November 2016 - Michelle Schmitt

Michelle, Heidi, and Holiday Concert Featured in Marin Magazine Online

November 30, 2016/in Events & Concerts, News & Media/by MichelleSchmitt

The Digital Edition of Marin Magazine’s December 2016 issue has a little piece about Michelle,Chef Heidi Krahling, and the upcoming Holiday Concert. Read below or click here to view it in Marin Mag.

And click here for more info and tickets to the concert!

Kick Off the Holiday Season

Michelle Schmitt’s 8th annual Holiday Concert benefitting Extrafood.org is on December 8th at 142 Throckmorton Theatre. Michelle Schmitt, a longtime resident & musician, considers herself blessed both in her personal & professional life. She donates 100% of all music proceeds to people in need. Schmitt is involved with organizations that make a difference and has devoted 27 years helping women in recovery as well. Michelle is a wife, mother & also a new grandmother. Along with best friend Heidi Krahling (owner/chef at Insalatas & Marinitas), Michelle has joined the family at ExtraFood. org. They deliver food to nonprofits serving Marin’s most vulnerable people. When asked why she gets involved, Schmitt says that giving back what has so generously been given to her is the most important principle in her life. “I’m very grateful for my life & any impact I can make, big or small, makes me happy & my life more meaningful”.

Pictured: Heidi Krahling and Michelle Schmitt

San Anselmo, CA

Click here for more info and tickets to the concert!

Singer-Songwriter Michelle Schmitt to Bring Annual Holiday Concert to 142 Throckmorton Theatre

November 13, 2016/in Events & Concerts, News & Media/by MichelleSchmitt

Bay Area singer-songwriter Michelle Schmitt announced today that she will bring her eighth annual holiday concert to 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley on Thursday, December 8, 2016 at 8 p.m. for one performance only.

Tickets are $25 for general admission seating and include a copy of Michelle’s new holiday album, “Christmas Gifts.” VIP tickets are available for $100 and include Michelle’s new album, a pre-performance VIP food and wine reception courtesy of Insalatas beginning at 6:45 p.m. and priority seating. Tickets are available now online at 142 Throckmorton Theatre, by phone at (415) 383-9600 or at the 142 Throckmorton Box Office. All proceeds from tickets sales will benefit ExtraFood.org and their mission to help end hunger and reduce waste in Marin County.

Schmitt will perform songs off “Christmas Gifts,” as well as selection of songs from her previous three holiday records that have raised much-needed funds to feed the hungry. Michelle’s 11 CDs, including “Christmas Gifts,” will be available for purchase at the concert, with 100% of the evening’s proceeds going to ExtraFood.org.

Says Schmitt: “I can’t think of a better way to kick off the holidays than to bring the community together for our 8th annual holiday concert. ExtraFood.org is making a big difference in our community and helping a lot of people get much needed food. At the end of the day, this is what the holidays are about for me.”

Adds Heidi Krahling, ExtraFood.org Board Member: “The holidays would not be the same without Michelle’s benefit concert. Through her support of ExtraFood.org, we have been able to continue helping tens of thousands of people over the years. We would not have been able to do so much without her.”

Michelle Schmitt is a Bay Area singer-songwriter who has been playing guitar and writing songs since the age of 12. Schmitt, who has lived in the Bay Area since the late-seventies, grew up in Detroit where she was exposed to great music which she credits as her inspiration.

“Christmas Gifts,” her fourth holiday album, released on Saturday, October 1st, is a collection of original and classic Christmas songs including “Something About December,” “It Really is a Wonderful Life” and “Hey Guys, It’s Christmas Time.”

Through her songwriting and soulful voice, Schmitt continues to spread the message of faith, love and hope. Her characteristic rock and soul sound are accompanied by her longtime band, drumming sensation Ricky Fataar, gifted guitarist George Marinelli, Marc Levine on bass, Graham Patzner on keyboards and violin, Lewis Patzner on cello and Nashville guitarist Michael Spriggs.

About ExtraFood
Modeled after the SF organization FoodRunners, ExtraFood.org was founded by Marv Zauderer and rescues tons of food each week and delivers a free, convenient, customized service to help end hunger and reduce waste in Marin County. Our goal, in partnership with many: Zero Hunger, Zero Waste in Marin by 2025. To donate, volunteer or for more information, visit www.extrafood.org.

Notes from Michelle – December 2016

November 3, 2016/in Notes from Michelle/by MichelleSchmitt

So much has happened this year and so many more adventures are to be had! Spending time with my little granddaughter Charlee, who was born last September, has brought great joy to my life. Time flies so quickly but she is magical in every way.

This summer, the band and I recorded Christmas Gifts for our 8th annual benefit concert at Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, December 8th, 2016. Get your tickets now via the theater webstie. As always, 100% of the proceeds will benefit ExtraFood.org. These concerts have fed over 3 million people, so please come out and help us feed some more. “Tis the season.

I also produced two records to help raise money for charity. San Francisco AM Sessions is a collection of my more mellow favorite original songs and San Francisco PM Sessions are some upbeat original favorites. They make a nice gift set so think of them during the holidays. 100% of all proceeds of these two records will go to this long-time San Francisco institution, helping people suffering HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

I went to Paris for my annual trip and it was WONDERFUL! I spent time in my favorite parts of Paris, spent a lot of time in outdoor cafes writing and watching, sat in my favorite churches breathing, and ate dinner with great friends who are used to 4 hour dinners and lively conversation. Then on to New York, Hawaii with plans for my beloved hometown Detroit in the New Year, as well as Montreal, Toronto and Africa…all in the first half of 2017. It’s always so good to be in the cities I love, and to new places as well. The time I spend traveling helps me see my life in a different way than when I’m here in it. So, my beautiful Maurice Dupont French travel guitar and I will head out soon and be back just in time for our show. This show sells out every year, so please buy your tickets as early as you can and help spread the word. General admission tickets are $25 and include my new holiday CD, and VIP tx are $100 (including a VIP reception courtesy of Heidi Krahling/Insalatas, special seating and the new holiday CD). Every penny you spend goes to Extrafood.org. So please do what you can to help spread the love. I wish you a wonderful year end and a magical New Year filled with all good things.

Michelle Schmitt

Sausalito, California December, 2016

PacificSun: Michelle Schmitt shares gratitude through music

November 2, 2016/in Events & Concerts, News & Media/by MichelleSchmitt

Singer, songwriter and Marin County resident Michelle Schmitt is a believer in giving back. Schmitt’s annual holiday concert on the first Thursday of December is a staple of the season, and with the release of her newest holiday album, Another Christmas Story, she’s expanding her charitable efforts and donating 100 percent of album sales and concert tickets to the Marin-based nonprofit ExtraFood. She performs on December 3 at the Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley.

Schmitt credits her father for introducing her to holiday music. “He was a huge inspiration for me,” she says. “He was kind and patient, and he loved holiday music. We learned every song.”

Born and raised in Detroit, Schmitt also grew up on the rock ’n’ roll of bands like MC5, as well as folk rock like Crosby, Stills & Nash and Joni Mitchell. She has been playing music since she was 12 years old. “I think it just became part of my cellular makeup,” she says.

Schmitt moved to California in 1977 and briefly sang alongside Norton Buffalo and others. She stopped performing to raise two sons. Fast forward 20 years, and Schmitt once again found herself drawn into music in the early 2000s.

“I decided to make a small holiday album as a way to raise funds for St.Vincent’s School for Boys in Marinwood,” she says. The album eventually found its way to music manager Robert Hayes, owner of San Jose’s Sound Management Inc., who offered her a recording contract.

[button_icon icon=”none” url=”http://pacificsun.com/music-season-of-giving/” size=”middle” colour=”blue” blank=”true”]Read the full article at PacificSun[/button_icon]