Eclectic upbringing? Maybe cacophony fits better. Raised with my father's stories of Greenwich Village Hootenannies, sitting feet a away from Leadbelly and Woodie Guthrie; listening to my father's embarrassing (yet secretly relished) boisterous heartfelt singing of songs passed down through the ages on the high holy days; treated to my mother's spontaneous recitations of Gilbert and Sullivan songs; and "born in a greasepainted trunk" of musical productions; I spent many a day of my left of center and seemingly untraditional suburban Long Island upbringing surrounded by music, theatre and art. I spent hours rumaging through my grandmothers antique chest filled with an eclectic choice of 78's and 33's. In any given hour I could be belting it out with The Weavers, singing Kurt Weill; performing Broadway Shows or relishing a risque lyric with Tom Lehrer. Eventually, some contemporary sounds made there way into that chest and my heart thanks to my own discoveries and the sounds blasting through the walls from my big brother's room. By the time I got my first guitar at age eleven, I had a strong foundation of soul, rock-n- roll, folk and blues from which to write my first song.
I didn't play for people much until I got to college and started to play the local cafes and then the impressively (looking back) massive outdoor music festivals they used to produce on campus. Although I was a Theatre Major and had been to a few "cattle calls" as they used to..and maybe still do...call the auditions for on and off broadway and received good feedback (including a call back for 5000 years of Rock and Roll which had a famous director, but a name that was destined for failure I think), I felt that self expression through music as opposed to becoming somebody else was where I needed to head.
After winning the Tri-State Singer Songwriter competition, I moved to NYC and began playing at The Speak Easy on Macdougal Street where I met many of the beautiful, passionate and talented Fast Folk singers and songwriters. I quickly found myself performing amongst and with the likes of Christine Lavin, Dave Van Ronk, David Massengill, Rod MacDonald and Cliff Eberhardt at places like Central Park, The Clearwater Town House Concert series, Folk City and, of course, The Bitter End.
As a testament to my poor memory, I'm still not sure how I went from there to raising three children back on the Island. But what pops to mind, when I venture in there, is clearly a passionate desire for truth and connection. Although I love to be alone, I am not a loner. Although I am strong and courageous, I am vulnerable and needy. For whatever reason, I did not find or was unable to recognise my touchstones and safetynets within the musical or arts communities and ventured outside of it to find my partner in life, one of the most upstanding, kind and giving person I've ever known. My rock, my base.
My musical journey did continue but on a smaller and more local scale. I performed occassionaly at outdoor music festivals and became the resident composer of the largest Jewish Arts Festival in the world where I had the honor of spending time with, among others, Arlo Guthrie, the writers of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well..., Jerry Stiller (who is one of the most passionate and loving people I've ever met) and meeting and playing with David Amram who would become a good family friend and one of my soulful inspirations.
These last few years, in many ways, has been my most prolific years of songwriting. The community of singer-songwriters on Long Island is rich, welcoming and inspiring. I released a Special Edition EP "Makin' Lemonade" last November on the night I opened for Richie Havens with my incredibly passionate collaboraters Greg Galluccio and Dr. Dan Weymouth; bringing me full circle from my beginings at My Father's Place where I first met Richie. My loooong awaited CD "Rally on" is due out this Spring.
In the mean time, come on out and catch me when you can. I look forward to meeting you all!!
