Boston Musician Headshot & Album Cover - Kat Goldman

When Kat contacted me about creating images for a new album and website, I fell in love with her gypsy vibe and soul searching honesty. When I asked what location would express her new album best, I was totally surprised when she said Harvard Square in Cambridge. Really?! I always kind of imagined a gypsy traveling along in the wilderness somewhere near a dusty road, but I was up for the challenge and was curious to see what we'd be able to create in this all too familiar place for so many city dwellers. With the help of some toussled hair styling from Pyara Aveda Salon, a little lace and fringe, and some beautiful golden sunlight, I think we achieved that road-well-traveled gypsy vibe, with just a dash of hopeful whimsy that comes out in her music...


These images were also quite a big departure from my normal happy headshot work- and I had to stop myself from trying to draw out more smiles than Kat wanted to convey. Thankfully, a quick share from the back of the camera confirmed I was capturing the look she wanted so that I could just run with it and let the lyrics from her soul play out on her face. I can't express how much I love working with other artists and being a part of their creations.


Her new website and album are officially available- so definitely check out her music and help support a local independent artist: http://www.katgoldmanmusic.com/

Kat - thank you so much for introducing me to your story and your music. You make the world a better place by being honest about yourself and sharing it with others. ;-)

LOVE IT: Love Song Mixtape

Photo from anneruthmann Instagram feed.

Love has always been important to me. When I was a pre-teen living in Arizona and had to give a speech for an Optimist Oratorical Contest with the starting phrase "What if...", I turned to poetry and lyrics to help me describe love. I wish I still had a copy of that speech so I could read it again and see what, if anything, has changed about my idea of love. I remember mentioning in my speech that I knew I seemed young to an audience of middle-aged adults to really know anything about love. However, I now believe that children know the most about love- because they have not had any reason to doubt, distrust, or guard against other people's love.

I wish we could all return to that child-like place of all-accepting love. Love without discrimination, reservation, religious separation, or judgement toward others. Until we can heal ourselves and return to that place of fullness in our own love, we can at least indulge in music that reminds us a little bit of what that love feels like.

What song in your playlist reminds you of love? Comment below and share your favorites! I love discovering new music!

Here are a few of mine (click to preview this playlist in iTunes):

LOVE IT: Zee Avi

Part island breeze, part folk acoustic, take a moment to let Zee Avi take your ears and mind to another place...

If you can't see or play the YouTube video above, [click here].

LOVE IT: Laura Barrett

It was Thursday, February 11th, at the Wilbur Theatre in Boston. My husband and I were there to see The Magnetic Fields, but when the opening act came out with a kalimba in hand, we were intrigued. What followed was mix of delightful kalimba virtuosity and fun geeky lyrics. I was instantly drawn into her world and fully captivated. When she announced the title of an instrumental as "Stop Giving Your Children Standardized Tests", I officially declared my love. This quirky Canadian has me hooked, so much that I now must share her talent and fearless individuality with you. If you fall in love with her as I did, you can check out more of her work on iTunes and see her tour schedule on MySpace.

Here's a little interview with Laura Barrett, and what inspires her:

LOVE IT: Catherine Feeny

I don't remember how I came across her, but as soon as I heard her, I fell in love with her style...

LOVE IT: Once

This movie is written as a "modern day musical" where the characters communicate through songs... but it's not what you would expect. It has a raw and authentic quality which allows the messages, music, and feeling to come through without being over-produced. If you love music, or small independent films, check this one out... I think you'll come away with a smile in your heart.

LOVE IT: The Way I Am

Thanks to my wonderful bride Emily who introduced me to Ingrid Michaelson. I just love the mood and message of this song- perfect for Valentine's Day. ;-) Click play to watch the video...

Sh! The Octopus - Band Photos

Isn't that a crazy name for a band? I love it! When Christine told me that her indie rock/folk band, Sh! The Octopus needed some new band photos for their press kits, I was thrilled that they chose me to be their photographer!! I love photographing bands for so many reasons, but especially because I love promoting independent artists and sharing their art with others!



As we talked about possible settings for their photoshoot, we intially had plans to use a diner, but when our ideal diner location was closed, we decided to head out to Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum! What a fun place that proved to be!!! Floor to ceilling, wall to wall, the place was crammed with antique and modern arcade games with a touch of whimsy and truly bizarre stuff! It's so unassuming from the outside that you could easily completely miss all of the fun inside, but if you're ever NEAR Farmington HIlls, MI, you've GOT to check this place out! You really have to experience it in person.



Paved paradise and put up a parking lot?


We then headed out a high school (don't remember which one) to get some great outdoor shots..









Check out their list of upcoming shows by CLICKING HERE to see if they're playing near you!

Touring Band Photos - Stampead

One fateful night in Terre Haute, I stepped into The Verve to find a group of four incredibly talented musicians touring the country, sharing their music. I'm passionate about supporting independent musicians, so I took a few pictures for the blog to help spread the word. To my surprise, the guys loved the images so much that they asked if we could do a photoshoot the next time they came to town. That was a few months ago and because they were just ending a tour, I waited to post these images until they started touring again. Now that they're back on tour, I urge you to check out samples of their music along with their tour schedule by visiting http://www.myspace.com/stampead, you won't be disappointed. Here's where they'll be over the next week...
7/13/07 - Kalamazoo, MI - Boomerang's
7/14/07 - Chesterton, IN - The Sidetrack
7/15/07 - Michigan City, IN - Red, White, & Brews Fest
7/18/07 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Legends

Bergen Interactive Music Conference

Previously, when I would join Alex for international music conferences, I was an active participant- engaged in the educational research and international implementations of curriculum and ideas. This year I took a less active approach, and only attended a few bits of the actual conference.

Even though my body wasn't quite ready to wake up for Alex's 8:30 am presentation, I made it and was happy to be there right up front cheering on my hubby.


Since I was already hanging out with the conference group, I joined them to see a performance dedicated to mid/high school students at Greig Hall, named after the famous Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg.


We made our way into what must have been the basement of the hall where hundreds of students were already gathering.


Sondre Lerche was the featured musician, who seems to be quite popular here in Norway. He's a great songwriter, and when he stopped the show to break up a fight happening in the audience among the students, I gained a lot of respect for him as an artist.


We followed with lunch at Macumba Cafe: Social Club..


... loved the interior design, and the food was equally fabulous!


The next day of the conference we joined the local Grieg Academy (college) students
for a presentation of traditional Indian music...


As you can see, we were all very intrigued...


Music is one of those things that simply cannot be captured in an image alone, so I took a few video clips of their performance to share with you. The experience in person was very meditative and transcendent, which is hard to capture in a few seconds of video. In any case, click play to watch, and more importantly, listen...


Magne, who is an amazing music educator and innovator as well as the main organizer of this conference, is the person who brought all of these people together to share their music, as well as making it possible for Alex and I to attend.



After the performance, the group received traditional Norwegian fishing hats as a gift... which reminds me... I need to get a picture of Alex in his hat too. ;)


As they were putting their instruments away, I wanted to get a close up of this instrument. The intricacy of the carvings is absolutely amazing.


What I didn't blog about were the other research presentations and interesting ideas from the other conference presenters, but I figured that probably wasn't the most intriguing aspect for my blog readers, so hopefully what I did blog about was interesting to you. ;) If you are interested, and can read Norwegian, you can visit the BIMUC Blog.

Should my next post be about Bergenfest or sightseeing? You decide! Click on the poll below to vote!

Live Music: Stampead at The Verve

Check out their music on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/stampead
Here are a few photos from their stop at The Verve in Terre Haute, IN. These guys are seriously awesome musicians. You can click any picture to view more pics on flickr.