The Official Mary Scholz Music Blog

New Year, New Blog!

2010-12-31T13:50:00.002-05:00

Hi Everyone! I hope you are gearing up to celebrate the new year in style!

I just wanted to let you know that I am going to be posting my blog straight from my website from now on...it's part of the new streamlined site I've got! (Thanks Mike!)

I've posted a few things about the CD Release and the year in review already...check it out!

www.maryscholz.com/wp/blog

And don't forget, if you're interested in buying the new EP or the Live Album...go right ahead!! :)

www.maryscholz.com/wp/store - for the new EP!

For the LIVE ALBUM!

First Single Released! "Tennessee"

2010-11-24T02:12:00.000-05:00

www.maryscholz.bandcamp.com

Sneak Peek Video!

2010-11-15T13:11:00.002-05:00

"LIVE at The Blue Light Sessions"

2010-11-13T13:10:00.004-05:00

My Live Album, "Mary Scholz LIVE at The Blue Light Sessions" is now available!

Download the album and receive a FREE track of of "Water Rising"

All proceeds go to production costs for "Water Rising."

Photo by Denise Maggetti Nowak

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE ALBUM!

Album Cover!

2010-11-13T13:00:00.003-05:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Album Cover for

"Water Rising"

Photo and Design by Charles Kevin Mauer

1:45 am - Still working!

2010-10-11T01:47:00.001-04:00

Just saying hello from the studio - at More Sound Studios in Syracuse doing the mixing session for the EP - still!

Yesterday we had a great editing session with our engineer Shaun and today was the first day of mixing with Jocko - it's sounding awesome!

As I've said before, I am working with some extremely dedicated people - we've been going strong since 3pm with only about 45 minute break for dinner.

We needed to re-cut some piano parts, and so we did.

Everyone is getting a bit delirious and goofy - time to turn in for sure!

****

Don't forget, if you're in the Philadelphia/New Jersey area. this Saturday I'm playing a show in Mount Holly which will be recorded for a LIVE ALBUM! The album will be sold as a digital download as a fundraiser for my studio EP .... there are 10 tickets left, so email me if you want one!

($20 includes the show and a copy of the cd)

mary@maryscholz.com

*****

Pictures of my trip to Niagara Falls coming soon!!

"We Are All In This Together..."

2010-10-05T20:38:00.003-04:00

"I write about things that matter to me. Things that are close to my heart. And it's my hope that through music we can connect with one another, to better understand that we are all alike, and that no one is alone."

I said that once - I'd say it again.

This week there has been a lot of coverage about a shocking increase in reported gay teen suicides (emphasis on reported) including two 13 year old children. These boys barely even make it into the category "teen" at all.

The news stories talk about how these kids were bullied - made to think that they are different, that they are alone.

It makes me sick to my stomach to think of the way that this issue is being handled. Because it's not just children joking around or being mean - it is adults who continue to support a message of hate and intolerance. Even that word, intolerance, is wrong, because we should not "tolerate" each others differences, we should ACCEPT them. Because we all have differences. It is part of what makes us all alike.

To teach a child that being homosexual is wrong is like teaching a child that the color hair they were born with is sinful.

Think back to when you first felt the feelings of a "crush" on a boy or girl in your school class. You didn't choose to have feelings for them, it just happened. How about when you suddenly had feelings for someone who had been a platonic friend for years and you never thought about dating? You no more chose those feelings than you chose to be as tall or short as you are. It is part of the gift of human nature.

You may or may not have noticed that I never discuss things of a personal or political nature when it comes to my public self. Yes, I have opinions. I follow a certain faith, I believe in certain ways things should be run. But I don't discuss them openly, not publicly, because to me, the most important thing about music is bringing people together. I want someone to hear a song about my personal struggles and realize that they are not alone in theirs - that we are all struggling together - and that while sometimes we feel like we are alone, we indeed are not.

This is how I got through the most difficult challenges of my childhood and young adult life. Relating to those I heard share their story via song - because that was a language I spoke.

Do you remember what it was like to be 13? I do. I already felt different and strange. And yes, alone. And I didn't have anyone cramming my existence down my throat.

I want to alienate no one, because everyone has a struggle, and no one should be made to feel alone.

But what I write about today is not a political issue. It is not one of faith, it is not one of liberal or conservative standpoint. It is an issue about human rights. It is an issue about human interaction. And I cannot simply stay quiet while people are being mistreated and misrepresented.

It is often assumed that people of a strong religious background support the idea that homosexuality is a choice and a sin. I come from a very religious family, and am very dedicated to my faith. But my faith tells me to love one another, not discriminate against.

They say that the internet is written in ink - so let it be shown and never erased - I do NOT support those who preach a message of hate against those who are homosexual. I stand for an equal society.

To those struggling - those being told that they are less important and valid than they truly are - you are NOT alone, and the world needs you.

1-866-4-U-Trevor

(Credit to singer/songwriter Ben Lee for the title, "We Are All In This Together.")

The Lead Guitar is a Crazy Thing....

2010-09-21T16:56:00.005-04:00

That's right, two blogs in one day!!

Today we were at the awesome Turtle Studios in Philadelphia to record the amazing Ross Bellenoit on lead guitar...slide guitar...and all of the fancy schmancy stuff he does (not to mention the tambourine action...)

Ross went to UArts with Nate and me but somehow this was the first time we worked together! He can generally jam out to every style of music on the guitar - listening was half the fun. :)
Thank you for all that you've added to the project!!

Our engineer today was Rob Shaffer, a seasoned musician in his own right! Thanks for your hard work today Rob!

Turtle Studios has a really great new space in South Philly and it was a ton of fun to record there!

www.rossbellenoit.com
www.turtlestudios.com

The Cello I Love the Most...

2010-09-21T14:48:00.007-04:00

Last Tuesday Nate and I went out to Silvertone Studios in Ardmore, PA to work with the ever fabulous Alfred James of the Alfred James Band.

Silvertone is an awesome setup - they just added a new live room which is amazing - we didn't use it but it looked kick-a.

Here's Alfred adding cello tracks to the title track, "Water Rising."

As I told him, he and Nate seem to speak "Mary Scholz" - bringing to life all of these ideas I had that I couldn't seem to articulate. It's amazing to hear what others can bring to the table.

I am so grateful to have all of these talented musicians in my life!

www.silvertonestudios.com
www.alfredjamesband.com

To those who saved the day...

2010-09-14T11:31:00.002-04:00

An additional thank you to two gentlemen who saved the day this weekend...

First, Tim Lappin, for sending files from Brooklyn after technical difficulties in Syracuse...

Second to Andrew Greacen for the use of his beautiful guitar after issues with mine!

Thank you both so so so much!!

Studio Day 2 and 3

2010-09-12T22:14:00.011-04:00

Day 2 and 3 consisted largely of rhythm guitar and vocals (me) with some added percussion and piano. Thanks to all of your prayers, crossed fingers and a large consistent amount of tea with lemon my cold behaved and I was able to sing with relative ease.

Saturday:

Control Room Setup

Me getting set to record guitar parts

Me filming some video

Nathan and Shaun enjoying some fine seltzer water

Nathan's seltzer water ad

The fabulous Shaun Sutkus - our fearless engineer. He has been putting in ridiculous hours on the project - thank you Shaun!

Tracking

Sunday:

Some alternate percussion....?

Getting silly

It's 10:44pm and we're still working - these have been LONG days. Thank you so much to Nathan Terry and Shaun Sutkus for sticking it out, and to More Sound Studio for having us!

Tomorrow Nate and I hit the road to work in another studio with the strings on Tuesday.....

www.moresound315.com

Studio time - New EP!

2010-09-10T12:08:00.004-04:00

My 27th was my last post? Shame on me!

Well, this summer has been busy and great. I had a few gigs here and there, both in NYC, Harrisburg, Philly and Jersey. Most of my time (musically) has been spent traveling between Philly and Brookly for pre-production for the new EP.

That brings us to today - our first day of actual production! We are in Syracuse, NY for three days of recording sessions, then we head back to Philadelphia for two more days in two more studios. This sounds like my life in general - always moving, always in a different place!

Today is drum and percussion day, so I have a lot of time to sit and listen...and write this blog :)

Who is "we," you ask? I am here with my friend/producer/drummer Nathan Terry, our sound engineer Shaun and his assistant (and engineer in his own right) Andrew.

Here are some photos of the studio!

Upright Grand Piano - it sounds awesome - and was made in Philadelphia!

What's behind this wall of sound, you wonder....?

Shaun at the board, Nathan watching and Andrew looking on in the background.
This is where I am - relaxing cross-legged on the couch with my computer and my cup of tea. If I had thought about it I would have taken a photo of my view of the soundboard from the couch. Well, I did, but it didn't make the cut. :)

Stay tuned for more photos and perhaps a video or two as well...
(and say some prayers that this sniffle issue I woke up with yesterday corrects itself before tomorrow's day of singing!!)

Trip Video!

2010-05-27T21:25:00.002-04:00

As promised, here are a few videos from my trip!

The first is an overview of my time in California - a "music video" I put together, set to the song "Party In The USA," performed by Miley Cyrus.

Next up is a video blog from my time in Arizona!

The following video is a live performance of Natasha Bedingfield performing her hit song "Unwritten" at the ASCAP "I Create Music Expo" showcase!

And THIS performance took place the same night - Phil Vassar sings his song "Just Another Day in Paradise."

Lastly, this video has nothing to do with my trip, but is me singing "God Bless America" at the Camden Riversharks game in Camden, NJ on May 25th.

Enjoy!!

Kate Flannery and Malibu - last of CA

2010-05-24T22:33:00.007-04:00

Okay so it's been a few weeks and I've failed to post photos from my last few days in California...so here we go!

On May 1st I had the opportunity to go see "The Lampshades" perform in Hollywood with a fellow UArts grad and actor, Johnnie Hobbs III. "The Lampshades" is a musical comedy duo who take on a ridiculous lounge act featuring Kate Flannery as Kassie Chew and Scot Robinson as Hori Pismo.

Both are hysterical - it was a great show! You might recognize the name Kate Flannery or her face in the picture below as she also appears weekly as Meridith on the show "The Office." (NBC) Kate is also a graduate of both my high school and college - Archbishop Carroll and The University of the Arts. It was a pleasure to meet her and get to chat for a bit after the show!

My last day in California was spent as one should spend their last day in California...on the beach. We finally had a really warm sunny day (a lot of chillier ones) so we headed to Malibu to soak up the sun!

(I love the tall tall palm trees)

It was an awesome trip! Check back tomorrow for some video!!

Lillith Voting Process

2010-05-12T14:00:00.000-04:00

Hello Friends...

So I've been asked for a more detailed description on how to vote to see me open for Lillith Fair - and I am happy to oblige.

1) Go to www.ourstage.com - you can either create an OurStage account or login with your facebook account.

2) Once you've logged in, go to the search bar and search "Mary Scholz" - on the right side there is a button to "make your favorite artist" - this will ensure that I come up at least once a day in your voting.

3) Once you've created an account or logged in, find the tab across the top of the page that reads "Judge." If you drag your mouse across it, options should pop up - click on "Lillith Channels."

4) Select "Philadelphia"

5) Once you're on the Philadelphia page, you'll be given four musicians - you are required to listen to at least 15 seconds of their song before judging (if these musicians come up in judging again you will NOT have to re-listen)

6) Once you've listened to 15 second of each performer, you drag and drop their picture on the right side where it says "Drop Zone" - rank the 4 from best to worst.

You can check the standings by clicking the tab that says "Standings." I spent two days at number one and have since dropped off the top 100 chart completely - I haven't come up more than 4 times in my own voting tries and the same with Nick - although we keep seeing the same artists over and over again.

This is, needless to say, very frustrating for me and I hope to be able to come back and make it back to the top by the time voting ends (in 11 days!!)

Thank you as always for your support, time and dedication. :)

The Nashville Flood: How You Can Help

2010-05-07T11:56:00.004-04:00

With all of this talk about the oil spill in the Gulf and the bomb scare in Times Square, the flood in Nashville has been swept under the carpet a bit...

Now if only we could sweep the water away as fast as it came! I received an email from a musician friend of mine who's whole house was lost in the flood waters - she is one of many people/families struggling to get back into their homes after such a devastating blow.

Coincidentally my travels were supposed to have me playing in Nashville just before the flooding, but scheduling conflicts brought me to Los Angeles instead - do you believe in the phrase "everything happens for a reason?" I do. I am so grateful to have not been around to need to be evacuated, lose my car, guitar, etc. I do not know the reason that can be given for the flood itself, but I do know that people need help and we are going to need to step in. The following is a list of organizations you can contact to volunteer your time, money or supplies.

And also,

Dear God - can we have a break from these natural disasters? There are too many to handle right now, and not enough time to fundraise enough money to help everyone affected.

Love,
Mary

The Nashville Flood: How You Can Help

Posted using ShareThis

"Thanks to all the wonderful fans who have inquired about ways to help victims of the Nashville flood. We’ve compiled a list of several organizations that can use everything from donations to household items to man power. We appreciate everyone coming together to help those in need!

Text ’REDCROSS’ to 90999 to donate $10 to disaster relief — or visit redcross.org to donate.

Check out the Nashvillest blog, with a section called “So Nashville Is Flooded…How Can I Help?”

Hands on Nashville has a number of volunteer efforts going on in Nashville and Williamson County. Please visit their website for more information.

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee is working directly with Mayor Dean and Governor Bredesen on city and state emergency response efforts.

If you’re in or near Nashville, The American Red Cross is operating a number of shelters around the area and will be in need of volunteers this weekend to help distribute items. More information here.

Soles4Souls: Soles4Souls has generously donated 20,000 pair of shoes and boots to families and workers in need. They’re going to need help distributing these shoes, so call Isabelle at 615-392-5723 to volunteer in the coming days if you’re in the Nashville area. And as always, they could use your monetary donations if you feel so inclined. Donate here.

Please visit the Nashville Humane Association for information on pet food donations, assistance, etc"

Last May - my stop at the Grand Ole Opry

This May

Beverly Hills, Ventura...BEACH!

2010-04-30T01:23:00.009-04:00

On Wednesday I took a tip into Beverly hills with my friend Paris to sample the famous "Sprinkles" cupcakes....yum!

(Yes that's one Jerry Springer doing interviews for his show...I did not volunteer for that one!)

On Thursday I picked up a rental car and headed north to Ventura for a lunch meeting - and found the beach on my way back :)

Check out the wind - crazy!!

Not only did I find the beach, I found the beach with a HUGE SWING SET....swinging on a swing on the beach? It was nothing short of amazing - I giggled out loud at the freeing feeling it gave me. A kickback to my childhood, and a reminder of how it feels to fly...(yes, I'm working on a song now with that theme...haha)

I then got to visit with some family and have dinner in Malibu - got to hang out with two awesome girls and talk about kindergarten and pre-school and tying shoes...it's amazing the enthusiasm in the smallest thing. Another reminder of what it feels like to fly.

The Talking Stick, Venice Beach, CA

2010-04-28T22:56:00.004-04:00

Tuesday night was my very fist gig in the great state of California!

I started my day in line to see the taping of the Jay Leno show - we ended up with front row seats to see guests Jessica Simpson, Jackie Earl Hale and Dierks Bently!

Then we made our way south towards Venice! My show was at a coffee house on Lincoln Blvd in Venice called The Talking Stick - it had a really great stage space and a nice room for listening.

The audience was my favorite kind - an excellent group of people who really were there to listen - I had an awesome time!

Special thanks to Paris, Tommy, Jenny, Bryan, Tyler, Kevin, Georgina, Lindsay, Bri and Matt for coming out and for all of my new listeners!

ASCAP "I Create Music" Expo

2010-04-26T02:05:00.025-04:00

Wow. That is the first thing that I want to say about the past three days. Wow.

I flew in to Los Angeles on Wednesday afternoon and enjoyed my first Japanese BBQ experience with a few friends - the food was great and the company was even better.

On Thursday morning I was up and out early to head to the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel which is right smack in the middle of all of the hubbub of Hollywood. I picked up a bagel and a hot tea and headed to registration.

The mezzanine level of the hotel was lined with tables full of instruments, recording gear, etc. People were milling around but it didn't seem to be as busy as I expected (but I was there right at the beginning) which was nice because I had the chance to mill around and figure out where everything was happening before being inundated with people.

Which, of course, is what happened next!

The hotel was quickly filled with music creators and industry professionals, all mingling and getting ready to head to the Grand Ballroom for the annual ASCAP member meeting. I suppose I should tell you what ASCAP is....

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers - basically it is a performing rights organization that keeps track of the ways that it's member's songs/music are used and makes sure that the creators of the works get paid!

The introductory speech was given by Paul Williams, President and Chairman of ASCAP (not to mention Grammy, Oscar and Emmy award winning songwriter.)
Mr. Williams is best known for penning the songs "Rainbow Connection," "Rainy Days and Mondays" and "Theme to the Love Boat," among others.

After the meeting we were off to a whirlwind of panel discussions, product demonstrations and general networking.
That afternoon was the "We Create Music" panel with the following speakers:
Paul Williams
Jason Mraz (Songwriter, Performer - "I'm Yours," "Make it Mine," "The Remedy"
Tricky Stewart (Songwriter, Producer - "Singe Ladies (Put a Ring On It)," "Umbrella"
Brian Tyler (Composer - "Eagle Eye," "Rambo," "Fast and Furious")
Phil Vassar (Songwriter, Performer - "Bye Bye," "Just Another Day in Paradise," "Six Pack Summer," "That's When I Love You"

After the session I had the opportunity to meet and talk with Phil Vassar (I love his work!) - he was gracious and great to talk to!

Next up was the interview of the night with the especially candid John Mayer!

Immediately following was the opening night reception followed by a songwriter's circle at the Highlands.
The performer lineup included:
Don Was (Songwriter, Producer - "Walk the Dinosaur"
Stephen Bishop (Songwriter, Performer - "On and On," "Separate Lives," "Save it for a Rainy Day," Film "Animal House
Natasha Beddingfield (Songwriter, Performer - "Unwritten," "Pocket Full of Sunshine")
John Forte (Songwriter, Producer, Performer - "Cowboys," "Family Business," Ply Sci, The Score
Lenny Kaye (Songwriter, Producer, Performer - "Redondo Beach," "Free Money," "Southern Cross"
Phil Vassar (Songwriter, Performer - "Bye Bye," "Just Another Day in Paradise," "Six Pack Summer," "That's When I Love You"

What I found consistently interesting over the three days was listening to songwriters talk about or perform the songs that they themselves did not make famous and just how different some of them started out vs what they ended up.

FRIDAY:

Friday was another early morning, starting off with panel discussions about music licensing, digital distribution, coutry and pop song critiques, etc. I wish I was able to split myself into four to be able to attend all that was offered!
On of the sessions I did attend was a master class held by Linda Perry. She has written a number of extremely successful and popular songs like "Beautiful" (recorded by Christina Aguilera), "Get This Party Started" (Pink) as well as songs sung by Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani and more. I found it extremely inspiring to hear her take on writing - the idea that it doesn't matter what they are looking for on the radio, write what YOU write, write what YOU feel. The music business is changing and they are looking for something authentic and real.

Here is a picture from a panel discussion with Jason Silberman, Ethan Allen, David Basset and Jessi Alexander (with mic - best know for her song "The Climb," recorded by Miley Cyrus)

After a while there was SO much information and so much going on I just needed to get out and go for a walk. As I mentioned before I was smack in the middle of everything so I walked down to the Kodak Theatre, past the Walk of Stars and to the Chinese Graumans Theatre.

"My <3 Belongs to Mary"

My hands are the same size as the amazing Meryl Streep!

After my escape to the outdoors I returned for the interview of the night - Quincy Jones interviewed by Ludacris!
They were very strict about no pictures at this event, unfortunately, so I don't have any to show.
It was amazing to hear about Quincy Jones' career and all of the amazing things he's worked on and performer's he's worked with. To list them all right here would be impossible, but to give you an idea...Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Michael Jackson, Paul Simon, Aretha Franklin, Oprah...
"There's only 12 notes - you can't write any new ones."
"Not one drop of my self worth depends on your acceptance of me."
- Quincy Jones
"There are two things you can be in life - either scared or prepared!" - Ludacris

That night's show at the Highlands featured Chantal Keviazuk, Allison Iraheta, Raul Midon and Gordie Sampson.

SATURDAY:

Saturday started with a talk about copyright laws and how songwriters are having a difficult time gaining the right to protect their work due to the overwhelming growth of companies and people who demand to use and acquire music for free. There really are a lot of issues that need to be addressed and dealt with when it comes to song stealing.
ASCAP is currently in court with 9 major companies about misuse of songs with copyrights by ASCAP members. Go ASCAP!

Have you ever seen a flight friendly guitar?! I hadn't until this weekend! This is the Voyage Air Travel Guitar - made specifically for the ease of putting your guitar in the overhead compartment on an airplane - awesome!

Saturday's interview was between Bill Withers and Justin Timberlake!
I found Bill Wither's comments to be the most inspiring of the conference - he spoke about how his song "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone" was addressed by labels and publishers to be all wrong - the wrong song structure, the wrong feel....and how "Lean On Me" was turned down by almost everyone before someone finally decided it was a great song.
"If you love music, don't let the complications of this and that and the music business make you fall out of love with music."
"Sometimes people don't get it. You'll play something for a friend or a relative and they just won't get it. I'd hate to hold someone responsible for something they just don't get."
"If you like polkas, just because it's not on MTV that doesn't mean it's not valid. Write polkas."

After Bill Withers and Justin Timberlake, it was time for the last session of the conference. And it was awesome.
Steve Diamond (Songwriter, Producer, Performer - "I Can Love You Like That," "I've Got a Rock n Roll Heart," "Consider Me Gone," "According To You"
Larry John McNally (Songwriter, Performer - "Nobody's Girl," "The Mowtown Song"
Robert Ellis Orrall (Songwriter, Producer, Performer - "What's it to You," "Dancing in Circles"
Billy Steinberg (Songwriter, Performer - "Like a Virgin," "True Colors," "Eternal Flame," "I'll Stand By You"

There was something just so interesting about hearing the songs performed as they were originally written - by the songwriters themselves in the original genre. For instance "I Can Love You Like That," made famous by the R&B group "All 4 One" was written for acoustic guitar - in a genre very similar to my own.
After everything was said and done, it was time for a nice Italian dinner and dancing with a few songwriter friends I made!

This is with John and Jesse from "Get Behind the Mic," Houston, TX.
We went back to the Highlands to go dancing and had the plesent surprise of seeing the DJ from "Black Eyed Peas" spin as well as Apl.De.Ap c who came out and performed!

Of course we ended the night with a few pics in front of the Chinese Grauman's Theatre - what an amazing weekend!

Tombstone, Bisbee, Plane Ride! Oh My!

2010-04-22T02:17:00.002-04:00

I'm sorry, what day of the week is it now and where am I? Oh right, Wednesday night, Los Angeles. Whew!

Tuesday we were off to visit the historic mining town of Tombstone - you know, the one where all of the westerns are filmed? (Yeah, that one called "Tombstone," also)

The reason I'm questioning is because in reality it is FRIDAY night and I'm trying to pick up where I left off!

After a few hours and a cheeseburger in Tombstone we headed to the small mountain town of Bisbee to take in the sights and culture there. All of the hotel/motels seemed to be all booked, which was crazy because it was a pretty sleepy night!

Truthfully my favorite part of Bisbee was the car ride there and the amazing sunset we had the privilege of seeing, and I of shooting.

In case you haven't already noticed, one of my favorite type of photo to take is what I call "the Sun Shot." Any type of scenery involving capturing the actual orb of the sun makes me so happy!

I'm also enjoying playing around with the color settings on my camera!

The next morning we woke up across the street from the Peace Wall and started our 4 hour journey back up to the Phoenix airport. When we got there we found out that my flight had been cancelled but thankfully I was able to hop on another similarly timed flight.

The drive was beautiful but it was nice to get on the plane and ensure my trip to Los Angeles!
(Once again, playing with the color settings)

I made it into LAX safe and sound and had an awesome night with old college friends!

Then started the expo...I'll expand probably on Sunday...

Thanks for reading!

A Walk through Sherwood Forest

2010-04-19T22:09:00.014-04:00

Heather and I had big plans for the day - but when we woke up, relaxing just seemed like a much better idea.

My show for tonight fell through (boo!) but that just opened up a little more time to spend together and not have to run around like crazy.

As the morning was rather overcast (a rarity for here, but nothing new to me!) we hung back at the ranch. I pulled a chair up to the edge of the mountain with my guitar and just played for a while. The view is absolutely incredible here - it's just a huge expanse of sky and mountains. If you look in one direction off of the mountain, there is no trace of any other human being as far as your eye can see. It's absolutely beautiful.

After our relaxing morning, the sun came out and we decided to take a hike through the property which Heather fondly refers to as Sherwood Forest.

Nook, Angel and Moon came along and had a great time as well.

These are the beautiful poppies that grow wild on the side of the mountain:

I love this setting on my camera

This is one happy dog!

This is the forest-y part

Solar panels number 2!

After our walk and a nice amount of water (I've learned that a steady intake of water is very important here!) we hopped in the truck and headed over to the Deer Creek Fire Agate mine where Heather and her mining partner Dave do part of their work. The drive was, of course, beautiful.

I learned how to find pieces of Fire Agate that Heather then would take and craft into shapes for jewelry.
This first picture is a rough Fire Agate that I found today, and the second is a finished piece - it's amazing what natural beauty is hiding underneath! It really makes me think of dragon skin....

[For more information about Fire Agate, you can visit Heather's company's ebay account - Earths Partners Gems and Jewelry! (She just created a facebook page too, but it's a work in project...)

Thanks for checking in!!

Arizona Adventure

2010-04-18T21:52:00.020-04:00

What a couple of days it has been!

I woke up on Saturday in Philadelphia and by 9pm had been in Saint Louis, Phoenix, Scottsdale and Gold Canyon Arizona.

I was very anxious about getting my guitar on the plane - on a previous flight I wasn't able to keep it in the cabin with me and it was put below...and broken. Yikes.

So I got the guitar on the first plane and while they didn't have a hanging closet for suits, it DID fit in the above head compartment! Wooohoo! Same thing went for the flight from St. Louis to Phoenix. Thank goodness!

My cousin Heather picked me up at the airport and we hit the road for a little bit before stopping in to a Best Western in Gold Canyon - it was surprisingly quaint! There was a bar attached to the motel where they were having karaoke - we stopped in for a few tunes :)

Today I woke up to Heather yelling "Hey Mary! Come look at what's outside our window! It's a sign!!"

Apparently the bus was passing through on it's way back from a huge country music festival. This is my current tour vehicle in front, with my future tour vehicle in back. :)

After breakfast we hit the road and spent the day driving past the amazing landscape that covers Arizona. I truthfully have never seen anything like it!

The further we drove into the mountain the more amazing the rock was that made them all up. The mountains here look nothing like the ones out east!

(Self portrait in the huge truck mirrors on one of our many pit stops)

They sky is so blue and the land almost seems like a wide expanse of beach with mountains instead of ocean. Which I suppose is why they call it the desert!

We made our way to Heather's ranch, which is in a "subdivision" of ranches...the use of this term cracked me up since our subdivisions are developments and neighborhoods - they own 127 acres of land in their "subdivision."

We made our way throught hills and mountains to find our way to her home...and it really struck me, as it does anytime I visit an area with vast differences to my own home, just how many different ways of life there are out there. I am grateful to be given the opportunity to experience new things along my travels.

Finally made it to Solar Mountain! Home of a solar powered sculpture studio!

This is what greeted me at the door :)

That's Heather's dogs - Nook, Moon and Angel.

Oh, and here's the amazing view!

Their AWESOME solar system

It's safe to say, at this point, that I am EXHAUSTED...and so is Angel. :)

Words of Wisdom

2010-04-15T11:28:00.001-04:00

WORDS OF WISDOM - from MARTHA GRAHAM to AGNES DEMILLE:
"There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action,

and because there is only one of you in all time, the expression is unique.

And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and be lost.

The world will not have it.

It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how valuable it is,

nor how it compares with other expressions.

It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.

You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work.

You have to keep open and aware directly to the urges that motivate you.

Keep the channel open ... There is no satisfaction whatever at any time.

There is only a queer, divine dissatisfaction,

a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others."

GLEE Details!

2010-04-14T23:00:00.002-04:00

Go to the link:

http://www.myspace.com/gleeauditions?link=30597681

Either login to your myspace account or click on the facebook logo to use that login instead

Click on "GIVE A GOLD STAR"

x out of the "Thank you" page and VOTE AGAIN!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR VOTES!!

GLEE Link...

2010-04-14T12:33:00.003-04:00

So here's my newest endeavor...

Fox's hit tv series "Glee" is currently having open online auditions...and of course I've entered - Glee rocks!

So here's the link to vote:

http://www.myspace.com/gleeauditions?link=30597681

I'm going to write in a little bit about details on voting...just wanted to put it up here as soon as possible!

A thought on Love...

2010-04-06T10:46:00.003-04:00

I know I've mostly been posting about music...as it is my music blog...but I thought I would start posting about other things!

This is something I was going to post about around Valentine's Day but since I did not, I figure now is as good as any time.

****

If any theme is completely universal it is the desire of the human heart to be wanted, accepted and LOVED. The search for love has been documented, written into books and song, portrayed on television and the big screen - over and over for centuries. (Well, minus the part about the tv or big screen....)

It is the one thing that links us together and makes us all utterly alike. No matter what our background, skin color, belief system, language, we all feel the desire for love.

Similarly, we are all susceptible to the familiar feeling of heartbreak. It comes in different levels for different reasons at different stages of life, but it exists, even for those who have never found themselves in the confusingly wonderful throws of being in love.

I have seen and heard a lot about people with broken hearts recently - people of all ages who feel lost and unsure of where they are heading in life. I have been there. I understand the empty painful feeling that almost makes you aware that you are alive, while at the same time making you feel numb to all else.

What I have to say to those nursing a broken heart is this - you have been given an amazing opportunity. It may not seem that way right now, because the likelihood is that you were with someone (or not with someone, as unrequited love is just as painful) that made you feel like you had found your future. And now that future is gone.

But consider this: if you felt this way about someone who did not feel the same...imagine what is out there waiting for you in the form of a person who WILL feel the same way. That overused saying about timing being everything is overused for a reason - it's true. The reason that we are "not on the same page" as others throughout our lives is because those pages are setting us up to head in another direction.

There was a time in my life when I thought I would never feel the same way about a man the way I felt about a boy I once knew. We loved each other very much, but never seemed to be on the same level of love at the same time after a while. We broke up, I wanted him back, but he wasn't ready. He wanted me back but I had moved on. It seems like a frustrating game of missed shots and opportunities, but I know now that we were being set up for the individual paths we were meant to follow - and we were not meant to travel them together.

I write this because I am now on the other side of the table. For years I felt a huge void - a feeling that I would never again be able to love in that open and free way. Any maybe the freedom of love gets constricted after years of second guessing yourself. But then it happens. Just when you're not expecting it. You meet someone that not only makes you feel like you found your future - but makes you realize that you've stepped into it.

Imagine the feeling you have towards another person being completely reciprocated. And imagine that love you feel now being even stronger - stronger then you thought possible. Imagine being on the same page as the person that you love.

Do not take a rejection as a rejection to your personal, beautiful self. If someone has chosen not to be with you, it is because they are just as much not your someone as you are not theirs. This seems like an impossible thing to do - not to look at yourself for your flaws, wondering what made them turn away. But it's truly not you. And it's not them. It's life's path. One person in a pair recognizing that they are not where they are meant to be is a gift to both. You may not see it now, but you will.

I have been in these shoes as well. While in college I dated a truly wonderful guy - a great friend and confidant - but at some point I realize that the deep rooted love I was looking for wasn't there. Ending that was as painful as the end to my first serious relationship, but in a different way. This time I knew that it was the right thing to do, I knew that we were selling ourselves short and all the while I knew how much pain I was going to be causing him.

But years later we have both found ourselves on the paths we were meant to follow - and staying in that relationship would have meant sacrificing our true happiness.

I do believe that there are many people out there that you could be with, and have different levels of happiness. But you have to be daring, you have to watch, listen and feel to know when it's time to move on and find something more.

Not long after the end of my second serious relationship I met Nick. I was not looking and he walked right into my life. We count the day we met as the day we started dating because of how easily the pieces fell into place from the very first conversation. He continues to amaze me every day and has made me realize that every tear shed for every feeling of being unwanted was just leading me to him. He loves an understands me in a way that I never thought possible, and while I know that we will have our struggles, we continue to work together, not separately, to build our lives, and that means everything.

I found out that the first boy I mentioned got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend the very same day that Nick proposed to me. A very strange twist of fate, but an appropriate one as we helped shape each others lives and point each other in the direction of our individual one and onlys.

The second is with a wonderful woman who sees life the same way he does.

If things haven't worked out with someone that you love dearly - you have so much to look forward to. Because while that pain is all encompassing now, it just means that you are being put on the road to a love that fulfills you in ways you can't even imagine.

So take the time you need to be sad, to be hurt, and then step forward. Life is waiting.

Random things...

2010-03-31T11:58:00.001-04:00

First of all - Cape May was an awesome weekend. The Conference was big enough to be full of great resources, and small enough to feel like you could actually talk to people - awesome.

There were a ton of great performers and even though it was a rainy windy cold weekend in a beach town, it still rocked my socks off.

On a more random note, I went online to my music video on youtube and discovered in the "related videos" bar is Britney Spears' "If U Seek Amy"

...

Yeah, we're related.

:-P

It's Up! The Official Music Video!

2010-03-02T11:23:00.003-05:00

Well, ladies and gentlemen....it's time! After a fall filming schedule and a winter break for the wedding and the holidays, the editing is finally finished and I am very proud to present to you my first ever music video!

Watch it (in HD!) and pass it along if you enjoy! If you've got a blog, facebook, webpage, etc and would be willing to post it to your page, that would help boost the view numbers and I would be so grateful!!

Don't forget to rate and comment if desired!!

La voce....

2010-02-25T14:40:00.001-05:00

So as I'm going through and updating my facebook, myspace, website, reverbnation page....zzzzzzz.....

I realized that when I talk about my interests, I mention music, writing and playing it, and the guitar and piano...

But what I never seem to say is the reason behind any of my music at all....SINGING.

Ever since I was 4 years old all I have wanted to do is sing. I of course had other interests and other aspirations, but my main focus was to be able to spend my life SINGING.

I remember when I was in the third grade and a girl asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up - I of course responded with
"A singer"
and she replied
"Me too!"
and all I could think was
"Yeah, but I mean for real, not in my fantasy world."

Now maybe that sounds mean, but in my head at the time I was aware of the difference between what you wish you could do and what you planned to do. And I have always planned to stand on the stage and sing music that I love. And I've always known that no one would just give you that opportunity - you had to create it for yourself. So here I am, plowing away, making myself a path, and there you are, supporting me and helping me along the way!

I know I say this all the time, but I really, truly appreciate everything everyone is doing to help me on my path. Without you, all it would be is a fantasy world I wished I was a part of.

______

Due to my appreciation, tomorrow night's Music Video Premiere show will be held free of charge, with free soda, wine and beer.

Blizzard in Philadelphia!

2010-02-11T18:45:00.011-05:00

Friday:

Saturday:

Tuesday:

WEDNESDAY:

2010-02-08T13:33:00.001-05:00

It's going to be awesome - you'll not want to miss this :)

New Shows, Discounts and FREE DOWNLOAD!!

2010-01-22T10:07:00.002-05:00

It's official, I'm back in action!

Tonight marks my first show of 2010 and it's going to be a great one! I'll be in Barrington, New Jersey for a show at the Barrington Coffee House along with Billy Flood, starting at 8pm.

Also on the books for this week last night's editing session for the "I Miss You" music video. Things got put on hold there for a while due to my wedding, the holidays, etc, but I was tweeting all about what we were up to...so if you twitter, follow me!!
www.twitter.com/maryscholz

Next Week
Next week I'll be playing at the General Lafayette Inn and Brewery in Lafayette Hill, PA - they brew their own beer and it's goooood. So come by for a beer and a 9:30 Mary Scholz show! Cover is $3 - can't beat that!

Live Footage
I've finally uploaded some video from my show Dowstairs at World Cafe Live (9/24/09) - you can view it on my youtube page, along with a ton of other videos!
www.youtube.com/maryscholzmusic

Free Download!
As a thank you to all of my wonderful listeners I've uploaded a live performance of "Reason to Believe" from my interview on 93.7 WSTW's Hometown Heroes back in October of 2008. It's available on my Reverbnation page, so click on www.reverbnation.com/maryscholz find "Reason to Believe" and then click "Download!"
Put it on your iPod, share it with your friends....enjoy!

Become a Fan on Facebook!

tinyurl.com/yzu4w8y

MERCHANDISE DISCOUNT
That's right, you heard it...or read it...whatever....
All Mary Scholz merchandise is on sale now on my webstie, as well as on myspace, and it's all discounted!

Alright everyone, that's it for now...have a wonderful weekend! See you soon!

- Mary

Here's to 2009...!

2009-12-29T19:50:00.018-05:00

Well here we are, one year later, one year older, one year wiser and one year more familiar and most likely more confused with life.

But confusion can be a beautiful thing. After all, how boring would it be to always know where the road is leading you?

2009 started off with a bang in my book, in the most literal way. As I watched the opening of a fresh year with the company of wonderful friends and awesome fireworks (not to mention below freezing temperatures) I found myself staring down at a very sparkly object in a little black box in the hands of my very amazing Nick. (I say my amazing Nick because I never felt like the word "boyfriend" cut it, and now it doesn't have to!)

The next few months were spent planning both our wedding and my spring tour - and what a tour it was (not to mention what a wedding)!

Between touring this spring and playing in my hometown area I had the opportunity to share the bill with some amazing performers including JoAnna Lynne, Wayne Hall, Hannah Bethel, Jacob Mathew, Chris Morse, Shawn Ruyman and many many more.

(Photo courtesy of Chorus Media Group)

(Photo courtesy of Chorus Media Group)

(Photo courtesy of Chorus Media Group)

I toured from New York to Orlando, and back north through Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky (for those pictures just click on "May" in the right column of my blog), played at Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey, saw Billy Joel and Elton John rock one stage simultaneously, played at the awesome Katmandu showcases, appeared on the Tim Qualls show as well as multiple radio shows, kick started my online concert series, filmed my first music video, married off a number of my friends, got married off myself and took a nice long relaxing and exhausting tour of Italy...WHAT a year it's been!

The year was not without it's losses and difficulties, but I am so grateful for all of the amazing opportunities I was blessed with!

So what will I be doing to kick off THIS new year? I'll be dancing the night away with my handsome husband while celebrating the wedding of great friends of ours...and it all comes full circle.

Happy Holidays everyone - drive safe (or not at all! DD's are the only way to go)

I'm Back!

2009-12-23T10:56:00.001-05:00

Day 4 - Video Shoot!

2009-11-13T13:49:00.006-05:00

Day 4 was our final day of filming for the "I Miss You" music video - and it wasn't daytime at all!

Mike and Jon and I met up at 10pm downtown and got set up to do some shots on Broad Street. Unfortunately, the tower of City Hall wasn't lit up - ???

So we decided to do our driving shots first in hopes that the lights would come on eventually.

It was fun driving around town with this huge camera attached to my car - everyone who drove by us was looking to see if there was anyone famous being filmed... :)

By the time we got back to City Hall...nothing had changed. So we filmed anyway! I was standing on the median on south Broad singing the song while being filmed and while cars drove past yelling out the windows...we gathered that the Eagles had not won the game that night (we missed the end to go set up) because they weren't yells of joy...just kind of angry...good thing we dub in music for this kind of filming!

The shot looked great, regardless of the missing tower on City Hall - all the lights of the Avenue of the Arts...my favorite street in town!

After this we headed into Olde City to get shots of me walking past bars (on my way to and from an "out of town" gig). We started filming just around 2am when the bars let out so we attempted to use this to our advantage - but when people weren't looking directly at the camera smiling or shouting across the street "HEY!! ARE YOU MAKING A MOVIE?!?!" they were failing to notice the girl with the guitar who was trying to smoothly walk past the crowd - it was kind of like a jungle. I don't know which of that footage will be used, but probably not the part where I almost fall into the row of trash bags....

We wrapped up shooting at 3am and headed to South Street for a slice of the amazing Lorenzo's Pizza!

All in all a great night - now on to editing!!

That's right, filming is finished...now because of some scheduling conflicts the chances of getting the editing done before the holidays is minimal - but you'll be the first to know :)

A Mid-Series Anthem

2009-11-03T21:42:00.004-05:00

You want to know what I did today? This is what I did today. After watching the Phillies come back to win game 5 of the World Series, I felt the need to re-write my song, "Philadelphia Nights," as a mid-series anthem for Phillies phans.

Enjoy!! (The lyrics are below) The song is available as a FREE DOWNLOAD at www.reverbnation.com/maryscholz !!

Philadelphia Nights - Phillies Version - a Mid-Series Anthem by Mary Scholz

Keeping track and keeping tabs
Of all the pitches and all the bats
Rolling past the city lights
That light up my city nights
CB Park 12 stories high
Light that bell up in the sky
Noises never beat the sound
The sound of the crowd

On these Philadelphia Nights

And there we were a week ago
Watching the Dodgers fly back home
Once again the NLCS
The Phils are the best!
And 2009 we know will be
A rePeat Victory!
On these Philadelphia Nights
Then all of a sudden you hear the sound
Of Home Run after Home Run and the Yanks goin down!
And looking up in the sky Watch those fireworks fly!
And all together the Phils will fight
To bring home that trophy on Thursday night
And we will wait and stand and cheer
When our Phillies appear

On that Philadelphia Night
It's Philadelphia's Night
So bring on the fight!!!

-Original Philadelphia Nights Lyrics-

Keeping track and keeping tabs
Of all the bridges and all the cabs
Rolling past the city lights
That light up my city nights

Heart to hearts 8 stories high
Just two good friends and all that sky
Noises never reach the sound
Of singing out loud

Philadelphia Nights

And there we were a week ago
Up on the roof and looking down low
Just two guitars and a drumming hand
We had no need for plans
And all the music that we make
Is nothing else but a sweet escape
And looking out over city lights
The moment was right

On that Philadelphia nights

And all of a sudden you hear the sound
Of silent singing
Now my world's upside down
And moving on with the plan
With my heart in my hand
And now wherever we go from here
More and more it's all too clear
No matter how your days will fair
They will never compare

To these Philadelphia Nights
These Philadelphia Nights
Goodnight!

Gooooo Phillies!

2009-10-29T00:00:00.001-04:00

Thank you for an awesome Game 1!!

(This photo is from the game where the Phillies clinched the NLEast title....)

Day 3!

2009-10-20T16:02:00.014-04:00

Monday was day 3 of our video shoot for "I Miss You."

We started out the day at Mugshots Coffee House where we filmed some performance shots as well as some lovely "Mary drinking tea" shots. :) Thanks to everyone at Mugshots and to all of our willing and enthusiastic extras!

(A little inside story on Mugshots - it's actually where I had my first date with my fiancee, Nick...and it's the coffee house I wrote about in the song "Clark Kent"....

"I went for coffee tonight with Clark Kent

He wasn't raised in Smallville, but a small town in Ohio

It wasn't anything romantic like a cafe by the sea

Just a little shop for coffee 'cross from Eastern State Pennitentiary..."

So we were in one of my favorite sections of Philadelphia, Fairmount, but in the video it will appear to be a coffee house far far away... :)

A little later I really got to put my actor hat back on as we filmed the scenes with Tim Weinert, who plays my on-screen boyfriend.

(An inside story on how I know Tim...I met Tim on the set of "The Matter with Clark," the independent film written and directed by Jonathan Rola and filmed by Michael Leary...who are also filming my music video! Tim played Jack and I played Linden - but in that movie my love interest was Jack's best friend, Clark. If you want to check out the trailer or behind-the-scenes clips from that visit www.myspace.com/thematterwithclark)

We ended up filming until midnight - just as the Phillies/Dodgers game came to the bottom of the 9th inning...what an ending! I'm fairly positive that we scared the crap out of some tourists when Jimmy Rollins hit that ground ball to right field - 4 people in a parked car, windows up, radio blaring, CHEERING HYSTERICALLY as the announcer screamed THE PHILLIES HAVE WON THE BALL GAME!!! We jumped out of the car chanting "Let's Go Phillies!!"

Ah, I love this town :)

(I have to note that while I'm not the type to push for a political candidate on my blog, I have no problem voicing my Phillies Pride)

Special thanks to Caitlin and Derick for opening up their home to for filming!

At Mugshots Coffee House (21st and Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia, PA)

On set with Tim

("Relaxing on the couch and laughing all about the day...")

Wrapping up the day's shoot - Jon, Mike, Tim and Mary!
Celebrating the Phillies win...after 14 hours of filming it's no wonder we were punchy...

Day 2!

2009-10-14T11:01:00.008-04:00

Day 2 of the "I Miss You" started out rough - all clouds and no sunshine, so no outdoor filming...

Our night shots for the bar scene, however, went swimmingly!

First of all, thank you to 2nd Street Annie's for having us there to film - we had a great time and the footage is looking great! www.2ndstreetannies.com

Secondly, thank you to all of my awesome extras - Mom and Dad, Nick, Zack, Bonnie, Matt, Alec, Chris and Caitlin - you rock!

We wrapped up shooting for the night (well, mostly) just as we were getting into the 8th inning of the Phillies/Rockies game...what an ending!

Here's the Day 2 Behind-the-scenes video - it's a bit longer than the last one. Enjoy!

My lovely extras requested a performance of Susanna - and so they got it!

(plus Laura and George, missing Alec and Chris)

Here's my unplugged performance of "Susanna" -

Day 1 video

2009-10-07T11:13:00.001-04:00

Got it! Enjoy our day 1 video!

Day 1 - Video Shoot!

2009-10-06T21:13:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was Day 1 of our video shoot for the "I Miss You" music video - and it went great!

First of all, I'm filming with Jonathan Rola and Michael Leary, director and director of photography of "The Matter With Clark," the indie film I did two years ago.

We met up in Newtown, PA to scout out places to shoot. Generally the concept of the video is pretty true to life - me leaving Philadelphia to tour, and missing my man at home!

So we drove around a bit and found this great farm and after poking around a bit found a couple of perfect spots for filming.

Thank you to Carl and Brenda at Slack Road Farm and Milk House Market for letting us film on their beautiful farm! I'm having a hard time getting my videos to cooperate, so here are some photos from the day!

Jonathan and Mike getting the camera ready:

The lovely setup at the Milk House Market and the BEAUTIFUL sky!

The AWESOME road we found - this is pretty much what I originally intended for the cover of "The Beauty of It All..."

Goofing around:

More tomorrow (if I can get my computer to cooperate!)

Music Video!!

2009-10-04T23:37:00.003-04:00

Hey y'all! (Yeah, I typed y'all)

Tomorrow is day one of the video shoot for my first music video and I've picked a fan favorite - "I Miss You!"

I have an awesome flip cam now, so stay tuned for behind-the-scenes footage!!

No New News...

2009-09-17T17:31:00.002-04:00

I haven't written in a while...so I figured I should correct that.

I have nothing new to add really, minus the fact that I still haven't heard anything about the Taylor Guitar's Competition...I'll post when I do.

Also I'm playing at World Cafe Live next week (Thursday) Downstairs at 7pm which will be a lot of fun - first show of my 25th year! (My birthday is Tuesday and I'll be kissing my first quarter century goodbye)

:)

No I want to say more...

2009-08-19T21:59:00.002-04:00

Okay I lied.

I went for a walk tonight along Kelly Drive after watching my brother's ball game in Fairmount Park...it is a BEAUTIFUL night and was just a perfect time to walk around. It was nice to have a night to take a stroll with my Mom and just enjoy our surroundings.
Beautiful weather, family and Philadelphia...it doesn't get much better than that!

I love love love it.

(And that picture was taken a few months ago...but still, you get the point)

:)

I Love Philadelphia!!!

2009-08-19T21:57:00.001-04:00

And that's all I have to say about that...

Thank you! Number 2! Keep Going!

2009-08-10T12:37:00.001-04:00

First of all, thank you so much to everyone who started voting immediately and launched me so high in the rankings. There are 1,792 artists competing and I am currently ranked #2!!

So please keep voting - we have until August 31st (it's a long time, I know) and I'm pretty sure they're counting on people losing interest, etc, so let's keep it going!

http://testdrive.taylorguitars.com/BandProfile.aspx?c=8419&p=325

Thank you so much for your dedication and help!!

- Mary

PS - Shows this week...
Tuesday evening online radio interview at 7:30 est...
www.voltaradio.com

Wednesday evening in Trenton! (Katmandu, 8pm)

Saturday evening in Philly (just added!) - Fergie's Pub, 9pm

I NEED YOUR VOTES!!

2009-08-05T11:20:00.002-04:00

Okay everyone, so here's the story...

I'm up to win Taylor Guitars and Elixir Strings' Artist of the Year for 2009...which comes with a range of prizes and studio time....
AND I NEED YOUR VOTES!!

The voting goes until August 31st and you can vote once a day every day...so if you can put a reminder in your calendar/phone/iPod/iPhone/Blackberry/etc that says "VOTE FOR MARY" every day...you can help me win!!

(By the way, there are 1,792 artists in the competition, and I am currently #12 - help me get to the top 5 to go on to round two!!)

http://TestDrive.TaylorGuitars.com/BandProfile.aspx?c=8419&p=325

Did I mention my eternal gratitude??

Thank you!!

Billy Joel/Elton John!!

2009-07-28T21:11:00.003-04:00

So it has officially been way too long since the last time I posted on here - over a month, in fact - shameful!

I don't have too much to catch you up on minus a few great shows I had in New Jersey (one was the Cool Vibes Acoustic Diner show at Katmandu in Trenton, the other the Barrington Coffee House in Barrington...I'm sure I've played others but I'm drawing a blank...)

The 4th of July was awesome because I just love celebrating that holiday - nothing like time with your family, a bbq, ice cream and fireworks!

THIS week is going to be great for the following three reasons.

1. Billy Joel
2. Elton John
3. Six Flags

The first two are the musicians I'LL be seeing in concert this week, and the third is the location of my own show!
I'm TOTALLY psyched to see these two legends in concert (again! I saw them back in 2000, I believe? Whenever the last "Face to Face" tour was) - it is going to be amazing!

And Friday I'm playing at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ (New Jersey has been seeing a lot of Mary Scholz this summer!)

I have three half an hour sets throughout the day - come out and ride coasters with me afterwords!

I'll leave you with these videos....

(Billy Joel - Scenes From An Italian Restaurant)

(Elton John - Philadelphia Freedom)

(Mary Scholz - Philadelphia Nights)

Spring Tour Video Clips!

2009-06-17T23:53:00.001-04:00

Okay....finally...here it is!

2nd Street Annie's

2009-06-01T16:07:00.010-04:00

Well, Saturday marked the official end of my tour - although I'll still be playing plenty of shows over the summer.

2nd Street Annie's was so much fun to play - thanks largely to those who joined me on stage (Jacob Mathew, Nathan Terry and Ryan Mackin), as well as the awesome audience!

Here are some rehearsal and performance pictures.

After the show was over, I did a couple of songs cabaret-style with the pianist, Scott, who was on after me.

Very fun :)

And here's a video of our super-speedy version of "The Best of Life"
Enjoy!

Home Sweet Home!

2009-05-29T16:21:00.003-04:00

Well, it's official - I'm back in the City of Brotherly Love!
I have had an amazing time on my trip, but I'm so excited to be back!

I love love love this city!

Okay so my official end of tour is tomorrow's show at 2nd Street Annie's....I hope to see all of you Phillies there!!

Thanks so much for keeping up with my travels by reading the blog - I'll continue to post about my travels and happenings in the music world of Mary - so keep checking back!

May 30 (Saturday): 5:30pm
2nd Street Annie's
628 N. Front Street (Front and Fairmount Ave)
Philadelphia, PA 19123
with special guest Jacob Mathew and more (plus full band!)!
21+

Onwards through Pennsylvania...

2009-05-28T17:23:00.006-04:00

I was up early Wednesday morning and back on the road, this time heading for Harrisburg - it was time to visit my extended family!

Pennsylvania really is a beautiful state to drive through - lots of farms and mountains and overall pretty scenery.

Wednesday was particularly foggy, which made this very cool looking.

I spent the day visiting with my sister, grandfather, goddaughter, aunts and uncles, cousins and this super cute new puppy.

To Pittsburgh!

2009-05-25T22:25:00.013-04:00

Yesterday's partially rainy, partially beautiful sunny ride...KY, OH, WV and PA...

The side of this "monster truck" read "Budget Off-Road"

Driving over the bridge from Ohio into West Virginia...and then we quickly crossed into PA.

Nick joined me for this leg of the driving - he flew in to Louisville for the weekend, and then we drove to Pittsburgh, where he just barely caught his flight back to Philly...whew!

I surprised myself by breathing a sigh of relief when we crossed into Pennsylvania - I have been having such a wonderful time visiting different cities in different states, but I love PA and I think I was just happy to know that I made it back in one piece! But I'm not quite home yet!

Tonight's Show:

Your Inner Vagabond; 8pm

4130 Butler Street

Pittsburgh, PA 15201

all ages!

Memorial Day

2009-05-25T00:30:00.002-04:00

Today was my Memorial Day...tomorrow I'll be making my way to Pittsburgh, so I did my relaxing at bbqing today with family in Kentucky.

In leu of a story or pictures, here's a video from my cd release back in October.
(Thanks Hil ;)

Derby City Espresso For Real!

2009-05-23T14:54:00.005-04:00

Yesterday Nick flew in to Louisville to spend the long weekend and got to enjoy the set-back of THIS stop.

After picking him up from the airport we decided to stop at Dairy Queen to get some ice cream.
I'm not quite sure what happened, but I turned off the car, got out, locked and shut the door.....aaaaaand there were my keys, on the other side of the window, sitting comfortably on my seat. I knew it immediately after starting to swing the door shut but it was too late. It happened so fast!

It was the best set-back I'd had, however. We called AAA and went inside to sit in the air conditioning and enjoy some ice cream while we waited. It was the first time I'd ever locked my keys in the car, but I couldn't have picked a better place to do it.

Nick's extended family lives here in Louisville, so we got to visit at dinner and then they came out to the show at Derby City Espresso. It was a neat place with a lot of very cool artwork, and the two local musicians, Jamie Barnes and Brooks Ritter were very welcoming and happy to have me and another out-of-towner, Mike Griffin, at the shop.

Derby City Espresso

2009-05-23T01:10:00.001-04:00

Great show at a great coffee house tonight - blog and photos to follow tomorrow!

Nashville!

2009-05-22T01:27:00.016-04:00

I woke up today, put on my drivin' dress (that's right, I have a specified outfit for long drives...it's a strapless sundress - can't be getting funny tan lines from my extended time behind the wheel!) and was on my way to Nashville.

First of all, it amuses me the way that scenery almost instantly changes as you cross state lines. That's one thing I've found about the south - each state is extremely distinct in it's landscape (similar to a point, but you know what I mean.) One minute you're riding past the red clay dirt in Georgia, and all of a sudden you're going through the rolling hills of Tennessee.

It was a BEAUTIFUL ride.

Today was a day of many firsts for me - the most obvious one being that it was my first time in Tennessee (minus an hour layover in the airport once...I don't count that.)
Another was as soon as I passed this sign that said "Tennessee Welcomes You," there was a sign that said "Now entering Central Time Zone." I've never seen a sign like that before! I've been in plenty of other time zones, but I've never "crossed over" so officially.

The road took me back into Georgia for a little while and into Tennessee again - all the while everything in my eyesight was just beautiful green, expansive hills. Oh and also a good number of firework warehouses.

After some slight confusion I made my way to the Grand Ole Opry!

I had just missed getting into the tour, so I went for a tour of the museum and waited around for the last tour of the day.

It was a good thing though, because since it was the late afternoon, they were having rehearsal for that evening's performance and I got to hear some great music!

We went backstage AND onstage.

We also had a chance running in with The Whites, who were performing tonight, as well as Larry Gatlin, the Opry's host.

After the tour I went downtown to get some food and to catch some live music before I made my way to Kentucky.
I accidently parked on the same street as the Ryman Auditorium, the original host of the Grand Ole Opry, so I got to see that too!

After getting dinner it was time for me to sit back and enjoy some excellent music - there were performances in every bar and you could hear the honky-tonk all the way up the street! (Which, by the way, was lined with all kinds of people, heavy on the cowboy hats.) It was way fun.

Nashville's definitely my kind of town. :)

Smith's Olde Bar

2009-05-21T01:00:00.002-04:00

So Atlanta's mishap event (it happens with every stop!) was with timing at the bar...we had some double booking errors of sorts....but it all worked out! (Thanks to the flexibility of our sound man Sean and the other musicians)

There was a nice big crowd there ready for a lovely Wednesday evening of Mary Scholz - even a few from Philly who were in Atlanta on business!
(Too many to name, but you know who you are - thanks so much for coming out!)

I'll definitely miss Georgia - I really love it here - but I am so excited for my time in Nashville and Louisville this weekend!

World of Coca-Cola

2009-05-19T22:26:00.017-04:00

Day two in Atlanta, and it was off to The Vortex for lunch and the World of Coke.
First of all, let me say that The Vortex, which is apparently featured on many travel channel food specials, is a biker-style bar that has menu items such as the "Double Coronary Bypass." This particular burger has two burger patties, separated by two grilled-cheese sandwiches (which act as buns)...it also includes a couple of fried eggs, 5 slices of American cheese and 5 slices of bacon. I can't even imagine.

I had a burger with mushrooms. And fried zucchini. Mmmm....

We kept driving further into town, parked the car and made our way through the Centennial Olympic Park.

I really enjoyed walking through and seeing the fountains. There is apparently a drought here so they only had the big Olympic-ring-shaped fountain in working order - but they still had the "fountain show" on...meaning that loud, inspiring Olympic-style music played while the water danced...it was very fun.

After that, it was off to the World of Coca-Cola - where we learned all about the history of Coke, watched commercials from all around the world and saw a 4-D film about it.

Ooooh....Coca-Cola harp!

The torch from the Atlanta Games....

My favorite part, however, was the part they saved for last - the tasting room.

It was just full of soda fountains with different Coca-Cola products from around the world - it was amazing!

I'll be back on stage tomorrow...until then!

GA Aquarium!

2009-05-18T19:28:00.015-04:00

Today was my first full day in Georgia, and Maggie and I spent it at the Georgia Aquarium.

(Maggie and I have been best friends since we were born. She now lives in Atlanta, so we don't have nearly enough time together!)

(This is a whale shark...it was GI-NORMOUS)

Check out the very fashionable sting-ray with it's leopard print...

This is me walking through the tunnel that went through the giant tank that was full of sharks, fish, sting rays....

It was awesome!

Spider-Crab....eek!

The whale shark was my favorite fish of the day. I would never want to encounter one face-to-face, but it was an awesome looking creature. Especially next to all of the tiny fish.

They were also in the middle of the run of their visiting Titanic Aquatic exhibit - which, as many of you know, is a huge point of interest for me. I just find everything having to do with this ship fascinating...so of course we bought tickets for the exhibit. No photos allowed, however. :(

You'll just have to go see it yourself ;)
Thanks to Jenny I had recently seen an episode of Ghost Hunters that focused around this exhibit AND the Georgia Aquarium...it was a really neat episode and I was excited to get to see it while I was in town.

This I just thought was hilarious.

Georgia On My Mind...

2009-05-18T11:35:00.009-04:00

(First of all, I have to say that I should have titled my NC blog "Carolina IN my Mind..." that was the song I was going for...a little JT...)

Well, after a lovely brunch with my Florida friends, I was on the road again and headed towards Atlanta.

I managed to get there without any major issues - the only one being the massive downpour that happened somewhere on I-75N...

The clouds were looking rather menacing and then all of a sudden the rain started - no warmup drizzle, just DOWNPOUR.

The highway was instantly flooded with red-clay water and all cars immediately decelerated to about 20mph, windshield wipers working furiously and it was nearly impossible to see.

Thankfully that only lasted about 15-20 minutes, but that was the hardest I've had to concentrate in a while.

The remainder of the ride was a general rainy mix - sometimes rain rain, sometimes drizzle...but then it faded away as I approached the beautiful city of Atlanta! (Had me thinking about Philly for sure... :)

(I just thought my dash looked neat...)

(Oh and by the way, in this trip alone I've put 1,697.4 miles on my car...so far...or as far along as I was when I took this picture...)

Un de Six

2009-05-17T10:58:00.004-04:00

I meant to post this picture yesterday - it's the dress that was designed and made for me by Un de Six designer, founder and owner Bonnie Quick.

Wohoo!!

www.bonniequick.com - check it out - her line is awesome. Thanks Bonnie!

Off to Atlanta today!

Panel Discussion Day

2009-05-16T22:54:00.001-04:00

Today was panel discussion day at FMF...along with plenty more performances...yay for my last day in Orlando! (I mean yay as in...it was a great visit...)

FMF Friday

2009-05-15T13:46:00.002-04:00

Welcome to Downtown Orlando and the 2009 Florida Music Festival!

My set was at Cafe Annie's (which, as I found out, is actually just called "Annie's") at 7:30pm.

I thought load in was at 4 but it turned out to be 5:30 so I made friends with the State Farm people who were walking around handing out free iPod speakers - very cool gals.

At 5:30 I went to Annie's for load in and got to chat with the two fine musicians who played before me: Wayne Hall and Hannah Bethel.

Check out my super-bling...oh yeah, that's right, I said it...

It was great meeting you all!
With festival founder Sean Perry

Signing autographs...

And with my Matt's who came to the show!

After my set was Richard Duke, Kevin Kinney, Steve Foxbury, Paul Doucette, Christina Martin, Kevin So and Clayton Senne.
It was a great night! Conference tomorrow...

The Most Magical Place On Earth....

2009-05-14T23:58:00.009-04:00

Today was my day off from traveling or performing, and I spent it at the Magic Kingdom!

As I had mentioned before, my good friend from college, Matt, is with me (or should I say that I'm here with him - he and our friend Jarrod both live down here and are Disney cast members!) and we spent the day skipping around the park, riding rides and avoiding the rain.

The FIRST thing we did was go see the Dapper Dans perform on Main Street - yay Jarrod! (You may recognize him from last year's FMF video blog - he was awesome and hosted me and drove me around.)

We also tried on a lot of awesome hats.

(Check out the impending storm clouds....)

Tea cups!

Gotta Love the Mouse!

A Paper Clip in the Tire?!

2009-05-14T02:35:00.007-04:00

Well, the days just get more and more interesting, don't they?

Today was the long drive from North Carolina to Orlando, Florida - and we were ready for it!

After a nice breakfast we made our way to I-95 and headed south. (I should clarify that "we" is myself and my friend Matt who met me for part of the road trip.)

Not too far into our trip, the car started bumping and smoke could be seen in the rear-view mirror.....we had blown a flat.

The tire was crazy looking!

So the lovely folks at AAA pushed us up to priority since we were on the shoulder of I-95 and they were out rather quickly to help us with our predicament. They put the donut on the car and checked to make sure there was no major damage done and that were safe to drive a few miles to find a tire store and get a new tire.

So we made our way South of the Border to a town called Dillon, South Carolina...and while the people were very lovely, there wasn't one tire the correct size in the town. So off we were to Florence, SC! (We were that car going 40 on a 70 highway with our hazards on...) This is where we learned that it was a piece of a paper clip that had punctured the tire and caused all of that damage.

One new tire, two Quiznos subs and 3 1/2 hours later we were back in business...and we had a wonderful rest of the ride to Florida!

And now it's time for bed.

(PS there are two awesome videos from this event that I'm having trouble posting...I'll keep trying over the next couple of days...)

Carolina On My Mind

2009-05-13T10:17:00.005-04:00

Sorry for not posting yesterday - it was quite a whirlwind!

I left Maryland and headed through Virginia on my way to the Raleigh/Durham Airport to pick up my friend Matt (a buddy from college) and head towards my show in Carrboro.

It was a beautiful day - blue skies, warm weather - the perfect day for a drive!

Not long after I took this picture, the road narrowed to two lanes, and the sky began to fill with black smoke...the cars all slowed and then halted completely - you could see the huge car fire up ahead.

The next two hours were spent in the sun, watching as fire trucks and police cars sped through to the accident. It was a terrible scene. Everyone waiting with their cars were just concerned about the people involved, and thankful that they weren't one of them. It was nice to not hear one person complain about being late.

Eventually they were able to clear the road and I made it to the airport and to the coffee house with just enough time to eat a bite and play the show.

This is Ginger - she set me up with the show at the Open Eye Cafe in Carrboro - it was a great coffee house with a built in lap-top loving crowd. Thanks Ginger!

Matt and I ended the day with a Wendy's Frosty...it was a delicious way to end a day!

Village Coffee and Tea

2009-05-11T23:59:00.005-04:00

I'm just about to turn in from my first full day on the road - so far this trip is looking great!

The car is all packed and I'm currently in Maryland - the show in Dundalk was a lot of fun.

I had dinner with a few friends who live in the area, then it was time for some singing! Village Coffee and Tea is a great spot because not only is it a nice, comfortable place to play with a good sound system, but they have a great group of regulars who come out to listen to the music and that is a beautiful thing.

So thank you to everyone who came out tonight - I look forward to returning to Dundalk again soon!! (A special thanks to LieAnne for having me at Village Coffee and Tea!)

(Check out the awesome butterfly photo display behind me)

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T18:11:00.002-04:00

I hope all of the mother's out there are having a wonderful Mother's Day!

I've included a video here of a live performance of my song, "Namesake," from one of last summer's shows. I wrote the song about my grandmother (my Mom's Mom...) as well as my mother...enjoy!

Line Leaders...

2009-05-05T18:26:00.002-04:00

I was driving home the other day and was stopped at a red light. I was the third car in the left lane, and there was no one in the right lane. Slowly, the car in front of me inched out to get in the right lane. It was something I had almost done. When the light turned green, the lane changer got back in the left lane, this time in front of the first car...and from there it was a game between the two cars, one passing the other, getting ahead of the line....

This got me thinking about how some things are just remain with us from childhood.

I don't know about you, but when I was in grade school everyone wanted to be a line-leader. For those readers who don't know what that is, it was the student who got to stand at the head of the line as the class walked single file down to the lunch room, the bathroom, out to the playground, the gym, etc.

EVERYONE wanted to be the line leader.

And as I drove down the road, resisting the urge to join the game so that I could watch instead, I realized that we all still want to be line leaders. It's probably not going to get us there any faster, because sooner or later we will come upon another car that is ahead of us...but we still want to lead the way.

How I love warm weather...

2009-04-29T19:54:00.003-04:00

I just love when the weather begins to turn and I wake up to sunshine and singing birds outside my window.

I love it because it makes me feel motivated to go out in the world and live my life.

I love it because it means I can put on a skirt or a sundress and feel the wind against my shoulders and ankles...

(by the way I meant to post this yesterday - I woke up today and it was chilly and rainy...but the warm weather was here all weekend and the beginning of this week - it will return!)

Song quote for today: "And the sign said, 'long haired freaky people need not apply'" - Five Man Electrical Band

Today's weather was more like Cardiff...

Two weeks until tour!

2009-04-27T17:55:00.007-04:00

Okay the countdown has officially begun...

We are exactly two weeks from the real kick-start of my tour. I play in New York this coming weekend, but then have another week in the lovely state of Pennsylvania before I hit the road for real.

Let's go over all of the things I'm excited about for this trip, shall we?

#1. 8 Shows, 8 different cities.

Rockin.

#2. One show in particular....

The Florida Music Festival!

I'm playing Friday night at FMF this year in Orlando, and the bill (as in, same night, same stage) includes Paul Doucette from Matchbox 20.

Rockin.

#3. MD

Back in Dundalk to the very welcoming people at Village Coffee and Tea!

#4. NC

Treading into Tar Heels territory...

I'm looking forward to bringing up childhood vacation memories in NC.

"Carolina, where have you gone? Nights when the moonbeams shine so strong.

And all of my days were filled with song..." - lyrics from my song "Find Myself"

#5. Visits!

I am visiting SO many wonderful people that I haven't seen in much much too long. They are being awesome and letting me crash on their couches/pull out beds/foutons/use their showers and bask in the glow of their awesome company.

#6. Disney!

I may spend some time there at one point or another...with one or two crazy great Disney performers who live much too far away from me.

Rockin.

#7. Georgia

I love Georgia - it's a beautiful state, and I really enjoy being there. Plus, my oldest friend lives there. And she's Rockin. (Not oldest as in she's the oldest person I know. We've just been friends since we were born.)

#8. Nashville

Never been. Well, that's not true. I was in the airport once for an hour and a half once on a layover. That doesn't count.

#9. Kentucky

I have a few wonderful people to visit here too :)

#10. Pittsburgh

Still love my home state.

#11. Family

Visiting some extended family in multiple states - you know who you are ;-)

#12. Philly

I'm ending my 3 week tour in Philly with a show at a currently undisclosed location.

That's because I'm not sure what it'll be yet.

But it's going to feature some awesome performers...like my band (yeah!), Alfred James, Jacob Mathew (of Lighthouse).

ROCKIN.

Check back daily starting on May 11th for updates!

(Love Park photo by Charles Kevin Mauer)

April Fool's Day

2009-04-01T13:51:00.004-04:00

Happy April, ladies and gentlemen! Usually April 1st is a day of pranks and tomfoolery but I have to be perfectly honest - I've never been a huge fan of the whole idea. True, it can be a fun to pull a small little prank or joke on a friend or family member, but most of the time I find a lot of "jokes" to be kind of mean...and so I'll refrain from potential hilarity.

That's not to say that I've never participated.

By far the best April Fools Day prank I ever played on anyone was my freshman year of college - it was a retort to a good friend of mine who had REALLY gotten me earlier that day. In response to his prank, I staged an argument between myself and my roommate, getting our other roomie and the RA involved. We had pre-packed boxes and duffle bags full of trash, staged a shouting match, then had my RA show up in our neighbor's room (the previous guilty party) and tell the boys that I would be moving to a different dorm - ASAP. We enlisted their help carrying my "boxes of belongings" to a different dorm. I stayed silent and seemingly furious, while the third roommate (uninvolved in the shouting match) sobbed hysterically. Added genius on her part.

Four city blocks and 6 flights of stairs later we arrived at a dorm room door that had a sign on it that read "April Fools!" He dropped the box and said "I deserved that" and walked away.

We've never April Fooled each other since.

(To be honest, I haven't April Fooled ANYONE since...it's not my thing...but if you get me, you best be careful...I will return the favor :)

(This freshman year prank session was between myself and my good friend Ryan who you might recognize from pictures of my cd release show - the fabulous bassist dressed in black in this photo. He and Nathan - producer and drummer dressed in white - and I all lived on the same floor freshman year of school at the University of the Arts.)

Duh....Go Phillies!!

2009-02-19T23:57:00.009-05:00

So I'm sitting here and I realize...in my credits for 2008 I completely failed to mention something HUGE!

(Thaaaat's what she said)

The Phillies won the World Series!!

A-Mazing.

What a wonderful capper to 2008 for Philadelphia!!!

2008 Credits

2009-01-23T22:31:00.002-05:00

So the pictures below are for this blog....

2008 Closing Credits (I wrote most of this out on New Years Eve)

Well, here we are, another year gone, and a new one upon us. It's amazing to think of just how much can happen in a year. It seemed to go by in the blink of an eye, but in reality, 2008 was filled with many time consuming ups, and time consuming downs.

For me, the year started out on a positive note. Nick and I took a trip to New Orleans with his sister and a group from his family's church to do some re-building work with Catholic Charities. It was my first time visiting this soulful city, and I had a wonderful time. I have to admit that I was a bit nervous about the kind of work we might be doing - although I have my handy moments, I'm not exactly built for heavy lifting, and I was quite certain that I would just end up getting in the way. We were assigned a house on the opposite side of the river from the French Quarter, tiling the home of a deaf family. Their house wasn't in the general flood region, but had been effected anyway due to the high winds tearing off their roof, creating a bowl effect in the house. One big bowl of water! The family was separated and living in different locations while repairs were taking place - two whole years later. The father did stop by a few times to see the progress we were making, and I got to speak to him briefly, with the very little ASL that I know.

I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to work alongside some of the truly amazing full time volunteers who work for Catholic Charities - it is an amazing organization, and the saving grace of many families in Louisiana.

February was a bit tougher for my family - my father had to undergo two major heart surgeries, two days in a row, followed by months of physical therapy and recovery. It was a hard time for everyone, but we are all so thankful that he came through everything fine and is rounding out the year happy and healthy!

The spring was full of gigs and traveling, the most noteworthy being my trip to the Florida Music Festival in May. I was not selected to perform in the festival, but obtained badges for entry to the shows and the conference. It was a last minute decision, but off I flew to Orlando, where I stayed with former classmate and fellow UArts alum Jarrod, who was awesome and drove me back and forth from the festival!

While at the conference on Saturday, I ran into Sean Perry, co-founder of aXis Magazine, and co-founder of the festival itself. We got chatting and he checked in to see what was going on on the acoustic stage that night - there was a cancellation! So with a borrowed guitar from Levi of Million Year Echo, I took the "Stage" at the City Arts Factory as the first acoustic act of the night. (The acoustic performances were taking place in the art gallery - it was a neat space!)

Since Jarrod is a performer at Disney World, we spend Sunday running around Epcot, Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM Studios) and the Magic Kingdom, hitting up all of the best rides! What an awesome trip.

I returned to Florida not too long after FMF, this time to Miami, for a family vacation. In between I began work recording my follow-up EP, "The Beauty of It All," in Millville, NJ, with composer/producer/musician extroirdinaire Nathan Terry...but more on that once we hit October...

Over the summer I traveled to Kentucky where I played at a cozy coffeehouse in Louisville, and made the 15 hour drive back overnight to make it to the rehearsal dinner for the wedding of one of my best friends! (I also made my largest purchase to date...my new car! I love my Mazda 3 Hatch!) Then there were local gigs, a trip to the Jersey shore (can't beat being at the beach with your family!), camping with friends, seeing the Backstreet Boys perform AGAIN (always awesome) and many many hours in Millville, recording.

Everything was sent off to be printed by Labor Day weekend, and the CD Release show preparations began. The show was held on October 5, 2009 at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia. I was so excited for the show, and even more so to share all of the hard work that had been done on the EP, Nate and I spent many a cold rainy day and muggy summer evenings in his home studio, brainstorming and recording. There were a lot of laughs to accompany the frustrating moments when it just wasn't sounding right, and I am so pleased with the outcome.

**I have to say special thanks to my parents, for making the project possible**

There were a lot of people who worked very hard on the album, and I've listed them below:

Nathan Terry

Charles Kevin Mauer - All of the photos were his artwork, and he also put everything together as far as the cd case is concerned.

Jenn Steier - She made my handwriting come to life on the front and back covers, as well as on the Ringlet Records logo.

Nick - Who drove me around while we were on Assateague Island, camping, looking for a fax machine to send in last minute changes to the printers.

The CD release (and Label Launch, actually...I've release the album on my self-startup indie label, Ringlet Records) went wonderfully! Alec Stewart opened, and I played with a full band (on just a few numbers) made up of Nathan Terry and Ryan Mackin, along with cellist Alfred James and vocalist Hilary Scholz (yep, that's my sister!).

October also saw another set of good friends get married, along with my brother - it was a full month!

November brought more traveling, this time to Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, then Thanksgiving and shows in the Baltimore area.

December of course brought winter and Christmastime, as I wrote about below, and a FANTASTIC New Years Eve celebration.

Thank you for everything, 2008. 2009...I am SO ready for you!

Hmmmm

2009-01-22T23:18:00.002-05:00

Wow....my post got messed up...I'll try again soon....

2009-01-22T22:42:00.007-05:00

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-22T15:19:00.004-05:00

Well, we're already into the 8 days of Chanukah, and are closing in on Christmas day as well.

I don't know about you, but our Christmas tree is up, and most of my presents are wrapped - all we need now is to hang our stockings by the chimney with care...and get the house in order for all of the family who will be stopping by over the weekend.

Christmas is definitely one of my favorite times of year - the pretty lights, the cheerful songs, the snow (okay well we rarely get snow right on Christmas, but it gets veeery cold and icy...which isn't always pleasant but hey, tis the season), decorating the house, baking cookies, all of the red (one of my two favorite colors) and green....but mostly, it's all of the gatherings that take place.

I am a HUGE fan of getting together with my extended family and friends. Especially the family, because it seems to be a less frequent thing then the gathering of friends. I always wonder about those movies where the main characters dread the upcoming visit from their relatives, because in the movie of MY life, it is one of my favorite scenes. We always have an amazing dinner, an impressive dessert table, lots of stories and even more laughs. In the case of Christmas, my parents cook the main dish and the family brings various side dishes. There is something really great about getting to be at home and still having the opportunity to see everyone.

We can sit by the fire, open presents, stare at the pretty tree and watch Christmas classics like "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and "The Polar Express" (okay, that's not so much a classic, but it will be some day).

For us, Christmas is at least three or four days long, or longer - we have the immediate family on the actual holiday, the extended family the next, and then a slew of other visits or events, be it a cousin's basketball game, one of my gigs, etc. We also always get together with friends of ours who are celebrating Chanukah, and light the menorah in front of the tree in a joint holiday celebration. I've always really enjoyed this combination of traditions - the Jewish religion is such a big part of the past of the Catholic/Christian beliefs, and I've always thought it was important to be aware of all aspects of this holiday, and where our beliefs come from.

Plus it paints a pretty picture of togetherness, doesn't it?

No matter what you are celebrating or what your family traditions, have a WONDERFUL Holiday Season, and a Happy New Year!!

Testing, testing....is this thing on?

2008-12-14T19:12:00.004-05:00

Just seeing how it works out to put a picture on here...

Gotta love the M....and the m&ms...

I'm a big fan, personally. (It's an old picture that I took not long after I got my computer - probably about a year ago)

The first picture was taken two winters ago by Jonathan Mauer.

Got the Christmas tree up tonight, and it's looking beautiful!

I am very excited for Christmas - it is one of my favorite times of the year.

Here we go...

2008-12-12T18:05:00.000-05:00

So every now and then I have a random thought that I think I'd like to share with my family, friends, listeners, or world in general...and I usually forget it a few minutes later.

I have a blog on myspace, but I try to keep that to important updates....

Hence my new "official" music blog.

It's not just about music.

It's about...whatever comes to mind.