Through the Smoke We See Each Other
I read two fabulous books recently, the kind that are rewiring connections. The first is Quiet by Susan Cain. A missive on the power of introverts, it gave me the words I didn't know I needed on how I experience the world. It's an empowering read, especially if you're like me, someone who struggles daily to exist in loud spaces (though you might not have guessed that). And the other is Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk, in an incredible translation from the original Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones - an exhilarating read that reminded me that we can (and should) trust our audiences to grapple with nuance.
As with all things that are experienced in close proximity with one other, I immediately began drawing connections between the two books. I don't want to say too much because to do so would give away part of the power that Drive Your Plow has, which is found in how close to the vest it holds its themes. Something I've long grappled with in my work is how to create spaces for music that are full of intention and care. Both of these books, in their own way, reminded me of that goal and truly just how much thought it takes.
Couple that with an ongoing situation with a dear friend who is struggling to finish an album. The recording engineers have turned toxic and manipulative, the work has been done poorly, and the extrication plan is complicated. We already have so little power as musicians… to be stripped of our agency to simply create our work is truly one of the worst case scenarios. Watching her go through this has been agonizing and rage-inducing. I'm built this way - for better or worse, I hold all of it in my body.
Reading these two books, thinking about my friend, thinking about my own past experiences with toxic music spaces, I became a bit more hardened in my resolve to create beautiful, safe, exuberant musical spaces. But what does that really mean? I think it boils down to listening. We can never be everything to everyone, but we can pay close attention to our surroundings and what people are implicitly or explicitly telling us (an important theme from both books).
How can I be a better listener? Am I lifting up the quietest voices in addition to the loud ones? Am I creating the music that I feel in my bones, that isn’t always easy to hear? The work continues and evolves, always.
PBS
There are two newly-available opportunities for you to hear me play on PBS. The first is a documentary film for which I had the immense honor of playing on the score. The Body is a House of Familiar Rooms by Eloise Sherrid and Lauryn Welch. Please, watch it. It’s 10 minutes long, and simply magical.
The second is an interview and pair of performances that I did on AHA! A House of Arts on WMHT (my local PBS affiliate). You can watch the episode below. My segment starts around 8:50, but I would encourage you to watch the whole thing and learn about the beautiful work of artist Christina Hunt Wood in addition.
I’ve been hard at work on my next record, and one of the songs I performed on AHA is a sneak-peak at some of the new material I’ve been working on. Through the Smoke We See Each Other. The music is in that churning stage when there are endless possibilities. I’m already playing the song wildly differently than how I played it on the show. Who knows how it’ll end up on the album, but the initial stage of recording started this weekend! 👀
I was writing this song during one of our recent, abysmal air-quality days here in upstate New York. I was sequestered inside with all of the windows shut. The sky was that eery, milky color that feels like the End Times is coming (and isn’t it?) I was home alone, feeling anxious about the state of our natural world, playing the piano. Slowly it dawned on me, as I began crying, that I was writing a love song for my husband Sam, my decade-long partner in life and music. Through the smoke, we're still able to see each other. Sam, the human who makes the smoke seem a little less frightening.
I hope you enjoy this very early version of this song. I’m excited to share the next iteration and see where the music takes us.
Upcoming Shows
Aug. 19 - All Rhodes Lead to ESP
3-6pm (music at 4:15)
Ballston Spa, NY
9 keyboardists (I'll be one of them) playing in the round on the same instrument - a Fender Rhodes MK II. Intriguing, no?
RSVP by Aug. 16
Aug. 25 - Troy Night Out/Summer Square with Julia Alsarraf
6pm
Outside the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
The band is back :)
Sept. 8 - Troy Listening Room with Christopher Tignor
7pm
Troy Listening Room returns with a bang! Let me know if you'd like to be on the dedicated email list for these monthly events, taking place at our church-ish home in Troy, NY.
Oct. 14 - Kaleidescape!
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
Save the date if you're in the area!! Sam and I are producing a show that will be one for the books, featuring seven acts and so many incredible musicians! More info and details will be forthcoming, but tickets are available now.
What I'm Reading and Listening To
My aforementioned husband, Sam Torres, has a new single out. It's divine. Listen.
A new single from a new friend, Age of the Bear. Listen.
Governments Ready Music Streaming Policies, from Penny Fractions by David Turner (a terrific newsletter about the economics of music streaming, among other music business analyses)
I just started Fight Night by Miriam Toews!
Are you new here?
Thank you, welcome! And a wee plug to check out my two most recent records - In Our Softening and Lili (featuring the complete solo piano music of composer Lili Boulanger).