“…Trina takes her paints and her threads
And she weaves a pattern all her own
Annie bakes her cakes and her breads
And she gathers flowers for her home
For her home she gathers flowers
And Estrella dear companion
Colors up the sunshine hours
Pouring music down the canyon
Coloring the sunshine hours
They are the ladies of the canyon” – Ladies of the Canyon – by Joni Mitchell

It’s 1975 and I’m sitting in my tiny little house on Opera Drive in Bisbee, Arizona. I’m listening to one of my favorite albums of all time – Joni Mitchell’s, Ladies of the Canyon – listening to the title song. I’m kneading rye bread dough (triticale was my favorite bread to bake, but I baked a lot of rye as well), looking out my kitchen window at the little houses and shops that line the canyon walls. An ideal setting? Yes, it was. At times it felt like perfection. I related deeply to this song, living in this beautiful, tiny town on the border of Mexico. This picturesque community was filled (and filling) with artisans of all kinds – people who created with cameras, paint, cloth, clay, herbs, turquoise, silver, flowers, glass, food…smiles. Many people would simply pass-off the new occupants of this town as hippies… a blanket term that barely offered a glimpse into the spirit of these people. I was raised on the east coast – in a suburb of D.C, but Bisbee is my “hometown” because this is where I was able to shut out all of the “shoulds” and “supposed-tos” that I (and most of us) had been fed all my life. This is where I found my voice… not even realizing that it had been missing. This is where I discovered me. This is where I discovered that my family did not only consist of my parents and my siblings. My family has grown with every dear friend I’ve made. My family is huge.

I was then, and am now, surrounded by strong, capable, independent, and talented women. Back then many of us were single mothers – struggling to raise our children alone and committed to instilling them with a sense of community and an obligation to give back in whatever way they could. Many of these “children” are now living in and with community. They are integral parts of many peoples’ lives – lending their foresight, intelligence, compassion and strength.

I have witnessed some of my friends lives take horrific turns that would bring me to my knees. Many of us have lost a marriage, but how many of us have lost a child? I supported two very close friends through this unthinkable, twisted curse – watched them grieve. And then I watched them come back to life with a greater appreciation for what is still here. I lost my best friend to cancer almost 8 years ago and watched her adult children suffer with unspeakable grief. I recently held the hand of another dear friend as she passed on – also from cancer. These women passed with graceful courage. And although their stories were vastly different – I learned much from watching each of them. Having strength didn’t mean that they weren’t afraid, that they didn’t feel weak. It just meant that they faced what was coming and they knew they had the loving support of their families, friends, and community. We, their families and friends, grieved together – gaining strength from each other and helping one another to move on.

When I first moved to Bisbee, I went to weekly meetings for a women’s group. I went religiously. Talk about some powerful women! So, as we’re putting together a small women’s health clinic and a daycare co-op we were trying to knock down a lot of walls – walls built by men and the “powers that be” (yes, we were an energetic group). This is where I really came face-to-face with feminism. I’ve never really defined myself as a feminist (I’ve used the word “humanist” to describe myself many times), but I do ascribe to the principles and I worked for and fought for women to have equal footing just like the women who fought before us. Even though we’re still not there, I am proud that I am part of that process. It was during these meetings that I learned that the term “lady” or “ladies” was considered insulting to women. I immediately “got it”. Having been raised to “act like a lady” and “be ladylike” – the idea of denouncing the term thrilled me. I felt validated. In my upbringing a lady was a girl or woman who knew her place, never spoke her mind and often smiled through clinched teeth. She was primped and proper and never disagreed with anyone – especially a man. Anyone who knows me knows that this comes nowhere near describing me, or any of my friends. I spent much of the 70’s trying to unlearn everything that had to do with “being a lady”.

But, where then, did that leave the Ladies of the Canyon? I mean, here I was living in this haven with these wonderful women and men and when I heard Joni say the word – it was different. These women of the canyon that she sings about sounded lovely, sweet, independent, creative and free. They didn’t sound oppressed. They sounded like the women of Bisbee. When I think of the term “woman” I think of strength, integrity and substance. I think of the “ladies of the canyon”. It was during this time that I came to define my female friends and myself as women. It’s an ageless thing… not bound by young or old.

Painted Rose

Now, fast-forward 35 years later. I still have a visceral reaction to the term “ladies” much of the time. And it’s not only in the usual context where it’s used in a negative way – such as a stranger calling “Hey, Lady”. Perfectly well meaning, respectful woman can use the term and my hackles go up. I’ve been trying to figure out why it happens with certain references and not others. I am a business owner and it must have escaped me before, but I’ve just recently been hearing the term more and more. I did a poll on email and Facebook and asked women friends how they react to the term. I am amazed at the variety of responses. A couple of the women really didn’t care one way or the other. Most didn’t mind if it was used in conjunction with gentlemen. Of the women under 50 years old, most said that it was dependent on the context that it was used in and who was using it (some didn’t like it when a man used the term), but most preferred WOMAN. There were a few women who added their distain for the terms MA’AM and GIRL. GIRL was acceptable at times – when used by a group of women referring to themselves. Interestingly most of the woman over 50 had a very negative reaction to it and many of them are counselors or psychologists. One counselor referred to clients who felt powerless in a world where they were expected to behave in a prescribed manner… no voice, no power – “ladylike”.

When I consider my history in reference to this word and add to that my connection to some wonderful strong, yet gentle, women who speak for themselves and do for themselves, it’s no wonder I have a reaction to hearing a professional woman refer to her peers as “ladies”. Without experiencing the negative effects of the term, they would never consider that some of the women they are speaking to feel insulted. Most men who refer to their wife, partner, lover, friend as their lady – would never dream of insulting her. And if she doesn’t mind then there isn’t an issue. I’ve realized that when it becomes an issue for me is when I hear the word in context with “business ladies” or with the idea of “empowering ladies”. For me – and a whole generation of women and men – this is an oxymoron. How can one be empowered when one is behaving in a prescribed manner? It became obvious in the poll that this is a generational thing. The most preferred term seems to be woman, while many felt lady was okay in closed company. It was a landslide for women over 50 – for counselors, teachers, therapists, business owners, artists, chefs, designers, doctors, writers, moms, and grand moms – most of them found it insulting and some found it derogatory. It’s not that I can’t accept that this term is being used so freely – without an understanding of it’s potential harm. I’m actually relieved that the meaning seems to have changed over the years. I can only assume that this younger generation of women was not raised being told to be lady-like or to act like a lady. I did make a bad faux pas when my older daughter was younger (as she so recently reminded me) and scolded her a few times using the term “now, young lady”. I guess we can’t always escape the way we were parented – I certainly didn’t, much as I tried. Maybe a new definition really has been created for this old term that has branded so many women with inappropriate labels. Still… it brings me sadness to see so many complacent young women who are clueless about the road that was paved for them by us, by our mothers, and their mothers and on and on.

Lisa Macdonald pointed out in her article on the subject in Green Left Weekly that language reflects rather than shapes reality. But the reason the women’s movement struggles against sexist language is that language also reinforces reality.

Barbara White – Different Cultures and Languages – List of offensive words to be avoided
Lady: Avoid using this in place of “woman” unless you intend shadings of meanings that describe someone who is elegant, “refined”, and conscious of propriety and correct behavior. In most contexts this word is condescending. It also often serves to trivialize.

Common dictionary definitions for Lady:
1.  A well-mannered and considerate woman with high standards of proper behavior.
2. A woman regarded as proper and virtuous.
3. A well-behaved young girl.
4. A woman who is refined.

The origins of Lady?
f. hlāf LOAF + *-diġ- knead (cf. OE. dǣġe kneader of bread, female (farm) servant, dairy-woman; also DOUGH);

How ironic! The word was derived from the kneader of bread. And there I am kneading rye bread. I guess I’m a Lady of the Canyon after all. But I am not properly dressed nor well behaved, I am not refined and I am certainly not considered virtuous. Oh, maybe  “the lady doth protest too much”.

I have declared mutiny, jumped ship, gone AWOL, what have you. Around 12:30, with the lights off and everyone asleep, I slipped away from my aunt’s bedside, put on my coat, walked down three flights of stairs, and exited the hospital. I had hit the wall.

I have been at the hospital almost every night for the last week, including the last three days in a row, and today, I started feeling stir crazy for the first time. There wasn’t any real, concrete reason. My aunt’s final diagnosis was, while not perfect, still pretty good. Although it turned out my aunt DID have clear cell carcinoma (the trickier and more-prone-to-returning form of endometrial cancer), it was confirmed that they had caught it at Stage 1A, which is pretty much the earliest possible, so our main doctor and the hospital’s radiologist both agreed that my aunt wouldn’t need further treatment, neither radiation nor chemotherapy. Despite the good news, I felt frustration and a kind of panic attack growing from somewhere within me, and I knew I had to get out of that bed and out of the hospital to rejoin the world outside, if only for an hour or two.

It’s 1:36 A.M. now, and with a KFC chicken sandwich newly devoured within me and a computer at my fingertips at this Internet cafe, I feel a whole lot better. As much as I love my aunt and the rest of my family, the truly defining trait of my character is the overwhelming need for freedom, the freedom to live my life the way I want to. Although I wanted to help my aunt and be there for her the way I was, I could also feel myself growing dim and starting to suffocate, unable and unwilling to breathe someone else’s air for too long. So I am here, to breathe in a few more gulps to save me from drowning before I return to my aunt’s bedside. As Joni Mitchell said it so well, “We love our lovin’, but not like we love our freedom.” I hear you, Joni. I hear you.

Help Me – Joni Mitchell

“I get the urge for going
When the meadow grass is turning brown
Summertime is falling down and winter is closing in”

– “Urge for Going” by Joni Mitchell

Autumn in northern Michigan

Is anyone else feeling the pull of wanderlust this week? I never consciously think of fall as a season for travel; I associate summer with travel because of summer vacations past. But every time I hear Joni Mitchell’s “Urge for Going” I am overcome with a need to shuffle out of town with the rustling leaves. Joni captures so perfectly the melancholy of autumn. She strains to break free of it by up and leaving, physically moving away from lost loves, lost seasons, lost moments, but she also revels in it the way a small child jumps into a pile of leaves, knowing the damp rot is a necessary accompaniment to the sweet smell and ticklish embrace of the swept-up pieces of red and brown.

Autumn is my favorite season, and this year more than any other I’ve heard a lot of people saying the same thing. I think part of that has to do with this particular year for weather, since we had such an abbreviated summer that any sunny and mildly warm day in the fall is greeted with great enthusiasm. But there’s also the excitement of change, the sense that whatever pattern we lulled ourselves into in the heavy heat of summer can now be broken free of. Fall is when school starts up again, which of course was set to coincide with the harvest schedule on farms, so the growing season ends as the learning season starts. I like that we still follow this schedule, even though so many of us are completely removed from the seasonal rhythms of farms, because it recognizes the cyclical nature of the year–one thing ends, another begins, and both are cause for celebration. Even as we’re breaking free of some comfortable summer pattern, it’s not that that pattern was wrong or undesirable. It’s just that its time has come and gone, and now it’s time for another pattern or set of activities.

Ask anyone in my family and they’ll tell you what a hard time I have with change, especially with traditions. One year, my British grandparents were in town for Christmas, and the flurry of activity surrounding their visit somehow didn’t include decorating the tree. No one else was bothered, but the idea of having a Christmas without this part being the same as it was every other year made me want to cry. Finally, it was Christmas Eve, and I was about ready to bury myself in the snow rather than look at that unadorned tree any longer, so between the two church services, we pulled up the heavy wooden box from the basement and hung ornaments until that tree shone. I still get teased for that one.

The Findley Family Christmas Tree, circa 2005

Which is to say that accepting change as a natural and beautiful part of life has not been easy for me. I like making lists, I like things in order, I like knowing where I stand at all times. But autumn is a great reminder that this simply isn’t sustainable. Trees that just days before were full of green life are now thinned with yellow, and soon enough they’ll be waving their bare branches at the sky. If I spend all my time mourning those green leaves, I’ll miss the joy of the yellow ones, and even the stark beauty of the spindly brown branches. Metaphors aside, it’s true in my life as well; I was heartbroken to not marry T, but I became a more interesting person who I’m happy to spend time with because of it. I thought my first job was necessary for my career and didn’t want to leave for the opportunities I thought I’d miss if I did, but when I left I moved to the city and found a good group of friends and a sane job that were more important than succeeding in a dying industry.

I’m not saying everything happens for a reason. I can’t believe that and look at the daily tragedies so many people have to endure. And Zeus strike me down if I sound like a self-help book. But I do think that many changes that I used to fear–probably even the ones I still fear–can yield surprising results. They’re not always even better results, but just as my shadow grows longer with the lengthening of the nights, they are different; change of some sort is as inevitable as summer turning into fall. This is why autumn is my favorite season. I’m reminded every year that the world is in a state of constant flux, and there’s beauty to be found in all those changes.

Of course, those changes do awaken my wanderlust, previously lying sleepy in the long, sunny days of summer. As I walk around Humboldt Park on a crisp afternoon or mix up a cup of cocoa in the evening, part of me is appreciating the sights and sounds of Chicago this time of year, and part of me is wondering what it feels like in Morocco right now. Here’s a change my teenage self would never have believed possible: I can be perfectly content where I am and still long impossibly to be a thousand miles away. For now, like Joni, I “get the urge for going, but I never seem to go,” but you and I both know that soon enough, that too will change.

This is my city. A city of bridges in the midst of a lonely province centered within a vast prairie.

Joni Mitchell grew up here. This is the river she use to skate away on. The river doesn’t freeze hard enough anymore to skate on. Why? I suspect it is because the river now has a dam upon it. I hear that this keeps the river just above the freezing point no matter how cold winter gets. And, damn, it gets cold up here.

Here is Joni playing just down from the University Bridge. The art is by SCYAP , they have painted various traffic control boxes all around downtown. Another view of the same traffic control box is below.

I’ve lived in this city on and off since the 1980’s. I leave. I come back. It is my favourite Saskatchewan city. And yes, I have lived in other Saskatchewan cities. In this city, I’ve lived on the west side, the east side and downtown.

Each neighbourhood has a different flavour. Each decade has been different. I’ve watched the city ebb and flow. I watched it grow to engulf and swallow up the nearby prairie. I like it small. I’ve lived in bigger cities. I lived in warmer cities.

This is my city (for now).

I will leave you with several views of my favourite traffic control box. The pictures are in the order I think is most logical!

It is drawn in the tradition of pop art romance comics.

There is a lovely young ingenue and a villainous hero.

Will True Love prevail?

When an outsider comes to a new place, he sees the picturesque and the freakish, whereas the local sees through layers of emotion and memory (Walter Benjamin).

This is my city.

I visited my hairdresser today and she showed me a picture of her only son. He signed up with Canada’s military a few months ago and is away from home for the first time ever, in basic training. He’s 18.

Last time I was there, she spoke of him with pride but I could see she was also afraid — of the possibility he’d be sent to Afghanistan someday soon. Although we don’t usually exchange gifts, I brought her a small one today. And I also told her about this story that a friend sent to me. Not sure where it came from originally, but wanted to share it.

Red Fridays

“Last week I was in Toronto , Ontario attending a conference. While I was in the airport, returning home, I heard several people behind me beginning to clap and cheer. I immediately turned around and witnessed one of the greatest acts of patriotism I have ever seen.

“Moving through the terminal was a group of 30 to 40 soldiers in their camos. As they began heading to their gate, everyone (well almost everyone) was abruptly to their feet with their hands waving and cheering.

“I immediately stopped and began clapping for these young unsung heroes who are putting their lives on the line everyday for us so we can go to church, school, work and home without fear or reprisal. Just when I thought I could not be more proud of my country or of our service men and women, a young girl, not more than 6 or 7 years old, ran up to one of the male soldiers. He kneeled down and said ‘hi.’

“The little girl then asked him if he would give something to her  daddy for her. The young soldier, who didn’t look any older than maybe 22 himself,  said he would try and what did she want to give to her Daddy. Then suddenly the little girl grabbed the neck of this soldier, gave him the biggest hug she could muster and then kissed him on the cheek.

“The mother of the little girl, who said her daughter’s name was Courtney, told the young soldier that her husband was a Soldier and had been in Afghanistan for 11 months now. As the mom was explaining how much her daughter Courtney missed her father, the young soldier began to tear up.

“When this temporarily single mom was done explaining her situation,  all of the soldiers huddled together for a brief second. Then one of the other servicemen pulled out a military-looking walkie- talkie. They started playing with the device and talking back and  forth on it..

“After about 10-15 seconds of this, the young soldier walked back over to Courtney, bent down and said this to her, ‘I spoke to your daddy and he told me to give this to you.’ He then hugged this little girl that he had just met and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He finished by saying ‘your daddy told me to tell you that he loves  you more than anything and he is coming home very soon.’

“The mom at this point was crying almost uncontrollably and as the young soldier stood to his feet, he saluted Courtney and her mom. I was standing no more than 6 feet away from this entire event.As the soldiers began to leave, heading towards their gate, people  resumed their applause. As I stood there applauding and looked around, there were very few dry eyes, including my own. That young soldier in one last act of selflessness, turned around and blew a kiss to Courtney with a tear rolling down his cheek.

“Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing Red every Friday. The reason? To show solidarity and support for our troops and their families. Let’s make Canada on every Friday a sea of red. The first thing a soldier says when asked ‘What can we do to make things better for you?’ is…We need your support and your prayers. Let’s show that support by wearing something red every Friday.”

I might just do that ….

P.S. This song came to mind after reading that story. Enjoy!

Amy Regan is a New York-based singer-songwriter with a big voice and even bigger dreams.  Just a short time into her career she has an EP available on iTunes, has played hundreds of shows and has been named one of Music Connection’s Hot 100 Unsigned Artists.  Influenced by a wide spectrum of musical veterans, her poppy folk sound speaks for itself.  On the road to major success, her music has just the kind of genuine soul we need on today’s conveyor belt of  mediocre pop music.  I got the chance to chat with Amy about a variety of things and brought the conversation here to share with you all the details.  Hear how she describes her music, her views on the music industry’s current state and who she dreams of co-headling a tour with.  Also find out if Amy plans on releasing a holiday album anytime soon and how you can get her brand new tunes for free.  That’s right, I said free.

If you had to write a review of your own music, without using the names of artists you may sound like, what words would you use to get the point across?  And who might want to listen to your music?

Hmmm.  I would say it’s pop music that takes influence from folk, rock and a little bit of jazz at times.  Some of my songs are lighthearted and playful, while other songs are introspective or soothing.  Young adults in their late teens, twenties or thirties who like smart but accessible music [would probably listen to my music].

How did you get your start playing and singing?  And when did you have your “ah-ha” moment when you realized you wanted to be a professional musician?

My first musical experiences were in musical theater.  I started doing community shows when I was ten and I think even at that point I knew I wanted to be a performer, even though back then I had dreams of Broadway.  I kept singing in school choirs, took voice lessons and when I was thirteen I started taking guitar lessons because I already had a few song ideas and wanted to start writing.  So within a few months I was writing songs and sometime around then I knew it was what I was meant to do.  I started piano around then too.

Was there any musical history in your family?

My grandmother was a singer, so that’s where I got my voice from, and I had a great-grandfather who was a multi-instrumentalist but my parents aren’t musicians at all.

That’s really cool.  Getting to the artists that influence you, there are always some obvious ones and some not-so obvious ones.  Who would you say influences you and is there a difference between the artists that influence you as a person and the artists that influence your music?

I’ve always loved Joni Mitchell, and a lot of people mention her when they hear my music.  I’m also a big Beatles fan.  I love jazz standards by George Gershwin and Cole Porter.  I think some of my slower songs definitely show that influence.  But I love all kinds of music, I studied classical music for many years so that also inspires me.  I also love rock bands like Radiohead and Coldplay.

Yeah I definitely heard Joni Mitchell the first time I heard you.  What’s your favorite Beatles album?

It’s so hard to have one since they are all so different.  Probably Sgt. Pepper’s [Lonely Hearts Club Band].

They are definitely all very different.  When people ask me that I say I have two; Please, Please Me and Abbey Road – one of their firsts and one of their lasts.

Yeah it’s just a big jump between the two.

It is.  So give us a look inside your songwriting process.  How does one of your songs come to be born?  Do you start with music or words?  Does it happen on its own or do you have to sit down and say “okay, now I’m going to write a song?”

They always start on their own.  Some finish on their own too but some others I need to sit down and work on for a bit.  Usually an idea for a chorus or melody pops into my head, sometimes with lyrics, sometimes without.  But my process continues to change over time, and I think that’s okay and actually good for you as a writer.  When I first started out I would always write the chord progression on guitar on piano first and then add a melody with lyrics simultaneously.  My more recent approach is more to start with a melody and then work in lyrics and finish the versus, bridges, etc.  So I haven’t written much with lyrics first, but recently I’ve had tons and tons of ideas of just lyrics without melody though they come with a very distinct rhythm.  So now I’ll have to find a way to finish those songs in this new way of writing.

Do you or have you shopped your music to the majors?  Or even smaller labels?  Is it a goal of yours to be signed or are you happy playing, recording and traveling on your own?

It is definitely a goal of mine to be signed but at the right time and with the right company.  I’ve been shopping my music a bit, developing relationships with labels so we will see how things progress.

What do you think about the music industry in its current state?  Are you hopeful for its future (and yours) or does it make you nervous?

I’m incredibly hopeful.  I’m always optimistic and I think good things can happen at any time.  I think the industry is still struggling to adjust to all of the recent advances in technology, but eventually it will figure out how to rebalance itself and artists will still be able to make money.  How long that will take or how artists will make money is a different question, but I know this is what I need to do so I’m just going to hope for the best and keep on going!

What do you think of the demise of physical music?  If there was ever a protest to save vinyl, would you make a sign and go join the crowd?

I actually don’t have a record player but I’ve been meaning to get one and start listening to records.  I’m starting to adapt to the digital age.  Now  that iTunes albums come with digital booklets with artwork, lyrics, etc, it’s essentially the same thing as owning a physical copy except it takes up  less space and gives you less of a headache when you’re trying to clean out your closet 5 years later.  So although I’m always going to look fondly upon the days when I would lay on my bed curled up with a CD booklet, I also look forward to curling up with my laptop!

Tell us what a day in the life of Amy Regan is.

Well it’s different every day.  Today I spent some time in the studio working on some production ideas for a few tracks.  Then I worked on some college booking follow ups, went for a run and now I’m talking to you.  But other days could be spent traveling, then playing a show or rehearsals or meeting with a label, music industry person etc.  It definitely never gets old.

Who was the first person to tell you that you were crazy for trying to pursue music as a career?

Hmm.  Let’s see.  My high school guidance counselor wasn’t too happy when I tried to convince him I really didn’t need to take a higher level of science because I was going into music anyway.  He was super concerned that I wasn’t going to get into a good college and didn’t seem to take seriously the fact that I knew I wanted to be a musician.

Well that’s interesting.  Usually when I ask that question people say “no one!  Everyone was very supportive.”  I don’t buy it, there had to be someone along the way that was like “um.. you sure about that?”

[Laughs] yeah it was hard to think of.  I mean even though a lot of people were supportive I come from a pretty conservative town so pretty much any adult would look at me when I was younger and say “oh that’s great you want to go into music.”  But they would have this look on their face like “you’re never going to  make money and your life is going to be a living hell.”  But I’m pretty confident I’m going to prove them wrong.

I think you will.  Did you end up going to college?

Yes I did.  I graduated in ‘07 from Skidmore College.

What did you major in?

Music [laughs].  My one and only.

I should have known.  You play Rockwood Music Hall a lot, is there a particular venue out of every venue you’ve played that you absolutely love?

I play Rockwood and the Living Room a bunch, and I love them both.  They both have really different feels.

Do you travel for shows outside of New York City much?

Yeah I play a lot in Philly, DC and upstate NY.

Do  you have a favorite city or crowd to play for?  What was your best show ever?

I like different shows for different reasons.  A few of my Living Room shows have been really great, to play for a completely packed house with new and old faces, and to have the energy of a full band.  But sometimes it’s the shows I least expect to be my favorite that really remind about why I’m doing this.  I played at a bar in Philly last week and I really didn’t know what to expect.  I didn’t know if I’d be playing for 2 people or 20 people or if they’d even be paying attention.  It turned out the place was totally packed but it was a really relaxed atmosphere so they were all quiet and attentive and I felt I really had the chance to connect with them.

Nice.  If you could tour or perform with any artist(s), living or not, who would it be?

My dream is to open for John Mayer – or co-headline, I mean if we’re dreaming here.

I would buy a ticket to that show.  So I know you’ve got new songs happening and singer-songwriters are generally not the first to jump at this, but would you ever consider doing a holiday album?

Definitely!  I love holiday music [laughs] just not at this point in my career.  I’d definitely want to be further along in my career to do that.

That makes sense.  What would you want to put on it?  I’m not even a musician but I hear Christmas music and I’m always like “oh man, I’d definitely sing that on my holiday album!”

Hmmm.  A lot of great classics like “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire),” “White Christmas,” maybe “All I Want for Christmas is You.”  There are so many.

Good choices.  So what’s next for you?  Any big ideas coming along?

I just finished two new singles which I’ll be releasing very soon, in fact my show at Rockwood Music Hall on December 7th will be my Singles Release Show and everyone who goes will get a free copy!  And then I’ll be working in the studio this winter and spring and will be releasing a full album in the spring/early summer of 2010.  And I’m playing a bunch of shows in New York and all over the northeast, too!

You can see Amy at Rockwood Music Hall at 9pm on December 7th (and get your free copy of her new singles) and you can purchase her current EP And Then There is This on iTunes or amazon.  For more tour dates, videos and information on Amy Regan, visit the below links.

Amy’s:
MySpace
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Blog

Hola! I just have to make it through three more days of classes before a nice little break, then back to school for exams, then home for a big break! YYEESSS

I have been good, really good. I feel like when I keep busy, it helps to keep my mind off of things. It really helps.

Why is it that I have just discovered Joni Mitchell? WHAT? I am quickly falling in love with her music.

OH YAYYY… I have found the PERFECT school for me to study abroad at.. and I am sooo excited about it. I just really think it is the perfect fit. I don’t the other schools I was considering seemed awesome, but when I went to my advising appointment, my advisor suggested this school. Only problem- it’s not an “exchange school” meaning I would not be able to pay my school’s tuition, I would have to pay there’s. Which is okay, because my advisor showed me how it evens up to be about the same. The only thing is I need to show this to my parents. They really wanted me to do an exchange school, for costs reasons. So hopefully everything will turn out okay!

I heard a cute story tonight. So this staunch atheist professor was going off on God, and said to a huge class, I will prove there is no God.. I will wait 10 minutes for God to knock me down. So anyways, he was being all cocky looking at his watch, and eventually some guy walks up to him and just pushes him to the ground. And the guys like “What are you doing?” And this guy goes, “God’s busy, so he sent me.” God works in mysterious ways! He is always using us.

I can’t say it enough how excited I am to go home.

Hmm, I was so mad last week with my whole living situation… if they hadn’t gone home this last weekend… I think I would have died. Well, not really.. but I was getting fed up with them. grr.

So my friend came to visit, and it was really a nice visit. She just always makes me wonder, because she’s an atheist.  Hmm..

Patience Samantha, Patience!

hmm, until next time,

-Samantha

Ontem a Mari me deixou um scrap com um vídeo dessas moças dizendo:

“Olha que coisa folk maravilhosa, super cult, super indie, Joni Mitchell wannabe. Já estou obcecada.” A Mari não é publicitária, mas soube fazer um belo teaser pro público alvo dela. =)

I had my first weigh-in since I went away to Hawkesbury today.  I’m so relieved to not have gained weight, it’s not even funny.  On top of being away from home, with all the stress that brings, I was also eating dinners in restaurants AND taking a break from working out.  I’m down 0.6 lbs and I’m really proud of that. 

I just wanted to thank everyone for the kind comments that you’ve left here over the last few weeks.  Recovering from this stupid gall bladder thing has been really hard and terrible.  I like to fancy myself Wonder Woman these days because I feel so great just about all the time, and this has been a terrible reminder that I don’t actually have super powers.

Don’t worry too much guys.  I’m taking good care of myself, following the doctors orders and taking it one step at a time.  I’m not so concerned about losing weight as I am backsliding on my fitness abilities.  I never thought the day would come where I would enjoy working out, but I do.  I miss the feeling I get deep inside after a workout.  There’s this calm, zen-like feeling that washes over me for hours after I finish at the gym and I really notice it’s absence.  I know that the gym will be there when I’m ready, but dammit!  I want to be ready now!

It will come though.  Until then, I’ll just enjoy that extra hour of sleep every morning.

In the center of the Upper Campus of the University of Hawai‘i at Mânoa, there is a green space. A quadrangle of pedestrian walkways canopied by rain trees, known as McCarthy Mall.
Every hour on the hour, when classes are in session, a human tide washes over the footpaths, a tide of students passing from lecture to lecture, of faculty passing from meeting to meeting. For ten, for fifteen minutes, the tide is at the full, then it abates, leaving the mall empty but for its trees, and in peace.

Not even the wrack of the human waves is visible during these ebbs. Not too long ago, as budget cuts threatened to cancel classes and terminate faculty, chalk scrawlings mussed the rigid order of the pavement, calling the partisans to arms. Now, however, though the finances are no better and none of the arguments has been resolved, the chalk is gone, and the only messages on McCarthy Mall advertise the reggae bands performing at the weekend campus concert.

As the noon hour approaches, a solitary woman appears at the Koko Head (east) end of the mall, near the library and the cafeteria, major traffic points. She plants a sandwich board in the middle of the principal walkway, and takes her station next to it. She is short, slender, slightly stooped, very gray, a woman likely nearer 70 years of age than 60.

The papers and posters on her sandwich board proclaim socialism. Socialism as it was when it galvanized entire student bodies on campuses throughout the United States, students who vigorously debated the ills of their own political system and the benefits of systems not their own, and often were sufficiently convinced that they knew better than their elders that they would drop in on the administrators of the universities that they were attending and commandeer their offices for awhile.

Students who were young when this woman was young.

She will speak with you if you show an interest in her or her message. Every once in awhile, a person will stop. An old friend, judging from the clothes and graying baldness, or a first-year student, judging from her clothes and the trapped! expression on her face.

But most of the time she spends alone in the noontime tide. Practically everyone rushes on past, ignoring her melodies or perhaps not hearing them, her folk tunes on vinyl drowned out by the ska and techno-pop on their iPods.

I watch her from the library veranda, and as I watch, I hear songs for aging children.

This is one.

Lyrics

  - O Ceallaigh
Copyright © 2009 Felloffatruck Publications. All wrongs deplored.
All opinions are mine as a private citizen.

Amelia Earhart in the air

The first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, she was a pioneering aviatrix who set many records. She was also an author and a champion of women’s rights.

Amelia Earhart in song

Joni Mitchell, Amelia, from the album Hejira. Evocative, memorable, timeless. Still sounds as fresh today as it did when first released in 1976.

Amelia Earhart in print

Adventure is worthwhile in itself.

Courage is the price that life exacts for granting peace.

Flying might not be all plain sailing, but the fun of it is worth the price.

In soloing – as in other activities – it is far easier to start something than it is to finish it.

Obviously I faced the possibility of not returning when first I considered going. Once faced and settled there really wasn’t any good reason to refer to it.

Please know that I am aware of the hazards. I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be a challenge to others.

The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure , the process is its own reward.

The woman who can create her own job is the woman who will win fame and fortune.

Women, like men, should try to do the impossible. And when they fail, their failure should be a challenge to others.

Books about Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart in film

Amelia Earhart in space

A scarf belonging to famed aviatrix Amelia Earhart will circle the Earth repeatedly as part of the personal cargo being carried into space by the astronauts of space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-129 mission.

Albert Bresnick was a personal photographer to Earhart, and now, astronaut Randy Bresnick is rekindling the family connection. The Marine aviator and first-time space flier received the white, green and red scarf from the 99s Museum of Women Pilots in Oklahoma City, an organization of female pilots that formed with the help of Earhart. Randy Bresnick is also bringing along a photo from the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum in Atchison, Kan…….more

Help! I need a new musical obsession to propel me into tomorrow. The old ways of finding new music aren’t working anymore and the new ones are coming up short too.

I used to stay up to speed with the latest bands and artists through Rolling Stone, local newspapers, friends, and radio. But most of the time I haven’t heard of the “musicians” on the Billboard Top 20 chart. I’ve subscribed to Sirius satellite radio for a couple of years and like it, but even with all their commercial-free music channels, they have repetitive playlists. If you listen to one channel all the time, you’ll hear the same “obscure” tracks over and over again, sometimes at the same time of day every day!

The College Rock chart used to be a great source of up and coming artists, but check out the college chart on last.fm (thanks to my nephew/musician Billy for turning me on to this site that lets you listen to full tracks for free)!  College students appear to be listening to the music I grew up with!! I can’t say I really blame them.

The top downloads on sites such as Rhapsody indicate musical tastes across the map. Here too, popular downloads seem to be old music other than Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga (and her latest seems absolutely ancient—good thing she has some new songs coming out on November 23). Sites like these tend to suggest, based on my preferences, classic rock bands, not new music.

I have already worn out the latest Indigo Girls CD, Poseidon and the Bitter Bug, which has great lyrics and some catchy tunes, if less of their classic harmonies.

But my obsession with their CD was nothing like my biggest obsession ever: an unknown alternative rock band called Ours from New York City who has never really made it. I listened to their debut CD Distorted Lullabies from start to finish 2-3 times a week, every week, for over a year, mostly during workouts. Besides the incredible voice of lead singer Jimmy Gnecco, something about the flow of the album, and the perfect meld of music and lyrics, got under my skin. It immediately spoke to my sensibilities and life philosophy. And because of that their music is cathartic. I’ve seem them/him perform live now six times.

It would be nice to find new music that does the same thing.

Below is a list of past and latest musical obsessions to give you a more complete idea of my preferences. In general, I gravitate towards singer/songwriters and alt-rock performers who have distinctive voices. I like songs with thoughtful lyrics and intense (some would say bombastic) delivery, whether ballads or up-tempo. I left off obvious unavoidable stalwarts like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, the Doors, Stevie Wonder.

* = will buy every CD even if I only listen to it once.

Major Obsessions

Lifelong Obsessions

Moderate Obsessions

Like But Not Obsessively

Madonna
Lady Gaga
Amy Winehouse
Cazwell
Kelly Clarkson
Atmosphere
The Killers
Travis
Keane
Tracy Chapman
kd lang
Brandi Carlile
KT Tunsall
Death Cab for Cutie
Ray LaMontagne
Pete Yorn

Sorry if I’ve given you too much information–it’s amazing how much music I like and listen to. But clearly, hip hop, rap, R&B, and pop like Mariah Carey don’t speak to me much. On November 23 there’s a slew of new albums being released including the first CDs for Kris Allen and Adam Lambert, but I’m not holding out much hope that they’ll become obsessions.

So let me know your suggestions of artists you know, or if you (or one of your music-obsessed friends—pass it on!) can suggest an online blog or music service that can sift through my preferences and spit out the next great thing, for me anyway, I will be very grateful.

And if you are the one to turn me on to my new obsession, I’ll buy you the box set of your choice ($50 or less)!

I, for one, tend to prefer older music to the music of today. There will be a much longer post about this coming soon. However here are a few of my favourite older artists and songs.

Joni Mitchell: Both Sides Now

Jefferson Airplane: White Rabbit

Blue Oyster Cult: Don’t fear the Reaper

Kansas: Carry on my Wayward Son

Ted Nugent: Stranglehold

Triumph: Fight The Good Fight

I admit to cheating but really, it is nearly impossible to whittle NPR’s original list down to 50, let alone 5. I justify my decision by grouping these two vocalists together because they’re both Canadian, amazingly talented and 5b has covered a few songs by 5a. Roll with it.

5a. Joni Mitchell: Born 1943 in Canada. She was a singer-songwriter during the rise of folk music in the 1960s. Her style of folk music is heavily influenced by jazz and pop.

My favorite album of hers is Court and Spark, and one of my favorite songs off it is “Help Me.” It’s so joyous and makes me think of the beginning of a new relationship when things are fresh and exciting. I guess that would be the “court and spark.” Here is a nice performance of the song.

*     *     *     *     *     *     *      *     *

5b. k.d. lang: Born 1961 in Canada. She actually started out as a country singer but as her career evolved, lang added pop, jazz standards, and torch songs to her repertoire. lang prefers to perform barefoot.

She has also covered a few Joni Mitchell songs, including “Help Me.” I almost like lang’s version better than the original, which is saying something since the original is great. Her voice is pure like Mitchell’s, but it packs a little more power. Check out her interpretation in this video from a Joni tribute concert.

Also worth a listen is lang’s cover of Mitchell’s “A Case of You.” I almost feel like crying each time I hear it, it’s so beautiful. So maybe don’t listen to it in public, ha.

Thanks for sticking around while I raved about these great singers. There is just so much talent out there in this universe. Remember to visit NPR’s list and vote for your 5 favorite great voices.

My true love is north: I’ve been enjoying this Canadian band for months now. Join me. The Weather Station is fronted by singer Tamara Lindeman. Their latest album, “The Line,” is made up of dark folk elegies about personal loss, set to simple acoustic melodies meant to break your heart. A few reviewers are calling this album the female companion to Bon Iver’s “For Emma, Forever Ago.” Well, that’s not a bad description. Lindeman’s voice, which can sound a bit like Cat Power or Joni Mitchell, is a vehicle that transports listeners to where ever they want to go. One of my favorites is a song called “East.” Try out these gorgeous lyrics: “The ceiling lights have bruised your face / Your wings are tattered / Your feathers are disgrace / You are a bird that needs her space / But I want your heart … just in case.”

• Click here for a video promo for their album, or listen to “East” below:

To be good might be to keep going down my to-do list but this feels important. To celebrate–

• Ducts.org is publishing “Adorable // Manly” & “Authenticity of Address” (!!) I’m probably more excited than one might usually be about this, but it’s my  first “professional” publication (&I’m even getting $10 for it!) I will probably be obnoxious & post the link everywhere once it goes live. Though maybe its not “obnoxious.” I’m working on changing my perspective on different kinds of “self-promotion” that may not be “self-promotion” at all– simply sharing, starting conversations. Approaching the world with a modicum of self-worth.
• Jesse & I are making this tonight:

Sweet Potato, Eggplant, and Spinach Madras Curry

• Currently finding myself obsessed with Joni Mitchell’s debut album, Song to a Seagull. I’ve owned it for a few years, but its just now that I’ve given it the close listen it deserves. The influence of “classical” music on the rich emotional range of the album is obvious– I don’t think Joni’s voice gets more intense on any other album.
• Went to the gym for the first time in a month yesterday. Forgot my locker combo, but it felt good to go on the elliptical.
• Sarah Schulman lecture on Families & Homophobia tomorrow (!!)
• Time with my mum this weekend– I’m going to approach it as our Thanksgiving, my time to give thanks for her & the life she has helped to provide for me, since I won’t be home for the actual holiday.

I need to give my weekend hibernation the credit due to it– listening to my body & resting when I need it has cleared up a few misconceptions about what was causing me anxiety & sadness last week. I feel so open to what’s ahead of me. I don’t just want to stay in this feeling– I want to go forward…

From Making Waves

Amchitka is the rock concert that launched Greenpeace. It’s also the concert that launched a ship: the Phyllis McCormack, which sailed out into the first Greenpeace action protesting US nuclear testing in the Aleutian Islands.

Bruce Cox, Executive Director of Greenpeace Canada posted this blog entry on GP Canada’s blog:

Tapes Unearthed
Read Bruce’s original entry

After 39 years “in hiding”, today Greenpeace released “Amchitka: the 1970 concert that launched Greenpeace”, a 2-CD recording of the pivotal benefit concert that started a movement.
the 1970 concert that launched Greenpeace

On Oct 16th 1970, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Phil Ochs played a benefit concert in Vancouver, BC that funded the first voyage of Greenpeace. Nearly four decades later, the artists and family have generously donated their music to help the environment again – all proceeds of the CD will go to Greenpeace.

This rare recording is a piece of Greenpeace history, a piece of Canadian history and unexpectedly, a rare musical gem.

The album captures a young Joni Mitchell surfing the acclaim of “Ladies of the Canyon” and about to release her landmark “Blue” album. James Taylor’s “Sweet Baby James” album has just gone platinum – that night. And Phil Ochs provides a political edge fitting to the evening. Never before released tunes…Joni Mitchell performing soon-to-be classics (not yet committed to vinyl)…and an amazing Joni and James duet capture the magic of the evening.

You’ll be able to purchase a downloadable digital copy of the album within the next day or so, or order a hard copy of the CD, which is a beautiful package that includes a 48 page booklet with never before seen photos from the concert and an excellent first hand account essay of the making of the concert.

Check out songs from Amchitka now

>>Amchitka on Facebook
>>More blogging on our Climate Rescue Blog
>>Are you following us on Twitter?

Laura

Joni Mitchell

Rickie Lee Jones

Both Joni Mitchell and Rickie Lee Jones are talented singer/songwriters yet both have in the past  released  albums of cover versions.

First up is Joni:-

Released in 2000 “Both Sides Now” featured the re-working of two Joni classics, the title track and “A Case Of You” neither bettered the originals and to a degree this was a pattern which continued throughout the album.

Here are my two favourite tracks, first a brave take on Etta Jame’s signature tune “At Last” followed by “Comes Love”.

“At Last” – Joni Mitchell

“Comes Love” -  Joni Mitchell

To buy the music of Joni Mitchell click HERE

“It’s Like This” was also released in 2000 and from it I have chosen these two tracks.

“Cycle” best perhaps best known via the Sinatra version is follwed by the Charles Chaplin classic “Smile”

“Cycle” – Rickie Lee Jones

“Smile” – Rickie Lee Jones

To buy the music of Rickie Lee Jones click HERE

Rickie Lee Jones – Balm in Gilead (2009)

A perplexing, iconoclastic talent; responsible for one of the best and most heartbreaking albums of the eighties, or maybe any decade in “Pirates“, Rickie Lee Jones does exactly as she pleases with zero regard for the vulgar business of commerce. “Balm in Gilead” continues the return to form that began with “The Evening of My Best Day” and the gospel(s) inflected “Sermon on Exposition Boulevarde”. As usual with Rickie Lee, the tunes make themselves known slowly, fingerclicks, sketchy chord progressions gradually revealing their hooks. Pop? Jazz? Soul? Country? What the hell am I talking about! Genius. Rickie Lee Jones is one of the last of an old fashioned kind of artist, the type whose talent gave them no choice, the type that dedicated their life to their music. Comparisons are very rarely fair, but Rickie Lee Jones as singular as she is, gives Van Morrison, at his best, a run for his money.

Here is a version of “My Funny Valentine” – stoned, immaculate as somebody once said….