winter is officially here

While I sit typing, snow is gently falling outside and I am listening to the Clare College Choir singing John Rutter Christmas arrangements...on CD. (As cool as that would be, there is not a choir in my living room.) This past weekend, I flew to Arizona for a house concert. If you remember, back in September, I held an online auction to benefit the Nielson family from Arizona. The winner of the private concert was the Johnson family from Mesa, AZ. They generously donated a large sum to the charity as well as offering to fly me out for the concert. We had the concert this past Saturday in their home for friends and family. It was such a great opportunity for me to mingle with some folks from Mesa, get to know the wonderful Johnson family, and bask in the 70 degree weather. I want to thank them for their generosity not only to me but to the Nielson family as well. God bless you.

I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Spread some love.

I need your help

So...there's this contest going on right now at Mormontimes.com. (An online news source for us Mo Mos.) I have entered my song Across Oceans. The winner gets $5000. That's a lot of cash...cash that could be the difference between creating a new album or not creating a new album. Would you consider voting for me? Here is the direct link:

http://music.mormontimes.com/contest.php?nocache=1


Now, they won't let you vote unless you have an account with the site, but it's free and it takes like 2 seconds to sign up.

• You just click the Need An Account? Sign up Here link at the top right side of the page.

• Create an account.

• And then vote.

If you're ok with that...please consider voting. (You can vote once a day when you've registered.) You don't have to be Mormon to vote and have an account. I don't care if you cancel your account after you vote. I know some of you have expressed interest in a new album and have wondered how I could speed the process along...this is it. The contest will choose 4 finalists for each month for the next three months. Mine will end Dec. 15th. At the end of the three months, those 12 semi-finalists will compete. The top three get cash prizes.

Thanks for your continual support.

Much Love,
Debra

God Bless America

Land that I love. Stand beside her and guide her. Through the night something something something!

Well, you probably haven't heard so I wanted to be the first to tell you that it's Voting Day. I am sporting my "I Voted" sticker proudly. I am going to march into Starbucks, point to my sticker, and see if they'll give me a free hot chocolate instead of a coffee. Wish me luck.

But seriously, I hope everyone is taking some time today to vote. It's an historic day.

God bless America.

why?

What's with people saying "Good on you" lately, instead of good job or congratulations? I hate it so much.

Colorado was a blast. The Durango Songwriters Expo was held in the Cheyenne Mountain Resort in Colorado Springs. So beautiful. I feel rejuvenated and inspired to continue and write, write, write.

Friday...and I'm leavin' on a jet plane.

I'm flying out to Colorado this afternoon for the Durango Songwriters Expo, which is being held in Colorado Springs this year. I'm looking forward to a weekend of music, songwriters, and inspiration. I need to recharge my batteries. I'll do a post from the road tonight. Cheers.

posts

Remember how I said I was going to post every Friday? Aren't I awesome? I promise to do better. It's hard when I don't have internet at my apartment. I've been pirating a neighbors wireless signal (shh...don't tell) but that is unreliable. Basically I'm just trying to make excuses. Anyway, I promise to do better. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?

I've been listening to The Village soundtrack in my car. It's pretty much the first album I pull out every year when autumn hits. Kills me every time. I love that piece of music more than I can express. I consider it a masterpiece. The movie...not so much. In fact, perhaps some might think the soundtrack could be faulted for so thoroughly outshining the movie.

Anyway, I am currently writing a song. I hope it goes well.

And the winner is...

The Johnsons in Mesa, AZ with a bid of $500 for the concert, plus airfare and lodging. Wow. And a bid of $100 for The Package. That is extraordinarily generous. Thank you so much.

And because I felt sorry for our bidder, Michael, for missing the midnight deadline. I will create a 2nd Place Package that includes just the CDs for a matching bid of $100. The more money for this wonderful family's recovery, the better, right?

To get your items/coordinate the concert, click on the Donate to Nie button at the bottom of this email, make your payment safely and securely via PayPal, and then email me your receipt along with your name, address, and phone number. I will then contact you with the particulars.

Thanks to all bidders for raising the stakes. God bless you.

Auction to benefit Nielson Recovery

If you're avid in the Utah blogging world, you may be aware of a tragedy that occurred a week or so ago. The author of a very popular blog, The Nie Nie Dialogues, aka Stephanie Clark Nielson, and her husband, Christian, were in a private plane crash. They are in critical condition in a burn unit in AZ. The recovery will cost millions of dollars. (Please go here to read details of the situation and to find out more about the Nielsons.) Their four young children are staying with family members while they recover, which may take months.

I've never met Stephanie or Christian. I only heard about the situation because I'm a regular lurker on Stephanie and her siblings' blogs. Though I don't know her, Stephanie's positivity and creativity have deeply affected the way I view marriage and motherhood. Her positive attitude has influenced the way I handle situations on a daily basis. Isn't that what we're trying to achieve as artists? Whether we're writers, painters, songwriters, musicians, photographers...shouldn't that be our highest goal? To better a life through something we've created. Stephanie has inspired that goal in me.

Bloggers all over the blogosphere are joining together and offering items for auction to benefit the Nielson's recovery fund. (Maroon 5 has even joined in!) So, I'm offering my own little auction. Here are the two items I am offering:

#1 The Package:

• An autographed copy of my self-titled album
• An autographed copy of the little eight song acoustic demo I used to sell
• An autographed compilation disc of everything I've ever written that is not included on the first two discs. (Unless the winner wants some acoustic versions of songs from the first album.)
  
• An autographed 18x24 DF gig poster. (I have extras that I need to get rid of.) :)
  
• DF bookmarks

#2 The Concert (for Utah residents only):

• A private concert in your home for your friends and family
  

Ok, here's how it works.

To bid on this item, enter your amount in the comments below. Be sure to check the comments already made and bid higher than the current bid. Check back to continue bidding: I will not notify previous bidders. I anticipate that bidding will close on Thursday, September 4th at 10 p.m. (MST).

*EDIT* Auction has been extended until midnight (MST) Friday, September 5th.

I will post the winning bid on the blog and make every reasonable effort to contact the winning bidder via e-mail. The winner will then make a Pay Pal donation to the Nielson fund, email me their receipt, and I will ship the item to the winner or make arrangements for the concert.

100% of the proceeds will go directly to the Nielson family recovery fund. Shipping will be paid by me. Please bid in increments of dollars (no cents). Let's start the bidding for The Package at $40. The Concert at $100.

If you would like to donate without bidding, click the button below:

Weekly Friday posts

I am going to start posting weekly Friday posts. Why? So you can be updated on the goings on of my music world...and because I enjoy writing and I'd like to challenge myself a little. I am not only challenging myself to weekly blogging...I am also challenging myself to weekly songwriting as well. This week I read a paraphrased article from a Ryan Adams interview. Ryan said that songwriters who don't dedicate consistent time to songwriting aren't songwriters at all...furthermore they are lazy. Ouch. That kinda hit home...just a tad...and tore out my heart and stomped on it. I am not a prolific writer and that is because I am lazy and easily frustrated. My boyfriend challenged me to write a song a week this month and stick with it...even if I don't like the song. So...like a good girlfriend, I accepted his challenge and I've been writing a song this week. I started out hating it...on a normal day that would have been grounds for dismissal. But this is a new week so I let it play out...and now I'm really loving it. It's very different form anything I've ever written.

New song revealed for your listening pleasure.

Today my newest song, Parisian Air, is available for listen exclusively at this website:
www.threewinksstudio.com

A few months ago I played at a house concert in Draper. After the show I got an email from someone who'd seen the show and enjoyed the ONE song I'd played so much that she wanted to use some of my music on her website. It turns out that this person, Stacy Young, is one of the most talented photographers I've ever seen. Stacy is seriously amazing. The photo I have up now on my myspace profile is a result of a photo shoot she and I did a little while ago. Soon the website will be redesigned, featuring one of Stacy's photos. Stacy's work blows my mind. Her colors are so vibrant. You can see more of her work and read a little bit about the song release on her blog
http://threewinksstudio.wordpress.com/

Go take a listen!

Folk Fest, children's book

Well, if you read the News page you'll see that this has been a very exciting weekend for me. On Friday I was informed that I was selected as one of the Top Ten finalists at Telluride's Rocky Mtn. Folks Festival. They have a songwriter showcase each year. Ten songwriters perform and a winner is chosen. The winner gets to play the main stage the next year. If you haven't heard of this Fest, it's one of the biggest in the country...or probably the world for that matter. A few artists I respect very much are headlining this year: KT Tunstall, Patty Griffin, and Nanci Griffith...as well as last year's winner Sarah Sample (she used to be a local). Check out www.bluegrass.com for more info on the Fest. Anywho, I'm extremely excited.

Also, a friend of mine, Sandra Tayler, has just published a fantastic children's book I think you should take a look at. It's called Hold on to Your Horses. It's a story about a little girl whose creative ideas run wild and constantly get her into trouble. Her mother comes up with an imaginative way to help her reign her ideas in. I know a lot of high energy, highly creative kids who can definitely relate. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and Sandra and Angela Call (the illustrator) have given you two options for owning this book. You can download a free PDF of the book in the website (linked above) OR you can buy a copy of the book there as well. To truly do these fantastic drawings justice, I think you'll want to own it.



One of the things I love about what I do is how many people from the artistic community I get to meet and create friendships with. I think we should all share in our creativity.

i loves joolye

I loves me some sweet Joo-lye in the mornin'. Tomorrow (the 3rd) I will be playing at Provo's Freedom Festival. This will be my...let me calculate...seventh or eighth straight year playing the Festival. I think it was one of the first shows I ever played back when I was young, bright eyed, and bushy tailed. (Oh, and I had mermaid braids and I wore one of my mom's flower shirts from the 60's. Good times.) The Fest IS summer for me. I don't know how I'd survive without the smell of toasted almonds and funnel cake. And the heat...oh the heat.

Independence Day is on Friday, in case you didn't know. (Pssst. It's the same as the 4th of July. I know, weird, huh?) I have many veterans in my life to thank for the freedom to smell toasted almonds and funnel cake...and wear bad wardrobe choices on stage. My mom's dad was a pilot in WWII and was shot down over Germany when she was six months old. My mom's stepdad (who I always knew as Grandpa) also served. I have a brother-in-law in the Air National Guard, cousins in the Navy, and many other friends and acquaintances who are serving or have served this country. This country is a phenomenon and you make it possible. Thank you. Sincerely. Thank you.

i am an idiot...and other tales

So...twice this weekend I had percussion gigs with Mindy Gledhill and Stephanie Smith respectively. (For those of you unaware, in addition to my singer/songwriter thing...sometimes I also work as a percussionist for hire for other singer/songwriters.) And twice this weekend, I thought that since I was just doing percussion, I wouldn't need to bring very many CDs to the gigs. (I always bring a few, just in case.) And twice...I didn't have enough CDs for people who wanted them. You'd think I would have learned my lesson the first night. Nope. So, I apologize to those of you who were disappointed. I am an idiot.

I've been sick this week and it's made it difficult to sing...which has again made me aware of just how much I actually sing during any given day. A lot. Seriously people, I never shut up. I had ask my boyfriend to remind me to stop singing so my voice/throat could heal. He had to remind me like every two seconds.

Also, I've got a show coming up at Velour in Provo. See the News page for details. I love summer.

cali-forn-i-a...

...was awesome. I'm not a big fan of California in general, but if someone offered to sell me a big bottle of Cali weather I would say, "Yes, please." The show at the House of Blues with Stephanie Smith was quite awesome. The house was packed. The lights were low. The booze ran freely like a bacchanalian revel. I quietly sipped my vintage bottle of Arrowhead water c. 2008. Steph turned to me, her own bottle of water in hand, and said, "I feel like we're the mathletes at the cool kids party." The show itself was fantastic.

We spent one luxurious morning on a secluded beach in a cove in Laguna. The stretch of sand was maybe 100 yards across. Besides the six in our traveling party, there were maybe ten other people. It was mah-velous. I was sitting there slow-roasting my feet (something I discovered later) when someone spotted a pod of wild dolphins just off the shore, dipping and diving in the surf. Magical.

I finished my new song and I will play it at my next show. I'm already working on another.

hair

I debated growing my hair out because I knew that if I did, it would make my album look dated. My hair grows fast...I mean really fast. But I was thoroughly sick of short hair...and thus, sometimes when people look at my album and I'm standing right next to them they say "Who is this?" And "Wow, this is you? This album must be old." Yes, it has happened more than once. And no, the album hasn't even been out for a year yet. My follicles can't be stopped. I need to update the home page.

It is supposedly spring. I even had a vernal equinox party with my friends to celebrate the official emergence of spring. If it is truly spring, why is there still snow on the ground? And why is snow still haunting me? And why won't it GO AWAY? Just wondering.

daylight robbery

Someone stole an hour of sleep from me...and I want it back!

Last week I did a little road trip up to Moscow for a gig. Moscow, Idaho that is. Gotcha. I'm hilarious. The gig was at the University of Idaho which is the home of one of the country's most prestigious jazz festivals. The Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. I missed the fest by a couple weeks...sadly...but there were plenty of other things in Moscow to entertain me. Like...uh...there was a Jack in the Box...and...I think I saw a hawk....maybe not. It was nice to get out though. We were even greeted by an Idaho State Trooper! He told us not to drive so fast and told me to break a leg at the show. I didn't. Oh, and then he told me I look like Lindsay Lohan. Lindsay Lohan? I mean...really.
All kidding aside, thanks to Vandal Entertainment with the University of Idaho for bringing me out! They treated me like the queen of America and were extremely accommodating. Thank you! It was truly a pleasure.

I'm working on a song right now but I'm agonizing over the lyrics...as usual.

Hark the Herald

Yesterday's issue of the Daily Herald UV Entertainment insert featured an article on tomorrow's show. Take a look here:

Clicky!

Also, I've decided to make a single of my song Subtraction and sell them at tomorrow's show. I've had a lot of positive response for this song and a lot of requests for a recorded version...so...I hear and obey.
Speaking of hearing, I'm really looking forward to hearing Russ Dixon play. It's been a while since I've had the privilege. I'm going to see if I can get him to freestyle rap. He's so good at it it's ridiculous!

I hope you all had a fantastic Valentine's day yesterday. Mine was...so, so wonderful. :)

I'm working on a new song at the moment. Not sure what it's going to be called yet, but I'm pretty durn excited about it. I love this feeling. There something about creating and shaping a song that is so fulfilling emotionally, spiritually, physically. I'm an addict.

Valentine's show

I've been wanting to put together another concert at the Noni auditorium for a while now. I loved playing there at my CD Release concert. So...without further ado...I'm doing it. Two days after Valentine's Day, I will be performing a "low lights and love songs" themed concert with the band at the Tahitian Noni Auditorium. That's Brandon Cummings on the drums, Trevor Gorton on the bass, and John Kovalenko the violin. (Those of you who haven't seen John play with me yet are in for a major treat.)

We'll be giving away "romance prizes" throughout the evening to concert goers. We'll have drawings for multiples prizes, including a dinner for two at Magleby's restaurant, a Swedish massage, European facial, and cut/color from Katumba's salon in Orem, and other great prizes. Buy your tickets right here online and you'll get one free for every one you buy. Tickets won't be shipped to you. You can pick them up the night of the show at Will Call.

And, as a long-time veteran of Singles Awareness Day, I can empathize with the Singles among us. I will play some just for you.

I'm also very excited to have the amazing Russ Dixon (of the band Colors) joining us for the evening. Russ is one of my favorite people. You don't want to miss him.

a new year

Well, it's time to bid adieu to one heck of a fantastic year. 2007 will go down in history as one of the best on record. But I am looking forward to 2008. I'm already doing more songwriting than usual because I've made the commitment to write at least one a month. So far I've done quite well. I'm working on a new idea right now that I'm quite excited about. I'm looking forward to exploring the possibilities.

Right now it's bleak midwinter in Utah and it's snowing. To quote Christina Rossetti, "Snow on snow. Snow on snow." I think I whined about snow in my last entry...but I'm not finished. I wouldn't mind snow so much if I didn't have to drive in it. My boyfriend tells me that if I had an Audi Quattro, my driving in the snow woes would be over. I can dream. I won't tell my Chevy Cavalier because he'd get jealous and start complaining about all his battle scars and snooty German engineering.

I'm looking forward to my show in February. It's at the Tahitian Noni auditorium where I held my CD Release concert. (Some people get confused and think it's the Noni building off I-15 near American Fork. Nope, that is their factory. This is in their corporate building in Provo near the Riverwoods.) The show is on the 16th, two days after Valentines. I planned it that way on purpose...because guys...you need to take your girls to a concert. Seriously. And singles...what better way to forget than to immerse yourself in music.

More on the show later.