delays
Well, I got the CD's last Friday... the good news: they looked great! the bad news: there was a printing error with one of the images. the good news: the company is re-printing/packaging the discs free of charge. the bad news: more waiting!
So I know I kept telling you all that the CD will be available in "late April," but now it's looking like May 10th-ish. I'll keep you updated.
In other news, after a long break from shows (last one was last summer!) and open mics (haven't played at Lena's since... October?), I'm finally getting back on the scene a bit. You'll find me at Lena on Thursdays again, and next weekend I am opening for my friend James, at Jitters Cafe. Check out the performances page for more info on that.
That's all the news for now... sign up for the mailing list (if you aren't on it already--though if you are you've probably forgotten all about it! hehe) to get updates about the CD release, upcoming shows, and this website!
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| Apr 27th, 2007 @ 7:58 pm |
getting close!
I have my master disc, and the photos for my graphic design... so all's left is to pull together the art/layout and send everything off for production! Looks like I'm going to meet my April goal. :) I put a few tracks on my Myspace profile--Boundless, Cabernet, Unfolded, and This Must Be Hello. Hah, I just typed that "This Must Be Herro." That seems... Scooby-doo like. Anyway, if you want a preview of the final, check out those tracks. Once the CD is up for sale, I'll put a few of the tracks on my site here.
Stay tuned! Get it, tuned? |
| Mar 14th, 2007 @ 7:16 pm |
short update
Hey everyone, I just noticed my message board is not accepting posts, and neither is the blog (not like I've been writing anything to comment on)... oooooops. Anyway, the CD is going pretty well and I hope to release it in April. In the meantime, this website is going to get a few changes here and there, so apologies in advance if you find it "under construction" at some point.
I've been real busy finishing school, traveling, and now working full time... but I'm finally getting back to Lena's on a regular basis and hopefully things will continue to get less hectic as 2007 rolls on so I can focus on writing new songs and playing some gigs. :) And updating this site more than once every 6.5 months or so. ;)
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| Jan 30th, 2007 @ 11:27 pm |
proof that recording is under way!
OK, I guess that's not really proof. I do have a few rough demos up on my Myspace--Boundless, Unfolded, and Fool Like You. ]Er, well, Myspace doesn't always cooperate and actually PLAY them, but I don't want to put them up for download here, because they are just raw recordings with little or no effects/leveling/etc.] They will all have backup vocals and/or other instruments, but the versions I have online are just me and the piano. So things are coming along... I should have all the raw recordings done in December; mixing/effects in January--after that I'll be getting it mastered and getting photos for the CD cover and figuring out the layout... and the whole thing should be complete in March 2007. Maybe early April, knowing me.
I might start showing more evidence that I still exist sometime mid-January, once I'm done with school and a whirlwind of family visits and friend vacations. Maybe I'll even like, play a show sometime. How novel! I haven't even made it out to Lena recently... though I hope to get there at least once before Christmas.
Hope you all have a great holiday season! |
| Nov 21st, 2006 @ 10:30 pm |
| all right, I have seriously neglected this website lately. However! I start recording my CD this coming Sunday... and it will be finished (well, recording-wise--cover art, packaging, etc. comes later) within the next two months. Yay!
I wrote a new guitar song, called "A Life Like Mine," which I've played at Lena a couple times, and it will be on the CD. Once that is in the final stages I should be dusting off the ol' website with some new content. I can't believe I haven't written in the blog since MAY. Oy.
Although I'm not really keeping up with updating the performances, I'm at Lena pretty much every Thursday... other than that, I'm not booking anything as long as the CD is such a strong priority--but I will be looking to set up some dates come spring. And I'll be done with classes by then! So yes... I will see you when the air clears a bit. |
| Oct 18th, 2006 @ 9:50 pm |
hmmmmm
Wow, I haven't updated this page in months. I don't really have any news now--just the same old, I'll be working on my CD this fall--but I thought I should probably say /something/. All summer I've been helping to restore 100-year-old pianos, and having too many weekends spent largely in my car instead of staying home and being able to get anything done. But I do have a new kitten, who's awfully cute, even as she pesters me and my older cat to no end. She's decided she likes to sleep on my pillow right in my face. Hm, you know, all this stuff probably really belongs in a blog, not the front-page news. I'm supposed to be like, telling you about upcoming shows and events and such... well, um, there aren't any besides Caffe Lena... I know, I'm lame.
Until next time! |
| Aug 22nd, 2006 @ 11:36 pm |
summer!
That crazy spring semester is finally over, and my summer is looking pretty damn good. I'm in a new apartment now, which as of yet has no internet, so my online presence will be pretty sketchy for a while...
In the meantime, I'll be starting on my fall senior project (transcribing/recording a CD's worth of songs), which may include recording some demos. I'm not going to promise any new recordings soon, just because I know me and I know that might take a while to happen... I'm working on some new material now, although lyrics are being stubborn lately and aren't keeping up with my musical ideas. So I'm not sure when all the new fragments will form into actual songs... but this summer promises much more time and mental space to work on those things!
I have a gig booked with Gregory Rosenthal at the Night Sky Cafe in Schenectady--it's June 7th (Wednesday) at 8pm... for more info, check out the Performances page. I haven't actually been to the cafe yet, but I hear it's a nice new little place that's looking to contribute to a cozy but fresh music scene--so hopefully some of you can come out and support it! At any rate, it's my first non-open-mic appearance since February, and I think Gregory is just getting started with his own non-open-mic gigs, so it should be a fun time! =)
Also, finally updated my blog after a few months of neglecting it...
Hope all is well... and maybe I'll see you around the capital region music scene sometime this summer! =) |
| May 16th, 2006 @ 1:44 am |
"Bethena" orchestration
I've added a new music file (finally!) to the media section--it's not the usual singer-songwriter composition, however. It's the recording of the Skidmore orchestra (which includes me on harp) playing my arrangement of Scott Joplin's "Bethena: A Concert Waltz" [originally written for piano solo].
a few notes about the piece:
This recording is my orchestration derived from original piano score for "Bethena" [part of the goal was to preserve the composer's intent--melodies, harmonies, form, etc.]. The project was taken on for an orchestration class, and was sightread along with other class projects by the Skidmore orchestra on April 18th, 2006.
Please excuse the slight errors (wrong notes, uneven tempo changes, incorrect entrances, intonation issues)--the mostly-student orchestra did an excellent job playing this for only going through it twice! [This recording is of the second read-through.] Although there are a few minor changes to the score since the recording, they're probably nothing anyone but me (or a fellow orchestrator) would notice, and/or are simply to make it more readable/accessible for the players.
So there's something a little different! =) And totally representative of my music major geekiness. |
| Apr 20th, 2006 @ 4:42 pm |
| All right, so I don't really have much to say, or at least nothing about performances or new mp3's or anything of that sort. But I'm one of those people that checks artist websites to see if they've updated, and I always like seeing a new message even if they're just saying hello. So I thought I'd stop by and drop a note...
This semester has been crazy, and with a big orchestra concert and a couple big projects coming up, it's not slowing down just yet. Actually for the concert, my harp part in one of the pieces is in duet with the guest soloist (Mark Ludwig, Boston Symphony violist), so when I'm not getting schoolwork done I'll be holed up in a practice room with Clio. But classes end May 2nd, and semester ends May 13th... I can deal.
And then! I'll be in the area for the summer, and in fact through April 2007, as I got an apartment with a year lease. That, plus an internship with a piano tech in Troy, and my 21st birthday, make for a pretty cool summer after this semester finishes up. The plans I mentioned last post have been confirmed (part-time student in the fall to graduate in December; making my first CD for a senior project). Yay!
So hopefully once this semester gets over with, I'll have the time to do more with my music and performing, and will have something to post here besides "hey, I'm still alive!" In the meantime, maybe I'll see you at Lena on Thursdays... |
| Apr 18th, 2006 @ 2:42 am |
So the big news around here is that I'm going to be graduating early from Skidmore! I just have a couple classes left, which I'll finish in the fall. I'll also be doing my senior project then, a composition/tech combination--I'll be recording my first CD (11-12 original songs), plus transcribing those songs to solidify the "composition" half of it. My hope is to have the CD completely done in December, but it's possible the copying and packaging (and thus, releasing) parts of it will lag behind a bit. We'll see how it goes.
My plan right now is to stay around Saratoga through the summer and work in an internship or job, at least until classes start up again, but perhaps longer if all goes well. 2006 is turning out to be a big year!
I'm so busy with school lately, and haven't had the time to record anything in a while--some weeks I can hardly touch my guitar or a piano, as the harp is getting priority since I'm in the college's orchestra and this semester's music is pretty difficult. For the next month I will live and breathe Scott Joplin's "Bethena"--I'll be arranging that for full orchestra, which is going to take forever! Our orchestra will read it in April, and if the recording comes out decently I'll post it here...
So that's what's new... I have a lot going on and a lot to figure out, but in the meantime you can still find me at Caffe Lena almost every week (that is something to make time for)--not this one though, because I'm on "spring" break and home in New Hampshire... which is colder than Saratoga. A little backwards, but hey. I'm appreciating the extra time to play some catch-up (and pet the cats).
Hope all is well! Feel free to shoot me an e-mail to say hello! =) |
| Mar 12th, 2006 @ 11:20 am |
windstorms and music
I hope everyone in the Saratoga area is keeping warm! Skidmore has generators, so I've been fortunate enough to have full power in my dorm since Friday night, after the winds knocked out the region's power in the morning (and quite a few very large trees as well)... It has been a pretty crazy weekend all the same.
But in the meantime, I had the pleasure of seeing three great shows this weekend--the Aaron Goldberg Trio at Skidmore (holy wow), Matt Durfee / Rick Zar / Rob Jonas at Moon and River (it's been too long since I've seen Matt play, really), and Almost Awake and Steve Scarlata at the Daily Grind (it's been too long since I've seen either of them).
All the music has refreshed me and I'm just about ready for the coming week... this time I really am bringing my guitar to Lena, I mean it. I played a song on it at Peabody's last week--"Cabernet," whose lyrics are up on the media page. And I've started compiling a list of songs I definitely want on my first CD, which I hope to make into a senior project of sorts (perhaps paired with a performance in spring 2007). I plan to get some harp and guitar on there, as well as a few guest musicians to mix it up a bit. I got so excited thinking about it on the way home from Troy last night that I totally drove right by my exit.
So that's what's new... I don't have anything lined up besides open mics (namely Caffe Lena) for now, so that I can focus on practicing and polishing, writing and re-writing. Oh, yeah, and school too, I guess that is sort of important. ;)
Take care everyone! |
| Feb 19th, 2006 @ 11:39 am |
quick update
*points to sidebar on the right*
The Russell Sage gig this coming Monday (Feb. 13th) will be at the Buchman Pavillion on campus, off of First Street in downtown Troy [click the college name for directions and a campus map].
I'm still trying to settle into things... the next month should bring some closure as far as getting used to this semester's schedule, figuring out housing for next year (hopefully off-campus!), ...and whatever else I can manage to get my head around in the meantime.
I wish the weather would make up its mind as to being winter or spring... It's messing with my head. ;) Hope all is well with everyone! I'll let you know when I have anything important to say/show. ;) |
| Feb 10th, 2006 @ 12:48 pm |
| It's good to be back in Saratoga, and though I'll be keeping plenty busy with school this semester, I'm still finding time to work on guitar... I might be bringing it to Lena's open mic this coming Thursday--I just hope I don't have to follow Rick Zar or Maurizio, hehe ;) I have one full song written for guitar/voice now called "My Friend"; the lyrics for that are on the media page.
I'm also getting ready for a 2-hour cafe gig at Russell Sage College on Feb. 13th (not Feb. 6th as previously listed)... Some details are on the performances page--though I don't really know exactly where I'll be on campus at this point, so when I do I'll be sure to make a note of it on here, hehe.
One other thing, there's a new blog entry, called "dreamworld"... |
| Jan 27th, 2006 @ 3:39 pm |
| Guitar-playing is going well so far! I've had mine for a couple weeks, and have been playing it quite a lot, making much more progress than I ever did randomly pulling out Dad's guitar a couple times a year. Even if I still had no idea what I was doing, I would be happy enough with tougher fingertips that don't whine at me after 10 minutes of playing. ;) But although I'm far from calling myself a "guitarist," I've at least grown comfortable with the instrument and how it feels in my arms--and I've figured it out well enough to have started writing two songs on it {"Empty" and "It's All the Same"]. yay!
No recordings, of piano-songs or guitar-songs, yet--but in the meantime I have a new blog up... some thoughts on learning new/different instruments. Feel free to post any comments about it (click "Comments" underneath the entry on the blog page)! |
| Jan 9th, 2006 @ 4:20 am |
I hope everyone had a lovely holiday! I'm home in NH until the spring semester starts up, armed with a new guitar... and ample time to get in some much needed practice (on all my instruments, including my voice) that was on the back burner for the last couple months. I'm hoping to record my four or five newer songs over break, with the equipment I haven't gotten a chance to make use of yet; and just relax and regroup for the new year. The past year was so full of music--writing, performing, music events, hanging out with my musician friends... and I see much more of that coming up. =)
So I'll check back in when I have something to show for my time off... take care!
Jen |
| Dec 28th, 2005 @ 12:56 am |
I can't believe it's already mid-December! In a little more than a week I'll be home in NH for winter break, which I would be a little mopey about, except I'm only away for less than a month this time. And besides, I'm getting a guitar for Christmas! yay!
Anywho, a few updates here... my Composition recital went really well--we used the PA system for the vocals (and also mic'ed the piano), so the balance of all the parts sounded great. My professor recorded the entire concert, and I've put the recording of my song "Boundless" up on my page--it's not 100% perfect, but the essence is definitely there, and I like how it came out. My performers (Sarah Mahoney on backing vocals, Christopher Dauray on alto saxophone, and Clifton Ingram on jazz guitar) all played excellently--especially after a cramped rehearsal schedule for the few days before the concert.
So there's that new mp3, plus lyrics to a new song called "Lose Myself," a few more Performing photos (from my set at Moon & River back in October), a few new local-artist links, and a little blog entry.
Thanks to everyone who's posted on the message board or otherwise commented on the new site!! =)
and Happy Holidays!
Jen |
| Dec 14th, 2005 @ 3:23 pm |
My pretty new website is here! It took somewhat longer than expected, as apparently I am very "particular" (my mom's euphemism for "picky"), but it was worth the extra time. My brother designed and hand-coded this entire thing (with my input on layout/content)--his website is haffej.com, so if there is any website work you need done, I highly recommend him. He'll build band/artist sites like this one for only $250!
There are some new things added now, so feel free to browse around and check everything out. Several tracks from my September 21st show at Caffè Lena are posted on the mp3's page, including a few not previously recorded (Small Town Girl, To Walk Away, and Desperado [by the Eagles, featuring Dave Scheffel on harmonica]).
As for what's been going on with me lately... I can't say I've been too productive musically, and it's been a while since I performed, but I'll be back at Lena this coming Thursday (Dec. 8). On Sunday, Dec. 11, my Skidmore composition class is holding a recital to present pieces we've worked on throughout the semester. I'll be performing "Boundless" (lyrics are on the media page), with a few fellow students--a vocalist, an alto sax player, and a jazz guitarist. It's my most extensive and formal work to date, and I'm looking forward to seeing how that goes--some of my classmates have some really interesting pieces for the recital that are worth checking out, too.
So hopefully I will see some of you soon!
Take Care,
Jen |
| Dec 4th, 2005 @ 10:34 pm |
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