April 30th, 2012
[Computer with blog document crashed - nothing to see here until the crash repairman calls.]
Mary McAdams News!
February 29th, 2012
| I am back from a wonderful trip to Memphis and the International Folk Alliance Conference. It was our last year in Memphis and I’m going to miss it. But change is good, right? Goodbye Beale Street, I will catch you another time. Taylor Guitars!Many of you know that I play Taylor guitars. Well, at the conference in Memphis, the super folks at Taylor Guitars interviewed me and I played a new song for them. They videotaped the whole thing and we had a great time. Now it’s up to the ‘higher ups’ at Taylor Guitars to see if my interview and song make the cut to be featured on their website. I’m crossing my fingers! Album Update! I’m writing the material for my second album and I’m over half done. Whew! And that brings me to the Song Bomb. I joined Tim Riordan’s 2012 February Song Bomb. TIm is raising money to bring guitar into the classrooms. Tim extends an invitation to 29 songwriters (one for every day in February); Tim and each songwriter pick a day and a topic and they both write a song that day. My day was February 27th. We only have one day to do this. I don’t think I can adequately express to you the fear and panic this strikes in my heart. I do not work well under pressure. I was the one who stopped at the library on the first day of each semester of college to get started on the term paper due at the end of the semester. Yeah…I’m not good under pressure. I’m not the girl you want in an emergency, even a fun, songwriting emergency. But we did it. I did change the topic twice (sorry Tim!). The final step was to record and deliver the song on any device you have. You can hear the song here! There is no production on this version so don’t get too excited. I’m happy to say that this song will be on the new album. The song is about my wish that we could all treat each other with kindness. It seems to me that we are all beating back our own troubles. If we were kinder to each other, maybe we could ease each other’s burden. It’s called “How Much We’ve Loved“. I hope you love it. February and March find me doing a Songwriting residency at a middle school in Des Moines. The kids and I are writing a song about gang violence. These kids live this reality and they want to write about it. I’m astounded at their experiences and their honesty. This is the good stuff. Let’s talk about hard issues and see what change we can affect. I hope to share the song in an upcoming newsletter. That’s all for now. Thanks for sticking with me and supporting me and my music. I couldn’t do it without ya! I’ll be in Nebraska for some house concerts at the end of the month. I’ll put deets up on my website as soon as I can. I’d love to see you! Big love, ~Mary
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Humanity, yours and mine.
December 19th, 2011
Humanity
This year I’ve been trying to gain a little understanding into our shared humanity. My own humanity and that of those I share this world with. By that, I mean everyone.
There is this deep sense of understanding within me and I don’t know where it comes from. Perhaps my elders honed it within themselves and passed it on to me. People will never fail to fail. Mistakes are for making. Perhaps it’s like the old expression goes, “It’s not the absurdity, it’s your reaction to it.” It’s not, “how could God let it happen?” Instead perhaps, God is in our reaction to what happened.
I forgive. I need to be forgiven. Don’t get me wrong, I hold grudges; but I don’t hold them well, I don’t hold them long and I can only hold one at a time. It’s a curse and it’s a blessing. My memory is short. And that is a curse and it’s a blessing.
At one point, I started a list, so I wouldn’t forget. Then a friend would see me talking to someone who had dissed me, and say, “Why were you talking to her? After what she did to you?” I had forgotten former said dissing. But keeping the list was killing me. Forgetting was far easier. People change. They do better when they know better.
I feel like I’ve seen it all this year. Or maybe I’m just seeing with new eyes.
People will fail you. People will disappoint you. It’s not necessarily a character flaw. We’re all reaching. None of us are there yet. I’m beginning to think it’s just our humanity. We are flawed. I don’t have it figured out yet, but I do know that it’s not cause for alarm. I’m beginning to think it’s an opportunity for understanding.
We hold people to high standards. And then they show their humanity. We are surprised. Maybe their failings are less about them, and more about us. Maybe what’s important is our reaction and our understanding.
It Must Be Time to Record a Christmas Song!
October 31st, 2011
Hello!
I’m just back from spending a day at the Sonic Factory Recording Studio, what could be called my favorite place on the planet! Well, favorite place in Des Moines maybe (Maui being my favorite planet place).
I am late, as usual, recording a Christmas song for y’all. Why get going on things early, when you can wait and make it a RUSH job? Luckily, the Sonic guys had a one-day opening in their schedule and I snuck in. I had the song picked out, so it was pretty quick work. I went in with the expectation that the song would include me on vocals and Tony Bohnenkamp (Sonic co-owner) on piano. I envisioned a real stripped-down rendition of Jolly Old St. Nicholas, very earthy. Tony had other plans. He had me play guitar and left it at that. It sounded pretty good “his” way, so I adjusted my expectations. I love veering off in new directions and making little mistakes in the studio and have come to embrace them wholeheartedly. They somehow always end up being the brilliant, magic part.
The session began with me sitting down to go over my guitar part while Tony built a “cage” of microphones around me. I played guitar into a SM57 instrument mic (typical), another mic I should know the name of (but don’t), and a very cool $3,000 ribbon mic. Ahhh, sweet. ”Be very careful with this one”, Tony said. It made me sound like, well, not a million bucks – but at least 3,000 bucks.
Once I’m behind my mic wall, I’m pretty much not going anywhere until we get a few takes recorded. It was a good morning; it is a simple song and we made quick progress. Vocals were next and that’s easily my favorite part. I could have sung it over and over all day. Again, I got to sing into an old (let’s say “vintage” rather than “antique”) mic worth a ton of money. I wore headphones while I was singing and I could hear every nuance of the room, the mic and my voice. I was in heaven. I love my job.
Now we wait. We give it a few days without listening to it and meet up early next week to make any modifications — with fresh ears. Then, we haul it over to iTunes and it should be available in about 10 days – just in time! It will be a digital download “single” for this year, but I may gather up all these Christmas songs I’ve recorded and put out an entire album one of these Novembers. It will be a last minute thing, of course…
Thanks for listening!
Mary