http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html Lara Herscovitch: random thoughts Jannis' PHPRss class - http://www.jannis.to/ Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:10:04 -0800 http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#110
Home is not where you live, but where they understand you. -Christian Morgenstern

There are many wonderful things that will never be done if you do not do them. -Charles D. Gill
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Dear friends. I have reflected this weekend on how many things I have to be thankful for. One of them is having found (and continuing to hone) a sense of calling and purpose, of "home" of various kinds. One of Shawn Colvin's songs includes the line "If there were no music / then I would not get through / I don't know why I know these things / but I do."

I'm grateful I do too.

When I started playing music semi-professionally about a decade ago (!) a dear friend's advice was - keep going, stay on the bus. Indeed, there have been moments over the years when I've recognized what I was going through as a moment when people fall (or walk - or sprint) off.

I write music because I do - started when I was 8 - but I play music out in the world, publicly, and record music, and so on, because of you. Thank you for keeping me going. It is an honor and a joy; words don't fully express how grateful I am for your support and enthusiasm, for your wit and intelligence, and for the inspiration and insight I gain learning about your own creative and life works. Thank you for the privilege of walking alongside.

As many of you know, I'm not "just" a musician but also a policy social worker - I focus 4 days a week on juvenile justice reform and 3 days a week on music. I'm working hard these days to create a whole that is greater than the sum of the parts - following in the footsteps of people like one of my heroes and role models, Ruben Blades (a lawyer, activist, writer, musician, and actor).

Along these lines, my next CD is going to focus on social justice-related themes - facing adversity of different kinds, and transformation on personal, social, and political levels. I'll let you know more about it when I know more myself (sometimes an artist leads her work, sometimes she follows it :)!

A related logistical question - I'm starting to think about CD release location and wonder where (town / city) you would like me to have it? It will probably be mid-winter, but don't worry we'll pick a day there won't be a blizzard. And if there is, we'll meet in the parking lot for snowman building. Or pretend we're the republican field of challenger candidates and have a snowball fight.

Wishing you clarity about the things you have to be thankful for. Coming up in CT, MA and FL, hope to see you soon! lara]]> http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#110 Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Lara Herscovitch - singer-songwriter - Lara Herscovitch - random thoughts http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#109
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. -Ambrose Redmoon

The best way to find out if you can trust somebody is to trust them. -Ernest Hemingway

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Greetings, Hope you and yours are well and happy. Wishing you clarity, courage, and great traveling companions. Hope to see you soon. lara]]> http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#109 Sat, 24 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Lara Herscovitch - singer-songwriter - Lara Herscovitch - random thoughts http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#108
We can identify the positive seeds that we want to water every day, and train ourselves not to water the negative ones. -Thich Nhat Hanh
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I'm not a gardener, but I like the metaphors. Happy rainy day, if you're sharing the weather that I'm in right now (just imagine how much snow this would be if it were February). Hope all is well with you and your literal or metaphoric gardens of all kinds. May they be well planted, weeded, watered, and may the sun shine down for growth.

Two things of note:

(1) Happy to report I won the Singer-Songwriter Showcase at Solarfest so will be on the mainstage next year; save the date, it's a fabulous VT festival and weekend (http://www.acousticmusicscene.com/2011/07/20/lara-herscovitch-is-solarfest-singer-songwriter-showcase-winner/ ); (Songwriters! the CT Folk Festival and Green Expo is accepting entries now, ctfolk.com) and

(2) NYC Banjo Jim's this Thurs is cancelled - the club closed unexpectedly. See you another time soon instead! Best, lara]]> http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#108 Sun, 14 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Lara Herscovitch - singer-songwriter - Lara Herscovitch - random thoughts http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#107
"I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy." -Jessica Dovey (NOT MLK, as was incorrectly referenced in the last email. The rest of the quote was his.)

"We occasionally stumble over the truth but most of us pick ourselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened." -Winston Churchill

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Hi there and happy spring - no summer - no spring - no winter? - hm, ok, just happy. I hope. You get the drift.

I've decided to focus on finishing writing and recording the new cd this summer (John Jennings producing again, why mess with greatness), but I will be playing a few shows, coming up in VA (special show in Ashland 6/25, a week from Sat), VT and NYC.

Hope to see you soon, wishing you sunshine in the meantime, unless you're in the south, in which case, wishing you shade. cheers, lara]]> http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#107 Wed, 15 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Lara Herscovitch - singer-songwriter - Lara Herscovitch - random thoughts http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#106

"Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." — Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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Hope you and yours are safe, tornado- and flood-free, and otherwise happy and doing well. Coming up in VA, MD, CT and AL, hope to see you soon. cheers, lara]]> http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#106 Tue, 03 May 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Lara Herscovitch - singer-songwriter - Lara Herscovitch - random thoughts http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#105
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." Winston Churchill

"Blessed is that man who has found his work." -Elbert Hubbard
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Apologies for the technical glitch that prevented letting those of you on the e-list know about last weekend's shows in Providence and Jersey City. We missed you, but that's not your fault! (See how I blamed technology and not myself? It's ok, technology blamed me back, we're even.)

Coming up - in the spirit of actually letting you know - in CT, upstate NY, NY City, Long Island NY, Shenandoah VA, and Birmingham AL. Looking forward to seeing you round the bend. lara]]> http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#105 Wed, 30 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0700 Lara Herscovitch - singer-songwriter - Lara Herscovitch - random thoughts http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#104
"Any fool can be fussy and rid himself of energy all over the place, but a man has to have something in him before he can settle down and do nothing." -J.B. Priestly

"All quotation is taken out of context." -Enoch Powell

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In or out of context, I take that as philosophical permission to not shovel snow - ever again (how long until we all start complaining it's too hot?). Hope you and yours are warm and safe and happy. Coming up in PA, NJ, TN, FL and NY, hope to see you soon. lara]]> http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#104 Fri, 11 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Lara Herscovitch - singer-songwriter - Lara Herscovitch - random thoughts http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#103
"You can make your crystal ball say whatever you want it to." -C.C. Lewis

"Some Dreams: 'I want to be a cop so I can break up fights. I don't know how I will become a cop. I want to move somewhere far away, maybe Noble Avenue.'" -Anthony, 8 years old

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Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy new year. May all the dreams that are supposed to come true for you, come true; and may the ones that aren't supposed to, lead you towards the ones that are. And may my grammar improve. Or not. Looking forward to seeing you soon. cheers, lara]]> http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#103 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0800 Lara Herscovitch - singer-songwriter - Lara Herscovitch - random thoughts http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#102
"Good week for Artyom Sidorkin of Russia, who went into surgery this week for what doctors believed was a large, malignant lung tumor. Doctors found and removed a 3-inch-tall fir tree growing in his lung. 'I thought I was hallucinating,' said the surgeon, who thinks Sidorkin must have inhaled a seed." -The Week, 4/24/09
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I suppose that's one way to save on a tree. Wishing you and yours great holidays and a happy and healthy new year. I'll be in touch after the first with news on the almost finished music video for Letters From A Ghost (Automata Films), my tribute song (from Through A Frozen Midnight Sky) to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and our need to continue his and many others' mission. Will be out in time for the day that honors Dr. King in mid-January.]]> http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#102 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Lara Herscovitch - singer-songwriter - Lara Herscovitch - random thoughts http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#95
"You don't get anything clean without getting something else dirty." -Cecil Baxter

"Cursing the darkness only delays the dawn." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Wishing you balance. Hope all is well and hope to see you soon. lara]]> http://laraherscovitch.com/news.html#95 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800 Lara Herscovitch - singer-songwriter - Lara Herscovitch - random thoughts