Fun With Stephen & Hugh

It’s pouring rain and the rapture is coming. I really picked a bad time to give up caffeine!  I’m counting on Youtube and Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie to get me through the rest of this afternoon 'cause the Chamomile tea just ain't cutting it!

A Song for You

As usual I have had my head stuck in a book. Reading when I should be doing so many other things like finishing the re-write of my bio, learning a new song, or planting the flowers I bought last week that are still sitting patiently on my front porch. My latest distraction is Randy Schmidt’s Little Girl Blue: The Life of Karen Carpenter. I’m about a quarter of the way through it and I’m finding it quite fascinating. I don’t read books like this as cautionary tales, or to “learn” anything about the music business. I read them because I love to hear people’s stories, to find out how someone becomes who and what they are. Karen Carpenter was an extraordinary talent who managed to make a lasting impression on popular music while fighting to overcome her own personal demons.

Her voice was distinctive, there was not and is not another singer that could be mistaken for Karen Carpenter. Sherwin Bash who was involved in managing the Carpenters is quoted in the book about the  first time he heard Karen …there was one thing that I thought was very, very special. It was a girl’s voice that I’d never heard anything like before and I don’t think I’ve ever heard anything like since…This was an exceptional voice that was totally identifiable. Listening to that voice for the first time, I knew that radio could never submerge it, camouflage it, or confuse [it for] anybody. That voice coming out of that radio would be immediately identified for the ages. Yet, singing came accidentally. She was a drummer first and had to be forced to take center stage as a vocalist.

I don’t remember consciously the first time I heard her voice; it seemed it was always around. I do remember my parents had the Close to YouAlbum and I spent more than a little time dancing around the living room and singing along to it hair brush in hand. I also remember that Crescent Noon was my favorite song on the album. Apparently even at ten my penchant for dark ballads was well established.

Needless to say that today my inner DJ has been stuck on Crescent Noon and Superstar. It is nice to have something so wonderful lodged in my brain for a change!

Please Release Me

It gives me great pleasure (very great, really, you have no idea how great) to announce that the official release date for Breathing has been set for June 1^st.

Breathing was produced by my friend, music director and mentor Michele Brourman, and recorded at Full Circle Studio in Pasadena CA.  Michele proved herself the queen of the multi-taskers by producing, arranging (along with Stephan Oberhoff) AND playing the piano on all the tracks. Oh, yeah, she also wrote two of the songs on the album. I am thrilled to be the first person EVER to record her song Sometimes More Is More. Stephan Oberhoff in addition to his work as co-arranger, played guitar and percussion and engineered the recording. Larry Tuttle was our wonderful bass player. The songs are a great mix of modern pop songs with smart lyrics that appeal to the heart and the head. The sound is lush and romantic and yet thoroughly contemporary.

Someone said to me recently that putting out an album is like having a baby. Having done both of these things I can say there are some distinct similarities. It takes about the same amount of time; there are moments of frantic preparation, followed by long stretches of waiting, all ending in the brief shining moment when your creation enters the world. In the case of childbirth your creation will eat you out of house and home, wreck your car, and expect you to pay for college. With a recording your car will remain whole but you will devote much time and energy once it has emerged to making sure your little darling gets all the attention she deserves. I am am over the moon about both my offspring (son & album) and will take any opportunity I can to tell you about them.

In the weeks between now and June 1^st I will be busily working on many things including revamping my website, and scheduling some appearances to promote the album. As things happen I’ll be posting them here. I have also begun to send out advance copies to all the wonderful people who supported this project through Kickstarter.com.

Thank you for being part of this journey with me. I can’t wait to share the finished product with you!

Tools For Pros

We're at it again! We've teamed up with The Barber Shop Studios to produce Tools for Pros, a workshop for vocalists. on Friday June 3rd and Saturday June 4th from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. This comprehensive two day workshop will cover as many aspects of performing on-stage and in the studio as we possibly can, and happens at the Barber Shop's state of the art facility in Lake Hopatcong, NJ. Participants in the class get top notch instruction in a gorgeous, well equipped space plus a whole bunch of other goodies including guest speakers, participation in a showcase performance at the end of the workshop, special recording rates and packages and even one free hour of studio time if you book a recording session. For a complete list of everything we cover, photos of the venue and a bunch of other important details go to our e-flyer. We hope you'll join us!