National Co-op Month: A Collective Project

co·op·er·a·tive (k - p r- -t v, - -r t v, - p r -). adj. 1. Done in cooperation with others: a cooperative effort. 2. Marked by willingness to cooperatee.

I'm not officially a member of a co-op but given the number of co-operative ventures that populate my life: the SF Bike Coalition, City CarShare, the Bay Area Songwriter Collective, eating at Cheeseboard, or shopping @ Rainbow Grocery, it's clear how much I'm drawn to that model. And as I described the process of recording and assembling my latest EP, the about-to-be "Other Halves," to an engineer, it became clear that it was hardly MY Cd. Not much happens if you don't communicate and collaborate clearly toward a common goal, aka cooperatively, and while yes, the recording is of songs I penned, it has not been solo endeavor. From my band mates, to the handful of local studios both seasoned and newly-minted in which I recorded, to the artwork & duplication , it's been a seriously collective, and local, experience. I couldn't have planned a better way to commemorate National Co-Op month . The EP is just getting pressed this week. If you're at my November shows, you'll be able to pick up a copy. In the meantime, you can listen to the lead-off track "Off Sides."

Off Sides by Deborah Crooks