http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html Tamara Lewis: News Jannis' PHPRss class - http://www.jannis.to/ Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:05:05 -0700 http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#42
I have been steadily gigging all year and have been pleased that I have slowly built up stamina and not needing as much recovery afterwards as I used to. (Many of you know about my fatigue condition.) I have become more relaxed on stage (many of you also know about what used to be my debilitating stage fright) and actually enjoy myself now! I might be prouder of that than just about anything else in my life.

Experimenting with lots of venues over the year eventually led me to the decision that it's time to stop playing for tips and CD sales only and to only take paying gigs. This might seem like a no-brainer to the uninitiated, but you'd be surprised JUST how many venues that eliminates! Sad but true that owners want the benefit of having live music at their establishments without any investment in it.

I am thrilled to have developed an on-going gig at my neighborhood Starbucks, that isn't a Starbucks, exactly, but is called On 15th Coffee and Tea (and they serve beer and wine). Some think it's just a ruse, but it's really not as they are independent enough that they can make their own decisions and are not dictated by the corporation. And to that end, they've made me a regular performer as well as the gal who does their special events. I love it! And a side benefit is that it's only 2 blocks from my home. Most months it will be on the 2nd and 4th Fridays--with only occasional exceptions.

If you're still reading, and I hope you are, I just want to add a note of thanks to my loyal supporters as well as new fans. Touching people with my songs is one of the most wonderful things I am able to do in this life and I thank you all for letting me touch yours this last year. And special thanks if you laughed at any of my dog stories.

I'm looking forward to another year of growth and fun and I hope you'll be a part of it.

Sincerely,
Tamara
(and Rico, Chopper and Teddy--go look at the pictures and prepare to squeal with delight...)]]> http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#42 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700 - Tamara Lewis - News http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#41
A month or so later a friend asked me why I was pursuing donating to breast cancer research instead of the illness that I have lived with for 18 years: CFIDS (Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction). I had to think about it for a while. Then much to my chagrin, I realized that I was still being impacted by all of the ignorance and bias that is out there about this devastating illness. When you are sick and vulnerable and endure hurtful comment after hurtful comment (even from the very systems/people who are designed to be there for you), you internalize it. I’ll be honest with you: you start to feel ashamed. When I spoke those words out loud while on a walk with one of my dearest friends, I knew that I had to change tacks. Not only is CFIDS research horribly under-funded, it is also my story. Breast cancer is/was my mom’s story. I was deeply affected in my adolescence by losing her, but the dominating experience of my adult life has been CFIDS.

As many of you know, I didn’t start playing guitar, songwriting and performing in my mid to late 40’s and this alone makes my story unusual. But what makes my journey a true “rise from the ashes” is having survived and recovered enough from the CFIDS to pursue this long-buried dream of being a musician.

There’s more. There is a wonderful book written by Susan Griffin that is called “What Her Body Thought.” It is about her experience with CFIDS. She devotes a lot of the book to what she calls “The poverty of illness.” And for almost all of us this is an additional devastation that comes with CFIDS and other illnesses. (See Michael Moore’s documentary “Sicko.) Not only do you experience a profound diminishment in earning capacity, your medical expenses are exorbitant. So when I met with an entrepreneur and marketing consultant, he talked with me about the 20% donation that I had initially been coached to give and felt so strongly that it was far too much. Even though I had many generous contributors, I did accrue debt making this CD and at the same time my earning capacity remains seriously diminished while my medical expenses remain high. He felt strongly that I was in no position to be giving away 20% of my profits and I felt grateful for his compassion.

It was a hard decision, but when I took his thoughts/advice to heart, I decided that I needed to lower my percentage to 10% of my net profits. My consultant reassured me that this amount was unusual and still extremely generous.

So that is the full story. I hope those of you who contributed to the making of Living Down River understand and feel supportive of these changes that I felt were right to make. I thank you for your help and also for joining me in the fight against CFDIS.

If any of you contributed to this project because you believed that I would be donating to breast cancer research and don't feel good about the changes I have made, please contact me and I will happily return your donation.

Thank you for all of your support.
Sincerely,
Tamara]]> http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#41 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 - Tamara Lewis - News http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#40
My music video, set to the title track, Living Down River, is now viewable on my myspace page (just google me for URL) and a slightly lower quality version on YouTube. Thanks to Scott Ross of Ethereal Motion Productions for his great eye and creative mind. He was also my sound engineer and is both incredibly talented AND a nice and fun guy. With every fiber of me, I recommend him and Elliott Bay Recording Company.

I am so profoundly grateful to all of the people who made this possible with their donations and fundraising efforts. And the musicians on this thing knocked my socks off. Loren did a great job bringing in top notch players and I am thankful for that. Max Cohen (Dar Williams' guitar player) graces several songs. Murl Allen Sanders, local phenom, makes the piano weep. Bill Boyd, the violin player at 5th Avenue, made Love Song to the Midwest so very beautiful. Pat Donohue (Prairie Home Companion) and Nancy K Dillon (very talented local singer/songwriter) sing such tight harmonies on two songs that the three of us seem like one braid.

I am busy planning the release concert and it feels like planning a wedding.
I anticipate it feeling a bit like Thanksgiving dinner--days preparing then whoosh it's over! But what a grand celebration it will be. My fiddle player Alice Boytz will be there and Chuck Sandru of the Little Brothers Band will be my sound guy and sing harmonies. He's got the gift.
My friend Steve Greenwood will be coming up from Portland to play harmonica. I can't wait to hear it all put together!

Then the real work begins, right? Marketing. I am so proud of this CD that I don't think I'll have much trouble putting my whole heart and soul into the endeavor.
I'm planning regional tours throughout 2009 and am so excited! I've practically vanquished my stage fright so performing is now a complete joy.

I hope as many of you as can will come out on September 20th from 8-10pm at the Odd Fellows Hall and help me celebrate.

xo
tamara]]> http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#40 Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 - Tamara Lewis - News http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#39
My co-pilot Marge and I had as much fun as we usually do which made the LONG drive to MT bearable. I made Marge play "Famous People" (you know, with the 20 questions you have in order to guess?) I couldn't believe it when she didn't guess one of my idols, Patsy Cline! But then again, she forgot to ask if the person was alive or not. She is such a good sport that she also played "Name that tune" with me. Though a weird version since she insists that she can't sing and so I did all the tunes and she did all the guessing and got all but one right. You guessed it, a Patsy Cline song. She and I have to have a serious talk...

Some of the highlights were spotting many deer, stopping at a small cafe in Avon, MT where we had pancakes as big as our heads, and an antique store where I scored and found a coke bottle in mint condition. If you can picture it, you aren't a kid anymore.
Another favorite: seeing Real Cowboys. Forgive me if this is Too Much Information, but I said to Marge "I have to get me one of those."

I wrote a new song in the truck. Marge says "You wrote a song in 50 miles."
Just the lyrics, though. I can't wait to get my hands on my guitar today and write the guitar part.

The gigs were all successful, my favorite one being The Quarry in Helena. Man, the acoustics there were amazing, the crowd attentive, and I was LOOSE given it was my last gig on the tour. We also had the treat of having a hotel room comped upstairs.
So nice for many reasons, not the least of which is it made the schlepping easier.
My LORD touring is a lot of schlepping! And rummaging around in suitcases. Home is Where You Know Where Your Stuff is. You can quote me if you wish.

I hope you are all well. Thanks for reading.
Tamara]]> http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#39 Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 - Tamara Lewis - News http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#38
ӬAll of who we are comes to the fore when we create: anxieties about whether or not we are any good, fear of criticism or more often being too critical of ourselves, not prioritizing creativity in our busy lives, to debilitating stage fright.

I help people to identify where they are blocked and to gain insight into what is hindering them so that we can develop a specific plan. Having structure, encouragement and someone to gently hold your feet to the fire is powerfully effective and together we will tailor a plan so that I can provide that for you.

I bring to the process 20 years as a psychotherapist and four years as a professional musician.

My office is conveniently located on Capitol Hill. I work on a sliding scale based upon your income and expenses. After our first session in person, I am willing to do shorter phone sessions if that is what you decide works best for you.]]> http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#38 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 - Tamara Lewis - News http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#37
It's been mastered right now and my photo shoot is around the corner thanks to my hairdresser being back from vacation.

Marge and I are definitely going back to Montana this month. She booked me some higher paying gigs this time in Helena and one includes a comped hotel room that accepts dogs! Chopper and Teddy will LOVE it. As will we; Chopper sleep with me and Teddy sleeps with Marge.

Thank you ALL for your continued support in all the ways you have.
I am so grateful to every one of you.

I have put off my CD release concert until September and this really takes the pressure off and makes it more likely that I will be able to get into a fabulous venue.
I hope you can all make it to celebrate with me.

Tamara]]> http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#37 Sat, 19 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 - Tamara Lewis - News http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#36
In the meantime, I have a photo shoot soon with a very talented fellow named Glenn Allan. In the first shoot we'll focus on getting promo shots (see how I've learned the lingo?) and then next time on the CD cover. I'm not yet full of ideas for the cover, but Glenn is very creative and will likely be able to help out with that.

Marge and I plan to head back to Montana at the end of April--if her knee has healed enough from recent surgery. She's pretty adamant that she wants us to go, but we'll see.

Thank you all for your support through this project. I so appreciate it.

See you soon, I hope~
Tamara]]> http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#36 Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700 - Tamara Lewis - News http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#35
I am so grateful for my friend Marge as my first tour would have been so overwhelming without her help and company—not to mention that otherwise I would have been lucky just to break even.

I loved the Silver Dollar Saloon. A lot of beer has been knocked back in there over the years. It’s been a fixture in Butte since the 30’s and you can feel the history in there. There was an amazing sound system except for the fact that the sound guy/bartender forgot to turn off the snare drums and I was into song #3 before we figured out how to fix it! I was SO rock and roll!

My favorite gig of the tour was the last one—Liquid Planet in Missoula.
(I could definitely live there”¦) It was a sweet coffee shop with many attentive listeners in the audience~the ideal gig.

I am looking forward to getting back in the studio and getting crackin’ on this CD. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Thanks for reading,
Tamara]]> http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#35 Sun, 03 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800 - Tamara Lewis - News http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#34 Teddy, Chopper, Marge and I left Seattle at 9am on Friday and got into Missoula that same night at 6. I can’t imagine doing that drive without a co-pilot. Lordy it's long! We crashed at a Best Western that allowed dogs under 25 pounds (all three of my dogs together don’t weigh that much!). Next day we headed to Butte and stayed a night at the home of Marge's wonderful and most entertaining Mom. She considers sugar one of the essential food groups and rarely eats vegetables. She is 79 and very healthy and it makes me rethink the whole nutrition thing. She tells Marge that if she is ever diagnosed with diabetes to just give Dr. Kevorkian a call.

I had my gig at Montana Tech on Tuesday at lunchtime. Despite that students were eating their lunches, they were remarkably attentive and appreciative. It was really fun making the adjustment to reach and connect with a younger audience.

We are now checked into the politically incorrect War Bonnet Hotel here in Butte. Last night I ended up sitting in on the set of the lounge act downstairs. They were lifelong musicians and two of the sweetest people you’d ever want to meet—Denny and Kristina, married duo, who did all the great cover tunes, including Hank and Patsy standards. When the bartender told them I was a singer/songwriter, they graciously asked me to play a few songs. It was a lot of fun—and now I can add “lounge act” to my resume!

Less fun: 12 degree weather and 5,000 ft. elevation that is making me tired and very short of breath—even when all I’m doing is singing! Suddenly the phrases in my songs seem sooooo long! Actually, the cold isn’t bothering me as much as I was afraid it would. The air is dry and the sun is out and so that makes it a welcomed break from Seattle’s winters. But no matter HOW much water I force myself to drink, I still feel dehydrated—so my voice has an “interesting” crack and growl to it that I just pretend I am doing on purpose.

Tomorrow is the gig I am looking forward to the most—the Silver Dollar Saloon here in Butte. We drove by it and it looks a little like The Tractor Tavern in Ballard only smaller and shall we say “rougher” around the edges.
I wonder what will happen when I sing my lullaby, A Better Day? Actually, my image of “cowboys,” is completely antiquated as I have found both the men and women here incredibly kind and gentle. Men make eye contact and smile and gush over my dogs and the women call me “Hon” and say “Bless your heart.” When I teared up in reaction to all of the kindness, I got to thinking maybe I’ve lived on Capitol Hill too long.

I’ll be writing more after the Silver Dollar show and once we are back in Missoula for my last gig of the tour at Liquid Planet coffeeshop on Friday, February 1st.

I hope you are all well—and that you faired well during the snowfall I heard that you had.

More soon,
Tamara]]> http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#34 Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800 - Tamara Lewis - News http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#33
Loren was recently sideswiped by a car while in the crosswalk, but thank GOD is relatively OK. He is very sore and tired. So for the first time since I've known him, we might have had about the same amount on energy. Even when he's down for the count, though, his ear is still finely honed and he still cracks the whip.

Studio dogs Teddy and Chopper were with me again, but this time Chopper snuck into the recording booth with me and I didn't notice until after the first take. I looked down and he was lying lovingly at my feet. You decide: this is cute, or this is Separation Anxiety.

(I know what my dog trainer would say.)

Merry Christmas everybody and I'll be back on the 31st--hopefully with another story of success.

Tamara]]> http://tamaralewismusic.com/news.html#33 Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800 - Tamara Lewis - News