Hi Everyone –
Warm greetings and blessings to you all!
May you be filled with lovingkindness.
May you be safe and protected from all inner and outer dangers.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
November: In Vancouver, it’s a time of less daylight and more rain – for me, a perfect combination for helping to cultivate inner stillness. I am blessed to be a part of much music-making in my life, and to enjoy the love and friendship of many people, AND I welcome this time of year and its energy as I begin the process of birthing a new CD. My goal is to have it ready for the world by May 1st of 2009 – please help me to envision that!
I’m thinking about including a “cover” song (a song written by someone else) on my next CD, and I’d very much welcome your input on helping me to pick the “right” one. Please e-mail me at nathenaswell.com with your “vote”, and why you think I should cover it. Thanks!
REPORT
I have MANY highlights to share from the last month or so:
– Participating in the FAR-West music conference in Mesa, AZ. I am grateful for all those whom attended my showcases, for the new connections I made, and for the deepening of existing friendships. I’d especially like to thank Michael Morales, my songwriting buddy from Seattle, for hosting a truly incredible showcase room and for modeling how to “work” the exhibit hall – all with a beautiful, relaxed grace; Bonnie Ste-Croix, fellow ex-Quebecer and current Vancouverite, for the pleasure of accompanying her in her showcases; and Freebo and Moe Dixon, for the pleasure of some great shared music-making. (Check out Moe’s ukuleles at www.myamoeukuleles.com/ – they’re AMAZING instruments!)
– Performing at the Unity Coffee House here in Vancouver. These magical little nights have been going on for a while now, AND this was by far the best attended of the lot. Word is getting out! Big thanks to everyone at Unity of Vancouver; it’s an honour to be a part of your musical “team”.
– Performing Kirtan (Chanting) with Sandra Dawn at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, and with Amir at Yoga on 7th. What a gift it is to create music that opens hearts. BIG thanks to both Sandra and to Amir for sharing these moments with me.
– I’ve never included my church performances as highlights in my reports, AND it’s high time that I did. I perform at many churches, and I enjoy the energy and the people at every one of them. Thank you all for the pleasure of serving you.
– Doing a photo shoot with Daniel J. Collins. What fun it was to dance with Daniel’s passion and creativity! Big thanks, Daniel! (Info on where to find some of the pics from our shoot is below, in the “New Web Site Content” section.)
– Starting a songwriters circle with Katherine Scott, fellow Vancouverite and PMA (Positive Music Association) member. It’s very powerful to share ideas with other songwriters and to feel their support for your creative process. Big thanks to Katherine for helping to make it happen, and to Robert Anderson for the inspiration to start it.
– Hanging out with my old buddy Dominique Messier, drummer extraordinaire and member of Celine Dion’s band. What a gift it is to sit down with a friend that you haven’t seen in ages, and to connect with him as if you’d only seen him yesterday. BIG thanks, Dom, for your respect and for your friendship – it means a great deal to me. (AND it was great to see Mary Lou and Marc after the show too!)
– Hanging out with my dear friend Helen Davis, passionate singer and “engine” of The Euphorics, an a cappella group that I sang with for eight years. Helen, our time together was just as sweet as my time with Dom; thank you too for your love and friendship. And congrats to The Euphorics, who are still going strong after 25 years!
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
Here’s what my calendar looks like in the coming month. I’d be honoured to see you at any of these events.
November
9, 11:00 AM – Spiritual Centre for Dynamic Living (H. R. MacMillan Space Centre Auditorium / Vancouver Planetarium, 1100 Chestnut Street) – Church Service
14, 7:30-9:30 PM – Sheila & Nathen’s home – Kirtan (Chanting) with Sandra Dawn – $15. Song sheets provided; please bring a cushion and a bottle of water. (Space is limited, so please RSVP Sandra at sandradawn@telus.net to reserve a spot and to get details on the Kirtan’s location.)
15, 9:00-11:30 PM – Cafe Deux Soleils (2096 Commercial Drive, near 6th Ave.) – Accompanying Bonnie Ste-Croix in “Carolyna & Company – LIVE in Vancouver and LIVE WEBCAST”. (Featured artists: Carolyna Loveless, Melissa Bandura and Bonnie Ste-Croix.) $5-$8 sliding scale. (Join us online for the webcast at www.swampfolk.com.)
16, 11:00 AM – Centre for Spiritual Living (1495 W. 8th Ave., 4th floor, Vancouver) – Church Service
16, 7:00 PM – St. Andrew’s-Wesley (1012 Nelson Ave., Vancouver) – Worship Service with Curt Allison
17 & 18, 7:30 PM (Doors open at 6:30 PM) – Unity of Vancouver (5840 Oak St., Vancouver) – “Kindness Sings 2008” (formerly “The World Kindness Concert”). Tickets: 2 for $50. (For more info, please visit http://www.worldkindnessconcert.com/.)
21 & 22, 9:30 PM-1:00 AM – Lulu’s Lounge (River Rock Casino, Richmond) – With California Calling (Beach Boys tribute band)
23, 10:30 AM – Centre for Positive Living (Centennial Park, 14600 North Bluff Rd., White Rock) – Church Service
23, 1:30 PM – Centre for Spiritual Life (St. Andrew’s Heritage Church, 22289 116 Ave., Maple Ridge) – Church Service
29, 3:00-4:00 PM – Casablanca Video & Sound (2101 33rd Ave. SW, Calgary) – In-store performance. (Come say hello, and take one of my CDs and/or DVDs home with you for Christmas!)
29, 8:00 PM (Doors open at 7:00 PM) – House Concert in Calgary with Bruce Petherick – $15. (Space is limited, so please RSVP Susan Cullen at s.cullen@shaw.ca before Wednesday Nov. 26th to reserve a spot and to get details on the concert’s location.)
30, 10:00 AM – Unity Church of Calgary (2035 26A St. SW) – Church Service
30, 7:00 PM – Unity Church of Calgary (2035 26A St. SW) – Christmas Concert with Joelle Gilmour, Sandra Clemons and Bruce Petherick
December
14, 11:00 AM – Centre for Spiritual Living (1495 W. 8th Ave., 4th floor, Vancouver) – Church Service
NEW WEB SITE CONTENT
As well as updating the calendar on all three of my web sites, I’ve:
– added new photos to all three sites. (Six photos from my photo shoot with Daniel are at www.myspace.com/nathenaswell; under my picture in the upper left corner of the page, click on “View My: Pics”.)
– added three new links on the “Music Store / Book a Concert / Links” page of this site: www.empowerma.com (formerly itoiminitries.com – the folks behind New Thought Music Week), www.SpiritRiseRadio.com (a new Internet Radio station that plays my music), and vanchants-subscribe@googlegroups.com (for info on chanting events in Vancouver).
Happy November, everyone. Go with love!
With love and gratitude,
– Nathen
www.nathenaswell.com
www.myspace.com/nathenaswell
www.sonicbids.com/nathenaswell