The release of a cd is like the birth of a child. “Wait!” you say…”You’re a Mom. How can you say that!?” Why, because I’m a Mom. Because the miracle of creating something out of nothing takes different forms. Sometimes it’s human, sometimes it’s art. Sometimes it’s magic, and sometimes it’s crafted from the mind, the heart and the soul. A child is all that – human and art, magic, mind, heart and soul. Music is not human, but it can allow us to find and feel our humanity. Both can renew our faith.
This has been a year of tremendous loss, felt throughout the world as we watch one tragedy after another. To everyone touched by the recent devastating events (and I can’t imagine anyone hasn’t been), I believe that it’s a collective heart that’s been broken. We can pick up the pieces together, and carry on. All I need to do is look in my children’s eyes and know – we don’t have a choice.
“Fading out and falling away
On the path of least resistance
Day by day by day
We can change it if we try”
(From “Path of Least Resistance” by Colin Devlin/Cindy Alexander – off the new record Deep Waters)
Throughout my life, I have used music to heal, to transform, and to connect. I am so blessed to be able to make music, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to share it with you.
Photo by KimAberleImages.com, Makeup by Michelle Lee
I was going to share with you my task list for today but it got too long. The short story is that I’m juggling my various roles in life, my priority being my family, and I always get a little stressed right before I leave for tour. While I’m confirming hotels, car, advancing shows, renting gear, etc…., I’m also arranging for child care, making sure that the fridge is full of healthy options (which will go mostly untouched, but at least I can say I tried), reminding my husband to feed the cat unless he wants to be mauled in the middle of the night, and pounding Vitamin C since everyone around me is sick. I’m incredibly grateful to my husband and children for allowing me to be Me, and to Chip for covering the role of Mr. Mom when I skip town. I am a better Mom and Wife because I don’t deny my passion. Without music, I get very depressed. My energy and fuel comes from the creative firestorm that I allow myself to walk in and out of on a regular basis. It took a long time to get to this place of completely honoring myself as an Artist, and rather than living in a very delicate balance, it’s more like climbing to the high part of the tipped scale to breathe and stretch a little in order to maintain my sanity. I express this in order to reach some of you who may think that “living a dream” is easy, or that getting there is hard. It’s not easy. But the CHOICE is. When life gets too stressful, when love hurts, when I feel physical pain, whenever I need to work something through to the point of clarity, Music comes to my rescue. It always has. And the beauty of it all, is that the music is within me. I hope that my children will find the gift that comes not from another person, but from within ~ a “super power” of sorts that assures them they can get through ANYTHING. Could be a sense of humor, could be the commitment to love relentlessly. Some people may call it Faith. Music and Faith to me are intertwined, for I see Creativity as a gift from a higher power. Not sure why I got so heavy with this post, but I do need to go write the last song for my new CD “Deep Waters” and a song about the stoner ex boyfriend who left me at 7-11 like a scene out of Waiting for Guffman is not gonna cut it tonight. But I’ll write that one later 😉
Thanks for reading & hope to see you on tour soon! Reach out if you have a venue in mind or would like to host a house concert (“Home Invasion”). Although I’m on the best indie label imaginable, I’m still a DIY Girl at heart and most of my tours are to locations recommended by my fans.
