Well, here we all are a year and a half into wearing masks and trying to play it safe with Covid. I just got vaccine #3. Is that like Love Potion #9? Not quite. My arm was very sore for a week, but I'm grateful that we can get this protection. I've been writing a memoir. I've got 33 chapters written now. Just got my first big Developmental Edit back from my UK editor. After a week of freaking out from all her comments, I now realize …
Home HAIRCUTS and 175 days of quarantine!
Greetings everybody from day 175 of quarantine in the Covid pandemic. Being proud members of the Older Generation, we are staying very close to home for the duration...at least until air travel is safe again. Would really like to fly over to the middle of the Pacific right about now to see friends, but waiting for word that we can do it safely. Would love to hear what you have been doing to get through this very unusual time. For the past …
At the Grammys
As a voting member, I went to the Grammys for the first time in 2001, when the wild after-party was still in the cavernous downstairs at the Biltmore...ice sculptures spouting endless margueritas, top bands playing in room after room all at the same time, Grammy winners and nominees and friends all mingling. It really was an amazing experience for a music lover like myself. And Chris didn't want to go to the televised award ceremony, so he gave …
Roots Music of Corsica
Hi, everybody. On, Saturday June 17, 3-5pm Pacific, we did a show about our recent trip to Corsica. We have some very interesting music that we recorded of polyphonic singing and in the second hour, some personal fav delights from the Summer of Love decade. www.kalw.org and 91.7 fm in San Francisco. The show is archived on kalw.org until June 24, 2017. Just go to the Music Tab and look for the Folk Music & Beyond show. The …
Cathar Country in the South of France
Here we visit Chateau de Puilaurens, where Cathars took refuge after 1244. It was quite a climb, but I felt completely energized as one sometimes does on mountains full of quartz crystal. (i.e., Boynton Canyon in Sedona, Mauve's cairn in Ireland). 'The Ancient Winds An interesting article in Wkipedia tells us about the winds that sweep Cathar country: "The mistral played an important part in the life and culture of …
Notes from Paris
5/10/17. The Latin Quarter, Marais, and Seine Parisians enjoy much more freedom than we do in big American cities. They live in a pleasure-loving, walking-friendly, park-centric safe milieu--a comfortable take time-to-savor-life and people-focused city. It's fun to bargain shop Paris. World class, inexpensive cosmetics, lingere, scarves. Get a handful of small 💶 …
The Spiritual Side of Traveling Light
You have to trust the universe to travel light. Learn to enjoy taking less than you think you need, and watch for a rush of aliveness when you realize that you truly need need even less than you thought you did. You'll collect things along the way and often end up wearing the same thing for days, going from place to place. If it's hot, take morning and evening showers if you need to, to keep you and your clothes fresh. When …
Women in World Music: Living Legends
Many women around the world are considered living legends of music because they hold a leadership role in the evolving history of their art form. Here, you’ll find a sampling of beloved artists who are easy to find in local music stores, or you can clink on the links to find them online. An “A” list of living legend women singers and musicians should include Miriam Makeba (South Africa), Oukmou Sangare (Mali), Mariuam Doumbia (Mali), Lucilla …
Women in World Music: Historic Pioneers
From the earliest of times, the women of the world have been making music. Their voices have been lifted in song during dances, ceremonies, rituals, births, and deaths. They have played their instruments in Neolithic caves, on rural front porches, and on the exquisite world stages of today. A list of legendary international women singers and musicians from the 20th century would certainly include Amalia Rodrigues (Portugal), Carmen Miranda …