I have been incorporating songwriting into my day job in every and any way that I can this past year and a half. Recently, the word went out through the National Park Service for park sites to find creative ways to commemorate the 1963 March on Washington for the 50th anniversary. In a conversation with…
Tag: music
What is Story-to-Song?
Curious how a song is written? I am starting a film series on how I write songs using the Story-to-Song method. Here is the introduction! Stay tuned for more…
Where nearly no one knows my name
For much of my life, I have felt like an anomaly. These past few years of moving around, I thought I had found peace with this feeling. Tonight, I went to my second ever open mic in Lowell at the Back Page. All day, I had felt in a bit of a funk, not myself….
Make the audience your friend
In my experience performing with ukulele in hand, I have found that befriending the audience helps alleviate much of the stress from being vulnerable on the stage. When I befriend the audience, I am no longer standing up there in front of a bunch of strangers. I can create a temporary community with everyone in…
Layers and layers
Composing a Story-to-Song is a multi-faceted approach to songwriting. It is not only writing a song but also discovering and revealing layers of truth from a person’s story. In one story, there can be many layers of meaning, and it is my job as a composing guide to try to find the meaning that will…
What’s next?
I am listening to some tunes gifted as a belated birthday present. I am thankful to listen to another musician and to learn from them. I am enjoying the artist’s unique voice. Mostly, I am excited to hear different strumming patterns. Malcolm Brooks, my research partner and friend who taught me the Story-to-Song method these…
And the beat goes on
My days off from work are fast becoming a time for songwriting in the STS tradition. Thus far in my experience creating songs from spoken stories, I have worked with people in my community and beyond, as well as from people who are no longer living but whose stories have been captured on film in…
The Past Is Close Behind: A Holocaust Story-to-Song
This past week, I began my first post-doc Story-to-Song. I spent a few hours on a Tuesday afternoon working with a woman (I will call her Amy) who was the sole member of her family to survive the Holocaust. Her daughter (I will call her Dana) had attended a program offered by Lowell National Historical…
The ukulele is juuuuuuuuust right
It took me about 30 years to find the instrument that was the perfect fit for me. I grew up playing piano in the classical tradition, which involved a strict adherence to historic interpretation of pieces from many incredible composers. While the sound of Prokofiev continues to tug at my heart strings, I am finding…
An unexpected meeting
I have never been one to rely too heavily on ideas like destiny or fate, but discovering the ukulele may very well be one of those indescribable phenomena that shapes our lives ever after. I was attending a writing workshop in Eastern Oregon when the fateful moment occurred. Two musicians, Kate Power and Steve Einhorn,…
Guiding Song 