biggest and best online distributors of indy music in the WORLD has asked me to be part of a showcase in the 2004 Folk Alliance Conference in San Diego this coming February. This is a huge honor because the pool of folk musicians represented on CD Baby is vast. Anyhow, if I can scape together the money to go, it would be a phenomenal opportunity to meet people in music and media, including people involved with labels, booking, etc. Most importantly, I'd meet other musicians going through the same struggles and triumphs that I have found myself dealing with of late.

The most frustrating thing for me right now is that money makes the rocking world go round. I don't mean I need to MAKE tons of money to be happy, but I mean that I simply don't have enough to get me to the places I need to be to advance my career, and that is SO frustrating. I don't want to whine though, as that is not what this is for...but if you're reading this, please send your thoughts and best wishes my way. I really want to get to this conference and perform!

2003-11-23T16:38:00.000-08:00

Wow...after a long 48 hours, I am back from a gig we played in Bloomington, Indiana last night at a club called Vertigo. It was a learning experience, and a bonding experience for myself and for the band members who were able to come along. Now the men in my life (the band) say things like, "if Hilary's happy...we're ALL happy." Yes, it's sort of a joke, but you learn so much about yourself and each other when you're tired, cranky, hungry, have been driving for too long, share a hotel room, whatever the case may be!

But the one thing I take from our experience on the road this weekend is that we still love the music and I don't think that's ever going to change. Actually, we got along marvelously, and met some great new people in Bloomington. Every show is different, some are packed with people, sometimes no one knows you're playing and you end up doing an "intimate" show to a few dozen people. But no matter what, you're essentially always doing the same thing: music. I love playing and singing and connecting with people. Be it one person at a time, I'm sharing my music with the world, and having experiences I would never otherwise have had. All in all, I'm thrilled with what was tested and re-affirmed this weekend: my love for music, which has proven to be stronger and vaster and more important than all the little discomforts of the road.