A Feast of Tunes

 While you're waiting for the new album to be released [December], you might like to pop on to my Bandcamp page and check out the albums that have been uploaded there over the past couple of months. 

  Here's the link;  Moz on Bandcamp  ...  you can buy the album or individual tracks for immediate download - and they're as cheap as chips!  And while you're there, please hit the "follow"  button - it will help me greatly to clock up some numbers for my online stats.

...May your November be vivacious!

A Peek Under the Covers

 Surprisingly, it's almost a year since I started work on the new project that I've been hinting at...and I just cannot believe how fast that year has gone!  There hasn't been a day gone by that I've not worked on it - alone or with others;  

• 
   Singers (@ 30+) that are helping with 2 of the pieces - one is a rhapsody, a choral work, the other is a 4-piece female acapella harmony song; 
•  studio engineers - huge thanks to Zac Limon and the inestimable Robbie Long;  [and rotten tomatoes to a U.S. studio that I'll happily share a name with anyone who is interested!] 
• Musicians - the kind and honourable Steve Cowley, well known and loved folk musician Julie Castles, and Sydney composer/guitarist David Spira who has generously allowed me to use one of his tunes for a set of lyrics....    not to mention the Limon father and son outfit! who helped with bass, drums, and guitar on a couple of pieces.
• so much gratitude for all of these people .....in addition, to Rod Barnes [our local jazz icon!],  to videographers David Jarrett and Ed Reddin, and Merewether Uniting Church who reduced our hall-hire fee in order to have a space big enough for the choristers to work together.

 Over many years I've worked on numerous Arts and Music events including many festivals which are major projects.  But this is the first time I've experienced such a community collaboration - it demonstrates just what a committed tribe we have here in the Newcastle and Hunter arts community.

The original 6 pieces composed initially for the project has now grown to 10 ...and by anyone's accounting - that's an album!!    Possibly releasing in December, a month before the project itself is released.   

Full details of the project
will be made public in either November or December - subject to the curators agreement.  [although I may be tempted to reveal early to my own followers ...so keep your eyes and ears pealed!  are you on my mailing list?].  Additionally, once the covers are off, there is likely to be a couple of live appearances to share some of the new material.

a Zoom Year!

 Dang it!  "Sorry Miss, Covid ate my year" ...it zoomed passed

Yup, here we are - far too many months since my last post! - and little to report for the year of 2022!   No live gigs, no new albums!  

but hey!  we've marked the first birthday of Whimsical  and if you haven't got your copy yet, it's easy to get one.  Just contact me direct - or you'll find the whole album on most of the streaming services....Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music, ITunes, Amazon, and a whole bunch more!

The Meeting Arts channel on YouTube is up and running ...if you haven't checked it out, here's your chance to meet some local home-grown artists,  with a few more in progress.  Meeting Arts

There's also been a few more songs loaded up to the music channel here:  Maureen's Original Music

And the Sidestep Comedy channel - although hibernating for a couple of chilly months - has quite a few new vids up as well;  Sidestep Comedy  with some familiar faces recognisable to many of our theatre patrons.

I'd love to hear from you sometime...send me an email or a message ....Spring's coming with it's warmer weather so perhaps inspiration might encourage some live appearances before the year's out!   

Til then,  keep listening  

Blocking the Writers Block!

 So we're just over 12 months along since the pandemic was declared and it's been a tough year for everyone - especially those who work in the Arts.

For me, not only did all my gigs, shows, choruses, concerts, music networks come to a grinding halt in March last year, so did my social networks, incomes, and creativity!  My inspiration, imagination, and artistic vision walked out in protest.  I was feeling pretty low until I discovered that I was in an enormous lifeboat with a world of artists - and Arts-related workers - all experiencing the same thing.

Fortunately, one of the Music Industry platforms  I belong to - an International group which supports independent artists -is  proactive in its approach.  Eventually it flicked a switch which resonated with me and I took up their "Songwriters Challenge"  in March this year. 

It worked.  I blocked the "Block" and now have a heap of new material I'm working on to produce another album mid year.   No CD's though anymore.  This album - still under wraps - is going to be produced on USB for easy download to your devices.

I'll be happy to share more about the new music in the next month or so ...stay tuned.  And if you haven't joined me yet on Facebook, I encourage you to send a friend request ...it's where I'm most active with news, updates, and events.        #note tho'...I tend only to 'friend' people that I know, or have met.  So if we haven't met yet, leave a message with your request and here's your password to let me know you're a genuine friend:  Mozmate

 

Chillin'!

Ooooops!  I'm in winter hibernation mode and I'm sooo chilled out, I forgot about ... well .... everything!
So I've just updated the website, updated Reverbnation, about to update the blog...and if there's any motivation left, I'll update YouTube too.

Since my last post I've trialled my Lounge Room Concert Series - "The Soiree"s ...you may have got an invitation to one of those.  If not, let me know if you're interested for the next series.  [These aren't open to the public but are exclusively for members of my mailing list].  To say they had a magical ambiance would not be an exaggeration and I've decided that these are so enjoyable, I'll give them preferential performance in the future.   Especially because this format is perfectly suited to an intimate audience that prefers Music with Meaning.

Last Chance to catch this show

On the commercial front, I'll be delivering the final performance of the Andrews Sisters show [the knockout trio of the 40s] at the Buttai Barn on October 21. It's been running now for 5 years and along with Diva Fever [also 5 years] and the Patsy Cline show [6 years and 9 seasons!],  it's time to lay them to rest and make way for 3 new shows next year.  The Barn does a great job, providing excellent value for $45 a head, including a devonshire morning tea and 2 course lunch, so I'll be heading back there for a series of shows next year.

I'm hoping, though, to repair the 'disconnect' with my Original music which has been happening over the past couple of years.  That occurs when you spend more time delivering other people's music than your own.  And as an award-winning, established songwriter it's time I paid more attention to my knitting -  since I'm no longer touring, nor doing festivals [which is the birthing place for new music] this is when the threads begin to unravel.

Sunrise by Janelle Karbowiak

Now one might ask..."why bother, what's wrong with the 'old' music?".....and my answer is this: 

Music - as one stream of the Arts - is the soul of our society; it reaches in to lift our spirit; it comforts us through memory; touches our heart through emotion; it inspires us to dream, encourages us to aspire.  New music offers new comfort, inspires new thinking, different perspectives, stimulates new ideas.  We aren't the same person we were 10, 20, 40, 60 + years ago, so while it's pleasurable to revisit the past, it's not where we live anymore and it's not where we'll ever live again.  Music can change us as individuals, and as individuals we can change the world.  I want to be part of a world that is moved by music ...instead of by greed.   How about you?