tag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:/blogs/latest-news?p=1Latest News2019-04-28T22:05:04-04:00Gracious Mefalsetag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/60521942019-12-30T21:08:14-05:002022-05-13T12:46:30-04:00New album in 2020!<p>I'm putting the finishing touches on the new album, and I'm planning to release it in early 2020. "True to Life" has been a multi-year project, so I want to get the final details right before I share it with you. I've enjoyed getting to introduce a few of the songs from this album to audiences already. Thanks for listening and supporting indie musicians - I hope to see lots of you at the shows on the album release tour that I'm booking out now! </p>Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/57356822019-04-28T22:05:04-04:002024-03-14T00:39:46-04:00Steps to a New Album<p>I'm starting the push toward a new album! I'm excited to share this music with you, but there are soooo many steps to complete before I'm even ready to start recording, and many more after recording before I'm able to let you hear the new music. The plan is to release the new album before the end of 2019 -- fingers crossed! I'll be updating friends and fans on the recording and releasing process through my email updates, so if you haven't signed up yet, just scroll up right above this blog and sign up! Thanks for listening. </p>Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/56527122019-02-20T21:37:35-05:002022-06-01T21:33:54-04:00New full-band videos on YouTube<p>Hi there, I'm happy to share that I dug into video editing software and made three live videos at a full-band performance by Gracious Me and the Ingrates at the Epicure Cafe on February 6, 2019. You can click over to my YouTube channel to listen to them (and please hit subscribe while you are there!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PacgCvBopEU Thanks for listening. </p>Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/55838592019-01-06T22:29:15-05:002022-08-27T09:24:06-04:00January Joys<p>I really enjoyed opening the show for touring duo Mark Mandeville and Raianne Richards this week at My Dead Aunt's Books in Hyattsville, MD. I originally met this talented team at SERFA a couple of years ago. When they put out a call to fill out their schedule for a January tour, I was happy to put them in touch with my friend Bob Harper, who runs My Dead Aunt's Books. It was a warm and delightful show, as Mark and Raianne broke out new songs and new instruments to begin their tour. Bob Burleson (of Shenandoah Run) kindly sat in with me and provided some tasteful guitar work, and it was great to get to see some Maryland friends make it out to hear the music we all had to share. </p>
<p>I'm planning to keep writing while I buckle down practicing for the upcoming South Florida Folk Festival. It's such an honor to be one of twelve finalists in the 2019 Songwriting Contest. I will get to share two songs during the contest finals on Saturday, January 25, and then I will participate in a songwriter round with other contest finalists on Sunday afternoon, January 26. If you live in the Ft. Lauderdale area, definitely come on out! www.southfloridafolkfest.net</p>Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/50475042018-01-27T13:17:44-05:002022-05-13T12:48:16-04:00New Year, New Collective Opportunities!<p>At the end of 2017 I wasn't too sure what to share in a "Year in Review" post, but as the new year turned, events have snowballed quickly and now there is so much to report! I'm practicing with a new band to expand the Gracious Me sound. Be on the lookout for new live videos posting soon to document our growth. I am also beginning to work with Michael Henry to do duo performances, so that's an entirely different set of performance skills that I'm looking forward to building. Thanks so much for keeping up with the Gracious Me musical journey!</p>Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/48369382017-09-04T13:04:24-04:002022-05-31T13:02:13-04:00Summer Wrap Up<p><span class="font_regular">After SERFA in May I purposefully pulled back on everything music-related (except my ongoing songwriting) to make space for other aspects of my life. By early August I had taken care of some other pieces of the puzzle and was ready to share the results of some of my songwriting process. I booked some studio time to get five new songs recorded, I started scheduling performance dates again, and I attended a great small music camp in North Carolina, PickNBow, where I have developed many musical friendships over the years. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">It was delightful to get to spend time with my musical friends and to listen to and share new music. The responses I have gotten have been so encouraging when sharing some of these new songs! I'm excited to test them out before new audiences and in a few contests. May we all have a musical fall. </span></p>Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/44105782016-10-08T16:37:46-04:002022-05-13T12:49:26-04:00Falling Into New MusicHi everybody, I wanted to reach out to let you know what I've been up to musically! This fall I have had several nice performance dates, but I'm most excited about the two new songs that I recorded recently at Urban Garden Studios here in the DC area. One is a bluesy tune called Every Man Blues, and the other is a jazzy Christmas song titled The Naughty List. They were both fun to work on, and I really enjoyed my time in the studio and with some great instrumentalists, Mike Ryan on guitar and Seth Kibel on saxophone. Be looking for the release of these songs as digital singles! I'll be off the grid for a little while as I take some much-anticipated vacation, and then I'll be back with some new Gracious Me performance dates. Have a great fall! Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/43380742016-08-23T13:57:52-04:002022-05-26T12:51:47-04:00Augusta, Smoky Mountains Songwriters' Festival, Writing, and PorchFestHi all, I've been busy (not just making music), so I wanted to update you on what I've been doing. I had a wonderful time at Vocal Week the Augusta Heritage Center at Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, West Virginia, where I got to take a songwriting class from the legendary Alice Gerrard and a blues class from the amazing legend-in-the-making Rhiannon Giddens! Wheeee! I also was able to facilitate a songwriters' sharing circle, which brought a nice group together from various Augusta classes to share originals and listen to each other. While at Augusta, I knocked out one of my songwriting goals for the year, co-writing with another songwriter, and it went really well! I wrote a children's song with another songwriter from my songwriting class, and everyone in the class performed our co-written songs for the Class showcase at the end of the week. I have a renewed faith in the possibilities of co-writing, so if you are looking to co-write drop me a line! <br><br>Aug. 26-28, 2016 I'm off to the Smoky Mountains Songwriters Festival in Gatlinburg, TN. I'll get to hear loads of songs from Nashville writers and other songwriters from all over, and I'm playing a set at Tom & Earl's Back Alley Grill on Saturday, August 27 from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. I'll be debuting two new songs during my set, so stop by if you are in the area for the festival! Getting selected to play for a festival was another one of my musical goals for the year. I've also been informed that I am going to play at Adams Morgan PorchFest in DC on October 1, so keep your eyes out for the announcement of which porch I'm playing and when closer to that date. Have a great rest of your summer, and go see live music when you can!Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/41968792016-05-25T17:28:31-04:002022-05-16T04:12:20-04:00Challenged<span class="font_regular"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/176780/5c44200e80403ae3b851b506a3a1aa8cdb4595ad/original/cclarendon.jpg?1464211682" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br>Hi there folks, here's another update from the musical journey by Gracious Me! I was both inspired and challenged by attending the magical SERFA (South Eastern Regional Folk Alliance) 2016 conference in Montreat, NC. My survey of attendees indicated that I was the least experienced person around, which meant that I was totally in my element sponging up everything I could from the tribe of traveling singer-songwriters gathered there. I got to share a few songs with people, participate in an EPIC all-night singalong that fed my soul (songwriter conference singalongs cover different territory than the singalongs I'm used to with traditional song junkies!), and attend some really meaty conference sessions. There were so many talented songwriters there that I literally couldn't keep up -- they have multiple guerrilla showcases running all at the same time, so every choice to see one person involves a choice not to see someone else. <br><br>Seeing such a concentration of excellent songwriters and musicians definitely challenged me to improve, and I'm hard at work doing that, while being mindful that I can only grow from where I am. I'm trying to connect a talented duo I met who wants to extend their touring into the DC area with a venue that I think would be good for them, and that's always great to be able to encourage someone else! I had some positive interactions with bookers and venue owners who were supportive and may be able to use me as I develop my skills more. Speaking of developing my skills, I'm doing one of my longest solo shows yet this Friday, May 27, at 8 p.m. at the Coffeehouse at the Church at Clarendon, 1210 N. Highland Street, Arlington, VA. If you are in the DC area, come on out for a Gracious Me extravaganza, loads of originals and some covers too! Thanks for listening. </span>Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/41394192016-04-16T12:57:26-04:002022-05-18T13:41:14-04:00NSAI and SERFA and songwriting, oh my!I've been working hard on my songwriting this spring, and it's been so rewarding. I have started going to local NSAI group meetings for song critiques, I attended a songwriting master class at Arena Stage in DC, and I just got back from NSAI Spring Training in Nashville for the first time! Lots of focus on expanding my "checklist" for reviewing/editing my own songs, because you can't intelligently break the rules of what the listener expects to hear in a song until you understand why the rules work in the first place and what purpose they serve. In just the few days that I've been back from Spring Training I think I've written some of my best songs yet, and I'm excited to begin sharing them with audiences over the next few months. My next planned public performance is at my first SERFA (Southeastern Regional Folk Alliance) conference in Montreat, NC in May. I'm playing a guerrilla showcase there on Saturday night, and I'm really working hard to have a strong theme running through my set and making my presentation of the songs as good as it can be. Thanks for checking in, I'm planning to start beefing up the songwriting portion of the website soon with lyrics and song backstories, so please drop by again soon! Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/40595742016-02-25T10:06:33-05:002022-05-28T07:33:55-04:00Great reviews!I wanted to share a couple of great reviews that I have gotten recently. First, click this link to read a truly amazing review of the whole Introducing ... Gracious Me EP from DC music blog Sustain and Resonance! The reviewer clearly spent a lot of time listening to the music, and I'm so grateful for the kind words! <p><a contents="Sustain and Resonance" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://sustainandresonancesr.blogspot.com/2016/02/gracious-me.html?m=1">Sustain and Resonance</a></p>Also, the Female Frequency Show hosted by Go Girls Music <a contents="Female Frequency Radio Show" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="(http://radionowhere903.com/)" target="_blank">(http://radionowhere903.com/)</a> played my song Warrior, and they said that it "had a direct, beautiful storytelling vibe," and that "you can focus on the complexity and passion in the song." Thanks, Female Frequency! <br><br>Have a musical week! Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/39842352016-01-11T18:30:00-05:002022-05-13T12:51:22-04:002016 Musical Goals!!!<p><span class="font_large">I love setting goals for the year, but I never rush to get the list done by January 1. I like to let them marinate for a little while to make sure they are a good fit for where I want to go. These musical goals for 2016 have me excited for a great year – sign up for the mailing list to keep up with whether I fulfill them, or whether the journey takes me somewhere else entirely this year! </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">1. In a stroke of stellar timing, I completed a funny Christmas song the first week of 2016. But that actually fits in well with my annual goals, because using this song as my basis, I am setting goals to do the following: 1) record the song by mid-October, 2) record my first VIDEO in support of the song, 3) research how to best promote a holiday digital single and be ready to go by the end of October, and 4) get the song on at least three holiday music playlists in November/December 2016. <br>2. Busking! I’m terrified of busking (you know, those people you see playing in subway stations or on the sidewalk.) Something about the uninvited or intrusive nature of busking intimidates me, even though I LOVE buskers and always try to keep some bills handy in case I run across one. So I’m conquering this one this year (I will give myself leeway to accomplish this one with a friend for support.) <br>3. Get better at being ENTERTAINING! I’m trying to be an entertainer, not just do a brain dump on whomever happens to be unfortunate enough to wander through the door. So I’m switching my regular lessons from strictly guitar lessons to “singer-songwriter lessons” with a full-time traveling solo troubadour and teacher. We’ll see what tricks of the trade I can learn from someone who has to fill the stage all by himself on a regular basis. <br>4. On that note, I’m setting a goal of writing more up-tempo, positive/happy songs. That doesn’t mean I’m going to be writing party anthems, haha, but I’m going to be actively pursuing writing positive/fun/up-tempo songs this year. I’m setting the yield at a reasonable five – five up-tempo songs that I like enough that I’m willing to play them for people, by the end of the year. This may be the hardest goal to fulfill! <br>5. Place in a songwriting contest or get selected to perform in a festival. This is a total stretch goal, because whether I accomplish it is totally out of my hands. But setting this goal will keep me focused on pushing to sound more polished and to have new material that might get there. <br>6. Co-write! My only attempt at co-writing so far was in a stressful “instant co-write” situation with strangers that did not go well. So I’m looking to try a more friendly co-write situation this year to see how that goes. NO requirements that this effort produce a song that I’d be willing to perform for others. Just the process of working collaboratively on something that has been so solitary for me is the goal. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_large">Y’all keep me honest, and we’ll see how many of these goals I have attained by the end of 2016! Have a musical and creative year! </span></p>Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/39796332016-01-07T21:37:53-05:002022-05-28T07:51:59-04:002015 Year in Review<p><span class="font_large">I've been thinking over 2015 as I come up with goals for 2016, and one thing that happened over and over again in 2015 was getting rejected. My music got turned down by contest after contest, my input was pointedly ignored by the two younger women I was paired with to write a song at a "women's flash co-write" event, I submitted work for all sorts of ReverbNation "opportunities" that didn't pan out, I had a few promising contacts that never materialized into anything, etc., etc. It would be easy to focus on those events and outcomes and believe that overall 2015 was not a good year. <br>On the contrary, 2015 was MARVELOUS! All the baby steps that I've taken musically began to take me farther from home in 2015, as I played my original music in six states, put myself through a "boot camp" of 10 Open Mics in 10 Days, had my first paid gigs, participated in a festival for the first time (and even got my name on the t-shirt!), and recorded and began selling my first "starting line" EP. I FINALLY, after much agonizing, came up with the perfect performance name, set up this FB page, and then put together my website, www.graciousmemusic.com. I was a finalist in a songwriting contest for the first time, and at the related festival I performed one of my songs from memory for the first time! That got that particular monkey off my back, so I repeatedly challenged myself to keep stretching, going from a single memorized song, to a 15 minute set, to a 40-minute set. When I first signed up to play a 40-minute set from memory, I was only beginning to be able to play a 15-minute one, but there's nothing like impending embarrassment in front of a crowd to focus the faculties! smile emoticon I had a wonderful time getting to sing accompanied by two excellent musicians for the EP release show hosted by the great folks at the Epicure Cafe. <br>Paging through my songwriting journal, I was surprised to see that I wrote full drafts of 31 songs in 2015, along with numerous fragments and pages of ideas that may get turned into songs soon. I greatly expanded my songwriting tribe through getting to know and learn from SUCH talented folks at camps and seminars, as well as through going out and listening to live music as often as I could to support other musicians. I beat my goal of recording and putting out a CD by nearly a year by bringing alongside me fabulous instrumentalists and a great producer who could bring my vision to fruition. I had no idea what I was doing for marketing, but I've gotten airplay on numerous internet radio stations and shows, sold a few CDs via CD Baby and a few more in person, and gained the confidence that comes with having other people hear excellently recorded versions of my songs and say "Hey, these are really good!" <br>I've been making all the mistakes and feints and stumbles that anyone beginning something new will make. I learned a lot from all the performances I did this year, and plenty of what I learned was simply that I'm not anywhere near where I want to be. I have been wallowing in the period of a creative effort that Ari Shapiro describes as the time when your taste far surpasses your skills, so I am painfully aware of my weaknesses as I try to work past them to align my output with my imagination. It's been delightful, though, to savor the milestones and to experience the encouragement of so many people who have caught the vision of doing something new just to see where it takes me, and I'm so appreciative for their support. I am especially thankful to all the people who have provided me with opportunities to play, I've learned from every experience and, I hope, provided some entertainment along the way. I am beyond excited to see what 2016 has in store! I'm beginning lessons focused on specific singer-songwriter skills on the guitar, I'm lining up attending some camps and seminars to keep learning, and I'm working hard on reaching out to performing opportunities to keep myself motivated. Many thanks to you for keeping up with the journey, and may we all have a healthy, positive, creative, and energetic 2016!</span></p>Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/39491332015-12-04T06:47:46-05:002022-05-21T00:44:03-04:00Last Chance for Free ShippingHi all, I was so thankful for several friends who came out to hear the set at the Black Squirrel's Songwriter Showcase this week, and I'm looking forward to performing for Leesburg's First Friday tonight. I'm checking into joining a SAW showcase of comedy songs on Dec. 30, so stay tuned for possible information on that one. Just a reminder that TODAY, Friday, 12/4/15, is the last day to order the EP from CD Baby for 1 cent shipping, so please get your orders in for <a contents="Introducing ... Gracious Me!" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/graciousme" target="_blank">Introducing ... Gracious Me! </a> Have a wonderful weekend! Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/39260672015-11-19T17:35:00-05:002015-11-19T17:35:19-05:00A Lovely ReviewDJ Pat Stone has a lively internet radio variety show, The Pat Stone Show, on www.brightskyradio.com. He very kindly played a Gracious Me track on Monday night, and then played another one on Wednesday night! He said "I love this folky Americana music, and her voice ... wow! I was listening to this song [You Don't Love Me Like You Used To] with my eyes closed and it's a great song for slow dancing." How right he is, I was adapting this song into its final form for some friends' anniversary party, and because they are great dancers I squeezed it down from 4/4 into 3/4 so that folks could waltz to it! I appreciate Pat's kind words, and I'm glad that the feel of the song lines up with my intentions. Give it a listen on the EP, available from the MUSIC page here on the website. Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/39227422015-11-10T15:34:44-05:002022-05-13T12:46:02-04:00EP Release Party DownloadWhat a lovely time we had at the EP Release Party concert at the Epicure Cafe on Friday, November 6! Great crowd, great venue, and great fun sharing the music. These were the longest sets I've had the chance to do yet, so I got to work in some favorite covers, including Al Green's Let's Stay Together and Curtis Mayfield's People Get Ready. I was so surprised by some of the friends from way back who were able to come, and flowers from those far away but near in heart were such an encouragement. Such a heart-filling evening! Check out the photos page for a gallery of pictures from the evening!Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/39112322015-11-03T11:21:29-05:002015-11-03T11:21:29-05:00The EP Release Party is almost here! I've been working so hard getting ready for the EP release party, and I can't believe it's almost here! Had a good marathon practice on Sunday with part of the Stellar Fellars who are going to be backing me up, and I've sent a flurry of notes for songs back and forth as we tighten up our preparations. No doubt Friday will throw things at us that we haven't prepared for, but I'm excited to do my longest show ever and share this music with a great audience!Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/39034572015-10-20T18:05:00-04:002015-10-20T18:05:19-04:00Internet Radio airplay begins!I've started promoting the EP tracks to indie radio in advance of the release date, and on Wednesday, October 21, two different internet radio shows will play a Gracious Me track! Tune in to "Journey To <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_370118110" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">Tomorrow</span></span>!"<br>England's Way Out Radio's seminal, all new music programme -<br><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_370118111" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">Wednesday</span></span> evenings, <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_370118112" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">19:00 - 21:00 B.S.T.</span></span> (2pm EST, 1 pm Central)<br>Replayed <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_370118113" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">Sunday</span></span> evenings - <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_370118114" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">20:00 - 22:00 B.S.T.</span></span> <br>Live streaming can be found on their website: <a href="http://www.wayoutradio.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.wayoutradio.co.uk/</a> <br><br>Or tune in to The Troubadour Show, <div>Weds <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_370118120" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">21st Oct 2pm</span></span> Eastern USA / <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_370118121" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">7pm</span></span> UK / <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_370118122" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">8pm CET</span></span>. <a href="http://www.bluesandrootsradio.com" target="_blank">www.bluesandrootsradio.com</a>
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<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_370118123" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">replayed Thu 22nd Oct 5pm</span></span> Eastern USA / <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_370118124" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">10pm</span></span> / <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_370118125" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ">11pm CET</span></span>. <a href="http://www.thepenguinrocks.com" target="_blank">www.thepenguinrocks.com</a><br><br>Thanks so much to Way Out Radio, The Troubadour Show (www.troubadourshow.com), Blues and Roots Radio, and The Penguin Rocks for your support of indie music! </div>Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/38914232015-10-10T08:15:00-04:002015-10-10T08:16:18-04:00ReloadingSeveral mini-milestones have passed by in the last few weeks -- selling the first Gracious Me CDs, getting my name on the t-shirt for a festival for the first time, but one really great milestone came a few days ago when I had to reload my business card holder because I've exchanged all my cards for cards from other great musicians I've met. There is a great community out there, and I'm loving meeting so many talented folks as I share my music. Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/38747932015-09-29T17:13:07-04:002022-03-26T08:11:11-04:00Luck Finds Those Who Are Out After ItI was able to play Main Street Music Fest last weekend because a music friend gave me the heads up about the opportunity. I was able to mark the milestone of getting my name on a festival t-shirt thanks to this one! Another music friend set up the lineup at the Electric Maid on Saturday, and while there I met a fantastic musician who invited me to get on the roster for an upcoming songwriter night that he hosts. I wouldn't have made any of these connections if I weren't getting out there, sharing my music, and building friendships in my local music community. Certainly I dig up opportunities on my own, and I try to let friends know of opportunities that I find that can use more artists. But getting opportunities isn't about "luck" as much as it's about persistence, and it's not about being mercenary about "contacts" -- it's about community. I'm trying to be humble, be thankful, and keep plugging. Luck has a funny way of finding you when you are out working hard.Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/38628482015-09-21T14:23:54-04:002022-05-19T07:51:01-04:00Doubling UpA performance opportunity fell in my lap a few days ago, so now Gracious Me will be playing two back-to-back gigs on Saturday, September 26! First up is a 4 p.m. set at the Phoenix Emporium Songwriter stage as part of Main Street Music Fest in Ellicot City, MD, and then a quick trip down to Takoma Park to the Electric Maid to play in a four-artist lineup starting at 7 p.m. So excited to get to share with these two different audiences on the same day. Wish me luck!Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/38566902015-09-15T21:47:26-04:002022-02-17T05:45:06-05:00Music Can't Wait!The EP and packaging are off to the manufacturer, and while I wait I'm practicing for the upcoming run of gigs leading up to the EP release party. Songs keep showing up and asking to be written, so I have a backlog of tunes that I need to work out chords for -- that's a good problem to have! Gracious Metag:graciousmemusic.com,2005:Post/38390062015-09-01T22:20:10-04:002022-08-26T14:37:56-04:00Beginnings!<span class="font_regular">Work continues on post-production for the EP, and while that project is baking in the oven, I'm lining up gigs, practicing my songs, writing, and getting established online. Thanks for checking in! </span>Gracious Me