I can't contain my excitement any longer!
5 more days until we are back to my favorite European city, Berlin.
This trip will be 11 days long, we will be playing Saturday and Sunday in Berlin, then we will be off to Dresden (I've never been there) and our East German Tour gets cooking.
This will be my first time in many of these former East German cities. I'm especially excited to be visiting Dresden.

So, a favor from my American friends: Take a look at the tour dates (conveniently posted on myspace and my website www.myshytune.com) if you have friends or family in any of those towns, please spread the word!
To my German friends, if you a re close to any of these cities please come out and share a lovely evening with Rich and I!

These performances will be slightly different than our regular  shows. They will feature Rich on drumsset and percussion, myself on acoustic or electric guitar, but we've added an electronic element to the whole thing, It's an experiment for us and we think it's going to work out swimmingly. Imagine the White Stripes with a laptop,.It may even become a new way of touring in the states,..who knows?
It's going to be a GREAT time!

So come out! Tell your friends! Let's share some yummy red Berliners and jaegermeister!

Yes, I know.
For those of you who know me in the material world, I've been a bit hermetic this past year or so.
If you haven't heard from me as much as you used to, or don't ever see me around,..don't take it personally,..
The truth, I guess, is I needed a little "me" time, as in "me" not traveling the globe, "me" staying in NYC to remember why it is I live here (sometimes I'm not even sure) um,..not getting involved in other people's dramas, re-working my studio, and among other things, like sleeping and dragging my ass to the "All in One" group exercise class, working on the new new album, "A Beautiful Mess".

A couple of you are already on my mailing list, so you know all about this new musical endeavor.
For those who don't, well in a word,..it's pretty dope already, if I don't say so myself!
I don't think I've been as equally scared and excited about one of my own releases since the first one way back in 2001. It feels like the first actually,..the music is really different,.... the personnel is different, the modus operandi is different, it's like Christmas in August!

so let me tell you about it.
Last month, I enlisted the help of my good friend, engineer, Bob Smith, to take care the Enterprise @ Kampo which allowed me to be completely care free and focus solely on performance issues.
ssssaaaaaaawwwweeeeeeet.
sheesh

The band was kicking ass, I was a little sick but nothing major, we even got some 1 take wonders that were pretty amazing. All in all, as I've been sifting through the tracks, song by song, I keep asking, damn, is this me? Really? I wrote this? I mean, I remember writing it but,..so different,..
I can't explain it really, it's like listening to someone else's record, in the form of a producer/engineer, like I do in other situations,..I'm not listening to it from a personal point of view,..I have no real "vision" for the songs,..no pre-determined shape or sound,..which, for those of you who know me,.is quite strange, considering my over achieving control freak tendencies which I've been trying to tame for years. I think all the meditation has worked to a degree!
It's funny,..
On the one hand, I'm super proud so far, thinking, "see,..you've expanded,..you've opened yourself up to new forms of expression and new ways of working,.this is good,.."
on the other I'm thinking, "oh my GAWD is anyone even going to LIKE this?" lol
"but my fans expect "THIS->____" from me",..then I think,..ha ha ha
FANS!
HA ha ha
what I wouldn't do to get some of those! lol
kidding of course,..
but really,..it's different,.. waaay different
so I guess this evening I'm feeling a little out of sorts because it's the first time, while listening to these tracks I feel as though I didn't write my own music. Like I don't have a vested interest,..like it's another project I'm mixing from afar,..Feeling a little detached rather than harboring the usual "mother hen" syndrome.
I'm not sure what do do about it
lol
maybe it's a good thing?

And instead of worrying myself, I decided I'd just, you know,..waste some time on myspace,..maybe take a look at the 2008 electoral maps again to make sure Obama is really ahead
and whatever,..play a little snood,..anything to lurch my soul forward a little

and maybe all of this has to do with an existential detachment to the world in general?
and maybe it has to do with feelings of bewilderment and worry about the future we face?
or perhaps I just ate something that didn't agree with me and it's making me a little loopy?
maybe I just need to watch some south park and go to bed?

hmm

what say you fine friends?

obama,
d

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjojJgErUsk

My music opens the movie!

It's official!
My little musical adventure into the realm of avante garde, (the hidden track from my last album, "Chaos & Congeniality", "No More Words") was selected today to be in the opening scene of a film called, "The Red Helmet".

"The Red Helmet" is a short film being produced for the Outdoor Games Festival, spnsored by Nissan, this July . It is one of 5 films being produced for the event, where 5 teams have 5 days to shoot and edit a 5-minute film. Each film centers around outdoor sports, including kayaking, rock climbing, BASE-jumping, mountain biking and paragliding.

The team I am working with is Team IBEX :
"The Red Helmet", is a film about a young boy who stumbles on a red helmet, thus sparking his imagination to visualize athletes performing incredible acts in the natural playground of the Swiss Alps.

Film Synopsis

The film opens with shots a non-descript European town. The streets are empty, the skies are grey and the mood is desolate. This is accented by the stark B&W photography and the sparse, moody music. We reveal a young boy, the age of ten, wandering through the empty streets alone. He walks by a stream, it is cold and slow moving. He looks at a mountain, it is fogged and barren. He passes through a forest, it is lifeless and boring.

Suddenly he sees something in the distance…a speck of color against the grey landscape. As he comes closer, he sees it is a discarded red helmet, the first color image we see in the film. As he tries the helmet on, he begins to look at the world in a new way. The mood changes dramatically as we see everything now in vivid color. He passes by the same stream and imagines a kayaker fighting a mighty rapid! He looks at the same mountain and visualizes a man in a wingsuit flying from its peak! The exact forest that was so cold and lonely now has a mountain biker ripping through the dirt, making it alive!

The music builds as we see the world through the boys' newly awakened eyes. With each spectacular moment, we reach a new peak. A man walks a tight rope over a 2,000-foot drop, the boy sees a man paragliding through green valleys, and a woman leaps onto an incredible hold on the face of a mountain. This builds into an epic crescendo that peaks musically with a montage of all the sports until CUT…we see a wide shot of the boy alone in B&W with the helmet on, staring off into the distance at….nothing.


For more info, or if you'd like to see live coverage of the games or view the film, visit this website:
http://www.outdoorgames.org/

As I understand it, the films will also be televised internationally along with the sports coverage.

I'm totally excited!
I can't stop smiling,..
:)
Oh, and another reason for the inability to stop smiling is that I just bought the new Sigur Ros' album on iTunes.

Unfortunatly, I don't think I'll ever be as cool as they are,..
but I can at least try,.maybe I'll get close,..

d

I'm happy to announce that I was interviewed on breakthruradio.com by DJ Matt Lehtola.

The air date was friday, June 20th, 2008.
here's the link:
http://www.breakthruradio.com/index.php?show=4148

As of today, the show is still the most recent, but if it's not in the player, you can find the show stored in the archive.

the home page is: http://www.breakthruradio.com
check out the myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/lehtola
Tell Matt I sent you!

I will be on the show again this Thursday! (most likley it wil air on friday) Please stop by to listen!

Ciao!
d

Hey Everyone!
Sorry for the blog posting, for some reason I can't send a bulletin or an invite,..blasted myspace!
:composure:

A Shout Out to my Boston friends!
I am excited to be visiting one of my favorite cities for a whole 2 days!

I'll be performing along with my good friends from the JP Unplugged crew this Saturday!
:cheers and general good feelings:

All of the info can be found at this link:
http://www.myspace.com/jpunpluggedconcerts

but I know,..it's hot today, too much trouble to click on a link,..so here's the general info:


June 14 - 2nd Annual Outdoor Lawn Concert!
WHERE: Loring-Greenough House
12 South Street, Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts 02130
COST: Free!

The line-up:
1:00: Ken Porter and Mike Delaney
1:45: Denise Barbarita
2:15: Terry Kitchen
2:45: Jess Yoakum
3:15 Patti DeRosa
3:45 Laura Bullock
4:15 Carlyn Hutchins

Please come out and help us celebrate our 2nd successful season of music in the community! I mean really, sunshine, good feelings, good music, friends, and home made snacks? FRRRREEEEEE? can you really ask for more?

I hope to see you all!

blessed be
d

THE FEEL GOOD BEGIINNG OF THE YEAR SOLILOQUEY

2007, for me, was the year of "why".
A year of re-evaluation, re-organizing, re-aligning,.. re-creating,..
A year of change in an ever-changing environment.
Re-wiring and rebuilding my home studio began a process of re-wiring thought processes which are no longer useful; Re-wiring my ways of working or interacting, re-wiring the need to continue doing things as I always did, for no other reason but "because,.."
What's right? What's wrong? What's real? What's not?
Re-evaluating the space I take up, re-evaluating the way in which I work, re-evaluating the way in which I choose to express myself,..
It was an enlightening year in many ways,..

2008 now becomes the year of "why not?"
There's been a lot of talk lately, due to the elections, about hope and dreams, about glass ceilings, about acceptability from the general public,..
For me 2008 will encompass the ACT of realization. Carpe Diem!
2008 has begun by breaking my own glass ceiling, which I have been led to believe over the years, is as real as an actual physical entity. Let me explain,..
This is no feminist manifesto, or political mantra, it's a call to arms, to anyone who feels as though they've hit a wall, or anyone who just needs to make some changes but isn't sure where to begin.
One of the things I've come to realize, being a woman in a "man's world", is that the "glass ceiling" is a figment of imagination. An idea, which may have been reality 20 years ago, but in, many ways today is irrelevant. For many it becomes an excuse. It is a barrier that only I, or anyone else, who believes in it, cannot pass through. But by refusing to believe in it, it ceases to exist. As do the excuses, the rationalizing, the worries or the fears that belief created. By refusing to believe in an oppressive idea, the idea has no power. It's sucked dry by a bigger idea.
Faith
Faith in oneself, in one's abilities, in one's community. In everything. Faith and hope are much more powerful than any negative ideal or collection of fears, which are imposed or enforced to make people of certain backgrounds, gender, or (Fill in the blank) kept in their place.

No you may read this is and call me a traitor to feminism, or think that I'm just a crazy idealist,. And I'm not discounting that discrimination exists, but today we all have a choice, where in the past there was none,.. Black or brown or white or woman, gay or strait, (major label or indie artist) we have choices and the only way to combat any type of discrimination is to succeed. Period. Not for anyone else's sake but your own,..
Now, am I saying there will be no obstacles? No closed doors? No disappointments? No need to work hard? Absolutely not. But by removing an obstacle of our collective imagination (i.e. the glass ceiling), I, for one, can see more clearly.

So,. The hard work will continue on my end. My question to you in this new year, my fellow friends, is will you be willing to begin your own quest for setting goals for yourself,. Will you take the time to re-evaluate the ties that bind you? Us? Are you willing to make the future brighter?
Think about it.
Think about your own impact in the world you live in, in your community. Think about the ways in which, by helping others, you can help yourself. Think about the ways you can alleviate stress or break down the walls or the glass ceilings you have visualized over the years, which tend to stop you from realizing your own dreams.
Think about it.
And in thinking about it, you come to the same conclusion,. Which is, you can do anything you put your mind to, you can accomplish any goal, overcome any obstacle or barrier, then 2008 will be a banner year for all of us!
This is my great wish.

I hope to see you all in our travels this year and wish you, my friends, all the happiness, health and big hugs 2008 can offer!


Blessed be
d

friends, family, concerned citizens,..

I am sad to announce,..

I'VE BEEN HACKED!

So if any of you got a comment about some sort of nonsense involving a girl being a slut or what have you,..please just delete it and move on,..

To the hacker: you suck
and I hope something really nasty happens to you, like, I dunno,..crabs

a-hem

onwards and upwards myspace soldiers,..
let's ponder on the bright side,..
at least one good thing happened today,..Gonzales resigned!
team D gets a gold star for the week!

ciao!
d

Yesiiiireee!

cha-ching! I just received word that my song, "Hush Hush", was featured on the ABC prime time TV drama, "Traveler".
I'm pretty happy about that,..

ok,..that's all I have to say before skipping like a school girl down the street,..

more news to come!

blessed be
d

Beautiful People!

The CD has arrived!
Only 100 copies are available and they're going fast! (I think that's pretty cool,..)

The CD features live recordings, re-mixes, and rare tracks.

The CD will NOT be available in stores, only artist direct, by mail order or at live shows, so get in touch for details and get your copy today!

:)

love you all

blessed be
d