2023 is almost over and plans are in the works for most of 2024 already! What a whirlwind this year has been. Aside from writing a lot of music at the beach, I have really focused on my emotional and physical health. I’ve been working since I was 12 years old and took the summer off to “smell the roses”. Then I got back to business!! I’ve traveled to London three times, been all over Ireland and played in Edinburgh as well as the breathtaking Scottish Highlands. Playing in small venues & churches has been so much fun and taken me back to my roots. There is nothing as great as playing guitar and singing in small venues with people who love music as much as I do. And the people in England, Ireland and Scotland have been so welcoming. It’s been a complete blast. I look forward to going back in 2024. After so many years of playing with so many wonderful musicians, it’s been really nice to go back full circle to how I started so many years ago in Detroit, me and my guitar.

I will be in Los Angeles for a quick show at a private event in November, and then on to my beloved hometown of Detroit. This will be it for music this year.

Though I will be out of the country quite a bit in 2024, I do plan on spending time in my studio and recording a handful of new songs. This time I will do it playing piano and guitar myself and will invite my talented violin and cello players, Anton and Lewis Patzner, to put some beautiful finishing touches on the songs that I record.

It is a bit early to wish you a happy holiday and a good new year, but time is going so fast, that I think I will send my most sincere good wishes to you. As always, please remember that when you purchase any of my music, you are helping some important organizations do what they can do to make the world a little better place. In these tense times, anything we can all do to help makes all the difference in the world.

God bless,
Michelle

Hualalei, Hawaii
2023

Wow! It is SO good to be vaccinated!! It is also great to have a plan to get back to the music. Graham & I are doing a special project , STINSON BEACH SESSIONS, with my Lead Engineer, Sammy Fielding doing all the technical work. We will record the entire project at Stinson Beach with the most basic recording equipment, a piano, a couple acoustic guitars (& maybe a violin) with Graham and I singing after the New Year.  We look forward to doing this project old-school, at the beach, simple & sweet. Stinson Beach Sessions will be quiet, raw & beautiful. The boys & I plan on being back in the studio at Pine Mountain for our 1st band record of 2020. We are ready to GO!!!!  We have 3 BIG projects in the works, including DETROIT GIRL 3.

I hope that you all took away something positive from this unprecedented time. For the first time in my adult life, I had a chance to stay in one place, organize everything in sight, and focus 100% on writing. I have missed making music with my band, but have always been a person who looks for the lessons in situations, good and bad. This time has been no exception. I’ve learned to slow down and be more flexible. Though I have always appreciated the small things, I have learned that I no longer want to cram my days with so much activity that my life zooms by too quickly. I always tell my band, Ram Dass’s famous words “Be here now” and I am starting to listen to my own advice. I have also taken this time to really get healthy in all areas; physical, emotional and spiritual. There has also been such a strong need for people showing up for those struggling and it has been my honor to wake up each day and see where I can offer help.

I spent some time in Costa Rica in July, where the warmest people and best coffee are, and then flew back to my hometown, Detroit to spend time with my family. I had hoped to meet up with some of my bandmates, Graham, Jeremy, Will & our new drummer, Dan Schwartz, in the studio to record the acoustic record but the Delta Variant had different plans for us. I spent a month in my beloved Paris with some of my closest friends, catching up after such a long time apart. I was SO lucky to be in Paris for the once in a lifetime CHRISTO wonder, the wrapping of the L’Arc de Triomphe. I also saw the Pinault Collection and the most amazing exhibit in the Fondation Louis Vuitton against the backdrop of the modern FRANK GEHRY building. Old art in a modern setting with old Paris in the background…so memorable.  My dear friend Celine, a born and raised Parisian, has taught me to “look up” if I want to see the real Paris, so that’s what I did.

Packing lots of N95 masks, I will be in Hualalai to watch the whales migrate with friends I haven’t seen since before Covid in November, and all the intense organization will begin to get the whole band back together at Pine Mountain Studio after the New Year. It takes a lot of planning long after the songs are written and the boys & I show up Day One of a session. It will be great to welcome our new drummer and fellow midwesterner, Dan Schwartz, to the band. Pine Mountain Studio is coziest in the winter months, and the boys and I are looking forward to being back together, making music again.

Unfortunately, our Annual Benefit Concert for Little Wishes is postponed this year. We will look for a date when more people are more comfortable being in closed spaces, maybe after the New Year or early Spring 2022. Little Wishes will still get a big check to support their beautiful work, from 100% of all sales of my music, so thank you for supporting my music and this important organization. I will also be in Detroit in November, Munich and Paris in December, then spend the holidays with family & friends.

“If you love what you do, it’s not work”. It will be wonderful to be back with my talented band and engineers. We have so much planned for the New Year. And spending time with the people I love is something I yearn for. I lost a lot of people I loved during Covid and know that time with loved ones is really the most important thing. In fact, we will record DETROIT GIRL 3 as our 1st project back, in honor of my dear Uncle Carl who died this summer. He was instrumental in encouraging me to follow my musical dreams and was my first music manager, so this one will be for him. And to the extent in which it is possible with the Delta Variant #s rising, I hope for a gentle re-opening of all of our lives. Please keep in touch and stay safe…and GET VACCINATED!!!

God bless,
Michelle

What a crazy time in the world! I hope that you are safe and taking time to reflect on life and all the gifts that come with this forced slowdown. I pray that everyone is getting what they need to stay safe and well.

It has always been very important in my life and music to try to give back to people in need. I was able to donate 1500 N95 masks to the nurses and parents at Little Wishes in San Francisco and Los Angeles. I am dedicated to doing whatever I can, especially in times like these. The nurses and parents of the brave children served by Little Wishes have been struggling with the lack of the protective gear that they need. Little Wishes is still making sick children smile, but they are in dire need of donations. Any amount helps, so please join me in making it possible for the wonderful nurses to keep making sick children happy by donating to LITTLE WISHES.

It has also been stressful to watch the lack of leadership in this country. I am counting the days until November when we can vote a new president in. We need a president who displays intelligence and empathy, and who can comfort the people of the United States as we get through this difficult time. I am proud to be working on two of VP BIDEN’s committees and will do my part in helping him become the next President of the United States. Please VOTE BLUE in November.

When I turn on the news and see the struggle many families are having getting enough food, I am grateful to be able to support EXTRAFOOD, FEEDING AMERICA, and WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN. All 3 of these organizations are getting food to people in these desperate times. If you can help at all, please do so. Any amount helps.

In February, the boys and I were able to finish the first of two records scheduled this year. “Light” will be released sometime this summer. As always, we had a wonderful 10 days up at Pine Mountain Studio, where we welcomed our newest engineer, Geoff Saba, to his first official session with us. He and Sammy did a great job recording the music we made. We are excited for you to hear it.

Music has been such an important part of this quarantine time for me. It is a pleasure to see so many musicians sharing their talents on social media. I try to listen to one or two sessions a night and donate something to the musicians who have had their opportunity to make a living taken away from them for now. I tune in to my friend, Trevor Bahnson, every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings at 8pm. It’s a great way to hear some good music and support artists. We need art and music. I love the quote by Thomas Merton, “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time”. For me it is important to support people making art, more so than ever now in this time of uncertainty. By downloading music, buying books and supporting art, we can all help.

In my January Notes from Michelle I wrote that “It’s a treat to unplug from everyday life and give 100% attention to the music”. Those words have never rung more true than now, but I am taking each day as it comes and trying to look outside of myself to see what I can do to be of service to those who are in real need now. I do not think there will ever be a time in my life that I will have the opportunity to completely stop and re-evaluate my life and what I want it to look like. Family, friends, health and being of service are all important to me. I am grateful that I can stay in touch with my friends around the country and in Europe. I really miss the people I love, but know that I will see them when this is over.

Though we have no idea what the future looks like, the boys and I have not taken our December 3rd, 13th Annual Benefit Concert at 142 Throckmorton Theater off the books. Whether or not we are able to meet for this special annual concert, we will do our part to help both ExtraFood and Little Wishes.

Please follow me on Instagram @michelleschmittmusic and stay in touch via my website to get up to date info about future events. And remember, that every sale of my music on all platforms goes directly to these two important organizations.*

As always, I am beyond grateful that I get to make music, share my music with my incredible family of musicians and all of you, and make the world a little better place while doing what I love.

God bless,

Michelle Schmitt

Stinson Beach, Ca  2020

Wow, what a year it’s been. I did a lot of traveling; going to Detroit, New York, Paris, Hawaii and also spent a lot of time at Stinson Beach and in Alexander Valley, writing & working on music. The boys & I went into my recording studio (Pine Mountain Studio), which thankfully did not burn down in the Kincade Fire, and recorded DETROIT Girl too, a special selection of songs that brings me right back to my beloved hometown. There’s nothing like the raw sound of Detroit rock & roll. As always, we had a blast making these songs our own. DETROIT GIRL Too is available on all platforms and will be officially released at our year end show. I am especially proud of my band, all guys who did not grow up in Detroit, who caught the vibe of this record as soon as I talked of it. They got my vision and delivered big time. Come see my band & me for my 12th annual benefit concert on December 5th, benefiting Little Wishes and have listen. If you can’t make the show, please download the music, or order a CD or LP. And please have a look at the website for Little Wishes and learn about the important work these wonderful nurses and doctors do to help children who are in hospitals for long stays.

Before I left for my annual September/October trip to Paris, Graham, Jeremy & I recorded GOING HOME, a very meaningful record for me. It’s all acoustic, very atmospheric and straight from my heart. The record is dedicated to my Uncle Carl back in Detroit, who really encouraged me on the road to a music career. Every time I go back to Detroit and spend time with my family, I am reminded of how lucky I was to grow up there. If you have a listen to my song Detroit City on my 1st DETROIT Girl record, you’ll hear what makes me proud to be a Detroiter.

If you aren’t already following me on Instagram, please go to @michelleschmittmusic to get the latest news.

As I write this, I think of how lucky I am to be able to make music with such a wonderful group of people. I think of all the love I have in this world and all the special people. And I am so grateful that, in these dark political times, I can do something to make a difference in the lives of others. Though there’s been lots of “goodbyes” in my life in the last few years, there have been lots of “hellos”, more lessons and more freedom than I have ever known. Life is good!

God bless,
Michelle Schmitt
Sausalito

I had an memorable three weeks in Paris in March/April and found our 2020 venue at the historic Le Boule Noire, which is part of La Cigale, at Boulevard de Rochechouart near Place Pigalle, in the famous Moulin Rouge district. I was also in Paris when the Notre Dame fire happened and saw how amazing the Parisians are when it comes to true love for their city. I will be back in Paris doing small acoustic shows in the fall and look forward to it.  Paris is like a second home to me and a place that I truly love. In March, the boys & I had an absolute blast making “Detroit Girl too” and we are excited to play it at our upcoming 2019 & 2020 shows. Along with DETROIT Girl, this special set of songs will make our shows hard to sit still at! Think old school Detroit Rock & Roll & Detroit Soul, with a twist. We have already booked our 2020 show in my beloved hometown Detroit at the Royal Oak Music Theatre on October 22, 2020 (save the date, Detroit)  which has a very special place in my heart. I can’t wait to bring the band back and show them how we do music in Motown. We are also booked for our annual year end concert at The Throckmorton Theatre in Marin County on December 5th, benefitting Little Wishes.  While some of the guys are out doing individual projects this summer, Graham Patzner, Jeremy Lyon & I are recording an acoustic record in mid June. I look forward to sharing this stripped down, close to my heart, very personal record with you. The idea for this project came to me while I was getting ready for my 1st of a few trips this year back to Detroit to see my family and to fill myself up with the love & fire that is in my fellow Detroiters. Many of the songs on this record will be played for the first time at our Detroit show. After we finish the summer record, I will go back to working on finding a 3rd location for a new recording studio in Sausalito. Along with Pine Mountain Studio and our Sausalito studio, we will build a new, larger, state of the art, studio in 2020 with the intention of opening our doors to Bay Area musicians who would like to record their music and are looking for an affordable high tech, as well as analog studio, in a beautiful setting by the San Francisco Bay. Our studio in San Francisco was opened for the sole purpose of providing an exclusive studio experience, but with a sliding scale to accommodate all budgets, and we will continue our tradition and build a very special environment for creativity and mentorship, with access to amazing instruments and equipment, as well as talented engineers and producers. Look for news of that in the future. But for now, I wish you a great summer. It’s the season to enjoy the sun with family & friends.

Welcome to Autumn! That’s what we used to call it in Detroit anyway! It has been a wild ride since summer. We did my 60th birthday show in September and raised a lot of money for kids who are being loved and cared for by the amazing nurses at LittleWishes.org. Check out what they do. These angels not only care for the children who are very sick, but makes their long time in the hospital better with special wishes that are granted by these sweet nurses. I got on a plane the next morning for three weeks in Paris for my annual writing trip and am off to New York at the end of this week for more of the same. The band and I are getting ready for our 10th Annual Benefit Concert to feed the hungry (benefitting ExtraFood.org) which will be held on November 29th at 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley, CA. It’s always a great time and a great way to take a break from the holiday madness and do something to help those in need while enjoying a night of great music. We will be releasing my new record ST. MARY’S, which we are all excited to share with you. It is SO much fun playing with my talented band; Graham Patzner, Jeremy Lyons, Papa Bear, Anton Patzner, Mike Pinette, Lewis Patzner and Will Lawrence. We have a blast rehearsing, making music and bringing it to you…so come on out November 29th. Tickets are on sale now at throckmortontheatre.org. In the last 9 years we have fed 3.5 million people, an impact only made possible with all of your help. We have the fall to get ready for our last show of the year and then I’m off to Munich and Paris to end 2018.

Thank you for supporting the music and all we do. It is an honor to be able to do this work and I am always grateful for the love and support of all of you who attend our concerts, buy music and help the causes that I care so much about. In this time of such political unrest, it is each of us taking some positive action to help those in need that makes it possible to still remember the “thousand beautiful things” we have to be grateful for.

Spread the love,

Michelle

Happy New Year 2018! The band and I have been so busy already. I welcome some wonderful new members to my band; Jeremy Lyons, Papa Bear, Mike Pinette and Will Lawrence, who have come on board to join the amazing Patzner brother’s… Graham, Anton & Lewis. We are having a blast making some great music. We did our annual benefit concert December 7th to a sold out crowd. Please SAVE THE DATE for NOVEMBER 29th 2018,  which will be my 10th year of doing this concert. We have fed over 3.5 million people at this point with your support…so thank you from the bottom of my heart.

We have already been in the studio recording my record ST. MARY’S, which will be released some time mid-year with a big CD release show that we will plan.  The record is about growing up in Detroit, so the photo shoot for the cover will all happen there. My dear friend and photographer, Danielle Rubi-Dentzel, will experience winter Detroit style!

The band and I have plans for a benefit concert to promote my record LOOKING BACK, which was recorded last spring with the talented Billy Shaddox and Graham Patzner.  It was recorded in memory of my good friend Paul Tyler and will be the 2nd record with all proceeds going to the NOAH TYLER COLLEGE FUND. Please click here to buy your CD, download or LP with download card included.

I will spend a couple of weeks on The Big Island of Hawaii and a week in Tucson this winter, writing and spending some quiet time before we go back into the studio in April. I’ll go back to Maui in May. Look for information regarding BAY AREA shows that will happen before the end of summer.  Fall will start with a trip to Atlanta, followed by my annual trip to Paris (with the intent to arrange our 2019 concert in Paris), and then we will get ready for our November 29th show at 142 Throckmorton. Please do what you can to be at this show. It will be a very special 10th anniversary evening with lots of surprises.

I look forward to updating Notes from Michelle as new events come up.

Again, Happy New Year and hope to see you at some of our shows.

Happy Spring from all of us at Harrison Street Records. It’s good to look back at all we have accomplished in the previous year, but I am excited to look forward to the music that we will be making at Pine Mountain Studio. I spent the beginning of the year involved with The Berklee School of Music in a Boston, as well as lots of time working in my Sausalito studio on new songs. In February, I was in New York with my friend and master songwriter, Bonnie Hayes. The band and I finished our 2017 holiday record “JOY” which will be released on December 1st with all proceeds going to ExtraFood.org. Save the date: December 7th for our 9th annual benefit concert at 142 Throckmorton Theatre where we will gather to start off the holiday with great spirit and get food to people in great need. This year’s concert will be different than all the ones before. We are already excited about it. Ticket information will come out in October. This show sells out every year, so please buy your tickets early at throckmortontheatre.org.

In March I was in Mexico to see the whales start their migration from the Sea of Cortez back up to Alaska for the summer. We spent the end of April and early May at Pine Mountain Studio recording “Looking Back”, in memory of my dear friend Paul Tyler, benefitting the “Noah Tyler College Fund”. Billy Shaddox came out from Colorado to work on this project and I was happy to include my bandmate and friend, Graham Patzner. Stay tuned for news of the release of this special record.  I will be in Africa for the month of June. I look forward to seeing beautiful sunrises and sunsets, bringing supplies to schools in Southern Africa and seeing this part of the world. In July I will be spending time at Pine Mountain Studio working on the next project then onto my annual trip to Paris in September. I’ll be in Hawaii in October to see the whales start their migration back to warmer waters and then to NYC working with my friend Bonnie Hayes on a new record. Our December 7th show is something that my band and I look forward to every year. We will have some special guests this year for this first all acoustic show. It’s a busy year ahead and I look forward to looking back at all the music that we make. Stay tuned for upcoming information about all the exciting things happening at Michelle Schmitt Music.

The guys and I said goodbye to 2015 with two new records under our belts, a lot of great memories and loads of laughter! Our 7th annual benefit concert to feed the hungry in December, at 142 Throckmorton Theatre, sold out and was a huge success. Not only did we play songs from our latest holiday record, Another Christmas Story, but the band and I gave a preview of our January 2016 record called Detroit Girl to rave reviews. We rock & rolled all night AND best of all, we hit a record and made more money for ExtraFood.org than we had ever before…so THANK YOU to everyone who participated and came out to see us. (You can buy Detroit Girl on iTunes, CD Baby and PayPal now — see the album page) I would also like to say a HUGE thank you to my amazing band, Ricky Fataar, George Marinelli, Marc Levine, Michael Spriggs, Graham Patzner and Lewis Patzner. I am so grateful to play with such amazing musicians. For more information abut them, please check my band page.

I had a memorable annual trip to Paris in April with my dear friends Danielle Rubi-Dentzel (photographer) and Molly Tuttle (art director). It was a little bittersweet with Danielle and her family getting ready to move back to Santa Barbara. Though it’s great to have them close by, Paris will never be the same without them and our traditional first night dinner at Les Deux Magots, all talking at once trying to catch up on a years worth of news! But Paris is such a magical place for me that my one planned trip seven years ago turned into me going every year for the rest of my life…so, Paris will still be beautiful, just different. And most important of all, 2015 brought me my precious granddaughter, who is a blessing that words cannot describe.

2016, we all are crazy busy with other projects but will reconvene in July up at Pine Mountain Studio to record our annual holiday record for our December benefit concert (done each year in memory of my Dad) as well as a second record that will continue this whole gritty Detroit garage band music that I grew up listening to, like we play on Detroit Girl… unless I’m inspired by something else. That’s the beauty of being an independent artist and producer with a studio. FREEDOM!!! But it was so much fun to go back to a time where we just let it rip as I sang songs by Detroit bands like Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels, MC5, Aretha, the Howlin’ Diablo’s and more. What started out as a lark, turned into a whole new musical direction for us…at least for now.

I’m taking a bit of time off in the beginning of the year, Ricky and George will be out with Bonnie Raitt promoting her new record “Dig in Deep” (which has a song co-written with our fine George Marinelli), Marc and the rest of the guys will be busy doing other projects so, by the time we meet up in July, it will be with fresh ears, great enthusiasm at being together again and we will be ready to lay it all down for your listening pleasure in December.

The new Sausalito studio is working out perfectly and I look forward to working on an acoustic record with Billy Shaddox there and up at Pine Mountain. This is a project I have been excited about since the day I listened to his new record, “I melt, I howl” as I was driving out to Stinson Beach to visit a friend. I look forward to this collaboration on an acoustic/americana record with a person that I’ve never met but feel like I already know. Who knows, maybe Nicki Bluhm will pop over to write and sing a song or two, old-school Carole King/Joni Mitchell Style as well! I also have plans to spend time in LA with a very old Detroit friend who will be getting Detroit Girl out to all of Detroit, the arenas during the Detroit Redwings hockey games in particular, Shinola (hopefully) and to all others who love Detroit as much as I do. Another project happening is with the talented DJ of “Swagger Like Us” and very good friend of mine, Dav-O who is doing club mixes of Detroit Girl for a whole new set of ears to enjoy. This year is all about being fluid, which is new for this Virgo but that’s how I’m going to start rolling. Paris from mid-September to mid-October for sure for writing and a project with a friend of mine from back home who lives there…and if time allows, a trip to Nashville to see some friends that need to be seen! Music, reconnecting with some friends, horses, guitars and sitting in front of the fire near a favorite cabin of mine.

Health and music are front and center this year for me.

I wish you a blessed New Year with lot’s of adventure. This past year, more than ever before, I’ve learned that if I don’t hold on so tight, the magic comes… Let go and spread the love. God Bless…

Michelle Schmitt

Sausalito, California

The beginning of the year started out quiet at Harrison Street Records and Pine Mountain Studio. The guys and I took a couple months off to recover from a crazy 2014, while my very organized Studio Manager and Lead Engineer, Sammy Fielding, got both studios in order by upgrading equipment to keep us current! Thanks to Sammy and my Assistant Studio Manager and Engineer, Bijan Sharifi, the studios have never been in better condition. But there are also exciting things happening in the upcoming months. The band and I have scheduled two recording sessions this summer, as well as our annual benefit concert on December 3^rd for ExtraFood.org, at 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Marin County (save the date).

We will record a new holiday record specifically for the event where all proceeds will go to ExtraFood.org and then, at the end of the summer, we will record a set of new original songs that I have been working on. Look for both records by the end of the year.

In the meantime, my art director, Molly Tuttle, and I will spend time in Paris and meet up with our friend and photographer, Danielle Rubi-Dentzel, for our annual Paris photo shoot. Paris is magical and I tend to do a lot of writing there, so I am excited to see what music comes from this trip. I will also travel to New York, to work with a dear friend who is an amazing teacher (I am always interested in learning better songwriting skills), then to my beloved hometown Detroit and, upon my return, the guys and I will begin the recording sessions.

My team and I are also actively looking for space in Sausalito to expand Harrison Street Records. We are ready to expand one more time and have a studio by the water, close to lots of musicians who can pop in for a day for more casual, old-school music-making. We will build a studio filled with a lot of analog gear, and a live room made of redwood, for that rich, full and beautiful vibe that came out of the recording studios in the 70’s. Don’t get me wrong, we love our API consoles and all the benefits of technology, but much of what we love about making music is the actual “making of music” with real musicians, playing real instruments, and sometimes even making “mistakes” which often turn into gems. When we are trying to get a violin sound, we like to invite a real violin player instead of trying to replicate that sound with a button like so many studios do. Much of the music on the radio today is over-produced, generic sounding, vocally auto-tuned music that leaves me wanting, more than ever, to feel the humanness of a song. I want to hear when I take a breath, or when a string squeaks as George moves his fingers up the neck of his guitar or mandolin, or the sound of Ricky’s voice as he counts us all in and the laughter after we’ve gotten a great take. So we have a modern, urban studio in San Francisco — a huge, very technically advanced studio in Alexander Valley — and now we will have an old-school studio with vintage gear in Sausalito, a place where so much art has been and is still being created…all the makings of great music that will live on.

So, Paris lights and good friends, lots of songwriting, being with my music family of guys making music overlooking Alexander Valley, and lots and lots of sunshine…stay tuned for more news as it comes….and remember to “spread the love”.

Michelle Schmitt
San Francisco, March 2015

 

I am at Pine Mountain Studio in Alexander Valley wearing the hoodie with the logo Paul Tyler designed, sitting with lots of memories of my dear friend who passed away Easter Sunday after a long and brave battle with cancer. We made a great record in this studio and spent 10 days recording with Paul on all guitars and vocals, Ricky Fataar (a long time idol of Paul’s) on drums, Marc Levine on bass, and me on vocals and arrangements, with Aaron Burnham engineering. We recorded COVERING LIFE, a collection of songs that Paul and I gathered that represented different aspects of life…and some of our favorite songs. We had a blast…10 days of music 10-12 hours a day. When we finished the record, we felt good. What Paul didn’t know at the time was that I had a plan that if, in fact MANY years from that session, his cancer did come back and we did lose him, then I would have a beautiful legacy to pass on to his wife Lisa, his son Noah and to all of his friends. It is with the deepest grief that it is time to do just that, and the record can be purchased on this site where 100% of the money goes directly into The Noah Tyler College Fund. In fact, a special edition of the t-shirts and hoodies that Paul designed for Pine Mountain Studio will also eventually be on this site to order and 100% of the proceeds of those sales will also go into Noah’s fund. When I have news of the benefit concert I envisioned while making the record, I will send information out also. I will invite some of Paul’s many music friends to join me in creating a night of musical celebration for a dear friend who will be missed very much.

Click here to read about the details of how I met Paul and to donate to The Noah Tyler College Fund.

In December, my band and I did, my 5th annual Meals on Wheels SF benefit concert at the new SF Jazz Center. What a night! With the help of my amazing publicist, Charles Zukow, who got the word out by sending me all over the Bay Area for all sorts of press, radio, TV and internet interviews. We sold out and had a great time. It was a particularly extraordinary night for me personally because my father Robert Greening was there. My Dad, who was very ill, with much effort, made it to the show. It was bittersweet. Though I had the opportunity to show my love and respect for him by honoring him many times throughout the night, I also knew that he would never again be in the audience. It was to be the last show he would ever attend. He was my biggest and least objective fan! When I was 12 years old and got my first guitar, he was the person that I played my first song I ever wrote to (which he thought was incredible and a “hit”) and was my most faithful and loving fan til the very end.

My Dad died on February 24, after a long and painful illness called MSA. I miss him very much. My young and wise sister said that we all have to get used to the “new normal”. Since I was a baby my Dad held me in his arms, listened to my victories and my woes, encouraged me to go for it all, and gave me sage advice and unconditional love. In the time since his death, I have thought at least once a day of something I need to tell him or show him. I appreciate the kind words from people about how we all have another angel watching out for us and all the other wishes meant to comfort, but in the darkness and stillness of the night I can only think of how much he is missed. Life is different and I don’t imagine I will ever get used to this “new normal”.

With so many emotionally intense things happening, I have retreated a bit from the world and had just started making some plans for the remainder of this year before I heard of Paul’s death. I scheduled my annual September trip to Paris with our dear friends, art director Molly Tuttle and photographer Danielle Rubi-Dentzel, my lovely team that keeps creating new record covers, etc. I have signed the contract with Throckmorton Theatre, in Marin County, for my 6th Annual Holiday Benefit Concert to feed the hungry, which will be on December 4, and am working on Christmas on Pine Mountain 2. This will be my second holiday record where 100% of all proceeds go directly to feeding the hungry. The recording date has not yet been planned but the record will be released on December 4th at the show and will be on sale then on iTunes, etc. Updates will be posted on my website and musician page on Facebook. And at some point you will read news of an upcoming benefit concert in memory of my friend Paul. For the time being, you can purchase our record COVERING LIFE on this site and the fund will begin as soon as the 1st CD is purchased.

Click here to purchase Covering Life as a donation.

What have I learned from this last year? That my family & friends are the most important thing in my life, and that time with them is precious. I’ve learned to slow down, not to worry so much about the details; to take on less work, to not worry about scheduling things so far in advance (people will show up when I need them without me chasing after them); to let go and trust that things will turn out without me gripping the steering wheel of my life so tightly; that true friendship is a gift and that everything doesn’t always turn out the way I wish it could; to not take things so personally and conversely to take in the love coming my way, that health is everything and that jumping back into my life is what I am supposed to do. I will always carry the sadness of losing my Dad and my dear friend Paul Tyler but I will do as I promised them both…keep an eye on the people they loved and take care of myself. I wish you an abundant summer filled with many things that will eventually turn into happy memories for you and your loved ones.

All my love from Alexander Valley, California

Michelle

As I write this I am sitting in St. Germain at the fountain in front of  St. Sulpice enjoying the beauty of Paris. I have been here for over a week now with my art director, Molly Tuttle, and photographer, Danielle Rubi-Dentzel, for a photo shoot, video shoot and to play some music.  California folk rock is really happening in Paris right now and there are so many places to play and so many musicians all over the city.  It is so fun to be here.

This last year has been packed with new developments in my music world. I worked with a great team to re-build Harrison Street Records in San Francisco and Pine Mountain Studio in Alexander Valley and they are magnificent. My band and I spent August at Pine Mountain Studio recording my latest record Messages in our new studio with our shiny new API console.  Ricky Fataar, my friend and co-producer, had the vision for a new Pine Mountain Studio and my team and I made it happen.  We spared no expense to make Pine Mountain Studio a dream place to make music…and then rebuilt HSR  as well.

The band, Ricky Fataar, George Marinelli, Drew Zingg and Marc Levine helped bring my songs to life with their years of experience, fearlessness and talent. Chris Carmichael added lush orchestral touches with violin, viola and cello and the finished project is one that we are all very proud of. Messages will be released in December and available on  iTunes, CD Baby & my website.

We will introduce the new record at our 5th annual Meals on Wheels SF Benefit Concert, at the new SF Jazz Center. We will be joined by Michael Bluestein on piano, Anton Patzner on Violin and Lewis Patzner on Cello. This is a show that sells out every year so please get your tickets early. A $20 ticket provides 4 meals for homebound seniors and a $100 ticket provides 20 meals. ‘Tis the season…

We hope to see you at the concert. Please visit MOWSF.org if you are unable to attend and see what kind of love they spread around San Francisco. If you feel inclined, please donate to mark the blessings in your life. I have been committed to helping MOWSF for over a decade and it feels good to know that so many people have been fed nutritious meals because of our concert and work.

See you in December!
Xo, Michelle