March 2009

Butterfly Girl: classical-gypsy-circus-world cello music

I have been really trying to figure out how to promote my brand new CD "Butterfly Girl", and I have found something out. You know what? There's no one way to do it. You just have to go at it and plug away. Which is what I didn't do with my last CD "Night of a Thousand Rains". It's a beautiful record, but I never did any promotion for it, and I only sold it at gigs. This time, with this new CD, I am going to get into the promotion arena and try to get my music out there. It's going to be fun!

Whose on the CD? Here's a list: Marcie Brown on cello, Terrence Brewer on guitar, Katja Cooper and Steve LaPorta on percussion, Ana Nitmar and Ramana Vieira on vocals and the Agave String Quintet with Robin Lewis on guitar. A star studded cast. Also, a cameo performance by Isabelle Brown-Lyden on her cello and singing.

After doing some research, I have decided to start my own record label. It's going to be called "Classical Gypsy Records." How does that sound?

So, we here at Classical Gypsy Productions are working on a new website design that has the CD cover on the home page and is easily accessible for people who want to hear a little of it or buy it. We are going to go with a radio campaign and the CD will be sent around to college stations and world music stations. "Butterfly Girl" is classical-gypsy-circus-world cello music, but I guess it can be classified under "world music". Sure, why not?

I am busy getting promotional materials together to send out. It's alot of work!

But let's see, what else is going on?

I have a new string quartet, and it is going to be great. We met for the first time last week. The violinists are Julian Smedley and Ben Cortez, and the violist is Katie Wrede. The group can play alot of things that string quartets can't normally play. Gypsy jazz! Standards! And lots of improvisation. It's exciting. I will keep you posted on that group. First, we need a name. Anyone?

Also, the wonderful Portguese fado group that I am in, "Ramana Vieira and her Ensemble", are recently signed to a record label, "Pacific Coast Jazz". Our new CD is entitled "Lagrimas de Rainha", which means "Tears of a Queen." We have a CD release party at the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley on Saturday, April 18th, and we are also playing at Yoshi's in Oakland on Tuesday, May 26th, at 8 and 10pm. Yay! Go Ramana!

With my little daughter Isabelle, who is now seven years old, I will be performing a March 14th Aids/Lifecycle Series concert. It's a Saturday night 7:30 show at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland. We will probably play a few Irish cello duets and then we'll break out Suzuki Cello Book 3 and show off her Lully Gavotte. Go Isabelle!

Oh, and one more concert I just added, another of the Aids/Lifecycle Concert Series shows. It's on Sunday, April 5th, at 4pm, at the Orinda Community Church. I will be playing a few selections for solo cello from my new "Butterfly Girl" CD. This is going to be videoed for my website, so I better be good!

Okay, that's the musical update for now. I should go play some music instead of just talking about it!

Monterey

Ramana and I on the water.


Hi everybody! Monterey was beautiful. I performed with Ramana Vieira and her Ensemble Wednesday night at a venue called Monterey Live. It was a sweet place and we filled the house. The audience was very receptive. Ramana sold some CD's to admiring fans, and I sold my new CD "Butterfly Girl" to some fans too. After the show there was loud music being piped into the house and I was trying to talk to the people that had enjoyed the show and that had bought CD's...but, I was losing my voice and had no volume at all. It was awful---I kept trying to shout over the music but could not find the voice to do so...

Ramana's group has a new record label- Pacific Coast Jazz, and so we were meeting with them, and with a possible booking agent after the gig for dinner. Donna Nichols was this great lady from PCJ--she reminded me of Holly Hunter---she was very spunky and fun. She was there with her friend Judy. I sat beside her but could barely talk, much to my chagrin. The booking agent's name was Maria---she wants to take us on and get us some bookings and some tours, so this was very exciting!

We stayed at the Monterey Hotel, this awesome old Victorian place in the center of town on Alvarado Street, and in the morning we walked down to the pier. What a gorgeous spot! I only wish I could take my little daughter Isabelle with me to the same area. She will love it! Not to mention getting her to the Monterey Aquarium, which is also within walking distance.

Last week there was alot going on musicwise too. On Tuesday I met with JoAnne Tobias, who is writing an article about me for Alameda Magazine. She talked with me for a long time. She is going to help promote my new CD in her article, and she is hoping to make it a feature. On Wednesady, I went on the Doug Edwards show on KPFA, and he interviewed me and played some cuts from my past shows at KPFA and also four or five songs from "Butterfly Girl". Later, I sold some CD's from my website to people that had listened and loved the music. Yay!

On Thursday, JoAnne Tobias' husband, Mitch Tobias, did a photo shoot of my cello and I. He had me up on this big concrete block next to the ocean out here on Alameda Point. It was very funny, as Mitch wanted me to dance with the cello and spin around with it. There was a big hole in the concrete and for some reason he wanted me near the hole---he kept shouting, "Great! Now spin! Near the hole! Closer to the hole!..." I think we got some good shots---??? Lucky to be still alive though!

I have to go to bed now---I have no voice and am totally sick....I hope I can fall asleep!