MARCH 11 2023 Hemingways, Koh Phangan, Thailand
Still embracing the world tour music experience.
Still embracing the world tour music experience.
NOVEMBER 6 2022
REFLECTIONS ON MY ONGOING MUSIC EVOLUTION
&
MY FIRST PUBLIC PERFORMANCE
IN THREE YEARS
Although I have offered several online concerts, a few house concerts, and a songwriting workshop for Sask Music, during this time, last night was my first performance in a public venue since September 21, 2019. That is over three long years ago. I was performing at a benefit concert to support a woman burdened with excessive medical expenses. It felt wonderful in so many significant ways that I feel drawn to expand upon, and share, as I have been rather silent musically, at least in the public domain.
During the seclusion of COVID, I decided to devote myself to learning the language of music, rather than that of foreign languages, which is another passion to which I am devoted. With that goal in mind, I have ever since been vigilantly following an online music curriculum as intense and structured as any university program. I refer to it as working on my Ph D. in Music, but the date of completion need not be any sooner than my end of life date.
Although a long way to fully fluent, as this is the most challenging of all the languages I have studied (now six in total), I have acquired much more fluency, and in the process have been inspired to apply that musical literacy to other instruments, adding both harmonica and bass guitar to my instrumental repertoire.
My performance last night was the first in which I accompanied my vocals with both guitar and harmonica. It was also my first performance where I did not rely on any written support, playing all by ear and straight from the heart - something I have aspired to do for decades, but could never quite free myself from my chord and lyric charts.
And it was also possibly my first ever performance where I felt quite comfortable making mistakes, appreciating more what I did well than stressing over what was not perfect, realizing that mis-takes are evidence of risk taking and growth, not errors. Without this self-permission, I would never have been able to challenge myself to alternate between singing and playing not one, but two, harmonicas, in two different keys, on one of those songs, performed in a delightful duet with fellow musician Sharon Gudereit. That was nothing, if not risk taking . It was definitely fun, and definitely not perfect.
I also shared a new song I had written just last month, playing on a guitar tuned to open D (my new love) and the only musical composition I have ever created that was inspired first by the instrumentation, rather than by the lyrics and melody playing in my head.
Its one thing to think you’ve acquired new knowledge. Its substantially more significant to realize that that knowledge has been internalized, has altered your perspectives, and has freed you to take greater risks.
I look forward to subsequent performances to share the new song I am composing, and others I am going to compose, on my bass guitar, and to eventually acquiring the technological expertise to loop all of these instruments into a recording process - à la Ed Sheeran - essentially becoming a one woman band. I think I shall make that my goal for when I turn 70 next year. How delightful. I can’t wait to share it in a performance somewhere. I will keep you posted.
Learning is such a joy, a privilege, and an adventure. When I loose this passion, I will surely have died. Until then, I am ever grateful for these opportunities, these challenges, these experiences, this life, and the support my soul mate husband, my community, and my music fans provide me. You are appreciated. Thank you for your interest in my music.
During the seclusion of COVID, I decided to devote myself to learning the language of music, rather than that of foreign languages, which is another passion to which I am devoted. With that goal in mind, I have ever since been vigilantly following an online music curriculum as intense and structured as any university program. I refer to it as working on my Ph D. in Music, but the date of completion need not be any sooner than my end of life date.
Although a long way to fully fluent, as this is the most challenging of all the languages I have studied (now six in total), I have acquired much more fluency, and in the process have been inspired to apply that musical literacy to other instruments, adding both harmonica and bass guitar to my instrumental repertoire.
My performance last night was the first in which I accompanied my vocals with both guitar and harmonica. It was also my first performance where I did not rely on any written support, playing all by ear and straight from the heart - something I have aspired to do for decades, but could never quite free myself from my chord and lyric charts.
And it was also possibly my first ever performance where I felt quite comfortable making mistakes, appreciating more what I did well than stressing over what was not perfect, realizing that mis-takes are evidence of risk taking and growth, not errors. Without this self-permission, I would never have been able to challenge myself to alternate between singing and playing not one, but two, harmonicas, in two different keys, on one of those songs, performed in a delightful duet with fellow musician Sharon Gudereit. That was nothing, if not risk taking . It was definitely fun, and definitely not perfect.
I also shared a new song I had written just last month, playing on a guitar tuned to open D (my new love) and the only musical composition I have ever created that was inspired first by the instrumentation, rather than by the lyrics and melody playing in my head.
Its one thing to think you’ve acquired new knowledge. Its substantially more significant to realize that that knowledge has been internalized, has altered your perspectives, and has freed you to take greater risks.
I look forward to subsequent performances to share the new song I am composing, and others I am going to compose, on my bass guitar, and to eventually acquiring the technological expertise to loop all of these instruments into a recording process - à la Ed Sheeran - essentially becoming a one woman band. I think I shall make that my goal for when I turn 70 next year. How delightful. I can’t wait to share it in a performance somewhere. I will keep you posted.
Learning is such a joy, a privilege, and an adventure. When I loose this passion, I will surely have died. Until then, I am ever grateful for these opportunities, these challenges, these experiences, this life, and the support my soul mate husband, my community, and my music fans provide me. You are appreciated. Thank you for your interest in my music.
APRIL 2022 NEW VIDEO RELEASE
I shared two brand new initiatives this month: my first instrumental composition - Thirty Fingers - and my first music video production to accompany this composition. This was my first experiment with movie editing and effects. After playing around with Wondershare Filmora software - which I discovered when researching the topic - long enough to realize it was intuitive, user friendly, and has a multitude of support videos online, I decided to try it out. Although this video is a very basic production, I feel comfortable sharing it, as my learning curve was substantial. Furthermore the alternative of more videos watching me sitting on a stool playing my guitar was enough to tell my inner critic to shut up and let me release this modest, far- from-perfect project. Hopefully it will inspire some creative and interesting ways for me to share my music in future, as I simply have had enough of the previous video formats - singing and playing, seated on a stool, with one camera angle and not much else going on - and I am not likely to hire an expensive camera crew to produce videos, nor take up any major dance moves while playing and singing. That ship has not just passed - it never even came this way. lol |
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MARCH 2022 Songwriter's Workshop Presentation at Sask Music, Regina
I was invited by the Regina Regional Songwriter's Group and Sask Music to present a workshop on songwriting. It was my first presentation for both a live and a Zoom online audience. It was also my first live performance in two Covid years, the last one having been also in another country (Thailand), and in another language (Thai). I learned much in the process, not the least of which was facing and staring down that creatively destructive energy called DOUBT.
I also learned how to engage with a Zoom audience. A technical glitch early in the program - most unfortunately - did not allow me to see my Zoom audience at all, so I did not have the opportunity to say hello to my audience, or welcome each by name as I would have liked to do, but even so the presentation was well received, as the twenty or so participants were still present at the end of the two hour workshop, and they seemed to have enjoyed the group writing activities that they took part in.
I very much appreciated the opportunity to reconnect with my local music community, and the engagement of the Zoom audience. As they say, the greater the challenge, the greater the reward. This aptly describes the experience, and I am grateful to both Sask Music and the Regina Regional Songwriters Group for the invitation to present this workshop.
If you CLICK HERE you will be able to access the full video recording of the workshop, which also includes three song performances, but the same nasty little tech gremlins who would not allow me to see the Zoom participants were also responsible for eating up the first five minutes of the presentation. Hence be aware that it feels at first like you are jumping into the middle of the presentation, but really all you've missed is me briefly tracing back over my forty year history as an artist, which you can easily read about in my ARTIST BIO, and my studies with Musical U which I discussed in my last blog post.
I was invited by the Regina Regional Songwriter's Group and Sask Music to present a workshop on songwriting. It was my first presentation for both a live and a Zoom online audience. It was also my first live performance in two Covid years, the last one having been also in another country (Thailand), and in another language (Thai). I learned much in the process, not the least of which was facing and staring down that creatively destructive energy called DOUBT.
I also learned how to engage with a Zoom audience. A technical glitch early in the program - most unfortunately - did not allow me to see my Zoom audience at all, so I did not have the opportunity to say hello to my audience, or welcome each by name as I would have liked to do, but even so the presentation was well received, as the twenty or so participants were still present at the end of the two hour workshop, and they seemed to have enjoyed the group writing activities that they took part in.
I very much appreciated the opportunity to reconnect with my local music community, and the engagement of the Zoom audience. As they say, the greater the challenge, the greater the reward. This aptly describes the experience, and I am grateful to both Sask Music and the Regina Regional Songwriters Group for the invitation to present this workshop.
If you CLICK HERE you will be able to access the full video recording of the workshop, which also includes three song performances, but the same nasty little tech gremlins who would not allow me to see the Zoom participants were also responsible for eating up the first five minutes of the presentation. Hence be aware that it feels at first like you are jumping into the middle of the presentation, but really all you've missed is me briefly tracing back over my forty year history as an artist, which you can easily read about in my ARTIST BIO, and my studies with Musical U which I discussed in my last blog post.
2020 - 2022
Since international travel has not been an option during this time, my studies of foreign languages have been replaced with study of the language of music. I have in fact devoted myself to this pursuit since September of 2020, and have just committed to another year of courses which will extend until at least February of 2023. My online studies are with Musical U, where I have become part of an extensive community of equally devoted learners. Although there is instruction in guitar, bass, piano, and voice, the primary teachings are not instrument specific, but are more comprehensively focused upon unleashing the musicality that resides within, connecting the brain, the hands, the heart, and the ears. The program is beyond excellent in a number of levels, with devoted, brilliant teachers, endless support, cutting edge innovative curriculum, and an amazingly supportive and dedicated community of learners who span the globe. My kind of travel at the moment.
So, during this time, because of these broader understandings I have, becoming more literate in the language of music, I have rather unintentionally been drawn to study a broader range of musical instruments as well. I find myself now the proud owner of a Les Paul Black Beauty Tuxedo electric guitar - whom I have named Lady Tux, after my last dog Tuxedo. I have also been studying harmonica, following another online course called Beginner to Boss , and enjoying it immensely, I now have a collection of harmonicas which enable me to delightfully jam along to music tracks on road trips. And, most recently, I became the proud owner of a hollow bodied, vintage Ibanez bass guitar, whom I have named Lady Kaye, after the great first lady of bass, Carole Kaye.
All of those instruments to play and study, along with my acoustic guitar, and voice training, has kept me very busy. The upcoming year courses will include songwriting, home recording, more solfa study, improvisation, performance, and harmony, and I hope as well to learn how to loop so I can play these all together. That would be a very gratifying evolution, as being able to share this with others would make this journey all the more meaningful. But for now, "let me introduce to you, the one and only Lady Kaye, bass guitar that I have come to love"!
Thank you for your interest in my music adventures.
Since international travel has not been an option during this time, my studies of foreign languages have been replaced with study of the language of music. I have in fact devoted myself to this pursuit since September of 2020, and have just committed to another year of courses which will extend until at least February of 2023. My online studies are with Musical U, where I have become part of an extensive community of equally devoted learners. Although there is instruction in guitar, bass, piano, and voice, the primary teachings are not instrument specific, but are more comprehensively focused upon unleashing the musicality that resides within, connecting the brain, the hands, the heart, and the ears. The program is beyond excellent in a number of levels, with devoted, brilliant teachers, endless support, cutting edge innovative curriculum, and an amazingly supportive and dedicated community of learners who span the globe. My kind of travel at the moment.
So, during this time, because of these broader understandings I have, becoming more literate in the language of music, I have rather unintentionally been drawn to study a broader range of musical instruments as well. I find myself now the proud owner of a Les Paul Black Beauty Tuxedo electric guitar - whom I have named Lady Tux, after my last dog Tuxedo. I have also been studying harmonica, following another online course called Beginner to Boss , and enjoying it immensely, I now have a collection of harmonicas which enable me to delightfully jam along to music tracks on road trips. And, most recently, I became the proud owner of a hollow bodied, vintage Ibanez bass guitar, whom I have named Lady Kaye, after the great first lady of bass, Carole Kaye.
All of those instruments to play and study, along with my acoustic guitar, and voice training, has kept me very busy. The upcoming year courses will include songwriting, home recording, more solfa study, improvisation, performance, and harmony, and I hope as well to learn how to loop so I can play these all together. That would be a very gratifying evolution, as being able to share this with others would make this journey all the more meaningful. But for now, "let me introduce to you, the one and only Lady Kaye, bass guitar that I have come to love"!
Thank you for your interest in my music adventures.
2020
Our customary travel adventures began in January 2020 and allowed us two glorious months in Thailand, where I continued my Thai language studies and managed to learn a very special Thai song. Anyone who has spent any time in Thailand will know that the previous Thai King who ruled the country for over sixty years was greatly loved and revered. So I learned to sing a song in his honour, one which everyone knows. And when I performed it with a few different Thai audiences, people where not only singing along immediately, but many had tears. This experience was definitely one of the highlights of my time in this country this year. I am an extreme beginner in the study of this language, but the powerful lyrics of this song, even being sung badly by one from another country, made for some beautiful connections. Thank you for your interest in my travel and music explorations.
Our customary travel adventures began in January 2020 and allowed us two glorious months in Thailand, where I continued my Thai language studies and managed to learn a very special Thai song. Anyone who has spent any time in Thailand will know that the previous Thai King who ruled the country for over sixty years was greatly loved and revered. So I learned to sing a song in his honour, one which everyone knows. And when I performed it with a few different Thai audiences, people where not only singing along immediately, but many had tears. This experience was definitely one of the highlights of my time in this country this year. I am an extreme beginner in the study of this language, but the powerful lyrics of this song, even being sung badly by one from another country, made for some beautiful connections. Thank you for your interest in my travel and music explorations.
Our travels next took us to Bali, where we arrived in March 2020, and watched from afar the arising Covid reality which we had tried to deny during our two months in Thailand. But alas, denial of the inevitable does not work, and we ultimately left the country exactly three days before the doors to Bali closed for what would be two years . The details of our journey home can be found on our travel blog. But home we did arrive safely, and have been in some degree or other of isolation ever since.
May 2019 to October 2019
Its been a very busy time on the home front since we returned from our travels. Almost immediately upon return my husband underwent knee surgery, which allowed me the opportunity to be a full time nurse for several weeks. It was busy, but I quite enjoyed it. Even so, I was still able during this time to take on a few private performances, some of which involved celebrating special days with seniors. Very heartwarming and rewarding. We have also undertaken a long awaited and much needed home renovation project - replacing a garage that has been sitting at precarious angles for years, begging to be rebuilt. Like most renovation projects, it is taking a long time, and is not yet complete. This process has involved a lot of clearing, both on the physical and psychological levels, inspiring space and new ways of looking at things. We also managed another Canada west road trip, this time to the interior of B.C., which - under the guidance of our adventurous off-road travelling son - involved crossing two mountain passes on precarious logging trails, taking us out of our comfort zones entirely.
It appears that " stepping out of comfort zones" may be the theme for this time, and the upcoming months as well, as I have also recently begun a transition from "Woman in Black" to "Silver Haired Woman of Wisdom": Every day is a new adventure, with many things on the go - volunteerism, participating in climate action, preparing for future travel, and changing images, all while continuing to share a little music. As there is much experience and growth on a number of fronts, perhaps there will be a song or two conceived in the process. Thank you for your interest in these adventures.
January 2019 to May 2019
The Bev Zizzy 2019 World Tour . To follow events as they unfold, please follow our travel blog @ www.mytb.org/The-Dreamchasers. Thank you for your interest in my music, and the travel adventures which inspire it.
June to December 2018
I choose to take on only a few performances this summer and fall, preferring to devote my time to a new, somewhat demanding, online guitar course I subscribed to shortly after I returned home. In so doing, I have begun playing comfortably with a flat pick for the first time in my life, a skill that has eluded me for decades, as my first introduction to playing the guitar was a year of study in the classical genre, inspiring my typically arpeggio style of playing blues, folk, and jazz. The online course introduced me to Blue Grass music, a genre I had previously had no interest in whatsoever.
Perhaps there is a bit of foreshadowing here. While doing an interview on Regina CJTR Community Radio Station program "Pickin' It Country' in July, the host Reg Wilke asked me what genre of music I might see myself performing if I were to change directions. At that time I responded "possibly Gospel, as my latest song ( yet unrecorded) has a very definite gospel feel". Little did I know then that I would actually be pursuing this direction fairly soon, as there is indeed a component of gospel music in the bluegrass genre, and I am perhaps the most surprised of all at this new genre interest.
I even attended a weekend workshop and jam session in Edmonton this fall, hosted by the Northern Bluegrass Music Society. I had the privilege of six hours of guitar instruction with Darryl Paulsen, Toronto Humber College School of Jazz Graduate, guitarist extraordinaire, and founding member of the Slocan Ramblers. I also had the distinct pleasure of jamming for several consecutive hours with an entourage of twenty plus musicians that included a banjo player, a stand-up base player, four mandolin players, and fifteen guitarists. During this time I was introduced to the very distinct and structured protocol of a Bluegrass jam session. I also performed with a very thrown together Bluegrass ensemble during the Band Slam sharing event. It was a delightful experience during which I acquired some new friendships, an awareness of a significant music subculture, and a great deal of respect for this new genre. It will be interesting to see where this journey leads.
Its been a very busy time on the home front since we returned from our travels. Almost immediately upon return my husband underwent knee surgery, which allowed me the opportunity to be a full time nurse for several weeks. It was busy, but I quite enjoyed it. Even so, I was still able during this time to take on a few private performances, some of which involved celebrating special days with seniors. Very heartwarming and rewarding. We have also undertaken a long awaited and much needed home renovation project - replacing a garage that has been sitting at precarious angles for years, begging to be rebuilt. Like most renovation projects, it is taking a long time, and is not yet complete. This process has involved a lot of clearing, both on the physical and psychological levels, inspiring space and new ways of looking at things. We also managed another Canada west road trip, this time to the interior of B.C., which - under the guidance of our adventurous off-road travelling son - involved crossing two mountain passes on precarious logging trails, taking us out of our comfort zones entirely.
It appears that " stepping out of comfort zones" may be the theme for this time, and the upcoming months as well, as I have also recently begun a transition from "Woman in Black" to "Silver Haired Woman of Wisdom": Every day is a new adventure, with many things on the go - volunteerism, participating in climate action, preparing for future travel, and changing images, all while continuing to share a little music. As there is much experience and growth on a number of fronts, perhaps there will be a song or two conceived in the process. Thank you for your interest in these adventures.
January 2019 to May 2019
The Bev Zizzy 2019 World Tour . To follow events as they unfold, please follow our travel blog @ www.mytb.org/The-Dreamchasers. Thank you for your interest in my music, and the travel adventures which inspire it.
June to December 2018
I choose to take on only a few performances this summer and fall, preferring to devote my time to a new, somewhat demanding, online guitar course I subscribed to shortly after I returned home. In so doing, I have begun playing comfortably with a flat pick for the first time in my life, a skill that has eluded me for decades, as my first introduction to playing the guitar was a year of study in the classical genre, inspiring my typically arpeggio style of playing blues, folk, and jazz. The online course introduced me to Blue Grass music, a genre I had previously had no interest in whatsoever.
Perhaps there is a bit of foreshadowing here. While doing an interview on Regina CJTR Community Radio Station program "Pickin' It Country' in July, the host Reg Wilke asked me what genre of music I might see myself performing if I were to change directions. At that time I responded "possibly Gospel, as my latest song ( yet unrecorded) has a very definite gospel feel". Little did I know then that I would actually be pursuing this direction fairly soon, as there is indeed a component of gospel music in the bluegrass genre, and I am perhaps the most surprised of all at this new genre interest.
I even attended a weekend workshop and jam session in Edmonton this fall, hosted by the Northern Bluegrass Music Society. I had the privilege of six hours of guitar instruction with Darryl Paulsen, Toronto Humber College School of Jazz Graduate, guitarist extraordinaire, and founding member of the Slocan Ramblers. I also had the distinct pleasure of jamming for several consecutive hours with an entourage of twenty plus musicians that included a banjo player, a stand-up base player, four mandolin players, and fifteen guitarists. During this time I was introduced to the very distinct and structured protocol of a Bluegrass jam session. I also performed with a very thrown together Bluegrass ensemble during the Band Slam sharing event. It was a delightful experience during which I acquired some new friendships, an awareness of a significant music subculture, and a great deal of respect for this new genre. It will be interesting to see where this journey leads.
January 2018 - May 2018 . The Bev Zizzy 2018 World Tour
This year's four month immersion in other cultures was driven by the continual motivations to meet new friends, celebrate diversity, improve fluency in Bahasa Indonesian, study yoga, and always continue speaking in the universal language of music . I am forever grateful for these wonderful opportunities.
One of my first musical adventures this trip was an impromptu performance with Indonesia's answer tp Steven Tyler at a restaurant bar in Kuta, Bali, at which time "Steven" sang a tribute to Stan, my husband, on his birthday. Surprising and totally fun. Other highlights include:
1.The Bev Zizzy and Friends 3rd Annual Concert at Genius Guest House on Gilli Trawangan Island, Lombok, Indonesia.
2. Visiting and sharing music with a delightful class of young school children at Alang Alang Montessori School in Sesala, Lombok, Indonesia.
3. Presenting a workshop to the students of Campuhan College in Ubud, Bali, introducing them to Saskatchewan and Canadian culture through a collection of music by Canadian artists accompanied by a slideshow of Saskatchewan landscapes. A significant part of the workshop also involved the student's sharing bio-poems they had written (in English) to introduce themselves, as well as leading them in singing the well known Indonesian folk songs I had recently learned. I created some of my own to kick off the exercise.
For the full details on each of these events, and more, visit our travel blog @ www.mytb.org/The-Dreamchasers
Thank you students and teachers of Campuhan College for inviting me to share stories, music, and song.
Terima kasih para siswa dan guru dari Campuhan College karena mengundang saya untuk berbagi cerita, musik, dan lagu.
For the complete details on our 2018 travel adventures visit our travel blog @ www.mytb.org/The-Dreamchasers
October 26 2017
G4G Panel Rep, Powered by Love Book Launch, University of Regina As an active member of the Stephen Lewis Foundation (SLF) Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign for the past decade, and having recently completed my sixth benefit concert for the Grandmothers for Grandmothers Regina (G4G Regina) earlier this month, I am excited to comment on this significant awareness raising event. "One day an army of grey-haired women will silently take over the world." Gloria Steinem On that note, it was a huge honor to represent G4G Regina as part of the Powered by Love book launch panel at the University of Regina on October 26th - even though I am neither an actual grandmother, nor have I yet embraced the grey hair:) |
It was even more of an honor to meet Meaza and Asnakech from Ethiopia, two of the many African grandmothers whose stories were beautifully documented in Joanna Henry's book Powered by Love, in which she poignantly unveils the rise of the Grandmother's movement across Sub-Saharan Africa and across Canada. It is the touching story of the African grandmothers, and that of their sisters, the Canadian grandmothers, worlds apart but deeply connected by compassion and devotion to a common cause - ending AIDS in Africa. It is a story of how this connection, this deep respect for women and their humanity, has evolved into an influential political movement of grandmothers who have survived the unfathomable to become community leaders and healers, fighting for their rights and for those of their children. Powered by Love is powerful testimony that from the depths of despair can come something extremely powerful and positive.
I have never been more proud to be a Grandmother. "You who are raising the children of the lost - you who are teaching by your lives and your stories. Perhaps in the future historians will look back and say: This is when humans re-discovered that we are linked, not ranked. This is when a lethal illness forced females to rebel and males to find their humanity in those who rescued them. This was the time of the grandmothers." Gloria Steinem Powered by Love is, at the time of this writing, rated #2 in the CBC non-fiction books category. It is available for purchase at the U of R bookstore, or online at Amazon.com. |
October 5 2017
BEV ZIZZY Auctioned Off! Well, I must admit this was a first! As part of the silent auction at the Regina Grandmothers for Grandmothers Annual Spring Gala in May, I was "purchased" for $700 to perform a house concert, all funds going to the Stephen Lewis Foundation to support Grandmothers in Sub-Saharan Africa raising grandchildren orphaned by AIDS. The house concert finally took place in October, as a beautifully crafted surprise birthday party. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this very worthwhile cause, and to all who attended the event and made it a completely delightful experience.
BEV ZIZZY Auctioned Off! Well, I must admit this was a first! As part of the silent auction at the Regina Grandmothers for Grandmothers Annual Spring Gala in May, I was "purchased" for $700 to perform a house concert, all funds going to the Stephen Lewis Foundation to support Grandmothers in Sub-Saharan Africa raising grandchildren orphaned by AIDS. The house concert finally took place in October, as a beautifully crafted surprise birthday party. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this very worthwhile cause, and to all who attended the event and made it a completely delightful experience.
September 2017 So What's Up With All the Yoga Poses?
Some people will do anything to get attention, some might say. Well, no doubt about it, this pose definitely works for that, and it has been great fun drawing attention to yoga. Some might also ask what the connection is between yoga and my music. A fair question. The answer is Everything. Every challenge, every accomplishment, every hill, every valley, every breath I take, every song I have written, every song I sing - all have been influenced by the practice of yoga I have been devoted to for over four decades, and its fundamental values that have shaped my life, all of which are reflected in my music. Thank you once again to London Belle for inviting me to share my Acoustic Soul at your venue. It was a pleasure.
September 19, 2017
The Hill Companies Harvard Developments Annual VIP Reception
The Hill Companies Harvard Developments Annual VIP Reception
I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to perform at the Hill Companies Harvard Developments Annual VIP Reception in the Mosaic Tower foyer this week. Much gratitude to Angela Lockhart and Andrea Bell, Harvard's creative, efficient, very professional Marketing team, for inviting me to be a part of this event, and to Brandon Farebrother of Evolution Presentation Technologies for beautifully covering the sound for this event.
It was a pleasure as well to hear Carmelle Pretzlaw and her Pile of Bows String Quartet who played before me, and to whom I owe thanks for this photo of the event!
August 19 2017 Opening Artist for the 2017 RIFFA CLASSIC Awards Ceremony
I am sincerely honored by a very special request to open the 2017 Regina International Film Festival Awards Ceremony with my deeply personal song Because of You. This song was originally written as a tribute to my daughter Tesalyn, who died in September 2002 when she was only 18 years old. It is a song whose essential message is one of gratitude to her for gifting me - via her brief life and tragic departure - with a much greater awareness and heightened sense of appreciation for this life, for the people in my life, for the precious time we have on this beautiful planet, and for a much deeper connection to the universe. I truly appreciate being invited to extend this gesture of gratitude to a far broader audience - to the filmmakers, past and present, who create for us awareness and compassion through their life work. Thank you for reaching out to us with your passion, your creativity, and your good energy, to inspire us to be kinder citizens of this world we all share. Because of You.
July 24 2017 Reflections on the LONDON BELLE experience
Although I have performed on numerous occasions as a jazz singer with my former bands Round Midnight & Black Magic at bars, restaurants, Jazz Society and corporate events, I do not typically perform as a solo artist in such settings, preferring instead the less distracting ambiance of a concert setting. However, this experience at the upscale, intimate London Belle restaurant venue was very rewarding, as the audience was warm, energized, and completely engaged, and the venue pretty much full for the entire three hour concert. Once again, thank you London Belle and Fairfield Inns & Suites for the invitation, and thank you to all my old and new friends who made it out and fostered this excellent experience. I look forward to seeing you again on September 29th, when I am now scheduled to be back there again!
Although I have performed on numerous occasions as a jazz singer with my former bands Round Midnight & Black Magic at bars, restaurants, Jazz Society and corporate events, I do not typically perform as a solo artist in such settings, preferring instead the less distracting ambiance of a concert setting. However, this experience at the upscale, intimate London Belle restaurant venue was very rewarding, as the audience was warm, energized, and completely engaged, and the venue pretty much full for the entire three hour concert. Once again, thank you London Belle and Fairfield Inns & Suites for the invitation, and thank you to all my old and new friends who made it out and fostered this excellent experience. I look forward to seeing you again on September 29th, when I am now scheduled to be back there again!
July 21 2017 THANK YOU LONDON BELLE. That was definitely fun!
Its not everyday one gets to drive down a main artery in their home city and look up and see themselves on a GIANT BILLBOARD, but there I was on Albert Street Regina Sask CANADA / a.k.a.Sask Hwy #6. A huge thank you to all who came out to my concert at London Belle and packed the place inside and out. Thank you London Belle and Fairfield Inn & Suites for inviting me to play this excellent gig!
April 23 2017 Going Viral in Taipei, Taiwan
Arriving at the musically themed Dandy Hotel in Taipei, Taiwan with two guitars in hand was a bit of a giveaway to my music background, so soon after I was invited to share some music with the hotel staff the next evening. However when I showed up to sing a couple of songs, I was asked if they could record my performance, immediately found myself singing to the backs of six mobile phones, and discovered that the performance had been recorded live and posted on the hotel's Facebook page! But the best part was this: prior to agreeing to the concert, I had "made a deal" with one of the staff that I would sing for them if he did a little homework first, and transcribed the lyrics for a well known Mandarin song from Chinese characters to English alphabet . Well he did his homework, so that evening, in addition to a couple of English songs, I sang a popular Chinese folk song in Mandarin, along with the staff. That was very, very cool. Now my homework assignment before returning next year is to nail performing that song again - in Mandarin. I definitely did not expect any of this, but that is what the universal language of music is - connection.
Looking forward to returning to the Dandy Hotel Tianjin Branch in Taiwan next spring to see these happy faces and do some more jammin' together in Mandarin. Plan to be ready to present / sing my current homework assignment and take on another new song to learn!
February 2017 Bev Zizzy from CANADA Live at Genius Bistro
I returned to Gillie Trawangan for my second annual concert at Genius Bistro, Gillie Trawangan, Lombok, Indonesia. I was again delighted to share the stage with local Indonesian artists. This year I was introduced to some of their music, and was inspired for the rest of the trip to familiarize myself with some very well known Indonesian soft rock singer/ songwriters to enhance my Indonesian language study. I now have a repertoire of a half dozen popular songs I can sing in both Indonesian and English. What a lovely way to connect with people who speak other languages!
January 2017 - May 2017 In Motion Again
With guitar, yoga mat, and diving gear packed, my dreamchaser husband and I take to the skies again. I am excited to resume Bahasa Indonesian language studies, underwater explorations, yoga studies. But most importantly, we look forward to surrounding ourselves with people who speak a different language, come from different social classes, and are of different ages than us. This is how we learn. This is how we grow. And always, we measure our journeys by the number of smiles we share. I have tried to capture some of these moments on our travel blog @ www.mytb/The-Dreamchasers
JAN 2017 Live Album Release
I am a perfectionist. It is a burden I carry, one which inspired my song "Taming My Demons" on the complete album "Standing on a Platform of KINDNESS" that I was releasing at this live concert. So I found myself facing a bit of a dilemma when deciding whether or not I should release some of the live tracks from the concert, as they are not perfect. I should have invested more money in the recording process that evening. I should have invested more to have the live tracks mixed after the concert. I should have invested in a videographer, so that I would have a video to promote the live album. There are many things that I perhaps should have done to make it better.
However, after investing enough funds into the studio production of my "KINDNESS" album that I could feasibly have applied to building a school somewhere, I decided against further investment in myself, and in feeding perfection. I was inspired by Sarah McLaughlin's 2006 "World on Fire" video in which she chose to spend $15 instead of $150,000 producing a basic performance video in her home, and then applied $150,000 to support numerous global social projects. So on a much smaller scale, I have allocated the funds I might have used to create a more perfect live sound recording to sending a girl in Tanzania to secondary school for the next four years, to micro financing a number of Kiva loans worldwide, and to supporting several community charities in my home town. Or, as I state lyrically in the album track "Little Things", "we can't do everything, but we can all do something. It's the little things that really matter." It feels more balanced, less about me, and more about sharing, while still sharing my music.
I believe the live concert experience was a beautiful testimony to the promise I try to deliver when performing. The experience with the audience was one of smiles, connection, and compassion; the energy throughout the evening positive and inspiring. I wanted to share some of that energy in "Moments of Kindness".
I am a perfectionist. It is a burden I carry, one which inspired my song "Taming My Demons" on the complete album "Standing on a Platform of KINDNESS" that I was releasing at this live concert. So I found myself facing a bit of a dilemma when deciding whether or not I should release some of the live tracks from the concert, as they are not perfect. I should have invested more money in the recording process that evening. I should have invested more to have the live tracks mixed after the concert. I should have invested in a videographer, so that I would have a video to promote the live album. There are many things that I perhaps should have done to make it better.
However, after investing enough funds into the studio production of my "KINDNESS" album that I could feasibly have applied to building a school somewhere, I decided against further investment in myself, and in feeding perfection. I was inspired by Sarah McLaughlin's 2006 "World on Fire" video in which she chose to spend $15 instead of $150,000 producing a basic performance video in her home, and then applied $150,000 to support numerous global social projects. So on a much smaller scale, I have allocated the funds I might have used to create a more perfect live sound recording to sending a girl in Tanzania to secondary school for the next four years, to micro financing a number of Kiva loans worldwide, and to supporting several community charities in my home town. Or, as I state lyrically in the album track "Little Things", "we can't do everything, but we can all do something. It's the little things that really matter." It feels more balanced, less about me, and more about sharing, while still sharing my music.
I believe the live concert experience was a beautiful testimony to the promise I try to deliver when performing. The experience with the audience was one of smiles, connection, and compassion; the energy throughout the evening positive and inspiring. I wanted to share some of that energy in "Moments of Kindness".
NOVEMBER 2016
PAGO GRANNIES BENEFIT CONCERT A RESOUNDING SUCCESS.
What a pleasure it was to observe the line up of people streaming in for this almost full house benefit concert organized by the Port Alberni Grandmothers (PAGO) chapter of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. It was an even greater pleasure to discover that a significant number of the audience members had been in attendance at the first benefit concert I performed for the PAGO Grannies two years ago, and were returning to hear more of my music! That was pretty heartwarming. I believe I may have a following in this town, and I am not gonna lie - that feels pretty sweet :)
The concert was an intimate, precious experience, with the audience fully engaged and listening attentively to every word, every note played. That is the most rewarding environment an artist can hope for, and it never fails to bring out the best in a performer. I wish I had been recording the event! I remain deeply touched and very grateful to this very special, caring and giving audience for providing me with such a beautiful experience.
But the best part of course is that the event raised over $1500 - more than double the amount raised at the 2014 concert - for the Stephen Lewis Foundation to help support grandmothers in sub-Saharan Africa who are raising over 18 million children who have been orphaned by AIDS. Much appreciation to the Port Alberni Grandmothers who made this all happen, and in particular to my very special sister-in -law Anna Cole - whose photo is featured in the Port Alberni News article - for spearheading this initiative. Thanks to Kristi Dobson of the Port Alberni Times for covering this event.
PAGO GRANNIES BENEFIT CONCERT A RESOUNDING SUCCESS.
What a pleasure it was to observe the line up of people streaming in for this almost full house benefit concert organized by the Port Alberni Grandmothers (PAGO) chapter of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. It was an even greater pleasure to discover that a significant number of the audience members had been in attendance at the first benefit concert I performed for the PAGO Grannies two years ago, and were returning to hear more of my music! That was pretty heartwarming. I believe I may have a following in this town, and I am not gonna lie - that feels pretty sweet :)
The concert was an intimate, precious experience, with the audience fully engaged and listening attentively to every word, every note played. That is the most rewarding environment an artist can hope for, and it never fails to bring out the best in a performer. I wish I had been recording the event! I remain deeply touched and very grateful to this very special, caring and giving audience for providing me with such a beautiful experience.
But the best part of course is that the event raised over $1500 - more than double the amount raised at the 2014 concert - for the Stephen Lewis Foundation to help support grandmothers in sub-Saharan Africa who are raising over 18 million children who have been orphaned by AIDS. Much appreciation to the Port Alberni Grandmothers who made this all happen, and in particular to my very special sister-in -law Anna Cole - whose photo is featured in the Port Alberni News article - for spearheading this initiative. Thanks to Kristi Dobson of the Port Alberni Times for covering this event.
OCTOBER 2016. NEW SINGLE "TWO YEARS GONE" RELEASED ON "GOT IT COVERED" ALBUM
FINALLY, the secret is out! Two months was a long time to have to keep quiet when I was really excited about a project! It was way back on August 8th when I learned I would be one of the fifteen artists included in the CJTR Radio Album Compilation GOT IT COVERED: SASKATCHEWAN ARTISTS COVER EACH OTHER'S MUSIC to raise funds in support of this excellent Regina community radio station! The Saskatchewan artist I chose to cover is Scott Richmond, and the track I chose to contribute to the album is Scott's Two Years Gone from his 2012 album Come What May.
I picked Scott because I believe he is an exceptionally gifted songwriter, composer, and performer who deserves to be highlighted and recognized for his talents. He is an artist with profound insight, heart and soul, and the talent with which to express it. My reasons for choosing "Two Years Gone "are many. The song resonated deeply with me the first time I heard it. “Two Years Gone” is perhaps my favorite song about Saskatchewan, for a number of reasons:
Regina's CJTR Community Radio has recently celebrated its fifteenth anniversary! Your purchase of this music directly supports CJTR and its continued support of local artists. Thank you.
BUY "TWO YEARS GONE" BUY "GOT IT COVERED" ALBUM COMPILATION
FINALLY, the secret is out! Two months was a long time to have to keep quiet when I was really excited about a project! It was way back on August 8th when I learned I would be one of the fifteen artists included in the CJTR Radio Album Compilation GOT IT COVERED: SASKATCHEWAN ARTISTS COVER EACH OTHER'S MUSIC to raise funds in support of this excellent Regina community radio station! The Saskatchewan artist I chose to cover is Scott Richmond, and the track I chose to contribute to the album is Scott's Two Years Gone from his 2012 album Come What May.
I picked Scott because I believe he is an exceptionally gifted songwriter, composer, and performer who deserves to be highlighted and recognized for his talents. He is an artist with profound insight, heart and soul, and the talent with which to express it. My reasons for choosing "Two Years Gone "are many. The song resonated deeply with me the first time I heard it. “Two Years Gone” is perhaps my favorite song about Saskatchewan, for a number of reasons:
- It celebrates the beauty of the province, with its flat lands ( “I miss the flat land of Saskatchewan”), warmth (“I miss the heat of a prairie sun”) and implied wide open skies and free open spirit;
- It celebrates pride in Canadian identity, in the opening lines, where the narrator references clinging to a bottle of Canadian Rye and Canada Dry when he is far away from home.
- I appreciate that the songwriter has actually succeeded in naturally fitting in the name of my home province -Saskatchewan - into the rhythm of the song, without it feeling awkward or cumbersome. Not an easy accomplishment, but well done.
- As a global traveller who, like the narrator, spends a lot of time away from home, I appreciate the feelings of pride expressed in the homeland. My husband and I rarely travel without numerous Canadian artifacts in the backpacks, and have been known to pack Canadian beer all across the world to eventually drink while at the Taj Mahal in India.
- Similarly, as a global traveler and perpetual soul seeker, I appreciate the more philosophical sentiments expressed when the narrator states “I can’t wait to get to where I’m goin” along with implied commentary on being without direction when simply “Watching time flow past this boat with no meaning, no meaning at all.”
Regina's CJTR Community Radio has recently celebrated its fifteenth anniversary! Your purchase of this music directly supports CJTR and its continued support of local artists. Thank you.
BUY "TWO YEARS GONE" BUY "GOT IT COVERED" ALBUM COMPILATION
AUGUST 2016. BACK IN THE STUDIO AGAIN.
Yes, all you need is love, and friends, and music, and with that inspiration I found myself, in August, back in the studio again doing a little recording project that came up rather unexpectedly. Something different. Something new. Something I have not done before, but will be excited to share the details about in next month's post, after it is completed. What I can share now is my appreciation to Mark Schmidt of Northern Town Productions for his contribution as recording engineer and co-producer of this project, and to Anthony Bzdell for enriching the recording with his abundant guitar talent. What a pleasure to work with such talented and devoted professionals.
JULY 2016 GRATITUDE FOR THE SOLD OUT CD RELEASE EVENT
It was a celebration of a personal artistic accomplishment which has taken me into new musical genres, supported by an incredible talent pool of local musicians whose creativity and ingenuity enhanced the evolution. I am grateful to the major media venues in my home town - CTV Morning, Global Regina, CBC Saskatchewan, CBC Radio Morning Addition, CBC Radio Afternoon Edition, CJTR 91.3 Radio, CBC Telejournal / French Television, and Regina Leader Post, who generously assisted in promoting this event, along with my innovative and efficient publicity team of Taron Cochrane and Jen Eisler . Thank you in particular to the lifetime of family, friends, acquaintances, former colleagues and students, as well as new music fans who came out to share the culmination of this thirteen month musical adventure. It was all I had hoped for and more, leaving me filled with gratitude and inspired to delve even further into my Delta Blues and Jazz Roots, chasing the next musical adventure.
It was a celebration of a personal artistic accomplishment which has taken me into new musical genres, supported by an incredible talent pool of local musicians whose creativity and ingenuity enhanced the evolution. I am grateful to the major media venues in my home town - CTV Morning, Global Regina, CBC Saskatchewan, CBC Radio Morning Addition, CBC Radio Afternoon Edition, CJTR 91.3 Radio, CBC Telejournal / French Television, and Regina Leader Post, who generously assisted in promoting this event, along with my innovative and efficient publicity team of Taron Cochrane and Jen Eisler . Thank you in particular to the lifetime of family, friends, acquaintances, former colleagues and students, as well as new music fans who came out to share the culmination of this thirteen month musical adventure. It was all I had hoped for and more, leaving me filled with gratitude and inspired to delve even further into my Delta Blues and Jazz Roots, chasing the next musical adventure.
13 TRACKS, 13 TALENTED ARTISTS, 13 MONTHS IN PRODUCTION and 5 consecutive months of DAY 13 RELEASES, all contributed to the very successful release of Bev's fourth album Standing on a platform of KINDNESS on June 17, 2016. In anticipation of the release, the following videos and tracks were released on the 13th day of the month, for five consecutive months:
JAN 13 Special Days
FEB 13 Little Things
MARCH 13 Walls
APRIL 13 Let Go
MAY 13 What a Friend Does ( 1st album single)
JUNE 3 Stay Soft (2nd album single)
JUNE 17 Standing on a platform of KINDNESS album release on iTunes.
JUNE 25 Album Release Event at THE ARTESIAN ON 13TH in Regina.
All four videos were produced by Brent Nielsen and are available on my youtube channel.
JAN 13 Special Days
FEB 13 Little Things
MARCH 13 Walls
APRIL 13 Let Go
MAY 13 What a Friend Does ( 1st album single)
JUNE 3 Stay Soft (2nd album single)
JUNE 17 Standing on a platform of KINDNESS album release on iTunes.
JUNE 25 Album Release Event at THE ARTESIAN ON 13TH in Regina.
All four videos were produced by Brent Nielsen and are available on my youtube channel.
JUNE 2016
13 MONTHS AFTER BEGINNING PRODUCTION, RELEASED: Standing on a platform of KINDNESS
Other than making the best album of my life, one of my sincere aspirations in this production was to acquire an authentic review from a respected source in the music industry who did not know me personally, but presented a review of my work based upon the work itself, and the artist behind the creation.
I have now an objective commentary for each of my single releases What a Friend Does (May 13th), Stay Soft (June 3) and a comprehensive review of my album Standing on a platform of KINDNESS (June 17). I have described this first full review on my Facebook Page as somewhat akin to the experience of a first kiss, in that it will likely be memorable an entire lifetime.
I had my first kiss from the music industry today. I have achieved my objective. The other kisses will come. Or not. They may be sweet. They may be bitter. Whatever will be will be. But the first kiss was amazing, and I am most grateful. Thank you Angela Shaffer of New York based www.punchland.com for your insightfulness, your connection to my music, your beautiful poetic writing style, and your incredible in depth album review "Bev Zizzy Bends Genre, 13, and Connectivity which has made this day so extra special. Thank you Taron Cochrane of TCE Entertainment for introducing Ms Shaffer to my music and initiating the contact. I truly feel at this moment that I am standing on a platform of KINDNESS shared by others, and am filled with gratitude. Thank you.
13 MONTHS AFTER BEGINNING PRODUCTION, RELEASED: Standing on a platform of KINDNESS
Other than making the best album of my life, one of my sincere aspirations in this production was to acquire an authentic review from a respected source in the music industry who did not know me personally, but presented a review of my work based upon the work itself, and the artist behind the creation.
I have now an objective commentary for each of my single releases What a Friend Does (May 13th), Stay Soft (June 3) and a comprehensive review of my album Standing on a platform of KINDNESS (June 17). I have described this first full review on my Facebook Page as somewhat akin to the experience of a first kiss, in that it will likely be memorable an entire lifetime.
I had my first kiss from the music industry today. I have achieved my objective. The other kisses will come. Or not. They may be sweet. They may be bitter. Whatever will be will be. But the first kiss was amazing, and I am most grateful. Thank you Angela Shaffer of New York based www.punchland.com for your insightfulness, your connection to my music, your beautiful poetic writing style, and your incredible in depth album review "Bev Zizzy Bends Genre, 13, and Connectivity which has made this day so extra special. Thank you Taron Cochrane of TCE Entertainment for introducing Ms Shaffer to my music and initiating the contact. I truly feel at this moment that I am standing on a platform of KINDNESS shared by others, and am filled with gratitude. Thank you.
MAY 2016
I chuckle to myself as I recall this fortune cookie I received in a celebration dinner the very same night I completed the studio production. That was five months ago. The fortune tellers apparently do not factor in the significant promotion elements that follow a production of this sort, but nonetheless, the prophesy may be unfolding soon, and will no doubt continue to be an adventure.
Inspired by the overseas adventures and numerous learning curves of the past five months, as well as the continuous slow release of four videos and two album singles, I am excited to be back home again and working diligently with my Publicist, Jen Eisler, and my Entertainment manager, Taron Cochrane, to promote locally, nationally, and internationally my upcoming album Standing on a platform of KINDNESS, to be released on June 17 2016. The official iTunes release will be followed one week later by an album release event that will bring back nine of the original 13 musicians who performed on the recording.
The June 25th CD release event promises to be a grand celebration, a culmination of 13 MONTHS of production at THE ARTESIAN ON 13TH, at which I hope to have the pleasure of connecting again with old and new friends I have known in this town, in this life, to thank them once more for supporting me in my ventures and keeping the music meaningful.
I chuckle to myself as I recall this fortune cookie I received in a celebration dinner the very same night I completed the studio production. That was five months ago. The fortune tellers apparently do not factor in the significant promotion elements that follow a production of this sort, but nonetheless, the prophesy may be unfolding soon, and will no doubt continue to be an adventure.
Inspired by the overseas adventures and numerous learning curves of the past five months, as well as the continuous slow release of four videos and two album singles, I am excited to be back home again and working diligently with my Publicist, Jen Eisler, and my Entertainment manager, Taron Cochrane, to promote locally, nationally, and internationally my upcoming album Standing on a platform of KINDNESS, to be released on June 17 2016. The official iTunes release will be followed one week later by an album release event that will bring back nine of the original 13 musicians who performed on the recording.
The June 25th CD release event promises to be a grand celebration, a culmination of 13 MONTHS of production at THE ARTESIAN ON 13TH, at which I hope to have the pleasure of connecting again with old and new friends I have known in this town, in this life, to thank them once more for supporting me in my ventures and keeping the music meaningful.
JANUARY 8, 2016: IN MOTION AGAIN
With album production complete at the end of November, developing marketing tools became an immediate priority. In the past five weeks I have completed four performance videos which I will be releasing over the next four months, have made a number of planning decisions for the offical album release in June, and have created several more social media marketing tools to develop and market the new album. These include a CBC Artist Page , a Soundcloud account which allows free streaming and downloads of my released music, and a You Tube Channel to which I will soon begin adding the recent videos recorded.
Now it is time to change the pace a bit, to return to my world of travel, exploration and foreign language study in Asia, and take time to embrace my travel guitar, Ramblin' Rose, again. She has been very lonely, watching me spend hours and hours every day in front of my computer, learning copious amounts about the music industry and taking advantage of the overwhelming opportunities technology provides for musicians to promote their art. But the time has come for needed rest and regeneration, so that I can hit the ground running upon return, ready to give my all to promoting the new album across the country and beyond, and to presenting a release event at The Artesian on June 25th that will showcase the amazing artists who contributed to the CD. I invite you to follow the adventures as I regularly post updates on the Dreamchasers travel blog, as well as add some travel videos throughout the journey. I look forward to another year of growth, creativity, and adventure which I will endeavour to share with you. Thank you for your continued interest and support in my music.
With album production complete at the end of November, developing marketing tools became an immediate priority. In the past five weeks I have completed four performance videos which I will be releasing over the next four months, have made a number of planning decisions for the offical album release in June, and have created several more social media marketing tools to develop and market the new album. These include a CBC Artist Page , a Soundcloud account which allows free streaming and downloads of my released music, and a You Tube Channel to which I will soon begin adding the recent videos recorded.
Now it is time to change the pace a bit, to return to my world of travel, exploration and foreign language study in Asia, and take time to embrace my travel guitar, Ramblin' Rose, again. She has been very lonely, watching me spend hours and hours every day in front of my computer, learning copious amounts about the music industry and taking advantage of the overwhelming opportunities technology provides for musicians to promote their art. But the time has come for needed rest and regeneration, so that I can hit the ground running upon return, ready to give my all to promoting the new album across the country and beyond, and to presenting a release event at The Artesian on June 25th that will showcase the amazing artists who contributed to the CD. I invite you to follow the adventures as I regularly post updates on the Dreamchasers travel blog, as well as add some travel videos throughout the journey. I look forward to another year of growth, creativity, and adventure which I will endeavour to share with you. Thank you for your continued interest and support in my music.
NOVEMBER 30, 2015:
"2015: THE YEAR OF THE ALBUM" PRODUCTION COMPLETE
I have been co-producing my album for seven months, writing material for it the previous six months. So it is not an exaggeration to say that 2015 has been THE YEAR OF THE ALBUM. It has been a very large commitment. Much larger than I first anticipated. I have worked extremely hard, devoting myself completely to this endeavor, freely and fully. In the process I have learned a great deal about studio production, about creating layers of music when building songs, about the endless possibilities for music arrangements working with talented sessional musicians, and about the music industry in general. It has been an amazing creative adventure. I am very grateful for the opportunity I have had to work with such stellar artists, in one of the best recording studios in western Canada, and deeply appreciative of the financial support I received from the Creative Saskatchewan Sound Recording Grant Program, as well as from my Indigogo Crowdfunding Campaign, both of which helped make this possible. I will be very proud to share the music when my album is officially released in June 2016.
In the meantime, the learning curve continues, as I now develop the tools needed to market the album, creating videos, graphics, and audio accounts to release the album singles over the winter months, updating websites and doing all I can to keep you informed via blogs and social media, from wherever I am in the world.
I am very grateful to Creative Saskatchewan, Sask Music, and to my friends, family and fans who supported this project. Thank you.
"2015: THE YEAR OF THE ALBUM" PRODUCTION COMPLETE
I have been co-producing my album for seven months, writing material for it the previous six months. So it is not an exaggeration to say that 2015 has been THE YEAR OF THE ALBUM. It has been a very large commitment. Much larger than I first anticipated. I have worked extremely hard, devoting myself completely to this endeavor, freely and fully. In the process I have learned a great deal about studio production, about creating layers of music when building songs, about the endless possibilities for music arrangements working with talented sessional musicians, and about the music industry in general. It has been an amazing creative adventure. I am very grateful for the opportunity I have had to work with such stellar artists, in one of the best recording studios in western Canada, and deeply appreciative of the financial support I received from the Creative Saskatchewan Sound Recording Grant Program, as well as from my Indigogo Crowdfunding Campaign, both of which helped make this possible. I will be very proud to share the music when my album is officially released in June 2016.
In the meantime, the learning curve continues, as I now develop the tools needed to market the album, creating videos, graphics, and audio accounts to release the album singles over the winter months, updating websites and doing all I can to keep you informed via blogs and social media, from wherever I am in the world.
I am very grateful to Creative Saskatchewan, Sask Music, and to my friends, family and fans who supported this project. Thank you.
OCTOBER 31, 2015: A VERY BUSY MONTH IN THE STUDIO
Session #6 (Oct 17-19) Session #7 (Oct 22) & Session #8 (Oct 26-29)
My intent had been to complete an update after every studio session, but the past month has been consumed with studio work, leaving me no extra time for posting updates. My producer and I have spent many, many hours in studio tracking the remaining instrumental arrangements desired: backup vocals, world percussion, piano, more sessional guitar tracks, as well as all my guitar tracks and finally, all my vocal tracks. Referring back to my previous home building analogy, adding the vocals is like putting the roof & siding on the house, completing the home construction - minus connecting all the plumbing, electricity and infrastructure and making sure it all works. The latter is analogous to the mixing of the tracks, which begins only after all the tracking has been completed. These studio sessions continued to enhance an already amazing production, thanks to the following additional artists who added their extensive talent and creativity to the project:
Session #6 (Oct 17-19) Session #7 (Oct 22) & Session #8 (Oct 26-29)
My intent had been to complete an update after every studio session, but the past month has been consumed with studio work, leaving me no extra time for posting updates. My producer and I have spent many, many hours in studio tracking the remaining instrumental arrangements desired: backup vocals, world percussion, piano, more sessional guitar tracks, as well as all my guitar tracks and finally, all my vocal tracks. Referring back to my previous home building analogy, adding the vocals is like putting the roof & siding on the house, completing the home construction - minus connecting all the plumbing, electricity and infrastructure and making sure it all works. The latter is analogous to the mixing of the tracks, which begins only after all the tracking has been completed. These studio sessions continued to enhance an already amazing production, thanks to the following additional artists who added their extensive talent and creativity to the project:
OCTOBER 5, 2015
Studio Session #3 (September 18-20th) Session #4 (September 22) and
Session #5 (October 2-4th) 2015 @CBC Studio 1
I have come to realize that a recording project of this magnitude is not entirely unlike building a house. The project keeps growing as you go along, adding more rooms or additions that you had not necessarily anticipated but that more so evolved during the design creation. By the same token, house building projects always seem to take more time than originally expected, and cost more. And there are always minor glitches to be anticipated - like sessions that take longer to complete for whatever reason, or occasional oversights in preparedness or session musician booking complications that can arise - all of which is part of a normal production.
To continue with the home building analogy, this house of music now has eleven rooms in the design, each representing a contributing performing artist. The album is also built with specific structure, starting with that of a strong rhythm section of drums, then bass instruments. Upon this solid rhythm foundation, the layers of additional musical instruments are added.
Several of the "rooms" have already been built, as the kit drums and bass tracks are now completed - including stand up bass, electric bass, and fretless bass. Most of the guitar tracks have also been completed, the banjo track, as well as the entire string section tracking of cello and violin. And in between the building, there is the assessing of the tracks, and the subsequent decision about what other instruments to add to the design. Such is the production process of an album of thirteen or fourteen tracks. It has been a busy month, with many long hours and much focus, but also with many magical moments. As I stated recently in a Facebook post, "Hearing my songs evolve with the extensive and amazingly talented cast of musicians in this production is like seeing my children grow up and reach their full potential. Feeling very proud."
Our next recording session on October 17th and 18th will bring in our pianist, the backing vocalists, the harmonica player, perhaps a little trumpet, and of course, some congas and shakers. But for now, allow me to introduce the musicians in the production to date:
Studio Session #3 (September 18-20th) Session #4 (September 22) and
Session #5 (October 2-4th) 2015 @CBC Studio 1
I have come to realize that a recording project of this magnitude is not entirely unlike building a house. The project keeps growing as you go along, adding more rooms or additions that you had not necessarily anticipated but that more so evolved during the design creation. By the same token, house building projects always seem to take more time than originally expected, and cost more. And there are always minor glitches to be anticipated - like sessions that take longer to complete for whatever reason, or occasional oversights in preparedness or session musician booking complications that can arise - all of which is part of a normal production.
To continue with the home building analogy, this house of music now has eleven rooms in the design, each representing a contributing performing artist. The album is also built with specific structure, starting with that of a strong rhythm section of drums, then bass instruments. Upon this solid rhythm foundation, the layers of additional musical instruments are added.
Several of the "rooms" have already been built, as the kit drums and bass tracks are now completed - including stand up bass, electric bass, and fretless bass. Most of the guitar tracks have also been completed, the banjo track, as well as the entire string section tracking of cello and violin. And in between the building, there is the assessing of the tracks, and the subsequent decision about what other instruments to add to the design. Such is the production process of an album of thirteen or fourteen tracks. It has been a busy month, with many long hours and much focus, but also with many magical moments. As I stated recently in a Facebook post, "Hearing my songs evolve with the extensive and amazingly talented cast of musicians in this production is like seeing my children grow up and reach their full potential. Feeling very proud."
Our next recording session on October 17th and 18th will bring in our pianist, the backing vocalists, the harmonica player, perhaps a little trumpet, and of course, some congas and shakers. But for now, allow me to introduce the musicians in the production to date:
Meet Producer, Chris Notenboom, Nuttree Productions, working out of CBC Studio 1, formerly of the Indie Band Sylvie, now focusing his immense talent and creative energy on engineering and producing music, while also still active in the music scene with his new band Robot Hive.
SEPTEMBER 2, 2015 LAYING THE GUIDE TRACKS Studio Session #2
Three nights in the studio and the meticulously in sync rhythmic, melodic, and vocal guide tracks are laid - thanks to Anthony (Buzz) Buzdell, who spent more than a few rehearsals with me learning how I play all my songs, so he could deliver them in my style with pristine timing while I focused on my equally in sync vocal delivery. What a lot of pressure! Producer Chris Notenboom is now happily armed with what he needs to enable the musicians involved to prepare, and I can now solidify my own playing while also relishing how amazing it will be to sing along with this pool of talented musicians backing me. The best ending to the session came, however, shortly after I arrived home to enjoy a quiet celebration dinner with my husband, and read the fortune cookie I got with my dinner, which said - and I'm not lyin' -
"The world will soon be ready to receive your talents." How sweet is that?
Studio Session 3 will see us laying tracks for bass, drums, and guitar embellishments, with strings being added in Session 4. The music adventure continues. Stay tuned.
Three nights in the studio and the meticulously in sync rhythmic, melodic, and vocal guide tracks are laid - thanks to Anthony (Buzz) Buzdell, who spent more than a few rehearsals with me learning how I play all my songs, so he could deliver them in my style with pristine timing while I focused on my equally in sync vocal delivery. What a lot of pressure! Producer Chris Notenboom is now happily armed with what he needs to enable the musicians involved to prepare, and I can now solidify my own playing while also relishing how amazing it will be to sing along with this pool of talented musicians backing me. The best ending to the session came, however, shortly after I arrived home to enjoy a quiet celebration dinner with my husband, and read the fortune cookie I got with my dinner, which said - and I'm not lyin' -
"The world will soon be ready to receive your talents." How sweet is that?
Studio Session 3 will see us laying tracks for bass, drums, and guitar embellishments, with strings being added in Session 4. The music adventure continues. Stay tuned.
AUGUST 31st, 2015. BEGINNING STUDIO WORK
Session # 1 Pre-Production
Every adventure begins when you first pull out the map and start planning. This current music adventure began ten months ago, in November 2014. Planning with my producer Chris Notenboom has been earnest and ongoing the entire time. Now, in September, 2015, all nine musicians are lined up and ready to be part of this adventure. We board the metaphorical plane this evening, as we begin the recording process for this very, very special project. It will be my first CD in six years, since the release of Woman in Black in 2009: a full seven years from one completed production to the next! It will be the best CD of my life to date, certainly reflecting my growth as an artist, but most importantly, the amazing talent and magical energy that is fuelling it from all involved. I am so grateful for this incredible journey!
Session # 1 Pre-Production
Every adventure begins when you first pull out the map and start planning. This current music adventure began ten months ago, in November 2014. Planning with my producer Chris Notenboom has been earnest and ongoing the entire time. Now, in September, 2015, all nine musicians are lined up and ready to be part of this adventure. We board the metaphorical plane this evening, as we begin the recording process for this very, very special project. It will be my first CD in six years, since the release of Woman in Black in 2009: a full seven years from one completed production to the next! It will be the best CD of my life to date, certainly reflecting my growth as an artist, but most importantly, the amazing talent and magical energy that is fuelling it from all involved. I am so grateful for this incredible journey!
AUGUST 28, 2015. MUSIC INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
As I begin to inform myself about the process I will need to follow to market the CD I am currently about to begin producing in the studio, I am learning much more about the protocol and language of the music industry. I discover I need a brand. I think this is some kind of logo. Then I learn that I have to get a designer to create an image to emulate that brand. This is market and industry talk. It perplexes me. So I do the research and discover that a brand is a promise an artist makes to his or her audience. It tells the audience what they can offer, and what they promise to deliver. It is not a logo. It is a statement of what an artist - or any marketer, for that matter - aims to live up to. It is your promise to your audience, which either builds or breaks your reputation depending on whether or not you deliver what you promise down the road.So from initially feeling like an idiot, I realize I have in fact been developing my artist brand since I first stepped on the stage as a singer / songwriter in 2003. I have been guided by the same purpose ever since, always subconsciously making the same promise to my audiences. Although I have grown extensively as an artist since then, the essential reason why I do what I do has never wavered. I like to believe I have been living up to my promise over the years. So, feeling so much smarter, I share with you the newly articulated version of my artist brand, which now sits proudly on the home page of my website at bevzizzy.com. And the golden girl image gets to stay as well. She is still me.
As I begin to inform myself about the process I will need to follow to market the CD I am currently about to begin producing in the studio, I am learning much more about the protocol and language of the music industry. I discover I need a brand. I think this is some kind of logo. Then I learn that I have to get a designer to create an image to emulate that brand. This is market and industry talk. It perplexes me. So I do the research and discover that a brand is a promise an artist makes to his or her audience. It tells the audience what they can offer, and what they promise to deliver. It is not a logo. It is a statement of what an artist - or any marketer, for that matter - aims to live up to. It is your promise to your audience, which either builds or breaks your reputation depending on whether or not you deliver what you promise down the road.So from initially feeling like an idiot, I realize I have in fact been developing my artist brand since I first stepped on the stage as a singer / songwriter in 2003. I have been guided by the same purpose ever since, always subconsciously making the same promise to my audiences. Although I have grown extensively as an artist since then, the essential reason why I do what I do has never wavered. I like to believe I have been living up to my promise over the years. So, feeling so much smarter, I share with you the newly articulated version of my artist brand, which now sits proudly on the home page of my website at bevzizzy.com. And the golden girl image gets to stay as well. She is still me.
MAY - AUGUST 2015
I hit the ground running upon arriving back on home soil to Saskatchewan Canada, immediately developing and launching an Indigogo Campaign to create interest in and invite my supporters to become part of the my upcoming music recording adventure. My goal was to raise $4500 to pay for half of my portion of the anticipated $18,000 CD budget, with the first $9,000 being covered by a Creative Saskatchewan Sound Recording Grant I am very appreciative of, and without which I would not be able to undertake this initiative. It was a risky venture, for one is never entirely sure how much support one will garner, made that much more challenging because I am much more comfortable raising funds on someone else's behalf, supporting numerous charities with my music over the years. I was therefore thrilled and very humbled to exceed my campaign goal by 114% before the campaign term. As a result, I had the opportunity to keep the site open and continue to offer the musical perks. Anyone interested in supporting and joining the adventure, which promises regular updates on the studio experience, can do so by visiting igg.me/at/jointhebevzizzyadventure
I hit the ground running upon arriving back on home soil to Saskatchewan Canada, immediately developing and launching an Indigogo Campaign to create interest in and invite my supporters to become part of the my upcoming music recording adventure. My goal was to raise $4500 to pay for half of my portion of the anticipated $18,000 CD budget, with the first $9,000 being covered by a Creative Saskatchewan Sound Recording Grant I am very appreciative of, and without which I would not be able to undertake this initiative. It was a risky venture, for one is never entirely sure how much support one will garner, made that much more challenging because I am much more comfortable raising funds on someone else's behalf, supporting numerous charities with my music over the years. I was therefore thrilled and very humbled to exceed my campaign goal by 114% before the campaign term. As a result, I had the opportunity to keep the site open and continue to offer the musical perks. Anyone interested in supporting and joining the adventure, which promises regular updates on the studio experience, can do so by visiting igg.me/at/jointhebevzizzyadventure
JANUARY TO MAY 2015.
OUT OF COUNTRY ENRICHMENT
The first four months of this year presented many opportunities for multi-cultural adventures and impromptu performances while traveling in Thailand and throughout Indonesia, which I invite you to share by visiting my travel blog at www.mytb.org/The-Dreamchasers
#zizzytravels #dreamchaserzizzy
OUT OF COUNTRY ENRICHMENT
The first four months of this year presented many opportunities for multi-cultural adventures and impromptu performances while traveling in Thailand and throughout Indonesia, which I invite you to share by visiting my travel blog at www.mytb.org/The-Dreamchasers
#zizzytravels #dreamchaserzizzy
SO THANKFUL FOR FIRST HAND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Travel experiences consistently enrich and inspire my songwriting, which I was very focused on during this period, as I was composing new material in preparation for my new album release in 2016.
Travel experiences consistently enrich and inspire my songwriting, which I was very focused on during this period, as I was composing new material in preparation for my new album release in 2016.