If you haven’t yet explored the vast world of podcasting, I highly recommend you do.  Podcasts are like radio-style talk & music shows that you can download and listen to through your smartphone or your computer.

The big advantage of podcasts over traditional media sources (like terrestrial radio & TV) is that you can find incredibly UNIQUE content on virtually any subject, all for free and available for you to listen to at ANY TIME — totally on your own schedule.

My favorite time to listen to podcasts is when I have chores to do around the house (you know, like the hours I spend hand-washing cat food bowls & filing song lyrics). I also download podcasts to keep me company on tour — especially on those long stretches of Highway 5 where I can’t find a decent radio station!

People make podcasts about virtually every subject you can imagine.  Some are video podcasts, though I prefer audio podcasts, as I like to multi-task while listening.  Here’s a few of my favorites:

WTF with Marc Maron - I never miss an episode of WTF!  Marc Maron is one of my favorite comedians, and his podcast tackles life’s most important philosophical questions (e.g., WTF?!).  Marc thoughtfully interviews comedians of all stripes, celebrity guests, and the neurotic voices in his own head in a way that makes millions of listeners, including myself, feel not-so-alone in our own struggles. Warning: Explicit Content.

The Serial Killers Podcast – I know, I know — Why am I listening to this?!  The same reason I love crime TV shows — because serial killers are creepily fascinating!  Brian Combs explores the history, psychopathy, and psychosis of serial murderers, and while Brian is new to broadcasting, the content is always riveting.  

The Moth – This podcast features people telling true, engaging, funny, and poignant stories from their lives, all in front of a live audience.  I love it!

     

Indy and I enjoyed 16 wonderful years together, full of laughter, singing, meowing, purring, and lots & lots of cuddling.

We spent our last evening together cuddled up on the couch, watching “The Big Lebowski” with hubby Andrew and our dear friend Ilene.  Andrew and I did our best to comfort Indy throughout the night, and when it appeared that he was suffering, I picked him up and cradled him in my arms.  He passed away within a few minutes, and I laid him on the bed and said my final goodbyes.

Indy’s spirit has always been larger than life, and it’s hard to believe that he’s gone.  Indy’s little sister Pumpkin has been very comforting throughout our ordeal — always quick to jump on my lap for a cuddle.

Thank you for all of the kindness and words of support you’ve been sharing with me — I appreciate it so very much.

xoxo

Sex * Obscenity * Hamsters

One of my favorite musicals of all-time is an obscure off-Broadwayshow I saw back in the early ’90s called Co-Ed Prison Sluts.
My DAD took me and my sisters to see it in a little theater onBleecker Street (yes, I had an unconventional upbringing!).  It was so hilarious and cleverly written (especially the music!) that I still have the program, the t-shirt and the pink cassette tape I bought the *first* time I saw it (yes, I went back a second time with friends).

It’s a simple plot, really…we follow the prison’s newest inmate, Alice, as she learns the ropes from other crazy inmates, including Hamster Man, Slick, Dr. Bellows (the drag queen prisonpsychologist) and his dog Fluffy.  With catchy songs like “Hey We’re in Prison,” “Sh*t, M*th*r-F*ck*r” (my personal favorite), and”The Dog Is Eating My Hamster Now,” Co-Ed Prison Sluts was definitely not your traditional family musical. Yet, my dad must’veknown in his infinite wisdom that it would be one of my favorite shows of all time…go figure!

As it turns out, Co-Ed Prison Sluts is the longest running musical in Chicago (where it originated), and, fortunately for all of us, it’s still in production at the Annoyance Theatre! To learn more about it, CLICK HERE.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find any of the brilliant songs, all penned by Faith Soloway, on iTunes.  You’ll just have to go see the show for yourself!

Don’t need no more lies
Don’t need no more lies
Don’t need no more lies
Don’t need no more lies…

A hundred voices from a hundred lands Cry out in unison…

~Neil Young, Lyrics from “The Restless Consumer” on the album Living With War

At 9:30pm on a Wednesday night in April 2006, I got a call to be part of a vocal session taking place the next morning in Studio A (the “big room”) at the iconic Capitol Records studios in Hollywood.  I had been recommended by my singer friend Felice Hernandez (Thanks, Felice!), and when the vocal contractor called me about the session, she told me that the gig was to sing on a new Neil Young album (to which I replied “Wow!”).

The only qualifying question I had to answer before getting the job was, “Do you have a problem singing the word “impeachment?”  After enthusiastically exclaiming“uh…NO!” I was booked.

Thursday morning I showed up at the Capitol Records building, along with 99 other singers — including many of the top session singers in Los Angeles — for a 12-hour, ten song session.  After checking in at the gate and signing in at the front desk, I walked the legendary halls of Capitol Records Recording Studios, which is lined with black and white photos of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, John Coltrane, Keely Smith, and more of the artists who recorded their most beloved recordings in the very studio I was about to enter.

The session itself was really fun, with the Living With War choir (me & the 99 other singers) reading lyrics from a huge screen at the front of the room, taking cues from our vocal contractor Rosemary Butler.  Some of the work was pretty easy – everyone singing the same part in unison – but some of it was quite challenging — try getting 100 singers to *exactly* match Neil Young’s timing, pitch, & inflection on every line in a song!

If you’ve heard the album Living With War, you know that it’s a VERY political, anti-war CD, and at one point, when the whole lot of us were repeatedly belting out “don’t need” at the tops of our lungs (as in “don’t need no more lies”), I felt like I was in a recording session for Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” (“we don’t need no education…”) — it was very cool!!

It was exciting to be working on such a high-profile session with so many of my singer friends, as well as having the opportunity to sing and hang out with icons of the session-singing world — we’re talking about people who’ve sung on albums with Stevie Wonder and in classic Walt Disney films I grew up watching as a kid.

Not to mention working with the legendary Neil Young himself — he was there the whole time, supervising and occasionally helping us fine tune our vocal parts. We ended the evening by singing “America The Beautiful” all together — it was a moving end to an emotional and exciting day, and it was captured on film in the America The Beautiful mini-documentary.

If you watch the 2008 documentary film CSNY/ Déjà Vu, you’ll see several segments of Neil working with the choir, in addition to live footage of Crosby Stills Nash & Young’s “Freedom of Speech” tour and the surrounding controversy.  When the film came to theatres in 2008, I went to see it with my mom and lo and behold – there I was – singing in the choir right up there on the silver screen! And, yes, as you can see below, I did meet Mr. Young after our recording session.  He was very friendly and incredibly gracious to pose for a photo with me.

Here are a few links if you’re curious to see Neil & the Living With War choir in action:

Living With War Documentary: 5-minute mini-doc on Neil Young, his band & the choir in the studio recording “Living With War”

America The Beautiful Documentary: After 12 hours of recording, the Living With War choir sings “America The Beautiful” to wrap up an incredibly inspiring day. (And if you really wanna see *me*, press pause at 3:27, look just behind and to the left of the conductor, and you’ll see my little head peeking out from the second row!)

CSNY/Deja Vu DVD (2008)

In addition to being bright, generous, and a real go-getter, Barbara was immensely supportive and proud of her kids Andrew and Stephanie. Barbara immediately embraced me as part of the family the first time we met and became one of my biggest cheerleaders. She shared my music with all of her friends and family, and was always thrilled to hear about my successes (in fact, I couldn’t believe how many people at services today approached me saying they’d heard my music because Barb had shared it with them!).

Hearing from all of the people whose lives she touched today reminded me that we’re all here to help each other, love each other, and ease each other’s burdens as best we can.

May you rest in peace, Barbara-Mom.  You will be missed.

Barbara-Mom & Rich Goldenhersh, 2009