Sometimes life gets in the way of art. I often feel this way as chores, doctors appointments and grocery shopping choke out my schedule. Day-to-day duties are not my go-to creative catalysts, but maybe they should be. Monday through Friday I drive my kids to school. This can stall the start of my day, but …
The electric-yellow woman I’m sitting in the waiting room of a medical lab. The space is brand new, decorated in a style I’d call “cold-nice”. It’s all grays and washed out wood-veneers. I feel like I’m in a soulless show-home where pleasing everybody has washed out all colour. The chairs and ‘feature walls’ take on …
I’m don’t spend enough time bored. I’m talking about time without plans and time without entertainment. Time without a phone – or even a book – in my hands. Meandering, wandering time. With entertainment at my fingertips at all times, I’ve forgotten my need to be bored. Having nothing to do leads to wonderful – wonder-full – …
Ah … rejection letters. I imagine every artist will read these terrible few words one day in their career; “we regret to inform you …” I got a matching set of rejection letters last week. I applied for two grants to record an album this year and just found out I received neither the city …
The following is a personal letter I shared today with the Bleeding Heart Art Space community – a non-musical endeavour I’ve pursued for over a decade. Until now. Read the original piece here. I have big, exciting, and difficult news for you today. And the end of June, I will be leaving Bleeding Heart Art …
Tim Kuefler, founder of arts-and-culture channel Timotheories interviewed me a couple of months ago and the magical work of editing is now complete. Our hour and a half conversation has been boiled down to its 30-minute essence and uploaded for your enjoyment. Hear me tell Tim about why I don’t mind selling out and why …
A couple of weekends back I found myself listening to the bits of beauty friends had gathered during their time at an art and faith retreat in Calgary. I was retreating, too, so when I heard poet Stephen T Berg mention the “exquisite sorrow” of a “tritone train whistle”, I recognized a song trying to …
This is what I do when I don’t want to work. Sometimes I get stuck. Weekly. Daily. I sputter and stall out. I find myself staring at the screen and refreshing the feed. Waiting for who-knows-what. In limbo. It was Karin Berquist, powerhouse songstress half of Over The Rhine, who taught me these stalls can …
I go live on Facebook every Monday at 12:30 MST. I love it when you drop by and especially when you comment so I know you’re there and I can say hello. Today’s setlist is brought to you by the letter ‘B’: Babylon (David Gray Cover)Broken Can Fix BrokenBeauty Bright
Songwriting often becomes a way of problem-solving. Or if not solving a problem, pulling it apart to see its parts. Sometimes the best a song can do is steep me in the problem – hold me in the mystery – long enough to hear something new. Wherever You Are is this type of song. The problem is …