Many moons have passed

Hello.

It's been a year since I last sent a real email to my list and what a year it's been. I sincerely hope you have been safe and healthy, and are feeling some relief these days, wherever you are.

I have begun performing live again, and I have a show with Rich in New York City next Sunday, July 25. It's a vaccinated-only event, with an intimate audience of just 16 people! If you live in the area and would like to come see us play, there are a few tickets left.

Since life changed dramatically for us all last spring, I figured out some ways to stay creative within the limitations and worked on some new projects. Here's a little info on each and links to hear more:

Hiking, foraging, and urban gardening saved me during Covid. Nature became one of my only outlets for real joy. When I couldn’t sing in front of people, I sang for plants and created Singing Forager. Singing Forager is an ongoing project of writing songs and jingles about edible plants and mushrooms. I've written and recorded 40+ of these quirky plant tunes, which appear in short, 1-minute Instagram videos of my foraging adventures.

“The Last Season” is my newest recorded release, which came out at the end of 2020, just when the Covid vaccines were being approved. It's an acoustic single that captures the feeling of being both devastated and grateful at the end of a long, scary year. The song is expertly produced by Rich Bennett with gorgeous layered guitars, and features the delicately beautiful piano playing of my dear friend Deidre Rodman Struck. Listen on Spotify. I also made a music video.

I've continued to write political comedy tunes. After I finished all my 2020 Candidate Jams, I joined my fellow citizens to work to win the election for Biden/Harris, which included phonebanks and postcarding, followed by a countdown clock, and an outdoor freezing cold inauguration party. Then, as NYC moved onto our own local elections, I wrote a song that cut through all the drama over the Democratic primary to ask the important, eternal question "Why would anyone want to be mayor of New York City?"

Last spring/summer, I undertook a daunting, but extremely rewarding, effort to write and produce a 10-part podcast called "Together All The Time." It follows the lives of three households (plus my own) through the early "lockdown" months of the pandemic in New York City. The series explores our relationships with food, sleep, nature, friendship, and family during an isolated time, and asks how the pandemic has altered our understanding of science, justice, and ultimately, each other. Listen wherever you listen to podcasts.

A few things other things:

I responded to a call for original jingles for Sarah Silverman's podcast and she played mine on the show! I also shared a funny story about Rich. If you haven’t listened to the Sarah Silverman podcast, I really recommend it. It is freeform and spontaneous.

Acme Hall Studios, the teaching and recording studio I run with Rich, reopened in April after all our staff were vaccinated. Most of our students have returned for in-person lessons and we are hosting a weekly concert series with a slate of awesome upcoming performances!

Well, that's all I got for now. I hope you get a chance to enjoy this summer and hear some live music again.

Thanks for keeping up with me.
Rebecca