A Stranger in the world

Last week, before I left for tour, I played a wedding with my friend Anne.  Just violin and cello - I think we played everything we knew 3 times as we were waiting for the ceremony to start.  Neither of us consider ourselves classical musicians any longer so it’s a bit uncomfortable reading Bach and Handel, but we did okay.

The thing I will always remember about that night was the rabbi.  He gave a short

Penn State

Sitting here in a hotel in Pennsylvania - State College.  My boyfriend Mike is with me for the first few shows.  We thought we’d stay overnight somewhere where there was a good chance of getting strong coffee in the morning.

Tomorrow night is my first show of the tour - in Brooklyn with Jonathan Kane’s February. I’m really excited about it and a bit nervous.  I’m hoping to just focus and communicate.

It’s kind of nostalgic being

influences…

I’m doing an interview today - and thinking about what music has influenced me - why I play the music that i do.  I think probably the reason I play and write in the first place is to communicate on a level that’s beyond words and intellect - with my instrument - with my pedals and the sound that everything makes - and hopefully with my audience.  And I’m also reaching into a deep place

Glenn Gould - transcending his instrument

I watched 2 videos of Glenn Gould this weekend. One was on Bach’s the Art of the Fugue and the other was on 20th century composers. I had never seen video of him before - seen him play. It was the most intense, amazing thing I had seen in a while. It seemed like every cell in his body was absorbed in his music. Like he was his own universe.

Enjoying the moment

It is difficult for me to relax. Not that I’m a workaholic, I think I just have difficulty taking a deep breath and being in the present moment. I’m learning to do this when I perform - it actually seems to be one of the times when I can really be present - really listen and connect with what is happening.

I tend to equate being happy with my life as settling for less

Evelyn

I miss my family. They are in California and I’m here in Chicago. A long distance, I guess.

My brother and sister and I have an agreement, now. Every Wednesday morning we call each other. I call him at 7 (5 his time) and he calls my sister. Then he goes on his bike and rides into the Santa Monica mountains and hikes. All day. My sister usually

In LA

…visiting family. We all watched Barack fend off Hillary and the press last night. Me, my sister, my brother and my 80 year old parents. My dad listens to Rush Limbaugh, my mom basically just likes to read novels, by brother would be happy living in the woods and my sister, a cabinet maker, handed me a Barack button when I got off the plane from Chicago yesterday.

It’s good to be with

North by Northwest

A great movie. I’ve seen it maybe 15 times and I still enjoy watching it. I love the scene where Cary Grant is drunk in the courtroom.

It’s also a music festival in Toronto. I played there a couple years ago - My friend Diana plays on a couple songs on my album so we drove up together - we’ve done alot of road trips together, me and Diana, so it was a

Empty Bottle

Did a really fun show at my new favorite club in Chicago.  A club that I felt was too cool for me to play at has taken me in and given my music and budding audience a home.  Probably the nicest people at any club I’ve played at - right down to the people at the door.  Serious music fans - no bullshit.  Met the best sound person I’ve worked with there - Kenny.
Anyway, my