Arrivals and Milestones

Lately I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting. In August, I celebrated living 50 years in this world and it’s got me thinking about the next 50 years and what I want them to look like both personally and professionally.

I find I’m writing songs about what comes next, about women, about my place – or our place – in the world, and sometimes just exploring strange ideas and seeing where they land. I think one of my favorite songs right now is Normal is a Setting on a Dryer which was something I heard at a commencement speech and it just struck me as a really cool idea for a song – so I wrote it.

I also just finished producing my second EP. (For anyone unfamiliar, an EP is a short record. Literally, it means extended play, which, before they could put more than one song per side on a record, we only had singles. But then, the EP came along and eventually, the LP, or long play, which is what we traditionally associate with a full album.) Although I have about 10 other projects out in the world,  I just recently started producing my own work, which is honestly very empowering. A milestone, if you will. Both Sarah and I have projects out this year, and while they’re very different in nature, they’re both connected to storytelling and emotion and community. Mine is called Other People’s Stories and it’s literally just that: songs about other people. It explores human experiences and things I sometimes struggle with sharing in ways that feel authentic and oddly, deeply connected to me and my story, even though they’re not actually about me (or are they?).

This has been another journey in connection and community as well as growth for me as an artist. My longtime collaborators and I worked out the arrangements, and then instead of going into the studio, we multi-tracked everything from recording spaces in basements and garages and bedrooms. It was pretty awesome, TBH. And I learned a LOT. I had to ask myself questions like: Is this a mixing issue or an arrangement issue? I hear what I want within these two solos, can I actually comp them in a way that makes sense and doesn’t cut or feel strange? What else do I need here? I had the opportunity to hone my skills in vocal production, tuning and comping as well as playing some keys and figuring out harmonies for my songs. Through all of this, I had people like Sarah and my husband Bob to bounce ideas off of, to share thoughts, and to listen when I got stuck.

It feels like an arrival of sorts to take a song from beginning to end and to have a hand in all of it in some way, but to also not walk alone. I feel like maybe I finally lived up to the line in my song: walk alone and gather a line behind you with this project. Sarah and I were talking about the release of our projects and how when we were younger it felt like such a big deal to put out music…and it is, but I guess now we’re finding…it’s just like: Yeah. This is what I do. And if a lot of people listen to it, awesome. And if only one person listens to it, awesome. It’s not about that. It’s about the process of becoming. The process of creating. The process of living.

If you’re out there and wondering how do you take the next step towards ______________, I would simply say, take a step. In any direction. And see what happens. You’ll know if it is the way you want to go or if it’s not, but at least you’re moving. And that’s what I’m taking away from my current state: just keep moving. Keep reflecting.  Keep focusing on the process. Keep collaborating and asking questions. Keep building community. You’ll find your place and your voice in the movement of doing.