Melody Cooper: My World

2011-10-08T05:45:00.000-07:00

Friday 9302011 wv

The things a girl has to do to go pee. Put on my galoshes, grab an umbrella and slosh out to the bathhouse. It's been raining for hours and it's cold, well relatively, low 50's I'd say maybe lower. Need to get a thermometer. We've turned on the car and read the outside temp for perspective a few times.

Dan and Tom are up on the ridge at Dan Brindo's, or northern Dan as we say. It's the final Drink and Plink party. Well, Dan's got a wide porch and a nice warm house to recover in. I suspect there's a bit of moonshine and some other drinkin to go with it, part of the party. Our sweet boy with a trumpet pic leaves this world tonight. Sayonara with a smile I say.

Good thing we burned the bonfire last night. It was just Dan and Tom and I but seemed the right time. Have to go by the weather when you're living mostly outdoors. It was a beautiful fire. And all the brush from the trimmed autumn olives went up with a rosy flame high into the sky. We sat out staring at the fire and up at the stars. I love it. Both of us smelled like wood smoke in the bed. Suppose you'd get tired of that after a while, but not yet.

Had some patches of sun as this cold front blew in and Suki got her ride home bath. Weather changed quickly and I felt sorry for leaving her on the porch so cold when we went into Elizabeth. She and I are in the front room all warm and cozy now. I watched the new version of True Grit, pretty good. I do like a happier ending though, but I guess it's more artistic when it's truer to life. I'll have to go back and see the original sometime.

We leave in two days. All this rain and cold, guess it's time. I never got to half what I had in mind though. Writing songs, practicing some piano. I did put some time in on the harp though. That and did a stack of NY Times Crossword Puzzles.Read some good books too, Machine Dreams Jayne Anne Phillips, Drown- Junot Diaz. Listened to The Lock Artist and The Help too, both really good. Why I find the puzzles so relaxing I don't know, I've never finished one, though I 've come close a few times. I have the answers to some – maybe I'll learn something.

Fortunately I love what I do in Key West. I'm sure once I get over the shock of my busy schedule that I'll be glad to be there. I do have some really great jobs, I'm a very lucky girl . I always miss being outside though. Maybe I can figure out how to outwit those backyard mosquitos and spend more time. Could be I'll figure that into the renovation of the front room. Maybe a screened porch off that room? Well, can't come true if you don't dream it. Look at what happened here.

2011-10-08T05:44:00.000-07:00

Sept 26 2011

When the weather is cold is wet, this is when it really feels like camping. Sloshing to the bathhouse to pee, hunkering under an umbrella to wash the dishes. My friend Saffra was here for 4 days and upon returning to Philadelphia commented that what she missed was being outdoors all the time. True, our place is spacious and comfortable when we have the outside porch and walks as a part of it. Today, however, it's chill and wet and muddy. I did use the rubber boots Saffra left me to go to the bathhouse during the night. Kept my feet dry and warm, I admit I was very sleepily slipping into them and glad nothing else had decided to climb in as well!

Fortunately we also have the 2 rooms and a lovely heater in each. So here I sit, blogging away on the comfy couch with the heat on just enough and a few layers of clothing. This last week given to just trying to rest and relax and empty the freezer and pantry items I've accumulated . I've enjoyed having time to cook , and to have friends to dinner. Last night we were joined by Tom and Dan and Nancy from up on Fairview, our immediate family. I made meatloaf and had time to saute vegetables, make breadcrumbs. I have to plan an hour ahead to bake or roast here, as I need to ready the coals for the grill and then get the grill cleaned and set and of course let whatever cook. I used the coals lined up on either side method last night instead of in a circle. Keeps it a bit hotter if I can stack them up, but made the coals wider in the grill. The ends of the loaf a bit crisp, but I actually liked it so no harm.

Never chronicled about my day of the animal kingdom roadkill. I drove into Spencer one day a week past and I swear there was one of each animal around here that had been hit on the road. Even ones I don't normally see like bobcat and coyote along with the more familiar sights of deer, red fox, possum, raccoon and squirrel. I heard some grouse last week as well although never did see them.

Suki and I are enjoying the path to Honeysuckle Pond. It's become one of our daily treks. As a city dog, she still likes to get me to walk her. Of course, if she needs to, she still goes off on her own. It's either habit or she just likes the company or both. She won't go off with anyone else but Dan and I though. I suppose that's a good thing. Walking that path a few days ago Saffra and I came upon a black snake about 3 foot long. I wasn't sure what it was as it had a white belly and black top. The next day we found the skin, in it's entirety . It's so cool, tail and head and eye holes and all! I keep moving it around as the wind blows it away though and the tail has come off. It's new home is in the bathhouse. Maybe it will strike fear into the mouse population who like to sneak in to nest when we leave, though I doubt it. One thing about mice, they are bold and resourceful, even so small as they are. I have to keep all the garden vegetables in the pantry as they came one night and took one little bite out of every tomato. It reminded me of a box of chocolates someone was testing!

We head back on Monday and I am trying to live each moment and enjoy it. I'll stop and now and go back to my favourite morning activity, sipping coffee on the porch and catching up on the Sunday Times crossword puzzles.

2011-10-07T07:10:00.000-07:00

WV Sunday afternoon 942011

A slight breeze is stirring and the air is coming in a bit cooler.It's been high 90's and brutal. Glad we have fans here. Sitting in the rocker that came from Dan's mom's house at the end of the porch overlooking the ridge, my favourite spot. Just finished reading my friend Bud Navarro's new play “So The Boys Can Cry”. It's about the first responders set in a neighborhood bar near The World Trade Center the day of 9/11/2001 and the eve before. The play is good, really good. The subject stuns me to silence. The words of what people saw as they ran in to help when the towers collapsed. The image of shoes everywhere in one character's dialogue stays with me. I remember my sister telling me that her friend's boyfriend worked downtown and saw arms and legs flying. That image has never left me.
The frustration and anger, the difficulty of forgiveness of moving on. Stunned by the enormity.

Struck by the irony of life. Quietly here in the middle of the West Virginia hills, amid the sounds of crickets and birds, I stand in my kitchen mixing Tabouleh salad for tonight's dinner. I've Greek olives and hummus with vegetables to serve with some grilled chicken I made the day before. We are all mixed together just like the food.

The saloon where Bud's play is set reminds me of several saloons in NYC that I have been to with Bud! The dark funky bar downtown with the great jukebox and cheap drinks. The yuppier bar on the upper West Side where Bud received his mail and his drycleaning.

I was going to fly to NYC to use a free US Air ticket I have. But I'm not so anxious to travel right now. I need the time to rest and practice and a book of songs I've started is tugging at me. We go next week to visit Dan's mom and also meet up with Dan's brother and his wife. I'm hoping to stop in Morgantown on the way back to visit my new friend Cynthia. She and I met in Barcelona at the Festival of Song masterclass.

I sang two Spanish songs acapella for Bud's play. Interesting getting back into my soprano voice and the Spanish words. I sang Lloraba La Niña by Granados and Respóndemos by Rodrigo. Two pieces I began work on in Spain. Nothing is coincidence as Bud asks if I can send him an mp3 of some ¨flamenco vocals¨. I explain that I don´t remotely sing the flamenco wail, but find songs with a Sephardic, southern Spanish style to send him.

Music becomes a part of the daily life here. Dan has been writing some spooky music that sounds like the wind singing through my harp . I practice just about daily. Last night we jammed with Lisa ( Buck and Diane's daugher in law ) who is a fiddle player. She is studying at ETSU for a degree in bluegrass. Anita Morrell was so proud when she told us that was being offered! Lisa and Morgan and their two children live in Johnson City, Tenn right down the road from Bristol! We had fun last night. Playing old time bluegrass and some of my Celtic and Spanish songs. Dan played guitar and I played harp and our painter friend George played bass. It was a blast, sitting on the back porch of their farm as the stars came out. We ride out over Davison ridge to get there. Dan and I have walked over before, 7 miles along the ridge ( and a 2 mile huff to the ridge road that we haven't walked yet – but Diane has. ) Memorable gathering of friends, food and music.

And sometimes life is grand.

2011-08-24T11:36:00.001-07:00

Wv 8242011

Can't sleep. But every time I get up to use the bathhouse and I see those stars I don't mind being awake. The milky way, and every constellation I've ever known, clear and beautiful. Shifting around in the sky as I get up every few hours. Takes my breath away
I've a lovely new table for prepping, cooking that Dan created today. It's huge and finally tall enough. I've used a folding plastic table for years now. That and a small camping stove . Now we'll have a gas top with room for 2 pots at once! And also counter space that I don't need to bend over to use. He's topped this with his signature red oak and the first layer of spar varnish went on this evening. Neo rustic, the Dan Simpson signature style once again. Grateful for his skill and for him, even with all our arguing. Tonight we laughed and laughed and it felt like old times. I think of what Emily said, time together, so right.
2:45 AM the moon is rising. The small tip of the crescent peering over the ridge. The rest of the valley is so dark, and full of the sounds of the summer night- cicadas, katydids.
It's cool maybe in the 60's but still gentle. Time to snuggle back into the covers.

2011-08-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

WV sat 8 20 2011

My friend Mimi told me she was so exhausted when she got to her West Virginia home that all she did was sit and stare at the trees. And I understand. I completely understand. I've spent a lot of time since we arrived Monday evening sitting on the porch staring at trees. Watching the little movements , catching sight of the red cardinal in the pine. Yesterday he was in the autumn olive bushes down the hill, they are everywhere now, flitting in the bush over a small flock of wild turkeys foraging around for the berries. I guess that's why the autumn olives are taking over. The animals love them though. Dusk the other night two little fawns came up the hill and were hanging out at the same place. Just where I tried to plant a hydrangea ( use some more potting soil in this West Virginia clay next time, I was told ). Tom said two fawns had been living under our house. I never saw the doe so they might be on their own. One of them is very brave , looked me straight in the eye and started coming over to the house, then changed his mind. He went to gather the other fawn who seemed a bit nervous and led her down into the valley. I was a bit afraid of deer ticks under the house, that's where the pup Suki likes to sleep in the day. But it was good to see the deer who sheltered here this past winter. Like we share the house somehow.
We're so in the woods it's cool and very damp here most times. Except mid afternoon when it seems to be blaring hot up the entire east and midwest this summer. A few summer past as well, climate extremes being the new “norm” I read today .
Brought some New Yorkers magazines I hadn't time to read and really enjoying them. The pleasure of reading good writing. I had a stack, wished I brought a few more.
I must have really packed in a hurry, because I forgot more than my usual one big thing. Second year I forgot the folding bookshelf. I've got a stack of music on top of the marimba. Six weeks seem like such a little time. It's just beginning though and I remind myself today to be in this moment and enjoy it.

West Virginia August 19,2010

2010-08-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

In 24 hours I feel so at peace. The constant sound of the cicadas like a mantra repeating over and over in my ear soothing me.
My favourite spot, at the end of the porch watching the light come up over the ridge. Today is overcast and especially gentle. The birds are calling, whipporwills, cardinals, woodpeckers, crows, I don't recognize all of them yet.
A few days ago I was in Kansas City and I took a walk through the woods at Unity Village. I kept bringing my mind back to the sound of the cicadas and the sound of my feet on the ground, letting my thoughts come in and out and always back to that sound. I hadn't thought that sound would be my gateway into meditation, but it seems so obvious now. Even though I play music for meditation, I am distracted by the story of the song and feel of the keys. This constant hum of the summer forest is so amazingly soothing.
My dog Suki is sitting at my feet watching the view from the porch. She's just finished her perimeter check and is watching for critters, just sitting with me.
Yesterday I drove up to Davison Ridge where I can get cell phone reception to make some calls, after 2 weeks we still do not have our land line repaired. ( I did call again and made a note in the files that our dirt road now has 2 balloons tied to the pole on the road to make it easier to find us. ) I was camped out in the front seat of my car checking on my sister's health, checking in with my mom's nurse , trying to get our telephone line up and running when suddenly 2 turkeys wandered out in front of me. At that moment, I received a call that an offer had been made on my mother's house, the first in 2 years and this at the exact hour I chose to make my calls! I was counter offering, going back and forth with the realtor as a family of deer came out and starting grazing. My mom's nurse called back and asked how are ya? And I said well, I sitting here barefoot in the front of my car watching a flock of turkeys and a family of deer having a late afternoon snack, pretty darn good I'd say.
I count my blessings. I have a wonderful life in Key West and now this bit of peace in West Virginia. I have my health, which seems the more extraordinary as I am surrounded by family dealing with cancer and the trials of aging. And a man who has decided after 24 years that we really need to bring intimacy back into our relationship, something I have been praying about lately.
Today is a good day.

2010-03-08T12:39:00.000-08:00

west Virginia 3

2009-09-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

Palestine West Virginia Sept 22, 2009

Every year our cabin becomes more of a home, in it's physical growth and also in our relationship to the community that we are building in. Bertie at the Reedy grocery store remembers us quicker, our friendships to the people we've met here through Tom deepens and we develop our own relationships. It's harder to spend only 2 months here, we've come to really care for people and for the land. Sitting here on the porch in the morning listening to birds, watching with Suki for critter movements ( right now it's lots of squirrels with mouths fat with nuts running eveywhere stocking up for winter ) We're coming onto the month before any serious cold nights and everyone is building sheds, chopping wood, making plans. It's been a long time since Dan or I have lived in winter. For us, winter means the work season, tourists arrive and the work trickles to us, directly and indirectly.
This year I will be doing a concert at The Studios of Key West, a wonderful space run by and containing the work of many artists and concerts. And I will be finishing, at last, the CD I started 2 years ago when we closed the Riviera Drive location of Private Ear Studio. This year I look forward to reconnecting with my jazz roots and singing with guitar, which is how I first started singing. Also in the guitar vocal music I get to share making music with a new collaborator Rob O Connell. Also I get to keep some of the Spanish repertoire going, just with different accompaniment. I have added some Piazzolla and Montsalvatge to my new CD, the rhumba and milongo seems to fit the eclectic songlist of that CD and I've always been drawn to and included Latin rhythmns in all my jazz performances. Perhaps this will also be the year I make the leap from understanding and speaking some Spanish, to really learning it, I'm so close and can use it daily in Key West if I choose.
Many differences this year in our cabin. The biggest change is that we wrapped the porch around the side of the house and have lifted the kitchen off the ground and added a roof for it. That added a 20 x 10 foot space to our place and because it's roofed, instead of tarped down to the ground, it is dry and has much more light. We've put our parrot party lights up there and it is confusing the hummingbirds who think the red ones should contain sugar water for them and they buzz me looking for me to fill them! Those little birds are small but pure muscle and very forceful. I hesitate to feed anyone ( but our human friends ) here as we are only here 2 months and I don't want them dependent on us. I truly wish we could adopt a cat though . Now that Tom is down to one happy cat at his place across the holler, we've been finding a lot of mice around. They especially like shredding toilet paper and if keep gettting into the bathhouse and starting nests. They will nest in anything, last time it was a ziploc bag , resourceful but filthy little cuties. We've had to resort to mice traps. One of the facts of life of living in the woods here.
With our porch wrapped around we have added a good deal of space and been able to move the table and chairs for dining into the kitchen area. With the cooking station and table it looks like a little cafe and has been affectionately named Melody's Wildflower Bistro. Thanks to Tammy's generous donation of a full size refrigerator and Buck's experience of using a grill as an oven for inspiration, I have a very sweet set up. Also another big change , a few weeks ago Dan built me a pantry closet. The kitchen is open air, but protected and now I will be able to pack up all the plates and cooking utensils, cleaning supplies in the pantry. We have now officially unpacked all the plastic tubs except the one with camping supplies, which we store under the house when we are here. It will make coming and going much, much easier. And because I have 5 shelves and a door that closes , I don't have a 6 foot table stacked with tubs and dishes. It's much neater and also opens up 4 feet of space. I would love to put a banquet or church pew with some storage under it in the future. Have to be careful not to build critter housing, but it's possible.
For more about the bistro and adventures in cooking open air, I've written a bistro blog with some photos.

Melody's Wildflower Bistro

2009-09-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

West Virginia Blog 2

Melody's Wildflower Bistro

Last summer we wrapped our porch around the house and got my kitchen out of the mud. I now have a real roof, a wooden deck that is 20x10 . We've a working full size fridge, a great white tile and wood table and 5 wooden chairs and a wonderful pantry that Dan built for me just 2 weeks ago.
With the porch wrapped around, we've moved the table into the kitchen and it truly has a bistro feel! Check out the photos.
I'm cooking on 2 gas burners, a slow cooker and an inexpensive charcoal grill that has lasted 3 years now. I've taken inspiration from our friend Buck who said anything you can cook in the oven, you can cook on a grill, course he meant Weber, but we do with what we have. Anyway, it's true! I've baked pies, pizzas, roasted a loin of pork and this year made meatloaf on this grill. This weekend I'm going to try lasagna and a quiche. I'll let you know.
I found a blender at the What Not Shop for a few dollars and it's really come in handy. I've been making fresh breadcrumbs out of the good HealthNut bread we like and it makes a big difference . This year I tried making meatloaf on the grill. With finely chopped sweet Vidalia onions and fresh breadcrumbs and eggs , I also use fresh ground salt and pepper , fresh parsely and some dried thyme and smoked paprika. I mix a little bit of the adobe sauce that chipotles are packed in with ketchup for the top of the meatloaf and put it in a disposable baking dish covered with foil for the first half hour, then open the top the last 10 or 15 minutes. Delish, I keep making more for leftovers, but the most that's left has been 2 pieces! Using the grill as an oven is an ancient technique and quite logical. I ready the coals in a chimney ( hate using chemicals to start a fire , especially to eat off of ) . I put the hot coals in the grill and arrange them in a tight circle with a hole empty in the middle, or an rectangle open , depends on the shape of the baking pan. Then put the pan in the middle and put the lid down, making sure air gets in to keep the coals going. Also making sure that the coals are bunched together , if they are too far apart the coals will go out too fast. If something takes a long time more coals might have to be readied in the chimney.
I brought some chipotles in adobe sauce with me, although the Walmart in Spencer does have them in their Mexican food section. As much as I hate the politics of Walmart, they do have the best food selection within the closest drive for me. I've found good whole wheat bread, romaine lettuce, dark roast coffee, pesto and a few produce items that I like to cook with that I can't find in the local Foodland. I do have a culinary reputation to uphold!
Two years ago Diane showed us that you can bake a pie on a grill. You need to put in on as soon as everything else is finished and perhaps add some coals though. Also I discovered this year that a thinner crust is better. I've been using prefrozen pie crusts as I don't have a surface for rolling my own. Maybe next year we will build my cooking station. Right now I have a fold up 6 foot plastic table that holds a 2 burner gas camp stove, a toaster, Dan's expresso machine ( another What Not Shop find ) ,cooking utensils, a basket for fresh produce and lil things that end up there. It gets crowded and I have a small chopping board, need to work on that part.
The pots are hung above the table with nails on the rafters. I hope to build a table that stays and add a three burner cast iron gas stove top at least next year. We drooled over on at Cabela's recently. The two burner stove is challenging as if it's larger that a medium saute pan or sauce pan, 2 pots don't actually fit over the burners next to each other. I have to open the wind block sides and move the pots around to cook on different sides.
I do bring some spices and my favourite Henckel knife. Everything else is now here for cooking. I do need a larger chop space and also desperately need water where I cook. Right now I keep a pitcher and some shop towels for cleaning and wiping down some veggies, but I spend a lot, lot of time running back and forth between the sink outside the bathhouse and the kitchen. It's not too far, but is up and down stairs and tiring when you're cooking anything with more than one pot or two ingredients.
I do a lot of straight up grilling as well. Defrost, marinate, grill. We're so fortunate to have generous friends with gardens full of tomatoes, cucumbers and other fresh produce, yummy yellow squash this year from Dan B. Did manage to grill some chicken and make enchiladas this summer. The blender came in handy for that one. Made the sauce early on in the day and after grilling the chicken, assemble the enchiladas and baked on the grill. Yum. I will need some fresh chili spices this year. I order them online from New Mexico. Coming here with a good knife and spices does make a huge difference.
Tom is taking advantage of having a bistro in the neighborhood and if we don't see him early on in the day I just call him and tell him today's bistro menu.
I'm enjoying being out of the rain and mud, previously I was on the ground and we had tarps coming out from the rooftop to the ground. With the porch and roof extended , there is a lot more light. The walls are open and it's a delight to have the breeze coming through on 3 sides ( the fourth wall being the house ). Also this year we put up a rain gutter. This will make my grill place and under the house where our bedroom is much drier.
I say we loosely. It was primarily Dan and Tom doing the rain gutter work. I did get to strap on my new toolbelt ( finally found one that fits girls! ) . Mostly I measured and hit a few nails. I have to say if you need to hit a nail more that 2 or 3 times, you are in trouble. It's hard to center a hammer repeatedly for more than that and also takes more time. I did put a few in and also had to take a few out. I seriously need some hammer and drill practice time to build up my skills! I do have the perfect toolbelt now though, I even have an attachment for the drill!
We have to redo the front of our trailer in Key West, so it will come in very handy. Thanks to Tom and his patience and his attitude of “ if I can do it you can” Not really always true as he's at least twice as strong as I am and fearless on a ladder, but encouraging none the less. Dan is less patient with me, but he is very skilled and also has to deal with my apprentice skills a lot more than 2 months out of the year. Well, he's also not known for his patience with me either, but that's another story. My biggest contribution to the building is remembering measurements and running around fetching things the guys have forgotten on the ladder, or holding the other end of things, but hey GOG ( Girl on Ground ) does come in handy and makes me feel useful and involved. I've definitely learned a lot building this place and I'm always happy when I'm learning new things.

West Virginia 8/29/09

2009-09-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

The dirt and gravel road running into our property has been named by the county. This is to make it easier for emergency vehicles to find people supposedly, but at the moment is creating more confusion. Previously, we were just a box number on Rural Route 1, the paved road off Route 14 just past the Reedy iron bridge. It's taken 2 weeks for the newspaper delivery man to call and ask where is “Wildflower Lane” ? When I explain it's the cluster of mailboxes about a mile up on the old Sanoma Road, he says “ Well why didn't you tell them that when you ordered your paper, I'da had it there 2 weeks ago! “ I've ordered the Sunday paper for the next 2 months. Suki dog and I will walk down to the mailbox tomorrow morning and see if Mr Dillon has found us.

It's the time in our annual hurricane get away months from Key West where we are in between construction projects or visiting friends and family. I am falling into a routine of sitting on the porch in the morning drinking coffee and reading for hours. Mornings tend to be magazines, afternoons and evenings books. Today the weather keeps changing, clouds drift over the ridge and block the sun and it's dark and cool, then it clears and the sun's out and it's hot . It's been low 80's in the day and mid 60's at night, except for the dark rainy days . Cool front's coming in tomorrow and I'm glad we have a few extra blankets around.

Over the winter our friend Tom and helper Andy drywalled our 2 room cabin. For 2 summers we've been looking at the framing stuffed with insulation and covered by plastic. It's the only part of the construction we didn't actually do ourselves and it was strange to see it so different. When we first arrived we did some finishing on the front room. Originally designed to be Dan's creative room and a small studio it's now transformed into the music room where we keep our instruments ( guitar, bass, keyboard, marimba and new harp ). It also houses Dan's computer where he is diligently working on programming the kiosk to display his teleidoscopic photo art.

Our first project was to paint the room, hang a ceiling fan, lay a floor and stain and put up the trim. I've put some pictures up of what we've done. At the moment we've got both rooms in the one room as a few days ago I painted the floor in the second room, our makeshift bedroom which was originally designed to be my practice room, with some leftover oil based barn paint. We did hang a fan in there and it's still airing out. Let's see I painted on Wednesday and it's Saturday now. I'm hoping we can move back in tomorrow, although having the bed in the finished room with our new sheets has made it seem like staying in a hotel. Although I don't normally hang my PJ's on the marimba at those.

Every day I spend a few hours at the harp. Learning a new instrument is a true test of patience. I thought it would be more painful as well, but aside from the tedium of playing everything very simply and slowly, the calluses are building up naturally and I can practice as long as I can concentrate. I always take some time later in the day to just play as well. A few Celtic tunes, variations on Pachelbel's Cannon and Ode to Joy and just jamming.

We picked up the harp on the way up and got to go the workshop where it was made and met the designer and his apprentice who actually built my harp. It was exciting for him too as he doesn't always get to meet the people he makes the instrument for. The harp is a Dreamweaver and is from Heartland Harps in North Carolina. It's a 34 string harp and made out of laminted birch, so it's very light weight ( 21 pounds ). It has a clear lovely sound and I am getting very comfortable with it. Playing the harp is so intimate, it snuggles up and leans on your right shoulder and you bring your arms around it and play it's strings. The notes and music make perfect sense to me. The mechanics of placing your hands and playing are taking some time. It's been just over two weeks now so I've come a long way quickly, but still ache to play with more fluidity.

2009-04-06T11:58:00.000-07:00

talkin bout Spanish Rhapsody/hablo de Rapsodia Española

2009-04-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

my first blog! I want to create a place where I can talk about the details of my shows. I have a new one coming up at the San Carlos Institute in Key West, Florida on Sunday April 26 called Spanish Rhapsody.
I sing and this concert features the music of Spain, Argentina, Brazil and Cuba. I'm joined by pianist Sergio Puig, the amazing pianist who is also the assistant conductor for the Florida Grand Opera.
And I'm also joined by Caribe, the hot Latin trio in Key West.
more news on this concert to come!