alexsings

You can always live on rice and potatoes...

2012-01-30T10:10:00.002-04:00

...but sadly, you can't have a kickin' CD recorded for rice and potatoes.

If you could, I would. I'd establish my own little rice paddy here on the west bank of the LaHave River, add in the spuds I grew in the barrels out back last summer, and I'd be all set.

But it doesn't work that way.

So, I'm asking for your help.

I'm looking to record my third CD in April. I have a bunch of amazing songs, I'm looking to put together a brilliant band, and the album is guaranteed to be emotionally gripping, thought-provoking and very, very listenable. It's going to be the kind of cd you're going to want to sing along with when you're cooking at home, out for a walk, in the car, on the bus, or enjoying a quiet evening alone or with friends. You'll hum the songs on your bike, around the office, walking down the street. These songs will fill your heart and soul and make you long for something you ain't quite found yet, or maybe something you had and lost and are working to regain, or maybe something you know you have and celebrate every single day.

David Francey often jokes about the "lucrative world of Canadian Folk Music". Sometimes, it doesn't seem like there's a living to be made here. I certainly haven't been able to pay myself a cent for the time and energy I put in in the studio on my first two CDs. Everyone else got paid, but I worked for free.

Fortunately, as Old Man Luedecke says, I can always live on rice and potatoes.

But I simply can't make this next album without you.

Please, if one of my songs has ever made you smile or laugh or cry or sing or dance, pre-purchase my third CD by going to Kapipal.com/alexsings. (If you don't feel comfortable making an on-line donation, contact me by e-mail and we'll work something else out.)

And thank you very, very much.

P.S. If after reading this, you are craving listening to Old Man Luedecke's awesome song, I Quit My Job, here's a link.

Buy More Buddhas Video Project - The VIDEO!

2012-01-20T08:29:00.003-04:00

Here it is!!! I hope you'll enjoy it. After you watch, please check out my post thanking all the photographers who contributed to this crowd-sourced beauty.

Buy More Buddhas Video Project - Photog Shout Outs

2012-01-18T11:16:00.002-04:00

The Buy More Buddhas video is about to be launched. I can hardly wait. I'm going to put it up on this blog on Friday.

In the meantime, I want to take a moment to thank all of the photographers who let me use their photos to create this video; I couldn't have done it without their generous sharing of their work.

Thank you. Very, very much (in no particular order) to:

Patti McCabe - an old friend who sent me shots of the Buddha in Boston.
@SPPictures - a previously total stranger who sent me four glorious Buddha photos. Check out her twitter feed and/or her web site.
David Croft - a shot of a Fredericton Restaurant Buddha - thanks, darlin'.
@AtTheHappyAmber - a previously total stranger who sent me a picture of her buddha raising the roof
@gnomeygg - my dear friend and haiku-writing genius. Check out her twitter feed.
Mireille Parizeau - sent me a shot of her own, personal Buddha. Thanks, my dear!
Lorenda Barkhouse - my beloved cousin sent me many wonderful shots of Buddhas in Korea and southeast Asia.
Yvonne Westhaver - sent me a shot of her own buddha, sitting on her windowsill.
Yawn Temesiva, lead singer of Normal For Once sent me the awesomely weird shot of a friends' buddha with a bicycle chain around its neck.
@gunsinger aka Cynthia Gunsinger, Coach extraordinaire, sent me a shot of her own Buddha.
Else Lindner, a friend in Germany, sent shots of her own buddhas, as well as several lovely southeast Asian Buddhas.
Helen Tremethick, Chief Word Nerd at The Communications Distillery, sent me photos of her personal Buddhas.
Indira Sinton, Poet and Writer, sent me several lovely shots of Buddhas, including my favourite photo in the video.
Joshua Mac Hannigan, Film Maker, sent me more that 2 dozen amazing buddha photos. I couldn't have made this video without you, Joshua. Thank you.
Marlo Mackay, newly-made friend, sent me a photo of her personal Buddha.
Jude Pelley and Charlie Wilson, musicians in the breathtakingly awesome traditional duo littlehouse, created the odd potato Buddha "Spuddha" which I photographed and included in the video.

Colour My World

2012-01-16T13:26:00.003-04:00

A friend and I were just having a little gabble on my Facebook Page about what I'll be wearing today when I go to tape an episode of the radio show, The Bluenose Opera House with Paul Kellogg.

I know, it's radio, so who cares what I'll be wearing?

Getting dressed for this show and describing my outfit made me realize just how important colour is to me. Wearing as many colours as I can in a single outfit satisfies my little kindergarten-y soul. And bright colours always make me feel more creative and alive.

How does colour impact you and for your creativity? How can you use colour to make your days more exciting?

Virtual Creative Marathon - December 30, 2011

2011-12-28T06:46:00.001-04:00

Well, folks, with the Buy More Buddhas video project well underway, it feels like high time for another creative marathon! My songwriting output has been a little slim lately and I feel some songs bursting to escape! Feel welcome to join me on December 30, 2011. There will be an optional Skype conference call at 8:30 AST to share work if you would like (for more info about how to Skype in, contact me directly at mail[at]alexsings[dot]ca).

I know it's been a while since I invited y'all to marathon with me. If you want more info about how the creative marathons work, check my June 2010 post here.

Here's hoping Friday will be a super-creative day for everyone!

Buy More Buddhas Video Project

2011-12-09T11:02:00.001-04:00

Over the holidays, I'm going to put together a video for my song, Buy More Buddhas featuring photos of Buddhas sent to me by friends and fans. I've already received dozens of photos! Thanks to everyone who has sent one - or more!

I'm drawing a line in the sand - December 21st - that's when I'm going to start putting the video together. Please send me any and all Buddha photos you can by the 21st! You can e-mail them to me at mail[at]alexsings[dot]ca, tweet them to me here, or post them on my Facebook musician page. Thanks!

Here are examples of some of the pics I've received so far. Keep 'em coming!

Winter Shows

2011-11-15T06:29:00.001-04:00

I have some great shows coming up in the next few months. I'd love for you to join me for some laughter and/or tears at any (or all) of these dates:

UPDATED DECEMBER 29, 2011 - PLEASE NOTE THE CHANGES - THERE WILL BE NO SHOW AT THE SCUTTLEBUTT RESTAURANT ON FEBRUARY 4, 2012! INSTEAD, I WILL BE AT THE NIGHT KITCHEN IN WOLFVILLE THAT NIGHT!

Friday, November 25, 7–9pm
The Biscuit Eater
16 Orchard Street
Mahone Bay
www.biscuiteater.ca
In keeping with the poetic and uncensored spirit of the Biscuit Eater, I'll be bringing out some rarely-performed "B-sides". It's going to be a fun, and possibly controversial, evening. (I'll have CDs and T-shirts for sale at special prices if you're looking for Christmas shopping opportunities).

Friday, January 6, 6-8pm
Scuttlebutt Restaurant
Lunenburg, NS
Scuttlebutt on Facebook
A triumphant return to Scuttlebutt Restaurant after a few months' hiatus. I can already taste that smoked salmon club sandwich!

Saturday, January 28, 7:30–9:30pm
Trellis Café
Hubbards, NS
www.trelliscafe.com
My very first appearance at the renowned Trellis Café. I'm looking forward to it!

Saturday, February 4
The Night Kitchen
The Al Whittle Theatre
Wolfville, NS
I'm very excited to be part of Andy and Ariana's famous Night Kitchen.

~~Saturday, February 4, 6–8pm~~
~~Scuttlebutt Restaurant~~
~~Lunenburg, NS~~
~~Scuttlebutt on Facebook~~
~~A triumphant return to Scuttlebutt Restaurant after a few months' hiatus. I can already taste that smoked salmon club sandwich!~~

Thursday, February 9, 6-8pm
Lunenburg Sessions
@ Scuttlebutt Restaurant
Lunenburg, NS
Lunenburg Sessions on Facebook
Delighted to be a part of Lunenburg Sessions 2012 Concert Series Schedule!

Friday, February 24, TBA
Fables
Tatamagouche, NS
www.fablesclub.com
I'm honoured to be part of Fables' Freedom to Read Week Celebrations. Events all day; details TBA.

Saturday, March 31, 6-8pm
Scuttlebutt Restaurant
Lunenburg, NS
Scuttlebutt on Facebook
Another yummy dinner and song event at the Scuttlebutt Restaurant!

Tour: Day 22

2011-10-20T20:04:00.005-03:00

[due to technical difficulties, this was not posted when it was written, which was roughly 9pm, October 20]

No photo of my car I'm afraid. It's too dark and rainy outside.

This is the last day of the Tour. I'll be home tomorrow! I fell behind with my blog, but I had a wonderful house concert in Peterborough on Day 9 and one in Toronto, on Day 17 (hosted by the marvelous Sarah Hopen of STARCompany).

Most of the rest of the trip was visiting people and doing miscellaneous work projects here and there.

Now I'm on my way home and after 1.5 hours of white-knuckle driving in pouring rain and near zero visibility, I am safely ensconced in a motel room. Not the motel I was planning to stay in - no, the road was closed on the path indicated to me by the Interwebs, so I turned around and came to this motel, which shall remain nameless.

I'm fascinated by this motel room. Maybe because it's my last day on the road and my first really no-name motel. And maybe because it just feels kind of miraculous that I made it here at all.

Things this motel room has:

an abandoned cell phone charger
a fan
a train that passes nearby and blows its whistle
a bottle of whiskey (I brought that)
supper (improvised with the food I have left in my car at this point in the trip: a granola bar, an apple, almond butter (eaten off the blade of a butter knife) and a handful of walnuts
wifi (sweet)
windows that open
a bathtub
soap
grey towels (I like a place that doesn't even pretend to be able-or perhaps willing-to keep white towels white)
fridge and microwave (I think I am atypical of this motel's residents; I am not planning to stay for more than one night)
a great pillow (I brought this, too)
a TV (but at least it's closed up in one of those cabinets so I don't have to look at it).

Things this motel room does not have:

any sign of bedbugs (yay!)
a security lock on the door (I have propped the room's only chair under the door knob)
shampoo or conditioner
natural fibres in any of the linens, curtains, etc.
good art

What can I say? I'm mostly glad not to be dead in a ditch this evening, but not so high on life that I'm willing to forego making snarky comments about this motel and pointing out what a glamourous life this sometimes ain't. Now, where's that butter knife?

Tour: Days 5-8

2011-10-04T08:38:00.004-03:00

I'm falling a bit behind with the blog here.

The past few days have been a bit rough. I came down with a cold. This is the second time I've left the maritimes since I moved back home last December, and the second time I've gotten ill. It's starting to feel like it's not a coincidence.

So, anyway, I dosed myself up with Oil of Oregano, Cold F/X, Vitamin D and Advil Cold and Sinus and went and played at Grumpy's on Day 5. Despite my cold, it was a really fun show! With the delightful Brie Neilson hosting the evening, Gern F of United Steel Workers of Montreal behind the bar, and a full room of enthusiastic revellers, we made a great night of it.

On Day 6 I drove to Ottawa and I spent that evening and most of Day 7 recuperating at the home of some dear friends. The house concert on Day 7 went amazingly well, given my state of health. I was so full of Advil Cold and Sinus, I'm amazed my eyes didn't glow like yellow gel-caps. But, my voice held out for me to serenade a room full of lovely, attentive and generous-hearted folks. Also, generous-walleted - thanks, folks!

Now, it's Day 8, I've driven to Peterborough and am at a laundromat here. A solar-powered laundromat, in case you're interested.

Here's the mandatory picture of my car. Note the kleenex on the passenger seat. And my bathing suit still draped over the driver's seat from the pool in Edmundston. Classy.

Tour: Day 4

2011-10-02T18:45:00.003-03:00

I almost forgot to take a picture of my car today. After a white-knuckle drive through pelting rain between Quebec City and Montreal, I was glad to hand it, and its keys, over to the guys in the parking lot across from my hotel. I remembered in the twilight to grab a quick shot of it (the parking lot guys think I'm nuts) et voilà.

I decided to splurge on a hotel for these two nights in Montreal. I am coming down with a sore throat - ack! - and hope that hot baths and lots of sleep will cure me - hence the hotel rather than begging for a spot on a friend or family member's sofa.

I love my hotel! It's seedy on the outside - the entrance is through an abandoned pizzeria while the lobby is under renovation - but my room is absolutely plush. And it's one block away from the venue I'm playing tomorrow night: Grumpy's, 1242 rue Bishop! 9:30 start. See you there.

Tour: Day 3

2011-10-01T19:33:00.001-03:00

Today's photo was taken in an underground garage in Quebec City where I'm having a stopover to visit with my Dad.

You can see the apples I bought at the side of the road in Oxford, NS prominently displayed in this shot. They're gravensteins and they are delicious!!!

Tour Day 2

2011-09-30T18:58:00.001-03:00

I love my new boots! They were great last night.

(If you look closely, you'll see that I'm already ignoring the garbage separation system I set up for myself :-)

Tour: day 1

2011-09-29T13:43:00.001-03:00

My lover suggested I take a photo of the car each day of the tour - I guess to show off what an Incredible slob I am :-)

I think that's a great idea so here's the first shot. The dolphins are toys my nieces won when they were visiting this summer - too big to fly back on the plane, so I'll be chauffeuring them to Toronto. Nice to have the company.

Time to hit the road to Tatamagouche!

What? I'm going on tour tomorrow?

2011-09-28T06:00:00.004-03:00

I'm not entirely sure how this happened, but apparently, I am leaving to go on tour up to Ontario tomorrow. This means that today is going to be completely crazy because I am not ready to leave to go anywhere - let alone 2000 km away for 3 weeks.

How could I be so unprepared? Well, it probably has something to do with the fact that I helped my neighbours host a folk festival this past weekend, but that's a blog post for another time.

Somehow, I'm sure I will manage to get everything I need into the car and launch myself tomorrow.

I will be absolutely delighted if you are able to catch one of my shows while I'm on the road. Here are the dates!

Thursday, September 29, 2011, 7:30 pm

Fables

Tatamagouche, NS

no cover

Come and join us for activist songs and songs of joy and heartbreak. I love Fables and the folks who hang out there. Looking forward to this show!

Monday, October 3, 9:30pm

Chick-Pickin' Mondays at Grumpy's in MONTREAL

1242 rue Bishop

I'm performing the opening spot at this infamous weekly gathering of women singer-songwriters. I can hardly wait!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011, 8pm

House Concert in OTTAWA

Please e-mail for more details: mail@alexsings.ca

Friday, October 7, 2011, 7:30 pm

House Concert in PETERBOROUGH

Please e-mail for more details: mail@alexsings.ca

Saturday, October 15, 2011, 8 pm

House Concert in TORONTO

52 Boustead (Roncesvalles + Dundas West)

Tickets: $12

Tickets available through Eventbrite. Seating is limited, so please buy your tickets early.

Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival

2011-08-04T09:29:00.002-03:00

Tomorrow I perform at Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival. For me, this is The Big Gig.

You see, I think of Folk Harbour as my home festival. I attended (as a member of the audience) for the first time in 1987. Yep, 24 years ago. I was 16, and the festival was just two years old.

I bet most of the other teenagers there had been dragged by their parents, kicking and screaming, but not me. Archie Fisher and Garnet Rogers were headlining and I could hardly wait to see them perform.

My friend Steve and I went together. I remember sitting under the mainstage tent being treated to the finest folk music imaginable - less than half an hour's drive from where each of us lived. What I remember most clearly is a feeling of enchantment – especially when Archie and Garnet played Witch of the Westmoreland, fulfilling my greatest hope for the evening.

There have been other Folk Harbour experiences since that one. After I moved away to Toronto, I tried to plan my summer visits to co-incide with the festival, and I've heard some great music on that mainstage, but my first night at Folk Harbour remains the most special.

On that night in 1987, I had absolutely no idea that I was going to become a singer-songwriter when I grew up. More than 20 years later, I released my first cd and one of the first places I sent it was to Folk Harbour's programming committee. Tomorrow, with the same stars in my eyes that were there when I was 16, I'll step up on that mainstage and sing my heart out.

I can hardly wait.

More details for those of you coming to the festival:
I'll be playing on three stages tomorrow (Friday, August 5):
1pm in St. John's Anglican church as part of a blues workshop with David Myles, Thom Swift and Harry Manx
4pm at the Bandstand - a half hour solo set
8:15 (approximately), I'll be on the mainstage for a tweener - just one song - between the 2nd and 3rd mainstage performers

Cool Down Without Powering Up

2011-07-29T22:46:00.000-03:00

A couple of weeks ago, I received my first songwriting commission: to write a song encouraging people to stay cool without turning on their air conditioning. A tall order to fill, especially since the client, Hypenotic, was in Toronto and Toronto was in the midst a major heat wave!

Out here Nova Scotia's gloriously temperate South Shore, I took the four cool down techniques Hypenotic had given me and wrote them into a song. Then, I went to Kirk Comstock at Comstock Recording Studios and we recorded it.

Next, the folks at Hypenotic created an animated video to go with the song. Here's the finished product. I hope you enjoy it and use some of these methods to conserve energy during the summer heat.

Meet the Press

2011-07-26T10:30:00.002-03:00

I woke up this morning to a bunch of nice messages from several people who'd just read an article about me in our local newspaper.

And, I've also heard some great feedback from folks who heard me interviewed on CKBW this past Sunday morning.

I just want to say how good it feels to be living in a community where people take the time to celebrate local people, their talents and accomplishments.

It's good to be back home.

Updates to Summer Shows

2011-07-21T09:57:00.003-03:00

Hi Folks!

Just a quick update about the schedule for Folk Harbour. I'll have three appearances on Friday, August 5 (Changed from Saturday, August 6th). I've corrected my original Summer Shows post with all the details. Please update your schedules! Sorry for any inconvenience and thanks!

Alex

This one time, at band camp...

2011-07-21T09:18:00.004-03:00

That line from American Pie has always made me laugh. I actually went to band camp once as a kid - the summer after Grade 8. My best friend and I went together and I remember that we had a giggly, silly week, just as one would expect from a couple of young-for-our-age 14-year-old sci-fi-obsessed band geeks. I don't remember anything that I learned that week about how to play the clarinet. I do remember an awkward, crushy bout of hand-holding with the son of my orthodontist (of all people). And that it didn't end well.

By the next summer, my best friend had moved away and instead of summer camp, I had a summer job. Twenty-six years later, I have two full-time jobs, but I somehow managed to finally make it back to music camp. This time, it was the Road to Stanfest Songwriters' Workshop in Sherbrooke Village. It takes place every year in the week leading up to Stanfest and I had heard about it for the first time three years ago from Susan Crowe while we were preparing for a benefit for the Writer's Federation of Nova Scotia. This year, I heard about it again from my friend, Dolores Dagenais, when she announced she was going and urged me to come, too. And then I heard about it yet again, talking with Clary Croft after his show at the Desbrisay Museum this spring.

Susan and Clary are what you might call Resident Instructors at the camp and this year they were joined by Craig Werth, David Francey and James Keelaghan. I looked at this roster, and then at the enrolment fees and then at the roster and then at the enrolment fees and then at my bank balance and then at the roster and then I said, "What the hell," and called up to enrol, even though it was an unwise decision from a financial perspective. It was also a last-minute decision, a snap decision and without question the best decision I've made so far this year.

For a songwriter and musician, there can be little better than having four days almost entirely devoted to making music, with a group of people who passionately love singing, playing and writing songs. Add in that some of those people happened the be among the best singer-songwriters alive today, who brought hearts full of encouragement and kindness, and it was a recipe for a week that was fully-alive, delightful and jam-packed with opportunities to learn, to write and to celebrate.

I learned so much. I wrote new songs and re-wrote old ones. I learned a few tricks and practiced making them work. Each instructor brought different knowledge and experiences. Clary's sessions called on me to remember my roots and use the music I grew up with (traditional folk and Broadway) as object lessons in how to create strong songs. Susan underscored the importance of being meticulous with words, of working hard to make sure they're right. Susan and Craig both inspired me to work harder on my guitar-playing, to use instrumentation to enhance the impact of my songs. James' lessons revolutionized my understanding of song structure and gave me a whole new framework for how to write. He also set a high standard for professionalism in performance. David encouraged me to trust my intuition and my muse and reminded me of the importance of simplicity and clarity when creating lyrics and melodies. And Craig reinforced for me the importance of holding an open and lively heart and of writing and performing songs that have meaning—both personally and in broader contexts.

And those were just some of the formal lessons—there were also song circles every night when participants and instructors alike shone through their songs and after-hours jam sessions that were just plain fun. The energy raised up by people singing together is one of the great gifts of our human experience. And singing with people who understand that, people who love and live music, who love to sing, who love songs, well, that is an inspiration as well as a treat.

Those four days pretty much had it all: an interesting setting, kind and enthusiastic staff throughout Sherbrooke Village, amazing instructors, fun and interesting colleagues—and Dolores' wicked homemade wine. I'm looking forward to sharing the songs I wrote and re-wrote. You will hear some of them at the Growing Green Sustainability Festival this Saturday and more when I play at the Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival on Friday, August 5. (And, as soon as I have time I'll post some on my YouTube channel).

Summer Shows

2011-07-10T14:01:00.003-03:00

About time I posted a list of my summer shows—a couple of wonderful ones have gone by un-blogged (gasp!)

Saturday, July 16, 2011 8-11pm

Pennybrook Folk at the West Dublin Hall

10 Huey Lake Road
West Dublin, NS

$10 at the door

I'll be the feature performer at this monthly Folk Club held on the 3rd Saturday of every month. There will be a few open mic spots, so bring your instruments and voices if you like.

Saturday, July 23, 2011 (on Market Stage at 10; festival runs from 8:30 to 12:30)

Growing Green - Bridgewater Sustainability Festival

On King Street, between Dominion and Empire

Bridgewater, NS

no cover

This free festival runs from celebrates efforts at improving the sustainability of Bridgewater and surrounding communities; come to have fun, learn and share your knowledge.

Friday, August 5

Lunenburg Folk Harbour Festival

Lunenburg, NS

Three appearances; 1pm St John's Anglican Church (blues workshop with Thom Swift, Harry Manx and David Myles), 4pm Family Stage Bandstand, and a tweener on the main stage (exact time TBA).
Tickets available from www.folkharbour.com

Thursday, August 25, 7pm

Scuttlebutt Restaurant

139 Montague Street, Lunenburg, NS

great food; no cover

Guest blog post at That's Women's Work

2011-06-01T15:51:00.000-03:00

That's Women's Work is hosting guest bloggers throughout the month June. I was delighted to kick it all off today with a post about how I'm transforming my relationship with the most difficult part of my job as an artist: Facing the Fear of Rejection.

Please check out my post and visit TWW's blog every day this month for 30 different women's perspectives on work, art and no doubt a whole lot more.

(That's Women's Work is a non-profit organization engaged in the process of founding a women-focused art space in Toronto's west end)

Spring Shows

2011-05-09T11:25:00.000-03:00

I'm very excited about the shows that I'm booking for this spring and summer in Nova Scotia. Most are intimate, cozy venues – perfect for sharing songs about people, about ideas and all of the new songs I'm writing about rural living, down here by the sea.

A full list of the shows is kept updated on my CBC Radio 3 page.

Here are a few highlights:

May 12, 2011 – 7-9pm
Rose and Kettle Tea Room
For more info, visit the Rose & Kettle Concert Series web site.
Address:
Dartmouth Heritage Farm Museum
471 Poplar Dr
Dartmouth, NS B2W 4L2
(902) 462-0154

June 12, 2011 – time TBA
The Scuttlebutt Restaurant
139 Montague
Lunenburg, NS
Come for a yummy supper and intimate concert

June 25, 2011 - time TBA
The Chatterbox Café
Pugwash, NS
I'm planning a set with lots of activist material for this wonderful venue in the home town of the Pugwash Peace Exchange.

I'd love to see you at these shows and all word-of-mouth publicity will be greatly appreciated!

Music and Politics

2011-04-21T10:53:00.000-03:00

It's Earth Day Eve, Canada is in the midst of yet another federal election campaign and I'm thinking about the role of songwriters in a democracy.

Last fall, I had the good fortune to hear Canadian singer-songwriter, Jon Brooks, perform at a music industry conference. At one point during his set, he said* that while he didn't feel it was his job to tell people how they should vote, he did feel that it was part of his job to tell people to vote. To me, that felt like a rare oasis of meaningfulness in the midst of a desert of three days of music people talking "business" (which apparently has something to do with making money – I'm not sure, I kept tuning out during those parts).

I'm also thinking of something Michael Franti said* at a concert several years ago in Toronto. He told a compelling story about a fan who asked him not to go perform at a prison because the people there (in particular, a man who had harmed a member of the fan's family) did not deserve to hear such wonderful music. Michael Franti said he thought long and hard about that request and came up with this response: I don't play my music to reward or punish anyone, I do it in the hope that they might feel something.

I believe that this is the role of songwriters in a democracy – to write songs and perform them with the intention of engaging people's hearts and minds: to present different points of view, to stir up questions and emotions like hope, outrage, curiosity, longing, pain and joy. I believe that the more we feel and the more we think about the issues facing us, the more likely we are to take action: at the polls, in our communities, in our hearts and in our daily lives.

So, for what it's worth, I urge you to vote – every chance you get. And if you're a songwriter, (or a photographer, an artist, a poet, a novelist, a blogger, a dancer, an actor, a playwright, a designer, a comedian), I urge you to use your creative gifts and put them out into the world in the hope that someone who experiences your work will feel something.

Inspiration is contagious. I caught it from Jon Brooks and Michael Franti**. I hope you'll catch it from me. And I'd love to know how many people you inspire.

Here's a song from me about voting and hope:

P.S. The title of this post is also the title of the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy song, Music and Politics.

*I'm paraphrasing here. I hope I have accurately captured the meaning of what Jon Brooks and Michael Franti said; the main point, though, is that this is what I understood from what each of them said and it was deeply meaningful to me.
**And a whole bunch of other people who unfortunately don't fit into this brief blog post. I'll find opportunities to write about more of the people who inspire me – all in good time.

No Fracking Way

2011-04-04T12:49:00.000-03:00

I've been spending some time lately working on the campaign to stop hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking) in Nova Scotia.

Hydraulic Fracturing is a process for extracting natural gas embedded in shale rock. The process requires the use (and contamination) of mind-boggling quantities of water. The companies who do it don't want to disclose what chemicals they use. In places where fracking has been allowed on a large scale, it has turned rural landscapes into industrial landscapes.

It seems obvious to me that it's an all-round terrible idea – and we can put a stop to it if we take immediate action.

Anyway, enough talk. I wrote a song about it.

I'm using a Creative Commons license for this song, so you're welcome to repost, distribute and/or sing this song in any non-commercial context, in order to facilitate spreading the word about hydraulic fracturing. The lyrics are included on YouTube and I'd be happy to send you the chords, too. Just drop me a line via my website, facebook, twitter...

And, if you'd like to learn more about fracking, check out these resources put together by the Council of Canadians and the Ecology Action Centre.

Shows in the City-formerly-known-as-Home

2011-03-17T12:22:00.000-03:00

Hi Folks,

I'm playing a couple of shows in Toronto next week while I'm here visiting. I'd love for you to come out to either or both of these:

Tuesday, March 22
C'est What? (Front & Church)
9pm start
I'm opening for my friends Tanya Philipovich and Lucas Stagg who are resident at C'est What? every Tuesday this month. Come to listen, stay to drink.
cover $5

Saturday, March 26
Wise Daughters Craft Market in the Junction
3079B Dundas Street West (entrance on Quebec Ave. just south of Dundas West)
7pm – 9pm
I'm honoured that this intimate acoustic "Not-in-a-House House Concert" is part of the International Women's Day/Week/Month celebrations at Wise Daughters. Please note, this is an alcohol-free event, and if you want to bring your kids, I will try not to swear–too much.
Seating is limited so please call 416.761.1555 to reserve a spot if you would like to attend this show.
cover $5

I won't be back in Toronto until October, so if you would like to hear me perform my songs live (and I have some new ones for you!), now's your chance.

Bringin' it back home!

2011-03-10T10:08:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited about the gig I have coming up this Saturday, March 12, at the Fire Hall in Petite Riviere. It's Song Circle with a great line-up. Stellar singer-songwriter Ian Sherwood is hosting, with hilarious Jamie Junger, passionate Ria Mae and me completing the circle.

The show is part of the wonderful Little River Folk series, which participates in the Bringin' It Home program to present Nova Scotian artists. (I'm thrilled every time it hits me that I'm now a Nova Scotian musician!)

If you can come down to Petite on Saturday night at 8pm, I promise you a rare treat of a show. I'd love to see you there!

Late bloomer vs. perennial?

2011-02-27T09:20:00.000-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I turned forty.

No big deal, right? I'm not generally hung up on age and aging. Women in my family tend to live for a long time, and – knock wood – so will I. In truth, I don't feel like I'm even middle-aged, yet.

What I do feel like, though, is forty. I'm forty. And that definitely means something and is nudging me toward thinking about where I'm at and what it's all about.

I have been called a late bloomer.

I prefer to think of myself as a perennial.

The way I see it, I bloomed early, I bloom often and I just keep blooming.

The "late bloomer" label got stuck on me because my blossoms didn't last that long. As each one faded and dropped its petals, it was dismissed and forgotten, treated as if it had never existed. But just because they didn't last, doesn't mean I didn't flower as an academic whiz-kid, an academic burn-out, a celtic rock band frontwoman, a bored temp, an eco-friendly personal chef, an avid quilter, a closeted songwriter, an IT tech support representative and a Mac jockey. There were some great moments in each of those incarnations, but in a culture that pushes us to pick one thing and excel at it (or else!), I missed a lot of the moments, too focused on trying to coax each blossom out – desperately hoping it would be The One – and then wasted time grieving it after it faded and made way for the next flower.

Musically, I have already bloomed a number of times. I sang with bands in my late teens and early 20s and loved it. But I didn't have the emotional maturity to handle the ups and downs of life in a band. I tried performing solo in my mid-twenties, but I wasn't emotionally ready for that, either. In fact, I hated it. I hated being in the spotlight. (I wasn't too keen on being out of the spotlight, either, but being in the spotlight was definitely worse.)

So, I took some time (i.e., a decade) and worked at growing up. I found a mentor and a community of people to help and I worked hard at it. Through the years, it became clear that singing and songwriting are essential parts of me. A lot of other things I can take or leave, or change as necessity dictates, but music and my relationship with my muse are vital and non-negotiable.

I will always sing. I will always write songs. As long as I breathe.

That's certain.

But despite that certainty, many aspects of deciding to become a recording and performing artist in my late 30s are fraught with uncertainty. Why am I doing this? How do I fit in? What do I have to offer? What do I want? And, on the really bad days: Who the hell do I think I am?

Questioning every move can be a pain in the neck, but I'm grateful that I know how to ask those questions, rather than accepting the cookie-cutter definition of success that is tirelessly promoted by our society. I'm glad I know that that brand of success is not what I'm chasing. It wouldn't make me happy.

My relationship with the spotlight has changed. I no longer hate and fear performing. I no longer think that it's all about me. I love songs for their potential to connect us with each other, through laughter, rhythm, ideas, empathy and energy. I prefer not to sing for people, but to sing in their company. Intimate house concerts and community venues provide opportunities for people to engage in music all together, blurring the line between performer and audience to create a shared emotional experience.

At a big concert, with the stage brightly lit, the performers can't see who's there with them, and I think that often creates a gulf that perpetuates our society's hierarchical thinking and passivity. I believe that being at a live music performance should bear no resemblance to watching a movie or a show on TV. When I go to hear live music, I want to tap my toes, hoot and holler, smile, think, laugh, cry and feel transported by the energy in the room.

I want to feel energy rushing up my spine and making all the hair stand up on the back of my neck.

When I perform at a show, I want to feel that way, too. And I want everybody there to experience it with me. I want to feel like we can engage in a conversation through the songs and our responses to them. I love it when everyone at a show feels so present and comfortable together that we spontaneously chat between songs. I love it when everyone in the room can connect and collaborate in creating the show's energy.

In our culture, being present and making connections can be revolutionary. Whether as a performer or audience member, I want to come away from every live music performance feeling like I contributed in some small way to a revolution.

Are you with me?

I hate to gloat, but...

2011-02-04T13:49:00.001-04:00

It's been a little while since I last posted. Just about two months, which is, I guess, the exact amount of time it takes to pack up 2 decades of life in Toronto and resettle out home in rural Nova Scotia.

Wow, is it ever some nice out here. (If you live here, you know what I mean. And if you don't, have you considered moving?)

I've settled in remarkably fast. In some ways, it's like I never left. My dialect and accent are coming right back. And the gentler pace of life suits me down to the ground. Years of rushing around in the city have given way to calm, quiet, easy days. I do a little work. I write some songs. I bring in wood for the stove. I go play cards with my grandmother. I shovel snow. I cook supper. I watch Republic of Doyle. I tweet. I go to bed and sleep like a rock.

For me, it feels like I'm undertaking a rehabilitation: detox from the pressured, go-go-go of city living. Don't get me wrong, I loved living in Toronto. I loved running around, doing a million things, seeing a million people. But I got worn out. And some of the harsher aspects of the city started to get to me. I didn't feel like I could continue to live there and still be the person I want to be or have the life I want for myself.

I chose to simplify. Living here, I can afford to work less, which means more time to be creative, more time to contribute to the greater good, more freedom, more breathing space.

No question, it was still a terrible wrench to leave. I miss a lot of people. I wish a bunch of my Toronto friends and family could have moved out here with me. And, I miss a few things, too. Mostly lunch specials. (Hey, Salad King! Hey, Ritz! Hey, Pho Linh!). But, what Nova Scotia's south shore lacks in diversity of restaurants, it more than makes up in friendly people and pristine forests and beaches. And when others tout the cultural advantages of living in Toronto, I have to smile. Don't they realize that I can go down to the Fire Hall and enjoy incredible, award-winning live music — for 20 bucks or less?

It seems I've landed in Paradise. It's good to be back home.

One last public Toronto appearance!

2010-12-14T10:01:00.000-04:00

I thought I was all done for Toronto appearances before moving out home to the east coast, but my dear friend, Maria Kasstan has invited me to stop by and play a few songs at her show this Thursday, December 16th at the Free Times Cafe (where she herself is filling in for Derek Patalia). I should be there around 10ish, I think, after an earlier, private appearance at a YWCA event. I encourage you to go to the Free Times early and stay for the whole night. Maria is amazing - a phenomenal songwriter, singer who is a powerful inspiration to me. Her songs will knock your socks off. Hope to see you there!

November Gigs

2010-11-10T16:27:00.000-04:00

Hi Folks, I've got a bunch of gigs in the next couple of weeks. If you're in Toronto or Oakville, I'd love to see you at one or more of these. And wherever you all, hope you can catch me on the radio on November 22, 2010, or streaming from CIUT's website live and for the following week.

November 17, 2010, 7:30 pm
Flowetic Wednesdays
Ellington's
805 St. Clair Ave. West, Toronto
Poetry workshop at 7pm, performance at 7:30, reggae jam follows
Also featuring Jillian Christmas

November 18, 2010, 9pm
Acoustic Thursdays at The Bean
388 College St., 2 blocks east of Bathurst, Toronto
Open stage from 8-9
Also featuring Signe Miranda and Din (singer of The Soles)

November 22, 2010, 7pm
Acoustic Workshop on CIUT 89.5 FM
Interview and live performance
Listen on the radio in Toronto or online here.
(Shows are available for one week following the initial broadcast)

November 24, 2010, 8:30pm
Julie Cutler's Women in Song
The Moonshine Cafe
137 Kerrville Street, Oakville
Also featuring Jen Lane and Julie Cutler.
This is Julie's final edition of Women in Song, a fantastic series that she has been running for 5 years. Please come out to help celebrate Julie: her hard work and vision - and her fabulous songs!

Toronto Women's Bookstore - Three Day Cabaret (and cds for sale)

2010-10-27T06:43:00.000-03:00

I'm delighted to announce that the Toronto Women's Bookstore at 73 Harbord Street is selling my new cd, The Day the Money Run Out.

And, I'm going to perform a short set at the TWB on Thursday, October 28 as part of their 3-day Cabaret in celebration of their grand re-opening.

Here's the line-up of performers (starting at 7pm and running to about 10pm). Hope you can stop by:

Anne Perdue - reading from her newly released book "I'm a Registered Nurse Not a Whore"
Dinah Thorpe
Alex Hickey
Alexandra Nunez, Shameema & Tony
Edgardo Moreno & Valeria
Gord Zubrecki Band

I'm looking forward to this celebration of the revitalization of a great Toronto institution. In addition to Thursday's musical extravaganza, there will be readings on Wednesday, October 27 and a dance party on Friday, October 29. More information available through the TWB's Facebook group.

The Day the Money Run Out - now available to download

2010-10-19T06:53:00.000-03:00

It's October 19, 2010, the official release date for The Day the Money Run Out, and iTunes impressed the heck out of me by having the new cd available right after midnight. I thought they would be lagging a little behind CDbaby, but actually, it's the other way around. Thanks, iTunes!

You can link directly to my CDs in the iTunes store here:
www.itunes.com/alexhickey (please be aware that clicking this link will launch the iTunes application)

Happy listening!

Save a Penny!

2010-10-17T15:03:00.000-03:00

I'm very excited to announce that The Day the Money Run Out is available for sale at Soundscapes (572 College Street) and at the Roncy location of She Said Boom (393 Roncesvalles Ave.)

If you are in Toronto and craving a copy before the launch party on Thursday, or if you aren't able to make it to the launch, please stop by and pick up a copy at one of these fine independent music retailers.

In the interest of optimum convenience, Soundscapes is open later hours that I am (though I'm generally awake long before they open, so if you ever need to get a copy of the cd before breakfast, get in touch). She Said Boom is a little further west that I am – just across the street from the awesome Revue Cinema. And shopping locally on Roncy is a great help to the businesses there during their massive street construction ordeal.

The CD sells for $14.99 at either store. I don't tend to carry that many pennies around with me, so if you buy your copy at the launch (or over breakfast sometime) it'll be an even $15.

The Day the Money Run Out Release Info

2010-10-09T07:46:00.000-03:00

Please join in the upcoming celebrations for the release of my new cd, The Day the Money Run Out (virtually, or in person)

Digital release: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 via CDBaby
(Both physical cds and digital downloads will be available via CDBaby. The digital downloads will also roll out to iTunes—eventually. Physical CDs are also available from me directly, in person or via e-mail)

CD release party: Thursday, October 21, 2010 at Bread & Circus
299 Augusta Avenue (Kensington Market)
Toronto
Doors at 9, Show at 10, $5 cover

Album Notes - The Day The Money Run Out

2010-08-16T10:05:00.000-03:00

Now that the artwork and the master for The Day The Money Run Out have been handed over to the manufacturers, I am taking a few moments to reflect on the genesis of the project before plunging into the nitty-gritty of putting together the launch: the party, the media push and all that jazz. Basically, I'm procrastinating, because none of that organizing work is going to be anywhere near as much fun for me as the process of creating the cd. At least not until we get to the launch party – that'll be a hoot, but with a date sometime in late October, there's still a ways to go before we get there.

In the meantime, I'm thinking about how this cd came into being. Because I've been writing for many years but only recording for the past couple, I have almost 4 albums of songs (with more added every month) waiting their turn to be recorded and released. So, the question is: what made me choose to record and release these songs at this time?

The Day the Money Run Out is basically an album about work: the good and bad sides of working – and not working. There are songs about corporate zombies and homelessness, success and getting stepped on. I wrote some of these songs years ago, and others (including the title track), since the current economic downturn began in 2008.

I think the bolt of lightening hit me in March 2009, when I saw Jon Stewart interview Bruce Springsteen on The Daily Show and The Boss said, "We've had an enormous moral, spiritual, economic collapse, and people go to storytellers when times are like that." That statement hit me hard and pointed me in the direction of creating The Day The Money Run Out.

Sometimes, there's an invisibility to hard times. A few months after his interview with Springsteen, I heard Jon Stewart question why people don't write songs about things like the economic collapse (I'm paraphrasing here because I can't find the exact episode – but can you tell that I watch The Daily Show compulsively?) I remember thinking, "Well, actually, lots of people write those songs, but they just tend not to be folks with major label deals who get played a lot on the radio. For songs about hard times, you have to look to independent musicians, people who are experiencing hard times, or who have experienced them recently enough to remember what they feel like. (One song that immediately leaps to my mind is "Woebetide the Doer of the Deed" by Old Man Luedecke, a no-holds-barred response to the actions that led to the current economic situation, released on his amazing album, My Hands are on Fire and Other Love Songs in the spring of 2010.)

Since I feel deeply connected with my own struggles around work, financial survival and urban living, when The Boss's lightening bolt hit me, I leapt at the opportunity to create an album that focuses on these topics. I hope The Day the Money Run Out will provoke new insights into the economic and cultural situation we find ourselves in. And I figure a little toe-tapping, a few laughs and couple of lullabies can't hurt matters, either. Maybe Human Resources Blues will help take the sting out of being downsized for you or someone you love. Maybe John Doe will inspire you to lend a hand to a fellow-traveler along the way. Maybe Rest With Me Tonight will lull you to sleep after a difficult and anxious day. I certainly hope so.

Track Listing:
one: buy more buddhas
two: elevator blues
three: the day the money run out
four: daytime lullaby
five: mercury lights
six: don river valley scene
seven: human resources blues
eight: salthill road
nine: john doe
ten: little girl
eleven: never too late
twelve: rest with me tonight

P.S. This blog post was written and posted in Dufferin Grove Park courtesy of Wireless Toronto. Thanks for the free wi-fi, folks!

Song Notes

2010-08-09T11:51:00.000-03:00

I'm in the last stages of preparing my second cd, The Day the Money Run Out, for manufacture. The tracks went off to be mastered this morning—they sound amazing. And I'm in my studio at home, finalizing the album art, which looks pretty great, if I do say so myself.

Once again, I'm facing the disappointment of not being able to include notes about the songs in the cd booklet. (If only I could justify pressing vinyl, there'd be room for a whole libretto!) As it is, the lyrics take up pretty much all of the available space. So, I've decided to create a set of blog posts with notes for each of the songs on the new cd. I'll be posting them over the coming weeks, in advance of the cd release this October.

I'll tag them as "Song Notes", so they'll be easy to find. If I get carried away, I might post notes for the songs on Love Bites, and maybe even some unreleased songs, too. I hope you'll enjoy the posts—and the songs.

August 1st Benefit Show - Free the Hikers

2010-07-28T07:13:00.000-03:00

There are a million good causes out there. A billion, maybe. Maybe 6 billion. The way our system is set up with a hierarchical power structure and all, a lot of us are struggling to get by these days. But some of us are in much more difficult situations than others.

The sheer number of causes can be overwhelming. A lot of the time, I fall prey to compassion-fatigue. I look from cause to cause to cause to cause to cause and do nothing. So, I rely heavily on my friends to shake me gently into action by telling me about issues and showing me ways that I can help.

That's what happened with the benefit show I'm playing this Sunday, August 1, 2010. A good friend invited me to perform to help Free the Hikers - an effort to liberate three travelers: Shane, Sarah and Josh, who have been detained for the past year in Iran, without charge or trial, after they were arrested while hiking near the Iranian border. I would never have even heard of their situation, if it weren't for my friend, and maybe you wouldn't have heard about them if it weren't for this blog post.

Please, come to the show if you can and/or visit the Free the Hikers web site, where you can click on the Take Action tab to learn how you can help advocate for Shane, Sarah and Josh's safe return.

Many thanks!

P.S. While you're taking a moment to help Shane, Sarah and Josh, you might also want to sign up with Avaaz, an organization that will give you information about other causes and ways to help. From putting an end to the practice of stoning in Iran to lobbying against offshore drilling, Avaaz gathers together caring people to advocate for a more just, humane and ecologically-sound world.

Creative Marathon Report - Summer Solstice 2010

2010-06-19T21:12:00.000-03:00

So, I pronounced the creative marathon officially over around 7:30 pm today after a solid 13+ hours. The goal was to create 20 pieces of original work in one day. Did I make it? Read on to find out.

Here's a run-down of what my day looked like:

I woke up around 5:30 (I haven't been sleeping well lately and having a bad head cold did not help). Ate breakfast and checked the online world to make sure everybody was still here.

About 6:15, I got to work and wrote my first song, on a topic suggested by a conversation with Cynthia Gunsinger at Jamie Ridler's Groove-Back Dance Party last Sunday night. I like to gather ideas before a marathon, though if I'm adhering strictly to the rules, I don't work on them at all in advance, I just write them down and save them up for the day of.

I finished that first song around 7:30 and leapt into the next one, a quickie, which I finished around 8 a.m.

My fingers were sore after that (I haven't been playing guitar frequently enough lately), so I took a break to create a pastel abstract, humming while I drew. That humming sparked words, which sparked a poem/spoken word piece. Pieces #3 and #4 done.

After that, I sat at the computer for a bit and created the artwork for my new album cover (Item #5, though this was kind of cheating because I already had the concept totally worked out beforehand. However, it needed to get done and it was a nice break.)

For Item #6, I wrote another song, but wasn't very happy with it. Discouraged, I decided for Item #7 that I would create a nap - a completely unique and original nap. I lay down, but couldn't get to sleep and instead, wrote another song, an epic murder ballad with 9 verses.

Then, I started writing another song (Item #8), but stopped to make lunch and took another internet break to update on the marathon, check in with the rest of the world and cavill about the G20 disruptions in Toronto.*

Then, I started this blog post, which either counts as Item #9, or as the final item, depending on how I decide to tally everything at the end of the day.

Afterwards, I finished the song I had started earlier (Item #8) and wrote it down. I gave myself a hypothetical gold star for using the word "oligarchies" in it - definitely a first for me.

I was a bit at a loss after that, I must admit. It was about 1:30 and I was getting tired and thought maybe I'd just pack it in. Then I thought about my YA novel. Big confession: I'm a closeted novel-writer. I almost never talk about it. To anybody. ("If you talk about it, you won't write it." Though, to be honest, I've neither talked about it NOR written a word for almost a year. I started writing this book in 2002 - it's okay, you can go ahead and laugh, I understand.) So, anyway, I opened it up and completely reworked the beginning of the book, writing 5 brand new chapters in the remaining 5 hours of the marathon.

So, total tally: 5 songs, 1 album cover, 1 pastel abstract, 1 poem, 1 blog post and 5 chapters of a YA novel. Total pieces of original work: 14, but the writing was pretty significant and I feel like it brings the total to the equivalent of 20 items, or maybe more, even with the deduction of the album cover, that wasn't conceptualized during the marathon. In my personal opinion, the album cover, 2 of the songs and the 5 chapters are keepers and the rest is pretty much dreck. Not bad for one long, happy day.**

*I had a lot of fun sharing my creative marathon on Facebook and on Twitter (using the hashtag #creativemarathon). Many thanks go out to my Facebook friends and Twitter comrades for all of their encouragement.
**I wish to note that this was a great way to spend a day with a bad cold. It kept me at home and quiet, without getting bored or down-hearted. Plus, I am now totally exhausted which gives me a better shot at a decent night's sleep tonight. After my rehearsal for Thursday's Pollinator's Cabaret.

Greater than the sum of its parts

2010-06-18T07:25:00.000-03:00

I'm busy working out the track order for my upcoming cd, The Day the Money Run Out. I am finding it a fascinating process. We've recorded 14 songs, so how many possibilities does that add up to? Anyone want to do the math for me? (If I remember anything from Grade 10, I believe that might involve exponents).

Some choices are so easy: the first and last songs are no brainers (Buy More Buddhas and Never Too Late, respectively), and for some unknown reason, it seems dead obvious to me - like a law of nature - that the title track should either be Track 3 or Track 4. Why? I have no idea, except that my favourite song on an album is so often the third or fourth, that it can't be a coincidence. As for the rest of it, it's all trial and error, moving things around, listening, rearranging, trying to create the right flow of tempo, theme, key.

How do you approach these kinds of tasks? Not necessarily in terms of an album: what about set lists or scenes in a story or play, arranging quilt squares or photos in an album or pieces of art for a gallery show (or on your walls at home)? What are the rules you're guided by, the beliefs, the prejudices? I'm curious to learn more about how ordering contributes to the impact of creative work, how a greater whole is created out of different elements.

Creative Marathoning

2010-06-08T07:23:00.000-03:00

I know a lot of long distance runners, which is a pretty weird thing since I am a sprinter (in the sense of being willing to run short distances to catch a bus). I guess I got jealous of all of the training and the runner's high my friends described, and thought, there must be some way I can get the same effects doing something I love.

So, I started doing creative marathons. Marathon is really a misnomer here, because the event is more like a Creative IronMan. It requires stamina as well as inspiration, since it is a 12-hour event in which participants devote an entire day to creating in any way they choose. The goal is to create 20 original pieces of work in one day, in one or more creative disciplines – it might be 20 songs or 20 paintings, 20 quilt squares, 20 poems, 20 photographs, or 20 of anything! It’s amazing what great songs and art can be created in these sessions, and no surprise that some truly awful songs and art also get produced. And that’s all part of the fun.

And, it's also part of the point. Often, we are held back from creating by the voices in our head that say, "This is no good. It's not working. I can't do this." During a creative marathon, those voices usually get exhausted and give up, freeing each participant to create work without editing themselves. This is usually accompanied by giddiness, euphoria and an 'anything goes' attitude: the creative's high.

At the end of the marathon, participants can organize an optional potluck dinner party and show some of their work: I encourage people to share the work they like the best and the piece they think is the worst and/or funniest. In a context that makes creating feel like play again, we open ourselves up to our creativity and delight in our own and each other's abilities and talents.

I try to plan the marathons to take place near an equinox or solstice, but they are notoriously rescheduled. I welcome people to contact me to join in on the next one, which will take place on June 19, 2010 - or organize their own. The idea for these marathons was inspired by the book, “The Frustrated Songwriter’s Handbook” written by a Nicholas Dobson and Karl Koryat, a couple of members of the Immersion Composition Society. Visit their web site and/or buy their book; you'll find lots of great ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Why I love Twitter

2010-03-31T23:55:00.000-03:00

Another month has rushed by and I find myself at the last minute again, wanting to write at least one post before the month is over.

The easiest topic to write about tonight is something I've been thinking about a lot lately: just how much I love Twitter.

The fact that I love Twitter actually baffles me. When I first started tweeting, I didn't get it at all. It seemed boring and pointless. Blah, blah, blah: just one more social network-y thing to have to pay attention to.

Then, I had an epiphany - I realized that Twitter would deliver information to me. Weird, random, funny, useful, useless, interesting information. Whenever I chose to look at Twitter, it would invite me to run madly off in all directions, following links about things I'm interested in and things I didn't even know I was interested in.

My friends who know that I love to tweet, sometimes ask me, "Will Twitter help me extend my brand?" "Will it help me enrol more students in my classes?" "Will it help me sell more records?"

The simple truth is, I have no idea if Twitter can do any of those things. I do know that it helps me feel more fertile as a songwriter: my tweeps tell me things I would otherwise never know and expose me to diverse and fascinating ideas and viewpoints. And, they inspire me. My twitterverse is populated with creative, energetic people who are deeply committed to their beliefs, their passions, and to our world.

It's a pleasure to spend time with all of you. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and insights, disappointments and triumphs, your beautiful humanness, 140 characters at a time.

Songwriting and blogwriting: Sometimes even writing once a month can be difficult

2010-02-24T19:57:00.000-04:00

Gee, it's almost the end of February and I haven't once found time to blog. Fortunately, I have a perfect topic for this evening - the process of trying to write.

I was honoured to be invited to facilitate a songwriting workshop this past weekend. It was a fun one, intended to demystify the process a little and open up some space for the participants to write a song from wherever they were at. We had about 2 hours to work together, and in that time, a number of the participants created some lyrics or a tune, or part or all of a song.

I think it would be fair to say that some of the participants found the prospect of trying to write a song a little daunting. There is a sense that music-making is reserved for a 'special' subset of the population, not something that can be enjoyed by anyone.

Even those of us who write songs a lot experience times when the well is dry. The important thing, it seems to me, is to keep showing up, heart in hand, to see what is waiting inside us and outside us.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write a song today. No pressure. But go for it.

Zen and the Art of Hosting a House Concert

2010-01-07T22:16:00.000-04:00

I love house concerts and they're definitely trendy these days. I get a lot of questions about them from friends and fans. What are they? How do they work? Are they fun? Could I host one?

With a major house concert performance coming up in just a couple of weeks, there's no better time to write about what house concerts are and how they work.

So, what is a house concert?
Simply put, a house concert is a performance that takes place in someone's home. House concerts are usually cozy affairs, unamplified, with lots of opportunity to chat with the musician(s), before, after and even during their sets. I often perform songs at house concerts that I would never pull out in a public venue - songs that are too intimate to share with the rowdy regulars heckling from the bar.

There are many benefits to house concerts - they are family-friendly (no need for a babysitter), recession proof (BYOB) and if you're the host, or a close neighbour, you won't have to go far to get home once the show is over.

Great House Concert Experiences
I played some fabulous house concerts last year, often as one of two singer/songwriters, swapping songs back and forth. Here are just a few of my magical house concert memories of 2009.

At a show just outside Halifax, with Dolores Dagenais, Dol wowed us all when she demonstrated her prolific songwriting abilities: she wrote an entire song during the intermission (the song was about Hurricane Bill which was forecast to strike Nova Scotia later that evening).

At a matinee in Newcombville this summer, Susan Crowe and I shared our ideas about songwriting (illustrating our points with our songs) to an audience of writers, and raised over $1,000 for the Writer's Federation of Nova Scotia.

Outside of Peterborough this fall, I debuted my first ever spoken word piece to a lovely audience, while sharing the stage with Tanya Philipovich. On the drive there and back, Tanya and I brainstormed a bunch of ideas about how to improve our lives as musicians. I came away from that evening a whole lot wiser, as well as richer.

And last, but not least, my penultimate show of 2009 was a Christmas party at the home of a friend and fan; I performed two sets and then a number of us sang together into the wee small hours of the morning. Here's the feedback from that show (reproduced with permission): "My friends are all still raving about you!!!! In fact a couple of them said that unlike most musicians you sounded better live than on CD. And they should know as they listen to your CD every time they come over :)."

What is required to host a house concert?
All you really need to host is a love of music and space to put a enough people to pay the musician for their time and talent. Different musicians will be looking to make different amounts. Maybe you can fit 10-12 people and charge 20-25 dollars a head, or 20 people at 15-20 dollars a head, or 30 people at 12-20 dollars a head. Some hosts arrange for a portion of the door to cover refreshments, or to donate to charity; in other instances, all of the proceeds go to the artist(s).

Upcoming house concert!
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, I have a big house concert coming up in a couple of weeks, on Saturday, January 23, 2010. I'm very excited about it. It is being hosted in Toronto's High Park neighbourhood by Sarah Hopen, the principal of STAR Company. She is running a series of house concerts from January to June 2010, with a broad spectrum of brilliant musicians and writers, so you'll want to get on her mailing list.

More information is available on the Starry Nights Facebook page.

Tickets for my Starry Nights performance ($12/person) are now available through Eventbrite.

One of the easiest ways to decide if you would like to host a house concert is to attend one.

(For more information about hosting house concerts, here are a couple of good online resources: Concerts in Your Home and Acoustic Roof.)

Artistic Cross-pollination

2009-12-29T08:03:00.000-04:00

As a musician, I often have opportunities to collaborate and jam with fellow musicians. In 2009, though, I was lucky enough to enjoy some cross-disciplinary collaborations. I'd like to share these experiences with you in that hope that they will inspire you to find ways to cross-pollinate your work with that of other artists.

The first of these collaborations actually started in the spring of 2008. My friend, Josephine Guidolin, offered to shoot photos of me to use on the album cover and liner notes of my cd, Love Bites. I don't enjoy having my photo taken and was relieved at the thought of doing the photo shoot with an old friend. I had some ideas about what I wanted and Joey brought her ideas and inspiration to the shoot, too. We shot most of the photos in Dufferin Grove park, a few at my apartment building and some more at an abandoned building in my neighbourhood. Because of the title of my cd, I wanted some close ups of me biting into a pear or apple. We found some beautiful pears at the Dufferin Grove Farmers' Market and Joey put together just the right composition and lighting for a nice, juicy bite.

Flash forward a year to the summer of 2009: Joey dropped me a line to let me know that she would be submitting the pear photo, along with a number of others, to a jury for consideration as street banners in the Bloorcourt business district. Lo and behold the pear shot, and several of Joey's other photos, were selected. The banners were installed in early December and now a giant image of my nose and mouth can be viewed at the corner of Bloor and Delaware (and virtually here.)

The other major cross-collaboration I enjoyed this year was with visual artist, Alex Mac Donald. I met Alex at the Tallgrass Festival in Seaforth, Nova Scotia, in 2008, where he provided us with excellent sound and shared some of his marvelous original songs around the bonfire at the end of that glorious day. This year, Alex decided to create a series of videos in which he paints abstract works on glass to the sound of independent musicians. When I heard about this, I eagerly asked if I could contribute my song, Mercury Lights, to the project; Alex graciously accepted my offer. The result is simply stunning as you can see for yourself (through the miracle of YouTube).

I am very moved by the way these projects have broadened my understanding of how we can inspire one another as artists and how rich and fertile we can be in collaboration with one another. I am looking forward to further collaborations in 2010.

Singing for my Supper (an organic, locavore supper!)

2009-11-15T17:47:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow, between 4 and 7, I'm going to be playing and singing at the first ever Winter Market held in the Sorauren fieldhouse in Parkdale, in Toronto's west end. This will be a monthly event until the weekly market resumes in the spring. The Sorauren Market is run by the West End Food Co-op, an inspiring group of people who, in addition to running the market and a food mapping project, are developing their vision to raise capital and create a co-operative retail food store in Parkdale. Just two weeks ago, on November 2, I was delighted to perform a few songs at the West End Food Co-op's Bond Campaign Launch at the Gladstone Hotel.

I love good food and co-ops and farmers' markets. I believe markets are a perfect setting for the kinds of songs I like to write and perform: songs about people, cities, relationships, ecology and economy. Over the past couple of summers, I've been known to trek across to the east end of town to play for the good folks who frequent the Withrow Park Farmer's Market. Back here in the west end, I'm lucky to live near several of Toronto's best markets, including the year-round market in Dufferin Grove. The broad spectrum of fresh, organic food (including bread baked in a stone oven in the park) and the feeling of community appeal to my hopeful, upbeat side. Market shopping is a small thing that many of us can easily do to support local food producers and nurture ourselves and our communities with healthy, sustainable food.

Plus, markets are fun! Many feature musicians and artists, educational programs and craft projects for kids and grown-ups. Great conversations seem to spring up between all sorts of people and I often run into folks I haven't seen in a while (the most extreme case of this occured last winter when I ran into sustainable food educator, Garden Jane, and we realized that we recognized each other from a university course we had taken together many years before).

So, if you're in west end Toronto, I'd love to see you tomorrow afternoon/evening at the Sorauren fieldhouse. Come out for great food, community and music. Talk to the West End Food Co-oppers about their plans and their Bond program. And wherever you are, I encourage you to look into ways you can participate in neighbourhood gardens, local markets, community shared agriculture programs and food co-ops. If you can't find anything like that in your community, why not get some neighbours together and create something new? And then write a song about it.

this one time, at band camp...

2009-10-28T21:02:00.000-03:00

This past weekend, I went on a special women's retreat. Imagine getting out of the city for peace and quiet, a chance to reflect. Can you hear the wind in the trees, visualize a stroll by a tranquil stream? Good job. Now forget all that, because this retreat was the Second Annual (insert power chord here) Women's Rock Weekend.

As part of a fund-raiser* for the Peterborough Rock Camp for Girls, I spent two days rocking out with more than a dozen other women, led by the fearless Rock Squad**. Starting at 9am Saturday, we formed bands and then set to work learning how to play our instruments, write songs together and rehearse them in time for The Big Gig, which was scheduled just 32 hours from the moment we first met.

I played lead guitar (and was chief head-banger) for a band we called "Zombie Virus". Here's a YouTube video of our first song "(I Don't Want No) Zombie Virus", being debuted at Sadleir House in Peterborough on October 25, 2009.

In summary: It is difficult, but not impossible, to shred when you are about to collapse laughing. Believe me.

*The money raised each year at the WRW is used to provide subsidies for girls attending Peterborough Rock Camp 4 Girls.
**The Rock Squad is a group of fabulously talented musicians and artists. Some of their upcoming projects include: Hamlet in a Hurry, Hamburgers In a Hurry, opening for Carole Pope at the MoHo on November 28, and more of my favourite Canadian fiction.

P.S. Here is another account of the weekend, published in the Peterborough Examiner.