Benefit for Operation Shanti in New York City, October 9, 2014

In 2003, Tracy Kunichika traveled to India and started planting the seeds for what would become Operation Shanti, an American-based non-profit that seeks to provide basic health care and services for the country's poorest residents. Since that time, OS has grown to encompass a shelter, services for those suffering from HIV, and programs for the homeless in Southern India and beyond.
I've known Tracy since she started Operation Shanti, and have volunteered a bit for OS when I've visited Mysore, and am in awe of the organization's work.  If you're in New York on October 9, please consider attending a Fundraiser and Silent Auction for Operation Shanti at the George Billis Gallery:

Artist Interview: Gone West with Jeff Desira

 If you're looking for a tireless supporter of other songwriters, an instigator of events that shine the spotlight on San Francisco's wealth of talented troubadours, and an example of one of those voices, look no further than artist Jeff Desira.  An accomplished multi-instrumentalist who's played in a bunch of bands, Jeff's diverse musical background adds up to a knack for acoustic balladry laced with catchy hooks. I first met and heard Jeff  at one of Alex Jimenez's Usual Suspects Songwriter Showcase where I was glad to find he was in the thick of recording his recent material.  He recently caught me up on his new project, his influences, the showcase he now hosts, and his experience as a songwriter on the East and West coasts.

Q  You were in a lot of bands before turning your attention to the guitar and your solo work. Was that a difficult or easy transition and what do you love most about leading with your own music? 

JD Before making songwriting on guitar my main focus, I played synthesizers and bass guitar in various band situations, starting from around 1990.
Transitioning from keyboard session work/playing keyboards in bands to bass wasn't so difficult for me, really. After auditioning for a band as a keyboardist, they admitted to really needing a bass guitarist and literally gave me my first bass: a 1954 Telecaster bass. I learned an 8-song set in about four weeks and we had our first gig. In hindsight, if I hadn't taken piano lessons first, I probably wouldn't have had a good understanding of how bass works. Bass is a much more physical instrument though, and requires a different kind of coordination. I ended up playing bass guitar from about 1991 to 2004, when I decided to start writing songs on acoustic guitar.
The transition from bass to acoustic guitar took a while longer, primarily because I was developing material on my own this time, and had a more intense focus on song arrangement.
I've been writing songs mainly on acoustic guitar for about nine years now, and I love that I get to incorporate all of the things I've picked up over the years and use it on my own recordings. For example, I'm currently recording an EP with producer/musician Scott Mickelson (Fat Opie) and now I play bass on my own tracks, sing backing vocals, write violin arrangements, play percussion — I can add anything I want as appropriate for the song. 

Q  Music in SF, Music in NYC, Music in SF: Discuss. What's different and similar about the music scene in/of both regions? 

JD  After playing in bands for about 14 years, I found myself writing songs on acoustic guitar for [another] three years. With the exception of an occasional open mic, I didn't really play out much. I then decided to move to New York where I think I really sort of developed my chops. In '07-'08 the singer-songwriter scene there was pretty thriving, and on pretty much any given night there was a place to play. All of a sudden I was surrounded by other songwriters who were working intensely on their own projects to a degree that I hadn't seen in SF. I know for a fact that it inspired a creative output in me to where I wrote a ton of material in a short period of time. I also think the level of appreciation for music and live performance is different there. I remember having a regular Thursday night gig at some infused-vodka place downtown, and the clients and staff treated me incredibly well. Everyone was really excited about hearing the live entertainment no matter where I was. I never felt that to them it was just ambient noise or that they were just putting up with it. I felt genuinely appreciated.
I eventually moved back to California in early '09. I literally moved straight from Brooklyn to the North Bay to take care of family and begin scratch tracks for my current EP with the late Kerry Garloff. During the process, Kerry admitted to me that he had cancer and insisted on finishing what we had started. Shortly after we finished recording the scratch tracks, Kerry passed away, leaving a message through his Mother asking me to finish my album. This is the album that I'm currently working on with producer Scott Mickelson.
After a couple years of hosting events and showcases, I finally moved back to SF where I found a new, developing singer-songwriter scene, comparable to what I had experienced in NYC. The level of appreciation for music here is still different from that of New York, but it's still so inspiring for me to be around so many talented and motivated artists with similar interests. 

Q Other than your latest mixes, what/who are you listening to now? What have you heard lately that made you go 'yeahhh!'?

JD I love well-crafted songs and find new music often through the suggestion of friends. The last thing I heard that really blew my mind was from local musician Brad Brooks — a song called "Night Fades" from his album Harmony of Passing Light. I'm also listening to Fat Opie's "Victoryville," Felsen's "Breaking Up with Loneliness," and from Brooklyn, NY, I'm listening to Brandon Wilde's album "Hearts in Stereo." From Melbourne, Australia I'm listening to Tim Reid's "Any Given Day."  Also on my ipod right now are Tim Easton, The Jayhawks, M. Ward, Guster, Glen Phillips....

Q Tell us about SF Acoustic Sessions, your monthly songwriter showcase.  

JD  I host a quarterly songwriter showcase, titled "SF Acoustic Sessions." I performed the very first one at 50 Mason Social House, but then I decided to simply host the showcase for other musicians and give them 100% of what's made from the event. The whole idea was inspired by a conversation I had with local musician Tom Rhodes about the use of the word "community." In order to have a community that works, you have to put in more than you get out of it. For this last showcase at Milk Bar, I hosted Chelsea Coleman, Jefferson Bergey, Aaron Ford, Tom Rhodes, and Liz Ryder.

My next big performance is at Lost Church in HSF. It's both a theater and live music venue here in San Francisco, where I've seen many incredibly talented musicians perform. I have a special full band performance planned for this show on July 25th, just two days before my birthday. 

Q How can folks find out more about the Lost Church show and have you any touring on the horizon to support the EP?

JD An easy and quick way to find out about them is to either go to my Reverbnation page or Facebook fan page, where I post my performances regularly. As for touring to support my forthcoming EP which will be titled "Weathervane," I'm looking forward to touring up and down the West Coast, as well as parts of the East Coast after it's release in the coming months.

Remembering

It's impossible not to think back to this day 11 years ago when most of us got a huge wake up call in impermanence. I thought then, walking around NYC, never again will I take anything for granted, pinching myself to remind myself I was alive despite the chaos. I wish I could say that I succeeded with my intention 100% amid all of these 11 years. But today I'm reminded. Reminded that survival is always liberating in the moment, pumped with adrenaline, agape at the fact that somehow, through some grace, you got another day. The challenging part is to be grateful, in every moment, boring, challenging, thrilling or otherwise. Today, I'm reminded, to be grateful. And to challenge myself that much more.  

...in the meantime, as I take day-by-day steps on my next set of recordings, I'm inspired to listen to Sean Hayes's latest greatness. Check it out:

SEAN HAYES | BEFORE WE TURN TO DUST | NEW ALBUM - OUT SEPTEMBER 11, 2012

Read.Eat.Listen: Coming home

“Above all, be the heroine of your life, not the victim.”
― Nora Ephron

Technically, this photo doesn't have much to do with the topic of this week's Read.Eat.Listen, home —a blog subject I've left dormant for a bit—albeit the birds in this photo are house sparrows! Regardless, I love this image so I'm sharing it, even if it's been a week of coming home rather than taking off. That said, sometimes sitting still feels just a risky.
Read: After I read the news about the passing of writer/director Nora Ephron, I've been checking out a bunch of her essays, columns and books. Clear-eyed wit, insight and opinion that reads effortlessly. Good stuff. Sorry we've lost her.
Eat: I discovered the wonders of Kelp Noodles recently. I've been eating them a lot this week, especially in miso soup with nori on top. Yum.
Listen: I keep coming back to the latest Tedeschi Trucks Live Album "Everybody's Talkin". They just released this live video of the 1967 tune "Darling Be Home Soon" and I think it's also pretty delicious.

MUSIC BLOG WILDY’S WORLD JOINS FORCES WITH SONGWRITER DEBORAH CROOKS TO BENEFIT THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY

I'll write/record a song for you... for a cause! Check out Wildy's World Ebay Auction: Wildy is raising funds for Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society:  http://bit.ly/KeogUK.

From the official release:

"Music blogger Wildy (will-dee) Haskell (Wildy’s World) is offering an eBay auction from June 17-24, 2012 of an original song to be written by singer, songwriter and yogini Deborah Crooks.  The winning bidder will fill provide information about their wishes for the song in the form of a survey, and Crooks will then interpret this into song in her unique musical style.  All profits from this auction will be donated to The American Cancer Society through Wildy’s Relay for Life team, The Cave Crashers, who will be participating in the Geneva, NY Relay for Life on June 28-29, 2012."

WHAT: Auction of original song by Deborah Crooks
WHERE: eBay http://bit.ly/KeogUK
WHEN: June 17, 2012 – 8:00 PM EDT through June 24, 2012 8:00 PM EDT

CONTACT: William W. Haskell 716-691-7849 wildysworld@gmail.com

Artist Interview: Songwriter Wendy Beckerman

I first heard Wendy Beckerman when I began attending the Bay Area Songwriter's Exchange, which she co-founded. A New Jersey native and veteran of New York's rich and fabled Greenwich Village folk scene, Wendy modeled the songwriter gatherings after the original New York Songwriter's Exchange which fostered a thriving community as well as her earlier work. Having become a regular attendee of the West Coast group, now a diverse scene of its own, I've come to love Wendy's fine attention to the craft of songwriting, her great playing and singing, and her keen insight. Wendy — who teaches yoga and meditation when she isn't playing music — has recorded four Cd's of original music, along with contributing many songs to Fast Folk Musical Magazine. She's also added vocals to the work of other artists, including one of her mentors, Fast Folk founder Jack Hardy, who just recently passed away.
Amid preparing for an opening set at Berkeley's Freight & Salvage, Beckerman graciously answered my questions about her music.

Q: You lived on the East Coast for many years. Did your music life change when you came West?

WB: Actually, my music life changed even before I moved to the West Coast. While I was very committed to songwriting and touring, I didn't know how to make it work financially. Beginning in 1997, I spent several years climbing my way out of debt by working a full-time office job, and kept playing music whenever I could. I practiced guitar and wrote songs in the parking lot at my lunch hour, and recorded or performed on occasional weekends. This trend has continued, although now my non-music work sustains me spiritually as well as financially.

Q: You've been ringleader for the Bay Area songwriting collective. Can you talk about how you started it and how feedback from other songwriters effects (or doesn't) your songs?

WB: After I moved to the Bay Area in 2001, I was fortunate to co-found a spinoff of the NY Songwriters' Exchange with the help of Bob Hillman — whom I knew from NY — and Lisa Mandelstein, who was dedicated to the process, and offered up her apartment as a meeting place. There are two main reasons I have continued hosting the meetings (cooperatively with Patrice Haan): The meeting deadline simply keeps me writing songs regularly, and I love the process of listening, and sharing feedback and support in the songwriting process. While the feedback can be interesting and useful, offering different perspectives, it's the deadline and the community spirit that hold the greatest value for me.

Q: What other artists do you count as inspiration/listen to? Do you/have you had any important mentors?

WB: When someone asks me what my songs are like, I say a cross between James Taylor, Suzanne Vega, and The Roches — I am moved by his warm and comforting melodies, her poetic sensibilities, and their quirky perspectives. Many of the songwriters on the NY folk scene encouraged me and inspired me, but Jack Hardy, who passed away last week (March 11, 2011), was a huge part of my life and my songwriting. I arrived as a fledgling songwriter, and when he heard my first few songs, he made sure he had my full attention, and simply said in his uniquely powerful way, "keep writing." It was the best advice anyone could have given me at the time, and I am forever grateful for that. After writing a song a week, and attending the Songwriters' Exchange for a while, my listening skills improved, my songwriting took giant leaps, and to my delight I even began offering valuable feedback to more experienced writers. I am among many who miss Jack beyond words, and feel grateful to carry on the tradition of being committed to songwriting as an ongoing creative process.

Q You teach yoga and meditation full time. Do these practices inform your creative work?

WB: Yoga and music seem to inform and support each other. For me, practicing yoga and meditation is about mindful, present moment awareness, and tapping into an inner source that is outside of space and time. These practices help me pay attention to details, and open to life as much as possible. When I'm writing a song, I'm in that same meditative place of just BEING, which allows me to receive the song, rather than force it to happen. At best, songwriting feels like a co-creation with something greater. A fellow songwriter recently described my songs as "meditations on ordinary moments," which echoes mindfulness as a way of being in the world. The songwriting process also allows me to tap into emotions, themes, and insights that I can bring into my yoga practice and my teaching. And my yoga and meditation allow for insights I bring into my songwriting. When I bring a meditative focus to performing, I feel I'm at my best. I have noticed that I enjoy another artist's performance the most when he or she is being fully present, right there with what they are conveying, rather than on automatic pilot. I aim to bring that kind of presence into my performing.

Q: You've a show at the Freight on Friday? What can audiences expect?
WB: I'll be playing solo this time, opening the show for Catie Curtis, a very talented and dedicated singer/songwriter from New England. We have collaborated on concerts and recordings in the past, and it has always been great fun to work with her. I'm excited to have the opportunity to make music with her again, as we plan to do a few tunes together. I might even play the new song I wrote yesterday!

Wendy Beckerman appears with Catie Curtis at The Freight & Salvage,Berkeley, CA, Friday, March 18, 2011 @ 8pm

Artist Interview: Jenn Franklin Writes Through

I met Nashville songwriter Jenn Franklin on tour some years ago, and caught up with her again this year when she played The Bitter End when we were both traveling through New York. A passionate, powerful and generous artist, Jenn talked to Bird in the Tree about being a musician in Nashville, her charity Hungry for Hope, upcoming tour plans, and her latest recording Girl Invisible.
Q: How has Nashville stretched you an artist? Can you talk about making the move to that hallowed city of music?
JF: Nashville is an interesting place. I made the move right after college graduation. At the time I thought I might want to write for commercial radio. Once I got to town and started co-writing, I found it to be an alien and mostly awkward experience. I realized quickly that I didn't really enjoy that side of the industry. Publishers and industry people liked what I was doing, but they told me I should listen to more country music. For me, it felt a lot like shoving square pegs into round holes while being inside a tiny box—I think you have to be some kind of Houdini to pull it off, lol!
But, in going through all of that, I learned that my passion was writing the most powerful music I could conjure up, without any rules or limitations. And there are artists in Nashville who are doing that, artists like Jim Reilley, who ended up producing my new album. I've made some amazing friends out here, many who are artists too, and I love having the support of that community! So while I can't say that I learned it in a songwriter workshop or co-writing session, I feel that Nashville helped me to go deeper within my own creative self and to make music for all the right reasons.

Q: You been singing most of your life? Have you always written too?

JF: Yeah, my mom has a tape recording of me at nine months, humming along to Silent Night. And I remember being a toddler, playing with blocks while making up my own songs and thinking, "This is really cool!" or the toddler equivalent of that. I sang in the children's church choir, which my mom led. I wrote my first "real" song at age 8, and I wrote the piano score out with the lyrics. In grade school, I started a singing/songwriting group with some girls in my class. We had a blast writing and recording several songs, and we were so confident in our talent, that we actually mailed a copy to a recording studio out in Hays, KS (we found them in the yellow pages). My parents knew nothing about it, so they were a little freaked out when they got the call a few weeks later. But that's how I got connected with Sunset Recording Studios and started singing in bands with the musicians I met there. Those early songs are pretty amusing, but some of the melodies weren't all that bad. I keep them locked in a vault, lest I be blackmailed!

Q: How do you stay inspired? Do you find you write regularly or when lightning strikes?

JF: I'm a fairly prolific writer, but I think it's because writing songs is one of my favorite ways to express emotion. So a lot of what I write comes from feeling something in a powerful way. I guess that's why there is a lot of strife and sadness in the songs. Not that I'm a melancholy girl, but it's just easier to deal with happy feelings. It's the other stuff that needs some prompting. But there are definitely times when I'm not feeling particularly inspired, just that I NEED to write...and so I sit at the piano and the page and see if anything shows up. I believe great song ideas are in the universe all the time. It's about being receptive enough to hear them—my best lines and melodies always come to me like that!

Q: Tell me about Hungry for Hope? Has music been pivotal to your own recovery?

JF: I actually started this before I came to Nashville. Hungry for Hope is a testimonial & music performance on my recovery from an eating disorder. My problems started in early childhood and went over the edge in high school. I wrote songs all through that process, the earlier ones dealt with heavy topics of abuse, addiction and isolation. The later ones carry the hope of making it to the other side. Music absolutely saved my life! I have no doubt about that. Especially in high school, when I became a rape survivor, it gave me a voice for truths that were too horrible to speak anywhere else. Eventually, I learned how to share those truths out in the world, and the healing continues on a deeper level. With H4H, I'm able to see firsthand how my music reaches people on a very personal level, which is the greatest gift an artist can hope for.

Q: What can listeners expect in the coming year?

JF: A lot more tour dates for one thing. I've been bitten by the travel bug and will be playing more house concerts, clubs, colleges, and festivals. I was hoping to be part of this year's Lilith Fair, and was in the Top 10 of Nashville artists competing for a slot, but then the tour stop was canceled. So, I've talked to some other artists about doing a festival next year to showcase some of the best upcoming talent, and for a price people can afford to pay.
The second and final volumes of the album, Girl Invisible, will be coming out this fall and winter. I've also licensed music for some film/TV opportunities, including MTV again. So with any luck, there will be more song placements coming soon! As for the songs themselves, I've got a bunch of new ones to record, and I'm considering releasing them as singles. I feel these are some of my best, then again, my favorite song is always the one I wrote last. But I promise to stick with my noncommittal approach to fitting into tidy genre boxes, so basically, be prepared for anything!

For more information on Jenn Franklin's work, visit http://www.jennfranklin.com/

Artist Interview: Jennifer Richman

I met musician and occupational therapist Jennifer Richman many years ago at a SXSW Go Girls music showcase when a bunch of we touring artists pooled our lodging resources. A fellow twin with a parallel love of India, we've since shared several more gigs & she once had me as a musical guest at her music class for adults with mental illness. As she readies a new CD, I asked her some questions about her current music projects as well as how she integrates music into her work as an OT.

Q: You've been in the studio a while working on your next Cd-how is this process different than making your debut "Flowers of Gold?" Have you selected all the songs or are you writing new material amid recording?
JR: This album is very different from my first record. Firstly, I am recording not only vocals on this production, I am recording the acoustic guitar and main piano tracks as well. There are only two musicians on the record right now, being myself and the producer Philip A. Jimenez. On my debut album, Flowers of Gold, we featured several musicians, all of whom were amazing and who contributed to the production process. On this album we are also perfecting the vocals to a higher standard with more emphasis on rhythm, phrasing, pitch. The experience is helping me to be a better performer as well as a studio musician. Lastly, this record also has a great deal more focus in terms of the songwriting. In my debut album, I included several songs with different genres. In a sense, I was finding my own as a songwriter. This time around, the album has a central theme and a common thread of style. Most songs were written [within] a year and tell a story which is related to the central theme of what I was experiencing at the time. I have selected most songs for the album and am in the process of writing some more as we go along. This album is very special to me and I am taking great care to put my best work out there.

Q: Who do you look to or listen to for inspiration? Can you describe your writing process?
JR: I am inspired by a lot of inner work, observing the environment around me and seeing how I relate to that environment. I look to my spiritual teachers, including Swami Yogiraj Nanak Chand, for inspiration and often do meditation to try and still my mind enough to simply feel. I try to take the blinders off and see things as they really are, pushing myself beyond apathy. At times I am pushed outside my comfort zone and try to do that with my songwriting. Music has been such an inspiration in my life and I hope to inspire others with mine. When I write a song, sometimes it is born from pure emotion. I pick up my guitar or keyboard and just press record on my digital recorder. When that happens, there is usually between 6 and 7 minutes worth of material that I cut down to make a song. I feel like those are the best songs. Sometimes the song comes from a dream. I literally hear the melody and/or the lyrics in my head and wake to put them down in tangible form. Both "Flowers of Gold" and "Better Days" from my album debut from dreams. I am currently working on one more which I hope to include on my second album. Most of my other songs are written blending poetry and guitar and/or piano compositions that I am inspired to add lyrics to. In terms of drawing inspiration from other artists, lately I've been listening to a lot of Tracy Chapman, Mindy Smith, and Norah Jones. I remember listening to Bob Dylan for the first time and being immediately inspired to write a song. I have always admired Sarah McLachlan's songwriting. I used to listen to her albums for hours. There is a long list of other artists I respect and listen to....

Q: Talk a little bit about the song Beautiful Girl? How did you select that as a single?

JR: Beautiful Girl is a song about self-acceptance and realizing true beauty comes from within. It was chosen as the single because it was getting the most iTunes sales and we went with it. The song has also gotten a lot of international attention and continues to do so. I donated the song (original version) to the podsafe network a couple of years ago and it was immediately played in several countries. I believe I may be more popular in China than I am here. The Radio-Mix of Beautiful Girl is up on iTunes, listed as the "Single" version for people who are interested in downloading it.

Q: You've used music and songwriting as a large part of your work as an occupational therapist with autistic patients. How did you get that started?

JR: I started bringing my guitar to hospitals and clinics during my first experiences working in the field. I was literally a student when I started linking music to my professional life. As a student, I brought in my guitar and played for the patients on a detox unit. It had such a positive effect of them that I started doing it regularly. I then brought my guitar to a nursing home where I worked with physically disabled patients. Again, the positive effect was incredible. "Linda's Song." from the Flowers of Gold album, is about one of those experiences. Once I finished my training and became a full fledged occupational therapist, I was given the go-ahead to start a music group with the adult schizophrenics in a day treatment program. I continue to direct this group and several group members have gone off to become very talented songwriters. I started working with autistic children 9 years ago. Of course, I brought music into that arena as well. The effect was profound. The children were so touched by it that it was at times life changing for them. I've helped some non-verbal children be able to speak and some behaviorally challenged children be self-motivated to interact positively with others simply by introducing them to either an acoustic guitar or a keyboard. I have helped facilitate school musicals, directed by James Fleet, where the most severely disabled children with autism were able to participate actively and were completely on cue. To help spread awareness of the power of music as a healing modality for persons who have autism, I have organized community performances for "Autism Speaks" for 5 consecutive years. Music is a language that is universal. It is a language of emotion.

Q You're now on National Task Force to help improve Mental Health for students Nationwide. How did that come to be? As your music group has been an integral part of your work with your clients, will you be sharing that experience with OT to the Task Force?

JR: Research shows that students nationwide are developing mental health challenges such as depression, isolation, emotional disturbance, autism at alarming rates. The awareness of mental health needs is crucial at this time. The American Occupational Therapy Association started a national task force to try and educate not only professionals but parents of the importance of tending to mental health as a growing trend. I was asked to be a part of this task force by a former teacher of mine who knew the director. She recommended me to the American Occupational Therapy Association because of my work linking music and OT, knowing that my focus has always been the link between meaningful activity and treatment. It was a good fit because of my consultative work for the New York City Department of Education in addition to my experience working in mental health as a senior occupational therapist at New York State Psychiatric Institute. I have a lot of clinical experience to share and have been a member of this task force for about 2 years. I've advocated several clinical examples of the success using music as a modality, including community outreach. We have provided a continuing education course for the AOTA as well as lectured at the National Conference where I advocated for the importance of using music as a means of treatment for autistic children. [I am also] a guest lecturer at Columbia and Downstate Universities where I discuss the benefits of using music as one of the treatment modalities for autism.

Q: What do the next few months look like for you music wise?

JR: We will be continuing to promote Beautiful Girl to national radio. It is an exciting time. I'll be continuing to perform live as well, with my next performance being August 20th at Gizzi's Coffeehouse in NYC. By the Fall, we will be in the finishing stages of my second album and look forward to releasing it. I am inspired to begin writing for other artists and am currently looking into that venue as well. In terms of my work with people with disabilities, I am in the process of organizing a concert for the music group I run at the day treatment program in NYC and am sure the doctors and related staff will be blown away by the talent that has blossomed from the group in the past months.

For more information, please go to www.jenniferrichman.com

Artist Interview: Linda Ruggiero's Practiced Crafts

I first met Linda Ruggiero on my last trip Mysore, where we'd both traveled to study at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute and do some volunteer work for Operation Shanti. I soon found that Linda had a lot going on beyond her yoga practice. A PhD in biology, and an accomplished ceramicist with a love of knitting, she was a clear creative force! I've kept up with her on trips to New York, where she now lives, creates and practices. Shortly after she exhibited some of her work at Mugi Pottery, I asked her about life as a scientist and artisan.
Q: I love that you are both a scientist and an artist. Which came first? How do you find the disciplines complement one another?
LR: To be honest, I'm not sure which came first! I have always loved both — but I guess I started to see the connection while I was working in a cell biology lab at the University of Pennsylvania. I enrolled in post-baccalaureate classes in Fine Arts, with an emphasis on ceramics. Through my scientific research and the art I was producing, I became aware that there was an intimate connection between science and art. I was particularly intrigued by the ability of the visual system to process information about color, contrast and light in such a way that a complex image was formed within the brain. The steps beyond that processing — how the brain was able to associate this image with a particular emotion -was an extremely fascinating problem. I became interested in Visual Biology and went on to purse a doctorate in Neuroscience. I am currently studying retinal degeneration and continue to work in my studio making pots.

Q: How did you start knitting?
LR: I began knitting about 8 years ago when a friend of mine told me she learned from Debbie Stoller's book, "Stitch and Bitch". I had always done crafts and until then focused on jewelry and paper making. It was around this time that I had begun making pots as well. I particularly enjoy knitting, because I can take it with me anywhere I go. It is also very meditative.

Q: Do you see a relationship between your ceramic work and knitting? Have you ever combined the two mediums?
LR: I often see trends in my ceramic work that are influenced by knitting. They typically deal with surface texture. I love the tactile quality of both fiber and clay. Though I generally do not combine the two, there was a time when I would soak yarn in clay and use it to add texture to pots.

Q: Tell me about the Neurotrans-Knitters? Is it purely social/support or do you collaborate on designs or exhibit together? Have you started an NYC chapter?
LR: I think many knitters will say that knitting is a social craft. It is much better done in a group. So, as a Neuroscience graduate student, I began Neurotrans-Knitters, a knitting group at OHSU, where I was a student. The group quickly grew to about 50 members - some were expert knitters, while others had never knit before, so I just taught them. We met weekly and knit together on individual projects. We also knit for charity by making small hats for premature infants at the neonatal ward in Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. I have not started a NY chapter, though I joke about it.

Q: You're very committed to giving back, whether it's teaching, building community, or donating proceeds from sales to charities. Can you talk about what leads you to that sensibility?
LR: My parents were always very generous, and they both taught me to be that way. When my father was young, he used to dress up like Santa Claus and bring toys to the children in poorer neighborhoods in Brooklyn. When he died on Christmas morning, my mom said he died at the time when Santa would be finished giving his gifts. I love that. I feel that giving helps me keep his memory. I believe strongly that everyone has something to give. Even if it isn’t money — sharing a talent or donating time — are great ways to share.

Q: What, or who, inspires you? Do you have any mentors or role models?
LR: The children I teach inspire me. Cliche, I know. But they do. They see things simplistically. Plus, they think I’m 18. Laura Peterson, the Founder of Hands to Hearts International has been a very positive influence in my life. I look up to her so much. Eddie Stern, my yoga teacher, always inspires me to be a better person. He has taught me the importance of discipline and caring for myself as well as others. David Straker, my osteopath, is likely one of the most amazing humans on earth. He believes in me more than anyone, and has taught me to believe in myself, too. And my parents, who taught me about love and generosity.

Check out Linda's work at http://www.fatto-a-linda.com/ and http://www.etsy.com/shop/lindabelinda

Best Buy & Consequence of Sound

Best Buy has started selling musical instruments and has a nice program giving indie artists a turn on their instore stages. I played a set at the Best Buy in Chelsea last week to a fittingly cosmopolitan crowd as well as some NYC friends. I also had fortune to check out some other musical pals who were playing in the Big Apple, up with two of my favorite SF-NYC transplants, poet Karen Hildebrand and composer Peter Whitehead, then headed to Philly for some yoga rebooting. While I've been reacquainting myself with Urdhva Dhanurasana, Consequence of Sound was reviewing my EP. " It’s All Up To You separates itself from the mainstream country pack and moves in a whole variety of unexpected directions..." to read more, go to Consequence of Sound.

A note on apple season

I guess if you're raised across the street from an apple orchard, you can't help but feel at home in apple season. I don't miss crop dusters (this was the 70s remember) cruising low over my roof, but I do miss having my pick of fruit from a half dozen trees as well as access to the nearby orchards. New York's Greenmarket was filled with apple sellers last week and California is the same right now. Yes, I made pie while in New York ("The Northern Spy" variety did live up to it's reputation as a great pie filling) and am spending part of my afternoon doing the same here. I've been back in San Francisco less than two days but stocked up on apples at Rainbow Grocery. Then a friend (smart man) arrived at my doorstep with a bag of apples as a gift. I'm not sure what kind they are. They look like they came from someone's yard. This is a good thing. Want to know more?
Organic Apple Production (California)
Grow Organic Apples
Apple Guide

Following muses: Keeping At It

The night I got into New York, I played at Café Vivaldi with Alyson Greenfield, a show attended by our mutual friends and fellow songwriters Jennifer Richman and Allison Tartalia. Jennifer, Allison and I had once shared shows and lodging during SXSW in Austin. A few blocks away, another songwriter friend who’d shared one of those Austin gigs, Nashville artist Jenn Franklin was playing at the Bitter End. After our shows we met up for dinner: it was the first time in four years we’d been in the same place together so multiple Cds, tours and adventures later, we had plenty of notes to compare. Allison was teaching music to kids first thing in the morning; Jenn & her tour mate Marie McGilvray were hitting the road back for Tennessee on the back end of their '900 Mockingbirds Tour.' Jennifer was in the midst of preproduction for her next Cd. Despite many distractions, it was heartening to see that this many years later we were still working at our craft.

Jennifer was also continuing her work teaching and lecturing about Autism and the benefits of music in mental health rehabilitation. She teaches at a center where people are coping with or recovering from mental illness including schizophrenia in upper Manhattan. Many of her students, she said, were talented musicians.

A week after our unofficial SXSW reunion, Jennifer invited me up to talk to her music students at the Inwood Clinic. As we made introductions, it quickly became clear that the students would teach me as much or more than I had to say. As the room was filled with guitars and percussion instruments and class soon turned into a song share. The students had written songs together and apart, and a stack of lyric-filled papers was at the ready. A jam and a discussion of process soon entailed. Everyone in the room played, drummed or sang. One student couldn’t remember the first two weeks of his time at the center, but he remembered Jennifer was the first person he met. Since that time he’d amassed a realm of songs and had gotten deeper into his guitar work. In all honesty, the conversation and his process wasn't really different than any of my many other music-related meetings during the week. While there are plenty of slippery aspects to music, the students process was yet more proof that act of creating it and the solace it could provide, was worth the ride.

New York Postcard: Punch drunk Northern Spies

A week plus in NYC always kicks my ass in a good way: Closing out bars after midnight (This a view from the door of Banjo Jim's), soaking up music CMJ showcases from a gazillion other artists, procuring Northern Spy apples at Union Square green market ('the best for pie' they say in New York. ...we shall see.)
Of the music, I thoroughly enjoyed pretty much all of the afternoon line-up at The Living Room on Friday. Yahoo to Kim Taylor, as well as Annie and the Beekeepers. And my fave act so far: The Punch Brothers made me a fan at their Living Room Appearance just now. Wowza, chamber/jazz/bluegrass to keep you in your seat and slacken your jaw!

Everyone has something to sing..

The sheer number of bands loading in and setting up and rolling for CMJ is somewhat boggling. I've seen a bunch of great acts the past few days without trying too hard including sets I liked more than I thought I would by PT Walkley and Joshua James, two young guns with extremely tight bands. Indie dudes are rampant around the streets of NYC let me tell you. Tonight I'm checking out some indie gals at both the TM Promotions Showcase and MPress Records Showcase bookended by Banjo Jim's where my fellow songwriter Rachel Lee Walsh is opening and I'm closing the bill.

Jailbreakers: John Forté & My Jerusalam

I don't live so differently in NY than I do at home, which a friend in SF kindly reminded me. But you know, it's New York, and everything's a cut above. I 'accidently' am here during CMJ while I haven't been building my days around the New York equivalent of SXSW (more than 1000 bands are officially showcasing), it's impossible to ignore (if you are a music type). Amid my own schtick this week, I've caught a couple acts yesterday at the Paste magazine party at The Living Room. Nothing like regaining your freedom for fueling good performances, I walked in to see John Forté playing solo with a guitar and a heap of heartfelt sung/spoken social commentary. I was soon schooled on the fact that the former Fugees producer and rapper had spent 7 years in jail before recieving a pardon for a drug bust from then President Bush (speaking of Presidents, Obama also hit town yesterday). In that time, Forte picked up the guitar and fast-forward to freedom, has a new EP out. He was followed by the New Orleans based My Jerusalam who I loved for immediately. Tight guitar/vox/bass/violin/keys AND trumpet by former members of The Twilight Singers, Great Northern & Polyphonic Spree. Evidently, their drummer had also just been released from jail for a much lesser charge than forte that involved some sort of public indecency. Despite the somewhat jaded day-party audience, they also delivered what they got with conviction.

On time: LitCrawling, river mulling

Saturday night, I watched my friend Karen Hildebrand read at the Three Rooms Press set at ArtZone461 San Francisco's Litcrawl before I got on a plane to her city, New York to play and generally get a kick in the ass re: inspiration & action. ArtZone461 is a couple doors down from Studio Valencia, where Karen and I had done a reading many years ago at one of the arts salons that Peter Whitehead then ran (Peter moved to New York a little more than a year ago where he's continuing to compose, & play). How many years ago we read @ Studio Valencia, I'm not sure. Less than 11, more than 5, as her reading reminded me that yes, it had been more than 10 since I'd returned to California, the same year Karen, who I'd known in Colorado, moved there. We all wrote, published, didn't publish, sang, didn't sing, were heart-full and heartbroken, had people die, dealt with it through writing & singing & studying, moved or didn't move, etc. et. al. The stuff of living. 11 years! How did that happen? And even more, it had been 20 years to the day since the Loma Prieta Earthquake. Within a year of that event, I was on my way to Colorado. No earthquakes of the natural world got me to NYC, though it certain is accruing it's share of memory space. ...These are the things you think about on a bright morning in New York, walking along the Hudson with your coffee, preparing for the next round. ...
Karen Hildebrand has a new /broadside, “Take a Shot at Love" available through Three Rooms Press: threeroomspress@mac.com

Alyson Greenfield's Sonic Paradise

When I met Alyson Greenfield at the recent Indiegirl Music I was immediately struck by her enthusiasm: for playing music, for people, for everything. It's no surprise that she approaches crafting songs and playing live with the same infectious curiosity. The girl is on fire: having recently moved to New York, Greenfield's musical muse has fueled the release of the well-received Cd 'Tuscaloosa' and garnered a showcase during this week's CMJ Music Marathon.

DC: Where are you from? How did you start writing songs?
AG: I am from Columbus, Ohio originally. I started writing songs in about 5th grade. I had begged my parents for years to take piano lessons (no one in my family did the music thing) and they finally let me! I wasn't so into practicing for my lessons but I loved playing the piano. I would usually sit down to practice and one day I remember putting some of my own chords together and writing a part of a song. Something went off in my brain and I realized, "Wow! This is a whole other thing you can do with this instrument! You can create!"

DC: Has the move to New York changed your music?
AG: I don't know if the move to New York has changed my music, but it has been the first time in my life where I decided to make my own music a priority. In other times in my life I was focused on teaching or being in graduate school, and one of the reasons I moved to New York was to take myself seriously as a musician. Before I moved to New York the main art in my life was writing for the page. Since I have moved to New York, everything in my life has turned to music. I am a Teaching Artist, teaching music and songwriting to kids, I play gigs, I go to see live music, and I engage with all sorts of people in all aspects of the music world. Overall I just live my life more musically. As well as playing shows and writing for my own project, I am collaborating on many other friends' projects and exploring new territory. I think the best thing New York has done for my music is that it has encouraged me to jump off the deep end! To do things I never imagined doing. For instance I never used to play covers, and I never had played the xylophone. Now I am doing a cover of "Gangsta's Paradise" on a xylophone!

DC: I know you've written short stories & have a Creative Writing degree and also act. Do short stories ever turn into songs and vice versa? Do you see a common thread to these forms?
AG: I think my short stories and my songs live in different parts of my brain. Like, they share the same apartment, but they definitely have separate bedrooms! Many people think that one must inform the other, and I do believe that writing and storytelling is just in me, but the inspiration and the process of each seem separate to me. I used to be inspired all the time to write a story and I loved the solace of the process and the calm that it provided for me. Now I feel like I want to live my life out loud! I want to scream from the rooftops artistically and writing music lets me do that, because the entire process is so active.

DC: You write on guitar and keys and other instruments (such as the Rainbow Xylophone) plus you've studied music in Africa. What's your process like?
AG: My process is wacky and individual to each song. Sometimes I am walking home from the train and a song keeps singing itself to me, sometimes I wake up with an idea, sometimes I dream an idea, sometimes an emotion I'm feeling can only be resolved by spilling out into song, sometimes a friend gives me a new instrument and so I must write for it, sometimes I say "I want to try to write a song in _____ genre," and so I try it. I keep acquiring new instruments (which is so fun), so when I have a feeling, I like to see which instrument will provide the best voice for the song. Sometimes I try the song on a few instruments. For instance, I tried the "Gangsta's Paradise" cover on all sorts of instruments before I realized xylophone was the right one. I feel inspired to create a lot, but what is more difficult for me is deciding which ideas I want to really work on and see to fruition. My brain always wants something new, so even when I think I'm going to try and finish a song, I might start writing a whole new song in the middle of that process! I'm trying to give myself some deadlines so I can complete more new songs.

DC: Who do you count as your main influences?
AG: Tori Amos was a huge influence on me. I was introduced to her music when I was about 14 and I had never heard anything like it then. I didn't know there was music where there was this amazingly strong woman rocking out on the piano and just being who she wanted to be. As I got older I was pretty influenced by Kate Bush and Björk. Those two really tap into magical, other worldly qualities for me. Parts of their songs completely transport me into new territory. Peter Gabriel is also a songwriter I really respect. Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, and Björk all have beautiful music that can cross into other worlds, and they also have these amazingly poignant lyrics about what it's like to be a human.

DC: What can we expect at CMJ?
AG: You can expect fun, experimentation with musical genres/instruments, projected film, special musical guests, and a one lady key band! The "one lady key band" is a new experiment where I play piano, Casio synth, chord organ, and toy piano all in one song. I usually write on all of these instruments individually, but for a new song I'm debuting at CMJ, I wanted to expand my horizons and combine my instruments. I'm not using a looper; I just consistently play two instruments at a time and switch the combination of instruments throughout the song. I'm going to try it out and see how it goes. Should be fun!
Alyson plays the TM Promotions Showcase at Crash Mansion, 11/22 at 10:30pm

Songwriter October: SF x NYC

While I've been rehearsing the band for shows and recording next month, October is the month of acoustic duo/solo performances. Tonight I'm at Ronnie Cato's ongoing songwriter showcase at the Red Vic Hotel in the Haight. Should be a good night. I'm leading off the night with a set I'll be performing with lead guitarist Kwame Copeland.
Sunday finds me in New York City playing solo acoustic at Caffe Vivaldi in Greenwich Village along with Alyson Greenfield (check back here early next week for an interview I did with Alyson whose also getting ready for CMJ). Thursday, I'm closing out a night of music at Banjo Jim's that will feature Rachel Lee Walsh and the Havens among others. Then I come back and play another acoustic duo show in Millbrae at a new-to-me acoustic venue Caffe Roma. New songs, fun venues, great gig-mates-- Look forward to sharing them with you!

NY: Songwriters & The New India

Thus far, my week in New York is being split pretty evening between the songwriting world & the yoga and India interests. Sunday night I was one of 14 (yup, 14) songwriters who participated in the New York Songwriter Sessions at The Bitter End. People from all over the world, country and New York & Brooklyn. Mostly guitars, mostly three chords & variations on the truth, one band, a couple of electrics, one truly tasteless act, one truly charming. I was happy to try out the storied room — features photos of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Linda Rondstandt, Andy Gibb (!--at 10, I had a poster of him on my wall) from back in the day when the Village was it for the new troubadors whose acts most of us are following in some way — and glad I'm now welcome back.

Yesterday, I met up with another friend from my latest trip to Mysore to check out a selection from The New India movie series at MoMa. Timing had it that we ended up at Nandita Das’s Firaaq. Das is quite a famous & acclaimed actress, filmmaker & activist in India and she was on hand to introduce by the film she wrote about the sectarian riots that resulted in numerous deaths, most of them Muslim, in Gujurat in 2002. It was quite an accomplishment, ...and we were both traumatized by the depictions of violence, traumatic stress suffering housewives, angry men. We had to leave, gasp in an atrium where a fusion band was setting up to play happy hour and people munched on goat cheese tapas. Which doesn't mean don't go see the film-I'm a notorious lightweight when it comes to violence it was definitely a wake up call as too much of this sort of atrocity is still going on in the world. Plus, the nine-minute short, award-winning Wagah by Suprito Sen, about a nightly flag ritual that takes place at the India-Pakistani border checkpoint was equal parts charming and eye-opening about walls, culture and simple humanity.

LA & NYC Postcard 1

I've been running around too much to write a decent post. Which is no excuse but there you have it. So some bits from the LA-NYC experience thus far:
Shout-outs to ASCAP for putting on a friendly helpful convention, as well as Rynda for putting me up, Pasckie for booking me at Viento y Agua & Tribal Cafe (two extremely groovy, friendly gigs), & Raw Revolution for feeding me and the audience. It was added bonus to see a lot of my SF peeps in LA. Billy & Cara had new Cds, Rick&Aireen are nearly there....yahoo. New York has been a bit no- brakes til today. I pretty much landed, got the lowdown from Karen on her apartment, slept a couple hours and got up for the beginning of a week of R. Sharath's yoga tour, & to meet a trio of cool cats in the guise of a Brooklyn guitarist, East Village drummer and Sag Harbor bass player in Brooklyn. Ready, set go, to Googie's where I had opportunity to both play, and then listen to the two very swell artists who preceded and followed me. Michaela Ann & Adam Klein, check 'em out. More workshop (which I'm definitely feeling) & more work, I played tourist Wednesday: post-practice coffee from one of my favorite baristas at Abraco, then the Natural History Museum & Central Park, for butterflies, dinosaur bones and Strawberry Fields...dinner with yoga friends made in India...no, it's not a complete vacation. But it's close and it's definitely New York.