My career so far has been the most extraordinary of blessings: an experience that moves exactly at the speed I need it to, no faster and no slower. Right when I’ve gotten the hang of things, it hands me a fresh set of challenges that stops just short of overwhelming. Couldn’t ask for a better lesson plan.
Starting tomorrow, I have a new album, a new website, a new configuration for the live shows. This last is the most exciting – violinist Alan Lin, of Noe Venable fame, and cellist Marika Hughes (here’s her lengthy discography) are joining me on this CD release tour. Who knew there was a whole network of classically trained players like me, abandoning the conservatory route to make stuff up on the fly instead? Who knew rehearsals could be this easy? Alan and Marika respond to instructions like “more chunky in the bridge” and “swellies all through the second verse” with great aplomb. I’m looking forward to seeing how it works on stage. Sonically, a trio with strings is so much larger and more complex than solo piano, but I have a feeling it won’t overwhelm the lyrics like a standard drums-bass-and-guitar band would. In any case, it’s lovely to hear some of the old songs the way I’ve always heard them in my head, like Drought. We didn’t know where to find players like these, back in the Waking Hour days.
Along the tour route we’ll join forces with good friends like David Henry’s acoustic duo Brother Henry, epic pop masters The Animators, and the lovely Kyler England. It’s a side benefit of moving up in the music world: free passes to watch artists you’d pay good money to see. And making friends with them, to boot. There’s nothing like singing together and going out for pancakes afterwards to cement a friendship.
So here we go, ladies and gentlemen. We’ve got some new things to show you. Let me know how you like ‘em.