I’m writing to you from the shade in a grassy meadow in the northern Netherlands, where the Ukestock festival is being held this weekend. Ukulelezaza and I played a magical set last night.
Can I tell you about it?! After the show, someone (let’s call her by her first initial, D!) came to us and painted such a beautiful picture:
D. described that from her seat in the back of the room, that she felt the entire room enveloped in the love that our music has created. She said that she had fallen in love with each person in the room.
Let me tell you something else too: the previous day D. and I were talking about Ella Fitzgerald. If you know anything about me, you might know that Ella is one of my absolute favorite musicians and listening to and learning her music has been a completely foundational part of creating my identity as a musician.
D. had described Ella as having the ability to channel love through her singing. While I adore Ella to the core, I had never thought of it in this way, and dang, if I didn’t start crying immediately. D. remarked upon my tears of the previous day: “It’s so interesting that that touched you so deeply because that’s also what you’re doing through your singing.”
Wow wow wow! And here I thought I was just playing the ukulele.
I’m so grateful to D for sharing her experience of the show with me, because while I did know that magic was happening on that stage, I had no idea what the experience was like from the back row. And to know that the love was creeping even into the furtherest corners of the room …
That is honestly a very good day at the office.
And here’s the thing: I’m not stingy. If you want in on the love, let’s get a private concert booked for you.
Speaking of love, Ukulelezaza and I playing at the Galway uke fest next weekend. It’s sold out, but we’re playing more concerts later in the summer as well. Check out the dates on the tour page.
And what the heck are we waiting around for? Contact me and let’s get your concert booked. 😉
xoxo
-s
p.s. I basically recorded an hour-long artist’s talk last week for the podcast I publish weekly on YouTube. In it I go through the highlights of every album I’ve released. Listen here.
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