JOURNAL

Tuesday, May 6, 2008: Communing in the Muse-ic

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Thursday, April 3, 2008: Emerging

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Wednesday, February 6, 2008: Dancing in the Grey

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Friday, February 1, 2008: A Meaningful Dollar

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Saturday, January 12, 2008: The In-Between

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Thursday, January 10, 2008: Earthshine

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Saturday, December 8, 2007: Traipsing Through the Winter Wonderland...

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Tuesday, July 10, 2007: To & Fro...

It has been a couple of very busy weeks...from radio to tv and to and fro from Phoenix to Tucson, meeting incredible people and incredible musicians. I got the honor of playing alongside Denver-based Coles Whalen , and Tucson's very own Namoli Brennet and David D'Alessio. We had a great time playing in Tempe, Phoenix and Tucson. A GI-MUNGOUS thank you to Xavier (and Dan) for coordinating our shows over the weekend, as well as my appearance on the Good Morning Arizona show, (oh yeah...not to mention the sleak haircut :-). And also, a big thanks to Susie B @ KXCI for the great interview last Sunday!

I'm gearing up this week to head to the Winery Music Awards w/ my band over the weekend. It will be a team-building experience for us to ride the 11 hour trip in one vehicle up to Paso Robles, CA...I'll keep you posted on who we leave there to marinate in the wine cellar ;-).

I will have video clips and new pics posted on my myspace site next week...so be sure to check it out. Hope the frenzy of the summer heat is treating you well!

xo-----Amber

Sunday, Feburary 25, 2007: Wild Rides & Safe Landings

Feels like I just wrote that last entry a couple weeks ago...and five months plus a new year have passed. Funny how that works!

In the meantime, some exciting stuff has happened...

First off, I had a great trip up to the Northland. We played some really fun shows and I got to see my friends and community who have been so supportive of my musical dream. AND...I got to share the experience with my band. We had a great "team-building" experience together stuck on a sandbar in the middle of the freezing Kuskokwim River without proper Alaskan attire on. Here's the visual: Amber and her band with pants rolled up, bare foot with red/cold legs, trying to push the boat to freedom. Despite Doug's wishes that it was some sort of "sick form of Alaskan hazing" (upon the moment that we found ourselves stuck on the sandbar), everyone pulled together to push/ rock the boat to freedom. Somehow, we made it to the plane on time. We'll see if they ever want to go on the road (in the river?) with me again ;-).

I would like to thank all the people that made our journey to Alaska possible...Meera, Shane & Sarah, Vince C. (loved the wild ride BTW!), Carl & Ann, Ed & Heather, Pat DeSmet, Bethel Council on the Arts (and all the volunteers, sponsors and people who loaned out their equipment/gear), Cyndi, Allen & Humpy's, The Peanut Farm, Michael Faubion, and KNBA. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

The band (Jim Pavett-drums, Jay Trapp-bass, Doug Floyd-electric guitar) and I will be performing on March 10th at the 17th Street Market in Tucson. We've been pluggin' away at some of my new material and will debut a couple new songs there. I'm manifesting to release a new album in '08. I've been working on my new material and will start recording in March.

Lately, I've been playing with Sabra Faulk. She accompanied me up at the Sedona Jam Emerging Artist Festival, and we had a blast playing together. I'll be doing an acoustic show with her at the Irish Pub (Tucson) on March 30th and at Phoenix Pride on April 14th. She, Doug Floyd and Marx Loeb will be joining me for a gig in Tucson at Nimbus Brewery on April 20th.

Alright, that's it for now...I'm off to the Pacific NW in May and the Midwest in June. Stay posted and keep in touch. In the meantime...ode to wild rides and safe landings!

-------------- xo Amber

Tuesday, September 12, 2006: Gettin' Ready

Wow...it's been a whirlwind of travels this summer. Up to the Midwest and back in June and July, to Texas in August. Now, I'm getting ready to head up to the Pacific NW and onto Alaska. I am so fortunate to share my music on the road.

I am REALLY looking forward to returning to Alaska. It's the place where my aspirations for songwriting, recording and performance were kindled. I am honored that I get to return there, two years later, to share who I am now. I am excited to see familiar faces and meet new ones. There are so many people from there who supported my music endeavors from the very beginning. And...what's really cool, is that I get to share this experience with Doug, Jay and Jim, my fellow band mates and friends, who have supported my music career in Tucson. I am looking forward to discovering "who" Alaska is now, a couple years later, probably a bit more globally warmed and industrialized than when I left...ode to the journey of our present culture and existence. I suppose that if it weren't for such issues, songwriting would certainly not be as interesting...and until I trade in my current tour mobile in for a hybrid, I don't have much room to talk (I mean, write)...

Tuesday, May 30, 2006: Gratitude

We had a great CD Release party at Javalinas earlier this month and some very fun gigs in the meantime. CD sales have been AWESOME and feedback on the new album has been incredible. Thank you to all of you who have supported the music along the way-- those of you who come out to the shows, who buy the music, who spread the word and who help make connections. It is because of YOU that I am able to share the music.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006: Moving Forward

Wow. It's been a busy couple months. I can't believe that it's already edging towards the middle of May. I am very excited about the release of my new CD this Friday. We've got a great band gig worked up in celebration of its release, and I'm looking forward to jammin' out on the patio at Javalinas Coffee & Friends .

Also, I'm excited to get on the road this summer. I'll be doing some solo shows up in the Midwest in both June and July, and heading to Texas in August. I'm super pumped about traveling with the band up to Alaska in September. I feel privileged to get to return to this sacred Northland-- a place that holds so many treasured memories for me. My time there was key in laying the ground work to my musical journey today. And it's cool that I get to share it with the musicians/friends that have poured their heart and soul into making my music come alive over the past year.

Wee hours of Saturday a.m., March 18, 2006, Somewhere in Texas

The angels must be on my side tonight.

I have never been fond of spiders, and was quite surprised to find one gliding on a web strand as I lifted a pair of red pants out of the suitcase in preparation for my gig tomorrow. Yes, indeed, a shiny black back, a body length around 1.5 inches, and a red hour glass on her belly. I think she felt at home in my red pants. And unfortunately since I am a direct descendent of the fight or flight species, she met her fate on the black sole of my shoe. It was either that or attempt to re-locate her by making my way back down through the scary hotel, past the drunk guy who was propositioning me for activities I did not want to participate in. I decided that preservation of my own well-being overruled the latter choice.

On the subject of shows and music, I have had a very enjoyable time being on the fringe of SXSW and the Invasion of the GoGirls . I saw some awesome performers tonight at Trophy's, and the energy of music is all over Austin. It's incredible. I'm looking forward to digging in further tomorrow, as well as playing at Vanilla Girl.

So...speaking of performing tomorrow, I would just like to mention that I am EXTREMELY grateful to be safe and healthy during my journey and stay here...especially after meeting the 8-legged venemous one (and the two-legged drunk one). You know, it's funny how the universe works. Had the plan that I had for the evening gone my way, I probably would have never met the she-spider face to face, and the drunk guy might have been a little harder to avoid. And that would have sealed a much different fate for my journey here to Austin. So...thank you to the divine forces that interceded with my plans. I wonder if she joined me in Arizona, New Mexico or Texas...

Tuesday, February 14, 2006: Almost finished!

I head into the studio tomorrow and Thursday to wrap up the remaining tracks left on the album. I'm very excited about this. It's been an incredible journey.

I spent the evening gigging at the Planet. Despite my temporary distractions, it was a good show. I especially want to thank Diann & Anne for their continued support and for always helping me with the back-breaking set-up and break-down of equipment.

Wednesday, December 21, 2005: Longest Night of the Year

My travel this week to the Midwest Plains is a stark reminder of life in the northern latitudes during winter. Today marks the official onset of Winter... the shortest day, the longest night of 2005, and the return of light will slowly creep back into the northern hemisphere until summer. How quickly I have adapted to the desert of the Southwest, thinking daytime temperatures of 60-some degrees, and evening temperatures dipping into the high 30's is awefully cold. As I flew into Minneapolis, the light of dusk illuminated the snowy land...and I was greeted by a high of two degrees fahrenheit upon my arrival. It is now official--I have become a winter wimp...

On the Tucson homefront, the CD is progressing beyond my expectations. I am extremely grateful for the musicians that have contributed their talents (music, sound engineering, production work) to my songs. The band and I had a very fun gig last week at Javalinas--we definitely rocked the coffee house. A huge thank you to everyone who came out to support and enjoy the music. I am hoping to plunge full-force into finishing up the tracks at Allusion Studio in the following few weeks. And am looking forward to playing out and about acoustically and with the band in 2006.

Wednesday, November 2, 2005: A Few Thoughts

I'm looking forward to getting back into the studio to finish up the last few songs with the band. This is always an amazing process to me...from the creation of the song, a stark skeleton, to how it evolves and fills out with all that the other musicians have to offer. I feel lucky to get to experience this in this lifetime.

I had a quiet Halloween night. I watched Mars in all its orangeness rise above the Tucson mountains right after sunset. I love this time of year in the desert. It feels quiet and serene, and the temperature is perfect. Many of the critters are settling down in preparation to hibernate. The desert life still remains, but it seems more peaceful than the mania of summer and scorching temperatures (I swear, when it's above 100 degrees, the flies act like tyrants and the human road rage is horrible).

So for all of you out there celebrating whatever holiday you celebrate (Los Dias de los Muertos, Diwali, Simchat Torah, All Souls Day, etc.), I hope you have a very fulfilling celebration.

Thursday, October 20, 2005: My Eviscerated Keyboard

We had a good gig last night at the French Quarter. I want to thank Ozlo again for inviting me and the band out to play--it was a very fun night! And thanks to Doug, Jay & Jim for making my music ROCK!!

To ease my mind and fingers, after a week and a half of having no low C and C# keys on my keyboard (a key "key" to have in the "Hell Town" song), the guitar pick that I accidentally dropped into the keyboard a couple months ago was finally recovered. It suddenly decided to wedge itself in between the two keys while Kate Klim was borrowing my keyboard in P-town last week. Thanks to John Markovich, who took the keyboard apart (you should have seen it laying naked in the fix-it room--just a bunch keys without their case...my poor eviscerated keyboard!). He was able to remove the keys and find the greasy culprit (yes, the hammers and all those little parts of the keys have grease on them to make them "run" smoothly!). I am now back in business with a fully functioning keyboard...

Tuesday, October 18, 2005: Whew!

What a week!! I just returned from performing at the Women's Kickass Independent Songwriters Showcase series out in Provincetown, MA for Women's Week. The event was produced by Susan Souza and her partner Kristin Strohecker. It was an incredible week performing alongside some awesome musicians: Sonya Heller , Kate Klim , Ruth Wyand , Meghann Robinson , and of course, Susan Souza herself. We had a great time and performed kickass gigs throughout the week! I also got to catch shows by Jen Foster and Catie Curtis . I've seen Catie play before, and as usual, she did a great job. It was the first time I saw a performance by Jen Foster , and I was EXTREMELY impresssed. She was accompanied by Stephanie Callahan on guitar and backup vocals from the duo Halcyon . Jen filled the house with her passionate vocals, great melodies and depthful lyrics. Overall, the week rocked!

Luckily, my gear stayed the night safe and sound in Atlanta, making in back just in time for me to finish out the afternoon playing in Tucson at the Saguaro Artisans Gallery on Saturday, and perform at The Planet Coffeehouse's Folk You Festival on Sunday. I'm looking forward to jamming with the band tomorrow night at the French Quarter and hearing Ozlo get funky.

8/12/05: I just returned from a wonderful trip up to the Pacific Northwest. I was honored to play last Sunday at the Vashon Island Earthfair on a solar powered stage--so cool! I got to meet some great female musicians who performed after my set: Sonya Heller and Carrie Clark . We are all part of an independent women musican's network called Indiegrrl . Indiegrrl is a networking forum for female artists--it has offered me some awesome connections and great advice. Check out the links!

7/19/05: The material for the new album is coming together very nicely with the band. I am totally pumped about having a debut performance with these awesome musicians on Thursday, July 21st at J-Bar, featuring Doug Floyd on guitar, Jay Trapp on bass and Jim Pavett on drums. They bring so much life and energy to my music...

7/2/05: Hi everyone! It's getting hot here in Tucson; I am looking forward to hitting the road and playing in Vashon Island, Washington, next month. It will be great to play with other talented artists and to cool off in the weather of the Pacific Northwest! I have begun laying some tracks for my next CD and am getting ready to start practicing with a full band. I've been playing acoustically for almost a year, so being with a band for a couple of gigs will be a welcomed change. I went to Iowa a few weeks ago and celebrated the first annual "FarmFest" on the farm. My dad, a talented musician himself, played with his band and so did the Johnson Brothers band. They rock--and I got the opportunity to play with them as well. It was great! About a hundred people having fun and enjoying music. I had a lot of fun, so thank you to everyone who was there! That's about it for now...take a look at my "gigs" page and be sure to stop by when I am playing. We always have a lot of fun, and I look forward to seeing you there!

4/21/05: On Monday, a dear friend and musical mentor Andrew Steele transitioned from this life to the next. It has been a sombering couple of weeks knowing that thousands of miles away, Andrew was beginning to enter that transition. I feel blessed and honored that Andrew played a significant role in making my dream a reality-- my venture into the musical world and the creation of my debut CD "Soul In Motion". On that CD, he left the legacy of his drum work, and forever in my mind and heart, I will hear his words of encouragement and his drums sounding.

4/2/05: I really enjoyed the enthusiasm of the crowd at Enoteca last night. Thank you so much to everyone who showed up, and to those who traveled from distant countries to Tucson, Arizona. The energy was great!

I am looking forward to cutting loose and playing some coffee shop venues this week.

2/3/05: I started recording a demo of my new material yesterday. It felt awesome to get back into the studio groove. The immediate feedback is phenomenal. I've been performing some of these songs at my shows since late summer; and to hear them from an "outside perspective", coming back at me, instead of coming from the "inside perspective" is a really cool thing. My mind starts to spin with new ideas of how these songs will evolve production-wise on a future album. I am astonished at how much improvement happens on a daily basis musically, especially with my vocal and piano skills, as well as in the song-crafting arena. The opportunity to listen to this material play back to me is truly amazing.

I had a great show at Javalinas Coffee & Friends (a coffee house located on the southeast side of Tucson near Rita Ranch) last weekend. Thank you to everyone who came out and enjoyed the music and coffee on Sunday evening. I'm looking forward to playing there again on Sunday, March 20th.

1/10/05: Happy 2005 everyone! The last few months have been very busy. I am looking forward to being grounded in Tucson through March and performing locally. If you are in the Tucson area, please come on out and see me.

11/12/04: I'm headed up to Alaska and am jazzed about sharing a gig at the Resurrect Art Coffee House in Seward with Dave Manning tomorrow evening. It has been quite a week of preparing and recovering from a string of gigs over the past week. Lots of exciting things have been happening.

On Monday, I was honored to share an evening of music with staff and guests at Coyote Moon Resort & Health Spa. It was a very welcoming venue with a cozy ambience. And better yet, after I finished playing, I got to sit back, relax and listen to Todd play the keys and enjoy exquisite food, wine and conversation. I am looking forward to returning there during late December.

So for now, I'm signing off and headed north. I'm looking forward to catching up with old friends and saying "hello" to the Alaska winter.

10/27/04: I finished two more songs last night and am anxiously anticipating laying tracks for the next album.

10/18/04: Rondi and I hit the road to Globe, Arizona this past weekend. I was invited to do a show at Frank Balaam's Gallery. I was thrilled to be able to make music surrounded by Frank's extraordinary art. Thank you to the people of Globe for such a warm welcome and attentive ears; thank you also to Frank and Nora for creating the perfect ambiance and all the hard work that went into promoting and setting up for the event; a special thanks to Rondi for helping with loading, unloading and set-up, and Java Junction for great veggie sandwiches and a mocha to go for the road. By the way, we returned safe and sound with no speeding tickets...

10/3/04: I was very impressed with the turn-out at last night's show at the Cultural Center in Bethel, Alaska. I feel privileged to be able to share the musical growth that I have experienced throughout the past six months with a community that is so close to my heart. I would like to thank the Friends of the Library for sponsoring the event, Shane Welch for playing with me on electric, acoustic and bass, Pat DeSmet for doing sound, Michael Faubion for opening, Vince Chmielarczyk for helping with sound check, Ron Horvath and Carl Evans for donating equipment, Sarah, Dee and Meera for assisting with stage decorations, PR and merchandising, Bentley's B&B and the UPS Store for co-sponsoring, friends who donated stage decorations, Tundra Drums and KYUK (Angela & Little Ben) for promoting and covering the event, Shane and Sarah for the pre-concert surprise, Deborah for overall support and for being there, and last, but certainly not least, everyone who came out to enjoy the event. Thankyou, Bethel!!

8/22/04: We had an incredible show at the Lakes Art Center in Okoboji, Iowa last night. I was honored to have some phenomenal musicians from Tucson join me--Doug Floyd on electric guitar, Mark Lindholm on bass, and Jim Pavett on drums. A special thanks goes out to all the people that helped us to seamlessly put together this event: Music Connection in Spencer, Iowa, The Spencer Daily Reporter for the great press coverage, KICD 104.9 and KUOO for excellent advertising, Jerry who loaned us his Carvin Bunny Brunell Signature 5 string bass, the Lakes Art Center crew for the creative light show, wonderful sound and technical support, Rondi for guitar tuning and fine on-stage guitar delivery, Deborah for keeping me on task, paying attention to the details and providing overall coordination, my parents and extended family for their unending support/ publicity/ set-up and tear-down/ merchandise sales, my brother for the post-show 4-wheeler entertainment and making sure the band boys didn't hurt themselves while riding, and to all the people--family, friends and supporters who traveled many miles to see the show.

8/1/04: I would like to thank everyone for the support and encouragement that I have received in making this dream a reality. I am amazed at the way everything comes together so unexpectedly and interconnectedly, and I am excited to continue this journey.

I hope you enjoy the album. Peace to all and thanks for visiting!!