Hi.
Let this email be an invitation to pause, take the deepest breath you have all day, and feel what your body is telling you. The past few months have underscored my yearning to be in each moment, to help wash away pain and anxiety and simply live. Whatever you are experiencing in life, I hope you can find the peace and joy in being with each moment.
Sharing live music with y'all (and listening to plants...) is one of the ways I find it easiest to be present. This new seasonal year, I am trying out more group singing and collaborative songwriting in our sets. I hope to sing with you soon...
Earth Day with Kentucky Natural Lands Trust
West Sixth Farm / Frankfort, KY
Saturday, April 22 / 3-7pm
Celebrate Earth Day with our friends at Kentucky Natural Lands Trust (KNLT) and West Sixth Farm! Nat and I will play music from 4-6pm. BouDanny's Cajun Magic will be serving up food all day. West Sixth will donate 6% of total sales for the day to KNLT. Spread the word!
KNLT is a nationally accredited land trust committed to protecting biodiverse and climate resilient landscapes in ways that benefit local, regional and global communities. They have protected more than 55,000 acres of wildlands throughout the Commonwealth, with a focus on Pine Mountain and Cumberland Mountain in Eastern Kentucky. Nat and I are proud members of KNLT's Pine Mountain Collective.
House of Jane Songwriter Sessions - Solo Show
House of Jane Barbershop & Art Gallery / Madison, IN
Thursday, May 4 / 7-9pm / $20
I look forward to this intimate, artist-focused show held in the House of Jane Barbershop and Art Gallery in Madison, Indiana! Jordan Smart and I will split the night sharing original songs. Tickets on sale now.
Ellie Ruth Band, Katie Martucci + Jeri Katherine & Nat
Ama on the Creek / Frankfort, KY
Thursday, May 18 / 6:30-9pm / $25
I cannot wait for this concert at Frankfort's newest, beautiful listening room venue, Ama on the Creek! I'm obsessed with Katie Martucci's voice and Ellie Ruth's composing. Nat and I are PUMPED we get to welcome our friends with an opening set. Let's show them lots of Frankfort, KY love and hospitality, y'all! Get your tickets here.
Katie Martucci is a performer, bandleader, singer and composer who believes in the necessity of creative process for the self and the power of music to build and sustain community. A graduate of the New England Conservatory, she has taught voice and songwriting at SUNY New Paltz, and maintains active teaching and performing practices around her home in Brooklyn and beyond. Her latest release ‘Note to Self’ on La Reserve Records is a collection of songs about the “unspoken third thing in the room” — stories surrounding friendship, family history, imposter syndrome, her own personal journey with epilepsy and more. In addition to her solo project, Katie tours nationally with The Ladles, her folk-pop trio, while providing music workshops for local communities and developing sustainable touring methods. She is also the bandleader for Tucci Swing, a jazz ensemble featuring intricate three-part vocal harmony, and has worked as a producer for Eva Lovullo on her latest EP ‘tried to be everything.’ Katie has been featured on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and scored film for National Geographic. Learn more at katiemartucci.com.
Ellie Ruth is a composer, performer, bandleader and teacher. She was selected as a Kentucky Foundation for Women Firestarter for her risk-taking work bending stereotypes and breaking musical boundaries as a musician, singer-songwriter, performer and community builder. She shares, "My work is to push the boundaries of what the violin can do and of what women or feminine voices sing about." Ellie Ruth composes instrumental and lyrical music on the viola/violin that is brutally honest, soul twisting, elevating, and so genuine. To witness her authentic performances is to get closer to oneself. You can see Ellie Ruth performing with several bands around Kentucky, like Quartet Dioca and Hotbrown Smackdown, as a duo or solo performance, or as (my personal favorite) Ellie Ruth Band! Follow her musical journey on Instagram.
Creative Connections (In Other News...)
Part my intention as an artist is to help build socio-ecological resilience through shared creative experiences, inclusive spaces, and by cultivating joy and resource-sharing however I can. Here are some related projects I'm excited to share with you.
Josephine Sculpture Park: We have some amazing arts, nature and MUSIC events coming up at JSP (psst...The Local Honeys are going to perform!!!). Stay in-the-know by signing up for JSP's monthly e-newsletter and plan your next visit at josephinesculpturepark.org.
Teeny Tiny Tunes: My songwriter friends started @teeny_tiny_tunes on Instagram, and you can contribute! Set a timer for 3 minutes, write a song in that 3 minutes, record a video of the song, and direct message them your video for a chance to be featured. As the creators share: "Have fun! This challenge is not about making a perfect song! It's about the weird random-seeming stuff your mind can generate when you give it a quick deadline and let it go." Eek! Yay!
Plants, singing, breathing. Take care.
In song,
Jeri Katherine