I can't believe it's already December!! I'm happy to say I am writing this from sunny California!! I am experiencing a slight bit of shock... my mid-west, used to the cold by now body and mind, is suddenly submerged backwards into fall or forwards into spring.. I was just in single digit snowy land!!
I am always surprised by how much the sunshine and warmth affects my frame of mind... perhaps I should invest in one of those UV sunlight lamps for winter (and some extra long johns)... or a visor like the ones that were on an episode of that old TV show Northern Exposure.. During that episode everyone was giddy from constant sunlight and they became a bit addicted to the visors... hmm... so maybe not ;-)
Anyway, today I'm hanging out at my friend Taylor's house in Santa Cruz and my plan is to play my guitar for a while after this journal entry and then perhaps head to the beach... wow, I really like the sound of that- don't you?! The ocean is another phenomena that has a wonderful affect on me. I wonder if there is an ocean visor?! What a great idea!! I suppose I could buy an ocean soundtrack CD and sport the sunlight visor and then I could pretend I'm in California all winter long!!
Might be a bit confusing when I also see snow while walking around outside... but that's kinda how I feel now traveling into and out of different climates... Like a cut and paste picture :-) or like time is folding in on itself... ok doesn't that sound a bit sci-fi?! I wonder what would happen if I started writing a song right now?! A new genre of music would emerge: Sci-Fi folk! I'm shaking my head and laughing... see what happens when I spend too much time by myself?!
I get to be in Santa Cruz a couple days and because I only have the show tomorrow night in Felton, I may get the chance to try out surfing while I'm here! I've never had the opportunity to do it... and quite frankly now that I might do it, I'm immediately thinking of the movie Jaws... When I really consider getting out in the water on a board, my immediate concern isn't so much how to stand up on the board... or what happens when you fall over and board and you are wrestling in the water... or how much salt water can you inhale and still survive?! Nope... first thought is... umm... shark?!
Taylor has assured me that no real shark mishaps have happened on this particular surfing side of the ocean.. And LOTS of people surf here... Still, I can see the headlines now... "Folk artist throws shark punches and escapes to write songs about it"!! I don't really have a lot of experience punching things, however... watch out shark!! It's good to have a plan... although, I wonder if punching a shark would have a similar affect that punching a bear might have... hmmm... watch out bear!! (I can almost hear bear laughter) Don't worry, I'll google shark defense before stepping into the water!!
Anyway, I'll keep you posted on my adventures here and I promise not to write any science fiction songs or punch any sharks :-) Happy Holidays to you and I hope wherever you are you have a little sunshine to brighten your December!
Much peace, love, and music,
ellis
Sunshine, Shark, and Sci Fi Folk
Falling off the NanoWrimo Wagon
Before I say anything else... I am so excited and inspired by our overwhelming choice for President… Hearing Obama speak on election night brought tears to my eyes and rekindled a hope in my heart I didn’t realize I had lost. I’m looking forward to this thoughtful change we so desperately need. For those of you who don't know about it and want a free Obama sticker... click here for more info! I ordered 5!!
It is an icy rainy gray day here in Minneapolis. I am having coffee with a pad of paper beside me for catching random lyrics and ideas. I've got water to hydrate the dehydration effect of my superhero beverage, and I have a confession to make....
I have fallen off the NanoWrimo Wagon. NanoWrimo for those of you who don't know is shorthand for National Novel Writing Month. It is an AWESOME event and I have participated 3 years... so much fun, click here to find out more.
I would like to say that I've started writing my novel this year, but sadly I have not... instead I've been steadily counting how many words a day I would need to write to catch up every day since the election (that was when I planned on starting). If I start tonight I have to write 2700 words a day to reach the 50,000 word mountain top!
I have been putting off the start date, perhaps because this year I will attempt to write this spontaneous novel in several days... which would definitely be a feat of willpower and reckless creative maneuvering (as the novel would spin in many directions searching for the word count needed definitely more than the unfolding story line)...
Does this mean that I may still yet participate in NanoWrimo this year?! hmmm.... anyone else out there willing to be a last minute marathoner within an already creative Everest type writing feat? There are people that do this event in a weekend... right? I never thought I would sign myself up for this so last minute... however, procrastination in also called creative mulling... and as I'm writing I can only think of how many words this could be contributing to my so far wordless novel!
Anyway, in addition to my re-commitment to NanoWrimo, I have quite a few new songs coming to life. I can’t wait for you to hear them! I’m continually grateful for those of you who love my music and support my ability to continue making more. Thank you for coming to shows and writing me notes. If you’ve emailed me… know that I do get back to everyone… sometimes it just takes a little while!
I hope that wherever you are, even if there is frozen rain that there is sunshine in your heart and lots of laughter to keep you warm. Here’s to getting back on the word-count wagon!!
Much love from a last minute novelist,
ellis
It is an icy rainy gray day here in Minneapolis. I am having coffee with a pad of paper beside me for catching random lyrics and ideas. I've got water to hydrate the dehydration effect of my superhero beverage, and I have a confession to make....
I have fallen off the NanoWrimo Wagon. NanoWrimo for those of you who don't know is shorthand for National Novel Writing Month. It is an AWESOME event and I have participated 3 years... so much fun, click here to find out more.
I would like to say that I've started writing my novel this year, but sadly I have not... instead I've been steadily counting how many words a day I would need to write to catch up every day since the election (that was when I planned on starting). If I start tonight I have to write 2700 words a day to reach the 50,000 word mountain top!
I have been putting off the start date, perhaps because this year I will attempt to write this spontaneous novel in several days... which would definitely be a feat of willpower and reckless creative maneuvering (as the novel would spin in many directions searching for the word count needed definitely more than the unfolding story line)...
Does this mean that I may still yet participate in NanoWrimo this year?! hmmm.... anyone else out there willing to be a last minute marathoner within an already creative Everest type writing feat? There are people that do this event in a weekend... right? I never thought I would sign myself up for this so last minute... however, procrastination in also called creative mulling... and as I'm writing I can only think of how many words this could be contributing to my so far wordless novel!
Anyway, in addition to my re-commitment to NanoWrimo, I have quite a few new songs coming to life. I can’t wait for you to hear them! I’m continually grateful for those of you who love my music and support my ability to continue making more. Thank you for coming to shows and writing me notes. If you’ve emailed me… know that I do get back to everyone… sometimes it just takes a little while!
I hope that wherever you are, even if there is frozen rain that there is sunshine in your heart and lots of laughter to keep you warm. Here’s to getting back on the word-count wagon!!
Much love from a last minute novelist,
ellis
Babe! An Olympic Musical
Howdy everyone!!
For the past two weeks I’ve been immersed in the story of Babe Didrikson. For those of you not familiar with her, she is considered by many folks to be the greatest female athlete of all time. She was born in 1911 and already was a legend before her untimely death in 1956. She not only participated in sports that were not considered “acceptable” for females to participate in, such as football, but she excelled at every sport she tried. From Track and field, basketball, baseball, bowling, football, and golf.
As an excellent female athlete she endured ridicule and accusations that she was not really a woman. Instead of quitting, she was even more determined to win. When she was dominating the women’s amateur golf circuit they declared her a “professional” to keep her from competing. Soon after that she helped co-found the ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). For some fun facts about Babe, click here.
Babe’s story is compelling all by itself, but the musical written by Carolyn Gage (music composed by Andrea Jill Higgins) is so inspiring. Carolyn has been working on it for almost 20 years. I first met her when I was singing at the National Women’s Music Festival in 2006. She tells me that when she saw me perform, she knew she had found her “Babe”. She emailed me asking if I might be interested in auditioning for the role.
I quickly googled Babe and read everything I could about her. She even grew up just 30 miles or so from where I did in Texas. I felt so inspired by her story that I asked for the script and quickly recorded an audition tape.
Now, 2 years later, I can’t believe we’re about to bring Babe’s story to life. We’ve been rehearsing for the last few weeks for this concert/ reading of the musical. I am so excited, and I feel so honored to get to play the role of Babe. My hope is that my performance can inspire others with Babe’s story the way I felt inspired the first time I read about her.
It’s kinda crazy to be playing the lead in a musical when I’ve never acted before! I have to say I am having so much fun!! The cast and crew are so great and we’re having such a good time. I think it’s especially fun because the script and the songs are so good… In fact, we’re all lamenting that it’s just a concert/reading and not the full production because it really does feel like we’re bringing Babe to life.
Well, that’s all for today! I better go rehearse! I’m singing about 15 songs in this thing!! Wish me luck!
Peace and love,
Ellis
For the past two weeks I’ve been immersed in the story of Babe Didrikson. For those of you not familiar with her, she is considered by many folks to be the greatest female athlete of all time. She was born in 1911 and already was a legend before her untimely death in 1956. She not only participated in sports that were not considered “acceptable” for females to participate in, such as football, but she excelled at every sport she tried. From Track and field, basketball, baseball, bowling, football, and golf.
As an excellent female athlete she endured ridicule and accusations that she was not really a woman. Instead of quitting, she was even more determined to win. When she was dominating the women’s amateur golf circuit they declared her a “professional” to keep her from competing. Soon after that she helped co-found the ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). For some fun facts about Babe, click here.
Babe’s story is compelling all by itself, but the musical written by Carolyn Gage (music composed by Andrea Jill Higgins) is so inspiring. Carolyn has been working on it for almost 20 years. I first met her when I was singing at the National Women’s Music Festival in 2006. She tells me that when she saw me perform, she knew she had found her “Babe”. She emailed me asking if I might be interested in auditioning for the role.
I quickly googled Babe and read everything I could about her. She even grew up just 30 miles or so from where I did in Texas. I felt so inspired by her story that I asked for the script and quickly recorded an audition tape.
Now, 2 years later, I can’t believe we’re about to bring Babe’s story to life. We’ve been rehearsing for the last few weeks for this concert/ reading of the musical. I am so excited, and I feel so honored to get to play the role of Babe. My hope is that my performance can inspire others with Babe’s story the way I felt inspired the first time I read about her.
It’s kinda crazy to be playing the lead in a musical when I’ve never acted before! I have to say I am having so much fun!! The cast and crew are so great and we’re having such a good time. I think it’s especially fun because the script and the songs are so good… In fact, we’re all lamenting that it’s just a concert/reading and not the full production because it really does feel like we’re bringing Babe to life.
Well, that’s all for today! I better go rehearse! I’m singing about 15 songs in this thing!! Wish me luck!
Peace and love,
Ellis
a train, a plane, a bicycle, & a strange weather adventure!
Howdy Y'all!!
I just realized that it's been over a month since my last post! So, I thought I'd take a minute on this fine Tuesday to write a bit. It has turned into a bit more ;-) and very much an ADD train of thought... so, if you are up for said adventure... Beware the possibility of confusion and sudden topic change!!
I just dropped off my bicycle to get some work done on it! I can't WAIT to be able to bike around Mpls!! It's such a gorgeous summer here and (even better) gas prices for bicycles remain at the all time low price of $0 per gallon!! What a steal ;-) I've toyed around with the idea of a bicycle tour... however, I think I might sleep on the stage during my shows... and as cute as I might hope I am while sleeping... I'm pretty sure I drool... and I for sure don't sing and play guitar while asleep, which is what y'all really sit in those seats for anyhow!!
I just got back from the Festival of the Eno in North Carolina. What a wonderful festival!! The main purpose of it is to raise funds to put land immediately along the Eno River in a trust, so it's protected. As one of the festival volunteers, John, was telling me.. the health of the Eno river really has an effect on the sea life in the Atlantic ocean!! We are truly more interconnected than we know and the world we live in reflects that!!
I played along with a few of my musical friends you should know about if you don't already; Girlyman, Pat Wictor, and Jamie Anderson. (Jamie was instrumental in bringing me to the Eno!! Thank you Jamie!!) I may at some point have a little video of Pat joining me on a few songs during one of my sets!! Stay tuned for that!!
Speaking of Girlyman, we all had dinner the night before in Durham and we were talking about weather... in particular storms that have a "throwing water sideways" kind of intensity... you know... hurricanes, tornado weather... and as we were talking about it, it began to rain outside... you guessed it... sideways!! The power flickered in the restaurant before finally shutting off... the power was out on the street, too, and for a while it was kinda greenish outside and the trees were really bending and WOW sideways sheets of rain... Thunder Storm Extraordinaire (TSE)!!
Anyway, it was a memorable night for sure! No worries, we all got to the hotel safe and sound after an extended restaurant hang! So I share this story not only because it was quite dramatic and I wanted to share, but also because... the weather drama doesn't end there!! The weekend had a couple of intense thunder storms, however, there was another greeny sideways TSE on Sunday evening (when I was flying back to Minneapolis) I sat on the runway for a good 45 minutes waiting for a "window" in the storm... I have to say I felt a little more vulnerable than I did at the restaurant a couple days before!!
So here are a couple things I learned...
#1 if you are hit by a lightening bolt in a plane in the sky... the electricity may flicker as the lightning goes through the plane, but there will be no real permanent damage! Why?! Commercial planes are made of aluminum, which is a very good electrical conductor. A lightning bolt's electricity flows along the airplane's skin and into the air. There really isn't anything to ground the lightning (no ground- It’s so weird to be happy about that!!)... Also, airplanes have built-in systems that ensure that a spark will not ignite fuel or fuel vapors in tanks or fuel lines... so no worries on the whole match to fuel cartoon visual!! Phew!!
#2 there have been no accidents due to weather for large commercial planes in the US since the 80s... I think the overall statistic for any kind of crash is something like 0.34 per million flight hours (Still, every time I fly I think my couple hours might win the lottery... however, the statistics have not let me crash down yet ;-)!!)
Finally #3 Planes are built for turbulence and even if you have crash scenes in your mind as the plane is dropping and catching due to updrafts and downdrafts, the little dinging noises keep dinging, and the engine revs up for speed and then revs down for a seemingly slowing effect, as long as the plane is still moving forward and not backwards you can be fairly sure this is normal behavior for a plane in turbulence!
Plus, commercial pilots have weather data available to them continuously and can track where a storm is and how best to avoid when it might be dangerous. They are trained to be over cautious and in general will wait on the runway for a safer window, cancel the flight, or once in the air, re-route to avoid any dangerous conditions!
I still tried to fly the plane from my seat on Sunday... however, I'm really glad there were experts involved! Phew! Aren't you glad you know some storm plane facts now?!!
Hope wherever you are, whether in stormy or sunny weather… you are happy and grounded… even if you happen to be in flight!!
Can’t wait to see you soon,
Ellis
Oh, and P.S. if you haven’t noticed, we re-named the Angel program to reflect the biggest feature; a brand new song every month- written and recorded by yours truly!! (and once in a while something cool from the archives). We’re calling it Song Of The Month program!! Check out all the updated info here!!
I just realized that it's been over a month since my last post! So, I thought I'd take a minute on this fine Tuesday to write a bit. It has turned into a bit more ;-) and very much an ADD train of thought... so, if you are up for said adventure... Beware the possibility of confusion and sudden topic change!!
I just dropped off my bicycle to get some work done on it! I can't WAIT to be able to bike around Mpls!! It's such a gorgeous summer here and (even better) gas prices for bicycles remain at the all time low price of $0 per gallon!! What a steal ;-) I've toyed around with the idea of a bicycle tour... however, I think I might sleep on the stage during my shows... and as cute as I might hope I am while sleeping... I'm pretty sure I drool... and I for sure don't sing and play guitar while asleep, which is what y'all really sit in those seats for anyhow!!
I just got back from the Festival of the Eno in North Carolina. What a wonderful festival!! The main purpose of it is to raise funds to put land immediately along the Eno River in a trust, so it's protected. As one of the festival volunteers, John, was telling me.. the health of the Eno river really has an effect on the sea life in the Atlantic ocean!! We are truly more interconnected than we know and the world we live in reflects that!!
I played along with a few of my musical friends you should know about if you don't already; Girlyman, Pat Wictor, and Jamie Anderson. (Jamie was instrumental in bringing me to the Eno!! Thank you Jamie!!) I may at some point have a little video of Pat joining me on a few songs during one of my sets!! Stay tuned for that!!
Speaking of Girlyman, we all had dinner the night before in Durham and we were talking about weather... in particular storms that have a "throwing water sideways" kind of intensity... you know... hurricanes, tornado weather... and as we were talking about it, it began to rain outside... you guessed it... sideways!! The power flickered in the restaurant before finally shutting off... the power was out on the street, too, and for a while it was kinda greenish outside and the trees were really bending and WOW sideways sheets of rain... Thunder Storm Extraordinaire (TSE)!!
Anyway, it was a memorable night for sure! No worries, we all got to the hotel safe and sound after an extended restaurant hang! So I share this story not only because it was quite dramatic and I wanted to share, but also because... the weather drama doesn't end there!! The weekend had a couple of intense thunder storms, however, there was another greeny sideways TSE on Sunday evening (when I was flying back to Minneapolis) I sat on the runway for a good 45 minutes waiting for a "window" in the storm... I have to say I felt a little more vulnerable than I did at the restaurant a couple days before!!
So here are a couple things I learned...
#1 if you are hit by a lightening bolt in a plane in the sky... the electricity may flicker as the lightning goes through the plane, but there will be no real permanent damage! Why?! Commercial planes are made of aluminum, which is a very good electrical conductor. A lightning bolt's electricity flows along the airplane's skin and into the air. There really isn't anything to ground the lightning (no ground- It’s so weird to be happy about that!!)... Also, airplanes have built-in systems that ensure that a spark will not ignite fuel or fuel vapors in tanks or fuel lines... so no worries on the whole match to fuel cartoon visual!! Phew!!
#2 there have been no accidents due to weather for large commercial planes in the US since the 80s... I think the overall statistic for any kind of crash is something like 0.34 per million flight hours (Still, every time I fly I think my couple hours might win the lottery... however, the statistics have not let me crash down yet ;-)!!)
Finally #3 Planes are built for turbulence and even if you have crash scenes in your mind as the plane is dropping and catching due to updrafts and downdrafts, the little dinging noises keep dinging, and the engine revs up for speed and then revs down for a seemingly slowing effect, as long as the plane is still moving forward and not backwards you can be fairly sure this is normal behavior for a plane in turbulence!
Plus, commercial pilots have weather data available to them continuously and can track where a storm is and how best to avoid when it might be dangerous. They are trained to be over cautious and in general will wait on the runway for a safer window, cancel the flight, or once in the air, re-route to avoid any dangerous conditions!
I still tried to fly the plane from my seat on Sunday... however, I'm really glad there were experts involved! Phew! Aren't you glad you know some storm plane facts now?!!
Hope wherever you are, whether in stormy or sunny weather… you are happy and grounded… even if you happen to be in flight!!
Can’t wait to see you soon,
Ellis
Oh, and P.S. if you haven’t noticed, we re-named the Angel program to reflect the biggest feature; a brand new song every month- written and recorded by yours truly!! (and once in a while something cool from the archives). We’re calling it Song Of The Month program!! Check out all the updated info here!!
No to MTV... yes to what?
I've been thinking lately that there is going to come a time when I may need to limit my touring... I'm guessing that all touring musicians are facing this due to the real environmental effects of driving or even flying across the country...
In addition to the costs to the environment, when I'm on the road I don't do much songwriting. My tax person tells me that last year I was on the road almost 200 days... no wonder I hardly wrote any new songs in 2007!
So, my plan is to come up with ways to tour more responsibly (hybrid? bio-diesel?) when I do tour, and then to find ways to limit the number of days I'm on the road so I can focus more time on songwriting.
I know that nothing can replace the connection that comes from me sharing my songs with you sitting nearby and smiling! However, I am trying to think ahead and also be creative about other options we haven't thought of yet... or maybe YOU have thought of them :-) at least that's what I'm hoping!!
That leaves me with two questions:
1) how can I continue to reach new people with my music if I tour less;
2) what are other ways I can stay connected to people who already know my music?
I was recently offered the opportunity to place all of the songs from Break The Spell with MTV... the catch being that I'd have to give them blanket permission to use any of the songs, on any show, without checking with me first. I spent some time trying to decide what didn't feel right about that... and I realized it meant that it was possible that they could place one of my songs in a context that might not fit in with my values... So I said "No, thank you". Which means none of my songs will be on MTV shows - it was an all or nothing offer.
I do believe it would be wonderful to have my songs placed in films, or even commercials if I was excited about the company or product. So that is one idea, but surely there are other ways I can get my songs out there without giving up my ability to determine where they go, and without touring 200 days a year.
So back to this idea of evolution and exploring ways to share my music besides through touring.
What other ideas are out there?
Do ya'll have thoughts on how I can keep doing this music while possibly touring less and/or utilizing new resources?
If so, please, send me your ideas. Should I film a concert in my home and sell "tickets"? Should I expand the Angel Program in some ways? If so, how? Other ideas?
You can reach me at ellis@rubberneckrecords.com. I'll be home for the next week, and so will actually be able to read and respond without a 5 month lag... so please do get in touch!!
Thank you for reading this far! Can't wait to hear from you!
big love and laughter,
ellis
In addition to the costs to the environment, when I'm on the road I don't do much songwriting. My tax person tells me that last year I was on the road almost 200 days... no wonder I hardly wrote any new songs in 2007!
So, my plan is to come up with ways to tour more responsibly (hybrid? bio-diesel?) when I do tour, and then to find ways to limit the number of days I'm on the road so I can focus more time on songwriting.
I know that nothing can replace the connection that comes from me sharing my songs with you sitting nearby and smiling! However, I am trying to think ahead and also be creative about other options we haven't thought of yet... or maybe YOU have thought of them :-) at least that's what I'm hoping!!
That leaves me with two questions:
1) how can I continue to reach new people with my music if I tour less;
2) what are other ways I can stay connected to people who already know my music?
I was recently offered the opportunity to place all of the songs from Break The Spell with MTV... the catch being that I'd have to give them blanket permission to use any of the songs, on any show, without checking with me first. I spent some time trying to decide what didn't feel right about that... and I realized it meant that it was possible that they could place one of my songs in a context that might not fit in with my values... So I said "No, thank you". Which means none of my songs will be on MTV shows - it was an all or nothing offer.
I do believe it would be wonderful to have my songs placed in films, or even commercials if I was excited about the company or product. So that is one idea, but surely there are other ways I can get my songs out there without giving up my ability to determine where they go, and without touring 200 days a year.
So back to this idea of evolution and exploring ways to share my music besides through touring.
What other ideas are out there?
Do ya'll have thoughts on how I can keep doing this music while possibly touring less and/or utilizing new resources?
If so, please, send me your ideas. Should I film a concert in my home and sell "tickets"? Should I expand the Angel Program in some ways? If so, how? Other ideas?
You can reach me at ellis@rubberneckrecords.com. I'll be home for the next week, and so will actually be able to read and respond without a 5 month lag... so please do get in touch!!
Thank you for reading this far! Can't wait to hear from you!
big love and laughter,
ellis
