back to work

Things are starting to get busy. Planning ahead to rehearsals for the new show and gigs through the summer. Finalizing art work and photos etc.
I haven't had a new album out for a long time and getting it all set up is a part of what I really enjoy. I released my first major label recording Shakespearean Fish at this same time of year in. . . . . 1996 . I didn't know a lot about what was going on then. I knew music. That's what I thought was my job. Turns out, it was for the most part but having the confidence to take on everything else as well, is a pretty great feeling now. Also, the major label mentality has been broken down and creative thinking rules. Makes it pretty fun to be making good music these days.

Spring

April 9th/08

Wow. I didn't write for a long time.
Things have been busy and believe it or not, the new album is coming.

I've had a busy few months working on a show here in Toronto. My husband Ted is starring in a play called FIRE. The same show we did together when we first met . . . .many years ago. It's a pretty amazing show full of music , although it's a play not a musical, and telling the story loosly based on the lives of Jerry Lee Lewis ( Ted's part) and Jimmy Swaggart . My job this time was assistant musical director ( we couldn't both be IN the show or we'd never see our kids). Ted decided to be the musical director and also be in it so. . .it's been my job to do vocal arranging and just be ears out front cause he's in most of the numbers and that makes it hard to give effective notes so, I do all that.
I've had a great time hanging with the cast, working on arrangements and being at the theatre lots. It's been kind of a flashback to my early days doing theatre in Toronto and meeting Ted and the other people , like Denny Doherty ( Mamas and Papas), who were in that first production with us. It was a special time in my life and shaped all the work and all of the decisions that came after.

The show is running for a few more weeks here in T.O. and then goes on to Edmonton so. . .even though I'm not there everyday, our family is definitely revolving around the show schedule right now.

Prairies and Pics

Ok, finally getting somewhere with stupid phone. We're heading thru the prairies. It's bright and snowy and extremely cold. So fun to ride on through in the cozy train . Little bit hard to get out and play sometimes but the people are there and so much food and money is being collected and that makes it all good, not to mention playing with Earl, Shaun, Pat and Mike . Ok, gotta stop and take photo of spectacular sunset. P.s. Cardio cats did jazzercise on board today. Oh yeah. md

ps: thanks to Breanne and Heather for sending in pics :)

Train Updates

It's Dec. 5th, Woke up in my deluxe room on this beautiful train, in Sudbury. Had 5 shows yesterday. Internet access is limited and I keep writing little entries on my phone (that I can't work yet) and then lose it all . . .anyway. . .the main points are (before I lose my signal again) :This is a spectacular experience. The sight of this train rolling through small towns, waving to people out in their yards, getting off and playing to the crowds that are waiting. It's simply magical. I especially loved slowly going thru the the city of Torotno as the commuters were heading home on the DVP. A perfect contrast somehow.Yesterday we also did two shows off the caboose. (not the big stage and sound system , just one mike, one guitar ,our voices and the approx 200 people standing around the track in the perfect cold still wintery night.)As far as behind the scenes goes. . . .well. . .I sent a pic of my room. (it's out of control. . .I'm SO HAPPY IN THERE!!). The Wide Mouth boys are so great. I love seeing and hearing them play all day and doing tunes together is a treat for me. I usually miss Creighton and Mike and Brad so much ( which I do) but we're making music out here. Under these crazy circumstances. . .jumping out of the train, walking down to the car with the stage on it, hopping up, tuning quickly and starting the show. It's cold and it's fast and guess what, it sounds REALLY GOOD. That makes me so happy. My new BFF Pat Steward ( drummer) and I have started out on board fitness program. Actually JAZZERCISE! 80's style. We're calling ourselves the Cardio Cats. I think we will single handedly bring aerobics back into the limelight where it belongs! mel out

Dec 4...I'm sleeping in. . . . . Well I'm awake now. Left toronto last night. Fun shows at Distillery and then Vaughn. Train is such a spectacular sight going thru the city. Trying to type on my New Phone. Wish I knew how to use it. It's driving me crazy. Couldn't be having more fun on this tour so far. Love playing music with these guys. Today we have all morning and early aft off so I said I'll be doing jazzercise in the diningroom later. Mel out for now...

P.S.

p.s. I'm spending the night in Montreal looking out of this lovely old hotel at a snowy downtown scene. So beautiful. . .I can see the Cathedral next door and Christmas lights on the street.

Also, there were some mailing list troubles in trying to get the free download of "All The Diamonds" out to everyone earlier this week. We're working on it and we'll have it out a.s.a.p. Hope you all love it.

mel

To Montreal I Go

Had the most fun Wednesday night at our sold out Hugh's Room Show in Toronto. Thanks Em and Kathryn for the good times. Boys you were all great. Personal Jesus ROCKED!!! My new fave I think.

I'm on the train , first class, to Montreal (it's almost noon and on this full train car, people are drinking already all around me. . . . . . . .who knew) This is the first part of my adventure. I meet everyone in Montreal, do some rehearsal and then we'll board the Holiday Train tomorrow and start doing shows. I am pretty excited. Have a new phone that I can't work and books and tons of new downloads to listen to and songs to finish writing and my knitting (it's not a tour across Canada without your knitting). Tomorrow I can report on what the train looks like inside (it's a vintage train so I can't wait to see and hear about it) I'll try to use my phone camera that I also can't use.

mel

Busy Busy Days

The days are going quickly now.I'm preparing to leave town on the CP train tour and also gigging with Emilie and Kathryn on the 28th at Hugh's Room. Looking forward to that a lot but I have to have all my stuff together for Christmas before I leave next week and tomorrow night is the opening of my husband's show at Canadian Stage here in Toronto. . .Little Shop of Horrors. Ted's the director. So. . .kind of a lot going on. Of course my main job is actually taking care of the kids ( school, hockey, ballet, piano, violin, swimming) . . .this other stuff is all just what I do in my spare time! Oh yeah, and the new record is pretty much done. A few things left but . . .I'm starting to get excited. md

Train Bound

I am less than two weeks from departing on my awesome train adventure. Have been having phone meetings with the boys in the band and getting arrangements locked down etc. I feel like the picture in my head of what it's going to be like, is probably not how it will actually be ( only cause it's hard to visualize the living quarters, the stage, the whole scene ) but in this instance I am starting to think it's all going to be even more fun than I can imagine. The players are GREAT, the setting. . .well. . .going across this country by train is the ultimate Canadian right of passage.

When I was a kid my folks took my brother and sister and I from Halifax (my home town) across Canada to Vancouver. Dad was teaching in various cities along the way and we saw the country for the first time. I remember our bunk beds, the bingo games , the many porters we grew to love, the endless beautiful Prairies, the tunnels through the Rockies, playing our ukuleles as people came by and met us and jammed with us.

This was when my parents taught us that we were ambassadors of Nova Scotia. We represented our province and needed to always be proud and respectful of that . I was in grade 3.

md