April Addendum - Coolio!

For many years I’ve entered songwriting contests.

The first one got me a 1st prize, some cash, and an opportunity to record the song at WMFT Studios in Chicago with Rich Warren. That was Singing Sands and it was played on The Midnight Special. That experience also made me a better singer because Rich has a way about him that is…hmmmmm….blunt, frank, unapologetic?? He asked me if I had ever had voice lessons and I immediately was ready to pat myself on the back for what I was certain was praise of my vocal skills. He then proceeded to tell me that I was ‘peaking out’ his recording equipment…”The Best Available” he assured me at the time. Considering that I was probably a foot from the mic when I recorded (per his instructions), I was shocked. But what that made me do was become a more analytical singer. I started noticing how I shaped sound. Now I teach others how to become explorers of their own vocal capacity and desires.

After that it was another competition that allowed me to go into a studio and record my first eight song cassette…..yes….you read right. Artwork by my friend Ronn Barany and lots of friends on the tracks…including David.

Fast forward. I took a bit of a sabbatical from contests until 2014 when I decided to enter the Acorn Songwriter Contest and ended up with 1st Runner Up with I Don’t Do Country. It was the audience that chose the winner and many people thought I should have won…but that’s the way the world goes ‘round….as John Prine said. That same song ended up as a finalist in The Great American Song Contest.

The following year I entered that GASC contest with Blessings and won 1st in Singer/Songwriter.

In 2018, back at The Acorn…I was 1st Runner Up again…with Dance Among The Stars and then in ‘21 or ‘22…I’ve lost track…I was a finalist with I Will Be Here Still.

Last fall I had two chords and one word that bounced around in me for weeks and weeks until at last a song was born out of reading ‘Die Wise’ by Stephen Jenkinson.

I was eager to record it and went into the studio and had it ready…all puns intended…as you will see….and entered GASC again.

I found out yesterday…during the eclipse actually…that I’m one of the finalists.

I’m feeling a lot like a Cameo Queen….those roles are where I get the most recognition in theater….and finalist and 1st Runner Up seems to be where I get my songwriting props.

Thus…if you’re ready….give a listen to ‘Ready’

April - 2024

Showers and Snow

In Miller, this particular little corner of Gary, Indiana….or Miller Beach, as many transplants from Illinois like to say they are from…completely ignoring that Gary is still the city name: We have one season that sucks. Well, part of a season.

Early Spring. The rest of the year we enjoy cooler in the Summer, warmer in Fall and Winter….but while the grand Goddess that is Lake Michigan warms to the shift closer to the sun, ever so slowly, we tend to be cooler and damper than the surrounding cities and towns. And, because we basically live in National Park environs, we have many trees.

I, for one, am grateful to have our peculiar little community nestled into woods and dunes. Except when, at 12 something A.M. a tree falls onto a power line and then takes out a swath of electrical service in the neighborhood. Fortunately for me, I have a generator. So I’m still cozy and making coffee and typing the “News” for jazzdakini.com, even though I’m still listening to the now annoying thrum of said generator.

Gratitude and Grumbles…..it’s a thing!

With that out of the way…and a few sips of coffee in me….here is the NEWS:

Remember how I said I was directing ‘Beautiful’ The Carole King Musical?? I think I even mentioned being perhaps a bit out of my gourd for agreeing after so many years away from directing musicals. Well….it is no longer on my plate. For the first time in my 37 years of participating in local theater, I walked away. There are many factors involved for me. I felt and feel angst for the devoted ones in the cast but my own physical and mental health require loving attention. I think I’ll stick with the Miller Community Theater right here in my odd-remarkable-diverse-beautiful duck Bubble that is Miller.

I’m now in a Songwriting Group. My friend Andy Baker, with whom I shared the bill in January, invited me and Mami Matsuda of Front Porch Music to join. I wrote my first one for February and am pleased. Last month the theater drain swallowed all my creative juices and I had to ‘take a mulligan’, as they say in the group.

I’ll be premiering it at The Art Attack at The Acorn Theater in Three Oaks with Buddy Pearson on board, April 25th. Should be an interesting evening and Buddy and I are background…but anything I get to do for The Acorn is good by me.

April 30th SongSisters: Amy Dixon-Kolar, Sue Fink and me, will be playing for a private event at Wesley Willlows in Rockford, IL.

Every time I see Wesley, I think of Star Trek: The Next Generation and laugh. If you know, you know. However, I’m sure that our gig will be fun and well attended.

May I’ll be traveling quite a bit, so no gigs at the moment.

June there are back to back SongSisters gigs and somewhere in the Fall I’ll be back at Wild Rose Moon in Plymouth with Andy.

I suppose that’s enough for now. The generator is still humming away and a service truck is in the alley. A good sign.

Hope you have power today. Energetically, Physically and in your Home.

Be good to you! See you on a warmer day!

~ patti

As always, hyperlinks in gray will take you to outside links you can check on. AND….please remember to support local, live music and theater. Now, more than ever. Thanks!

March - 2024

I know…I’ve been missing

Well…October, November, December, January and February escaped the NEWS part of my website.

It was full to overflowing for sure, including gigs with Buddy Pearson and the BP3 and one with songwriter friend Andy Baker at Front Porch Music in January. Actually a lot of gigs. But that was all on calendars and social media blurbs so I trust no one missed anything opportunity that they truly wanted to attend.

In February I directed The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler (now known as simple V) for The Miller Community Theater. My seventh time directing this show…only this time it was a script from Dramatists, a play service, that has been revised. Missing were the introductions that Eve wrote for the V DAY scripts. I missed those, however 16 local actresses took on the roles, including a young Transgender Woman and we raised around $5000 for The Sojourner Truth House in Gary that provides services for women and children. By all accounts, people’s lives were changed (words from their own mouths), our production and performances were compared to performances at The Goodman and Steppenwolf in Chicago and one woman told us that her POV on transgendered people had been completely altered for the good. Another man stood before me with tears, saying one of the monologues reminded him of the birth of his daughter. We sold out before we even opened. As director I had some moments of….ummm….near melt down….but fortunately my Assistant Director Rebecca White (incidentally of the Rebecca Ann Band) talked me off the ledge….lol. All in all…a marvelous, beautiful, life altering, bonding, Community Building experience and I am grateful.

Then, because, why the hell not….I have taken on the role of directing Beautiful - The Carole King Musical for the Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso. We open April 25th, and yes…I know! I have a gig that night…but if it is not ready for the stage on opening night???? My presence isn’t going to change that. I have some truly talented leads, including local singer/songwriter T.J. Aubuschon. Stay tuned for more information about that.

Meanwhile…I do have gigs upcoming…check the calendar page and am doing more Grief Literacy Advocacy, including leading a workshop for therapists for CEUs with my dear friend and MSW, Jason Kniola. More Soul Food for me.

I’d comment on the weather but…we all know it is an unusual….yeah…that’s generic enough…late winter, early spring.

Be good to yourselves….

Enjoy the new life popping out everywhere….

Hope to see you soon

Wearily,

patti

September 2023

Please don’t say Pumpkin Spice!

Yup….it’s that time again.

Some are still drinking margaritas….though admittedly some in honor of Jimmy Buffet….but the recent ‘snap’ in the air in the early morning hours has signaled the changing season. And if you happen to be a follower of astrology, there’re multiple planets in retrograde (always good for blaming circumstances beyond our control…”Well! Mercury IS in retrograde!!!”) AND tonight is the New Moon….in other words…do not look up expecting to seen Sister Moon’s face tonight! Apparently it is a time for shifting your intentions and energy into what you want to nurture in the next six months. So…go plant some seeds tonight….or do it symbolically…..

Anyways…

A few things. One is that last Saturday I got to spend some time with some corporate types teaching them about how they can shift their listening and cooperative skills by utilizing Circle Singing. I’ve done the work with this for a long time….and worked with High School Students, RN Midwives, Faith and Community Groups but this was a different horse all together…..and….we all rode high! Every team member felt the shift in awareness and much laughter ensued! As a result….I updated my Coaching & Workshop Page here to reflect that I am available for presenting to groups and organizations wanting a way to connect and understand each other using voice and play to facilitate that result!

NEXT UP!!

Thursday the 21st please join me with Leandro Lopez-Varady and Scott Pazera at The Marshall J Gardner Center 540 S Lake Street in Miller Beach for a evening of jazz. You get extra bonus points for attending…somewhere….because the Center is also an art gallery and you will also be supporting a community center! $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Here is the TICKET LINK.

(Take Hwy 20 to Old Hobart Road to Miller Ave to Lake Street) IMPORTANT because Lake Street is currently closed at Hwy 20 due to work on South Shore! Of course if you’re coming from the west there is still access, just follow the detour signs.

I LOVE playing with these guys and I love my community too…so I sure am looking forward to singing for you!

The very NEXT night, September 22nd, I’ll be with Leandro at Union Pier Social in Union Pier, MI from 7 to 10 EST. Great food and a laid back atmosphere. A last hurrah for the year…and an official “Hello Fall!” night there. Hopefully, as we had last year, it will be pleasant and we can be out on the patio.

October 7th I will be part of a live radio show special event for The Wild Rose Moon of Plymouth, IN that will take place at Merrimans’ Playhouse in South Bend, IN. I’ll be helping to jazz up the theme song and then sing a number with the house band as well! Tickets are available! WRM At Merrimans’

Later in October I’ll be at the FARM (Folk Alliance Regional Midwest) conference both solo and with SongSisters and meeting and hearing other ‘folkies’ and staying up waaay too late.

And finally, I’m going into Thunderclap Recording Studio again next month to get down a new song called ‘Lighthouse’ and will be releasing the ‘Song To The Longest Night’ soon, which features John Carpenter on Mandocello and Sue Demel of Sons Of The Never Wrong on backup vocals!

I think that’s it for now…. Oh! Here’s a pic of SongSisters at The Two Way Street Coffeehouse in Downer’s Grove, IL at our standing room only show from August 25th!

Now I’m going to go make a Pumpkin Spice Latte and chill!

Be good to yourselves my friends!

See you soon

~patti

PS: If you were ever a fan of my Uptown Trio days you can go my BANDCAMP page and listen and purchase digital. Finally got it up there! Yay!

Oh…and the first song lined up is Java Jive/Caffeine featuring a classic along with a tune by the terrific folk artist Patty Larkin!

August - Late August!

I’d say I have a good reason for not keeping you up on the news…but….

Well, Let us just say that June, July and Early August have been…..full. Yes, Full works.

I am so grateful for all of the opportunities that the Muse has presented me with this year. AND more to come!

This FRIDAY, AUGUST 25th I will be with SongSisters (Amy Dixon-Kolar, Sue Fink and Me) at the Venerable Two Way Street Coffeehouse in Downer’s Grove, IL for an 8:00PM Show. We have not been there in many years now and are looking forward to sharing some new tunes for us as well as audience faves.

September brings a Corporate Gig for me leading a Circle Sing to help demonstrate the concepts of Dissonance and Resonance in work environments.

And two jazz gigs: one at The Marshall J Gardner Center in Miller Beach on September 21st with Scott Pazera on bass and Leandro Lopez Varady on piano and then the next night in Southwest Michigan at Union Pier Social with Leandro.

October has the Folk Alliance Regional Midwest or FARM conference in Naperville, IL and November opens some opportunities to do Grief Rituals (using Circle Singing elements).

I’ve been accepted into the Francis Weller Grief Rituals Training that begins in September and so my music will become yet another tool for community service.

Had a recent experience that inspired a new tune….and so I’ll share the rough with you here.

Oh! And look for a newly mastered offering of a Solstice Song….soon to be on my BandCamp Page.

Remember that BandCamp is consistently the most friendly to artists…pay best and directly. Support your favorite artists there!

For now…stay cool….be good to you and keep saying “Yes” to Life

~ patti

May - oops!

Looks like I fell behind…

Spring in the Midwest, since this is my home, is often fraught. Warm! Ooooo!!! Delights of green popping up and gradually longer days. Birds singing mating songs, pulling worms, bees beginning to buzz about…and then….and then…snow. Or the bitter wind that wakes up the trees along with sun, then clouds, then….Well…most of you all know how it is.

Add to that, that here…by Lake Michigan’s shoreline…it stays cooler for a good long while. Three out of four seasons the weather is ideal here…cooler in the Summer…..warmer as Fall surrenders to Winter.

So…I seem to have fallen into the Spring Funk of whining “Will it ever be warm again!?!?!” and forgotten to update the News!

SO:

This Saturday I am joined by phenomenal percussionist Carolyn Koebel from SW Michigan at Front Porch Music for a concert! Carolyn exudes joy and energy and is entertaining to watch as she lives and breathes the rhythms of Life! I’m honored to have her with me. She plays with: Jazz combos, Japanese Taiko, Kirtan, Celtic, Singer/Songwriters, African musician Samuel Nalangira and just about any musical style you can imagine. Additionally she has created Hospice Music for End Of Life care.

Me…I’ll be me…and together we will create an evening of Songs and Improvisation! Call Front Porch at 219-464-4700 to reserve a seat. The show starts at 8PM and tickets are $15. Front Porch provides an intimate setting for music with coffee and tea and snacks. Grab dinner early and come on over!

May 25th I’ll be in South Haven, MI at the Black River Tavern as part of Andy Baker’s Songwriter Series. Andy will be at Kerrville at that time so guest host Dave Johnson will be joining me and my SongSister Sue Fink for an In The Round evening of diverse music. Doors open at 6PM and the show is from 7 to 9 EASTERN.

June 9th SongSisters return to the Concert Series sponsored by The Westchester Library at Chesterton Park at 7PM for a ONE Hour Concert. We are all three thrilled to be back there and with a new location we will not be battling trains for a change!

I suppose I should leave it at that for the moment. So I have something to write about when I get back on track for the monthly News Updates.

I hope you are enjoying the green…even as the weather is still deciding on how to proceed.

Take good care of yourselves peeps!

I will see you soon!

~ patti

February - Raining?!

Sandhill Cranes and Daffodils are back!

It is raining today but the Sandhill Cranes are back! They are among the oldest birds on the planet. A sedge (the term for a group of cranes) flies over my home in their migration back to their nesting grounds a little south of here. Their call is haunting and can be heard as much as two and a half miles away. For me it is a joyous sound, heralding the Spring to come.

That, and the Daffys. They have been poking up through the leaves for a couple of weeks. Soon they will be dotting my yard with bright spots of sunny yellow and I’ll feel the warming Sun as it wakes more of what is sleeping, inviting Life back into the Cycle of Seasons.

We will probably have some more snow before we are in the clear for the year, but that’s ok. Global warming aside, I have not minded the milder winter at all. How about you?!

Speaking of snow. With all the warmer days of sunshine and the hints of Spring, the Gods and Goddesses laughed at me last Thursday and sent rainy, snowy, icy water in time for the Marshal J Gardner Center Jazz gig with Scott and Leandro. We still had a lovely, enthusiastic audience…but the weather kept a lot of folks home. I premiered a brand new song with them and it was well received. Our sponsor, Tim Petrities, was in Florida, but one of the volunteers videoed “Just This” for him and everyone shouted out a “Thank you Tim!”!

Fear not though, if you are a fan of my jazz interpretations and tunes, we will be back in May or June. Stay tuned.

NOW!!!

STILL WITH ME?!

March 11th, SongSisters: Amy Dixon-Kolar, Sue Fink and myself, will perform in Historic Downtown Plymouth, IN at THE WILD ROSE MOON!

Our first gig of the year! AND:

Plymouth is a very cool town. ‘The Moon’ as it is affectionately called, is a marvelous, welcoming venue with a top notch sound engineer, great stage and staff and volunteers with hearts of gold!

Guarantee you’ll enjoy the evening. Get your tickets today!!

More exciting gigs coming up…including another Solstice Event….but that’s for another time.

For now…make your plans to come out to Plymouth…and hey…Our performance times there are Eastern Time Zone!

And by then we will have changed our clocks. So more daylight for you!

Thank you for your continuing support of live music, mine and others!

Take good care of you!

~patti

January - Almost Home Free

Does Anyone Else Think January Has 360 Days of Gray?

I’m looking at the calendar on the wall by my computer desk. By my count there are only 5 1/2 days left to January. It is my birthday month and with a few exceptions here and there…the month is marked by gray and yuck and they seem endless. I’m not sure there is truly a better month to have a birthday….but May sounds good to me right now.

Performance-wise my schedule is dotted with gigs and now some new direction for me in helping to lead a Women’s Circle and participate as a facilitator in Workshops….leading Circle Singing and providing immersive Sound Experiences. If you have any interest in finding out more about these offering…message me and I’ll share.

AND…I will be joining Maya Etienne, The Widowed Warrior, for a Widow’s Workshop. Hopefully a final date will be set for that soon and it is looking like….wait for it….May! A good month for watching all of Springs colors pop and catch the scent of green and growing things.

As for the Music Performances:

February 10th I’ll be up at one of my favorite venues, The Acorn, in Three Oaks, MI. I’ll be the featured artist for the Valentine’s Day Open Mic. They call it hosting, but it is really that I am the evening opener and closer. I have no doubt the talent will be spectacular….and I will be joined on stage by my friend Carolyn Koebel, a world class percussionist and drummer. Carolyn is SO active with her art that she plays with: A Japanese Taiko band, A Celtic band, A Kirtan band, A collaborative project with a young African musician, Music Therapy…especially with hospice AND teaches! I think there may be a Jazz and Rock group in there too. Whew!!! That woman has energy to spare!

February 16th I’ll be joined by Scott Pazera on bass and Leandro Lopez Varady on piano at The Marshall J Gardner Center For The Arts in Miller Beach from 7 to 9PM for $10 and they have a cash bar, snacks AND an art gallery display for you to meander around. We had an absolutely stellar evening back in November when we were there. I expect this one to be even more exciting…especially with Scott joining and many, many deep thanks to Tim Petrites for sponsoring!

March 11th SongSisters - Amy Dixon-Kolar, Sue Fink and me - will be at The Wild Rose Moon in Plymouth, IN. This fine venue with a rich history is part of Historical Downtown Plymouth and has hosted amazing artists like John Gorka, Mark Dvorak, Harpeth Rising, Jim and Susie Malcolm, Pierre Bensusan and others. We are delighted to be featured both on the Live Radio Hour as well as the evening concert. We are looking forward to seeing you there! Tickets available soon at WildRoseMoon.com There are more gigs coming…but not for a while yet…so I’ll save those for another newsletter.

Meanwhile….it is snowing outside and I have preparations still to work on for shows and workshops.

Be good to yourselves and see you soon!

In Gratitude ~ patti

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AS ALWAYS: ANYTHING HIGHLIGHTED IS A LINK

December - Into The Winter

The Longest!!!! OMG it’s cold!!!

Here we go! The official holiday of Christmas is seven days away. Chanukkah is here….Kwanzaa starts next Monday….and then there is that Gregorian Calendar marking of a ‘New Year’. There are a LOT of pressures we put on ourselves this time of the world’s turning….when truly…we are meant to be going inward….being reflective…processing all that we have been gathering during harvest….gathering close to family…to tribe.

I’m choosing this year…though I will gather with friends and family this coming weekend…to celebrate Solstice.

During the few days around December 21st, the Earth pauses before shifting in relationship to the Sun.

The longest night is actually longer than one night….AND….it is an opportunity to stand still also. Take a sacred pause and breathe with the whole of existence. Can we ‘do nothing’ for a few days? I mean, sure, you have to eat…or maybe you don’t…but what happens if we aren’t trying to accomplish something. Even for one day….or even for an hour. Do nothing. I suppose you could meditate with intention…but maybe don’t even do that.

Had not intended to offer suggestions for how to use your time….but so it goes….lol. Actually it is a reminder for me!

I think it is because I have a new song…two actually….but one of them is a Solstice Song.

I’ve been in the studio and had intended for the song to be fully produced before the Solstice. However…best laid plans and all.

So…I’ll share here the video from last Thursday’s Holiday Open Mic at The Acorn.

I have one more gig before the ending of this year.

Thursday the 22nd I’ll be in South Haven, Michigan at The Black River Tavern with my SongSister Sue Fink and Kerrville NewFolk Winner 2020, Andy Baker for a Songwriter Showcase. We will have a special guest appearance by Annie Capps.

Should you find yourself in Southwest Michigan, please join us at 7PM EST. (Details as always on the Calendar page)

In 2023 I hope to have some new digital offerings of songs that are still in studio process. I also have dates booked. YAY!

January 20th I’ll be helping to facilitate a Restorative Gong Ceremony (combined with yoga by Ra) at Sacred Waters in Mishawaka, Indiana with long time friend and fellow Gonger (hehe) Jason Kniola. Before David died…the three of us would create Soundscapes together. Jason and I continue to offer these Sound Bath experiences. Read more about the Ceremonies at Qi For Life.

Really quick…before I head off to prepare for Thursday. On Saturday I helped to facilitate a Soulful Solstice event at Dancing Feet Yoga in New Buffalo, Michigan with Theresa O’Neil, yogini. While my main role was to sing as participants were in restorative poses, I also lead a short Circle Singing experience. Typically we stand in a circle, however the space did not allow for that without rearranging yoga mats and props. So…they sat. I stood. I lead them in simple listening exercises and then into long tones with harmonies and a very simple two part circle. I am once again reminded about how music…and voice in particular…connects people. I am reminded of the power of vibration and the simple joy of using our voices, without lyric, without any intention beyond being present with the sound and the people in the room. I think that I will endeavor to find a way to offer some workshops/events with more Circle Singing. I’d love to hear from you if you are interested in joining in such an offering.

Ok…enough!

I wish for you all the warmth of a gathering of Spirits and Loves as we navigate the long nights and nurture in ourselves the seeds of our imaginings and desires for a more Beautiful World. Be the Light you truly are!

With love and gratitude

~patti

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AS ALWAYS: ANYTHING HIGHLIGHTED IS A LINK

November - Again

Sharing

I said I would share a bit more about the music I was fortunate to hear when I went to the Folk Alliance Conference last month.

So following this brief and shameless announcement we will return you to regular programming…lol

Thursday! November 17th I get to perform with Leandro Lopez Varady here in Miller Beach from 7 to 9 pm for a $10 ticket and an open bar and great art on the walls. I rarely have opportunities to perform in my community and not often jazz since the pandemic….so this is special for me. Jazz standards and one or two originals and I’ll be in my happy place singing with an immensely talented pianist and disappearing into the music. I sure hope you can make it! We’ll be at the Marshall J Gardner Center - 540 S Lake Street across from the old Miller Bakery Café.

Okedoke.

So now: Here are some artists I met, heard and absolutely loved!

Buffalo Rose: They took the stage for the Official Showcase and I thought “Oh no! Another Americana meets Bluegrass with girl singers!” and prepared to go find coffee to ensure my ability to stay awake for my own performance later. And then….they began to sing. Lordy! SO entertaining and now they are under consideration for a Grammy! They are much loved by Tom Paxton, who has worked with them. Check them out!

Spencer LaJoye: I heard her last year on the online FARM performance. A gentle and unassuming presence that is powerful. The song The Plowshare Prayer had us all in tears. Worth hearing!

Siena Christie: West Coast Woman with a voice smooth and cool as satin. A delightful and disarming stage presence (you know I’m big on that!) and song that make you yearn for a home far away or laugh at the idea of spending a lifetime on a desert island with someone only to find out just where the ‘rub’ is and back again.

Tret Fure: The first evening I went and sat in the hotel bar and had an Old Fashioned. A woman came in and sat on the other side of the corner and ordered the same thing. We chatted. I confess I did not know who she was….even after we exchanged names. Hey! There are a LOT of artists I’ve never heard before…lol. Anyway, we exchanged CDs after a lovely conversation and I had discovered that she is friends with my mentor Rhiannon. Then, there I was at the Showcase and she took the stage with a wise and strong voice and songs that remember.

There were others too: Jordan Hamilton with his cello and beatbox…hey! Folk has come a long way! Miss Nikki Morgan, who used a washboard to sing about the travails of traveling from Chicago to Indiana on the highways…..Oy! Do I know what she means! Our keynote speaker was Dom Flemmings, formerly of The Carolina Chocolate Drops. Entertaining and educational for sure! Of course The Sons Of The Never Wrong were there and in their usual ‘Come on along on this wild ride!’ performance mode. My friend Andy Baker from SW Michigan, Mark Dvorak, Jenny and Robin Bienemann and so many others.

SongSisters made our first FARM appearance and then on November 5th played at Fargo Skateboarding. “What the heck!?!” you say? Yup….an old theater in downtown DeKalb, Illinois has become an indoor skatepark and happens to have an attached room that is about the most ‘live’ sounding space I’ve ever performed in. We only used vocal mics (super nice ones) and did not need to plug in. A small but appreciative audience for this budding new Concert Series - First Saturdays - hosted by slack key guitarist and all around good guy, DK Kolars. Totally worth the harrowing drive out on the most severe wind day of the year!

So my friends. Hoping to see some of you on Thursday.

And check out the new artists and get ready for the Holiday Season. I have a few more gigs before Christmas. The Calendar Page always has details and remember that there are active links in grey.

Go! Listen to some live music too!

Hugs up and be good to you!

~patti

November 2022

The Threshold….

Here we are.

In two days we will again turn back the clock…though come March I am not sure whether we will go into permanent standard time or daylight savings. I’m sure we will all know when the time comes.

I’m going to keep this one short. Kinda like the days now. Ha!

November and December have numerous performances and events.

November 5th…which, as I type, is tomorrow…I will be joining Sue Fink and Amy Dixon-Kolar for a SongSisters performance in the 1st Saturday Concert Series that was started by Dave DK Kolars in DeKalb, IL. The venue is The Fargo Venue inside Fargo Skateboarding and the donation is $10. The Program starts a 7PM. We are delighted to be performing together again.

November 17th is the Thursdays Live On Lake Street at the Marshall J Gardner Center on Lake Street in Miller Beach. Leandro Lopez Varady and I will perform jazz standards from 7 to 9PM and the tickets are $10.

December 15th I will join a whole group of talented singers/songwriters/groups for The Acorn Theater Christmas Open Mic. We start at 8 and go till 10PM EST and we will all be performing our favorite Holiday Tunes.

December 17th is a special Solstice Event at Dancing Feet Yoga in New Buffalo, MI. It will be an evening event and will include ritual, yoga, music, circle singing and other activities to bring us back into the Light. Details will be on the calendar page soon.

December 22nd I will be at the BlackRiver Tavern in South Haven, MI with Sue Fink and Andy Baker for a Songwriters In The Round event. Details on the calendar page and once again this will be EST.

Then we have Christmas and that other January 1st thing. Who knows what will show up after that. I sure don’t know…but I trust that the opportunities will flow in. Of course, I’m gonna have to put in a little work around that myself…you know…this is how we create our realities.

So ‘they’ say…..

Oh! And the FARM Conference was great! I’ll add some details about that in a short news blurb soon. Suffice it to say…a good time was had by all and I met some astounding musicians and have some new favorites now.

Peace and love peeps

Take good care of you

~patti

October 2022

And the Winner Is…..

(Maple Trees)

As I mentioned last month Jim and Susie Malcolm were in town from Perth, Scotland to play at The Wild Rose Moon and I was the special musical guest and interviewer. Jim shared a song “Road To New York” after telling us about how he was traveling with The Old Blind Dogs from New Jersey to New York, having heard about the colors in New England on the trees in the fall. He had thought to himself that “Oh! Well we have trees in Scotland!” and then, having seen the magnificent maples in their splendor, “Oh!!! No we don’t! Those maples are amazing! They are these stunning colors, and you can get syrup from them AND you can make guitars from them!!”.

I am also awe-struck anew each year for that brief time as the Earth turns herself, for our hemisphere, from the Sun and the trees begin their journey inward to rest and reserve and renew.

Only two days ago I was riding back from the ‘Sound Immersion’ event that good friend Jason Kniola and I presented. As the passenger I could keep my eyes on the brilliance around me for much longer and fill my eyes with those reds and oranges and golds. Interesting, isn’t it, that our hearts and minds expand into some primal sense of wonder when we actually behold the rhythms and pulse of this spinning orb we call a planet?

…..AND

We know what is coming close behind. Out come the sweaters and boots and the strange desire to stockpile food….like squirrels and other gatherers…we prepare ourselves for the time of cold and dark.

Fortunately for me, I have upcoming music and performance opportunities to keep me engaged and creative.

I’m still in the process of working in the studio on a few new tunes and reworking a couple of older ones, including one that David and I wrote in 1992 that I ‘found’ again going through the remnants of the life we had together. STAY TUNE!

This coming Thursday is the start of the Folk Alliance Region Midwest Conference (aka FARM).

Last year I attended for the first time virtually. (Covid has made us scramble for ways to connect hasn’t it?)

This year, I am a first timer in person. I’m still trying to understand all the nuances of attending. Apparently, after a jam packed day of workshops and Official Showcase Concerts…there are Private Showcases…and then….after that, jam circles.

The Private Showcases begin at 10:30 and go until 2:30 am. Yup….A.M.!!!

I have three to perform at: 1:20am - 1:50am (with SongSisters) and then the next night 1:30am

I AM a night owl…but this may be pushing it a bit. Ha!!!

Hopefully I will not only hear fabulous music, learn something new and get to perform…but also make new friends and connections and perhaps pick up some new opportunities.

On November 5th SongSisters (Amy Dixon-Kolar, Sue Fink and me) will be in Dekalb, Illinois to perform for a new concert series. Details on the Calendar page should you be out that way.

November 17th I will be joined again by Leandro Lopez Varady for a concert here in my little home community. The Miller Beach Creative and Arts District hosts Third Thursday Concerts in the Marshall J. Gardner Center and Leandro and I will be performing jazz standards and at least two of my original tunes. Again, check that Calendar page for details.

And then…..December 22nd, Sue Fink and I will join Michigan-based Songwriter Andy Baker for a Songwriter Showcase in South Haven, MI. I met Andy a few years ago when I was a judge for the Acorn Songwriting Contest and fell instantly in love with his storytelling and melodic strains. He was a winner of the New Folk Song Contest at Kerrville in 2020. His song ‘Skywriter’ blows me away every time hear it. I suppose it runs close to my heart….give it a listen here: ‘Skywriter’.

Meanwhile life goes on….

Remember to let those moments of AWE open your heart…..reach out and let someone know how much you love and appreciate them….gather your ‘nuts’ like those squirrels and listen to music….(of course I’m gonna say that! LOL)

Oh yeah! And be good to YOU!

hugs up peeps!

~ patti

P.S. Reminding you that:

• All gray print contains an active link

• The Calendar Page is the go to for details of upcoming performances

• Bandcamp is the best place to hear and purchase my music unless you want a physical CD - pattishaffner.bandcamp.com

• I am available for Performance, Vocal and Performance Coaching, Improv Singing events and workshops and for Sound Immersion Events

September 2022

Dog Days and Falling Into Fall

Lots and lots of hot spots in the world these days. I suppose we should be grateful that even though it has been hot and humid, we are not truly suffering more than usual for the late August and early September days. That said, I performed three hours for a farmer’s market in Three Oaks last week and was ‘glistening' profusely (…as my grandmother would say, because ‘Ladies do not sweat.’) It has been a loooooooooong time since I did hours of solo performing. I had to dig out covers again! For many years now I have been graced with opportunities to sing my own songs and select covers that inspire and excite me. Suddenly I’m singing ‘Dock Of The Bay’ and ‘City of New Orleans’ again because the gig is an extended one. I suppose I’m spoiled. I like an audience that is there for the music and if I’m going to be background…I prefer to see them having dinner or sporting a cocktail (or the like).

I did sell four CDs though. These days that is a major accomplishment. I was delighted that one of the purchases was from two twenty-something young women. And I made $9.50 in tips. Go ahead! Do what you love….and the money will follow.

Bwahahahaha!!!

Now that Labor Day has passed the days have that ‘running after the sun’ feel. There is a subtle shift in your perception, even though the first ‘snap’ of Autumn has yet to arrive. You just KNOW that one morning you’re going to wake up and that little chill will not burn off before you’re done with your first cup of coffee. You start noticing your sweaters in your closet and eyeing your boots and thinking about Fall Festivals and, oh Mother of Mercy NO!!!, Pumpkin Spice everything.

Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves though. As a sales woman in a shop I was in last week was heard loudly to exclaim, “Summer is NOT over until September 22nd!!!!”. So ease into these last summer days as though you are slipping into pool of warm water, a glass of your favorite beverage in hand. Soak in the scent of late bloomers and watch the birds. Go for a walk in your favorite forest. Sit on the sand on this Southernmost Shore of our Great Lake Michigan and watch Mother Nature give you a light show as the sun sinks on the western horizon.

AND!!! Make time for some live music.

Ah…you knew I would get around to it. :)

‘Different Eyes’ was played last week on The Hootenanny Cafe’ Radio Show with host John Stein. You can listen to the archived show and I’m in the first set on August 28th.
I was back in the studio today getting some new and old tunes down with John Carpenter of Thunderclap Recording Studio. Not a new CD in the works…rather a digital EP. But who knows….things change so who knows what might happen. (shrug)

Saturday, September 10th, I’ll be up at Union Pier Social on Red Arrow Highway in Union Pier, Michigan. Leandro Lopez Varady will be joining me on piano (the man is a genius on keys!) and we will be doing jazz standards and some bluesy tunes from 7 to 10 EASTERN time. (That’s 6 to 9 here in the Central Zone). The food is good and the vibe casual. Come on out!!

Saturday, September 24th is the Earth First Farms Harvest Festival and I’ll be singing from 1 to 2 PM - EASTERN. They are an Organic Farm and the day will include food, music, family friendly activities and probably cider (can’t speak to the potential of it being alcoholic - lol) and, of course, apple picking. They are up in Berrien Center, MI

September 25th I’ll be in Plymouth, Indiana at The Wild Rose Moon for the afternoon radio show as a special guest and helping to interview Jim and Susie Malcolm, who I met and listened to on my last night in Stirling, Scotland. (a Zoom interview took place last week with me as the primary interviewer. That was fun!). I’ll be singing my newest tune that Scotland inspired. That evening there will be a concert at ‘The Moon’. Jim is a master of DADGAD tuning on the guitar and claims he can’t even play in standard tuning any longer. I doubt that…but nonetheless, he has a crystal voice and is a clean, crisp guitarist and he and his lovely bride Susie sing Scottish Folk Tunes and sometimes sing in ‘old Scots’. They are highly entertaining and it is definitely worth the trip over to hear them. For those who like those Celtic tunes, Jim was the front man for “The Old Blind Dogs” from 1999 through 2006. They had the traditional Scottish music and Celtic music, with influences from rock, reggae, jazz, blues and Middle Eastern Music rhythms. Check out JimMalcolm.com

October 2nd I am playing the Upsadaisy Market for a couple hours in Chesterton, Indiana.

October 9th I’ll be at Region Ale in Schererville, Indiana for the Jazz Jam with Andy Sutton and his band.

October 15th is a Gong Bath Sound Event in South Bend, IN with Jason Kniola - if you’re interested - reach out and I’ll get you details.

October 20th through the 22nd I’ll be with SongSisters at the FARM (Folk Alliance Regional Midwest) Conference in Naperville, Illinois. My very first LIVE one!

There will be special Sound Healing Events using the Gongs I still own…in the Milwaukee area in November and December and….Oh yeah! Almost forgot!! I’ll be doing a ‘cowboy’ character for the Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso, Indiana on October 29th for the Phantom of the Opera House Event. What exactly cowboys have to do with Halloween…I’m not sure…but I know it will be fun.

So that is about all for now. I know, this is a long one…or is it long-ish?

Get out there and enjoy these remarkable days, go hear some live music, support your local artists and venues and be good to yourself and those you love.

…and take the Long Way Home.

Love and Hugs

~ patti

PS: Remember that you can always click any link here for more info and of course visit the Calendar Page for details. If what you need is not there…shoot me a message here or at jazzdakini@comcast.net and use the subject: Music Inquiry so I don’t accidentally delete it.

PPSS: BandCamp is still the best way to purchase my music digitally. Go to: Patti’s BandCamp

Not Quite August 2022

The Way Things Go

Well on my way to recovering from Covid…

Negative for a week….

Go to babysit/visit Grands…including the littles nearly 4 and 2.

The 4 year old is wiping her nose on her sleeve and hand and sniffling.

I get home…and by Monday…post Cataract Surgery Number 1…I start stuffing up and coughing.

I retest multiple days (More Covid???!!!).

Nope….just an old fashioned cold and a brutal cough.

I have a week before a major show.

I have had a deeper and more resonant voice all my life.

To say smokey now is closer to the truth.

I can sing….but Janis Joplin and an older Sarah Vaughn come more to mind!

I suppose since I’ll be singing Ella and Billie tunes…I’ll be ok…but major cough suppressants will likely still be needed.

OY!!!

This is me whining!

However…..a few little music news items.

First and foremost….Next Saturday, July 30th….I am joined by Char Jones, Meredith George and Lauren Dukes…outstanding singers all…and Buddy Pearson - bass, Lannie Turner - drums and Donald Neale (whom I will be meeting for the first time the day of the show…man I love that about jazz players) on piano. We will be presenting a second round of the show we premiered in March at the Acorn. The Music of Ella and Billie at Fernwood Botanical Gardens in Niles, Michigan. Please CLICK HERE to get tickets.

Then on August 6th I’ll be playing a solo gig at 10 am for the Chesterton Art Fair at Dogwood Park in Chesterton, IN.

After that I will be back at Thunderclap to record the two new songs in preparation to release them as singles. Thanks to John Carpenter and his skills and patience.

And then on August 20th I will be playing at the Buchanan Commons, Buchanan, Michigan for the Best of Singer/Songwriter Winners Showcase.

August 21st I will be doing an evening concert for Paws For Humanity at 4PM Central at their farm in Harbert, Michigan.

I hope to see you at one or more of the shows…especially since two of them are multiple artists and you will get to hear some spectacular voices and hear original and cover tunes by Regional Talents!

Go Here: Calendar Page for details

Back Soon and Hopefully in Better Health and Voice

Take Good Care of You

Hugs and Love,

~patti

July 2022

Home Again

Scotland was gorgeous. I could say it in one hundred ways and still not give you the feel of a land so old and fierce and green and treacherous and filled with the bones of my ancestors and stories and magic and mystery…..and I’m so glad that I was there.

My luggage went missing before I even arrived. There was a wee bit of David’s ashes tucked into my cosmetic case and so he is traveling, or sitting, somewhere in a suitcase, without me. I lived in REI travel pants for most of 11 days and they get huge props from me for holding up under duress. Of course, I think I get to claim the same…though I did shop for a few important items: Rain Parka, Jacket, Shirts, Underwear…..etc. I still don’t have my bag despite promises to the contrary. Let’s just say that Air Canada and the Canadian Customs are experiences that I never want to have to go through again. I recommend highly traveling so light that you can carryon everything vital. Lesson learned!

I never got to add his ashes to the Highlands, but on the last night of the tour Jim and Susie Malcolm performed and as it turns out, they will be here in October and staying with my SongSister, Amy Dixon-Kolar. Susie has agreed to bring some of David’s ashes back to Scotland to the land of his ancestors as well. Check out Jim and Susie at JimMalcolm.com and Amy at AmyDixonKolar.com

Back to the tour.

Buddy Mondlock and bassist Mike Lindauer entertained us on multiple nights AND we were treated to music most nights of the tour. From The Thistle Street Bar, a pub in Edinburgh, where I got to sing David Lynn Grimes tune “All Be Gone Tomorrow” and apparently was a hit. Mike said the Scots are not inclined to give a rousing round of applause if they don’t mean it. We also got to hear the Wendy Weatherby Band at the Edinburgh Folk Club and thoroughly enjoyed them and their opening act. In Strome Ferry we had a house concert with three local fellows, including Dougie Pincock, formerly of The Battlefield band. His piping was superb and all three of them, Neil, Wilfar and Dougie played tunes that I remembered from David’s exposing me to them years ago, including “Both Sides The Tweed” which had me weeping. In fact, I cried often in Scotland. The land, the history and the music….and so wishing that David was beside me experiencing it all. I did get to share “I Will Be Here Still” and then……

…there was more music in Strome Ferry from a couple whose three wee children manned the CD sales table and Eilean (I think I correctly recall), age 10, made faces at us as we watched. I made faces back and then signed to her in ASL that she is beautiful. She furrowed her brow and then stuck out her tongue.

There was a guitar in the Station Lodge Inn where we stayed three nights and of course I had to pick it up and play. This led, one night, to an exchange between Mike and me…passing it back and forth….and I gained a couple of new fans in the process.

We had two tour guides. Flashing fingers Fiona, who marched us to and fro ‘round Edinburgh and gave us a tour of the Castle as well as enough history to make my head spin. I logged anywhere between five and ten miles a day in my time with her. Ciaran Dorris, who I mentioned last month, made it up to Edinburgh despite the train strike and we had an afternoon of conversation and pints and dinner. Our first in person meeting in the over ten years since we met on My Space. Yes, I’m that old and more.

From Edinburgh we were picked up by Nory Hope of Heartland Travel and his wee bus Hamish. He regaled us with stories and facts and daily told us how much he loved Scotland. “Be-YU-ti-ful!” he proclaimed in a sing-song brogue. From Skye to Strome Ferry to Raasay for whisky (no ‘e’) to Inverness, Loch Ness and the battlefield of Culloden at Drumossie Moor, the site of the end of the Jacobite Rebellion where over 1250 men were killed by the English in 1746. Outlander TV Series fans will remember that and the stones at Clava Cairns where Clair travelled through time.

At Culloden my heart and mind ached. I suppose it is true of visiting any killing ground. The bones of the dead…their blood and spirits deep in the earth….and the stones remember. I especially felt it while looking at the weapons. A cannonball, maybe three inches round, lay there, a cold reminder of our ability to be cruel and destructive. It looked like a stone to me. My mind said, “We are stoopid monkeys throwing stones.”. And that, inspired a song. I have a rough up on my personal FB page….and will do another take to post, in hopes to get into the studio with a few tunes soon.

Oh….and while I wait for my luggage to finally return to me, if ‘er it does, I brought back a small souvenir from Scotland, courtesy of some unknown person, who also gifted it to five others from the tour.

Wondering what it is?!

Covid.

Lucky me. So I’m confined for the moment….but hope to test negative soon.

Finally….I have a few gigs upcoming…I’m on the mend so I’ll be there and ready. Check the Calendar Page of course but hope to see you at our Encore Performance of the Music of Ella and Billie on July 30th, 7 PM ET at Fernwood Botanical Gardens in Niles Michigan! Go to this link:

Acorn Anywhere to get tickets. They are selling fast!

For now….I’m gonna take a nap. SEE YOU SOON I HOPE!!!

~ patti

PS: I’ll upload a gallery of photos for you all soon!

PLEASE NOTE: There are clickable links in every NEWS post

June 2022

Travelin’

Well…I mentioned it last month…but I’m gonna touch on it again.

On June 21st, the Solstice, I’ll be in Scotland ‘A’fore Ye’ - unless, of course, you are flying over sooner.

I’ll be joining a tour, as a participant, not a musician, with Buddy Mondlock. I figured I’ve known Buddy for close to 40 years. I expect at some point I’ll have an opportunity to have a guitar in my hand while there. There will be LOTS of music on the tour and the lowlands and highlands and both David and I have a lot of ancestral history there. I’ll be getting to the Isle of Skye…which, for some strange reason, I’ve always wanted to see. In fact, if I were one of those inclined to change my name, I’d change it to Skye. But, I’m happy to be Patti with a secret parallel universe in which my name is Skye Walker. (tee hee).

Buddy is a talented and sensitive songwriter, whose observational skills and deft way with words have given him many opportunities to shine. Check out his music if you have not yet. Buddy Mondlock

I’ll also get to see my friend, an Irishman from Belfast who lives in Glasgow, Ciaran Dorris. A fellow musician, who used to DJ a Celtic Radio Program and played some of my music as well as SongSister Sue Fink’s. Ciaran and I have been long distance friends for many years and to meet in person is an opportunity I’m looking forward to! Check out his music too! Ciaran Dorris

This will be the third time traveling this year…with a visit to family on the East Coast and a conference in Black Mountain, North Carolina.

The traveling has been healing for me.

I’m going to share a story that I have shared on FB….about music and dance and love and opportunities seized.

It was Friday evening. The sessions of the day at the conference were complete and people were drifting off to wherever the night might take them.

I had walked up the hill and retrieved my guitar, planning to sit, as I had the previous night, on the rocking chair balcony, and play in the still warm mountain air that was scented with cedar and pine.

As I walked into building, I heard a guitar and the voices of children singing.

The balcony, which had been empty the night before, was alive with people and children, music and laughter and conversation bouncing into the air with a liveliness that felt joyous and inviting.

Three girls of ten or eleven were gathered as one of them played "I'm A Believer" on her guitar and they all sang together. I cheered them, my guitar still slug over my shoulder.

"OH! Another guitar!", said a boy of about 9, who was sporting a blue plastic ukulele and playing deftly. "Do you have a pick I can borrow?" I had to tell him no, that I don't play with picks, but use my fingernail. He demonstrated how if he did that and played very fast it created too much heat and was uncomfortable. He broke into 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' and the little girl next to him danced to it.

I saw a missing lower front tooth and asked her if she was five or six, using my knowledge from my years in Dentistry.

"Five. I'm Garnet."

"So nice to meet you. Garnet is my birthstone! I'm Patti."

The boy moved on to another part of the gathering and Garnet stared up into the night sky and the very nearly full moon.

"My grandma is in the stars and the moon." she said thoughtfully.

"Oh," I replied, "When did your grandmother die?"

"She died before I was born, but her spirit lives in me."

I melted. I told her how impressed I was with her dancing and explained that I am NOT a dancer.

"I can teach you." confidence spilled forth from her tiny frame.

Alright Patti, I thought...go with the flow. Let this five year old teach you something. So we went out to the middle of the balcony, people all around the perimeter in conversation. Garnet and I stood and she instructed me. Ballet. I followed as closely as I was able....towering over her. She wanted me to do a leap and I explained that it was difficult with my bionic knees.

"If you practice every day." she assured me, "You can get really good."

I made my awkward attempt and laughed. I followed her out to where her father was playing ping pong and was introduced. I mentioned chickens for some odd reason and Garnet showed me how to dance like a chicken. I showed her how to dance like a crane. We giggled some and drifted apart.

The next day I saw her as she played, the youngest trying to keep up with the older ones, but we did not speak.

That evening was a Cabaret. Everyone given an opportunity to sing or dance or read stories and poetry. Two of the boys, the young uke player and another, gave a puppet show that had to do with the struggles that happen over a lollipop. Sugar is a powerful drug, seemed the message, conveyed by three animals fighting over it.

The three girls from the night before sang "I'm A Believer" again and Garnet danced as they sang....complete in leotard and tiny ballet slippers.

Eventually it was my turn to sing and when I exited the stage, Garnet ran up to me to hug me and I swept her up in an embrace.

My mind shifted to the night before and I begged of our Emcees that Garnet and I be able to perform together. They graciously allowed.

Garnet danced beside me as I sang "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"....just one verse....and we were done....huge applause from the audience and more hugs from her.

A short time later, as I was sitting and watching others on the stage...she flitted behind me and quickly whispered, "When I grow up I want to be like you!" and just as quickly moved on.

I'm so glad I surrendered into a moment of being taught to dance....by a brilliantly wise old soul in a young girl's body.

Thank you Garnet, for seeing me....and for letting yourself be seen.

Her essence is echoing in me and will until I give back my "Ha" to the Divine.

~ patti

April 2022

Spring Cleaning

Ah…..today was 68 degrees and sunny. Halle-frickin-lujah!!!!

I cleaned off my front porch of all the debris and leaves and potted some new plants and sat down to enjoy the day fading. Then a lovely cool (read: cold) breeze came off the lake and I was once again reminded that living by the lake means three seasons out of the year it is an advantage….but that Spring always feels like it takes forever. Drive 15 to 20 minutes away from the lake and it will be 6 to 10 degrees warmer. E Ala E….this is the way.

Good things are happening. I was a finalist (top 100) in the Great American Song Contest again this year. “I Will Be Here Still” was the song. Considering that there were around 1900 entries, not bad. SongSister Sue Fink was honored for her jaunty tune “Don’t Berate A Cicada” and her “Hymn Of The Cicada” was also a finalist. Sue has lovely little Cicada Flash Drives with the two songs and the lyrics for sale on her website: www.suefink.com

But wait! There’s more! My friend, the ever amusing, entertaining Robin Bienemann, was also honored for his song “DDT” and a finalist for his tune “Poly Amorous”. Find Robin at www.robinb.org and look for the album “Animal Communicator”.

Man! Am I in good company or what?!?!

I have several shows upcoming. Not till June…but then…I’m a busy girl. Of course that is always open to change. Check out the Calendar Page for details of where and when.

In the middle of June, Solstice to be exact, I’ll be heading to Scotland. Longtime friend Buddy Mondlock is doing one of his tours there and while I’m not going as a performer, I’m delighted to be heading to one of my family’s homelands. I’ll take along a bit of David’s ashes to scatter there in the Highlands. It was home to his people too. I’m guessing I might have an opportunity or two to sing while there and another bonus is that I’ll finally be able to meet my fellow Muso and long distance friend Ciaran Dorris in person in Edinburgh. Ciaran used to DJ a Celtic Music Radio Show and would sometimes play some of my tunes. Here is a link to one of his best known tunes: “Home”.

I wish I could say I have a new song in the works. Well, I do sort of. It is just a chord structure right now. A skeleton of sorts and not a word to go with yet. Of course it is using an open tuning…’cause that’s how I roll sometimes. Open A if you are interested.

The Muse is busy sweeping the world clean right now. So I suppose I can’t expect her to always be sitting on my shoulder.

I hope you check out the music and people I’ve mentioned here. Supporting independent artists is a fine way to encourage creativity and find new voices and ideas and works that may expand your own horizons. And we do dig it when you let us know that we have.

Love to you all and welcome in the Spring!

Sweep porch and invite her in.

Hugs up till next we meet!

~ patti

February 2022

And For My Next Trick…..

As I mentioned last month….(Hmmm…she says to herself…when did I start doing monthly newsletters?!)

February usually brings more snow. I am watching it fall outside my window at the moment. Groundhog Day was Tuesday this year and here in NW Indiana we got about 14 or 15 inches and I finally dug out on Friday. Here there was no way that any predictive burrower was going to see his shadow. However, Punxsutawney Phil got askeered of his looming shadow and so it was decided that Spring will be on time or late this year. On the other hand, north of the border in Ontario, Wiarton Willie, (previously unknown to me) ambled out to grey skies and thus it was pronounced that Spring will arrive early. Geeesh! Even the weathermen of the natural world can’t agree! There used to be a saying: “Six of one, half a dozen of the other.” and for me if the marmot sees his shadow we will have six more weeks of winter….otherwise Spring officially arrives on March 21st. Is there a difference?

Ok…enough about the weather…though it is usually a safe topic to discuss at a time in history when most other subjects are fraught.

I am now a published author! You probably know I do visual arts and have kept a blog since David died, but last August Roger Batton of My Path Storytelling suggested I send the story I told at an event he sponsored, to the Chicago Story Press. They are known for moving Storytellers from Stage to Page, as they put it. So at his urging I submitted the story of meeting David and our subsequent life together and was delighted to hear back that they were interested in publishing it in a volume of Love Stories. Wow! So I went back and forth in the editing process. (Storytelling is ONE skill, putting it on page is quite another!) We bandied a bit about capitalizing the word death. I finally argued that Death was personified. That stayed the same as I had written it, though other elements changed slightly. Three weeks ago the book was released and I am one of thirty three writers who are included in the volume with love stories ranging from poignant to amusing and touching and nail-biting…including one about a gorilla! The title is:

“Storytellers’ True Stories About Love” and is available at the dreaded Amazon. Click on the title to order. Available as Kindle, Hardcover and Paperback. Just a little something to warm these next six weeks and wonderfully accessible for short reading breaks as each is no more than 2,000 words (BTW…I have since learned that 2,000 words is a lot less than I previously thought and as someone who can ‘go on bit’, shall we say, I found it a challenge to wrap up the thirty years I had with David within the parameters laid out. Shrug.

Musically…as I mentioned last month, I will be at the Acorn on the 12th as the host of the open mic and then back there on March 26th, with Spring safely arrived, for The Music of Ella and Billie (click on the show title for tickets!!!). Me, Lauren Dukes, Meredith George and Char Jones along with Leandro Lopez Varaday on piano, Scott Pazera on bass and Lannie Turner on drums will be on stage. We are gonna lay down some tunes honoring Lady Day and The First Lady of Song. The Acorn is such an inviting venue. Come help us celebrate these two legends.

As for what is next…who knows….I’ll be following the Spring Breeze to wherever she guides me.

For now…get a new book (wink) and plan for a concert (wink wink) and take good care of you and those you love! In fact…send a little bit of that warm feeling out in to the world and see what comes back to you. Can’t hurt. Might help. We have to warm each other sometimes from afar.

Much love to you all

~ patti

January 2022

New Year - New Gigs - New Song

It’s 4 o’clock in the afternoon at the end of the first week of January. I’ll tell you a little secret: It may be my birthday month, but I hate January. February usually brings more snow. At least in recent years this has been true. I was reading something and looked up and the light suddenly shifted from the bright shafts gilding my table to the dull shade that old brass takes on. It’s icy and windy out and my little space heater designed to look like a fireplace is cranked up, the sound of the fan and the clicking of my fingers on the keyboard are the only sounds inside and outside my chimes are being coaxed into melody by the wind.

It is hard to want to do anything. Last night though, I took myself out to hear my friends Marco Villareal and Lauren Dukes on a night when I would have been better advised to stay home…an ice storm predicted…but I needed to get out of the house for something not routine. The Elementals were with me apparently, because by the time I headed home, having sung a couple of tunes and been thoroughly entertained, the icy mix had turned to rain with a rise in the temperature….though the warm up did not last. So…today was long baths and reading and pondering how to do this ‘wintering’ thing that we all do here in the Midwest between December and March, alone but for the tail chasing, Emi the Cat.

Lauren was amazing as always. Her voice is flexible and her gospel roots carry her into places that I can only dream of. And she’s one amazing energy…inviting everyone in her sphere to experience her heart-opened wide love of singing. We need that kind of authenticity. I marvel every time I watch her. Check her out at: Miss Lauren Dukes.

Marco and I recently remembered that our first meeting was back in the days of the Grapevine Jazz Bar in Miller Beach…not the one over in Cal City. I was introduced to him and asked him what song he thought I should learn. His pick? Besame Mucho. I still haven’t learned it all these years later. I might have to work on that. What is interesting about Marco to me is how much he has developed…not as a guitarist…he always ‘brings it’ when his finger-work is on display. Rather it is a maturity into layering of mood and percussion and to my delight, vocals (thanks in part to a skillful use of a looper). He and Lauren burned the place down…or up….I’m not sure which is correct in this case. Check Marco out on FB: Marco Villareal He posts his gigs there.

Now…for me.

February 6th I’m doing a Zoom/FB live Concert in the round with Jan Seides. A Sunday afternoon event for those of you who are battened down for both Winter and the latest Covid surge.

February 12th I’m hosting the Valentine’s Day Open Mic at The Acorn. Sign up will go up soon if it has not already.

March 26th I am excited to say, will be the Music of Ella and Billie at The Acorn and those tickets are definitely on sale now. I will be joining the aforementioned Lauren Dukes, Char Jones and Meredith George to sing tunes performed by Lady Day and The First Lady of American Song. The trio joining us? The immense talents of Leandro Lopez Varady on piano, Scott Pazera on bass and Bill Romer on drums. You don’t want to miss four Divas and a Dream Trio!

July 30th I have a gig up in Buchanan, Michigan with Greta Pope. I’ll be digging into my folkie roots to play tunes from the 60’s and 70’s.

All Details will be posted on the Calendar Page here and anything not up this very minute will be soon.

There are still projects happening and two recent releases.

Meet Me In The Dark - featuring John Carpenter on electric guitar with EBow and flamenco style guitarist Bryan Lubeck - Released December 4th, 2021

Also

Dave’s BaSeMenT - The music of David Cowan in a CD only collection of treasures that David created and recorded himself. Mastered by John Carpenter at Thunderclap Recording Studio. Available ONLY here and in person from me with a limited number remaining.

There is exploration into a bigger push to promote my music. I’ll let you know how that develops….it is requiring a bit of trust on my part that I’m not entirely comfortable with.

Well…I have prattled on long enough. Time to make some dinner.

Stay warm and safe peeps!

love,

patti

November 2021

Winter is Coming

Here we are. I am sitting in Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn, IL, sipping a perfect Sazerac and waiting for Carsie Blanton to take the stage. There was a car fire on the way here. The heat intense. The wind is gusting strongly too, a preview of what is coming.

I’m in unfamiliar territory here. I mean, I’ve been here a couple of times before. The last time though, was perhaps ten days before David died and I can feel his hand on mine as we sat not far from where I am sitting now. There is a strange little ping in my heart, a thump and skip. I’m ok though. No tears…only a subtle recognition of yet another ‘first’. One more secondary loss.

This is life with loss. Little reminders everywhere…..

I realize too, more and more, that music and writing keep me rooted. I still lay in bed at night sometimes and complain to David about not knowing how to live this life without him. I have an opportunity to do a solo show as a benefit for a local domestic violence shelter, a cause I’ve worked for in the past. But solo? David should be here to play bass or leads or percussion or all of that.

Well…he should dammit!

I will figure it out. Still don’t have to like it.

Anywho….

I did an interview on our local NPR station and between me screwing up my arrival time, trying to get my Covid Booster and waking up in the middle of the night worrying that I had hired musicians for a gig in March without the appropriate budget…I managed to snag spot on the radio for their Christmas show and already have a private Christmas Zoom show and a Christmas Open Mic at The Acorn. So it all worked out fine. I appreciate the ‘wins’ amidst the flurry of flubs that flew around me last Friday.

Next Spring…actually March 26th…I get to join phenomenally talented Lauren Dukes and Janal Peers and another, yet unfound vocalist, along with a power jazz trio of Scott Pazera, Leandro Lopez-Varady and Bill Romer to perform the music of Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday. We are bringing the show to “The One and Only” Acorn in Three Oaks, Michigan. I’m not sure what the title of the show will be yet. They are known respectively as “The First Lady of Song” and “Lady Day” and their influence on our musical history is undeniable. I am especially psyched because Ella is one of my Sheroes and it was because of her scat-ability that I explored improvisational singing. Keep your eyes open for details as they arise and save the date!

As December blows in I’ll share what news develops between now and then. I do have a new song in studio now…though…well…later on that.

I am a Certified Grief Educator now, through David Kessler Training. If you want to know more about that, go to my other website (hey…who doesn’t’ need two or three to keep up with…Amirite?) For Grieving Out Loud and you can subscribe to email updates there.

Enough for now.

Stay warm peeps! Bundle up, stoke the fire, warm the soup and cider and remember to be Grateful and Be Kind.

With love from me and the trees…

- patti

P.S. The hip is doing spectacular and I am ready to dance! Well…start dancing anyway ;)

September 2021

What Was Old Is Made New Again

In 1989 I participated in a Music Festival in Michigan City, Indiana. I had been performing for pay for about eight years at that point which may or may not have made me a professional, depending on your point of view. There was a contest involved. The winner got eight hours of studio time at a local music store/recording studio, Rubino’s.

I won.

This was a boon for me because although fans had asked me about purchasing my recorded music, I had none. As a single parent who had only begun to make a decent living as a dental hygienist in 1987, I certainly did not have the extra funds to pay for a recording project.

David and I had met in August of 1989 and by the time I won the contest had been playing some music together. Along with the locally known piano talent Waz, harmonica player Stan Leslie, violinist Karen Reshkin and folk singer John Derado, we went into the little studio and recorded eight of my original songs. Another folk singer friend of mine, Ronn Barany, created the artwork and my brand new cassette of music, ‘Everything Changes’ was ready to sell.

As the years went by I had fans clamoring to know when I would have a CD. Times change. Technology changes….Everything Changes.

I went back into the studio, this time at The Alley Studio and Beartracks Recording in Valparaiso, Indiana and laid some new tunes and included in the mix two songs that I had recorded at home and one that I had recorded at WFMT studios in Chicago when I won the South Shore Arts Songwriting Contest. That was in 2007. Then, new artwork, digitally mastered and including the original eight songs, I had a CD of the Re-Release of Everything Changes…now titled ‘Everything Changes -again’.

More years have passed. David died in 2019 and I have written and created two CD albums since. One finally released in July that I’m sure you know about by now and the spoken word album released last year.

In the years between I wrote and recorded a few tunes and released as singles - digitally only.
Recently I ran out of copies of the re-release of ‘Everything Changes -again’ and decided to do a mix up - mash up and throw in the best of my best, including the 2015 Great American Song Contest winner - Blessings.

So now….in a Re-Re-Release of the original eight, I have added 11 other tunes and updated the artwork with the help of my friend/graphic designer Mary Lewis.

“Everything Changes -again” lives up to the original title. You’ll hear the differences in recordings and my voice and so it is a bit of my history It is now available in its current incarnation as only a physical CD…although all the songs are available somewhere in the great mystery we call “The Cloud”. You can buy a copy HERE along with any of my other CDs.

AND NOW -

for the extra news. Call it the result Life, over 30 years on stage, Grief or yet another manifestation of Everything Changes….September 13th I get a new hip. I am confident that my surgeon and surgical team will take good care of me and get me back on my feet the same day. I’ll have a recovery down time process of course…but anything to relieve the pain I’ve been in for the past year and a half. I could have had it done sooner…but music called louder than my hip and I got to perform all summer! Woot! Now the hip is demanding my attention and I am happily capitulating to what my body needs so that I can literally move forward with more vitality and joie de vivre. That has been missing for a while and I’ll be glad to have it back. So thanks for any sparks of love and energy you can send my way. I’ll be back on stage in December (if not before) and meanwhile, I’m going to learn more about playing jazz guitar from my dear friend Scott Pazera.

Hugs UP my friends.

Kindness and Gratitude prevail - Be well

~ patti

July 2021

At Last!

AtLast1 Music Releases the Release that was supposed to be Released in May….Ha!

SUMMER!

Something of a recovery from the pandemic is appearing just as we are facing more mixed news on the variants. Big breathe peeps!

What is happening though that makes my heart sing is being able to get out and perform music for live audiences and share the stage with other talented artists. Check the calendar for the latest on that.

What else has me Singin’ In My Heart (which incidentally is a wonderful song by my longtime friend Sherry Pedone) is that my physical CDs arrived not an hour ago and I’m delighted that I can mail out those pre-orders and bring copies with me to my upcoming performances. The project has been a while in coming as you know and there is a sense of completion that arrived with that box of CDs today.

Order yours here: BUY CDS

A bit of really personal news is that in mid September I will have my left hip replaced. I’ve already got two bionic knees so I’m at least familiar with the process and have good friends and family to help me through. I know many friends are aware of the impending procedure…but I have not really gone about making it public till now. So many have offered help. It is truly humbling.

Our lives have all been on a sideways slide for the past 16 months that it seems that the good in the world is easily forgotten.

And then, out of the blue something unexpected and truly beautiful happens.

I was coming back from an appointment in Crown Point when I decided that stopping at Poke-man (a Japanese/Hawaiian Fast Food Restaurant) was a good idea...save me from having to cooking dinner.

I parked...walked up and discovered that they were closed....so sad.

A boy...about 13 was on the sidewalk...asked me about how to get into the Qdoba which is next door. I pointed him the the right direction and decided...what the heck...Mexican could work and headed for that same door about the same time that the boy's father was heading that way...I wanted to hold the door for them but dad insisted that he and the son get the door for me.

Once inside we were standing side by side making our choices and the woman working the counter asked if we were together.

"We've been together since we walked in." I quipped and dad and I exchanged a wink.

It became clear that the woman took us seriously and I told him that.

The next thing I know he is insisting on paying for my food and won't take the cash I try to hand him.

So I thank him profusely for his kindness and tell him that I had actually been planning on doing that for him and his son.

"Will you be sharing our dining experience with us?"

I explained that I had quite literally been inundated with messages that needed attending and explained the why of that.

He said, "Let me get you my card." and ran out to his car while I introduced myself to his son, who is Matthew.

I did the same with dad when he came back and handed me his card at which point a woman came in selling candy for some cause and Michael, my new friend explained he had no cash. I said...hey this all works out and handed the woman 10 dollars and let Matthew pick out candy.

When the world seems untenable....it is good to remember that black, white, yellow, red and brown are colors on a palette and people are people and kindness is a smile, a few words and unexpected deeds of the heart.

Not anything to fight about.

Thanks Michael and Matthew.

You made my day shinier.

Gratitude and love to you all!

Hugs up

~patti

MAY 2021

ALL GOOD PLANS AND INTENTIONS…GO AWRY

So there was this goal…

I had completely planned to have the new album up, out and getting some press by now. But the gremlins of technology had other plans. Unfortunately the project has been pushed forward by a month and probably a bit more at this point. Since my life has been so much about the Surrender Project I have simply repeated my mantra of “E ala e!” and tested my patience. I’m always having to learn about patience. Eh! Anyway, I got in a great show at The Wild Rose Moon Radio Hour with the broadcast on WVPE out of Elkhart, Indiana on May 3rd. You can go back and listen at WILD ROSE MOON RADIO HOUR. It was a pretty good show I think and I premiered four of the songs on the new album! I am SO grateful to George Schricker and his team. They are truly generous and big-hearted people. Support them please!

While I am still challenged to allow Patience to sit with me, I have been granted four opportunities to perform this summer (see the Calendar page for details). The most fun part of that is that The Music of Carole King show at Fernwood in Niles, Michigan was the first to be SOLD OUT for the Acorn….BUT…fret not! August 13th will be a second show at The Acorn Theater in Three Oaks AND be indoors. To whet your appetite for this….there are five of us performing the music of Carole as well as one original each. We range in age from 19 (or is it 20 now??!!) to 70 (that would be me..lol) with each of us having our own unique relationship to Carole’s music from Tapestry to The Gilmore Girls and all the magnificent span of her career as a writer and performer in between. Interestingly Carole got her first songwriting job at just 15 years old!

Also in July….going backwards for a moment…is The American Music Festival in Three Oaks for the American School of Music on the 24th. It will be held at Dewey Cannon Park and I will once again be fortunate enough to sing some jazz with Scott Pazera on guitar! Love me some Scotty!

Anyway…I suppose that is all for now.

The garden is green and flowers are popping and so are the veggie seeds.

We are not wearing masks…or…we are…I’m confused as you all on that count….but we seem to be edging towards whatever the new normal is…..and normal is always overrated, in my estimation so don’t get rid of the masks just yet.

Hugs up

-patti

SPRING 2021

SO…..2020….NOT EXACTLY OVER YET - HUH?!

Ah….

….Where to begin? Here we are still wearing masks…or not (insert eye roll here) and have experienced domestic terrorists attacking the Capitol, Vaccine Roll-outs that are still lagging, increased violence against minorities, ‘Cancel Culture’ (please make that term and idea go away!) Bullshit and the economy teetering as people are reeling from last year. It seems interminable doesn’t it?

On the other hand there is Spring.

Let me tell you a little story…as was told to me by my friend and mentor Rev. M. Kalani Souza.

In the OLD Hawai’i the people were the HU. Small people, brown skinned and cooperative in their culture. They lived on an island after all and the resources were limited, so cooperation meant everyone thrived. Then came the Tahitians and Samoans, warrior clans, large and fierce. They brought with them their ideas of sacrifice. Suddenly they had a whole new group of people to sacrifice to make sure the sun would rise. Not eager to be the ones to be the ‘lambs to the slaughter’, the HU said ‘NO! Come with us and let us show you! Come stand on this shore in the East when it is still dark and we will watch together at the horizon!

E ala e, ka lā i ka hikina,
Awaken/Arise, the sun in the east

I ka moana, ka moana hohonu,
From the ocean, the deep ocean,

Pi‘i ka lewa, ka lewa nu‘u,
Climbing to heaven, the highest heaven,

I ka hikina, aia ka lā, e ala e!
In the east, there is the sun, arise!

“See!” they said, “There is the Sun and tomorrow and the next day and the next and the next it will be so until it is no longer so….but nobody has to die to make it so!”

And in his lesson to David and me….he said, it means also “this is the way”.

That is about a certain knowing for me. A reminder of the turning of seasons…the turning of our lives…of time….about acceptance in that knowing.

And so….even though we are all experiencing turmoil and grief and pain upon pain…..E ala e! This is the way…..AND the sun will rise in the East and Spring will come.

Even if we are still struggling with “The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune….” as Shakespeare said….

We can still trust that the Earth herself will turn us towards our warming and growing season again.

A time for new growth…and a time to be grateful for that.

Gratitude continues to be the one balm that consistently has soothed my wounded heart. And I am still writing and recording and have shows to look forward to in this year. May will be the release of “From The Left Side Of My Heart” - 13 songs and 1 special message from David. Recording at Thunderclap Recording Studios with John Carpenter and Jef Sarver still on board to round this out (male backup singers!! - how’s that for a change?!) and Carolyn Koebel on percussion. A Carole King Tribute show with Natalie Gaza and an as yet unnamed third to travel about lower eastern Michigan this summer. A special performance on The Wild Rose Moon Radio Hour on April 10th and a recent (March 10th Virtual Dream Cafe’ Concert with my SongSisters Amy Dixon-Kolar and Sue Fink that was a GRAND success and lightened the mood and evening for over 40 people!)

Who knows what other opportunities may arise!

I still grieve David. That will be always….though it has softened some. You can always follow Wise Cracks Blog Page. There is a page here on the website that will get you there or just click the link here. Many seem to express their gratitude and say that they have learned and felt a lot of benefit from what I pour onto the keyboard there.

Also don’t forget to either check the Home page or Calendar for the Upcoming Shows. Sooner or later I’ll learn to have an email list. If you go to the submission form on the Calendar page and let me know that you want email updates…I’ll get to that sooner rather than later ;)

For now….trust in Spring’s arrival and the power of Gratitude

E ala e!

This is the way

~ patti

UPDATE November 2020

Quite the year huh?

So here is what is up with me. Messages…for The Heart was released in July and is available both in the digital and physical worlds. Honestly…Band Camp has been the most useful site for me….allowing you to listen and to buy for download and paying me swiftly and directly and on the first Friday of every month 100% of sales goes to the artist…..so pattishaffner.bandcamp.com is the place to go for that…however it is also available on YouTube and Amazon and Apple Music and Spotify and the other usual suspects (as Tom Lounges says). IF you happen to be a ‘I want something I can hold in my hands’ person….contact me or Jef Sarver for a physical copy.

I’ve been honored to have have had host Lilli Kuzma of WDCB 90.9FM’s Folk Festival on Tuesday nights feature three different cuts from the album as well as my award-winning song “Blessings” for her Thanksgiving show. And a mere week ago Tom Lounges of The Midwest Beat program on our local NPR station Lakeshore Public Radio 89.1FM brought me in for an hour interview to talk about the album and play a few cuts as well as a couple of my other tunes. I think it all went swimmingly well and Tom is a terrific interviewer…thoughtful and in depth. You can listen to the archived show with this link: Midwest Beat Archive 11/20/2020

And for the newest News….I am working on a new album of music with the working title “From The Left Side Of My Heart”…echoing David’s book and the spoken word album. I am working with John Carpenter of Thunderclap Recording Studio and collaborating again with Jef as we sort through my music and what David left behind to create something that speaks to love and living with your loved one always in your heart and still finding the joy and gratitude of being here in this crazy, wonderful world. I will be including a KenYates tune and have been in contact with Ken, a Canadian Songwriter, and he has listened to a rough and given his blessing for my covering of his song. This will be the first time I have ever covered someone else’s tune in a solo album. I’m excited about that….and how songs are finding their way to me. Release scheduled for Spring 2021

I keep walking forward…it is truly all any one of us can do in these strange times…..

I look forward to a time when I can see you in person and sing you a song from my heart and then give you an honest to god HUG!

For now….stay warm and safe as winter takes us into a time of retrospection and hibernation….and I suppose that if we have to remain quarantined for now…at least it is a time when we are less likely…here in colder climes….to venture out.

Keep love in your heart…let go of things that are not important…as you can….and above all…be kind to yourself…so you may be kind to others.

With Love - patti

PS…..You can always go to the calendar page for performance updates

What You Probably Know By Now: 2020

As many of you know, David Cowan was not only my musical partner but my husband as well. We were soulmates and dedicated our marriage to the idea of the unseen third, as Rumi said of his relationship to Shams Tabriz, “We are Three”. The beloved and the lover, always seeking God.

On May 22, 2019 He sighed out of his body Beside me on the way to the emergency room, dying of a heart attack. In one of his many poems he had written from his days as a hospital nurse, he had asked for Death to come for him in just that way and for others not to fight Death for his body.
He got his wish.

I on the other hand, I’ve been left bereft. Finding my way slowly.

I move forward through performance and writing, both words and songs, including my first instrumental (I believe David guided my fingers).

These, along with some of David’s poems and music he created are part of a project that I hope to see realized this year, 2020.

Jef Sarver is helping with this album project. I’m doing recording and mixing also with John Abbey in Chicago.

Time is a strange construct when walking the path of loss. Sometimes things move more quickly and other times inertia overtakes me.

Please keep an eye out for upcoming performances and further updates on the album project.

If you would like to follow my blog writing about the grieving and mourning process you will find a link called WiseCracks in the main menu on this site. That will take you directly there.

If you care to explore David’s writings, and you are a Facebook Person, go to: www.facebook.com/qigongtherapy/

He also had a Book that was a 365 Day book of inspiration titled “Messages From The Left Side Of My Heart” by Pahka Dave (his muse) #pahkadave

I have a few left if you are interested

meanwhile…..

Many thanks for following and supporting my musical and creative life

I am grateful!

May life treat you gently and with love

• Patti