Links
Arts Organizations
Community Music School of Santa Cruz
CMS is an enthusiastic collective of performers,
educators, students and music lovers. Their programs include cross-cultural and inter-generational
concerts, summer Celtic camps for kids and teens, an instrument donation and adoption service,
workshops with touring artists, an indie record label, instrument petting zoo's, an online
database of local music teachers, and a free bi-annual newsletter.
Santa Cruz Institute of Contemporary Arts
Film, dance, theater, music, visual and performing arts. SCICA
supports a vibrant culture of the arts in the SoWat district of downtown Santa
Cruz. Gallery Walks take place on the First Friday of every month, from 5-8pm,
beginning at The Attic. Get involved and help harness the energy of this wildly
creative little town.
Tannery Arts Center
The old Salz Tannery on River Street is being transformed into a new arts center
that will include housing for artists as well as studio and performance space.
I hope to have a home there one day when the project is finished.
The vision for the Tannery Arts Center is to create an affordable
home for the arts in Santa Cruz County dedicated to creating opportunities for
individual artists and arts organizations, residents and visitors to Santa Cruz
County to create, explore, perform, exhibit, learn and enjoy the arts.
California Arts Council
I spent my twentieth birthday sequestered away at Bear Creek studio thanks to the CAC.
They kindly funded my first CD California Celt with a Next Generation Grant
supporting youth age 18-25 in the ethnic arts. Nine young musicians working for the
Community Music School joined together to record the album. The grant covered the entire
production, from recording basics to the release concert. Thank you thank you thank you.
Venues
The Attic
A new performance space, gallery and tea house in downtown Santa Cruz, CA. After
market music, singer-songwriters, live jazz, all-ages DJ dance nights, and other
delights. Tea is good for you.
Cayuga Vault
One of my favorite places to perform smaller concerts. Also the location of the
infamous Improv-ers Anonymous shows. Whenever I play there I have flashbacks of my
friend Newo imitating a camel. You had to have been there.
Rio Theatre
A retro venue in Eastside Santa Cruz, where Community Music School hosts music
documentary film events. All sorts of fun events here, big names in music, and
independent film festivals.
Independent Music
CD Baby
The best online source for independent music of all styles. The fact that CD Baby
exists is enough to make me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
Friends
Birds Fled From Me
This is my friend Rachel who has a gorgeous voice and writes haunting ballads
about love and the ocean.
We also jam out in the kitchen with Raypar - the two of them also have a band
called Bedroom Eyes that performs in Santa Cruz from time to time.
We're kind of like a musical love triangle.
The Birds Fled From Me debut album (which I will play harp on) will be out soon on Loves In Heat Records.
SoWat TV
An exploration by way of local television into the whims, fantasies and
shenanigans of two brilliantly saucy art lovers, Jeff Dinnell and Ch!p. So cute.
Barry and Shelley Phillips
Great friends and great musicians with really naughty cats and really amazing
homemade wine. Professional monkey wrangling, too.
William Coulter
Bill is a fantastic guitarist who lives in Santa Cruz and tours internationally. He
is also the blond clone of Nigel Tufnel.
David Brewer
The well-known, highly energetic piper and composer. He played some wild
tunes in 7/8 (jeels) on my first album and has since worked with many bands
in Santa Cruz and toured Australia and China. I played harp on David's latest CD,
Living Tradition.
Bridget Mary Henry
A local artist that creates beautiful color reductive woodcuts. You can check
out her website, visit her studio during Open Studios,
or see her work on display at Chocolate in downtown Santa Cruz.
Instruments
Dusty Strings Harps and Hammered Dulcimers
These nice folks in Seattle made my lovely Bubinga Double-Strung. The Allegro
and Crescendo models are good for beginning harpists.
Sandpiper Instruments
The Cithara Nova is the best sounding harp I have ever had the pleasure of playing. Very
deep bass notes, light tension, and the new synthetic fiber strings from France.
My Favorites
Tori Amos
Tori is one of my favorite artists of all time, and I have always felt very
passionate about the issues explored in her songs. A lot of people describe her
as kooky, but if you are familiar with the material and mythology she draws from,
then her work is completely accessible and it's some of the most emotionally and
lyrically complex music out there.
Tenacious D
There is something about this band that totally blows my mind. Maybe it's
because Jack Black is a golden god. Look, for some reason his music is
healing, sort of like an elixir of life. We listen to Tenacious D constantly in
my house. Nothing but Tenacious D, all day long.
Bjork
I am also a screaming Bjork fan, I admit. She is one of those artists that
continues to evolve her music and it's always fun and innovative and beautiful,
no matter what she does. She also uses a lot of harp these days, collaborating
with
Zeena Parkins, an avant-garde harpist based in New York.
Liz Phair
Liz is the other musician constantly in the CD player right now. I have nothing
interesting to say about her - I just love, love, love her songs. When I listen to
Supernova I start bouncing off the walls, I can't help it.