A Letter to My Pittsburgh Peers

Dear Musicians & Friends,

I just wanted to send you a note of appreciation for all of your creativity this year. Whether I saw you at the Open Stage while hosting, or shared a bill with you, or trotted out to hear one of your shows this year as a listener, I have been inspired by your music and lyrics, your tenacity, and your contribution to the music scene in the city.

I recently ran into a Pittsburgh artist that decided to hang it up, for good reasons. The DIY culture has become a mandate of sorts, leaving many of us less time to create. Sometimes this can inspire you to go harder, and sometimes it can make you feel like you're in a crazy hamster wheel. The stress of having to do it all inspires different responses in different people. This artist decided it was time to leave. I'm on the edge, I guess.

My body crapped out on me in late summer. After some diagnostic efforts we figured a major part of what happened was a little something called Adrenal Fatigue. It took years to develop, I bet, and I had never heard of it before. I suspect, though, that many a DIY artist is especially susceptible to this syndrome. You may or may not be one. I hope you are not.

Anyhow, I'm looking at the world from a different angle. It's pretty freakin' great and it makes me grateful to be alive. It makes me do odd things like turn down First Night gigs on New Year's Eve, and write letters instead just to say I think you're on The Good Road, walking it in your own way.

I look forward to hearing your new songs and your old favorites in 2010.

My best wishes to you,

Heather

Happy Holidays

Well, it's been quite some time since I've written. I've been thrown into a really intense few months of internal work, healing from some chronic illness, and evaluating my sense of vocation around being an artist. Mostly I'm tired, but lately I do find myself waking up and thinking about songs...which I hope means that I'll be back making music soon.


I heard of the passing of one of the wonderful people who booked me this year. It's amazing how short life is, and how one minute a person can exist physically in the world and then they don't. 


In this cycle of life and death and life, I hope you are spending the holiday season with ones you love and who love you. Here's to a fine year in 2010, year of the tiger. I wish you safe and warm darkest days.

NW Tour Cancelled

Most of you who may follow my musical activities already know I had to cancel my NW performances due to illness. The healing process is taking a really long time, but today I didn't feel worse...so that's a good sign. 

Well, I'm two weeks away from my first tour of the Pacific Northwest. It's been years in coming. So why now?

A number of months ago now, I had a chance encounter with an intuitive astrologer, who rather quickly blew me away with his perceptive interpretation of my chart. His first statement to me was, "So, you're thinking about moving." to which I replied, "I'm always thinking about moving." How did he know?

I had never heard of the concept that some places on the planet are better or worse for individuals, but it makes sense seeing that astrology is all about the placement and relationship of objects. He plugged some numbers into his computer and up popped a cool chart of the USA with lines running over it. The worst U.S. location is the north/south line running through State College, PA (sorry State College), but the best is the Pacific Northwest. And that's where I was born.

I was nearing the completion of my album at the time and promised myself that an album loosely musing about hearth & home deserves some live performance in the best location in country. Maybe somehow the songs will make more sense there, as they often make little sense to me here. And so, here I am and here I go.

Wrote a new song last week. Here are the lyrics...

Mile Marker

Your gaze is like a tiger lily

I can feel your petals brush my shoulder blades

Feels like youth, like warmer weather

Like all the colors run together

Mile Marker

Stepping stone or hearth stone

We're all on our own 

When it comes to making peace

My days, I spend them in cafes

Casual conversation, one more cup of coffee

Keeps me hanging 'round

Wearing your insights like hand-me-downs

Somewhere between here and New York City

I noticed that you had turned away

It's giving me that instantly familiar feeling

Razor blades confetti my reason

I play the mending game

Mile marker...

Is this my stepping stone, my hearth stone?

Either way I never meant to put roots down where I roam

'Cause when you go

They make that tender tearing sound

When you go

They give so easily

'Til there's nothing left to win

There's nothing here but me

Your gaze is a tiger lily

But I bought my bouquet here in this city

And this morning I take my roses

Like I take my chances

Like I take my

Mile Markers

Mile marker....

A few weekends ago I was visiting family in Chicago. It was a beautiful and unusual warm day with no wind. We went to visit Cloud Gate. This is taken looking up inside the sculpture.

Pittsburgh Places

I've been starting to carry my camera around with me again as a way to remember to see my environment instead of living in my head.

I took the EBA downtown the other day and got off one stop early. This former train station has always moved me.

Sunstar Women in Music Festival

I've been really encouraged by the presentations at this festival this weekend. I got to perform on Thursday at the opening mixer with Joy Ike, Boca Chica and Bianca Atterberry, but didn't stick around because I was so moved by some things that LaShonda K. Barnett shared in her talk "Women of Thunder..."

Things to consider: women vocalists aren't "just singers", to be an artist means to be a disciple (discipline is embedded in the word), and the muse will visit those who are practicing and open to it.

Today I was part of a panel on "Strategies for Success". I feel like right now I'm in a weird transition or re-evaluation of who I am as an artist and why, and so it was a humbling experience to be asked to share what I know. The clearest truth that looms in my life right now: love the process, listen to my intuition.

New Album

After about 2 years of working on this project with Randy, we finally released Hestia. It's been a labor of love, really, and a very personal journey into how much I can strip away without leaving the song too bare.

I was thrilled to work with Vince Camut, Keith Hershberger, Garrett Haines, Dave Brown, Benny Benack, Paul Tebachneck and others.

If you'd like to hear the album (or buy the CD or download songs!) you can visit my CD Baby page.