Here it is! The whole five songs, waiting for you to take a listen. I'm pleased with the results as I think it shows a diverse array of styling... some bluesy and some just simple. I'd appreciate any feedback you have to give!

When all was said and done, we recorded and mixed five songs in one evening. No small undertaking, but we did it. I'm pretty stoked about the results.

 I want to share with you the results of one track. I'm working on getting all my ducks in order, but I've got this one up on the web to share. Hopefully you like it as much as I do.

I'm hoping that someday in the not-so-distant future I can turn this into a video. One step at a time!

I'm still a bit on a terrarium kick. Not that we have any room in our house for more terrariums, but in case we did have an extra little spot I made some TINY terrariums. These seemed easier in theory, but it turns out my big fingers and oversized tweezers didn't make the task especially easy. But, I think the result is pretty cute.

Sorry things have been so quiet around here lately. I've been working on a number of things and just generally lazy about blogging. I will share some more soon, but today I just wanted to share these little buggers.

I had the privelege last weekend to take pictures at the wedding of Kaitlin Kostus and Robert Krums. I'm a reluctant wedding photographer. The funny part is, I quite enjoy the act, but I hate th pressure. No one wants the pictures to be more perfect than the photographer, but few situations involve taking pictures of more people with more variables. It is a crapshoot! But, when someone heeds my warnings about my style choices and my abilities and inabilities... and they agree to these, I will do the job. Here are a few from that day.

Hello!

The above photo is from quite some time ago, out the dining room window at my parents old house. I wanted to post this, because outside, right now, looks something quite opposite. They say we could top out at 60 degrees (F!) today and you know, it's January 6 and that just seems weird. But, we try not to complain because it seems at any moment the blizzard of 2011 could rear its ugly head and we could be cold and stuck... does that really sound so bad?

New Year Eve was a fun little success. We had a delicious evening of Korean BBQ and then made our way to Jessica and Ryan's where they celebrated the New Year and their new house. It was actually the perfect sort of NYE. Delicious food, no pressure and great friends.

And so now here we are in 2012 and I couldn't feel more confused about the whole thing. That seems dramatic, yes? But it's true. I feel like I want to make resolutions and I want to be committing to new things like the rest of you, but I don't quite know where to start. This isn't to say I'm unhappy with that which I have. In fact, I'm quite thrilled with all of it and I've worked very hard for it in the last year, but I want more! I want to feel progress and advancement and growth and contribution. It is this that is confusing me. Where does one start?

Hello friends! We have recently returned from some time away in Michigan, and now find ourselves on the eve of the new year. It's hard to believe it has come so quickly, but alas, we submit and we celebrate. I thought I'd share just a bit of our Christmas holiday as it really was a nice time with friends and family. As I did some singing on Christmas Eve here in the city, and also on Christmas morning, Scott and I managed to stay in town on the actual day to spend time with his family. His brother, a chef treated us to the most delicious salmon with mushrooms, mashed potatoes, and brussle sprouts. The whole dinner was topped off with some pie in a bag, which if you haven't ever had I recommend trying. It was delicious.

On Monday morning we got in the car and made our way east. I downloaded the audio version of Tina Fey's Bossy Pants which had us in stitches for the nearly three hour drive. After spending the day with folks and family, we picked up Robin and made our way to Grand Rapids to spend time with some of my dearest friends from High School and their partners. This is one of my favorite holiday tradiitons as it never ceases to amaze me how we almost instantly return to our giggly high school ways. These are good people and I love them just like I did some 12 years ago.

We awoke the next morning to snow that seemed just right and a little too late.

The early part of the day involved a trip to Kalamazoo where I introduced Scott to one of my favorite spots, Water Street Coffee Joint. We then just spent some time walking around downtown Kzoo before heading to my sister's for our actual Christms celebration.

The "Christmas" celebration was full of good family laughter, gifts and food. I'm so fortunate to be a part of a group of people that enjoy spending time together like we do and always manage to laugh our way through much of it. There was also a particular Christmas hat that gave us a few giggles.

Wednesday Scott and I made our for one final night in Saugatuck. He was in the beginning stages of a cold, but I still managed to talk him into a trip up Mount Baldy and a couple of good meals.

And now, here we are. It's New Years Eve and the holidays are drawing to a close. I can't help to feel a bit of a come down already as the last month has really been dedicated to all this celebratory. What does January hold? What does 2012 hold? God knows I don't have a solid plan but I guess when I reflect upon the last year, I can't help but take inventory of all the major things that have happened to me. Much of what happened this holiday season couldn't have happened last year and for that I am thankful. I suppose much of my frustration with the upcoming year is based upon the successes of the last. Maybe that is foolish, but when you make such headway, how do you take it all even further.

You know what? I'm going to worry about that tomorrow. Tonight I'm going to eat Korean BBQ and celebrate the New Year. HappyHappy to You and Yours.

Hello, friends! Here we are on Christmas eve eve and all is becoming quiet in downtown Chicago. It seems everyone is either at home preparing for the weekend or have left town for the weekend because all seems to be slowing down. I've had the great fortune of being able to take this entire week off from work, which frankly was quite necessary after the hectic schedule I kept prior. But, one of the best parts of having this week to myself has been the time to prepare for scott and I to have friends over for our annual Friend Christmas. This is something that has just sort of happened over the years where we get together, eat good food and exchange gifts. Because I had the time I really wanted to just take the reigns this year and make most of the food etc. happen, so I've spent the last few days baking, cooking and wrapping. I think it all payed off as yesterday was the day and it was quite a treat, if I do say so myself.  The menu included spicy butternut squash shooters with basil and candied walnuts, a harvest quinoa salad with dried cranberries, pecans and roasted squash and a roasted tomato and goat cheese pasta with cayenne pumpkin seeds. Scott also contributed and awesome broccoli rabe with parmesan and for dessert we had two types of cookies that I excitedly took from Lottie and Doof's 12 days of cookies. Add in a little pre dinner cheese with homemadee crostinis and a raspberry cheesecake I purchased from a fundraiser by the Chicago Children's Choir ... and voila! We have a delicious celebration.

The gather is a lot of fun, and It reminds me of the ways in which I am so incredibly blessed, most of all by good people.
 

I have some singing to do tomorrow evening on Christmas eve and also on Christmas morning. Then the next few days will be dedicated to spending with family and enjoying a bit more downtime before the new year.

Merry Christmas to each of you! I look forward to what this upcoming weekend/week brings and even more exciting - this new year.

I suppose it's a terrible misnomer to call this a "Gift Guide." Let's think of it more as a "Gift Idea Share." That just seems a little more cumbersome, but I did one of these last year and I thought it would be fun to do the same this year. Addiitonally, when one spends much of their day at a desk, the opportunity to troll the internet for neat gifts tends to present itself, so why not share! Some of these I own and many of these I want ... and the gifts are:

Good Heavens Ties - Etsy

In the words of Phaedra Parks "everybody knows" Etsy is a treasure trove of fun potential gifts. It's also impossible to search and navigate as it just contains too. much. stuff. But! Lucky for you, I'm pointing you to a good little shop that makes the most delightful of handmade ties. Now I know ties seem like such a trite gift for the holiday season, but might I suggest that the most trite of gift can become the most enjoyable if the content is unique? These are just that - unique... and, you're supporting a small business.

Coffee Mill - Neëst

Any good coffee drinker knows there is no better way to enhance flavour than to freshly grind your beans. That being said, if you're anything like me, you're not too crazy about having an electric grinder sitting around, or cleaning it out or anything really involved with it. Usually, I have the likes of Intelligentsia do the grinding for me, but how could I resist not giving it a go myself with this cute little guy. Housed over at the uniquely french site Neëst, this grinder is not only practical (it will attach to multiple size jars, depending on how much coffee you want to grind) but it is also quite charming. It would look quite cute sitting out on your counter or even tucked away in the cupboard.

Solmate Socks - Hickoree's

Ok, I loved these socks last year and I still love them this year. I suppose that means I need to just go ahead and buy them for myself? But seriously, what better way to spice up a cold weather outfit than with some wild and warm socks? In addition, you could certainly mix and match these to add even more flare to your lower extremity sartorial needs. You know what? After you've taken a look at these socks, spend some additional time a Hickoree's as it is a really well curated site. They are constantly updating it with other things that I don't need, but want, but convince myself I need, but just oggle on the internet.

Jambox - Jawbone

While watching the CBS Sunday Morning tech gift guide yesterday, I noticed that they called out the Jambox by Jawbone. I mentioned to Scott that this was probably one of my best purchases of the year (well, I got an iPad too, but I won't recommend that as a gift unless you're feeling extra generous.) This little bluetooth speaker has already garnered many a listening hour. Each morning, I bring my iPhone into the bathroom, turn on the Jambox and play a little NPR as I get ready. On the weekend, if working around the house I will turn on Spotify and play whatever it is that I'm in the mood for at the moment. This summer, I even took the little bugger to a cookout as I knew we'd be sitting outside and it's portability would fulfill. It's really genius. Like I said, it's Bluetooth, so you can move your phone about without disruption and the sound is really incredible. It uses its own rubber surface along the with the surface to set it on to amplify. If you're feeling particularly saucy, you can answer the phone through the Jambox too. It has a microphone inside. It's worth the coin, to this I can attest!

Gorm Key Holder - Canoe & Kawatako Brass Key Hook - Self Edge

For some reason this year, both Scott and I sort of randomly bought each other key chains. I purchased for him this Kawatako Brass Key Hook and he for the me the Gorm Key Hook. Both seem to be working out for the two of us quite well, so I thought I'd recommend them for your key holding needs. First, the Kawatako key hook caught my eye because it isn't a traditional shape, but there is something quite hardy and traditional about it. Personally, I love the way brass ages and this little guy easily slips around your belt loop and into your pocket, providing a little flare hanging on the side of your pants. The Gorm Key Holder is a whole different bird. Meant to house your keys and protect other items in your pocket/bag the key holder is like a wallet for your keys. It also made in leather treated with vegetable oil that will age and change colors over time. Mine still looks pretty new, but I'm anxious to see it get older.

Real Living Tiny Green Cactus Plant Necklace with Ballchain - Gem Sprouts on Etsy
 

If you're a friend of mine, you probably know I have a bit of a thing for plants... or maybe a bit of an obsession. Most recently, I've got a thing for a terrariums. Last year we took a terrarium building class and I guess i sort of caught the bug. That is why I was so amused to see these little terrariums you can wear around your neck. Now, you really need the right person to give this to, but how exciting to be wearing something that is alive and growing. The creator claims these can be transported within six months or so to another pot for actual growth. With the exception of the cactus, I can't really see them lasting, but for their potentially short life, they would be a fantastic conversation piece. I'm tempted to just buy one to have sitting around. See, I told you I'm obsessed.

A Vacation - Sayulita, Mexico

Ok, I realize this is a bit of stretch, but the truth of the matter is - this is what Mr. Scott and I have done this year. In lieu of presents, we have purchased for ourselves and each other a late winter warm weather trip. Last year, we made our way to Tulum, a destination we were both intensely fond of, but this year we thought it best to try something similar... but different. Therefore, we are going to head to the west coast of Mexico to a surfing town called Sayulita. Now, despite the lack of physically exchanged goods, the sheer hope this gives me that I will be able to brave the Chicago winter with a twinkle and glimmer of Mexico in my eye, well, I couldn't ask for anything more. This is the best kind of gift for me.

There may be a part two to this gift guide, but I'll leave it at this for now. Happy giving!

The truth of the matter is, this is the time of year when I do much much singing! Musically and financially, this is a great thing for me. Physically --- I'm tired! This weekend for instance, began with a funeral on Saturday morning, lessons in the afternoon, and William Ferris Chorale concert in the evening. Wake up on Sunday and sing at Church, then direct the church choir after church then head to the burbs for another William Ferris Chorale Concert. Lucky for me, the weekend ended with some tacos and television. All is well.

But, in addition to all the singing, my mother has found herself back in the hospital which, has been occupying much of my mental space. The good news is, she will be fine, but after a blood clot or two, they've kept her there for nearly 7 days and the poor gal is goin' nuts. I don't know what is worse, being sick and in the hospital or not being sick and being the hospital. I think feeling confined is terrible no matter what the scenario. We are hopeful she will be able to come home either today or tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Ok, so that's a bunch of the life stuff - but let me share with you something I began working on in November when I took the train home to be with her after knee surgery. I was thinking that while I was home I might try to record some Christmas songs to share with family and friends. So, while on the train I began to mess with the garageband app for my iPad. I found my inspiration almost immediate and spent the next days recording some of these songs. Upon my return back to Chicago I recorded a couple more and voila! Here you have a little experiment, parts more successful than others, of me recording and arranging. I think this process was surprisingly easy, but also incredibly difficult. There is much nuance to recording, and much of which I was ill equipped to handle, so I spent many any hour trying to even out volumes etc. Let's just say, I'm not great at this but I hope what you walk away with are some unique arrangements of Christmas tunes you can play in the background. Also, I'd like to consider this a little gift of music, from me to you during this holiday. Take a listen!

Hello! Today, I am wearing a tie and listening to The Smiths. The weather is gorgeous and I'm attempting to keep myself in this general mode, despite my seemingly less than obligations.

I wanted to share with you about my trip to Michigan. As I believe I mentioned, the surgery was a success and now my mother is sportin' a brand new knee. I was glad to have made it there and spend some time in the hospital as recovery from this sort of surgery is quite labor intensive. One would think that after surgery your goal would be rest, but in joint replacement, your goal is activity. Imagine! The day of your surgery you are asked to walk. The next day you are asked to go up and down stairs. It's incredible really and it seemed that she was up to the challenege. I'm sure the pain killers play a small role in her willingness to do it all, but whose to poo poo a little Percocet? Not me!

I took a train very early morning on Thursday. The sun shone through the windows beautifully.

Upon my arrival on Thursday, there was an incredible snow storm. Truly, a storm of real proportions with snow gathering on the ground and roads becoming slushy and icy. This is most shocking as the date is still early November, but the end result was quite beautiful as the leaves that still remained on the trees provided a nice bed for the snow... making everything extra white. I was able to catch the view from the parking ramp at the hospital at night. Quite beautiful I say.

Despite the fact that much of my time spent away was spent in the hospital, it was quite a productive time for me creatively. I made a point to bring home every tool and electronic and pencil and cord I would need to create, if the spirit moved me to do so. I've needed this so badly as of late. I've felt stopped up and frustrated as a result. Along the way of the weekend I manage to somehow discover Garageband on my iPad, which, if you have any interest in making music whatsoever, might I recommend you download this app? Seriously, this is an incredible tool. I've read some about it, but actually taking the time on the train ride home to sit down with it and create using the tools available got me pretty excited. I have no sophisticated knowledge of the recording process, but being able ot actually put my hands on the instrument (so to speak!) I felt that I was able to produce and create... and that I did. All weekend long, even when I was just sitting in the waiting room, I had my headphones on and my iPad in hand and i was making music. It was really quite wonderful.

Additionally, I was able to take some time to make pictures and do some zine work. Ahhhhhhh! The thing that is most frustrating about it all is that it feels so good! Why is time so limiting that it takes my mother having surgery for me to be able to sit down and do these things...

Or, is it me? Do I not prioritize well?

Regardless, as I come upon the hectic nature of the holiday season I consider it a blessing to have been able to take those days in the midst of being helpful and actually helping myself a little bit.

Create.

Make.

Think.

Look.

Listen.

These are the things I need more of.

Received a text message from my father just a bit ago that read like - "The doc gave a very good report on mthrs surgery. She will soon be in recvry." Good news and a speedy recovery we hope it will be. I'm looking forward to making my way on Amtrak tomorrow to help out and enjoy some time away.

It's 1:45pm and it is just a grey as it will be until about 3:30pm when it get's absolutely dark. This is November and with November comes shorter days and longer nights. We all know this will happen, but I don't think one can adequately prepare for the actual day of the time change when it shifts entirely.

Last night, Scott and I had a lovely dinner at Crofton on Wells, a place we'd been before... about two years before. It was an anniversary and we celebrated it by returning to a place that we both enjoyed very much. It is straight forward and delcious food. Certainly on the nice side and certainly appropriate for a nice evening. Despiet the rain outside, I quite enjoyed myself with conversation, food and wine. I'm fortunate, I'm reminded.

Tonight begins rehearsal season for me. Christmas isn't far off in the realm of music making and tonight I shall begin rehearsing with a choral group that will celebrate the season through a number of concerts. Although I don't look forward to long rehearsals, I do look forward to new projects.

Speaking of, tomorrow will begin a new project for my mother as she will undergo surgery to replace her knee. I plan to make my way to Michigan on Thursday to offer any assistance I might be able to for a few days. I'm sure she will recover well, but it will be nice to go and sit and be for a while. I feel like I could use a bit of that these days.

All of this to say, I had the idea to recreate old mix tapes and mix cd's on a service that I'm sure many of you know about, called Spotify. Although quite new to the US, Spotify has been around for quite some time in many other countries. I must say, the concept is one I have had in my head for quite some time and one I thought iTunes would be foolish to not take advantage of. A streaming subscription service? Yes, please. You give me access to the library and I will pay you a monthly fee. I am totally down with this and have decided to do just that with Spotify. I have access to my music wherever I go (cheers to cloud computing!) and should I have a hankering to hear a specific artist or song, I can simply look them up right then and there and play them. Additionally, I've been able to recreate playlists from the past that only exist on cd or tape. It's really quite a lot of fun. I must say that initially I found the task of rebuilding my musical library a bit daunting, but should you want to, you can easily merge your current iTunes with you spotify library. if you do decide to subscribe like I have, you can make certain playlists available offline, so you don't need to have internet connection... say, if you're on a plane or underground on a train, like I often am. Oh! I almost forgot. It is terribly easy as well to share playlists you create with others. I'm finding this to be one of the most fun aspects of the whole service, particularly discovering new artists through other's playlists. I'm a fan! If you happen to be on Spotify, go ahead and search me out. My username is davinyoungs and let's share playlists.

In what may be a similar piece of nostalgia, I've been finding myself spending quite a bit of audio time with Monocle Magazine's new M24 radio station. First off, let me say that I have been a big fan of Monocle for a long time and despite its cost have recently taken the plunge to get the year-long subscription. This magazine is jam packed with beautifully curated content of culture, business and news. The best part about it is that the perspective is global and I find myself interested in reading bits and pieces that would surprise me, as they are far outside my range. If you couple that with my similar fondness for radio, you've got quite a hot match. See, radio is something I grew up with. I have strong memories of my father in the barn, working and listening to the radio. He was/is an NPR devotee and spent many any afternoon listening to classical music as supplied by the radio. If I truly think back on my first experiences with classical music in consideration of why I ended up studying it, I think that is it. I think it was through osmosis... from the radio... in the barn. Amazing! I suppose that' s a bit of a tangent, but as an adult I've found myself having equal dedication to the radio. I remember in college using internet radio as a connection to home, listening to stations that were local to Otsego, MI as a way of feeling less distant. Once I moved to Chicago I became a regular listener of WBEZ, Chicago's NPR station. In fact, it is how I get ready most mornings. It is how I start my day. When I used to live alone, I found radio to be the ultimate company keeper. To me, there is something quite lonely about television, but radio... it's warm, it's connected and assuming your choosing the correct station, it's is engaging and informative.

Enter Monocle's M24. One of the defining characteristics of the Monocle brand (a brand with which I find myself more and more obsessed) is its engagement with and admiration for craft. I've read many article's with editor Tyler Brule and he regularly references the staff's excitement for magazine making, down to the fascination that comes with touching different types of paper, using new fonts and or smelling the printed journal. So, it's no surprise that their latest endeavor, a radio station, would embody these same qualities. Recently I purchased the iPhone app so I could take the station with me and to say it has been keeping me company would be a bit of an understatement. The content is in the same vein of the magazine and its quality is outstanding. The one thing I find particularly interesting is that it is truly global. The reports and interviews come from around the world and although much of my fascination with radio comes back to the notion that it connects me locally, I find this global programming to have a similar feel. How do I explain that? I can't exactly other than to say that part of what makes radio intimate is being captured in the content they are producing, therefore many of the qualities radio junkies like me enjoy, are there.

Wow! That's a lot, but that's what occupying my ears and my mind lately. We truly live in a revolutionary age of media and engagement. There are so many options, but so little sticks. I think that's why I find myself so excited when something does and I can't help but want to share.

It's not that I couldn't have easily purchased this, but the truth of the matter is I have too many plants and I haven't had the right place or the right pot to put it. After some assessment of space and agreement of purchase, I picked one up the other night. Not only did I get the oxalis plant, but also picked up this sweet pot and tray, both from Sprout Home here in Chicago.

I wish I could say this meant that my plant collection is complete, but there are many more in my queue.

Regardless of whether you are interested in studying voice with me, I hope you might find this video a nice little peek into what I'm talking about when I say I'm teaching.