Random Ramblings from the Yarn Frog Studio

New Baby, Take Two

2010-04-26T07:59:00.003-04:00

I am of course referring to the baby mentioned in this post, latterly mentioned here and here as a result of mysterious technological failure.

After going to and from Korg via Forsyths with no explanation as to what could possibly be wrong, and then sitting quietly in the house for a few weeks, it was acting up again. The night before the Big Green Festival I got it out just to reassure myself that all was well, and several keys would not play. (Insert string of barely perceptible expletives here.) Then, minutes later, they did play.

The instrument played fine each time I attempted it overnight, and so I decided it would be ok for the gig - and it was (thank you piano gods). However, I probably have enough adventure in my life without adding a fickle piano to my list of unknowns. So, Forsyths switched it out for a new one. I am now the proud owner of a (fully functional) Korg digital piano. Again. This time (hopefully) sans gremlins.

Huge thanks to Forsyths for looking out for this little pianist.

Big Green, Big Thanks

2010-03-31T13:10:00.003-04:00

Thanks to all who came out to Chorlton's Big Green Festival!

Thanks to Odette for organizing, to Des and Songsmith Solar for making us heard, and to John, Cecilia, Charles, Dave, and Maria for being hugely supportive (as always). Special thanks to the adorable little girl who provided freestyle dancing entertainment during my set. You were the best part of the show! :)

Check out Songsmith Solar's Facebook page for some photos of the event as well as more information about their solar setup.

Little Green, BIG Green

2010-03-22T09:23:00.003-04:00

If you're local to the Chorlton area, please come out to the Big Green Festival. I'm playing a few songs on the solar powered stage. I hope it's sunny...

A bit about the Big Green Festival from their website:

The idea behind Chorlton's Big Green Festival is to offer people the chance to sample sustainability in fun and friendly surroundings. The festival puts environmental issues centre stage with a vibrant and varied programme of live entertainment, activities and workshops, and festival-goers are encouraged to get involved with swapshops, a bike parade and a huge ceilidh. There's also plenty of tasty, responsibly sourced food and drink to boost those green energy levels and plug our "growing locally" theme!

So there you have it. And here you thought that sustainable fun was all about taking naps between outbursts of joy.

Here are the details:

Chorlton's Big Green Festival
Saturday 27 March 2010 @ St. Clement's Church
Solar Powered Stage
Chorlton, M21 9JF, UK
3:30pm

See the full schedule of music at the festival.

Oh! And for those of you who have been wondering about the fate of my Korg... It occurs to me that since this post about Little Green I haven't said anything about my Korg's mysterious behavior. And that's because, in the end, I know little more than I did then.

I took it back to Forsyths where they too witnessed its selective functioning. Forsyths sent it to Korg, where - defying all reason - it suddenly started behaving again. Technicians (more than a few, I'm told, over several days) poked and prodded and played the Korg, trying to duplicate the problem, and couldn't. After giving it a thorough going-over they gave it a clean bill of health and sent it back. The good news: It works. The bad news: No one seems to know how or why the technology failed to respond. It's a mystery...

Little Green - Big Fun

2010-01-18T16:33:00.005-05:00

Just a quick word of thanks to all the folks who turned out to Little Green. It was such a lovely evening! I'm very grateful for the equally wonderful fellow-music-makers and music-listeners.

Huge thanks to Vanessa Lewis for organizing the evening!

Also thanks (and three cheers - nay, four) to Sam Easterby-Smith for letting me borrow his keyboard when mine was playing its own wicked version of 'the silent game'.

Yes, that's right, hours before the gig my keyboard decided that it would play some notes, but not others. Perhaps it was the muse trying to inspire me to compose something using only selective pitches? No, probably not. It was probably a very badly-timed electronic malfunction. A trip back to Korg via Forsyths for a check-up this week will hopefully sort things out.

Little Green...a little misadventure (though I was not viewing the moment nearly so positively at the time, I must confess)...lots of fun in the end. Yay! :)

Little Green - Update

2010-01-14T03:13:00.003-05:00

Just a quick update about the show this upcoming Saturday. Here is some more information about the event. Please also note that the start time is a bit earlier than previously posted:

Jam Street Cafe and Chorlton's Green Festival present 'Little Green': a Fringe event for Chorlton's Green Festival which will take place in March.

Each month we will be giving local audiences the chance to see one of the excellent artists chosen to perform at the festival in advance of the main event. Don't miss this special opportunity to hear them perform in this intimate cafe setting.

They will be joined by specially chosen talent from Manchester's fine acoustic scene, and this month we will be treated to:

The Deadheads

Taylor Giacoma

Vanessa Lewis (Chorlton's Green Festival)

And poetry from Jennie B.

Also this month, we have the pleasure to announce an extra performance from Dan Gallagher, who will be giving us a taster of the set he will perform at fellow fringe event 'The Big Green Music Night' later this month at the 'Flaming Galah' in Altrincham.

See you there!

Little Green

2010-01-09T08:31:00.002-05:00

Hey folksies, I am doing a show with some other artists next Saturday, 16 January at the Jam Street Cafe. It's a fringe event for the Chorlton Green Festival. Please come out and listen if you can!

Little Green
A Fringe Event for the Chorlton Green Festival

Jam Street Cafe
209 Upper Chorlton Road
Manchester M16 0BH

Saturday 16 January 8:30pm

I'll be playing a set late-ish in the evening. Other artists include Jennie B, Vanessa Lewis, and others. See you there!

The New and Improved Taylor Giacoma...

2010-01-08T15:33:00.005-05:00

...dot com. Not that the real thing couldn't use improvement. But it's a work in progress! :)

I am very excited to announce that the website is being redesigned to make for better listening, viewing, and interaction. Phase one will include a new look and feel and lots of new content to browse, and phase two will be all about an online store where you'll be able to buy and download tracks directly from the site.

As things are coming together, I'd love to know what folks want from an artist's website. So...tell me! What would you like to see/hear/experience at the new taylorgiacoma.com?

'Beautiful' People, Beautiful Lives

2010-01-05T05:29:00.005-05:00

If you're a friend of mine on Facebook you will have seen this post, which generated a fair amount of controversy about this article about BeautifulPeople.com. To sum it up, dating website Beautiful People discarded many of its members who posted pictures revealing that they'd packed on a few holiday pounds.

For me, the concept that a person would be not be a worthy companion after a few extra mince pies is repulsive. But far more disturbing is the idea that beauty could be so objectified. We all make judgments about what we experience as beautiful; it's part of being human. We seek out one another and connect to what and to whom we are attracted. Fortunately for the Universe, not everyone is attracted to the same something or someone. The idea that physical beauty makes a person beautiful is sad, and the idea that beauty of any kind can be decided so one-dimensionally is foolish.

I think the message has meaning well beyond what we think about whether or not an individual is beautiful. What makes life beautiful? Assuming we don't get voted off the island, what's the point? We live in a world of sound bites and video clips, of being famous for being famous, here today gone tomorrow and back again and all for the wrong reasons. And for goodness sake, why bother making art? What's popular gets the bandwidth - is there really any room left for what's truly beautiful?

I guess I hope so...

No-Plan Plan

2010-01-03T12:53:00.004-05:00

For someone who is always planning something, it's very hard for me to wrap my head around the idea of not having a plan. But sometimes, plans confine us in spaces that are smaller than our dreams. Sometimes, it's actually better not to have a plan. Or to have a No-Plan Plan, as it were.

John wrote something called The No-Plan Plan many years ago, and now it has a place of its own online. Please check it out at mynoplanplan.com.

Pure Best New Volunteer

2009-12-30T07:16:00.003-05:00

As I wrap up the year I'm reminded that I need to share this 2009 item.

I am honored to have been the recipient of the Best New Volunteer Award at the Pure 107.8 FM Volunteer Awards for 2009. I have been volunteering at Pure since September, working primarily on the maintenance of their website, but latterly also doing a small radio project called Stockport International.

I'm hugely grateful to be part of the team at Pure. I couldn't ask to work with a nicer bunch of people.

I hope to share more about Stockport International soon. The project consists of small, 90-second-ish radio bits about expats living in Stockport and expats from Stockport around the world. As an expat in Stockport, it's a subject near and dear to my heart! I will post more details when the segments begin airing - they'll also be posted online in podcast form.

Hallelujah

2009-11-26T05:34:00.007-05:00

Here I am on Thanksgiving Day, looking out over the hills outside my window in England (where most people do not know that it's Thanksgiving Day for me), taking a moment to give thanks for all that I'm fortunate to have - and I realize that I haven't properly given thanks about some things that happened about two weeks and three thousand miles ago! So here goes:

On Thursday 12 November I had the pleasure of being part of a singer-songwriter showcase sponsored by Putnam Music at the Northwood Inn. I performed alongside Leo, Elliot Glick, and Laura Joy. It was a wonderful musical evening in a truly lovely venue. If you are local to Mahopac, New York, you should pay them a visit - you can find them here. Here's a copy of the lovely promotional posters they had made for the event:

Sorry, it's not in perfect condition - but it's well-traveled! :)

Then, on Friday 13 November, I was part of a very special evening dedicated to raising funds for schools in Africa. Libby Johnson joined by her family as well as Mick Hargreaves, Carrie Johnson joined by her family, and Patricia Santos and I performed at the 15th Street Meetinghouse to an audience whose ticket purchases will provide much-needed funding for schools in Kenya and Tanzania. Together we raised nearly $3,000, which will be matched by a donor - for a total of nearly $6,000! I am hugely grateful to have been part of this project (about which you can read more here), as well as to have shared such an amazing musical evening with Libby and Carrie and friends. For the last song of the night Libby, Carrie, and I sang 'Hallelujah' by Leonard Cohen. And Hallelujah summed it up very well.

I am so thankful to be living the creative, adventurous life I am, and for the many beautiful, loving people with whom I share it. Happy Thanksgiving!

Blue Catitude

2009-10-24T04:33:00.004-04:00

Hey folksies. Just a quicky post to thank all of you who came out the show last night, as well as those who couldn't but sent your happy thoughts my way.

I have yet to review the video footage - I suspect it was a bit noisy background-wise to get anything good, but we shall see. At the very least, fellow musician Lorelei Loveridge snapped a few photos which I'll post as I can.

I hope you all had as good a time as I did! :)

Lammy's Birthday, More Shows

2009-10-19T06:09:00.002-04:00

It's very unlikely that I'll forget the launch date of Hold On, because it was on my birthday - and that's pretty much the one date I don't have to put in my Blackberry to make sure I remember. On the other hand, 17 October is not quite as etched in my memory. Over the weekend, which I spent mostly heads-down working on a fabulous new website for a fellow artist, it dawned on me that Saturday marked two years since I released Transatlantic Lammy.

I'm not big on birthdays and anniversaries - I think we can often see too much meaning in the calculated passage of time and not enough in the day to day. But I did take a moment to reflect. (Pause for reflection. Ok that's enough.) I had a look back at this post and chuckled. I can't believe it's been two years. Happy Birthday, Lammy! And thanks to everyone who has shared the journey with me. I take great pride in the fact that I'm an independent musician, but by no means have I done it alone.

In other news, several shows coming up: This Friday 23 October at the Blue Cat, and then off to New York - One show Upstate at the Northwood Inn on 12 November, and the Barnraising Benefit on the 13th. Lots on the go!

Lucky Dancer

2009-10-12T04:27:00.006-04:00

Fancy freestyle dancing on a plinth with a giant paper chain in front of a world-wide audience? Well, that's just what my friend Cecilia did. As part of Antony Gormley's One & Other, she took her place on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square on 12 September. As the living artwork exhibit wraps up later this week, I thought this little clip was worth sharing.

In stark contrast to the statue or monument that might otherwise occupy such a space, Cecilia spent the hour - well, you'll just have to watch, won't you? (Pay particular attention at 24:34 - you might hear a lyric or two you recognize...) :)

As a 'plinther' she calls herself 'Luckydancer', a reference no doubt to the 'charmed life' she's led so far. If you've been reading long enough to remember this post, you already know what an inspirational woman she is. Known for her courageous and fabulously well-documented one-woman world tour, she is no stranger to adventure. She is a beautiful example that life is what you make it.

Oh - and recently added to her very long list of talents is teaching English as a foreign language. So if you or someone you know would like help learning English, please get in touch with Cecilia!

Fuzzy Details

2009-10-11T10:27:00.003-04:00

Right. So if you listened to Fuzzbox last week, you no doubt heard a great show with some great punk music. You did not, however, hear my chirpy little voice. This is because I got it wrong: This upcoming Monday's Fuzzbox (12 October) will feature that little bit. So tune in at 107.8FM if you're local to Stockport, or listen online if you're not. Sorry for the confusion. I assure you I will make up for it in spades with improvisatory lyrics that at one point, I believe, involved something about a cow.

Pure Fuzz

2009-10-05T11:51:00.004-04:00

If you're not doing anything tonight from 10:00pm - 12:00am BST, give a listen to Pure 107.8 FM's Fuzzbox. If you're not in the Stockport area, you can listen online. You'll hear how much I (don't) know about punk music. It's a good laugh...

I'd also like to give a huge shout out to Paul of Saturday Breakfast and Rik of of The Guestlist for helping me promote my last show at the Blue Cat. You guys rock!

Adventures Big and Small

2009-10-05T06:57:00.011-04:00

I’m sat here, cup in hand (well not when I’m typing, but you get the idea), looking out on a beautiful sunny morning - the kind that looks warmer than it probably is. The summers here not being the scorchers that I’m used to in America, the very subtle change in season is not the sudden, intrusive chill I expect. But as I look out at the leaves on the trees on the hills out my window and see hints of gold and brown, I know: It’s fall. And as the sun sets on my first English summer, I’m reminded that I’ve promised a more fulsome report on my adventures than my short little casual tidbits on Twitter and Facebook have offered. So here it is!

As I confessed in an earlier post, I’ve mostly been having too much fun to write! And, much of the time was spent in far away places – in a tent (not particularly conducive to my otherwise plugged-in existence). The summer began with a hot air balloon meet at Capesthorne Hall – it was my second such meet, but the first time that I spent the whole weekend. Here and there over the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to serve as crew for a friend who is a pilot in Manchester. Now that I’m local, I can do this more often! A balloon meet is just what it sounds like: A bunch of balloon pilots and their crews converge on a bit of earth and fly. At this particular meet there were flights as well as tethered flights – passengers can experience the beauty of a balloon flight without having to go very far or for very long, flying tethered to the ground. As much fun as it was flying and playing about with balloons, perhaps the most memorable thing about the weekend was the joy in the faces of the many happy passengers, most of whom had never been in a balloon before. Thanks to Roy, the pilot!

Very soon after, I had another opportunity to crew, this time at a party at Barton Aerodrome at which the guests could enjoy tethered flights in a balloon as well as flights in a microlight. A microlight is a light-weight, slow-flying, fixed-wing aircraft that for all practical purposes is a very simple airplane. And, would you believe it, I flew! More on this theme later – needless to say, I’ve spent less time on the ground than in summers past, and it has been a revelatory experience. Thanks to Adrian, the pilot!

I went on lots of little hikes in England and Wales. Walking the hills is something I’ve really come to enjoy – I have liked hiking since I was a teenager, but have had little opportunity until recently to get out and do it much. Here’s me on a hike at Kinder Scout, very near to where I live.

Enough hiking, time for more flying – I went to one of the largest balloon meets in the world at a disused air base in Chambley, France (near Metz). There are no words to suitably describe this absolutely unbelievable ten days of friends and flying – as well as exploring a bit of France! Seeing so many balloons at once is incredible – but being in one of them as it takes flight is the best! The excitement, every time, of getting the balloon up and in the air – and then back down again! – is exhilarating. Seeing France was lovely, but seeing it from a floating basket was unforgettable.

My last trip out was to the Whitby Folk Festival, where I enjoyed singing and dancing with other folkies, as well as listening to some great music. Whitby is a beautiful seaside town, and just the views on the walks were worth the trip.

So there you have it, my summer. :)

It bears mentioning that somewhere between hikes and flights I took an unexpected and very difficult trip to Indiana. It wasn’t part of my planned adventures, but then…well, I guess it’s a solemn reminder that we can’t plan for everything. Bob, my sisters’ father and my mother’s husband and partner for many years, died suddenly this summer. A cherished member of my family and a very good friend, I miss him dearly. And, I’d like to extend my thanks to the many people who reached out to me with warmth and care during that time.

Not to end on a sad note, and to put things in perspective, it’s worth taking some time to reflect on the joys, and indeed the sorrows, of a passing season. As I share the highlights of trips here and there, I’m keenly aware that for me, the most important journeys are not to places, and the finest moments aren’t necessarily spent doing anything at all. Rather, simply being in the moment as it passes is the greatest adventure. And, as I mourn the loss of time I hoped to spend with a loved one, I’m reminded that those moments are finite.

I find countless connections between my sometimes extraordinary adventures – and even my daily life – and art. The message for me this time is to be present and authentic as an artist, and to acknowledge the immediacy of art. Though I wouldn’t want to think of life as nothing more than a series of metaphors, I do find them in the darndest places. At the risk of making this a truly epic-length post I’ll stop here for now, but here and there in posts to come I hope I can articulate some more of these little insights.

The Cat is Blue...

2009-09-21T12:34:00.003-04:00

...but I'm sure not! I'm really pleased that so many folks turned out to see me play on Saturday. I had a lot of fun, and I hope you did too. More at the Blue Cat on 23 October!

More Gigs @ Blue Cat Cafe

2009-09-14T09:26:00.004-04:00

Just a quick post to let you know that there are a couple more shows on the schedule, both at the Blue Cat Cafe. One is coming up quick - this Saturday 19 September at 9:00pm. Hope to see you there!

Blue Cat Cafe
17 Shaw Rd
Heaton Moor, Stockport
SK4 4AG

Saturday 19 September 9:00pm

and

Friday 23 October 9:00pm

P.S. I know, I know...first post in a long time. I'm just rounding up my first summer in Manchester - much of which was actually spent elsewhere - and I've been having far too much fun to post! But, you can expect a full report shortly. Watch this space...

Riffs Music Academy

2009-07-15T12:00:00.002-04:00

I am pleased to announce that in September I will join the tutoring staff at Riffs Music Academy. I will be teaching voice, piano, and theory. I'm very excited!

Here's the PR bit:

Taylor is an American singer-songwriter-pianist recently relocated here from New York. She is quickly becoming known on the indie music scene for a distinctive style that has been described both as folky pop and poppy folk - and is probably neither. Originally learning to sing and play piano by ear and later classically-trained, her music is both easily accessible and remarkably complex. Her lyrics are unusually intellectual and highly narrative, taking the listener on uniquely intimate and yet wonderfully universal journeys of love, loss, and perseverance. Her beautiful voice captivates listeners with an extraordinary range and strength that betrays her petite frame.

Her debut album, Transatlantic Lammy, was released in 2007 and has been hailed as a creative success, particularly the transatlantic love song “Nearer Than Closeness”. Her newest release, Hold On, is a song cycle for the popular context that is getting attention from music lovers across the board.

From a teaching perspective, Taylor is fortunate to have experience in a wide range of musical styles, both as a student and as a professional musician. Coming from a classical background but choosing to compose her own highly individual style of popular music, she does not adhere to sharp divisions between genres. She is passionate about teaching music to students on whatever creative path they choose.

For more information about Taylor or her music, please visit MyNameIsHardToSpell.com.

Roses Are Red, Cats Are Blue...

2009-07-06T14:06:00.002-04:00

...and to all the folks who were at the show on Saturday night, a huge THANK YOU!

I really enjoyed playing the show at the Blue Cat this weekend, and I hope you all enjoyed listening.

I'm thankful to have had a lovely audience, and especially thankful to those of you who came out especially to see me. :) I'm still very new to Manchester, and so seeing a few familiar faces really meant a great deal. Hope to see you again soon!

Interview On ALL FM Today

2009-06-29T10:24:00.003-04:00

Hey folksies I'm on the radio again this afternoon with Ursula on her Drive Time show at ALL FM. She'll be interviewing me and playing some tracks from the new album. We're on at 5:30pm GMT (12:30pm EST).

You can listen online or at 96.9 FM in South, Central, and East Manchester.

Gig @ Blue Cat Cafe

2009-06-23T15:02:00.004-04:00

Hey folkies. So I booked my first show in the Manchester area. Saturday 4th July 9:00pm at the Blue Cat Cafe.

But first a story!

(I love this one...)

So my partner John, who is English, was in attendance some years ago at a Fourth of July party in Princeton, New Jersey. (He was in it for the food and fireworks.)

Someone actually came up and asked him, "Do they celebrate July 4th in England?"

No, seriously. It happened.

He replied, ever so droll, "Yes. We call it Thanksgiving."

After which he narrowly avoided an unexpected dip in the pool.

Anyway, so nooooooooooo, the upcoming gig is just coincidentally on the fourth, and it's not a 'Fourth of July' gig other than that, obviously, it's on the fourth. Of July. Just thought I should put that out there, me being kind of the token American and all.

Back to the gig: I'm going on as a supporting act at 9:00pm - the lineup that night includes Kid 4077 and The Yellhounds. If you're local, come and listen! :) The deets:

Blue Cat Cafe
17 Shaw Rd
Heaton Moor, Stockport
SK4 4AG

Saturday 4th July
9:00pm

Interview On ALL FM Is Next Week

2009-06-17T17:17:00.002-04:00

Hey so this afternoon I was at the studio at ALL FM doing an acoustic session and an interview for the Anything Goes Breakfast Show with Fiona - but actually, due to some technical issues, the interview is going to air next Thursday 25 June - not tomorrow morning.

ALL FM will be playing some of my music on the show tomorrow morning, so do listen if you can, but the interview will air next week.

P.S. I had a great time with Fiona and it should be a lot of fun to listen to!

I'm Out There...

2009-06-16T08:39:00.007-04:00

...And I'm lovin' every minute of it!

Yes, it's a beautiful sunny afternoon in Manchester and I'm channeling Cosmo Kramer. Stranger things have happened on a Tuesday.

Over the past couple of weeks I have been venturing out into the open mic scene here, checking out new venues, meeting new people, and having a lot of fun making music. You may have seen or heard me (and ideally both though I'm very small you know) at Trof Northern Quarter, Trof Fallowfield, the Deaf Institute, and the Blue Cat Cafe.

I'm also on the airwaves on a couple of radio stations this week:

Please give a listen to Maia's Show on WCNI radio today 16 June from 9:00am - 12:00pm EST. (That's right now! Listen quick!) You can listen online or at 90.9 FM in New London, Connecticut.

And, this Thursday 18 June from 9:00am - 10:00am GMT, tune in to ALL FM's Anything Goes Breakfast Show with Fiona for some tunes and an interview with yours truly. You can listen online or at 96.9 FM in South, Central, and East Manchester.

New Baby

2009-06-06T12:51:00.004-04:00

No, I’m not going to need a midwife or a bigger pair of pants. But a ready PA system would do nicely! :)

As you might have guessed by now, I’ve got a new piano – this one a stage piano to travel with me to gigs. If you’ve been reading long enough to remember this post, you know how I feel about the Korg digital piano I have as my primary instrument at home. (That Korg, by the way, is very much enjoying its new home here in England. Yes, I now officially have a transatlantic piano.)

Love it though I do, I needed something a bit more portable for gigging. So this past week I took a survey of several of the music stores in town, playing all the keys I could find, looking for just the right instrument. I can’t say that I’m surprised that the winner, hands down, is the Korg SP-250.

My requirements were:

*Must sound like a piano
*Must feel like a piano
*Must be a full set of keys
*Must be portable – sans a moving truck and three big burly men

And, of all that I sampled, the Korg SP-250 sounded the best, it felt most like a piano, and is just manageable for a little sprite like me at about 42 pounds. And, bonus, it was surprisingly affordable by comparison with several other competing instruments. I’m told that this is mostly due to the fact that, though the Pound has weakened against the Yen, this has not affected prices just yet to the same extent as the strength of the Euro against the Pound. Lucky me!

Now, I know that many pianists feel very strongly on the issue of which digital instrument sounds best, and I know that many prefer the Yamaha or the Roland. For me, the Yamaha sounds a bit bright regardless of setting. I prefer the Roland to the Yamaha sound – however, I don’t think it has the warmth of the Korg. To my ear, the Korg most aptly replicates the warmth, depth, and fullness of a ‘real’ piano. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how many reviews you read or what experts you ask. These things are inevitably an infinitely subjective experience. And to me, the Korg is music to my ears.

P.S. Thank you to the good people at Forsyths for making me the proud owner of such a beautiful instrument!

The New Album is at CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon.com, and Everywhere!

2009-05-29T13:54:00.011-04:00

Hey! So, in case you haven't heard - which means you're probably just not within earshot, because let me tell you I'm pretty excited about it - the new album, Hold On, is now available at a number of fine online retailers. The digital distribution has been ongoing these past few months since the album was released, and will continue, but I thought I'd let folks know that it's now pretty easy to get it at CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon.com, and others.

Please give it a listen! :)

Facebook Notes

2009-05-27T13:00:00.002-04:00

Just a note to let you know, if you've been reading my blog entries on Facebook Notes, that I've changed things up a little bit. I was previously posting directly to Facebook Notes, but going forward I'll just be posting my blog entries as links, which will appear in the news feed and on my wall. (I wasn't loving how Facebook made the blog entry/"note" a completely separate entity, nor how it handled comments/post edits.)

$$$$ ?

2009-05-19T13:26:00.007-04:00

UK Visa: $1,000.

Moving House from New York to Manchester: $3,000.

Importing a Cat from the US to the UK: $1,300.

Playing and singing for John and Scout in front of the fire at a place we can all call home: Priceless.

(And it's the same price in £.) You sure as heck can't buy happiness, but it does have its costs. In the end though, it's all worth it.

So where the heck have I been??!! It's been three months since I landed in Manchester and almost as long since my last blog entry. The time has flown by - and yet at the same time it seems like a lifetime ago since I was in New York. Time tends to feel that way for me when it is well spent, and indeed it has been.

We've been heads down scrubbing, painting, doing, re-doing, building, and moving for this past period of time, making our little house a home. It took us about half that time to do some renovating/redecorating, and just when it was all nice and neat we got our apartment full of stuff from New York and entered a whole new wonderful phase of chaos.

I admit I've been a little bit of recluse, but everybody needs some time away. I've been having lots of good chats with Head Man (you remember Head Man), who is always very insightful. Truthfully, after the whirlwind of producing Hold On and making preparations for a transatlantic move, I was ready for a break. If you were following along on Twitter or Facebook you no doubt have kept up with my various adventures in homemaking, but I have not been writing much of substance.

But I’m back, baby. (Say it like George Costanza to get the full effect.) As I enter this next phase of my life here in Manchester - making music, making friends, making new starts - I will do my best to share all the juicy details.

~~Oh and PS this blog also posts to my Facebook Notes, so you can read and comment on it there, too.~~

Update: Though I was previously importing all of my blog entries into Facebook Notes, I am no longer doing so. You can either leave comments here or, if you prefer to use Facebook, you can leave comments on blog items posted as links on my wall.

Hold On Discussion Part 2

2009-02-26T10:07:00.012-05:00

3,000 miles from my studio apartment in New York (which is no longer my studio apartment), two weeks after the successful release of the album, and just as I’m about to update the website so that everybody can get a copy (well at least I hope so!), I realize that I still need to issue Part 2 of my discussion on the evolution of Hold On.

I left off just as I was explaining that the Composition professor had actually been encouraging us to write a pop song as an experiment. My late night hours in conservatory practice rooms singing and playing my heart out would actually coincide with a class assignment! Fabulous!

I had begun to write 'Hold On II' in some form months earlier; I had been noodling for awhile with two progressions that I thought somehow belonged together. The Bb Major, a minor, G Major progression and corresponding melody that eventually became the hinge pin of the entire song cycle (the ‘Hold On Theme’) and the e minor, D Major, G Major... progression that eventually became, for lack of a better word, a sort of ‘chorus’ (the ‘Hold On Chorus’) were the initial themes. (Serious music theory folks, note that I’m using the word ‘theme’ here perilously loosely to mean ‘musical idea’, and not necessarily theme in the strictest sense of the word.)

Without going into excruciating detail about how I 'write' a song (a creative process about which I’m certain I could write a whole book’s worth of rambling explanation), these building blocks and others began to fit together. A G Major, d minor, C Major... progression (Theme 1 for discussion purposes) emerged and so did an F Major, C Major, d minor, a minor progression (Theme 2), both which would also become recurring themes in subsequent songs. The A Major, D Major, G Major progression that occurs in 'Hold On II' just after the bridge was also a hugely important little component that I later called ‘the Decision Theme’.

As the music unfolded over several weeks, the lyrics began to present themselves as a sort of circus analogy. One late Sunday night in an apartment in Pittsburgh they just sort of came to me, and everything made sense with the music. The song really did write itself. I’m sure that sounds very silly, but it’s true. I was once told by a great storyteller and songwriter that he didn’t write these things, but rather he found them – I would actually take it a step further and say that they find me.

In 'Hold On II', the Hold On Theme opens up into Theme 1, and then Theme 2. Then we get the Hold On Chorus, back to Theme 2, into a bridge that is unique to 'Hold On II' which ends with a variation of Theme 1 and then a dead stop. The Decision Theme brings us back to the Hold On Chorus, and to the Hold On Theme. Theme 1 reappears, and the song closes with the Hold On Theme.

'Hold On II' (not titled as such at the time) was presented to the class and later to Conservatory faculty and students at a composition symposium, and it did fit the bill for a properly written pop song. But that was really by the by – the assignment portion of the process was over. I had a sense that I had written a song that could stand very well alone, but yet would become part of a larger work of more songs like it. The particular presentations of the themes that I had used to write 'Hold On II' could have gone many other different directions, and indeed the other possible variations continued to present themselves to me as new ideas for additional songs. My sense was that though they had taken shape ‘this’ way in one song, they could take shape in another way in another song – and this would be the way in which I would unify the pieces: The use of recurring themes with altogether new themes would pave the way for songs that were entirely individual and yet cohesive as a group. I shared the idea with the composition class – the idea of having a pop song cycle - and it was met with a great deal of interest and encouragement.

It would be several years before the other songs would be written, for reasons that I cannot begin to list here – not the least of which was the fact that the story itself, that was to be the basis of the song cycle, was yet unfinished. But, interestingly enough, a lot of the lyrics were written in pieces while still at Conservatory and long before I had any idea where they would end up. Lyrics and in fact the opening melody to 'Hold On I' were written driving late night and early morning long hauls between Pittsburgh and Cleveland on seemingly endless stretches of highway. Nearly all of the 'Hold On III' lyrics were written during a few cold, fall morning Music History classes.

Fast forward about six years: 'Hold On II' was re-written slightly - in the original composition the Decision Theme led straight into Theme 1. The revised version is expanded slightly to include a second statement of the Hold On Chorus and a transition into Theme 1 that includes the Hold On Theme. 'Hold On II' was released as 'Hold On' on Transatlantic Lammy in 2007.

The next song to be fully written was 'Hold On III'. I had been noodling with a new theme (the 'Cold Theme') that set the perfect tone for the bitter cold atmosphere I was trying to create. As I recall it was several months of casual noodling and then, all at once, on a two week trip to England in late December 2007, the Bentley and I spent some very fruitful time together during which 'Hold On III' came forward. The new theme that I’d been working on moves easily into Theme 2 and then into the Hold On Chorus. The Decision Theme transitions into Theme 1, then to Theme 2, and then back to the Hold On Chorus. The Decision Theme takes over again, this time segueing into a bridge based on Theme 2. The Cold Theme returns and moves into Theme 2, which transitions unexpectedly into a brief presentation of Theme 1 and then the Hold On Theme.

'Hold On I' was written almost immediately after returning to New York that January. As I mentioned, the opening lyrics and melody had actually been written years earlier. The song opens with an entirely different character from the rest of the cycle, but this of course suits the story well. The bright-eyed, optimistic voice of the opening tag is soon overtaken by darker realities. Following the tag is the Hold On Theme, and then Theme 1 and the Hold On Theme trade off with Theme 2 and a variation of Theme 1, and then it all gives way to a very exciting rock and roll moment. That segues, using the Hold On Theme, into a quieter, more contemplative section that utilizes part of the Hold On Chorus – but before the chorus is introduced – and establishes the only frame of mind that could rationalize the chorus: ‘This is the only love that I have ever known, and so I tell myself it must be real. And I know it isn’t perfect, but it’s better than being alone. And so I shift the gears, I hit the gas, I grip the wheel, and I sing.’ – And then we have, for the first time, the Hold On Chorus. Note that the Decision Theme is not present in 'Hold On I'; its position after the bridge in 'Hold On II' is key to that moment in the story, as is its absence hitherto.

'Hold On IV'...Well, needless to say, I could probably write an entire essay on the evolution of this piece alone. 'Hold On IV' had been emerging in visions for many months, more decisively as of about January 2008. For a few months I could hear the heartbreaking, voiceless presentation of the Hold On Chorus, and I could hear it leading into the full-on rock-out that follows it. I could hear the opening to the Song portion, the very vulnerable solo moment following the Instrumental. I had actually been noodling with the opening of the Instrumental for ages – I’m not even sure how long. But it all sort of took shape at once over a couple weeks’ time that winter. I distinctly remember, as I finally surfaced from night after night of very intense time with the Korg and headphones, playing the entire twelve-minute long composition for John. His reaction: "WOAH. Woah. Play it again."

The opening instrumental theme builds like a gathering storm and leads right into the Hold On Theme, though this time complicated by changing meters, and then everything bursts into life with a very straight-forward rock theme. This gives way to a Music Box Theme that will recur later at the most pivotal moment in the song and possibly of the cycle. But first - a long solo moment in the beginning of the Song, with text unfettered by metaphor that is retrospective of the time spent over the past three songs, is based on a new theme. What follows is the Hold On Theme, and then Theme 1 interspersed with the Hold On Theme. Theme 2 frames the Hold On Chorus, as we have one presentation of Theme 2, the Hold On Theme, and then the Hold On Chorus (sung for the last time), and then Theme 2 again. The Decision Theme brings us energetically into a rock segment and then back again to the Decision Theme, this time repeating several times, as the decision is about to be made. The Decision Theme leads us to the Music Box Theme, heard only once before, at the end of the Instrumental, as we hear the heart of it all: 'And the hardest part of all is that you really do love me - in your way, you love me - but not the way I need. And I only have myself to blame. I've been holding on to what will never be. And it will always be the same; just another variation of an old familiar theme.' And then we hear the Hold On Chorus – without words – one last time. The rock segment that follows is new but inspired by Theme 2 and includes a bit of the rock theme from the Instrumental, giving us all the forward momentum we need to hear several repetitions of the Hold On Theme, this time triumphantly and in the past tense. The return of Theme 1 ties things up thematically and lyrically, as each of the songs is somewhat revisited by the text, and the Hold On Theme closes the song and the cycle.

I’m pretty sure I have just ever so casually written a music theory thesis type paper disguised as a blog entry – but hey that’s ok. If nothing else, I hope it’s inspiration to give it a listen! :) If you read and understood even a little bit about the use of new and recurring themes, great – but more importantly, I hope this sheds some light on the labor of love that has been so many years in the making and is now finally ready to share.

Next Stop, Manchester!

2009-01-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

So, though I think most folks know this by now, I thought I'd make a formal announcement for those who may not: I'm moving to England! :) A month from today, actually, I'll be on my way to England, this time to stay for quite awhile.

As you all know, I've been hopping back and forth across the pond quite a bit over the past couple of years due to a certain Englishman. We've been based in New York and visiting England, and now we're going to do it the other way around. We hope to get to where we can live a little bit of our lives in both cities, but for a variety of reasons we thought it would be best to move the center of gravity over to Manchester. To be clear, and to quell the anxieties of my fellow New Yorkers, I am not leaving New York. I will be back, and soon. I love New York! But I also love my Englishman and actually, I really love England, and so I'm looking forward to this wonderful new adventure!

Just now I'm actually about to take Scout over to the American vet one last time to get all of her paperwork sorted out - Never mind my visa process, Scout's move across the Atlantic is a very big deal! Holy paperwork, Batman!

"So what do I do, now?"

2009-01-10T22:09:00.004-05:00

I find myself learning every day that understanding each other is vital if we are ever to live with one another in peace, harmony, and love. I look hard for the pitfalls of my own assumptions, and I try to stay sensitive to those of others. I reject that people are their races or their incomes or their jobs or their diseases - and every now and then, I am touched very personally by a story that inspires me to keep looking for the stories behind the stories.

The following is a link to a journal entry by one of my very dearest friends, one of the most beautiful, courageous gentlemen I know. He writes about learning that he is HIV positive, and the hours and days and weeks that followed.

I am thankful to him for sharing his story:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/1/9/35429/29440/494/681931

Hold On Discussion Part 1

2009-01-01T21:17:00.006-05:00

I’m sitting here in New York on a cold New Year’s Day, getting ready for the first day of recording for Hold On – which is tomorrow. I am very excited. And, I wanted to say a few words about how the song cycle has unfolded for me. Not sure whether or not it’s very interesting – I think really, the music is what it is and speaks for itself, as it were – but I am very often asked about my creative process and so I thought I’d share some thoughts. I realize as I try to begin to explain how ‘Hold On II’ came out as part of a Conservatory assignment that I need to preface that moment with what I was doing at Conservatory and how that ended up shaping my efforts as an artist.

The short version is that I found myself pursuing a degree with majors in both Musical Theatre and Music Theory, and as the result of the latter was enrolled in a composition class. I remember my apprehension at becoming part of this class, the participation in which was rolling from semester to semester and was the bread and butter of the Composition major, as well as a requirement of the Theory major. It was populated by a few brilliantly talented composers among whom I felt like a bit of a black sheep.

My choice to study Musical Theatre should probably remain the subject of another discussion. But, I ended up pursuing an additional major in Music Theory as a result of observing changes in my writing after having taken my first couple years of music theory classes and finding myself wanting more. I had been composing music since childhood, quietly writing songs here and there. My dream was just to write and perform my own music, but considered this impractical. (And it is, but it’s wonderful!) And though I had studied music theory as a private piano student, Conservatory was for me the first organized academic approach to the subject. The best way that I can put it is that the things I had been doing for years – the way I wrote harmonies, progressions, melodies, rhythms, everything – I began to understand much better what it was that I was doing. The creativity had a bit more framework and I was able to leverage it much more effectively. My music definitely took a leap forward due to what I’d learned in just the first couple of years at Conservatory, and so I took on a Music Theory major to set myself up to learn all that I could while I was there about the ‘nuts and bolts’ of music. I thought, however silly my secret dream of being a singer-songwriter was, it might be well-served with more knowledge.

So why didn’t I just become a Music Composition major?! Well, because at Conservatory there was a sense (I think) that Music Composition majors would write ‘proper’ music, music that was avant-garde, that was part of the ever-evolving contemporary classical music genre – not pop music. Now, that was not necessarily presented as a concrete requirement of the Composition major, but I think it was understood. And as much as I very much enjoy modern music of that ilk, it's not what I feel compelled to write. When I write what my heart sings, it’s – well, it’s pop music.

So here I was, beginning my Composition class, absolutely terrified. Much to my surprise I learned that the professor had recently made the suggestion that students try to write a pop song – just as an exercise – to write a really good pop song. I couldn’t believe it. This, I could do! (And had been doing already, really...)

Hold On for Big News!

2008-12-15T09:51:00.004-05:00

I am very pleased to announce that at the end of the year I will begin recording the Hold On song cycle with Patricia Santos and Mark Dance. The song cycle has been a labor of love on which Patricia and Mark and I have worked very intensely over this past year, and it's time to record it so that it can be shared with a wider audience. It is planned for release in February 2009.

Many of you will know the song "Hold On" from Transatlantic Lammy (2007) - but this is only one of four songs in the Hold On song cycle (it's actually "Hold On II"). I wrote "Hold On II" while at Conservatory during the course of a Composition class. When it was presented as part of the Composition Symposium at the end of the semester, I distinctly remember the discomfort a few professors had with the fact that a student had written a pop song. Goodness knows we can't have pop music at a proper music concert! ;) But more on that later...

In fact, watch this space over the next couple of weeks for more interesting history on Hold On. I have spent the better part of the past many months rehearsing and refining the song cycle, and as well I have had some time to process the fascinating way in which it has unfolded for me. I'll be sharing bits and pieces over the next couple of weeks as we get ready to record.

Pausing, Remembering, Moving On - And Loving

2008-12-03T23:26:00.004-05:00

So...this blog has been pretty quiet for awhile, and I thought it was about time that I post why.

A month ago, I had to say goodbye - at least for now - to someone I hold very dear: My grandmother. Those who knew Lillian/Lil/Mom/Gran/Nanny know what an amazing person she was. And those who know me personally are aware of the tremendous impact she has had on my life. In fact anyone who spends much time at all with me will have heard about 'Nanny' on a pretty regular basis!

I have been grieving the loss, at least in life, of one of my greatest mentors and friends. It has been a very difficult time, and I am very grateful to all who have grieved with me, loved me, and supported me throughout.

I don't know what happens when we die - if there's something more, if we live on - but at the very least I do think we live on in the lives of those whose lives we share. And in my life, she is very much alive and well.

I take some comfort in the joy of sharing who she was...

I find it very hard to know what to say in just a few words to express what it is that Nanny means to me. It's hard to sum up a woman who has been so hugely influential in my life - both as a child and as a young woman, she has been the single most extraordinary woman in my life. As I sift through memories and try to pick out the best ones, I'm just overwhelmed with too many to choose from. And as I try to qualify just how she has been there for me at every turn, and all that I have learned from her both by example and in her counsel, it defies words. But when I think about who she was, and what she means to me now that she has moved on, it's actually very simple: Love.

Anyone who has known Nanny in these past few years since Gramps died will have heard her say over and over again how she does not want to be mourned in death. That we should celebrate and be happy for her, because she will have moved on to be with Gene. I'm trying to be joyful for that reason. But it's hard.

I do think that the best way to honor someone's life after death is to honor who they were in our own lives, and for Nanny, I think that her legacy is love. And the most beautiful way to honor her memory is simply to love one another as she loved us.

Discover the Charm!

2008-10-26T19:49:00.006-04:00

Ok so this may or may not be funny to anyone else...but... Upon arriving in Ballston Spa last weekend Patricia and I took a walk around town. And everywhere, they had signs posted which read 'Discover the Charm'. Both Patricia and I interpreted the slogan as an imperative. Discover the Charm! No really, Discover the Charm! We were amused. So we took photos which illustrate the seriousness with which we took the directive.

We hope that you, too Discover the Charm.

Topless and Interplanetary Concerts

2008-10-21T17:16:00.002-04:00

(This is probably the last time I'll try to get anything out of the whole 'topless' thing. Probably.)

So it's been a busy, busy week in my little world. Thursday night I played at Caffe Vivaldi - for those of you who were there, you know what the whole 'topless' thing is about (oops there it is again), and for those of you who were not...well...maybe next time! :) I played with Patricia Santos, Jeff Hughes, and Mark Dance for a wonderful audience. Thank you Patricia, Jeff, Mark, Carla (the fantastic bartender), and all the folks who came to listen.

Then, on Saturday, I traveled to a far away place called Ballston Spa where I shared a show with Laura Joy at Coffee Planet. I played with Patricia Santos, who rocked as always. Thank you Laura and Patricia, Cliff and all of the super friendly staff at Coffee Planet, and of course all of the people who came out to listen - especially the Ballston Spa crew. Wink.

Topless Concert

2008-10-15T08:11:00.002-04:00

In case you were on the fence about going to the show tomorrow night, I thought you should know that the concert will be topless.

Yes, that's right.

I repeat, TOPLESS CONCERT TOMORROW NIGHT AT CAFFE VIVALDI.

Shoes, Socks, Cat - and Inspiration

2008-10-10T18:47:00.004-04:00

We're living in interesting times... I often wonder what historians will say about the current - whatever it is that's happening, I find myself musing over how they'll describe it in a Wikipedia article 100 years from now. This financial crisis - will it be a drop in the ocean? Or will they refer to this time as 'The Other Great Depression'? Is this the beginning of the end, or is it just the end of the beginning? I try not to get too hung up on every tidbit of financial news that hits the ticker, but I must admit that it's trying times. In various ways, I am very personally feeling the crunch. It's hard...it's uncertain. I don't like uncertainty.

And all of this anxiety adds up - and tends to subtract from the good stuff. When I am burdened by worries, I find it difficult to free up my mind to be creative. It's a bit as though I go the Muse and say, "Hey we need to write a song. Whattaya got?" And the Muse says "Nothing. Go away and come back when you're in a better mood." Or something like that...anyway...I'm trying to keep some perspective on the reality of what's going on, and when that reality seems bigger than I can handle it leaves little room for a song. There are several brewing, too...but the timer hasn't gone 'ding'.

I ran across a quote by Maya Angelou today: "A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song." Yes. YES. I don't have answers - and for the most part, I don't need any. I can just sing.

On a seemingly unrelated note, today I was sitting listening to a baby sign language class (it's actually very cool) and today's theme was 'things we like'. Babies and grown-ups were learning the ASL for the things in their lives that were important to them. The instructor was mentioning that when her son was very young he was fascinated by shoes. So they learned the sign for shoes, and then the sign for socks. Common things - but very important things. Cat - they learned the sign for cat. In one breath she said 'shoes, socks, cat'. I don't know quite what it was that hit me, but it hit me: Things in my life - in many people's lives - are so uncertain right now. But when I think about what's really important, I'm ok. My daily needs are being met, at least so far. And not everyone can say as much.

Shoes, socks, cat - I've got those. Now I just need a song...

A Love Song for Over 8 Million People

2008-09-28T18:39:00.003-04:00

So I've not been blogging much these past few weeks. (Miss me?) Ok, anyway, I've not been blogging because I've been writing some new stuff. One new song is called Ordinary Morning. I played it out this past week to a very receptive audience, and I've been pretty excited about it - but now I'm really excited about it, having rehearsed it with the one and only Jeff Hughes, who has been lending his saxy sounds to my music for several months now. Having collaborated with Jeff, it now sounds out loud as cool as it has sounded these past several months in my head as it was making itself known to me.

I'm so excited that I've decided to share the words with you here and now. I don't usually print my lyrics before the song has been out there for awhile, but I just feel like sharing...in part because I have in mind a very special friend who, I think, loves this city just as much as I do - and didn't get quite the same chance to enjoy it. (But you can always come back!) ;)

Ordinary Morning

I wake up
I’m amazed that it is morning
Wait for my first cup of medicinal coffee to percolate

Turn on the news
I’m amazed the world’s still spinning
But since it is I guess I still have to go to work today

Get ready to go
Gotta make myself look half presentable
After a late night in the city that don’t sleep

Because I know
This job makes these four walls just rentable
In a city that ain’t cheap

Walk out the door
I’m not on time, but I’m all right
If I move real fast I might recover

Walk across the street
Like I live life
One bit at a time
I put one foot in front of the other in front of the other in front of the other

And it’s an ordinary street
At the beginning of an ordinary week
The lights are green
The lights are red
And I cross the crosswalk
In the crosstalk
Of another busy day in New York City

And sometimes I feel
That it’s more than I can take
And sometimes I fear
That I won’t be able to fake
The smile I wear
To match my well-ironed business casual
But if I fall apart today
It’ll just be business as usual

I make my way
Through a sea of suits and ties and frowns
On their way to something more important

They’re on their phones
In worried tones
Talking to a man about a plan to run a scam
To make a fortune

Tripping over cameras wearing tourists
Taking pictures of the fire station
To show the folks back home
Woah

Tripping over my own two feet
As I leave the street for the stairs to the station
Through the turnstile
To the platform edge of the world below

And it’s an ordinary train
At the beginning of an ordinary day
The doors open
The doors shut
And I’m on my way
On an Uptown A
To spend another hard-earned day in New York City

And sometimes I feel
That it’s more than I can take
And sometimes I fear
That there’s just too much at stake
When the status quo is to
Just get by
And with every passing day
I wonder how much harder I can try

And I love New York City
Don’t get me wrong
There’s nowhere else I’d rather be

Yes I love New York City
But sometimes I don’t know
If it loves me

It’s an ordinary morning
And at least it’s never boring
The people come
The people go
And you either find yourself
Or lose yourself
Between the hustle and the bustle
Of this city

And sometimes I feel
That it’s more than I can take
And sometimes I fear
That I won’t be able to make it one more day

Oh but I will
‘Cause I’m in love
Yes I’m in love
With New York City

China Win

2008-09-04T18:00:00.003-04:00

Last night was a phenomenal success, and I want to thank everyone involved. Thank you all who performed, all who ran things behind the scenes, all who hosted and served, and all who came. This was our first try at producing an entire evening's show, and in my humble opinion it was fabulous. Look out for the next one! :)

The Accidental Onion

2008-09-01T23:23:00.004-04:00

So, here I am, back in New York - well almost - I've made it as far as Newark. Jet-lagged and weary I wander through Immigration to Baggage Claim, realizing only after several walks around that my checked luggage is still on its way to the conveyor belt. I thought it was the dazed journey back and forth that caused the Customs officer to notice me, approach, and ask, "Can I please see your Customs card?"

"Sure." (Handing it over...)

"Do you have any food in your bag?"

"No." (I momentarily wonder if she meant the bag on my back or the one I was working on retrieving, but then decide it doesn't matter because neither of them contain food.) She marks the card and hands it back with a "Thank you".

Reunited with my luggage, I make my way over to the long line at Customs. I am just noticing how the couple of people in front of me hand their cards over and are quickly dismissed with a "Thanks, go ahead" and find myself wondering if they really read everything on the card - I'm one of those people who lists every little thing, just on the chance they search my bag, which has never happened.

Until now!

One quick glance at my card and I am told to move ahead to the other line. And here I'm thinking...hmm...so what she scribbled on my card must be code for 'send her to the other line' - I've just been randomly selected for the Full Monty Customs. That's cool.

As I get to the front of the line, the officer says that I can keep my purse but to please put my suitcase and my backpack on the conveyor belt to be looked at. Then she says, "Do you have any food in your bag?"

Again, "No."

I start wondering if this is really a random check or if maybe they're really looking for something... I don't have any food in my bag or anything else that would interest Customs, so I'm stumped. I go through and find my suitcase on the other side - but see that my backpack has been taken aside. And she's getting the gloves out for the search.

I start mentally listing everything in the bag as she takes items out one by one...the fleece jacket, the poncho, the mobile charger, the grocery bag from Spar - OH MY GOD. There it is. Completely forgotten in the bottom of my bag was the munchies I'd brought along for a hike in the mountains of Llangollen. As she works her way through it she studies the dates, the cashews, the Kraft cheese slices, and one lonely green onion in an unsealed plastic bag. "This is probably what the dog smelled." (Note: I never actually saw a dog. Usually there's a highly visible sniffing dog about, but this time I saw no dog. But somewhere there must have been a dog. With a nose for onions.)

"I'm sorry - I'm so sorry. You can throw it all away. I'm sorry. It was food from camping. I totally forgot it was in there."

"It's ok, but be careful, you can get a penalty for something like this."

"I know!" Boy do I! Having seen an episode or two of Nothing to Declare, I have vivid memories of an elderly couple who got in big trouble for a banana they had accidentally left in their bag. I know about the penalties! I know!

"This is really awful, but can I please give this to the dog?"

"Do whatever you want with all of it. I'm so sorry."

She hands me my backpack, complete with the Spar grocery bag, but minus one onion. "No problem. You can go. What's your name?"

"Giacoma."

"Giacoma. Thanks. Have a good day."

So...there you go. Giacoma now has a record with Customs. For onion smuggling. Accidental onion smuggling. Damn.

Otherwise, it was a good trip! :)

Out of Touch

2008-08-16T18:31:00.000-04:00

So, I'm literally standing in line to check my bag at the airport - yes, I'm one of those people who is always doing something or other - but that's just it. I'm on my way across the Atlantic to England and Scotland to do two weeks of hiking and camping and NOT A LOT ELSE. :). I am equal parts excited and anxious-I've been tying up loose ends for the past couple weeks, just sure I'll drop the ball if I don't send one more e-mail. And then I think...you know, my inbox will really be ok without me!

I was reading the other day about the equinox-we have one coming up in September-and I learned that one of the side effects on Earthlings is technological disturbance. When the sun is directly 'behind' a satellite in relation to Earth, it floods the satellite with energy-creating noise and disruption. So if you find yourself getting frustrated with certain gadgets mid-September, that might be why.

And it made me think... Those very same gadgets, which I use constantly for staying in touch with the world, organizing myself, being on top of things-sometimes they actually create so much noise that I lose touch with the person that's using them-ME! My point is that I'm really looking forward to 'unplugging' for a couple of weeks and listening for what else there might be. I'm writing some new material, and a little time away is very good for getting those creative juices flowing.

So I'm signing off for a bit. I'll be somewhere in the hills, writing new songs...finding new inspirations...and just being.

Sometimes you have to be a little out of touch to get back in touch.

What is Empowerment?

2008-08-05T19:41:00.006-04:00

Below is my response to a question posed by a friend in her blog, Random Ramblings About My Crazy Life. Please go to her blog and share your thoughts...

What does empowerment mean to me? Empowerment is being pushed forward, not held back, by what you do, and in fact, who you are.

Empowerment is acknowledging ‘failure’ as a unexpected but useful side effect – a set of results that are meant to better inform the future, not something just gone wrong. ‘Failure’ as we tend to define it – what happens when we don’t get what we wanted – is really just a byproduct of effort. It may not look like what you hoped for, but it is indeed worth something.

Empowerment is acknowledging ‘success’ as an achievement but not just in the sense of having reached a goal – in having moved forward towards the goal – even if that just means understanding it a little better.

I find that the most empowered people I meet are not necessarily the most ‘successful’ by many of the usual standards, but rather people who have moved forward and forward again on the path to a dream that is not only ever in front of them, but under them and carrying them along.

What would I do if I could not fail? I would sing and play out loud what my heart sings and plays within. I would unabashedly share and put on the outside, as best I could, the beautiful artist I have inside. What’s remarkable is that I’m doing that now - what’s remarkable is that more and more, I find myself being more empowered and less afraid, which is the only way that I am able to be who I am being now.

Boston and Back...

2008-08-04T22:49:00.003-04:00

Things I learned on the way to Boston:

1. The drive from New York to Boston should take about 4 hours, according to Google.
2. The drive from New York to Boston should take anywhere between 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 hours, depending on traffic, according to people who do the commute regularly.
3. The drive from New York to Boston can take 8 hours, give or take.

Things I learned in Boston:

~~1. Get directions from Google Maps before going.~~
~~1. Get a good map of Boston.~~
1. Get a Bostonian. It's the only way to get around Boston.
Also,
2. Park the damn car and ride the 'T' wherever you need to go. It's easier to park.

So...thank you all of you who have been asking about the trip to Boston - I didn't realize until I got back just how many people had been cheering for us along the way.

And thank you all you good folks who showed up to hear us play - you guys were a great audience.

Right - so Laura and I set out from Hoboken at about 12:15 to get to a 7:30 show, planning on stopping off at a friend's along the way to get ready. It was a good plan. But in real life, we drove for about 8 hours (we did stop for quick bite just before the GW bridge, which turned out to be a good thing), most of which at about 20 miles per hour, (LOVE I-95. LOVE.), stopped at a rest stop to get ready, got lost, and got to Sweetwater at about 8:30. Seriously, I have never, ever seen traffic like I did on I-95 Friday. And having spoken to several veterans of the commute, it was an unfortunate anomaly.

We were mortified for being late, but thankfully the folks there were super cool and had us both play sets in the time that was remaining. And I must say, though it didn't quite go as planned, we both rocked like superstars. For the folks who were there at 7:30 expecting a show, I am sincerely sorry. I can honestly say that what happened was well out of our control, but all the same, it sucks. If you were there at 7:30 and weren't able to wait around, e-mail me (taylor@taylorgiacoma.com) and I will personally send you a copy of Lammy. That's how serious I am about sharing the Lammy love.

I don't want to focus too much on the negative though - though it was slightly abridged, it was a good show. And if the journey is really as important as the destination (not to mention what time you get there) - well, it was an adventure I wouldn't have missed.

Special thanks to the Boston crew, especially Lauren and Diandra for getting folks there (still can't get the image of the exorcist pigeon out of my head, btw) and to Julie and Vanessa for helping to publicize the event.

Hope to see Boston again very soon! :)

Things in Far Away Places

2008-08-01T10:22:00.004-04:00

So I'm literally just about to step out the door to get on the road to Boston for a show - hardly the time to write a blog, really - but then based on the same logic I would never have time for a blog, as I'm always off doing something. :)

Several times over the past couple of weeks I have encountered people selling goods, sharing goods, and giving gifts that have come from afar - they went traveling and came back from wherever it was with goodies. I found myself fascinated by the fact that they had come all that way with these things, and that just a short time ago these things were far, far away. Such a long journey...and you can almost touch the time because the things are tangible.

And then I thought - wait a minute - most of the things I deal with on a daily basis are probably from far, far away! I mean, realistically, a very high percentage of things I use in a day come from manufacturers half way around the world. So those things have journeys too - right?

And then I realized that what was really cool about things brought back from travels was that they had been brought with purpose to their recipient. That they weren't just crated and shipped - they had a meaningful journey, made meaningful not so much by the origin or the destination but rather by the care taken by the person bringing them and the adventure along the way.

So here I'm about to go to Boston and I think...there's a correlation here. Boston is a very cool city. (Yeah Boston!) I'm very excited about a new place...new people...new everything. But as much as it is about where I'm going, it's also very much about the journey there. I find myself on bigger and bigger adventures, and I'm learning all the time that it's just as much about the way there as it is where I get to.

The Vampire Rights Amendment?

2008-07-24T21:02:00.003-04:00

So I'm waiting on the corner for a friend to meet me for lunch - just east of Times Square - and I see this guy canvassing passers-by. He looks like the usual 20-something, good-looking, well-spoken sort of guy that organizations hire to stand on street corners handing out pamphlets or getting votes, signatures, money, etc. So here he is, passing out his pamphlets and flagging people down for their siggies. And as per the usual New York street corner passers-by, most just walked by ignoring him or went out of their way to avoid him altogether. A few here and there stopped and listened, and most of them shrugged and signed. Not an unusual sight for a sunny afternoon on a street corner in Midtown.

Only...as I stood listening, I realized that what he was after was not the garden variety 'vote for so-and-so' or 'give to the such and such green, peace, or child fund' - no, he was asking people to sign a petition to stop Congress from passing an amendment to the Constitution that would give vampires the same rights as humans.

(Go ahead, stop and reread the above if you think it will make more sense the second time.)

It's then I notice that he's wearing a shirt that says 'Fellowship of the Sun' and that his pamphlets say 'SAY NO' - apparently advocating a no vote on this upcoming Congressional vote. Now, I've lived in the city long enough to tell the real deal crazies from the folks just trying to pull something and the folks just trying to pull something from the folks trying to stage something - and this guy was good. He was actually getting New Yorkers to stop and listen to his spiel, and better yet, he was getting signatures. And not too far away I see a lady down the block a bit getting signatures as well - same clipboard, different t-shirt.

I start looking for a camera. I think, this is obviously a publicity stunt, and somewhere there's a camera, and later I'll see this on network television - 'Look at this - look how many people we got to sign a petition against a bill about vampires! HA!' But there's no camera - or none that I can see.

And by now, I've seen several people sign - and I see one guy sign, walk away, and then come back and start arguing, saying he wasn't fully informed when he signed - see, since then he'd spoken to the girl down the block. And he starts yelling about how vampires are people too, and that they should have rights.

(For the record I am neither for or against vampires, nor do I care, nor is that at all relevant.)

So, I've got the time...I Google a few key terms and find web pages for both the Fellowship of the Sun and the American Vampire League. Just a little more digging and I find out that yes, it's a publicity stunt - and a damn good one - to drum up hype for HBO's True Blood.

Gotta say, the only thing funnier than watching this guy (he was really pretty good) get on a soap box about vampire rights was watching the people who actually bought into it and signed his petition. One such fellow actually ended up in conversation with me - I was enthralled and giggling watching all of this, and he spotted me - and tried to convince me that it was real. I explained to him what it was - he doubted me, and for a minute I think he thought I was a part of it - and then I assured him that I wasn't, that I Googled it, that he could too, and that it was a really neat stunt and that was all. I said watch - this guy is anti-vampire, and that girl over there is pro-vampire - but they're working together. Just watch. (And of course they were, and this was obvious when a few moments later they walked towards each other and compared signatures.) Then we got into a conversation about what my sign was and...well, that's for another time.

I'm guessing that as the campaign wears on there will be various and sundry posts from people reacting to the 'Fellowship of the Sun' and the 'American Vampire League', and that it will spur a wonderful bit of viral marketing - of which I'm now a part - and the plot will have worked. And the humans and the vampires will live happily ever after - or not - in TV land.

The Boston 'T' Party

2008-07-21T20:18:00.005-04:00

I shouldn't make Revolutionary War jokes given my transatlantic tendencies, but I just had to.

So the lovely Laura Joy and I have just booked a show in Boston, MA at the fantastic Sweetwater Cafe. We're going to be rounding up all the folks we know in the Boston area for a great show on Friday, August 1st at 7:30.

See you there!

The Not So Bitter End

2008-07-21T20:04:00.003-04:00

So last night was the third time I played the Bitter End, and as always it was a joy. I am in constant amaze at the number of you folks who come out, over and over again, to see the show - and on a Sunday night! Thanks to all of you.

If you missed it, highlights included a special rendition of Steel Up with Jeff Hughes for Cecilia, my good friend from England who is just wrapping up a one-woman world tour, and our first public performance (well, sort of...) of Nearer Than Closeness with Patricia Santos.

Photos and videos should be up soon, so stay tuned!

End Construction

2008-07-16T17:24:00.003-04:00

Hey! So I've been heads-down these past couple of weeks making major changes to the website. It's got a new look, lots and lots of new photos, and even a featured video which I'll change up every so often. Please take a look around and enjoy! :)

Construction Ahead

2008-07-10T22:44:00.003-04:00

Yes folksies, the site is under a bit of construction. Please excuse the potholes for just a couple of days while we're making improvements! :)

I Was On the Radio Again!!

2008-06-30T22:22:00.009-04:00

Just in case you weren't listening to WCNI Radio last Thursday at about 8:30am, you should know that they played Lammy (Kissaka I) on the airwaves! Yeah Lammy!

(Yes, I still get excited, ok?) :)

My Very Own Big Green Scary Monster

2008-06-25T19:01:00.007-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I saw The Incredible Hulk - Yes, it was a somewhat uncharacteristic choice of film for me, but there I was, watching The Incredible Hulk. (Side note - despite all of the terrible reviews, I actually thought it was a pretty darn good movie.) Of course, everyone knows the plot - a science experiment gone wrong changes the chemistry of a man such that when he's made angry, he turns into a big green scary monster. The whole monster thing isn't working out for him, so he spends lots of time looking for antidotes for his condition. And practicing advanced anger management. I won't spoil the end, but let's just say that it ends up coming in handy to be a big green scary monster.

ANYWAY, so as I sat there, I found myself tuning out from time to time and having a think. Yes, I have internal philosophical conversations with myself even in movie theatres. And believe it or not, I found myself relating very closely with The Hulk. Here he is, poor guy, just trying to live his life - and he's his own worst enemy everywhere he turns. Every time he gets angry, there's that monster. And I thought...well, we all sort of have a big green scary monster. Not everyone's is rage - for some it's sadness, for some it's greed, for some it's jealousy (the quintessential green monster!) - and for me it's insecurity. It's that big ugly scary fear that I'm not good enough. It really is my very own pet monster, and it's at once part of me and completely separate from who I am and who I want to be. Just like The Hulk, I find myself in a situation - maybe it's at a concert, maybe it's just me wondering what the next step is in my music career or my life's adventure - and my heart starts beating hard and fast, my thoughts start racing, and before I know it I've been possessed. My monster rears her ugly head - she fears every move I make, doubts every thought and feeling, and then apologizes for it all at least twice.

And I can't spend my life looking for an antidote in the form of a rare flower or a chemist's laboratory concoction. I can't even point back to the moment the monster took hold - I can point to a series of moments, to another time in my life, and begin to understand - but for me those memories are best laid to rest, and their ghosts only haunt me in my unguarded, green monster moments. I accept the monster. Over time I've learned to keep the monster out of harm's way - I keep my darkest corners up on high shelves out of reach - but once awakened, I cannot tame the monster.

I think it's a useful analogy - one I've been thinking a lot about over the past couple of weeks. It helps to remember sometimes that the parts of us that aren't our favorite are just that - parts of us - and not entirely who we are. And everyone's entitled to their green side.

I'm going through a LOT of transitions right now - I almost feel as if my entire life is in flux, constantly moving. But I think it's ok. Actually I think it's great. I am constantly making changes for the better, and very soon I'm going to be moving ahead by leaps and bounds in the career department.

So do join me in my latest mantra: DO NOT FEED THE MONSTER :)

Plop, Plop...

2008-06-19T23:52:00.003-04:00

Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz, Oh, What a John Jones it is!

Generated by the Advertising Slogan Generator. Get more john jones slogans.

Gratitude and Random Chinese Restaurant Concerts

2008-05-31T17:43:00.003-04:00

First of all, thank you all who came out to see the show last night. I was equally excited to see some new faces and some very loyal returning folks. It's really not a show without you, and you should know that I hugely appreciate each and every person who was there.

If you were there last night you know that the show ended rather rudely and abruptly as a result of the venue management, which needless to say was not a pleasant experience. However, I thought despite that we had a rockin' show - AND, since we didn't get to play Nearer Than Closeness as planned, we set up shop a couple blocks down at the Chinese restaurant and rocked it out there. Have keys and cello, will travel.

Thank you all for sharing yet another amazing evening with me.

Gee, I'm In a Coma. And My Name Is Hard To Spell.

2008-05-10T19:51:00.005-04:00

So... This little gem has quite a lot of history to it.

A disclaimer: If you do not have a sense of humor, please just stop reading. It has occurred to me that the following is a bit crass. But it's also funny. Funny trumps crass. Still, I'm not out to hurt anyone's feelings, and so if you consider yourself the super sensitive type who rarely laughs at off-color jokes, please look away.

When my father married his second wife, she went from having a relatively easy-to-say, easy-to-spell name to being Mrs. Giacoma. Now, I don't think it's a particularly difficult name to say or spell, but then I've had some practice. The overwhelming majority of people who are not me who have had to either say or spell the name seem to think that it's challenging. So thought the people with whom Mrs. Giacoma worked - they went from having to say and spell an easy name to this lovely but apparently daunting appellation. Bear in mind she worked in a hospital. So it was not grossly out of context when one day, in an effort to elucidate how to enunciate 'Giacoma', a co-worker said "It's like 'Gee, I'm in a coma'". Riotous laughter ensued and the mnemonic device stuck. At the time I thought it was funny, though odd, and shelved it in the strange, untamed place that is my brain.

Now, probably fifteen years later, I find myself in a profession where I am regularly introduced in a rather impromptu fashion by various emcees and hosts. And, as you might imagine, my last name is pronounced a variety of ways. One night a few months ago I was feeling perhaps a bit bold at an open mic, and when the host was struggling with my name I suddenly remembered the bizarre pronunciation guide. And I said it out loud. "It's like 'Gee, I'm in a coma'." There were surprised, confused faces, and then there was laughter, and then my name was said aloud just like it's supposed to sound. Gee (I'm in) a coma. And once again, the joke stuck. And hitherto, in places where this very silly anecdote has been retold, my name is no longer mysterious.

I fully credit my father's wife and her colleagues with what has become a very handy way of having my name said properly.

So, on a lark, I wondered if geeiminacoma.com was available. And wouldn't you know, it was. So there you go. I can now be found on the wild, wild web at geeiminacoma.com.

But then there was still the matter of the spelling. If someone hears my music and is compelled to look me up, it would be nice if they could find me. I must say I think that it's spelled like it sounds and is not that hard at all, but again I am in the minority on this one. So, on a lark (ok so it was two larks) I looked up mynameishardtospell.com. And it must have been my lucky day. I can't be the only person in this dilemma, but I'm apparently the only person who thought that I should seek out a domain name to solve it. So you can also go to mynameishardtospell.com and find me.

Tell your friends.

Quote of the Week

2008-05-08T18:49:00.003-04:00

Me: (Regarding my rambling internal dialogue) "There's always somebody in there, but these days it's a whole roomful."

John: "It's a wall to wall party in there!"

Me: "It's a roomful of drunkards playing a roomful of pianos!"

John: "And I keep bangin' on the wall, trying to shut them up."

Me: "And we hear you, we just can't."

(Pause.)

"I shouldn't get in the habit of saying we."

Thanks!

2008-04-30T21:57:00.004-04:00

Thanks everyone so much for coming out to the show last night.

Special thanks to Patricia Santos, Harold Barnard II AKA The Deuce, and Jeff Hughes. You guys helped me bring the music to life on a whole new level. I feel so fortunate to know you and to collaborate with you.

Extra special thanks to a certain someone (gee I wonder who?) who rescheduled his travel back and forth to England in order to be at my concert. Your love and support means more than I will ever be able to effectively put into words. Although Nearer Than Closeness comes pretty close. ;)

Thanks everyone. See you at the next one! :)

I'm On the Radio!

2008-04-17T19:54:00.006-04:00

Last Thursday morning on 'You Really Just Never Know' on WCNI Radio, Kissaka I was on the air! How cool is that?! And, Lammy is going to be on the airwaves again on Thursday April 24th on the same show. It airs from 6:00-9:00 EDT so get up early, put the coffee on, and listen up!

I've Been Sketched!

2008-04-15T18:59:00.006-04:00

The lovely and talented artist Julie Unruh was at my concert on April 4th, and she sketched me! I am very honored to have been the subject of her art. Here are the sketches...

Thank You!

2008-04-05T14:37:00.005-04:00

Wow.

I just want to post a quick thank you note to all of you who came out to Caffe Vivaldi last night.

I knew that it was going to be a very special evening, but I underestimated just how amazing it would be.

I am absolutely floored by the number of people who turned up - we packed the house, folks! That's incredible! And I am overjoyed by the enthusiastic response to the song cycle - I think we all agree that we took it up a notch last night. Patricia Santos just wowed everyone with her cello magic. Thank you Patricia!!!

Special thanks to Beth for organizing her Meetup group to come! Also special thanks to the folks from 15th Street Meeting - you guys consistently come out and support my music and I am very thankful.

Making music is a lot of fun, but sharing it with people who meaningfully receive it is truly awesome. My heartfelt thanks to all of you who are sharing this with me! :)

The Cellist, The Piemaker

2008-03-31T09:08:00.003-04:00

Hey, so this past weekend I went up to Upstate New York to rehearse the song cycle with my good friend Patricia. It's going to be great. I can't wait until Friday! This Friday, April 4th, 7:30 at Caffe Vivaldi - it's going to be good.

AND, I learned that my friend Lin is going to be in a Downtown Art production of The Piemaker, a new rock musical. So the April calendar is filling up quickly! Live art! Yeah!

Details for The Piemaker below:

Downtown Art
April 4 – 27 Fri & Sat 7:30; Sun 2pm
Tickets: $10 Adults, $5 Youth (recommended for audiences ages 7 and older)
61 E. 4th Street NYC
(between 2nd Avenue and Bowery; Subways: F, 6, R, B, D)
Reservations & information: 212.479.0885

Famous Quotes

2008-03-24T10:20:00.003-04:00

"It's a beer like beer."
-Sophia, regarding the beer

"What is this?"
-Taylor, regarding the foreign object in beer #4

Next Stop, Spring Ahead

2008-03-08T23:13:00.003-05:00

Have we all remembered to move our clocks ahead an hour for Daylight Savings Time???? Hope so. It's always embarrassing to be that one person who shows up forty five minutes late, thinking your fifteen minutes early, for the event that's already underway. Having spent the latter part of my childhood growing up in Indiana, this is a concept which was not, as it is for many, well-ingrained. (Indiana, up until recently, did not observe Daylight Savings Time.) I went to college in Ohio, and I remember at least a few times spending a leisurely Sunday morning eating breakfast and looking at the news, going to a nearby coffee shop to study, and asking someone what time it was - and being very surprised by how quickly the day had slipped by - only to learn that my sense of time was a solid hour off because Daylight Savings Time had eaten it. I have a theory that all of the hours lost are hidden away somewhere in a dark corner of time, like the hair accessories my cat has stowed behind the piano and couch. But it's just a theory. I think it's also possible that we get the hour back in the fall, but I can't remember. I've slept since then.

I have to share my subway experiences yesterday and today. Now, for those of you who travel to and from work (and everywhere) in the comfort of your own cars to the sounds of your stereo systems, this may be lost on you. Like most folks in Manhattan, I get to and fro via public transportation, almost always on the subway. (And just for the record, I like it that way. I miss long drives, but I don't miss the daily traffic jams.) Anyway, so this is for my fellow straphangers.

I would say that about 30% of the time I ride the subway there's a vocally crazy person on the train. I specify 'vocally crazy' because I'm pretty certain that there are crazy people everywhere all the time, but sometimes they're more obvious than others. On Friday, I had not been on the train in a week - in fact other than food shopping on Thursday and a trip to the doctor on Monday, I hadn't been out of my apartment for a week. (I was sick.) So it figures that Friday when I got on the train I happened to get on the crazy train. I sit down and am assailed by someone singing about Jesus. Now, for the record, I am not anti-Jesus. I am very much pro-Jesus. Great guy. And you are welcome to sing about Jesus. But please, please not on the 2 train. Or any train. I'm all about breaking out into song, but on the train we all have to constrain ourselves to a certain amount of decorum, given that we have to share the train with others. So she's belting away about Jesus when I hear someone starting to sing along. Sing along. She was, of course, an idiot tourist who, like many tourists, think that public transportation is a cheap form of entertainment between other venues. There's a group of tourists: two tourists (including the joiner-on) sitting at one end of the train, two others in the middle of the train, and Crazy at the other end of the train. So Tourist starts trying to sing along, and then thankfully stops. She starts expounding on how she (Crazy) isn't singing it right - she's improvising. 'I would sing along, but she's improvising. She ain't singing it right. I would sing along, but she ain't singing it right. If I started singing along, it would sound horrible.' No. NO, ok? No. Yes, she's improvising. She's CRAZY and that's what crazy people do. They get on the train and sing about Jesus and no, they do not always stick to the lyrics you learned at church camp. Yes, if you joined in, it would sound horrible. It already sounds horrible, but it would just add to the chaos. She tried joining in on another song later on and actually kept it up. Her friend started cheering her on. Most of us were just trying to ignore Crazy and the Tourists. Yes, this is when it's handy to have an iPod plugged into the holes so that the noise doesn't get in, but sometimes that also prevents you from hearing important announcements.

What a segue...

So today, I was riding the train home from work. And though it was an express train, it was running local because of construction. So I'd been on the train for awhile and it was moving pretty slowly when it stopped between stations and just sat. (This is not unusual.) On comes the automated voice saying, 'This is the last stop on this train.' Of course, it wasn't. Number one it wasn't a stop, number two it was by far not the last stop on the line. Here's where it got interesting. The conductor got on the PA and said, 'This is obviously not the last stop on the train.' Pause. 'The truth is, they spent 2 million dollars on each one of these cars with this automated system, and most of the time it don't say the right thing. What it was supposed to say was that we are stopped due to traffic up ahead.' We all burst out laughing. You have to appreciate the humor in this, those of you uninitiated in the world of the MTA. If the conductor bothers to make an announcement at all, about anything, it is almost always 1.barely audible as a result of the crappy PA system and 2.barely intelligible as a result of poor diction. It is only occasionally meaningful, and when it is, it is rarely if ever funny. This guy was funny. Funny is good when you're sitting in a dark tunnel with a bunch of strangers! So a couple of minutes later, we're still sitting there. The conductor gets on and says, 'Folks, there's a 3 train up ahead of us at the Chambers Street Station, and apparently the conductor has decided to take a little bathroom break. So we're waiting until he gets back.' We all crack up. Train traffic jams happen all the time, and of course it stands to reason that sometimes it's because someone needed to use the head, but you never hear that! It was hilarious. Absolutely hilarious.

I nearly started singing out loud about how damn funny it was, but stopped short for fear that tourists would join in.

"What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger"

2008-03-07T11:10:00.004-05:00

...in which case you're looking at a very much stronger Taylor Giacoma after the past week.

As most of you know, I took ill at the end of last week and have been so since. I very reluctantly canceled my show at Sidewalk (I am just beside myself about that) and have been in bed for the better part of a week. As far as Sidewalk goes, they have said that I can reschedule; I'll get that information out just as soon as it's firm. And as far as I go, I am much better now.

To make a long story short: I was very sick with a high fever. I was prescribed antibiotics which cured the initial infection but unfortunately caused an unusually violent reaction. I narrowly avoided hospitalization. Yada, yada, yada...I got some new antibiotics, a lot of rest, and am happy to report that I am mostly recovered.

I am hugely appreciative of all of the kind phone calls and e-mails I've received in the past days. I haven't yet had the opportunity to get back to each and every one individually, but I will do.

Unruhly and Loving It...

2008-02-27T20:14:00.004-05:00

So I rocked out on Monday night (actually, by the time I played I think it was Tuesday morning) and it was a lot of fun.

I enjoyed playing...although when I play out there I often feel...well, I feel very welcome, but I don't think I fit in. Most of the folks there play really gritty antifolk music, and my poppy folk/folky pop/whatever always seems to be a bit out of place. What's really nice is that everyone really does listen to everyone else, no matter what they go and do up there. And even if it isn't par for the course, it's appreciated. Original music is still around because of places like Sidewalk. Love Sidewalk! (And don't forget, I've got a gig there next Tuesday!)

So yesterday afternoon when I came home from work and running errands, I really should have taken a nap to help cope with the sleep I didn't get the night before, but I didn't. And boy am I glad. I had an invite to go see an art exhibition in which Julie Unruh is featured, along with nine other artists, and so I hopped on the train and found my way to St. Joseph's College. (G train, baby!)

Wonderful! It was just wonderful. If you do not yet know of Julie Unruh and you haven't seen her art, you really should go to unruhly.org and check it out. She's fabulous! All of the art was actually great, and it was an altogether lovely evening. It's on through March 18th, so if can get to Brooklyn and see it, you really should.

I am toiling away at my own art and with some frustration, but more on that later. For now I'm seeking inspiration and dealing with the necessary perspiration...watch this space for what evolves.

Be Pro-Lammy and Antifolk

2008-02-25T10:32:00.005-05:00

Hey, so once again I've been too busy writing and playing out to blog, but it's all good.

I got my driver's license back from the State of New York:

Oh, yes...Here in New York (not sure where else this is the case) you don't actually get your license when you get your license. You get a piece of paper that says you got your license and then a couple of weeks later you get your license in the mail. I guess it's fine, although after waiting in that line I feel like I deserve a prize...maybe even just a piece of cheese...and a folded up piece of paper doesn't really do it for me.

P.S. Don't I look cute? I do, don't I?! Hey, if you can look good at the DMV, you can look good anywhere.

Tonight I'm going to play the Anithoot at Sidewalk Cafe. The Antihoot is actually the very oldest open mic in New York, and I have to say it's pretty cool. So that's where I'll be until the wee hours of the morning.

I've got a gig there next Tuesday March 4th at 9:00, and I'm pretty excited.

More later in the week...

The Doctor, The Dentist, and the License Plate Maker

2008-02-09T21:10:00.002-05:00

One should never visit the doctor, the dentist, and the DMV all in one week.

Seriously.

The sheer paper trail of my week is enough to give me a headache, but it's not all for naught: I did get a lot done.

Wednesday is my day 'off'. Not 'off' as in sleep in and watch an afternoon movie 'off', 'off' as in it's one of only two days a week that I don't put in hours at my day job and so use it as time towards my musical aspirations and - sometimes - annoying necessary items that are part of the joy of being a grown-up. (Hey, I use the term loosely...)

Wednesday morning I called Lenscrafters to see (no pun intended) if I could get some new contacts. My very last one tore over the weekend. I look ever so cute and smart in glasses, but I really prefer contacts, so despite the exorbitant expense of see-through plastic, I wanted new ones. With prescription in-hand, Lenscrafters said this would not be a problem.

Given that I had decided that it would be an odds and ends day, my mind wandered to other aspects of my humanity that needed medical supervision. Without going into detail, I realized that it was time again to go to the doctor, something I had been assiduously avoiding due to the fact that it would involve finding a new one, as I have only recently taken up with this particular insurance company. So I went a-hunting for a doctor... After several searches and calls and whatnot, I'd made an appointment - not for next month, reader - but for that very day. I must say that though it was all a bit much for one week, the cards must have been stacked in my favor to have slipped in between cancellations on such a serendipitous schedule.

So...since I had already pretty much ruined my day, I thought I might as well look for a dentist. It's sort of like when you go to the drug store and buy all of the embarrassing stuff all at once - if you're gonna do it, you might as well just do it all. So I started searching for a dentist. Again, my insurance is fairly new and am still trying to figure it all out. After searching and calling and calling some more, I'd made myself an appointment - no, not for February 2010 as is often the case when trying to make a dental appointment - but for that very day. Serendipity, indeed.

(At this point, I really should have just put some scotch in a flask and had some fun with it. I knew damn well it was going to be one of those days, if for nothing else than all of the many forms which were surely looming in my future.)

So I went to Lenscrafters, where they agreed to order my contacts (really very good of them, since that's what they're there for) but reminded me that this was the last time I'd be able to buy them, because my prescription runs out soon. Now, I know that you're supposed to get your eyes checked every year. I also know that my budget requires a fair degree of wiggle room where it comes to these guidelines. And I really will go to the eye doctor if and when I see fit. I'm pretty sure I'll be the first to know if I can't see. Bottom line, they're my eyeballs. My eyeballs. My. Eyeballs. Grr.

Contacts in hand and more ordered, I soldiered on to task number two: the dentist. Now...bear with me here. I know that you're supposed to go to the dentist at least once a year. I also know that the uninsured just have to floss more. I'm not going to go into details, here: just accept that I hadn't been to the dentist in awhile. After filling out a set of forms that would give anyone a bad taste in their mouth (I'm sorry, I just had to) I went back to get my teeth cleaned.

In my life, I have met two really nice dental hygienists. Neither of them were in the room.

Again, plaque doesn't really make the best blog, but the lady gave me a hell of hard time for not being a regular. I explained that I had not had dental insurance until recently, and that $150 to have my teeth cleaned by a 'professional' was cost-prohibitive. Let the record show, incidentally, that in 28 years and 364 days I have not had one cavity and most would say a fabulous smile. Anyway. It actually resulted in a conversation in which I acknowledged how important it was to have one's teeth cleaned annually, and how silly it was that it was so costly, and that I knew the dental offices only charged what they had to, but still it was a lot...and how isn't it cool in Europe how health care of all sorts was just a given, and wasn't that cool... She went on to tell me that yes, it was paid for, but it wasn't nearly as good. But this is not so. I explained to her that, having first-hand knowledge of at least the English system, that it was actually quite good. She said no, it wasn't. I asked her if she'd ever lived in Europe. She said Oh yes, I lived in Canada.

?

Ummm....right.

This conversation died a natural death as it came time for my x-rays. (It only gets better - hang on.) So the x-ray technician comes in and I said hi, etc., and warned her that every time I get my mouth x-rayed they end up having to use the baby/pediatric film. My mouth is actually remarkably small. Yes, for those of you who have met me or even been within a 1/4 mile radius, you will in all likelihood not consent to the idea that I have anything less than a really big mouth - but inside, it's really peculiarly small. So I let her know this, and she says ok, let's try the big film anyway.

Now - ok. I know that you've been doing this for several years, maybe even many years, but I am actually the world's leading expert on my mouth. And every single time I have had the aforementioned mouth x-rayed, it has required the technician to use the little film. As she proceeded to try and jam the big film into my little mouth, a great deal of pain and general consternation did result.

Bite down.

(muffled) I am.

Bite down!

(muffled) I am!

Sigh.

Bigger sigh.

This went on for some time. There was much eye-rolling and 'ugh'-ing. There was annoyance and there was irritation of both the physical and the emotional varieties. Finally, she goes and gets the little film. Unfortunately, the metal tongs she was using to insert said film were still too large, and she had a very frustrating time with even the little film. But eventually she got satisfactory x-rays and moved on to bigger and better things.

I saw the dentist for all of five minutes, during which she said I had very good teeth and so on and so forth and to make another appointment, etc.

I will, dear. But not at this office.

Onto the doctor's office, I was still fuming from the dentist's office. However, in all fairness, I must say that the doctor's visit was refreshingly good. There were, of course, the requisite forms complete with innumerable check-boxes and queries about dead parents and non-smoking habits. But the visit with the doctor was really very good.

Now, I'm not being anti-American here. I think there are lots and lots of good things about America. But the medical system is not one of them. And I'm not even saying that there isn't lots and lots good about the American medical system. But there's so much that needs to be fixed... As it happened, the doctor (this was my very first visit with her, remember?) is not an American and had been trained within the framework and values of the English medical system.

SCORE!

So for the first time in my experience with American doctors' offices, I began my visit sitting, fully clothed, in a comfortable chair in an office across a desk from a woman who actually really, really really wanted to talk to me. There was, of course, the necessary examination and whatnot, but then there was more sitting and talking afterwards. It was almost as though she genuinely cared about my well-being and was not clicking some invisible meter as I passed through the door. Though it was the last on the list for a pretty long day, it wasn't too bad a closer.

But just in case you just got a warm fuzzy feeling about the American medical experience, I should share that when I got to the pharmacy to cash in on my prescription I was met with two little words: PRE-AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED. Right. I'll do that.

Friday, I went to the DMV to renew my license. (Insert angst here.) I'm not even going to go there. If you're a licensed driver, you know what it means to take a trip to the DMV. If you're a licensed driver in New York City, you know it's just a trip. But two hours and lots of really interesting people and $50 later, I had successfully renewed my New York State driver's license.

OH! And then I went to Kinko's. Just to add insult to injury, I went to Kinko's and made multiple two-sided copies of bad attitudes and mediocrity.

Woosh. What a week!

Observations...

2008-02-06T19:45:00.002-05:00

Casual observation on the streets of NYC this afternoon:

Girl1 to Girl2: "I never see you anymore!"
Girl2 to Girl1: "I never see you anymore!"

Yes, ladies - these things are generally experienced bilaterally.

I also saw something today that - well, I don't think it was meaningful, but it made me look twice. A woman wearing a simple silver ring with a flat front - the kind you get engraved with your initials - only there weren't anyway. Like I said, not meaningful, really - but... It spoke to me somehow...spoke to how I feel sometimes...not even knowing what to engrave...

No Joy In Spudville

2008-02-05T18:47:00.001-05:00

One day in Spudville, there was a baseball game. Not all the potatoes showed up, but a lot of them did. It was a big day for the potatoes, because the winner of the game would largely decide the fate of Spudville for the next four years. It was Albert's team against George's team - and almost everyone wanted Albert's team to win. Sure, the gold potatoes in the box seats were rooting for George and his team - let's face it, the golf club sure needed sprucing up, and everyone knew that if George's team won that he would make sure it got done. All the other potatoes - all the other potatoes - just wanted Spudville to be a decent place to take root. Equal civil rights for all potatoes, equal access to health care...the usual. And - though George's team would never admit it - Albert's team was almost sure to win.

And just as predicted, Albert's team was beating the pants off George's team. Their pitches landed. They hit hard and fast. They could run real well. And best of all, they played fair. The crowd was pleased... But then - bottom of the ninth - two potatoes out - something strange happened. Just as everyone was sure Albert's team was going to win, lots of potatoes from out of town in fancy black cars came in and took the ball. No one had ever seen anything quite like it. They just took it. They just took it. And worse yet, all the potatoes just sat and watched. No one quite knew what to do. They just sat there. And as they did, they saw the strange potatoes come back and announce that George's team had won the game. The gold potatoes had a party. All the other potatoes just went home to stew. There was no joy in Spudville.

--

It's not the most inspired or best-told story ever, but it's been a long day and, frankly, I'm just in a bad mood.

I was at the conservatory when Bush stole the first election. Yes, I voted. In Ohio, too! But I'm not sure it mattered. In fact, I'm pretty damn sure it didn't. I voted, and I watched the returns, and I was sure I was having a bad dream as the next few days unfolded. I wouldn't say that I was a political idealist - in fact I was pretty well-disillusioned by then - but I did think that Americans still voted for the people that held office, however snowed-over the whole process was with dirty green. When it started to sink in that an election had really been stolen - in front of everybody - well, it's not the kind of thing you can take without notice - I should have done something. In fact, I should have joined other Americans in the street and rioted - peacefully of course - until somebody fixed it. I should have gone to protests and sit-ins and I should have committed multiple disruptive acts of civil disobedience and I should have refused to go on functioning as an American as if nothing had happened until somebody fixed it. But I didn't. I went to class. And I did my homework. And I was a good girl. (Well...mostly. But that's not for here.) I felt like the government pulled my political pants down - pulled everyone's political pants down - and gave us a spanking. I was embarrassed and confused and I was just sure that I misunderstood.

I was in New York City for the second round. Yes, I voted - like it mattered. Lord knows if they tried to steal our city there would be a riot. We'd fucking secede. But in the nation...well... I'm still on the fence as to what happened. I sat up and watched the returns come in. As I went to bed, I knew that when I woke I would not have a new leader. I knew that I wouldn't get affordable health care anytime in the next few years. I knew I was screwed again. Only this time...I don't know. Either the other team really did win, or they got smart and went with a remote-controlled baseball this time. I still can't be sure.

It's Stupid Tuesday. Sorry. Super Tuesday. Frankly, it's all such a media circus that I forget that it's actually about national leadership. I don't vote in the primaries - I'm not, contrary to popular belief, a Democrat. I'm registered as an independent, and though I struggle with the validity of my choice, I don't really believe in a two-party system any more than I believe that we should have just two choices about anything. So I wasn't even eligible to participate today, but I had a startling revelation this morning as I went to work and passed all the eager beavers handing out 'Vote for _________' stickers in a last-ditch effort to grab the ball. I realized I didn't care. I didn't care. It's not to say that I don't care what happens to our country or our world - I do - and it's not to say that I don't have an opinion where it comes to who I wouldn't vote for - I do. But as for the choices in candidates on the left, which I would certainly vote for over those on the right, I really don't know. And I'm really, really not sure I care. I feel a bit like I'm choosing who takes the helm as the ship goes down. It really doesn't matter.

Of course, it does matter - and on some level I do care - but I realized that I wasn't compelled to feel either way about it, because though the outcome of the election will certainly affect me, I'm not sure to what extent I can really affect it. I am officially a disenfranchised American, and I never really thought I'd say that. I'll vote - I will - but I have little hope that I'll really be making a difference when I do.

I'm not really ok with that.

(End rant.)

Taking a Cue From Head Man

2008-01-30T22:31:00.002-05:00

This is my workstation in England. It's a Bentley electric piano - not quite my Korg, but it works. On the left hand side is a sculpture John made during his A-levels whom I lovingly refer to as Head Man. Because...well...he's just kind of a random head. And no one's head in particular, so I don't feel too badly about just calling Head Man.

Head Man and I had a very good time over Christmas and the New Year. You may have noticed the glorious absence of words on my blog as of late. I was joking with someone earlier that I was just taking a cue from Head Man. (He doesn't say much.) I did some great hiking and visiting in England and Wales over the holiday, but of equal importance is the time I spent with the Bentley and Head Man, working away at some new songs. I am happy to report that I have produced two newbies (well, one brand new and one dusted off and re-worked): 'Hold On III' and another with the working title 'Battle Hymn of the Thinking Person' - both of which those of you at my last concert had the pleasure of hearing for the first time.

Oh yeah - my last concert. I played last Friday night at the 169 Bar to an amazing audience who made me feel like a rock star. Sure it was just the 169 Bar, everyone's favorite Chinatown dive - but just for a moment, banging away on that old piano, I was a rock star.

Anyway, between holidays abroad, prepping for this last gig, writing new songs, and the daily grind - as well as at least one sobering curve ball (see my last entry) - I've been busy. Too busy to blog, even. Actually, very honestly, when I'm heads-down writing music I have trouble being otherwise creative. If I have anything to say at all, I prefer to put it into song. But all the same, I have to check in every once in awhile.

My next gig is at the Bitter End on Sunday February 17th at 8:00 - this one should be good. Hell, playing on the same piano as Billy Joel and Tori Amos, I am a rock star - or at least I'm playing on a rock star piano. Anyway...

More soon...

The Leader of the Band

2008-01-26T23:00:00.001-05:00

It's very hard for me to say goodbye. In fact, those who know me in a familiar context will tell you that I rarely actually say 'goodbye' - I almost always say 'see ya later' or some such other non-committal parting phrase. I like to say something that implies that the next meeting is not far off, even when I know that's not so...

Today - this past week - I've had to say goodbye to somebody who means a great deal to me, and many others. Worse yet, I didn't really get to say goodbye. I sought closure today with some old friends - and some new friends - at a sort of informal memorial held in his honor.

Dr. Hartzell was my professor, my friend, my mentor, and I don't think I'm talking out of school when I say that he was something of a father figure to a lot of us. He was the first person to really make sense out of all my arguably disparate talents - yes, he thought they were talents. He was one of the first people to really make me understand that. Two years into my musical theatre career at Baldwin-Wallace, I found myself drawn to the nuts and bolts of music theory. I saw how a greater understanding of how music worked made my music something more. I wasn't playing my music for very many people at the time, but I knew that it was the deepest and realest expression of the human experience that I'd ever known - and I wanted to understand how it worked. Dr. Hartzell helped me do that. He inspired me to compose more - to create more. And he planted the seed of acceptance of the blurring of the line between art and pop music that has informed my musical composition since.

It's hard to know what to say about Dr. Hartzell. I can't say enough. And yet...what I mean to say isn't easily put into words anyway. Like I said, I'm not the best at goodbyes. I leave you with a few words from Mr. Fogelberg.

An only child
Alone and wild
A cabinet makers son
His hands were meant
For different work
And his heart was known
To none --
He left his home
And went his lone
And solitary way
And he gave to me
A gift I know I never
Can repay

A quiet man of music
Denied a simpler fate
He tried to be a soldier once
But his music wouldnt wait
He earned his love
Through discipline
A thundering, velvet hand
His gentle means of sculpting souls
Took me years to understand.

The leader of the band is tired
And his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through
My instrument
And his song is in my soul --
My life has been a poor attempt
To imitate the man
Im just a living legacy
To the leader of the band.

My brothers lives were
Different
For they heard another call
One went to chicago
And the other to st. paul
And Im in colorado
When Im not in some hotel
Living out this life Ive chose
And come to know so well.

I thank you for the music
And your stories of the road
I thank you for the freedom
When it came my time to go --
I thank you for the kindness
And the times when you got tough
And, pap, I dont think i
Said i love you near enough --

The leader of the band is tired
And his eyes are growing old
But his blood runs through
My instrument
And his song is in my soul --
My life has been a poor attempt
To imitate the man
Im just a living legacy
To the leader of the band
I am the living legacy
To the leader of the band.

Eggnog and Asteroids

2007-12-22T10:24:00.001-05:00

Maybe it's because we're just past the darkest day of the year. Or maybe it's just because it's Saturday. Or maybe it's because I'm going to England in a few hours and I'm really excited. Or maybe it's because I just read about the asteroid that might hit Mars and I'm just really glad it's not our planet. Ok, that's probably not it. Maybe it's just the holiday season - after several years of really resenting the cheer and the lights and the cheesy songs, it's growing on me again. I wouldn't say that I've hitherto been a grinch of any sort, but I do think that I had some trouble tapping into the happy. Now...not so much.

Not that everything is goodness and light... This time of year has often been painful for me, as I reflect on family and friends and know that there are some people in my life that, much as I'd love to celebrate with, are in a really tough place right now. Rather than going 'home' for the holidays, I have to find peace with holding certain loved ones in my heart and wishing them joy from a distance. But I'm not complaining - I have been so blessed... I have family and friends who love me, even if I don't have the uber-conventional Rockwell painting to go visit. And, I have found a wonderful man who I love and who loves me completely. And, I'm finally doing what I've always dreamed of doing - and loving it! I have nothing to complain about...just...I suppose there is a certain sadness in the fact that I am so joyful but can't share it with a few of the people I love.

In the Quaker tradition, there's a phrase 'holding someone in the light' - it's sort of shorthand for keeping someone in your thoughts or your prayers or your heart or meditating on their well-being or - whatever it means to you to love someone and ask the universe to look out for them. Actually, trying to put into writing what it means to 'hold someone in the light' is surprisingly difficult given what a simple concept it is. But I think you get it... Just...loving someone, really.

In the quiet moments between eggnogs and last-minute shopping frenzies and tree-decorating and present-opening and hugging and 'Hi!'-ing and mistletoe 'incidents' and spirited holiday outbursts, maybe we can all take a moment to hold in our hearts those who maybe we can't be with - for whatever reason - but who we love dearly and wish joy and light this holiday season.

And hey, if you can't get excited about anything, just count your lucky stars that your not on Mars. Unless you are. And then...well...Merry Christmas anyway.

Get Some Rest, Mark Your Calendars

2007-12-12T20:01:00.001-05:00

I've been pretty sick for the past several days so I haven't been up to much of anything. I went to the doctor today and got a bottle of pink pills that are supposed to fix what's wrong with me. Well...at least part of what's wrong with me. Wish me a speedy recovery - I'm really not a very good patient. I get very cranky when anything stands in the way of my usual productivity. And you know you don't want me cranky.

A bit of good news though: Mark your calendars for Friday January 11th at 8:00. Laura Joy will be releasing her much-anticipated album Six Flights at The Baggot Inn. That's Friday January 11th at 8:00 at The Baggot Inn to hear Laura Joy rock. Commit it to memory. Tell your friends. Tell their friends. Tell- Just be there.

And in the meantime, get your rest and take your vit-C. Being sick sucks.

Weekend

2007-12-09T18:28:00.001-05:00

So I've had a pretty great weekend.

On Friday evening, I listened as a friend of mine read from a new work of his. In an effort to respect his privacy and the newness of the work, I won't say who or what. But mark my words: in just a few years what I heard on Friday evening will be in the hands of many heartily grateful readers. I am extraordinarily privileged to have been a listener on Friday evening. And THEN I went to a fantastic party with a bunch of fantastic people.

Last night, I went to Otto's Shrunken Head in the East Village to hear Chris Fuller play. Tiki drinks and brilliant folk music in a dark room dressed to look like an island party in the middle of December in New York City, and I had it made. THEN, I went to Wicked Willy's in the West Village to hear Lisa Bianco. Two words: she rocked. I was in the East. I was in the West. And it was all good. Or something like that.

Next Show, Free Razors

2007-12-06T17:00:00.001-05:00

:) A bit of an inside joke for the folks there last night.

WOW! What a fantastic show. I really, truly enjoyed playing last night. Googie's was great, the folks from J. Lohr were great (Thank you Pamela and Sean!!), but mostly I had a fabulous audience. Special thanks to Ion Freeman and his meetup.com group; you guys were so much fun.

Even though the album has been out for a couple of months now, I really do feel like I breathe new life into Transatlantic Lammy each time I share it - live - with people who are really listening. It's absolutely invigorating for me, and from what I can tell the audience likes it too! :)

I'm booking shows well into 2008 now, so there's going to be a lot more in store. Watch this space...

Call an Ambulance..Twice

2007-12-02T22:24:00.001-05:00

So way to go on me on blogging more regularly! :) Well... Sometimes the journey really is within. I'm trying to get better on not judging it; just own up to the fact that sometimes I feel like talking to the world and sometimes I don't, and that's ok.

I was part of something yesterday that I feel like I have to tell somebody about - that I have to tell everybody about. It was such an uncomfortable, unsettling experience that I'm not even sure I can put it into words properly. But I'll try.

Walking down the street on Saturday morning, on my way to the drug store to run an errand for work, I saw a man half fall, half crawl his way from a sidewalk bench to the pavement. As he was on his way I said, 'Sir. Sir? Sir?! Are you ok?'...Nothing. And as he lay there on the pavement, he was alive but not altogether 'there' and most definitely not ok. The guys from the barber shop came out and said that he'd just a few minutes ago come over and sort of crashed into the bench and sat. And now he was lying on the pavement.

I already had my phone out and decided I should dial 911. The guys suggested I call 311 - the number we use in the city for non-emergency matters. He clearly needed help, but it wasn't what I'd call an emergency. He needed medical attention soon-ish, but maybe not immediately. But soon-ish.

I should take a second here and explain why the whole situation made me uncomfortable, and I was conflicted at every turn as to what the right thing to do really was. The man was white, average height and build, late sixties...and very, very disheveled and covered in urine. He looked homeless. He smelled homeless. He could have been homeless for years and years...or he could have been 'homeless' just overnight because he wandered out of his house, got confused, and stayed out all night. Either way I determined that he needed medical attention and I was going to facilitate him getting some whether he was homeless or not, and whether he'd wandered off a few hours ago or decades ago. It was freezing, freezing cold in the city on Saturday morning, and he was not dressed to cope with it. And he was wet. And he was lying on the pavement.

The fact is there are people lying on the pavement and slumped over on benches all over the city. I'll grant you that this was the Upper West Side - it's a little less common there, and you're not as likely to find as many homeless folks west of Broadway on 72nd Street as maybe at the subway station or on the greenspace on Broadway, but...homeless statistics and nitpicking geography aside, it's not all that uncommon to see - anywhere. And I see them every day. And I walk by. Horrified and saddened, I walk by. This time I actually saw him fall to the ground so I felt duty-bound to call someone, but I stood there, phone in hand, thinking about all of the calls I hadn't made.

To make a long, long story short, I called 311 and explained the situation. They transferred me to 911 and explained the situation. Then 911 asked me to confirm the situation. Then they transferred me to the EMS dispatcher and explained the situation. Then the dispatcher asked me to confirm the situation. The whole thing was a very confusing five minutes or so of explaining, re-explaining, transfers, and then some more explaining. But at the end of it all, the dispatcher said an ambulance was on the way.

I made the initial 311 call at 11:50. At about 12:05, there was no sign at all of an ambulance. I was beginning to rethink my discernment between emergency and soon-ish medical care. Soon-ish in my book was ticking by now. I called 911 this time, and explained that I had already called, but that there was no sign of help yet. The woman asked me to re-explain the situation, and then told me that it was already 'in the system'. Yes, I know. It was in the system. So where is help? I work on 72nd Street five days a week, and I'm always seeing ambulances - in emergency mode, not-so-emergency mode...maybe I was just impatient. But it seemed as though we should have gotten help sooner. The 911 operator asked me how old the man was. I told her late sixties. (I had given this information, for the record, to the first operator as well.) She said she would 'upgrade' my request due to his age. (Upgrade?)

A police cruiser was going by and another bystander flagged it down. The cops pulled over, and asked what was wrong. We briefly explained about how the poor guy had gone from the bench to the pavement and was only somewhat responsive. They yelled, 'Hey. Hey buddy. Hey...' I'm not saying that they did anything inappropriate, per se. They were just trying to determine if he was conscious. And I've seen the same thing many times before, with people in the park, on the sidewalks, etc. I just wondered... If a pretty, young, well-dressed 20-something had been lying on the pavement, would it have looked and sounded like that?

26 minutes after the first call - at 12:16 - an ambulance rolled up. If 26 minutes doesn't sound like a lot, just for kicks go take a walk outside your building (or your house or your office, whatever) and lie on the pavement for 26 minutes in the cold. It's kind of a long time. He didn't appear to need urgent medical attention, but he did need timely medical attention.

When I was on the phone with the 311 operator, the 911 operator, the EMS dispatcher, the second 911 operator, etc., I tried to be as descriptive as possible of the situation. I mentioned that he was not dressed for the cold, that he was wet - that he looked homeless. In retrospect I think that was a bad call. On one hand, I was trying to accurately describe the situation so that it could be addressed appropriately. On the other hand, 'homeless' was an educated guess and a judgment - my observation was that he was disheveled and looked a little worse for wear...not to mention covered in urine. But as I wrote in the beginning, he may very well have been some poor guy who lived on the Upper West Side and wandered out of his apartment and got confused. His wife might have been at home worried sick about his whereabouts. And then I thought...does it matter?

?

I am painfully aware of the confusing combination narrative and philosophical wandering that I've made above. I'm not sure I can really articulate the thoughts and feelings I had while waiting and in the hours after as I was revisiting my day and reflecting on what I should and should not have done. And how I don't know, really, what to think or feel, let alone do, when I see someone sleeping in a garbage bag on my way home to my modest but lovely apartment with my warm bed and my hot shower and my well-stocked fridge and my cat and my Netflix. I just know that 26 minutes was a long time.

Where Have I Been?

2007-11-12T08:55:00.001-05:00

I am remiss for not having posted anything these past few weeks. Sorry about that...

Since my last post, I had a great gig at The Bitter End, got another at The Living Room - Googie's Lounge (Wednesday December 5th at 8:30 if you're interested), and two more follow-up gigs at The Bitter End and 169 Bar. Things have been going really well - really well.

But in other news, a few of you know that a situation a couple of weeks ago took me unexpectedly out of town, and I haven't really been the same since. It's not appropriate to blog about the nature of the actual situation, but suffice it to say that two people who are very dear to me got themselves in a little bit over their heads (ok, a lot) and I went to try to help.

Not sure how helpful I was.

I have been a very quiet, conflicted person since that weekend, reevaluating my values, my choices, and mostly the skyrocketing price of honesty.

Sorry; my blogs are usually cheery things with quippy run-on sentences about the latest and greatest. I just haven't quite been able to pull that out of the hat these days. But I had to blog something, so I thought I'd blog...the truth.

I will try to be a better blogger. Blue and bitter, but a better blogger.

Take-off

2007-10-22T22:16:00.002-04:00

Last Wednesday at the 169 Bar I gathered a group of people that included my lover, some of my closest friends, some of my newly-found friends, my friends' friends, and - well, apparently the film crew for Sex and the City, which was filming down the street. They all had one thing in common: they all cheered for Lammy. Actually, they all cheered for me. (Still can't quite get used to it.)

I was so nervous - having anticipated this event for quite some time now, and having a substantial audience of eager listeners - I just wanted to do Lammy proud. I just wanted to sing well, to play well - to share my music with everyone as fully as I possibly could. From what I understand, I did. The whole thing is a little bit of a blur to me - I felt very present as I performed - more so than usually, even - but neither at the time, nor in retrospect have I any real objectivity regarding my performance.

But afterwards, I heard words like 'amazing' and 'unbelievable' - I greeted a crowd of people that I had shared with and reached with my music. I autographed albums and hugged both my dearest friends and near-strangers who, in that moment, were hardly different. I celebrated the release of my album, and I still can't quite quantify the joy therein.

Not so surprisingly, for those of you who know me (too) well, in the days after I was re-playing the event as if trying to catch a hidden message or a background blooper. I was going over and over the imperfections, wondering why I hadn't done (fill in the blank) just a little bit better. But my perfectionism temporarily robbed me of one of the most extraordinary memories I have thus far, and having gone through the motions of my usual self-examination and brutal scrutiny, I'm - well, I'm over it. I've finally come around to the fact that there wasn't anything about last Wednesday that wasn't just absolutely amazing. I had one of the best nights of my life so far - not to mention, my album is off to a running - or flying, as it were - start.

I think that part of the need for reflection was the determination of this unsettling feeling I have that - well, that something is unfinished. Almost like the event happened, but it was missing something. I've searched long and hard for a missing bit, and can't find one - not a one.

I realized that what I was looking for was that 'phew!' feeling of something being over. The 'ah, there it is' of something being complete. The production of this album has been, in my estimation, not unlike birthing a child - and I had this funny feeling when I came home like I didn't actually come home with baby. (Not to mention my web site was jacked offline - which is a whole 'nother story - but contributed, undoubtedly, to my grouchitude.) I had this funny feeling like it wasn't enough, like it wasn't really done.

--

My very dear friend Cecilia is about to embark on a literally round-the-world journey in just a week or so. She's given up her quiet life in Manchester for an adventure that only the bravest of souls would be willing to take. But see, she is one of the bravest souls - her life speaks of her strength and courage, though it's only now that it has manifested itself in such a fabulous travel itinerary. She is off to the world to find the world within herself. She boards a plane next Friday.

And I thought, how funny would it be if she took off on Friday, was somewhere mid-air between Manchester and Singapore, and called me on one of those air-phones and said, 'Taylor - I don't get it. I don't feel like I've gotten anywhere at all.'

--

Lammy has just now taken off. Though the release was an unforgettable event, it was only just the beginning.

--

Cecilia, all my love - and admiration, and support, and well-wishes for your own transatlantic - well, transatlantic/pacific/continental/who-knows-what journey.

All those who are listening...buckle your seat belts. Lammy is in-flight.

The Site Is Up!

2007-10-19T07:58:00.002-04:00

The web site is finally up! Go to taylorgiacoma.com!

Actually, it's back up. Some of you may have noticed that it was up and running on Wednesday, but then...well, not so much. After many frustrating conversations with my hosting provider, the lammy is once again alive and well.

It's not perfect. As it openly states on the homepage, "Note: Like the great city she lives in, this site is very much under construction. Please bear with the potholes for the time being." But that said, it's actually pretty great. It will be an ongoing work in progress and I'll add more and more fun stuff all the time. Already it features stunning photography by the great Lorcan Otway and streaming audio of every single song on the album.

Most importantly, you can buy your very own copy of Transatlantic Lammy!

More later...or tomorrow...I'm still a little overwhelmed by the enormous success of the other night. For those who weren't able to be there, it was amazing - but I'm still kind of digesting it all.

The first ever official Taylor Giacoma newsletter goes out tomorrow, too, so stay tuned!

Today's the Day!

2007-10-17T11:09:00.002-04:00

I am almost as nervous as I am excited and almost as excited as I am happy and I can't really tell you all how happy I am to be releasing my album tonight. Woohoo!

I'll try to contain my nerves, but the excitement and happiness are pretty much out of my control!

I am absurdly fortunate to have the support I do. I've received countless comments and messages and e-mails and phone calls and in-person congratulations, all wishing me well on my album and on my (finally) blossoming music career. I can't possibly express how grateful I am for all of the support I have.

I have people coming from as far as London to the release tonight - seriously - as well as lots of folks from other nearer-by but somewhat distant places like New Jersey. Hey, any visit from the mainland is a big deal.

I'm a bit on edge with all that is happening... Anyone who knows me well knows well that sometimes I'm just a bundle of nerves. I'm not quite that bad today, but I am buzzing!

Looking forward to seeing you all tonight. :)

Anticipation

2007-10-04T00:28:00.001-04:00

So... All is ready to go. My CD is finally ready to be out the door, and I'm... Well, I'm excited, and I'm nervous, and I'm generally probably far too focused on the outcome of the next couple of months. I'm trying hard just to enjoy this time as it passes.

I never dreamed that I would get this far this fast. Just six months ago I was trying to rediscover my creativity and was wondering if I had lost it for good. I orphaned my inner muse while in pursuit of roles and abilities and stabilities that were and are very important, but not central to who I am.

I spent a few hours yesterday with a friend of mine that I met at the ashram just about that time that I was looking for a turning point. It's just amazing how much more we can be when we just be. And how little we do when all we do is do. I was caught up in a cycle of doing...doing more and being less...and now that I've completely changed all that I try to remain conscious of my being and observe carefully the extent to which I am attached to that which I do or the results of what I do.

This is probably not one of my finest rambles, but...well, there it is. The wheels are in motion for my CD to be out there for all to hear, and as it finds its way to eager ears I will do my best just to listen as well.

I'm also crazy nervous, but - well hey, that's to be expected.

Transatlantic Lammy is ready for take-off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nearer Than Closeness

2007-09-29T17:36:00.001-04:00

So... This is one of my very favorite songs. It seems strange to have a 'favorite' song among songs you've written yourself, but some are dearer to me than others. This one is one of my dearest...and it's about my dearest! Enjoy...

Note: This post initially referred to an embedded music player on the page playing 'Nearer Than Closeness'. Now it's part of the album! You can listen to it here.

Steel Up

2007-09-20T20:46:00.001-04:00

So... I'm really excited about my new CD. (Can you tell?)

I wanted to post a little preview here on my blog, and so here is 'Steel Up'. It's a song about...well, just getting past whatever is in your way and doing it. In some ways it has become the theme of the past few months, as I've undertaken to follow the dream that I always wanted to.

The song was actually initially inspired by a dear friend of mine. She was in a tough place in many ways, and struggling with how to get unstuck. She started dreaming of a get-away, a crazy one-woman expedition to wherever she wanted, wherever life took her. Not so much to find herself, I think, as to reclaim herself. I thought it was a beautiful adventure. At the time, she thought it was impossible. There were many legitimate reasons why it 'couldn't happen', but I knew in my heart that it could happen, and that if she wanted to make it happen, she would. I kept thinking c'mon, just do it. Steel up and do it. Forget about why it won't work, and just go for it.

A song started coming to me.

So here I had this song playing in my head, waiting to be written. It's how it happens for me...I don't 'compose' per se...I uncover thoughts and feelings and words and music that were just there...and mold them into the shape of a song, and as it comes to me it really is almost as though I've heard it before.

So I was back in NY after having been abroad for a bit, and finally really getting myself out there. I had a lot of ups and downs...(still do...) and after indulging in some brutal self-inflicted not-so-constructive criticism of one of my performances, I started playing 'Steel Up'. And I listened to the words - I mean I really listened - and I realized they were meant just as much for me as for the woman who inspired them. I was letting fear get in the way of so much possibility, and for no good reason at all.

I generally don't like to talk much at all about the backstories of my songs, but this one seemed right for sharing. It's about how our own struggles and those of others can inspire us to greatness.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond imagination. It is our light more than our darkness which scares us. We ask ourselves – who are we to be brilliant, beautiful, talented, and fabulous. But honestly, who are you to not be so?"

- Marianne Williamson

"...the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."

-Franklin D. Roosevelt

Why Is This Man So Excited?

2007-09-17T20:05:00.003-04:00

It could be because he's heard about my CD release party at the 169 Bar on Wednesday October 17th at 7:00. It probably is. That would be a good reason. Because, as it happens, I'm having a CD release party at the 169 Bar on Wednesday October 17th at 7:00. It could also be because he's excited that he's organized.

Honestly, that's why. We had an organization binge at the Container Store yesterday, and this is actually him getting into the cab after loading it nearly full with plastic drawers of varying sizes. Seriously, that's why he's so excited. Not kidding. But now he's excited about my CD release party (all together now) at the 169 Bar on Wednesday October 17th at 7:00.

Oh, and I don't think I've blogged about it yet - I also have a gig coming up at the Bitter End on Sunday November 4th at 8:00. Part of the singer-songwriter showcase. (Say that three times fast.)

Watch this space for more details about the big night at the 169 Bar on Wednesday October 17th at 7:00. This man is very excited. And so should you be.

Btw thanks to Lorcan Otway for the photo.

Guess What? I Ordered My Very Own Pelvis!

2007-09-14T19:53:00.001-04:00

Every day I hear things that, no matter how I could have prepared myself, still surprise me. And amuse me. And then I blog about them.

Today, one of the yoga teachers where I work said to me, 'Guess what? I ordered my very own pelvis!' She had long admired the pelvis we have in-house, which we use for various class demonstrations. (Skeletal model) (No, not the runway kind.) (Ok really now, I mean a model of the bones in and around the pelvis.) She had, in fact, recently inquired about our pelvis. She had always wanted her own. So she bought one. And soon she will have her very own pelvis - so I guess she'll have two, because she came with one installed - I mean her pelvis - anyway - now she'll have two. It doesn't really have any impact on me, that she'll soon have her very own skeletal model of a pelvis, but I have to say that it pretty much made my day that she shared with me the news of her unusual anatomical acquisition. It's not every day that you hear that.

In other news... This is wave form:

The wave form is your friend. Sometimes. Sometimes it's a dirty stinky sneaky little rat bastard with no conscience or regard for your precious time and energy. Then, not so much. But more often than not, the wave form is your friend.

I have been living, eating, and breathing wave forms for the past month or so, trying to mix and master my CD. (Ok, I haven't really eaten any.) And last night, I finally got the last of it done. It's not perfect - nothing ever is - but it's about as good as it gets. The Yarn Frog Studio officially has it's first recording mastered and on its way to becoming a CD. Next is artwork and production and a really big party, but more on that later.

For now, be in awe of the wave form. It has no pelvis.

My Big Problem

2007-09-08T21:18:00.001-04:00

This is me...

...and this...

...this is my big problem....

Saying I have a charmed life doesn't really cut it. I have a fucking ridiculously good life.

Seriously now.

My big problem this week was that I had to re-record some music. I was disappointed with a couple of tracks that I recorded during our marathon sessions last month, and I had resigned myself to the fact that I wasn't able to fix them in the mixing phase and so had to re-record them. That was my big problem. I had to spend a couple more hours recording music for my CD.

Needless to say, this does not really qualify as a problem. This was at worst a minor inconvenience and at best a chance to lay out even better tracks than I had done. NOT a problem. So early this evening we set some time aside to record. I warmed up, poured myself a glass of wine, and sang and played my heart out. And now I can take the tracks back to mix and get them ready for the CD. I'm really excited about the CD.

But I'm also pretty excited about life, as silly as that may sound. It was brought to my attention this past week - when I was having a cry and a bit out of sorts about...well nothing, really - that I needed to take better stock of where I'm at and where I'm headed. And that it's a good thing.

OK - Just so you know, dear reader - I have written and re-written the rest of this entry four times now. It's hard to put this into words.

The Reader's Digest version is that sometimes, for no apparent reason, I let run rampant the voices in my head that say 'you're not good enough' and 'you'll never make it' and so on. I dwell on the couple of people in my recent past who have made me feel worthless. And I completely ignore the abundant love and support I have from all of the wonderful people in my present. It took someone I love saying that...well, I was just tuned into the wrong station, and that all I had to do was change the dial. It's easier said than done, but it can be done.

I was upset about a minor setback in my progress on the CD, because I was just generally focusing on all of the things that were wrong, and not nearly enough on all of the things that were right. Soooooooooooooooooo many things in my life are right. And so I'm making an effort to enjoy what I have and not dwell too much on the very little that I don't.

I have a fabulous life. I'm happy and healthy, I have a man who is absolutely head-over-heels in love with me, I have fantastic friends wherever I look, I live in one of the most exciting cities in the world, and I'm actually finally living the dream of being a singer-songwriter. It's not perfect... I'm not the internationally known and loved indie pop star that I aspire to be - yet. ;) I'm not quite making a living at this (that's an understatement) and so I have a 'day job' - although my day job is probably the best job I've ever, ever had, working for a wonderful woman at a company that's actually meaningful. And yes, there are some sad pockets in my heart where there have been some losses. But overall, a pretty fabulous life. So, here's to life.

OH, and the tracks we just laid down sound GREAT. Which is also good.

Her Gap Year

2007-09-05T11:06:00.001-04:00

Hey so I'm very excited about a new blog. Mostly because it's going to chronicle the adventures of a very, very good friend of mine who has summoned the courage to go on an absolutely fabulous journey all of her own.

Check out her blog...check it out again...keep checking it...going to be very exciting stuff!!

Feeling Very Thursday-ish

2007-08-30T19:39:00.001-04:00

I am very grouchy right now.

I set out to continue mastering my CD this afternoon, and was met with disappointment and frustration. It turns out that I have to do a little bit of re-recording, which really cheesed me off. I thought I was all done... But having given a careful listen with more patient ears, I realize I green-lighted a track that wasn't quite fit for print - or CD, as it were. THEN I continued onto another track and am having a hell of a time getting it just right. And I'm really tired. Eventually my work ethic was eroded by both my general discontent with my work and an overwhelming need for the zzz's, and I took a nap. But I'm still grouchy.

On a lighter note, thanks to Ion for throwing a heck of a party last night. It was the best not-going-away party that I've been to yet. Met some super cool people including the artist Julie Unruhl, whose work has completely unearthed my idea of what you can accomplish with acrylics. (Check her out...her work is incredible.)

Sorry friends for the mostly flat post; it's just been one of those days. Back in the studio over the weekend for some re-takes, and we'll get this thing done.

Happiness Is...

2007-08-28T17:00:00.003-04:00

So it's fair to say that I don't know where it's going or how fast it will get there, but I am living the dream. And now that I am, and that things are finally coming together, I feel like - like it must have felt for the first person who saw Technicolor. For a long time I've had a vision of what it might be like if I just had the courage to sing what I wanted to sing and be what I wanted to be, but it was like a fuzzy grainy black and white bad surveillance camera kind of picture. It was there, but... Anyway. Things are ever clearer and brighter.

Last night I played out at Vivaldi, and though in many ways it was just another open mic, it wasn't. Along with John, I was in the company of my friends Lorcan, Diana, and Lin, all who came just to hear an evening of music that included yours truly. I played 'The Joker' and 'I'm Sorry', and I know I rocked out. It felt so good just to sing, and to be, with people there to cheer me on and enjoy the time with me. It's remarkable: I look at my life now by comparison with just a few years ago, and it bears little resemblance. I turns out that just by surrounding myself with people who love and support me - just good folks - rather than people who cut me down constantly - I can change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but the world as I see it - and really, that's all the world is - what we make of it. I sang, I enjoyed music with friends, and to top it all off went to the Village for Crif Dogs. (Link for those yet uninitiated.) :) All in all, an ordinary night in what has become an extraordinary life.

Thank you John, Lorcan, Diana, and Lin for the makings of a perfect evening.

Queso

2007-08-25T16:00:00.001-04:00

Last night could be summed up with one word: QUESO. But not just 'queso'. Queeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeso.

Thanks to Laura and Chelsea for an unexpected adventure in Little Italy. :)

Let's Be Friends I Have a Horse

2007-08-23T21:45:00.001-04:00

The world is a better place because of people like Rob and Kevin and horses like Gordon (not pictured).

It's been one of those 24-hour periods that makes me wonder if there is a God. Not because it's all so cruel, but because it's all so cruel and so fabulously silly all in one day, somebody has to be watching and laughing. If I get to the big city in the sky and I find out no one is Tivo-ing this shit and watching it late night, I'm going to be seriously pissed.

Without going into detail, yesterday was a really rough day. 'Nuff said.

Tonight, after a long day of work, John and I took a walk on the esplanade to take in the last of the sunset and the unseasonably cool air. We came upon Rob, Kevin, and Gordon. Two young guys with a stuffed horse and signs that said 'I'm new to NY. Let's be friends. I have a horse.' Absolutely fantastic. EXACTLY what I needed.

The best part was watching the park security (it's technically a park all along the river) try to get them to move on for various and sundry bullshit reasons.

'You can't be here.'
'Yes we can.'
'They're gonna give you trouble.'
'Ok.'
'You can't just stay here.'
'Yes we can.'
'There's no soliciting.'
'We're not soliciting.'
'You're not soliciting.'
'We're not. Well, ok - we solicited a couple of high-fives. But that's it. We're drawing the line at high-fives. Like this - high five.'
(High-five is NOT given.)
'Just don't be surprised when they come over here and tell you, you can't be here. I told you.'

Or something like that. Park security did not win out. Rob, Kevin, and Gordon were still there last time we checked.

So we made some friends and took some pictures and sauntered on. All in all, not a bad 24. I guess. But somebody had better be working up a punchline.

Note: This post was edited 08 June 2009.

Mastering Mastering

2007-08-22T18:30:00.001-04:00

Today I've been catching up on my blog, on my inbox, on my to-do list...you get the idea. I've been in bed sick for two and a half days flat out and hadn't even been out of the apartment until today at lunch. I don't know why, but somehow it seems extra EXTRA unfair to get a miserable cold in the middle of the summer. Maybe because in the winter, everyone has a cold, or at least a lot of people do, so you don't feel like such an oddball when you're doing the tissue tango on a busy subway. Or maybe it's because hearing kids on skateboards and dogs and sailboats - when you're in bed under a fuzzy NyQuil blanket - just adds insult to injury. I don't know, but it sucks.

In other news this week, I am working on mastering my CD. I'm learning a lot about mastering and even more about learning how to listen to my own work objectively. I'm one of those people who really doesn't love it when you get out the old CD or DVD or OVER again has been very trying...but I think it's good for me. It will take many, many hours before I have the whole thing mastered, and there's no point in boring you, dear reader, with every edit, but know that it is ongoing. Target date for the CD release is early October, so think...umm...masterful...thoughts in my direction.

OH and just an hour ago, the AC adapter for my main computer - the one with my music on it -shorted out. So please also think happy thoughts in the direction of the FedEx guy who is bringing me a new one tomorrow. That's a bit much, I know. But bear with me. Thanks.

No, My Friend is Not a CIA Agent

2007-08-14T23:00:00.001-04:00

So this past week there's been lots of open mic-ing, and not a lot more. It's been one of those hot, steamy, just-sit-at-home-and-do-nothing-cuz-if-you-move-the-heat'll-getcha kinda weeks.

I performed last Monday night at Vivaldi and last Wednesday at Waltz - despite the fact that it took me more than an hour to get to Waltz - thank you, MTA. Apparently the New York City Subway infrastructure and the Wicked Witch of the West have a lot in common.

Yesterday, I performed at a new venue (for me - obviously not new), the Sidewalk Cafe. For those of you not privy to the New York open mic scene, Sidewalk is known as the greatest open mic of all time - really. Most of the musicians there actually play folk or 'anti-folk' as they call it, but there is a range of music from country to rock to alternative to pop...the gamut. It's a tough place to play if you've got a day job, because they do a lottery - and you could get number 60. Just by luck of the draw both my friend and I got to play before midnight, but just barely. And it was very, very cool. And what's more is that not only was my friend Laura there to play, but my friend Lorcan was there to listen and take photos (including the one above).

The highlight of the night, though, had to be the musician who stopped to ask Lorcan if he was with the CIA. Lorcan, who is a plain dressed Quaker Friend. She was kidding, thankfully, and the whole room laughed. No, Lorcan is not with the CIA. But thanks for asking. You never know when a CIA man will don Quaker plain dress, sit in the front row, and take photos of an open mic. It could happen. But it didn't.

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old

2007-08-05T23:00:00.001-04:00

So today I got to spend time with someone I almost never see, my friend Carl. Carl and I have been friends since junior high, and though I don't spend much time being nostalgic about those years, I am hugely thankful for the few friends I have from that time. In the big city there's a lot of people to meet, and if you're lucky a lot of new friends, but there's something about those friends you've known for a long time - known since you were a kid - known since the time you had your first boyfriend or your first car - known since that time in life when the lunchroom required some serious social survival skills - those friends - that you can only have with THOSE friends. Carl is one of those friends.

We didn't do much today...sat in a cafe and sipped bad coffee for awhile...went with our significant others to dinner...but we caught up on old friends, new friends, lovers, jobs, life...it was perfect.

Two Great Shows

2007-08-02T23:00:00.001-04:00

So this past Tuesday evening I was treated to the jazzy musical stylings of Alexis Cole at Sweet Rhythm. Very, very cool stuff. Her new CD Zingaro is out and I do recommend giving it a listen. She has a beautiful, versatile, smooth jazzy voice and does all the good tunes - but it's the unique sense of style she brings to it, no doubt informed by her international travels, that sets it apart from anything else you might hear. I'm not a jazz aficionado, but I do like jazz and will go out of my way to hear it live. I like it...but the one thing that I don't like is that it often tends to sound very much the same...as the last time I heard it. Usually a great tune with great musicians and a Wow! solo in the middle that shows off the virtuoso instrumentalist at the helm. That's all very well and good...but...I guess for me, I don't want to leave a performance with 'Wow, that guy could really play the piano. He was really talented.' I really do think that music should be an experience, especially live music, and that the musicians - from the composer to the performer(s) - should take you somewhere. Give you something new to hear, something for your ear to chew on so that your brain - maybe your heart - can digest something new. Alexis' take on jazz does that for me. It was probably the best jazz performance I've seen live in recent memory.

I also got to hear Lisa Bianco at the Knitting Factory. All I can say is DO NOT get between this girl and her guitar. She means business. Serious business. She rocks!

That's all for now...

Performance Post-Mortem, Post-Partum

2007-07-30T23:00:00.001-04:00

So last night I had the honor to perform at Caffe Vivaldi with the lovely Laura Joy. We both played really well and had the benefit of a very attentive audience. Some folks I knew, some folks I didn't... THANK YOU those of you who came out just to see me - late on a Sunday night, no less. But thank you also to those of you who were just there - for other artists, for drinks, for dinner, for whatever. For me, the art of performance isn't so much about doing as sharing what I'm doing - actually more like sharing what I'm being. Live music should be an experience.

Of course today there's that big ugly 'now what?'...a familiar feeling for anyone who performs, I think. There's so much energy that builds up and goes into one show, that when it's over...no matter how good it was...there's a feeling of loss. The trade-off of a live performance is that it's live - you can't have it back. You can watch the DVD, you can remember what you played and what you said and how it all went, but it's something that's really very much in the moment. Once the moment is passed, there's a memory of the moment...and then a looking forward to the next moment like it. In between there's...just in between. It's a good reason to enjoy being in the moment while you're in the moment - something which I wholeheartedly admit I have trouble doing.

I think it's possible that this is just my obliquely depressive outlook on what it feels like the day after a performance, but I have indeed heard other performers lament similarly. So, be it a very personal experience or one that is more universal...Well, here's to the next show. Clink. :)

I Got a Gig!

2007-07-25T11:00:00.001-04:00

So, in addition to just being a really good time with good music, my playing on Monday night has got me a gig at Caffe Vivaldi! Laura and I will be playing this Sunday night at 10:00. Yippee!!!

I'll be at Waltz tonight doing the open mic thing, so come hear me there too, but for sure be there on Sunday!

Doubleheader, This Time With a Friend

2007-07-24T23:00:00.001-04:00

So last night I did the Vivaldi - Baggot circuit with a new friend, Laura Joy. I played 'The Joker' and 'Sandcastles' to two great audiences, but more importantly I got to share the evening with a fellow musician, fellow human, and new-found friend. A good time was had by all.

A Smaller World Still

2007-07-22T16:52:00.001-04:00

So last night I went to a lovely party. It was a lovely party full of great people, and that alone would have certainly been interesting enough for a night's outing. But it was soooooooo much more interesting than that.

My last post was about having met up with, unexpectedly, a collegiate colleague of mine. Let's back up to that morning (Wednesday morning).

Laura and Alix were both on a train. (This sounds like it's going to be one of those story problems you hated from math class, but it isn't; I promise.) Laura and Alix had known each other briefly as a result of some temporary employment. So they get to talking. Avery was also on the train. Avery is a friend of Laura's, and so they got to talking. So, Avery and Alix got to talking. Avery realized that Alix went to the same college as his recent ex-girlfriend and very good friend, Trista - we all went to college together, Trista, Alix, and I. Then another friend of Avery's got on board who is a fellow student in his Shakespeare class. All four got to chatting, and when it came up that Laura was planning on playing the open mic that night at Waltz-Astoria, they all decided to go.

It was by this strange twist of fate that I met Alix on Wednesday night. And, I briefly met Avery. I have to say that I was mostly busy catching up on old times with Alix that evening, but I spoke briefly with Avery, who was very generously complimentary of my music.

Here's where it gets really weird. On Saturday night, I roll up at my friend's apartment for the party - a friend who, to my knowledge, had no connection to any of the aforementioned players - and who opens the door? This guy opens the door and I think - 'gosh he looks familiar...hmmm...' and while I'm hmmm-ing he says 'I know you! You played the other night! You were great!' It was Avery. It was Avery, the new friend of Alix's, who I met on Wednesday night. He bartends small parties on weekends, and my friends Crystal and Shelley had hired him for the evening via an ad on Craigslist. And so there he was.

So once again, class, the moral of the story is that the big apple AIN'T THAT BIG! :)