Dear Listeners,
Gosh, it's already been more than 6 weeks of social-distancing for my son and I. Bonkers! I could never have imagined any of this. How are you coping?
The beginning weeks were rocky for both of us. Like a lot of you, I'm caring for a young person who's world has also been turned upside down (again) and his needs can easily fill up my entire day. But I think an equilibrium of sorts has set in the last couple of weeks. I''m even escaping into my spare bedroom studio for an hour every now and then to write music. We love not getting up in the mornings until we are ready and every day there is breakfast and second breakfast. We are watching the Great British Bake Off in the evenings and maybe we will come up with something to do with the rutabagas in the weekly farm box.
I do wish Spring would hurry up and get to Vermont, because damn, it''s still cold and occasionally snowing. Maybe Spring is on lockdown too. I am thankful that we have a cozy place to be and grateful to everyone who is working out there so that we can stay in. Like you, I'm anxious about the future but.one day at a time.
Before all this I had spent several months working on the score to The Edge of All We Know, a documentary about the Event Horizon Telescope. It was set to premiere in Copenhagen last month but of course the film festival was canceled. As soon as I have news about where you can see it, I will let you know. I left on tour the day after the score was done and was lucky to squeeze in 5 concerts before the world shut down.
As you've probably guessed, my May concerts have been postponed or canceled. There are still some opportunities to hear me though:
The Bang on a Can Marathon in NYC on May 1, 2, 3 is not happening in person.but 40 artists are participating in a livestream, me included, on May 3 from 3pm to 9pm.
Bang on a Can Marathon: May 3, 3pm EST
No one really knows what the future holds for live concerts right now but fingers crossed. For now my remaining May concerts have been rescheduled to the end of August:
- Boulder Chautauqua August 28.
- Aladdin Theater n Portland August 30.
- Cedar Cultural Center concert in Minneapolis Sept 1
(Also, stay tuned for a possible Chicago concert on Sept 2)
All existing tickets will be honored and please contact the venues for refunds.
I was going to perform at Maria Popova's amazing Universe in Verse on April 18th. Maria has managed to get many involved to record their bit for a streamed version. So last week I recorded something for a poem by Rebecca Elson and read by astrophysicist Janna Levin. I also, somehow, after Alex went to bed one night, wrote a short piece to go with a poem and reading by Marie Howe. Not really sure how I did that, or if it's replicable but it did give me hope that maybe some small amount of creative work is possible while Pandemic Parenting. I do feel that much of my life I've been making limoncello out of lemons, so let's see if I can make some more. You can watch the 2020 Universe in Verse on April 25 EST at 4:30pm, after which it will disappear.
Universe in Verse: April 25, 4:30pm EST
I will do my own livestream at some point, maybe a throwback to the ambient brunches we used to host years ago in San Francisco. Once I am successful at getting all those tracks of cello to live-mix themselves so that I have something worth listening to, I will let you know.
;-)
To tide you over until then, here is a video from my performance at Kings Place in London last fall, shot beautifully by Michael Lebor with help from Sedge Thomson:
Possible (live version), at Kings Place
If you want to download the track you can find it HERE
Thank you for listening and for making my career possible to begin with and. huge massive thanks to every single one of you who is out there, keeping the world together so that we can stay inside.
Stay well.
Celloly yours, Zo?
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