Devouring life, one bite at a time
It’s such a shame that in all my days chasing around music boys in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, I never ran into Bon Iver. He was probably busy hanging out with cool guys while we band geeks were lucky to mix with the “jazzers.” Perhaps that allows …
When living in New York and constantly surrounded by people, I believe it’s especially crucial to carve out time to do things reserved just for you. It might be going to a museum once a month or spending time in the morning doing a crossword …
This tucked away, basement performance space was created as a co-op for musicians to get together for impromptu jam sessions and collaborating. With a bass, piano, drum set, and a surprise vocalist, this was the perfect venue for an intimate evening of great music.
Though I was literally surrounded by close friends, I am sure anyone there would have felt the same. When musicians have the perfect chemistry, it’s only natural for the audience to be drawn into that circle of familiarity.
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The highlight was hearing Nichola Miller sing a couple torch songs from the deep end of the standard pool- I wish I learned their names, but they were new ones for me.
Her voice= soul, edge, and sass smoothed out with butter. This gal is going places.
As if I needed more incentive to plan my next trip here!
Love will save the day. Say a prayer with every heartbeat. Never walk in anyone’s shadow. Sometimes broken hearts can find their way home. Don’t change all your colors for another. Be every woman. Take a chance on loving, no matter the price. Find hope …
Yesterday, a good friend told me the sad news that Whitney Houston died in her hotel. My heart broke. I immediately burst into tears and am still fighting them. I’m devastated that such an incredible woman’s life had to end so abruptly and tragically. She …
I have this friend. She’s a go-getter working on her phD in ecology, driven by personal challenges and accomplishments. She’s a fan of the popular 30 by 30 lists common for motivated people in their 20s to try to fulfill 30 goals by the time they turn 30. I have a few friends with these lists and I always scoffed at them.
Why set a timeline for pursuing dreams? Why is there so much pressure to get things done by the time we’re 30? Why do we feel the need to put the pressure on ourselves?
She said that as you get older and get through landmarks like getting a degree, traveling independently and settling into stability (all important), it can be easy to become apathetic and lazy. This, for her, is a good way to stay engaged and keep focused.
I’ve always believed in setting goals for myself. I had to agree, there is something to giving yourself a deadline, or those very things can fall by the wayside.
So with much hesitation, I am trying to open myself to crossing some of those things-I-want-to-do-one-day off my list. Thus begins my 35 by 35.
I’m going to start with some easy ones, just to make sure I get them done. The first thing is learning to change the strings on my guitar. That one broken E string has left my poor neglected guitar crammed in the corner of my room.
My fave site for guitar basics has been guitar.about.com. This is a straightforward tutorial on changing strings- and they also have the most approachable guides to learning chords and basic tuning.
In a perfect world, the strings are coiled neatly around the peg. Mine came out pretty sloppy, but hey, it’s my first time. (This is also why I would strongly recommend buying a very cheap guitar for your first one, so it can take some abuse until you get your bearings.)
Not the prettiest, but once I sat down, I did it! It took about an hour, including a very tedious tuning session (as the strings stretched and settled into their new positions). Now she’s ready to jam again!
It’s been the summer that won’t seem to warm up. Until today. It was also one of my first days off in a while. (This will change- I’ve decided I need a day off every week.) Fewer days off means they’re that much sweeter when …