About one year ago (Feb 29th be exact – leap year!) I packed up many things musical, and departed for Fairbanks, Alaska to begin recording my new CD Stay Warm at 10th Planet, the beloved studio of the North Woods. Here’s a little photo documentary and video clip of the journey from cabin to car atop belly-deep snow.

This was the typical scenario whenever I was leaving to play a gig or go to the studio in winter in Alaska.  Music could not be made without a blue plastic sled at hand.

Click on any photo in the gallery below to start a slideshow – the captions will show above each picture.

Here’s a little video of an exuberant me setting off on my musical adventure.   And now a year later, my 11-song baby is finally  getting ready to be sent to press.   Sometimes it feels like the whole last 12 months, with all its creations and changes, was one big swashbuckling slog through deep snow…

I’m so happy you’re here.  Welcome!  Spring is on the way and with giddy little bunny hops, I offer you my menagerie of newnessness:

• New website…  I hope you like it!  I see this little piece of webspace as my online living room, where I’ll lounge on the couch and invite you all in to share my news, adventures, photos, stories and thoughts.  You can go to the bottom of my contact page to subscribe to this blog (yep, like a magazine) and receive posts either in your RSS reader, or via email.

• New location… In September I drove the long road south after 15 great years in Talkeetna, Alaska.  The plan was to live in various interesting places that have milder winters and more abundant cultural opportunities.  I’m still deeply connected to the wilderness and people of the far north, and will return often.  Meanwhile, it’s been a great joy to have spent this fall and winter exploring New Haven, Connecticut.  Orchestras and choirs!  Art shows in converted Erector Set factories!  An African drumming class!  Theatre and movies where you get to meet the actors!  Restaurants of every palate right around the corner!  Colorful international faces!  East and West Rock parks for my walks in the woods…  all of this has rejuvenated my senses.  It’s such a contrast, and a perfect start for an intentional new chapter of life.

• New CD on the way… Yes yes yes!   It’s called Stay Warm.  11 songs, 9 of them original, and 2 extraordinary covers.  I made the record because I passionately wanted to share these songs with you all.   My talented graphic-artist-fabulous-cafe-owner sister Anita is putting finishing touches on the cover art as we speak.  I’ll tell you more about it soon.  Promise!

• New commitment… to reconnect to all of you and the wider world (meaningfully, fun-lovingly, creatively), through this very website, through live performances, and through my mailing list.  And I also commit to not spreading myself out so much all over the internets.  I’ll be writing more thoughts about that particular contrarian path soon.

So again, welcome, and pass the word on by whatever method you “like” best.  Sheesh, when did the word “like” become something that I’d put in quotes?  It’s all so … new!

Stay Warm,

Esther