Jenn Friedman's Blog

Live like a 40's film character

2010-08-19T00:10:00.000-04:00

Hello,

Here's some advice in the form of quotes and scores from back in the day:

"i know what i CAN do. i can get on a train and then i can get on a boat!"

this person clearly sees the glass half full through rose-colored shades, even though he himself is in black and white.

"if i don't come back, you'll know i haven't succeeded."

sums up the entire life cycle as we know it.

also, play choir music everytime you save a life, kill an antagonistic, or make love.

then, change the channel to the golden girls. it'll lighten the mood - trust: i speak from hard-wired experience.

Peace and used tissues,
jenn

Vegan

2010-03-31T10:54:00.004-04:00

Hi! Its been a while, yes, and I wanted to check in and let you know about an important shift that has recently occurred in my lifestyle: I am now vegan. It is exciting for me to share this news with my real life friends, online friends and blog reader(s). ;) Its been a long time coming and the process has been one of gradually dialing down on dairy and eggs in plain sight and as trace ingredients. I'd been a vegetarian for over two years and this was a natural time for me to take it a step further.

What originally encouraged me to become vegetarian was treatment of animals, but the bonus was that it was great for my body and for the environment. However, becoming vegetarian wasn't much of a challenge for me because I never liked chicken or meat much anyway - fish was a tad harder but even that, once I gave it up, was not missed. Veganism on the other hand was more challenging for me, so what helped me was at first cutting out eggs and dairy in their plain form - no more omelettes, pizza, sandwiches that included cheese, etc - and then progressing onto removing trace egg and dairy ingredients from my diet - all the while substituting other foods so as never to feel lacking. If I wanted a brownie, I would have a spelt brownie. If I wanted pizza, I would have soy cheese pizza. I never felt deprived during this process because I was careful to identify foods that I craved and implement substitutions in advance so as not to be in a sticky emergency situation.

Egg ingredients quickly became off-limits. At first, since I knew I wasn't there yet, I sometimes allowed myself to eat foods made with eggs but as I progrssed, it became easier. Now when I see "eggs" listed in an ingredient list, I genuinely do not want it. Milk trace ingredients were a little harder, but I cut the cord on the occassional reeses peanut butter cup and am here to talk about it. :)

I have been aware of each part of the process all along and I have not rushed it. I have not pressured myself. I knew that when I was ready it would happen, and that I was in preparation mode, reconditioning my body and mind to desire conscience-friendly foods. Its been a very peaceful process which reflects the values of veganism itself - peacefulness, nonjudgmentality (a word??), patience, respect. I try to mirror these values within myself.

This is an exciting journey that has involved much reading (blogs, websites, books and the like) and conversation. I feel like it is an ever-evolving learning process and I am where I am supposed to be on the continuum.

This is what I like to eat for breakfast:

oatmeal (rolled oats) with vanilla soy or hemp milk, banana, strawberries, wheat germ, flaxmeal, almonds, cinnamon and maple syrup. You can barely taste the wheat germ or flaxmeal - they're for fiber and omega 3's, and other things I'm forgetting...but they're really good for you!! so I always include them in my oatmeal and I put some in my peanut butter sandwiches as well.

My goal is lots of beans, grains, and veggies. I love quinoa. I am also good with preparing breakfast and lunch and home but have a harder time with dinner because by the end of the day I am really hungry and don't want to wait to get home to cook something. But what I'm realizing is that I should take snack foods with me to munch on as it gets later in the day to avoid spending money on dinner-grabbing. (Its usually healthy grub but why spend the extra money when I can make it at home?)

Any suggestions on yummy and filling snacks to carry around? I have a tendency to eat whatever is on me so there has to be an element of...plain-ness? I wouldn't just devour nuts, for example, but I would eat them and they would give me energy and fill me up for a bit. I need something that I can keep a stash of at home and grab on the way out the door so I don't end up picking up a cliff bar every day. And a box of cliff bars probably wouldn't help because I would end up eating a bunch at home. Very complicated, I know. Any suggestions?

There ya go. Vegan blog number 1. Have a lovely day!

12 minutes till Tuesday

2010-02-15T23:48:00.000-05:00

I am living in Boro Park, Brooklyn, with an actress, a receptionist, a hypnotherapist, a karate student and a speech pathologist in training. However, these are only two people. Can you guess which of these go together? I have a gold star with your name on it if you do.

Highlights of the days include having the space heater on full-blast and cooking retardedly healthy meals. The other day I made quinoa with sweet potato and almonds. This morning I made my ordinary breakfast of oatmeal / vanilla hemp milk / nuts / flaxmeal / wheatgerm / banana / blueberries and strawberries - only in a mini-blender. Enjoyable but concluded that I would rather ingest this concoction with a spoon. Oh, I lied - I actually forgot the almonds this morning. I made up for it by eating a bagel later on.

Tomorrow for dinner I plan to make quinoa, tempeh, kale and mushroom with olive oil, garlic, onion and brown rice vinegar. And I bought beets, so I'm psyched to blend beets, carrots, kale and lemon. Healthy eating fasincates me when I'm not eating too many cookies.

I'm also transitioning to veganism. Yaaaay. <3

I'm doing most of my grocery shopping at Fairway. Any suggestions for affordable healthy shopping in the big city? or in Brooklyn? Besides Trader Joe's. I am aware of the greatness and yet entirely unprepared for the madness...although I haven't tried the one in Flatbush...hmmmm. I'm sure Farmer's Market Union Square is the best option for produce.

In case anyone is interested, there is a small Farmer's Market every Friday on 97th between Amsterdam and Columbus.

I love my temporary futon bed (seriously - padding is everything) and I've spent many nights meditating before bedtime. Perhaps a morning meditation would enrich the oatmeal / expired iron pill routine...

Been working on meditation, astral projection, Reiki, and learning as best as I can about the fourth dimension and reincarnation. I love shit like that. ;)

But I have so much to learn. Music is on hiatus but I sing to the dogs I walk every day. My favorite so far is my song about Sabine, an upper west side-ian beagle. It goes (think burlesque):

Sabine, Sabine
You are a loving machine
and I don't understand and I can't see why
But our love you can't deny

Sabine, Sabine
Baby you've got to come clean

**unfinished**

Need inspiration. Not walking Sabine at all this week so I will use this time to work on finishing her burlesque ballad.

I'm not immune

2010-01-13T01:18:00.000-05:00

Since in this day in age its customary to tell the world when you're feeling under the weather, allow me to broadcast accordingly.

I'm a mess.

a hot mess.

cupcakes for all.

New Year Statement of Purpose

2009-12-30T22:23:00.002-05:00

I may very well spend my first New Year's Eve alone, and I am content with that. In fact, I think I intended it that way, and so it is. I really need the time to think and regroup. Badly. And I need to formulate, like really research and formulate, my views, my goals, and my corresponding actions. I am looking forward to a good long meditation, either Kundalini guided visualization or the chakra singing bowl tracks. They're really trippy on the ears, and if done often enough can really change the nature of the mind by integrating the right and left sides of the brain. And since I've been thinking so much about the fourth dimension, I can see how that very integration can dualy represent the fourth dimension, and I really want to elevate spiritually, now more than ever.

I've been dreaming and researching and experiencing a lot having to do with spiritual figures and teachers. I know that I must read Pema Chodron and Jung (whose book "Synchronicity and the Paranormal" I've started), and continue researching the many teachers I've come across on various websites about consciousness, the soul, ancient geometry, quantum physics and the energy field. I feel blessed to have healers in my life, angels of sorts, guardian angels and fairy godmothers even, and I've adopted them as my teachers and guides. I feel blessed to have connected to the pendulum, which is so real. Did you know this? It is so so so real. Some people might not believe it or be open to it, but, like Tarot, Runes and readings of other kinds, it works if your heart is open. I've especially connected to the pendulum and I ocassionally ask it questions. It helps me identify symbols and it stirs up powerful emotions and instincts. It is a simple, finite representation of energy - all it does is swing back and forth, side to side, diagonally or in circles, but it has a life force, a higher consciousness. I've been thinking about mirrors, reflections, parallel worlds, and the pendulum is a reflection of the parts of me that I cannot consciously access. It is quite beautiful. I recommend it to everyone. All you need to do is believe that it will work, and it will. Its pretty magical, and yet not magical at all - quite real in fact! The more I incorporate this openness into my logic, the more it co-exists with what I already perceive as logical, then the more accessible a spiritual evolution can be - because its not this magical otherworldy fairy-tale concept - its right here, all the time, and it is "reality" in the purest sense.

It is with this mindset that I progressively and openly enter the New Year. My goal is not to look, but to discover - and honor - what I already know; to simply open my eyes and see what is right in front of me.

Debauchery

2009-12-08T14:49:00.010-05:00

I know I haven't written a blog in a bajillion years. I wish I could tell you why, but I'll let you believe its because I've just been really big in Europe lately. I've just blown up, I can hardly carry my head around these days, in fact they need a forklift to carry it out the door every morning. Its insane.

Now that that's all cleared up, I really wanted to say hey and thanks to those of you who have recently subscribed to my mailing list and decided to call yourselves fans. Sometimes I think I've had enough of this ruckus, and then someone tells me they connect to my music and I just wanna pet them and love them. Thanks for the jolt back into reality, people - a girl could use it from time to time!

Anyway, I'm telling you...the word "daunting" has been a part of my vocabulary far too often recently, and I'm about to put an end to it! Revolt I say! You with me? Say hollah! or holler! or challah! Yes. The movement is upon us.

Here are my key points to you for today:

Lesson Number 1: Stay true to your morals. You can exercise this in the following ways:

- On any given day, something will happen to you that may spark the response, "That is the opposite of okay." Honor that. Know that sometimes, some things that people do are blatantly the opposite of okay.

- Sometimes you will see something you like, or someone will act in a way that is really grand. When this occurs, say, "That is the antithesis of lame."

Allow me to cite examples.

Yesterday morning, I paid fifty cents extra for soy milk in my coffee and I thought, "This is the opposite of okay."

However, in that same instance, I got a huge discount on the coffee that brought it down to the double digits even WITH the soy milk. It was in this moment that I thought, "This is the antithesis of lame."

As you can see, these statements can pertain to a single event. It just goes to show there is a light and a dark to everything.

Please practice this and get back to me with your thoughts, reflections, and reactions from others if you choose to practice outloud.

Lesson Number 2: Stay true to your passions.

- Basically you're the muffin butt. And don't let anyone tell you otherwise. The muffin top would be nothing without the muffin butt. And that's just how it is, folks. Its not glamorous, but the muffbutt is basically your soul and you have to honor that.

- If anyone tries to tell you that you should be a certain way before you get to a certain place you should club them.

Lesson Number 3: Stay true to your course.

We each have a course. Stay on it. Why the fuck is that so hard to fucking remember?

Now onto important matters. In one month and one week I will be experiencing a birthday. Its totally out of my hands. Blame Saturn.

After much deliberation, I've concluded that birthdays are days to celebrate. Numbers only exist so we can keep records. So fuck that, Imma be 28, bitches!

You won't find any concrete news of a celebration here - but you will know soon in email form. The ideal plan is a combination gig / wild and crazy party (all the tea that your fragile bodies can handle) and enlisting of friends to play fun-time songs of togetherness and debauchery.

Does this sound ideal to you?

Would you come?

There needs to be a "poll" option here, but since there is none, you'll just have to write me a lengthy email detailing the likelihood of your attendance and what debauchery means to you.

So, yes, thanks again for all your support. And remain alert for birthday news!

Oh! And Happy Holidays! I wanna do a special shout-out to my man Irving Berlin. Because of you, this Jew is totally loving on Christmas. You are the man! Long Live YOU, Irv! Long live you.

May all your non-denominational congregational religiously secular holidays be a faint off-white,

Jenn

Prosperity

2009-10-16T02:22:00.006-04:00

Thursday morning I received a stuffed animal of the squirrel persuasion.

At some point between then and now I ate fermented soy bean sushi. not that i'm hating on the soy bean but this is just NATTO K.

This weekend I embraced my inner tourist and paved the way toward a prosperous future, which will apparently involve run-in's with Batman asking for hand-outs on the sidewalk. Good to know that Batman and I have similar fates.

My lips are chapped, and yet I remain calm.

Pure Depth

2009-10-02T19:41:00.008-04:00

"One woman's red flag is another woman's treasure." Who knew that E! news could be so insightful.

Today I jumped for ten minutes, obsessed over Kat Dennings, seriously pondered the legitimacy of Khloe Kardashian's wedding, and kind of agreed that Kourtney's baby daddy purposefully impregnated her. I didn't leave the house all day. But I did send a fanblast. Yes, rest easy children, a fanblast was delivered.

Here are the fanblast cliffnotes:

Thank you for coming to Buttonwood Tree and Barnes & Noble.
Thank you for downloading "Alibi."

Join my facebook fanpage: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Jenn-Friedman/13766676442?ref=ts

Gig announcement!!!

Jenn Friedman and Chantilly
Thursday, October 8th, 9:15 PM
Uncle Mike's Tribeca
57 Murray Street, NYC
$5 Cover

www.myspace.com/chantillysongs
www.jennfriedman.com

Buy my Roland RD 150 88-weighted-key keyboard. Discuss.

Good weekend wishes...

and the customary links:

www.reverbnation.com/jennfriedman
www.jennfriedman.com
www.myspace.com/jennfriedman
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Jenn-Friedman/13766676442?ref=ts
www.jennfriedman.blogspot.com (you're one step ahead of the curve here)

Happy? Did ya like that? Next blog will be a quiz.

Love,
Jenn

Tuesday Morning Rubbish

2009-09-29T07:47:00.003-04:00

Noteworthy things:

Brandon and I sat in a green room in Barnes and Noble before going on. a GREEN ROOM!

Serious coughage taking place this morning. Its the remnants of my attonement.

I fasted yesterday for Yom Kippur which was good but then I ate too much at night which was sucky sucky.

I have discovered that my new target audience should be sixty plus.

I woke up at 5:30 AM today which is a new record for this season.

I am so going outside for a morning walk right after I finish this blog.

I need to sell my keyboard - 88 weighted key roland rd 150 - any takers?

I did my first protest Saturday. an abortion clinic defense counter protest. There was a free donut involved but that was a fluke. Regardless, I'm going back this Saturday, if not for the free donut, then for the feeling of empowerment and community. If you want to come, email me at jenn.fried@gmail.com. Good people, really great cause.

And in closing...apparently there was a beetle in my bathroom, and apparently that beetle is no more. i'm in mourning.

enjoy this crisp and lovely autumn day! I loooove fall... <3

World Peace and Butt Signing

2009-09-24T13:26:00.006-04:00

If you live in the vast and glorious state of Connecticut, you should come to my show tonight at the Buttonwood Tree! 605 Main Street, Middletown, CT. 7:30 PM. $8, $5 for students.

If you don't live there, you should at least have some sort of DESIRE to go...a seat will vibrate in your honor.

Tomorrow, if you live in or around the UNITED STATES, you should come see me at Barnes and Noble on 66th and Broadway in New York, NY, Friday 9/25, 6PM. Performance and signing. I'll sign your cd, your coffee cup, your butt. Oh and get this - the signatures are free. You won't find a deal like this anywhere. COME AND SEE THIS MOST FABULOUS SHOW!!! Guitarist Brandon Vetrano will be there. If you're nice to him, he will sign your butt too.

I am going to write a blog soon called "Fat and Unempowered." Its going to be about "days like these." Not today, not me, not specifically, just days like these for whomever, wherever, and why on these days we equate feeling bigger with losing power. That blog is going to be hot.

Today marks one year, ten months and eight days of no smoking. I'm not anal...

I thought about smoking on the train this morning, and then I thought about religion, and then I thought they're kind of one in the same. Absitence from smoking is like finding your religion. There are ten million ways to do it and when it boils down to it its all the same. We fight over which way is best, we have a very strong conviction that our way is actually the ONLY way, and we preach and get in each other's faces. (I'm different, I KNOW my way is best hahahaha). Seriously though...You know what would be fabulous? If people from all different religions sat in a room together and discussed the feelings that arose from their religion without alluding to what the religion is. That would be fun. World peace OMG.

I was also thinking, wouldn't it be a cool experiment to go through an entire day without looking at the time once? from waking up until going to bed? preferably on a weekend or holiday. I think that representatives of the United Nation should try this experiment. It would relax the entire world for a day, hence world peace again, hollah!

Try it. Try it! Wake up Saturday and don't look at the clock. Eat lunch without looking at the time first to see if you should be hungry. Go out and play. Do your work. Exercise. Do whatever you want. Just make sure you don't know the time at any point throughout the day. Go to sleep when you're tired. Don't be anxious...swing with the natural shifts that go on throughout the day! You'll know its night when it gets dark out. hrrrm.

i'm such a hippie, geez....

Alright. Later folks. Enjoy Thursday, it never did anything to you. and thank you for downloading "Alibi"!!!! And thank you in advance for coming to my show tonight, spiritually or physically, and for buying my cd, physically or digitally.

www.cdbaby.com/cd/jenn2
www.itunes.com/jennfriedman

Loves you.

org.com

2009-09-22T21:27:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow is going to be craaaazzzzy. I wake up at an ungodly 6:30 AM to pick up my mic stand at grand central station from my friend at 8:30. then i am basically working on stuff all day, lap-toppity stuff, until 3:45 when I arrive at Arizzmaradio to co-host with Rew unti 6PM. Then I'm off to Chantilly's show at 7 at National Underground, which will be a great reprieve! Then a possible Paradigm Shift meeting if I can make it work.

My website is having an identity crisis right now so while I'm sorting things out you may mosey on over to www.reverbnation.com/jennfriedman. I now have jennfriedman.org as well, which i have to build so there's nothing there yet, but i have to take care of .com...i may still be able to save it...

Okay I laughed so hard at this website, I seriously haven't laughed like this in a long while. Read it if you adore a good belly-laugh. My cheeks are still recovering:

http://www.dontevenreply.com/

Its a site with mock responses that somebody wrote to various classified ads. Genius!

Shaman

2009-09-21T23:27:00.003-04:00

there is very little rational explanation for this.

...

i may have met a shaman
it seems to be a pattern
the meeting of god's healers
the owing of our debt

he asked that i might show him
where cardboard waited for him
so he could hover to his post
and eat his daily bread

your woman was a shaman
she took to you like water
and tossed the matter of her
prelimonary men

they never were the wizards
they sully in the deserts
and tighten up your tourniquet
while supper catches cold

they hid with all the banshees
in novices and teepees
and let the night fall in good time
as mother root took hold

and when the night would find her
with supper laid beside her
it pawned out suns a dime a piece
and bid she keep the rest

so some nights she would hire
a protege to guide her
and took to counting acrobats
as mother did her best

i may have met a shaman
was sent to me by lightning
or something catastrophic
your cronies would contend

but when my soul takes heed on
just any kinda woman
i rest my saddle on her
and reel a madam in

Un-forgetting

2009-09-16T21:03:00.004-04:00

I used to be hungry a lot. Sometimes I think, "That wasn't real. That didn't happen. I was just doing it for attention, just to mess with myself and others. I could've stopped anytime. Nothing HAPPENED TO me."

That is a dangerous thought, because then I transfer that judgment onto others who are going through it. And if I plan on being any help at all, I need to dispell that terrible inaccuracy pronto.

I made myself hungry on purpose, but I also felt like I was imploding and had no choice, no room, for food. I had to contain and confine myself to a simple body and a small voice. Just as I spoke about hate building on itself, so can hunger; it did so with me, and it was addictive. Restriction was implosion; bulimia explosion. Sometimes I forget about the imploding. Bulimia was a very loud part of my eating disorder, so it stands out the most. But it started with restricting, so its very linked, and one clearly caused the other, and I simply cannot afford to forget that this disorder happened. It wrecked my life for four years. I forget about the first year because I don't think it counted, because it was before I declared myself "in control." And perhaps I didn't have a diagnosible illness, but it was a year wracked with warning signs, and it warrants rememberance.

But what are warning signs really when your mind is made up? How can you help somebody who is already half-way there? Already formulating their journey further in? Its a formula, these eating disorders. We're all just wrapped up in our tiny little formulaic worlds. How do you stop the pendulum once its set in motion to gain momentum?

I see women sometimes, and I see the hints they drop. But by the time their hint is visible to me, they're already gone. they've left town, dropping hints and trails, but they design it so that whoever discovers their tracks is already too far behind to help them. its part of the formula.

So how do we tweak the formula? how do we get inside, catch up, even get one step ahead? And who are we to do that? and why on earth would they listen to us? just who ARE we to think we could save them?

My friend who is struggling said, "God is in and all around me, yet I do not feel him speaking to me." Speaking to. Its the speaking to, the connecting. If God is idle inside you, there's nothing to be gained from his presence. This woman needs to awaken her God. Or allow him to awaken her.

Just like God, there is a force. a universal healing force that is accessible to everyone. But sometimes you need a middle-man. Someone who will negotiate on your behalf, who will ease you both toward one another, who will slowly and gently awaken the life force inside. And most importantly, convince you that this life force is worth meeting. It would be premature to try to convince you that its already inside you straight away, but to meet it like a friend might be worth your while.

Who is this middle-man? A mother? a teacher? a healer? a therapist? a doctor? a friend? maybe it is an animal, or some kind of stone, or a painting, or a piece of music. Maybe its a daughter or son, or something profound in nature. Maybe its the sunrise, or maybe it is night.

Whatever it is, it must be of equal or greater force than the addiction. It must be worth returning to. It must create hunger.

Recovery begins when you hunger for something greater than hunger itself; when you allow it to transfer, as energy transfers, onto more sustainable sources.

I'm thinking about people who have entered blindly into the dim and quiet world of eating disorders. I have not forgotten about the crippling nature of this illness. If you are struggling, then please understand: you are more than this, and there is hope.

Please feel free to email me at jenn.fried@gmail.com with any thoughts.

Addendum

2009-09-15T08:03:00.003-04:00

Here's a slight addition to the blog I posted last night.

Just to clarify a few things:

I'm not excusing what Kanye did, I'm not saying he had any right to do it, and I, like everyone else, thought he acted like a complete tool. My point about his mother dying was that sometimes tragedy brings out the worst in people, and maybe this is his worst. Maybe his mom dying had nothing to do with it. In fact this morning I learned that he did this stuff before his mom died, so who knows? Writing about the death of his mom was just my way of saying it could be anything, and maybe we don't know the whole picture.

Its good that we've all expressed our disappointment publically because he made it public, so he got what he deserved, and it wasn't slid under the rug, and that's all well and fair and good, yes. But - while I am content because Taylor probably felt this massive support coming her way - I am not pleased with the anger piece of it. The anger built on itself. I would've been just as happy had people addressed Taylor personally and told her how beautiful and strong she was. I feel like that would've been the biggest "F U Kanye" of all. (Yes I am sure that people addressed Taylor personally, but that wasn't the piece that was made as public).

Hope this clarifies things a bit!

Taylor and Kanye Happily Ever After

2009-09-14T23:06:00.004-04:00

I just watched Jay Leno interview Kanye West and found out that Kanye's mom died two years ago, so all of a sudden, I don't hate him anymore...

which is important I think to remember in everything, that there's always more than one way of seeing things, no matter how extreme it may seem and how easy it is to judge. Everyone from all walks of life today was congregating to trash Kanye West and he was in the magnifying glass, so he got what was coming to him and all...and now its like, with all the hate building on itself, we forgot that this man also has feelings because we're just hating for the sake of hating, and we forgot that he's still worthy of forgiveness, and that's good, because its got to end somewhere, it can't be all hate hate hate.

It was probably good for Taylor's career because now people see her as sweet and vulnerable and will listen to her because she was silenced. As it turns out she is actually very strong and a good performer with a strong voice and she should be heard. She is a positive role model for kids, and maybe now older teens and twenty-somethings and thirty-somethings will listen to her as well, just because they have a newfound respect for her and wouldn't have thought twice otherwise. People probably tuned in to see her performance last night and they probably paid really close attention to see if any vulnerability came through, and when it didn't, and when she pulled it off and was totally professional and loving it, she became worthy of respect in mother's of kids who were watching the VMA's for no other reason than to humor their children (my mother not included of course, as we are both adults and both watching it on account of free will)

Maybe she and Kanye will even become friends over this. Maybe this is what they needed to have a strong enough spark, a most passionate fiery beginning rumbling with how-dare-you's and together they will create something magical.

So, first I just felt for her, and now I feel for them both, and I wish them both the best, and I think that's only fair, and I also think they should both read "The Four Agreements." The end. PS Kanye really needs to watch his impulse control. Okay the end.

Things I Did on Tour

2009-09-12T23:03:00.005-04:00

Things I Did on Tour:

- Meditated in Westmoreland
- Played new song "Rocketship" for the first time in Utica
- Slept in a dorm at the University of Hartford
- Meditated after midnight on hotel balcony in Stratford, CT
- Sat on a swing that would've swung me like a monkey over the creek had I let go
- Dreamt that I let go
- Dreamt that I threw a bouquet at a crowd of blind people wearing masks
- Slipped on Bri's backyard steps and got a nasty bruise on my butt
- Held a magical pyramid in Cheshire
- Received a song title from someone in the audience in Newtown
- Ate chocolate frozen yogurt with peanut butter cups in local ice cream shop in Bridgeport, CT
- After closing time in Cafe Domenico, listened to Charlotte Martin, took 1AM walk with friendly upstairs neighbor to Price Chopper and didn't buy anything, said good night and went to sleep on the coffee shop couch
- Spent time with the following cats: Bailey, Mookie, Pandora, Felix, and Salt
- Ducked into an upscale hotel bar for some water before a gig. A man asked me what I was going to drink and I told him water. He asked me my name. I said "Jenn." He said "I'm Jack" and reached out to shake my hand, to which I responded, "I had a dog named Jack!"
- Lost two wheels on red pushcart on two separate occassions - had them fixed by two separate handymen
- Proudly did my own mediocre sound on two ocassions
- Had a psychic lyric-writing experience
- Sought shelter in a tipi
- Got off train a stop early and was so pissed and in such disbelief and felt so ridiculous and had to call a cab and was so freaking pissed and embarrassed you wouldn't believe...
- Calmed down and wrote a new song while waiting for my cab.
- Dropped my keyboard three times
- Discovered first day out that holding coffee in one hand and pushing keyboard in the other was a naughty idea
- Did it anyway a week later, same result
- Met an artist in New Haven Starbucks
- Took a Tai Chi class
- Realized for the first time ever that Tai Chi backwards is Chai Tea. Ha!!
- Met sad young mothers
- Had the worst experience of tour in Mechanicville, NY. Was asked by a local in an effort to relay to me the shadiness of this venue, "What the hell are you doing here?"
- Laughed hysterically in a car with a sailor mouthed friend in the back seat, mouthing off about imprisonement via pushcart
- Got a free video of performance in Tramantone Cafe courtsey of Mark
- Backed by drummer Mark (different Mark) in South Windsor, CT
- Exchanged dreams
- Walked in a labyrinth
- Received a beautiful crystal
- Received a poem by a very special person who asked me to make it into a song
- Ran around the block
- Shaved my legs in a public bathroom
- Went to a Moto-Cross race near Rochester
- Played, sang and danced with new friends in Schenectady
- Attended an eating disorder advocacy board meeting
- Met Cynthia Nappa Bitter, author of "Good Enough"
- Ate local maple syrup in Sharon Springs
- Slept like a baby in the most heavenly bed in Albany
- Loaded and unloaded my keyboard, stand, pushcart thingie and red bag a total of 1485189893 times
- Ate local Rochester ice cream at Dipper Dan's
- Sang a lot of songs over and over again for a lot of people
- Hung with the coolest kids evaaaaaaar

Hello to the following people who helped me out and made this trip pretty freaking rad:

Lucia, Quoc, Nick, Mark, Bri, Marcia, Jenn S, Shannon, Jenny, Lynn, Garrett, Robin, Mark, Currently Nameless Red-Haired Photographer, Al, Richard, Richard W, Richard M&R, Maria, Dan, Ethan, Theresa, Janelle, Peter, Gene, Beth, Fritz, Athena, Athena's family, Glenn, Chantilly, Tracey S, Tracey Funkey Monkey, Dan L, Cathy, Pierre, Ken, Jesse, Oren, Maya, Sheila, Julie, Chris S, Chris, Kevin, Thomas, Tom, Bharti, Tai Chi Crew, Ellie, Catherine, Mary, Helena, Cyndi, Cynthia, and Garry on the farm.

Stay tuned for impromptu rememberances and new things to come. And thanks for coming along for the ride!

Couch

2009-09-03T13:16:00.001-04:00

in Rochester. procrastinating.

Scheneakerditty

2009-09-01T00:44:00.003-04:00

...is what you get when you play a ditty in your sneakers in schenectady. Right...

Tired. Pita chips and hummus and apples and peanut butter. I'm staying with my new friend Maria and her boyfriend, Dan, in a pretty house in the Capitol District. Tomorrow I leave for Rochester. Its important to be at the station at precisely ten o'clock, because any later than that would be ordinary rebellion.

The people in Schenectady have been kind and open-hearted. In fact, for the most part, hospitality has been on the up and up. I can't believe I'm doing this. But relatively speaking I am not doing much, and I need help. a LOT of help. I need help with promo, booking, promo. promo promo promo. i need help keeping everything updated. I need someone to make sure there will always be emergency peanut butter on hand no matter where I am. These are the kinds of trust-worthy friends I need.

When will there be a break where I could digest and absorb everything that's gone on for the past week and a half? when, i say!? When I come back I have a band rehearsal and I'm co-hosting a radio show, both of which will be hot, and keep me good n' busy doing stuff I love, but dude...where is the scheduled reflection time?

On a positive note, I saw woods today. I walked a plank of wood in the woods actually. I don't know where it would've lead me, but something tells me I'll find out in November...

The Moon and River Cafe in Schenectady is really worth checking out if you're anywhere in or around the U.S.

Maple Syrup in Sharon Springs, New York, should also be on your list of top ten things to do before you go kapoot.

When people ask me to sign their cd, are they doing that in case I blow up and become famous? Because I don't think the signature will be that valuable if they got it when I was a mere minstrel. Fools!

I played a piano today that was tuned a half-step down and it was the best feeling in the worrrld.

blueberries.

brush...i think i lost my brush. would anyone like to donate a brush?

i watched a dvd of henry rollins the comedian the other day for the first time. pretty cool stuff. this is what travelling is all about: watching henry rollins on dvd in strange and foreign places.

jamming. because that's the kind of musician i am. or would like to be.

grass. passing cows. i passed them, i mean. they didn't pass me. i passed them; they stayed in one place, as cows do.

the grand corporate monopoly that is the greyhound bus line.

borders wifi.

approximately 45 minutes a day - music.

various bedtimes.

Countdown till Take-Off

2009-08-21T01:48:00.004-04:00

Is it even acceptable to say at this point that there is "still so much to do"? My bus for Hartford, CT leaves at 1:45PM and I just got home from a gig at Symphony Space UnWined Lounge which ended in a very meaningful exchange on the F train with a visual artist-come-lead guitarist. I am so rattled by the events that have taken place this past week. I feel like there's a garden of pods bubbling in front me. And I say that in the best way possible. Good pods. And today its just...its 1:53AM, that's what it is. And boy oh boy, do I ever have stuff to do...lets make a list, shall we?

print out remaining flyers and get them ready to send for the morning
compile list of gig places, dates, addresses, names and numbers
also same goes for people i'm staying with
charge appliances
pack
email radio stations for utica musicfest
make decent-looking mailing list notebook
see if new keyboard will do just fine in old lighter case
burn cd's

and there's the stuff that is almost as urgent but doesn't necessarily have to be done TONIGHT, which is:

email buttonwood tree with their requested info
contact radio stations for buttonwood tree
have a distinct understanding of where i'm staying the night of the 24th
seriously deeply reflect on my discussion with Bharti
Almost IMMEDIATELY start planning for November tour, including colleges, house concerts, clubs, etc. Contact those I met when I did open mic at Cantab.
update myspace and revamp website and probably revamp myspace too.
big boom for nearing end of reverbnation sponsored song program (2015 downloads to date, baby!)
batteries for keyboard?
SELL KEYBOARD
sell other things
fix new stand?
buttons.
see "Shorts"
make video blogs during tour!!!!!!!!!
write in journal
meditate
find place to do laundry

and by "pack" i mean:

one pair dressy boots
one pair nice shoe sandals
one pair comfy sandals...or sneakers....you know what? sneakers. and flip-flops for good measure.
beige dress
pretty scarf
leggings
black tank top
that shirt dress thingie
brown corduroy skirt
purple blazer
hot gold disco t-shirt
pink t-shirt
blue t-shirt
make-up
cd's
mailing list (compartmentalize!!)

i am so happy that i will have my wagon.

pair of jeans
pair of shorts
pair of ankle length green pants
garments
deodarant
razor
toothbrush
hairbrush
microphone and all its accessories
cb's sweatshirt
beigeish layery skirt
gray and white heart patterned blouse
gray tights
pillowcase for laundry bag
tissues
inhaler
another inhaler
laptop
laptop charger
phone
phone charger
camera!!!!!!
jewelry
CD's to listen to
ipod
headphones
journal / pad
pens
sharpee
ponytail holders
toothpaste
shampoo
other such toiletries
pajamas

and the question becomes...

do i take the lighter stand with the screw you have to take out every time you wanna move it?
or do i take the heavier stand with no such screw concerns?

meditate...

I wonder when I'll get around to any of this...

Review: Rachel Brown

2009-08-13T08:12:00.002-04:00

I haven't written a review since I was 18 and trying to impress my internship employer at Spin Magazine, but I think now is the time to take it up again. I met Rachel Brown at Caffe Vivaldi open mic and watched her perform at Arlene's Grocery last night.

Preface: This is more of a blabbering blog than a review. I'd have to work on my chops to be able to call myself a reviewer, but here goes:

Bermudian Singer Songwriter Rachel Brown is an absolute treasure.

With an outpouring of music in this guitarist-based city, it is sometimes hard to the spot the true gems, but I guarantee you, I have found one. People say you need a niche, you need to somehow self-identify as different from the rest, brand yourself, they say. I'll tell you this - Rachel doesn't even have to try. There is absolutely no front, no prestige, no elitist marker about her - she is Rachel Brown with the big eyes, most welcoming smile and songs that will eat you up!

Rachel's melodies run the gamut from catchy to circular to downright gorgeous; her lyrics are at any given time bouncy, playful and warm, and her voice is just...toasty.

More words that describe Rachel's songwriting, guitar-playing, vocals, and stage persona:

tight, pure, simple, astute, mature, sweet, loveable, percussive, raspy, down-to-earth.

One of her signature songs, "Crash," rolls off your tongue so naturally that you'll find yourself knowing the words without even realizing you heard them all the first time around.

"Lullaby" is like a baby's breath, and will make even the most put-together listener feel vulnerable for a few precious minutes.

"Bermuda" is of course a playful ode to Rachel's native town, and makes a Brooklyn-girl like me long for some islander magic, not to mention some cotton candy and a snow-cone...

And in "Diamond in the Rough," Rachel naturally transfers her guitar skills onto the ukelele and loves it up.

So go on, listen, become a fan, strike up a conversation, and truly enjoy. Your day is about to get a little brighter.

www.myspace.com/rachelbrownmusic

R to the S to the VP WHA!?

2009-08-10T01:31:00.003-04:00

Playing Public Assembly NY Songwriters Showcase. RSVP here, kids!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=112828689773&ref=mf

Calling Albany

2009-08-08T15:53:00.003-04:00

I'm looking to play you, Albany. And soon.

If you have any dates open from 8/29 - 9/3, bring it on.

Please refer potential takers to www.reverbnation.com/jennfriedman and feel free to pass on my email: jenn.fried@gmail.com.

I'm available to open for your local acts, Albany, and to grace your stages with fresh city blood.

Let the races begin.

Jenn.

Musician Booty Call

2009-08-06T01:46:00.007-04:00

What?

So today I went to Bar 4 at 8PM to see my friend, Mariko, play. Man oh man, you should totally check her out, she is amazing: www.myspace.com/marikomarikomariko.

And then I knew that my dude musician buddy Scott Stein was playing, so I stuck around for that: www.myspace.com/scottstein.

And then lo and behold, my new bassist friend shows up who has a ten o'clock set with his band whose name escapes me which is truly sad because they were ridiculous. Once I find out the name of this band I will share it with you here. But the bassist is Steven Himmelstein and he is rad. www.myspace.com/stevenhimmelstein.

So basically it was three solid hours of music and all I had to do was sit on a couch and take it all in. I admit, I couch-danced, I did, but can you blame me? Can you?

That is not a rhetorical question.

I have to apologize to Evan and Owen - aka Wylietoms - who played at Rockwood tonight. I simply couldn't make it!!! I couldn't. I wanted to. I planned for it. I ended up couldnting. But they, too, are amazing, and I will make it up to them by showing up next time we're both around I assure ya: www.myspace.com/wylietoms. Their music is delicious inandof itself but you should see the sticker. In fact, you should TAKE a sticker. Stickers, I've discovered, are often free.

Today was an insane learning experience and I don't really know what to make of it except perhaps a reassurance of sorts that I am an adult. I'm 27. Adulthood has taken over the heart of me. Adult. A dult. A dullllt. Adulthood. Dissecting the word adult does not take away its essence. Essence. There's a word to focus on instead of adult.

Sleep is another good word. Good night.

"Telluride"

2009-08-04T11:13:00.004-04:00

"Telluride" - Jenn Friedman Copyright 2009

My hands were tied to Telluride
You told me not to make a sound
and keep my good ear to the ground, so I

I took a blow a kept the change
it didn't take long to rearrange
what's left of San Miguel tide, Telluride

Telluride, tell you what
We are not about to back down on the land
And if I die before the dawn
You should know that I was liv'n for the band

My hands were tied to you alright
I didn't make a sound tonight
my good ear pointed down with all my might

The canopy was stained glass white
so long as you slept at my side
was white for only your eyes, Telluride

Telluride, tell you what
We are not about to back down on the land
And if I die before the dawn
You should know that I was liv'n for the band

I've kid myself again for God
Thought only an hourglass could hold
a holy kinda night on borrowed time

But when the hoursalt should wane
a glass half empty to my name
then take me to your beige bride, Telluride

Telluride, tell you what
We are not about to back down on the land
And if I die before the dawn
You should know that I was liv'n for the band

Telluride, tell you what
We are not about to back down on the land
And if I die before dawn
You should know that I was liv'n for the band

Wabi Sabi

2009-08-03T23:37:00.011-04:00

I love that directly above the blogger comment box it tells you to "choose your identity." I just commented on Chantilly's (Musical Whimsy) blog and, while it only gave me two options - "me" or "anonymous" - I secretly wanted to comment as Mr. Bean. Shucks.

I'd like to show you some video footage of me playing at the Underscore on 7/30, taken by Herschel - http://www.youtube.com/user/herschinoman

Do you guys know what Wabi Sabi is? It is the Japanese Art of Imperfection. Three things that make this performance imperfect: the performance of the song itself, the post-performance ability to audibly distinguish one clap from the next, and the babbling drunk guy who happens to be sitting next to the cameraman. All things accounted for, I present to you Wabi Sabi in its prime:

Oh, and for consistency's sake...it's a silent "i" in Jenni. :)

As usual, the url for those who can't make it out in their email: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDgVVjLGCcY

Here are some new lyrics that I feel good about:

"Hazel"

(Verse)

Hazel saw her doppleganger
sewn into the window pane
Looked her in the eye and said her name

"Hello my shadow," said the sun,
"Hello my undercover one
I saw you keeping time between the rain

The rain is all I ever had,
Your storm is all I've ever known
The canvas dried so long ago that I'm chipping away

The freight, the truck, the handyman
that carried me to where I am
had no idea how dry my Hazel rained

(Chorus)

But I held a rocketship in my hand
it was finer than ice
all the time pretending
to be on the rise

and I held a needle under my tan
turned ordinary white
one day soul descending
sun down dignified

and I could be frightened by the money
and I could be frightened by the tide
I could be frightened by the money and burn

(Verse)

You must be here to case the joint
You've come to earn yourself a name
A hole is not an excuse for your game

We're drunk and candid to the bone
Won't you leave this one all alone
You know its no wonder why Hazel came

(Chorus)

But I held a rocketship in my hand
it was finer than ice
all the time pretending
to be on the rise

and I held a needle under my tan
turned ordinary white
one day soul descending
sun down dignified

and I could be frightened by the money
and I could be frightened by the tide
I could be frightened by the money and burn

(Bridge)

Your little tese-teseract is acting up again
Shifting shaping paralleling everything I am
She'll understand when the cotton's high that summer's on command
Sliding past the Mother Maze with Hazel in her hand

Your little tese-teseract is acting up again
Shifting shaping paralleling everything I am
She'll understand when the cotton's high that summer's on command
Sliding past the Mother Maze with Hazel in her hand

The galaxies go round and round
and I have yet to make a sound
until I saw her looking back at me

(Verse)

Its you who arranged the conference call
who took to opening portal wall
who prayed a woman forth who bore your name

and do you wish on every dime
she'd take the city and buy you time
to moisten all the holes between the rain

(Chorus)

But I held a rocketship in my hand
it was finer than ice
all the time pretending
to be on the rise

and I held a needle under my tan
turned ordinary white
one day soul descending
sun down dignified

and I could be frightened by the money
and I could be frightened by the tide
I could be frightened by the money and burn

and I could be frightened by the money
and I could be frightened by the tide
I could be frightened by the money and burn

and burn

________

Tomorrow, flyers.

"Alibi" and Idols

2009-08-02T12:22:00.005-04:00

"Alibi" has gotten 1,325 downloads since June 24th but so so so few of those people have actually latched on and become "fans" in any medium (I also have no way of keeping track of who they are, so if someone downloaded my song and added me on facebook or myspace, I have no way of knowing that's why they added me). Its because all the download page gives you is the name of the artist and the name of the song...I don't think it tells you where you can find this artist, I don't think there's an easy link...I need to figure something out soon because I don't want these numbers to be futile. I also don't know how many people actually went ahead and purchased any songs from Itunes until I get my quarterly report.

Anyway, I had a huge downer period the last couple days, but magically "Por Ti Volare" appeared before me in Penn Station, this time in the form an Indian man and a couple of flutes. That makes two separate instances of welling up to Por Ti Volare in mass transit and in my head going, "Okay...here we go...modulation...hereitcomeshereitcomeshereicomes...YEAHHHH!!!!" I well up every time. WTF??

I'm finally listening to the "new" Tori album. I got it on sale at a used music store in Westwood, NJ. It needed to be had, there was no excuse anymore. And its good as new.

Ummm...the album artwork?? What galaxy is this from? She looks...sculpted! Statuesque! Eeeeeee. Tori album being owned = win.

"I'm not dying today." Love, Jenn.

CORRECT FANPAGE LINK

2009-07-30T15:29:00.002-04:00

This is my correct facebook fanpage link. Thanks to Deb De La Fuente for helping me out with the technical difficulties that plague our society today:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jenn-Friedman/13766676442

Goal - Facebook Fanpage

2009-07-30T03:00:00.006-04:00

Goal:

Update facebook fanpage as much as I update Reverbnation. Make it a top priority.

Here it is: http://www.facebook.com/editevent.php?guests&new&m=2&eid=107808798850&__a=1#/pages/Jenn-Friedman/13766676442?ref=ts

Other goals include solidifying my schedule for the next month and a half, but why worry?

Baby Lyric

2009-07-28T01:27:00.003-04:00

This Thursday I'll be playing at The Underscore (Below Bar East) at 1733 1st Ave, between 89th and 90th, NYC. $10 cover. Hope to see your pretty faces there!

Until then, here is a lyric: "inevitable as the moon." Its in a new song. The song is in my head and sings itself to me everytime I walk home from the F train.

Nobody take my brand new baby lyric away from me. I'm trusting you!

Philosophy

2009-07-24T00:04:00.004-04:00

Goal for Friday:

Just breathe.

That is all. Or maybe that should be Sunday's goal.

Now I'm confused.

*Short pause to take it all in*

Resuming.

So basically some negative things happened today. I feel I'm in a bit of a jiffy. I feel like saying, why me, why now, why THIS, Universe? whatwith everything else? And why the constant struggle of compromising one area of my life in order to be fulfilled in another? And if you approach it all externally, you'll never be happy. Okay, gotcha, I can roll with that. Life is a see-saw and balance is key or else one side of your life will either go flying or falling. Surplus in one area = defecit in another. Or does it? Does it though???

I feel so overwhelmed by everything that it might benefit me to just sit for five minutes and feel completely at peace and let go of everything. I did this once recently and it helped me find my checkbook.

Also, I sold two CD's today to a very nice fella named Herschel.

Time for bed.

The thing about internal happiness, contentment, is spiritual and emotional balance. Actual passionate fulfillment is not measured by material goods or materialistic rituals or situations. It is also not measured by standard time.

Come to think of it, it is not even measured. Right on...

Why is todorrow unlike any other day?

2009-07-23T10:29:00.005-04:00

Well....pretty much because its the day before tomorrow.

Considering this blog should've been written yesterday, its also the day after that.

But today is today and tomorrow is tomorrow and they are both of equal importance.

TODAY:

7/23: I play at Gizzi's Coffee. That's right folks. The coffee music mecca of Greenwich Village. And I would loooove for you be there. 8PM, 16 West 8th Street, NYC.

TOMORROW:

7/24: I play at Paul Robeson Theater Summer Concert Series, 8PM. Its $10. This is the first year so its really important that we have people out to support! 40 Greene Ave, Brooklyn, NY. (C / G trains to Washington-Lafayette).

So, if you can make it out to either, basically I will name my children after you. This could apply to human babies, pets or songs. But you won't know unless you come to the show!

Jenn :)

Things That I May Need from You

2009-07-18T19:58:00.010-04:00

So, friends, friends-of-friends and the like...

This is what's up:

I'm playing in Connecticut 8/21, 8/22 (torisbirthdayhollah), 8/23, and 8/26 (Vanessasbdaydoublehollah).

August 21st: South Windsor
August 22nd: Cheshire
August 23rd: Newtown
August 26th: Hartford

If you'd like to help, you can:

help me find a place to PLAY on the 24th and 25th (possibly add me onto a pre-existing bill?)

help me find a COUCH TO SLEEP ON for the 22nd, 23rd and 24th.

help me TRANSPORT MY KEYBOARD around in some fashion, details of which we can discuss. (I still don't have a certain way of transporting it from New York to Connecticut on the 21st and Connecticut to New York on the 27th).

On the 27th I return home to Brooklyn, NY, and on the 28th I travel to Clinton, NY.

I am playing:

August 29th: Clinton Music Festival
September 4th: Utica
September 9th: Clinton
September 11th: Utica Musicfest
September 12th: Utica Musicfest

IF ANYONE LIVES IN OR AROUND CLINTON or UTICA, NY, feel free to contact me with assistance in transport / lodging / booking / keyboard transport from August 28th to September 13th.

I am very much open to extending my trip if further offers come along.

Just throw'n it out there...ANYTHING helps. Anything, I swear.

Thank you very very very much.
Jenn

Song Lyrics

2009-07-17T03:17:00.005-04:00

Tonight I played at Caffe Vivaldi, and I'll tell you something...there's a song of mine...and it doesn't have a name yet, but its been writing itself for a very long time and now it is officially done. I played it tonight for the second time (the first time was a little like practice). Its been sitting in me for over three years, inching its way out in bits and pieces, dropping hints, little lines, and now all the pieces have come together, and it just floods through me.

Its about a friend of mine who committed suicide in 2006. Her name was Lindsay.

Here are the lyrics:

Lets play pretend
Color the car the color of ice
She could learn to color white time
but not on my time, not on my time

We'll shuffle hard
kick'n it back while we tally it twice
We could learn to redesign time
but not on my time, not on my time

Here we've got a misdemeanor
in a parking lot where I have seen her
face again, in jest

Its time to send so just go
No play pretend, just know
You're on the table now
and I got
to stand with you for a while
and play pretend with you
while you smiled
back when we were wild
back when we were wild

Lets deal the queen
Maybe she will testify
Its been a long wait
for some high time
but not on my time
not on my time

You can tell the passenger
to button up her overcoat and
she could learn realign time
but not on my time
not on my time

Maybe evening bled into
the onset of the afternoon
she swears her mother
must be up to something
so

Its time to send so just go
No play pretend, just know
You're on the table now
and I got
to stand with you for a while
and play pretend with you
while you smiled
back when we were wild
back when we were wild

King of the odds
Who woulda thought he'd
give a goodbye
with a lifeline
to say I'm fine but
Not on my time
Not on my

Your ticket's in a candy-coated
box in California love but
you were high-time
for a shelter
Make her melt on
Virginia time

Here we've got a misdemeanor
in a parking lot where I have seen her
Here we've got a misdemeanor
in a parking lot where I have seen her
Maybe we've got a misdemeanor
in a parking lot where I have seen her
I have seen her

On the table now
and I got
to stand with you for a while
and play
pretend with you
while you smiled
back when we were wild
back when we were wild

Mozart Developments

2009-07-17T02:43:00.007-04:00

I forgot to mention that I got the Cafe Mozart gig. Come watch my back on August 15th in Mamaroneck, NY from 8-11PM. That's three hours of my back. It grows on you.

But its good because they're paying me for all the back-modeling. Also hopefully the cafe-goers will tip me accordingly. Then everyone, young and old, will gather 'round (or rather, "behind") the piano and start singing standards and smoking cigars and summoning Frank Sinatra.

Here's what I suggest: get stupid drunk off of repeat orders of Napolean cake. You'll never know what hit you.

I sincerely hope that when the day comes, the locals come out for a good time. Till then, I'll work on toning my back for your viewing pleasure.

A Little Wooden Wall

2009-07-15T23:56:00.012-04:00

The most sacred wall I've ever touched was the Western Wall in Old Jerusalem. Coming in second is a wooden remnant of CBGB's infrastructure. In place of prayers slid between the brick, there lay yellowed flyers stapled chronologically to splintered wood, archiving sound. They lay thick and tattered like a decrepid but distinguishable flip-book, alongside inscribed proclomations of love and rage, marker and graffiti in tact.

Held temporarily in a storage space near the Brooklyn Navy Yard are the remaining walls of the landmark venue itself. These walls will soon be shipped to various Halls of Fame around the world. My cousin has his own business across the hall from CB's room, and having worked for him up till recently, I returned to the building today to get some of my things and take up a collection of empty boxes for a friend-in-transit. As I approached the warehouse entrance, I bumped into the CBGB's rep who pointed out to me a truck supposedly filled with pieces of CB's itself. "This is a big day for me," he said.

We rode up the freight elevator together and as I stepped out onto the hallway, there it was, directly across from me at eye level: a lone CBGB's wall fragment, innocuous and kind, leaning unsuspectingly against an ordinary warehouse frame. Taken, I rested my palm against it, half-expecting some unholy bouncer to stamp the other side of my hand. Flashes of maneuvering through heavy curtain in the downstairs lounge and dancing alongside strangers to a Smith's cover band came to mind. My friend, Dina, had taken me. She'd been obsessed with Morrissey in much the same way I'd been obsessed with Tori Amos, and as a result took in anything she could get. We were 16. CBGB's was sensory-overload for me and a day in the life for Dina.

And as I stood here with my palm to this wall I became acutely aware of its connection to other such walls: The Bottom Line where at 14 years old I met Neil Lifton, my soon-to-be mentor and friend; my own music played live at CB's Gallery next door; the entire stretch of the Bowery where evolution reared and reveled before my time.

Soon after my introduction to this particular wall fragment, a friend and I took a tour of the entire room with CB's walls laden all around us - we felt like we'd entered into some exclusive museum. The core of CB's had been deconstructed with plans to be put back together again, and there we were, witnessing the interim.

Wailing Wall prayers are humble, quiet. I prayed there, resting my head against the brick as prompted by a universal, all-knowing love. Today I rested my palm on the infrastructure of another landmark, feeling screams surge throughout my forearm and into my core. You know these weren't quiet prayers; music is a different kind of revolution. In the Bible of Sound, each tethered flyer reverberated thunder. Music electrocuted, religion humbled. And suddenly they became one in the same.

Tuesday afternoon I saw a dead cat in an underpass. I hadn't seen a dead cat since practically a year to the day in Old Jerusalem while walking alongside a park on Shabbat. That particular cat was unrecognizable from the accident that had taken his body, whereas the cat I saw on Tuesday had a body in tact. I reacted physically each time, my stomach rising to my chest and a nauseating moan resonating from deep inside my throat. However, this Tuesday, immediately following my physical distress, I thought, 'The cat is fine. He's peaceful. He doesn't know what happened to him. Its bothering me more than its bothering him.' I took a deep fresh breath and kept on walking out of the underpass and into daylight.

I have been learning over time that it is unwise to attach to the physical form. Everything has a soul, and the soul is what matters. Buddhists call it "grasping" - palms downward, fists clenched, unwilling to let go of that which is already spiritually gone. What they suggest, then, is holding out your arms and facing your open palms upward. In this way you have released the entity while still maintaining your broader connection and understanding that you really are, and always had been, one in the same. You're one with everything, and hands can hold this knowledge peacefully and without judgment, without grasp.

Hands can also play music. Hands can constantly receive messages in musical form if you allow them to be filters for the greater oneness that becomes you when you play.

So there's really no need to mourn an establishment. The walls were made by human hands, the hands are filters of beautiful ideas, and the music is in all of us, all the time, never subject to confinement - it doesn't even know what that means.

My only prayer tonight is that music should never know the word "confinement," and never be bound by any such walls.

Caffe Vivaldi Part 2: The Smidg'n

2009-07-14T09:02:00.008-04:00

Hello again! So soon for a follow-up blog, you may think, to which I respond...indeed.

But considering last night's blog was more ramble than actual content, I find it necessary to deliver a brief follow-up on the Caffe Vivaldi experiece, which is why I bring you..."the smidg'n." Please read on.

Beyond all else, the musicians who show up are ultimately what make Vivaldi Mondays fab. So this is just a "smidg'n" of the local talent you will dabble in whilst sitting and shmoozing in this cozy candle-lit cafe:

www.myspace.com/brandonandersonband
www.myspace.com/janetlabelle
www.myspace.com/rachelbrownmusic
www.myspace.com/azulunave
www.mikemorello.net
www.myspace.com/joshtaylorlive
www.myspace.com/thankyousenatorfulbright

There are more, but I don't want to overwhelm you. This is just a rich sampling of last night's diversity. But there are sooooo many more I could rattle off that are of equal importance, so I will let'em loose in following blogs and emails. For now, please indulge in the great music of those listed above!

Here's a real-time a snippit of my life: while I was writing the above paragraph I successfully canceled my gym membership. It had been frozen but I couldn't really afford to unfreeze it so I figured it was better off dead. Here's to multitasking!

If anyone from last night is reading this (HA!) and is wondering, "Why isn't MY name on there?" (double HA), you sadly have the misconception that this blog is SEEN. So, no worries, its so not a status call, just a smidg'n of a random sampling of talent which you are SOOO a part of. And worry even less because in the next unseen blog you TOO will be mentioned!

Lalala. Off to visit my mom across the street. She is selling her hand-made jewelry today at her very first flea market! GO MOM!!!! Here is her work. Again, just a sample - she also has bamboo, enamel, mosaic, mother of pearl, Faux Dichro, metal, hardwore, stone, spoon - SPOON jewelry, friends!!! Anyway folks, in the spirit of smidgn'ing, here is some glass:

http://www.slide.com/r/yVG7jwdq4T-NMBbrIcDYOLaoUoakEZ_q?previous_view=lt_embedded_url

Take it easy, boys and girls! I'll update about any Mozart developments tomorrow!

In the meantime, have a chipper, satisfactory late morning.
Jenn

Vivaldi Today, Mozart Tomorrow

2009-07-14T01:21:00.003-04:00

Okie dokie folkies, here is the jist:

The Caffe Vivaldi open mic is so close to "where its at" that any closer would be crossing over to "where it was." Musicians and music-listeners (aka EVERYONE WITH A PULSE!) should attend this open mic on Monday nights. Location: 32 Jones Street in Greenwhich Village, NYC. Doors open at 6ish, sign-up is 6:15ish, and the music starts at 7PM pronto - sometimes earlier if the place is rightfully packed with music hopefuls gnawing on their sleeves to cope with the agonizing uncertainty of not having a number. From experience I can tell you, this feels a bit like somebody is keeping your soul on preserve - UNLESS of course Kate-the-MC decides to start early, in which case you'll either be squeezed in pre-beginning, or kept wayward, wanting and in limbo till the end. So, if you want to play, I highly suggest you arrive by 6:00, because being a non-number is no fun. No fun at all. Which is why we sometimes start early. Because of the pity taken on non-numbers.

Once you're in, grab a seat and eat some gourmet yummies - or if you're a musician, order a coffee, take a bite of someone else's pecan pie, and rock on with it!

What was I going to say? Yes...Vivaldi. No, that's already been said...Mozart! Tomorrow I am going to Cafe Mozart to see if they will allow me to grace their stage / corner area where the music rolls out and bounces off the tables of dessert fiends and cappucino dilettantes. As you can probably imagine, I am psyched to venture out onto the hard-knock streets of Mamaroneck, New York and come back not only a better, wiser person, but a better, wiser person with a gig on my calendar! So, if you just keep your fingers crossed and your minds out of the gutter, the sailing should be smooth, my friends.

But as of today there is many a-gig approaching, and little to no organization on how its all getting done. Luckily, however, my plan is divided into three well-thought out phases:

Phase 1: get scared.
Phase 2: do something about it.
Phase 3: have it done and go.

Fortunately for me, this particular strategy has worked wonders in various last-minute achievements, such as being born (I was a c-section baby), packing, locating things, going to the bank, and doing laundry when faced with limited and far less appealing options.

So, as is the case with history, I'm sure I will find myself in a similar jiffy and get myself out of it in a similar time-frame as all prior jiffies up till now.

I kid myself. Of course I'm worried. But now is the time to start doing some hard-core thinking. So, as any good friend would do, I'll just wait around for your thoughts to surface. Come on folks, I'm not getting any younger!

The end. Good night. May peace be with you. Jenn.

"RewBee's World" and Book Release Party Evidence

2009-07-07T01:46:00.028-04:00

**To those of you who receive my blogs in your email, I suggest you go to www.jennfriedman.blogspot.com, since this particular blog is very link-heavy.

Hello friends,

Well, its finally here! The footage of my June 24th guest appearance on Rewbee's World radio show at www.arizzmaradio.com. Enjoy the ride, boys and girls...and don't say I didn't warn ya (even though, technically, I didn't).

For those of you who cannot view the embedding link above:

www.jennfriedman.blogspot.com

In other news, last night's release party of "You Are Not Alone Volume 2" was beautiful, empowering, and community-building! Here are some pictures to boot:

Jenn Friedman, Singer Songwriter / Contributor to "You Are Not Alone Vol 2"

Kiara Duran and Larissa Jaye - Singer Songwriter Duo

Rickie Gal of Twlight of the Idle: Musician / Songwriter / Spoken Word Artist

Stacy Pershall: Author, here reading from her memoir, "Loud in the House of Myself"

Stacey Prussman: Comedian / Speaker / Eating Disorder Activist

Marcia Kendall: Spoken Word Artist / Poet / DJ / Photographer

Brianne Chasanoff: Musician / Singer Songwriter

There was also an amazing performance by the women of 36:24:36, who you can see performing their skit here: http://www.36-24-36nyc.com/play.html

This was a truly amazing and inspiring event that could not have been possible without Bluestocking Bookstore's support, the hard work and willingness of all the performers involved, and the fantastic audience that came in and filled the room!!

THANK YOU to Andrea Roe and Shannon Cutts who made this book and CD possible. Thank you to Brooke at Bluestockings for letting us have our event at your fantabulous historical store, and thank you to the following performers: Musicians Rickie Gal (Twilight of the Idle), Brianne Chasanoff, and Larissa Jaye with Kiara Duran; spoken word artist Marcia Kendall; comedian Stacey Prussman; memoir-writer / belly-dancer and documentary film-maker Stacy Pershall, and the ladies of 36:24:36 - Jill Sharpe, Stephanie Schweitzer, Ann Malinowsky, and Candice Holdorff.

Thank you to Rickie Gal and Brianne Chasanoff for doing sound. Really, we would have all been lost without you. Lost!

Thanks to those of you who purchased "You Are Not Alone Volume 2" and contributed to the FREED Foundation Scholarship Fund.

And thank you to Bluestockings Bookstore in NYC for giving us a venue to strut.

Keep an eye out for more pictures and videos from the party within the next few days.

In the meantime, be good, eat your veggies, and Happy Freak'n Summer!
Jenn

Today, Friday, at Waltz Astoria

2009-07-03T01:12:00.001-04:00

Hey!

Just a final reminder that I'm playing today, Friday, as part of the Astoria Talent Expo:

Friday, July 3rd at 8:30 PM
Waltz Astoria

23-14 Ditmars Boulevard
Astoria, NY 11105

N/W train to Ditmars Blvd

$10 drink minimum

Showcase starts at 8.

www.waltz-astoria.com

Hope to see you there!

Jenn

www.jennfriedman.com

www.reverbnation.com/jennfriedman

Notes to Self and Others

2009-07-02T09:40:00.002-04:00

If you listen to my music here, I get paid:

http://www.jango.com/music/Jenn+Friedman?l=0

Dates are filling up but I need your help! If you know of any good places to play in or around Connecticut or upstate NY, let me know! <3

Also, note to self: promote. radio. postcards. flyers. send.

Other note to self: lodging.

This may seem like a lot to swallow...

2009-06-27T09:30:00.003-04:00

but hear me out:

there's going to be some hardcore shiznit goin down, and i'm going to tell you all about it in a two-part email on sunday. i am not joking. this is the big-time folks. the big league!! i've crossed over, and i'm taking you down with me, so do not miss it. do not miss the madness. love, jenn.

ps: just to clarify, i'm not talking about any signatures of any sorts; just the sweet smell of independent undertakings!

Get Your FREE Download of "Alibi"!!

2009-06-24T20:48:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone!!

I have great news. For a limited time, you can download my song "Alibi" for free. Everytime it is downloaded (by separate people), I get paid. So, free for you, and it helps me out!! Just go here to download it:

http://www.myspace.com/windows?homepage=jennfriedman

Thank you! Jenn.

Phoenix

2009-06-23T00:46:00.007-04:00

Hello blog brothers,

Before anything, I want to let you know that you all need to go here:

Phoenix's Blog - amazing feminist writing. This girl is ridiculous. I saw her perform her poetry the other day at Paradigm Shift and she blew me out of the water. Her words are....crunchy. Crunchy, delicious and wise. Please go here. You will fall in love and probably become a better person.

http://femme-poet.blogspot.com/

Since I am not too technically savvy (I think HTML stands for "Here, Try My Lentils"), I have not yet been able to link directly to Phoenix's blog. However, I have faith that she will gently help me through this without too much trauma to my sympathetic nervous system.

In other news, I went to Caffe Vivaldi open mic tonight for the second time, and I must say, it feels like a safe haven in an otherwise arhythmic city. I am proud to call myself a "regular." I feel mutual appreciation and recognition, and consistently leave smiling. I feel the "Cheers" theme song coming on and will immediately change the subject.

I guess if you're reading this, you're also on my mailing list, so you know what's up with me, but in case you are having a slow moment and forgot to check your email (but by some miraculous twist of fate remembered to check this blog), I'm going to be interviewed (aka grilled) on Rewbee's World - Wednesday at 4:30PM. Watch live as boundaries break and secrets from the womb are cracked: www.arizzmaradio.com. Its my fifteen minutes of fame, quite literally.

In closing, I would like to present to you some alternative interpretations of what we in the modern world have come to call "HTML."

HTML:

How To Make Lentils

How To Murder Lice

How To Milk Leopards

How To Mash Lettuce

Hoe Tush Money Lawyer

Have Triple Mocha Latte

Hammer Toed Monkey Love

More?

Videos coming soon

2009-06-20T14:21:00.001-04:00

Videos are coming soon. They're coming soon!! Amen.

Paradigm Shift NYC

2009-06-18T01:22:00.004-04:00

Tonight was rad. I performed at the launch of Paradigm Shift's new website and blog. See them here: www.paradigmshiftnyc.com.

I met so many great people and feel more encouraged than ever to keep going. Thank you beautiful ladies for organizing this and having me perform!!

Music Schedule

2009-06-14T19:51:00.004-04:00

This is a call to other musicians who want to join me in gigs or suggest gigs in the places with gaps that I mention:

Playing Schedule as of June 14th (in Brooklyn or Manhattan unless otherwise noted):

June 17th - Paradigm Shift NYC - two songs
June 20th - Pianos
June 24th - Rewbee's World Interview

July 5th - Bluestocking Event
July 24th - All Call Inn (w/ Twilight of the Idle) Ewing, NJ
July 30th - The Underscore

August 13th - Shrine
August 21st - B&G Lounge - South Windsor, CT
August 22nd - Funky Monkey Cafe - Cheshire, CT

September 9th - College Cafe - Clinton, NY
September 10th - Utica Musicfest - Utica, NY
September 11th - Utica Musicfest - Utica, NY
September 12th - Utica Musicfest - Utica, NY

I'm looking to fill in:

Mid-July around NYC (preferably not inside NYC)
Beginning of August - around NYC
End of August - CT / Westchester / surrounding areas
Beginning September - CT / Westchester / surrounding areas / upstate NY
Mid September - upstate NY and beyond

What doesn't kill you...

2009-06-12T21:44:00.002-04:00

makes you sick to your stomach.

you've gotta take what they say, and crumble it up into a little ball, and wish it away into the cornfield, and cremate it. BUH-BYE. Buh-bye now.

seriously. seriously? seriously.

Living in the Moment

2009-06-11T00:57:00.004-04:00

I've been putting every single ounce of energy I have into organizing my musical travels. I've sent out so many emails to music venues I can no longer keep count. I must average 30-40 a day, and that's just venues. I'm organizing an event, I'm working out travel plans, I'm figuring out with my friends and fellow musicians the best way to coincide our schedules and gig together. I'm updating my website, Reverbnation, Facebook (still need to work on myspace) regularly. I am following up with people, emailing new people, networking, making the necessary phonecalls. I am the epitome of "on," the epitome of living in the present. *This* is the present. I am so fully in it and so fully alive.

I am focused on the short-term goals and the long-term goals - the *big* goals - simultaneously. I see very clearly.

I am, in a sense, living my dream. Its a process, and I am on the ride.

for those who get my blog in their email

2009-06-06T17:24:00.002-04:00

the embedding thing didn't go through - this is what i was trying to show you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3cnfInGxY8

I sometimes feel like this

2009-06-06T14:55:00.001-04:00

This is how I sometimes feel:

End of Week Analysis

2009-06-06T02:23:00.007-04:00

I am continually amazed at the revival of the human spirit.

When I experience music evoking spirit and spirit evoking music and people connecting intimately over a collective resignation to love and be loved, my faith is restored. It is absolute. These moments are rare. Rarity is good because it jolts you into remembering. But awareness is key, always. If I am always aware, with the occassional jolt of bliss, then balance is restored.

*very poor transition from the vague and abstract to the actual thing that actually happened*

My point is, I performed at CityLight Coffeehouse last night and met amaaazing people. We all had crazy crazy fun. Seriously, it was intense. Maybe its because it was part of a church, but everyone was so nice. I don't know where all these nice people came from, or what holes they've been hiding in, but they were some of the nicest people I've met in the city ever. You'd better keep tabs on me mom and dad or this Jew from Brooklyn may go gospel...

Also, I mentioned to a few people on staff that the complimentary pastries were the holiest part of the evening. Raspberry parfait, I will return!!!

The performances will all be up on Youtube verrrry soon...

And so, in the words of Tina Fey in "Baby Mama," I am "sleepy and tired." Good night.

OH!! and the thing on Reverbnation - it worked! It worked! It worked. I'll tell you more when I know more. But thanks if you sent me any "i hope this works for jenn" vibes. Your efforts were not made in vain!

Chronologically Organized Wishes

2009-06-04T00:37:00.005-04:00

Dear Myspace,

I have to say, for a long time, I disregarded you. I made light of you. I chose other social networking sites as my primary sources of debauchery. But now I come to you and request forgiveness. I hope that we can be friends again. That includes you, Tom.

I want to treat you all equally - that includes Facebook, Reverbnation, Myspace, and of course, this here blog. Not to mention my home website: www.jennfriedman.com. So, I've just revamped my Myspace calendar and I hope you'll take a look. I will also maintain an up-to-date Myspace blog (namely, this blog insterted into that blog - two different textual bodies with identical text. This feels very existential). Anyway, I promise you, Myspace, I will not fail you.

www.myspace.com/jennfriedman

I feel compelled to tell you all the things I've been doing. I'm so excited. I feel a great musical resurgence and its making me so happy. This is my schedule. Revel in it! Play in it like a kid in a sandbox! Pick and choose the rides you wanna go on!

This was May:

May 6th - House Concert
May 19th - Vermont's Langdon Street Cafe with Chantilly
May 24th - Goodbye Blue Monday

This month:

June 4th - City Light Coffeehouse (NYC)
June 6th - Homage with Twilight of the Idle (Brooklyn)
June 20th - Pianos (NYC)
June 24th - Interview on Rewbee's World (NYC - You are invited to watch the showdown live!)
June 25th - "You Are Not Alone, Volume 2" comes out - a beautiful eating disorder recovery book and accompanying cd to which I contributed a story and song!

Next month (so far confirmed):

July 24th - All Call Inn (Ewing, NJ)
July 30th - The Underscore (NYC0

September 10-12: Utica Musicfest!!!! I don't have my exact slot yet, but it'll be during one of those days!!! This will be my first festival everrrr, and much like my first house concert, I am duly psyched. As should you be! Weeee!

I also have two radio station shows / interviews / podcasts coming up. I've been accepted, but do not have dates just yet. Stay tuned!

I am also organizing an event with the the project coordinator of "You are not Alone" at Bluestocking Bookstore in NYC to celebrate the book's release.

And if you will please keep me in your thoughts, I am (seriously) praying for a "yes" to something potentially amazing. I can't say anything more about it, but my conviction is, the more people who put "yes" out into the universe, the greater the likelihood of a blissful occurrence.

Also...Reverbnation. And a problem I reeeeally hope to fix just in the nick of time. If I fix it, you will know. I've been offered a really cool opportunity but some downloading problems might be preventing me from ceasing it. Lets just hope this can be figured out by Friday. I'm keep'n the faith, Reverbnation, that technical difficulties may never come between us.

Time for bed.

Love,
Jenn

A Test

2009-05-30T21:13:00.002-04:00

This is a test:

BUY
NOW!

Its Centsless I Tell You!

2009-05-30T17:00:00.011-04:00

Here's a much-needed update. I'm angry! Angry I say! Ahhhh the anger just ZAPS right through me! It BECOMES me! Anger is IIIIEEEEE. No no, that's a tori song. But I is definitely anger. RAWWWWR!

And you know why? Good. Because I'm pent and spent! Pent and spent I say. This is sounding more and more like a Dr. Suess poem. Only I'm not spent. Just pent. Never spent. That would go against everything I believe in. An artist lives off of emotional spending but never being spent. At the crucial moment of spentness, we become refueled and spend some more! Its the very spending, and the nearing of the edge of spentness, that is the fuel itself. End of presumptuous banter.

The object of today's post is: money.

The other object is loss of my backbone.

Lets toss a coin, which comes first, money or my backbone. Heads says money, tails says my backbone. Oh wait, two sides of the same friggin coin! How could I have been so centsless?

No no...money is not my backbone. But you know what bothers me? That everyone needs to start somewhere. And some pittance you know, a little bit of pittance...and that's why the title of my next album is going to be "penance for the candyman." I lie. I thought of that a while ago but it makes sense to me now..

That is if i have the pennies to create it.

Here...this is what I need. I'll just say it. I need YOU. I don't care. I've lost my dignity. Dignity is kapoot. I need the people who respect my music to step up and say "HOLLAH! Lets make some noise!"

I need noise.

In other news, while today's gig in jersey got postponed, I have another gig lined up for next Saturday, June 6th, at Homage in Brooklyn with Twilight of the Idle.

And a radio show appearance (that will be broadcast in video as well) at Rewbee's World on June 24th.

Next month, July 24th, I have a gig with Twilight of the Idle at the All Call Inn in Ewing, New Jersey.

And hopefully, HOPEFULLY, sooner than later, hopefully sometime in JOOLY, I will reschedule my other Jersey gig - Westwood, at Cafe Life - only this time maybe Twilight of the Idle will want to play with me. I will bring my keyboard and stand if she brings her amp, mic and mic stand. Haha, what a way to find out about this, Rickie.

Calmer note:

Booking requires planning. If I want to book an extensive set of gigs, I have to plan in advance. Months in advance. I can't just jump in and expect the dates to fill up on command.

UPCOMING GIG:

Saturday, June 6th:
Homage (pronounced O-maj) - rickie's addendum
with Twilight of the Idle
636 Park Place, Brooklyn NY
2/3/4/5 or Shuttle train
7PM

www.myspace.com/twilightoftheidle

Free but eat! Eat and buy. Because eating and buying will pave the way for a better future for your children.

#16 on Reverbnation Chart Woohoo!

2009-05-24T15:47:00.002-04:00

Hey I'm number 16 on the ReverbNation Pop charts for Brooklyn, NY. Help me make it to Number 1! www.reverbnation.com/jennfriedman

Just click on the link and that is all!

Spammery Be Gone!

2009-05-23T01:19:00.004-04:00

There seems to be an issue. Its been going on for a long time, and its about time I put my fear of confrontation behind me and approach this sucker head on.

There is a disconcerting correlation between internet spammers and my website guestbook. What my guestbook did to attract these spammers is unbeknownst to me; I can only hope that it lured them in with its unrivaled charm and debauchery. However, best case scenarios aside, it is still blatantly, feverishly UNACCEPTABLE!

So, in an effort to rid my guestbook of the spamming kind, I've been forced to turn off my guestbook option. And do you know something? That hurt. Its like having to punish the whole class because a couple of jerks decided to act like defective tools. Its simply not fair.

As if that weren't bad enough, let me take you deeper down the rabbit hole: the spammers somehow cracked the signature ban and went on spamming as though they were on holiday! Immunity Day for Spammers! Free For All for Porn Link Providers Day, come out come out wherever you are and mess with my page till the cows come home!

As you can see, I am not happy about this predicament. But if there's anything to be taken from this life-lesson-in-the-making, its that...guests are a problem. I wouldn't ever advise having them. There's nothing wrong with being your own guest, folks. Nothing wrong at all...

I had this thought the other day:

What if a man spent his whole life standing in the middle of a road in front of a hospital entrance simply because he thought, 'Well, if I get hit, what better place to get hit than in front of a hospital?'

Do you understand? Isn't that a cool thought to have? Discuss?

Playing On Sunday at Goodbye Blue Monday!

2009-05-22T23:29:00.008-04:00

Dear Readers of De Blog:

I formally invite you to my next social affair.

Its this Sunday, May 24th, 9PM at:

Goodbye Blue Monday
1087 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11221
Free + Tips

In honor of playing at Monday on Sunday, expect a corresponding song. Its called "Monday" and it goes "Tomorrow is Monday." I wrote it years ago in anticipation of this day.

In other news, Vermont was raaaaad. The place Chantilly and I played at, called Langdon Street Cafe, had an old converted cigarette dispenser! There was an amazingly other-worldly quartz pendulum in there for three dollars! Unfortunately the machine was stuck and no pendulum was had. But I asked them to mail it to me if they ever got it opened, and I would send them three bucks. They put it in a log for all to see. I have been immortalized!

Also, they fed us. Food equals Life Force. Free Food equals Gas Money on the Way Home. We were fortunate enough to have both. I was fortunate enough to have my performance fuel in the form of a Tempeh Reuben. Ahhhhh...heaven on a plate, my friends, heaven on a plate...

Thank you Chantilly for setting up this gig!! See Chantilly at: www.myspace.com/Chantillysongs.

Stay cool fools.

Love,
Jenn

www.jennfriedman.com
http://www.reverbnation.com/jennfriedman

BUY MY MUSIC AT:

www.itunes.com/jennfriedman
www.cdbaby.com/cd/jenn2

Thanks. ;)

Vegan? Vegan...hum...

2009-05-18T01:16:00.008-04:00

I am drinking spicy ginger tea and thinking about Vermont. I imagine it to be crisp and maply. I am also very excited for cheddar cheese!

To tell you the truth I have been thinking about permanently forgoing dairy. So you can see how I'd revel in anticipation of oncoming Vermontonian cheddar.

Not to gross anyone out, but I took a good look at my egg and cheese bagel the other day, like, I really inspected it, like Anna Wintour inspects her proofs, with that cynical surgical air about me. And I seriously had this moment of WTF. I thought to myself, I don't eat chicken but this came from a chicken. I don't eat cow but this came from a cow. I don't eat veal but my consumption of this here cheese is contributing to a baby cow being slaughtered in some dark stuffy death house, out-of-the-way enough so that we consumers don't ever have to think about or see it. Such is the cycle of ignorance, I suppose.

So I thought, this is kind of how I felt when I was about to stop eating meat. Then I thought of ice cream. And then I thought of soy ice cream and how yummy it is. Then I thought of cigarettes and how I stopped precisely a year and a half ago to the day (and this lady randomly came up to me and gave me anti-smoking flyers to hand out, but that's a whole other story because most of them were in Russian), and I thought that if I could stop smoking, then by God I could stop eating cheese.

So...don't hold me to this okay? Because there is still the very pressing issue of chocolate. Sigh. BUT to those of you who are vegan or who have had experience being with vegan:

Can you give me any insight? Any yummy, affordable cheese substitutes, for example?

And can you dispell the myth that veganism is more expensive than vegetarianism? Is carob really more expensive than chocolate? And can you buy vegan food at any other market than a fancy organic store that appeals mostly to yuppies?

Thanks for your two cents, guys.

In other news, I think I gave my mom an upper respiratory infection. Jewish guilt has become me....

Books and Meditation

2009-05-16T01:24:00.009-04:00

Hello again Bloggaboos,

I would like to share with you the books I've been reading as of late:

"Second Sight" by Judith Orloff
"Auras and Chakras - Harnessing the Energy Within" by Fiona Toy
"Tibetan Book of Living and Dying" by Sogyal Rinpoche

Funny enough, these are all books I've had for quite some time. I am happy that they've weaved their place into my life, and mine in theirs.

I've been meditating every night for about two weeks now. I'm doing it with a partner so its a special, hour-long meditation which I don't know I'll be able to keep up after we finish; however, after having gotten a taste for it, I know now that it will always be a part of my life. I meditated on the beach the other day. Someday soon I'd like to meditate under a tree. Nature is so unconditionally and infinitely life-giving.

Also, in the name of consistency, I will touch upon the audio production plan I mentioned early on in blogville: I'M ON IT. i'm on it. I didn't register for the class that starts next week because of scheduling conflicts and lack of funds. But patience, patience! I'm on it.

Bedtime calls...

The Music is Due in Maple Town

2009-05-14T17:40:00.015-04:00

In case you didn't get the reference, its a cheap shot at the Twilight Zone episode, "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street." More noteworthy, however, are the lone, impressionable locals who have fallen slave to calvary!

And so, citizens of Montpelier, Vermont, if the syrupy emblems of your estate have not yet crumbled in the wake of doom, let Chantilly and Jenn overtake your dormant hunger and with that, let the maply madness stick to your palates and writhe up in undulating thirst!

That's RIGHT: Chantilly and Jenn, ready to put to an end your callous conundrums as we take you down with our rythmic tantrums of the heretofore unsaid! as we rock you to the ground, writhing in symphonic dissonance. as every pitiful pet peeve in your dreary little lives thus far is laid to REST!

Yes, yes. In YOUR life-time, folks, truth will be unveiled, hope will be restored, the uprising of discontent will be heard at last!

But like the great psychic "mr. psychic" once said, "If you miss seeing Chantilly and Jenn on May 19th at the Langdon Street Cafe in Montpelier, Vermont, you might as well jump off a bridge - specifically the Langdon Street Bridge, so your bodies will be easily located and identified by the local authorities."

And there you have it. Mr. Psychic has spoke.

Here is the info; heed the word:

May 19th, 2009 at 8:00 PM at Langdon Street Cafe
4 Langdon St.
Montpelier, Vermont
Free + tips (the more you tip, the more you save yourSELVES)

I will end with a most tasteful, thought-provoking quote from Chantilly herself:

"waa-hooo!"

Love,
Jenn

http://www.myspace.com/chantillysongs

Name Two Living People You Would Like to Have Lunch With

2009-05-11T18:29:00.006-04:00

Here is my personal take-off on Facebook's Top Five thingie, "Name five dead people you'd like to have dinner with."

Judith Orloff MD and Lynne McTaggart.

Judith is a psychic psychologist and psychiatrist. Lynne is a journalist who has extensively researched quantuum physics. I am an inquisitive innocent who is sensitive to energies and in love with dreams. An interesting lunch table indeed...

Abducting Your Competition, and Other Useful Marketing Techniques

2009-05-09T01:21:00.006-04:00

One way to side-swipe the sunken economy is to abduct your primary competitor and hold him for ransom.

Or...OR...you can merge. Merging actually sounds less physically taxing. I would suggest going with the merging...but that's just me.

Not that they're competitors, but I've thought for a while that it would be cool if Starbucks and McDonalds merged and called themselves Buckdonalds.

Listen, the floor is open for ideas. As far as I can see, the ideas here are limitless. This could save the economy. Anyone considering stealing this idea should promptly notify me. Ya hear, Ronald?

Basically this line is just a space filler so I can smoothly transition to my conclusion and go to bed.

In conclusion, I'll have a Grande Pepsi and a Supersized No-Foam Latte. Oh, and a Yuppie Meal for my son here.

Sweet dreams, CEO has-beens! Live long and prosper!

House Concert Footage

2009-05-08T19:31:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone! Wednesday's gig was super fun!!! Everybody was so hospitable, and I got to play on a real piano! Always a treat. Thank you Liz, for making this such a cool experience. Here is some footage of me playing "All My Horses."

Looking forward to playing in Montpelier, Vermont with Chantilly on May 19th!!! And again in Brooklyn (Goodbye Blue Monday) on May 24th. There's also a gig in Westwood, NJ in the works. In other news, I spilled coffee on my skirt today and was told by my best friend Eva that Tide has a magical pen that will reverse this attrocity. Has anyone experienced this pen of which my best friend speaks? Testimonials please?

Gig tonight!

2009-05-06T16:40:00.003-04:00

I have a gig tonight here: www.escapeguesthouse.com.

Its a bed and breakfast in Brooklyn! Most of you guys and gals reading this probably already know about it by now, but for those of you who do not and plan on making a last minute appearance, its at 7:00 (food and drink and tea in the garden!!!) and the music starts at 7:30.

Website has all the info.

I'm nervous but its all good!! Time to put on my womanly charm in the form of lipgloss.

Broke-n

2009-05-05T14:04:00.003-04:00

Several of my devices are broken; I find myself uttering half-words and communicating via rapid eye movement.

Also, money is kind of an issue. If you want to send me money, just go ahead and send it. 100% of the proceeds go to me.

And lastly, much to your dismay, I've gone back to using the semi-colon. I mean, it was never really gone...we were on a break.

Deconstructing the Hipster

2009-05-01T10:21:00.017-04:00

Preface: this entry actually has very little to do with deconstructing the hipster, but I left the title up because it has the words "deconstruct" and "the" which are two of my favorite words.

*******

When I was a kid, I only wanted to belong. But as fate would have it, not only did I not belong; I was downright ostricized by my fellow classmen. Elementary school can be a real bitch.

Junior high school rocked my socks off. I met great, like-minded, intellectual buddies who showed me the way. Dina, Rui Bing, Tara, you saved my life. Just say'n...

High school, not so much...but I met great teachers who did the same. Hi Mr. Glenn.

I spent my last term of high school interning at Spin Magazine. Self-identifying as a musician and a writer, I thought this move was intensely rad.

I learned crucial life lessons while at Spin. For example, I learned that most people like their envelopes sealed, usually stamped. And I did not receive this pertinent information through a third party, nuh-uh; this wasn't no lecture hall. I learned it through first-hand experience. I myself upheld the privacy and efficiency of envelopes all over the country. It was like working for the federal government.

However, Spin also had its downfalls. For example, my supervisor - lets call her "A" - didn't like me very much. And while it certainly wasn't unfounded discontent - I had undiagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder and major, MAJOR social anxiety - she took it a tad far whilst calling me deaf, dumb and retarded. But hey - adjectives. Always been a fan of adjectives.

STORY

See, one lovely afternoon on her way back from lunch, "A" caught me with the receptionist - okay its not what you're thinking. The receptionist had actually been bitching to me - UNPROMPTED - about "A" while "A" was out ("she thinks she's hot shit! everybody's scared of her, that's why they're so nice to her, they kiss her ass!"), and of course, in the midst of this glorious (and I'll admit, validating) rant, who better to step off the elevator and into the receptionist's area than "A" herself? WELL...not only did the receptionist not - oh I don't know, STOP TALKING, but she upped the decibal level generously whilst banging on the glass door as "A" was passing through! The receptionist had gone crazy. Crazy I say! *Sigh.* Such is the real world.

So, "A" took me aside and demanded to know what the receptionist had said to me. "Was she talking about me?" "No." "What was she saying?" (My mouth was so dry at this point you could hear my tongue smacking against my palate). "I don't know..." "You don't know?! Unless you're dumb, deaf, or retarded, you know what she said to you!" "She wasn't talking about you." Blah-de-blah, I probably blocked the rest out.

Anyway, she vowed to me and all her peon coworkers that she would get "that bitch's ass fired." And come Monday, the receptionist was no more.

As fate would have it, after I left Spin and began college, "A" herself ended up getting fired. I was told by another supervisor that it was kharma. And much like elementary school, kharma can really bite you in the a$$.

END OF STORY

I think my point was that I wanted to belong. I did not. I was so the opposite of belonging I could have created my own little genre of non-belongers and belonged to that. It was brutal. People talked about me behind me back - well, I caught them, so technically it was in front of my back, but anyway. I think my point is, besides my supervisor, none of them were really mean. They just wanted to fit in with each other, and I was a decent conversation starter, a common tie.

My first year of college at Hofstra...well, look, it had its perks. First of all I had a pretty sweet roommate, Gail. She loved Tori Amos and David Bowie and she was generally really freak'n awesome and liked by all. I met her through the literary magazine, home to the most diverse and down-to-earth crowd on campus. I also befriended some folk in the drama department, including a crazy cool girl named Jin. If you're out there Jin, I would love to be in touch again.

But honestly, while I know this all sounds like a barrel o' lucky love, there was no real niche of which to speak. I wasn't a sorority girl, I didn't do shots, I didn't go to sports bars, and to be honest I was a little sick of paying $30 every time I went to see my school therapist. Also, I had a weird spasm problem. Don't ask. :(

So I decided to put all my eggs in a single basket and apply as a transfer student to Purchase and only Purchase. I got in, because well...I had no other choice.

Upon admission, Purchase proved to be the place non-belongers went to conjoin. I certainly felt it. But like any community, there was a hierarchy. I learned later that this hierarchy was made up of what people my age like to call "Hipsters."

I didn't know that's what they were called. I didn't even know they were a "they." I liked the way they dressed. They dressed like the people in high school who didn't belong. I always wanted to dress like that.

The equivalent of Hipsters at Hofstra would've been "Japs." Its always something.

It is now my understanding that to be a hipster is to be an imposter. Apparently, hipsters have certain vintage-but-not clothes, certain tattoes, certain ways of talking (think Mary-Kate Olsen), certain haircuts (short? grandfather-hatted?), they brag about liking post-modern art but aren't quite sure what they're talking about, and all their dads pay for everything they own. Oh yes, they are a "they" with all the misconceptions that any "they" would develop over time. They are a community. They've gained strength in numbers and now we are all threatened by the exclusivity of a group that as individuals in any other community might very well be ostricized. So we label and categorize "them," because that makes us feel safe. Once you define something, you can discriminate against it. You can attach false meaning to it.

Why don't we leave'm the hell alone? Let people grow. Don't judge'em. Don't make up shit about individual people. I mean, who gives us the right to judge anyone? I was judged. I don't wanna judge anyone. I want to reserve my judgment calls for something meaningful, like whether to get cookies n' cream or maple walnut fudge swirl. Or whether to take Delta or American based on which has the individual televisions. I mean come on...

Anyway, my point is, don't judge Nicole Richie; she never did anything to you. Also, don't judge business people. We are all business people.

One last thing: I might not be the best person to take advice from, since I probably spewed many-a-judgment myself in this entry, but hear me out in this selectively convenient addendum: 1) they WERE peons, 2) from my own independent research, I've noticed that sorority girls generally do go to sports bars, and 3) as far as I can tell, most people in the general public (and I'm aware I AM generalizing here) like their envelopes sealed; however, I open the floor for debate.

Any takers?

To Do List Roll Call

2009-04-30T12:41:00.004-04:00

I've been following up with people from L.A. But still to do:

add recent pictures to my website

get isrc codes (meaning find isrc codes and then make an isrc code folder)

pick up the goddamn phone.

send out updated information about wednesday's house concert pronnnntooooo...(basically the event starts at 7 and the music starts at 7:30 and the whole thing ends at 9:30. see? that was easy.)

practice. this is not even funny anymore. practicing has to be as much a part of my routine as brushing my teeth (never mind sunday) and sleeping (never mind last week).

learn to drive.

write to my new friends, and my old friends.

find something in my closet to wear to the Bar Mitzvah.

**************************************************

So...what's on YOUR to-do list?

PMS

2009-04-29T01:05:00.012-04:00

Today this happened:

I'm about to embark on a jolly downward stroll into the NorthWest entrance of the 57th Street station, when, lo and behold, I am warded off by a GATE! a big nasty GATE ordinarily reserved for jay-walking prisoners and movie theater box office attendants! This is preposterous! I say to myself. Imbeciles! For years I have walked the walk of the northwest entrance into the 57th Street Subway! Upholding an air of peace and harmony, I've embarked on many a stroll down this particular set of stairs. But today, against my will, I must enter via the NorthEAST. EAST is practically Lexington and as far as I could tell, my days of living in Spanish Harlem are over! So I don't NEED the 6, do I? I don't neeeed Lexington! I don't need fancy Eastside apartment buildings and debouchery! And I don't need to see the moon first. I could see it perfectly fine from where I stand. I will conclude this entry with a poem:

"My Intersection"

A city that never sleeps
should open the gate for keeps
A pardon that lets her walk
should not reposess the lock
And so it has come to be
that citizens pay the fee
to huddle inside the hole
and honor the master key
but what will we take back when
the master has gone to sleep
the candy, the keeper, the slain swordsmen's reaper
"its subtle," said normandy.

........................................................

Just kidding.

The end.

A Coherent, Bubbly Video for the Collective You

2009-04-28T00:51:00.000-04:00

To anyone who took issue with my sleep-deprived nonsensical recollection of L.A., this video is for YOU. And everyone else. Love to you. :)

Souls for Sale! And Other Useful Marketing Techniques

2009-04-27T20:42:00.007-04:00

I wonder if a lot of people have this conviction that there exists a single ticket to opportunity and all they have to do is find the right will-call station. Upon retrieval, the ticket bears access to a portal wherein greatness becomes them. I imagine a lot of people attended the ASCAP expo in hopes of coming face to face with their personal, soul-matching will-call representative. Indeed, this was a real hope of mine, as I hurried like a schoolgirl from one classroom to the next, building up dreams of meeting just one master with one ticket that belonged to me. I broadened my odds, handing out press kits to anyone who would give me the time of day, making sure to assert my presence so that these masters of song / business might remember my face, or my sweater, or my very specific brand of eye contact. I wanted to last in their minds; to be one of the first visuals that came to mind upon recalling the panel, which would then spark their collective fancy, causing them to look at my folder and at last listen to at least one track on "Open Book."

About a day and half into the Expo - bustling the halls, hoarding tips, ideas, business cards and referrals in my bag - I began to understand that there need not be a single ticket - and that hoping for one may even be a bit lazy and presumptuous on the dreamer's part. Work is rewarded. Hope will be recognized when work is implemented into the agenda. "Work," it turns out, is the formation of very specific, brand-coinciding strategies. It is the planting of seeds that will grow with YOUR love and nurturing - not only the nurturing of those in the position to influence your career. Power, influence, command - these things can be shared. They can be instituted by you.

If there is a ticket, you already have it, no? If no such portal exists, create it.

One panelist said, "Start with your strength. Don't do it all at once." I was always a believer in working from the ground up. I'm very rooted by nature - an earth sign, a Capricorn, with a Libra for a mother who always swung on the pragmatic end of the scale (and who is also an artist in her own right). For better or worse, I consider writing to be my primary strength. Once I've formed a foundation with writing, I can branch out into video, pictures - but the layout is written. I am a firm believer that once you are rooted, planted, deep into your being, deep into earth, you can then expand to no end. You can travel across universes. Your conscious can be as elevated as eternity. I am of the belief that one can possess everything and share everything and connect to everything as though they are individuals no more - while being firmly planted in that from which they came and to that which they will always return.

If each of us expands on our individual philosophies, we will stretch across borders and collect wisdom.

Any Expo people want to talk about what they learned? Be abstract or literal as you wish.

Over the next few days, different names and sentences will float in and out of my head. They will the voices of Ricky Skaggs, a country artist who, through his story-telling, helped me understand that no matter the genre, all musicians share the universal, across-the-board elements of music and heart; Tom Sturges of Universal Publishing with whom I had my single most confident interaction; the videogame panelist who gave me a new idea for the single, "Open Book;" the guy who did the pre-movie advertisements, providing me with yet another idea of where to get my music heard.

I humbly approached Richard Gottehrer, founder of "The Orchard Distribution" at the lobby payphones during his moment alone. With vigor and humility I proclaimed, "Hi! How are you!? I don't know if you remember me, I'm Jenn Friedman! I gave you my press kit this morning!" to which he responded, plain as day, with a lovable smug similar to that of Clint Eastwood in "Gran Torino:" "That was twenty minutes ago." (andnowyoucanleavemealonewithmyblackberrythankyouverymuch).

Regardless, I was in awe. Twenty minutes to a dude like him? Light years!

Man oh man...the totally gritty informative panels that I desperately needed to attend...that was good stuff. Digital networking, publishing, very pertinent information that will directly lead me to one of many next steps. Very good stuff. Concrete stuff.

Los Angeles hasn't seen the last of me. Even though this expo was specifically designed as the "Mecca of Music" gathering hole for artists and industry folk all over the country (and beyond, for some), I still had a feeling about L.A. that insisted I go back for another, longer round.

So...what did you learn?

ASCAP Expo L.A. Madness Fragments

2009-04-27T00:18:00.007-04:00

ASCAP Expo in L.A. from April 23rd to April 25th. Notes.

I'm so excited that I don't care if my grammar isn't stellar. I just want to share with you what went down the past four days. Holy smack. So I get off the plane and go to my hostel - a slightly revamped college dorm with equally lax frontmen, and I go in search of a Staples to make copies of my press kit. At Staples I meet a regular who is in his 70's, from Brooklyn, whose son was in the Sex Pistols. He's an A&R guy so I give him my cd and business card. Venture out around the neighborhood, pre-showered, in sweats, garnering excitement, got my bus. cards and press kits and I shower and I'm ready to go, I've circled all my panels...its all good, in order.

Three days of back-to-back networking, gushing, networking, and exhibiting uncharacteristic yet genuine confidence. Something woke up my business savvy. I know what it was too. It was my purple blazer. I felt like a queen. Everyone felt like a queen and a king in their own right.

Along the way....boy oh boy. What? What could possibly be said when in the presence of greatness? Well for starters, PAUL WILLIAMS it turns out is the new President of ASCAP, which practically had me pissing myself because I remembered taking a masterclass at Purchase and I remember being utterly moved...and so, Paul Williams, here is in in front of us mortals, with a most humble sense of humor and his cleverness and wit and intelligence shined but he had the ego of a child prodigy with no concept of extraordinaire.

I learned so much. OYYYY. So much.

Also, please please please look up the Nikki Jean Project. She did a panel where she explained how she got some of the best songwriters including Paul Williams to write on her new album (that she is recording now). She created a sort of portal from the old, legendary to the budding modern, and she's done it with grace and particularity, and she proved to be the heart and soul of the expo. It all came together right in that room.

http://www.youtube.com/user/nikkijeanproject

You will be proud to know her.

Also don't even get me talking about the goosebumps I had to ward off as a result of Holly Knight playing "Simply the Best". Once I warded off the goosebumps they presented themselves in the form of tears. Tears! The room...oh the room. Oh the freak'n, freak'n room. Musicians everywhere, led by a kind of sermon by musical legends. There are no words, just sound effects and chills illuminating from you and around you in multiples of hundreds, the tension, I felt elevated, I felt this was a kind of levitation of sound.

Here is a little video of me talking about the expo. I had to make the blog to clarify a bit because I wasn't nearly as "articulate" in the video as I am in this blog, of course....

Also I am in the middle of getting Nimbit onto my blog, and once that's up, you can buy the digital album and tracks directly from my website (which is very very very important for us all!)

Just kidding about the goosebumps - I embraced them. I did, however, ward off the snot which was a by-product of tears of sappiness and joy.

In any case.....

I want to know what makes you feel confident. I mean this. Please comment and tell me what makes you feel confident. Do you have signature piece of clothing? For me it was my purple blazer. It transformed me. No joke.

Also, as promised: pictures of my happy sweater and precious new (ancient) stones. The blue / green one no longer physically belongs to me, but she does so energetically and she is where she's supposed to be.

Love,
Your Friend,
Jenn

CD Release Party Footage Here! (and there)

2009-04-20T23:02:00.008-04:00

Last night I uploaded a plethora of live footage from my CD Release Party! Go here to witness history in the making: http://www.youtube.com/user/jennfriedman (the first is actually from a showcase last year).

Here, take one for the road, with Brandon Vetrano on guitar:

Upon completion, I had sufficient linkage for an ASCAP Expo submission (I had to pick three of the vids I uploaded). If I perform Friday night at the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel, you saw it here first!

Also I got business cards made today! I got to make them shiny and red. Okay, on a serious note, this poor woman working at the Staples Copy Center deserves a big fat raise. She was bouncing around between five different projects on top of training a new employee while the managers were all doing inventory on the floor. She seemed exasperated and yet managed to do a perfect job with every one of her customers. Her name is Cynthia and she works at the Staples on Ocean Avenue and Avenue Y in Brooklyn, NY. If you see her, thank her. She's dedicated, no joke. Its sad that a work ethic like hers can so easily go unnoticed.

I also bought folders that are shiny and have fancy little slots for said business cards.

Excellent.

When I come back from L.A. on Sunday, expect pictures of the following:

part a) spiritual and fun:

quartz crystal
other crystal
quartz pendulum (my new baby)
funky pen-holder
story-telling sweater
my new haircut

part b) pragmatic and shiny:

business cards
press kit

I like lists. Later folks!

Extinguishing the Semi-Colon

2009-04-18T15:30:00.010-04:00

It has come to my attention that my family is reading this blog. I have mixed reactions.

Firstly, it makes me want to watch my profanity; however, given that I had no profanity to begin with, and that any impending profanity would have been immediately retracted in the event that my pre-teen cousin is reading, I don't think this should present much of an inconvenience.

Secondly, it makes me want to pay even closer attention to my grammar, and since I am already bordering "Grammar Psychopath" status, this worries me. Therefore, if anyone notices any warning signs such as: multiple edits, overactive administration of the semi-colon, or repeated visits to thesaurus.com in my computer's history (if you're a hacker or something), please have me admitted immediately. Please also block my ability to post, edit or even access my blog. You will, in essence, be saving me from myself.

Thirdly, I am happy that my blogging can create a candid understanding between me and my family - no addenda.

Now I would like to tell you all about my new toys. I have a new quartz crystal, another crystal that's greenish blueish (does anyone know the name?) and a quartz pendulum. Needless to say, last night was very, VERY powerful.

Perspective + Timing = Everything = Universe.

Onto accomplishing new and old tasks....

Just hear me out, folks...

2009-04-17T17:37:00.012-04:00

Okay, not to freak anybody out, and certainly not to unload my crap storm on anyone's friggin fantastic day, but I have so much to do, and if I don't do said things, my future will be moot and I will have lived and died on this planet leaving no credible mark of which to speak.

Its really important that I don't let too much time pass before doing the following:

- send a press kit and cd's to this store in Italy that wants to sell my music

- UPDATE MY PRESS KIT

- create business cards

- email the Peak 107.1 because they played me and I would very much like it if they PLAYED ME AGAIN.

- promote my upcoming house concert may 6th

- PRACTICE. practice with brandon (hi brandon), practice alone, just get my grubby paws on a piano and do something useful!!

- promote show with chan, promote show at goodbye blue monday

- contact this press person man that said he would come, as well as house party peeps who i believe know this mysterious man...

- contact various people on facebook and that radio lady that cindy told me about

- aHA! send my music to BAM cafe' live - they're accepting submissions now!

- send ASCAP expo peeps my song, live, from my release party, that my mom has on our computer at home (hi mom)

- make a list of questions to ask people at EXPO

- make CERTAIN at the expo that you have an intimate and productive conversation with a very influential man whose name you will not mention here.

- contact tearoom lady!

- and as always, follow up on Borders

- Addendum number one: tell Deb I love and miss her.

- Addendum number two: as per Mel's advice, prioritize.

- Addendum number three: play with my pendulum and take my new sweater for a walk. <3

Okay, you got that? Good. If each one of you remembers one thing on that list, we're off to a glorious start.

Peace and Lilies,

Jenn

PS: To receive my blogs directly to your email, just email me at jenn.fried@gmail.com!

Project Eternal Breakfast

2009-04-13T17:05:00.000-04:00

I wish I had a thousand consecutive mornings so that I could try every egg sandwich, coffee flavor and internet cafe known to man before noon.

My foot just fell asleep. Apparently my foot would rather it be night-time.

Well, screw you, foot! I just drank some green tea that's gonna wake you the eff up!

That banana won't help matters either.

Soooo....SO you wonder! How is that audio production plan goin, eh? you may ask yourselves. To which I am here to tell you....it is going swimmingly, friends! Registration is April 20th and classes begin late May. I anticipate a potential conflict in scheduling but hopefully it won't be too hard to get around. (hint, hint, residents of Montpelier, Vermont! On May 18th, Chantilly and I will be bring'n down the HIZZ-ouse at Langdon Street Cafe! I heard that Montpelier, Vermont invented May 18th...)

In short, I'm going to be an audio superstar. And every one of you will be begging for my services (audio and otherwise, you kinky Vermonters...) And uh...we'll all ride bikes into the sunset.

Back to implementing my plans for eternal breakfast....

"Observe and Retort"

2009-04-12T18:44:00.000-04:00

Sunday evening has my spirit in a headlock.

I saw "Observe and Report" yesterday and take many an issue with its intentional myriad sub-plots and parodies on sexual assault; therefore I would like to make a come-back film titled "Observe and Retort." It will involve disgruntled lawyers with short attention spans.

My boyfriend and I had to get the car towed today, which resulted in the purchasing of healing-infused chocolate.

Its 7:15 in Westwood, New Jersey and there is so, so much to do.

Its really not okay that my inclining anxiety corresponds directly with my declining battery power.

Or that I measure time according to a microwave minute.

Or that I run for two minutes and spend the next ten regaining my breath.

Or that my body feels like a deflating mattress grasping at residual air.

Or that my motivation level is about as risen as unleavened bread.

Or that I can't think of anymore similes or metaphors.

Happy weekend-end, loyal readers.

PS. Maybe I should start blogging on Saturdays...

Decisions and New Video!

2009-04-09T10:54:00.000-04:00

My impulsivity dictates that I take Drew's advice and reconsider my album cost. My pride, however, begs to differ: "You spent a buttload of time and money making that album, and you deserve to get a decent percentage back for good measure!" it says. To which my brain responds, "No no no you freaking douchebag. Like Drew said, in this economy no one is willing to pay more than a dollar per song." So in the long-run, you will make more money by charging less. In conclusion, Drew is right. Damnit Drew!!! My pride feels like the squash sushi I ate for dinner last night. Squashed! Squashed and inhibited in the seaweed of death.

I lied, okay? I had asparagus sushi. Maybe hunger isn't as much of an issue as I thought. Damnit!!!

I realized today that I am leaving for L.A. not *this* coming Wednesday, but the *Wednesday after that.* LOL, I love when people say that. Anyway, my how the time has flown by! I'm going to the ASCAP "I Create Music" Expo to enrich my dreams of being a superstar. A week after I come back, I'm playing my first house concert (EVER), and a week and a half after that Chantilly and I are playing in Vermont, and a week after that I'm playing at Goodbye Blue Monday in Brooklyn. Good times ahead.

I'm looking at Pratt now, for audio production. I'll keep you posted...

And I posted a new song, "Thomas," (from "Open Book") on Youtube! Here it is:

Oh - wait, just so you know, "Open Book" is now $10. For a limited time only! (aka until the recession ends and we can all pay our bills on time). Happy Passover, Happy Easter, and no matter who you are or what you celebrate, I highly recommend breaking Matzoh up into little pieces, pouring milk over it and calling it farfel....that is if you think you can brave the temptation to convert...

Later, kids.

It Wasn't Conception

2009-04-07T13:21:00.000-04:00

I had a moment last night that will define the following nine months of my life, and it wasn't conception.

As all four of you know, I've long-dreamt of being a superstar. In these trying times, however, it is easy to get distracted by such inconsequential factors as transport, housing and hunger.

Suffice it to say, my declining momentum disturbs me. Which is why I've begun seeking out ways to subsidize my income whilst pursuing my life-long dream of sodomizing a - wait, wrong life - of creating / playing music for a living, all over the world, all over the radio (for lack of a better word) and in many many studios!

Lo and behold, while sitting on the couch with my boyfriend, perusing the internet and my innermost thoughts, I remembered something that I've wanted to do for quite some time: audio production! Ahhh how I long to be on the other side of the glass, pressing buttons and adjusting equilibrium and watching that little red light flicker on my command....yes, I can - and will - really, REALLY, buckle down and learn production. Which in turn will give me ample opportunity to earn money AND practice my craft.

So I am looking into a nine month program whereupon I will learn production and business (for lack of a better word) to the max! Upon graduation I will give birth to a big black soundboard and shiny new speakers.

MIDI One, Take Two.

I'll keep you posted, honeybees.

Redefinition

2009-04-06T11:17:00.000-04:00

I have redefined for mankind the term "financial low." You can thank me later.

Sitting Pretty for Teenage Passersby

2009-04-05T18:22:00.000-04:00

Its easy to know the kind of town that surrounds you by the population at your local Starbucks, or perhaps more accurately the characters on the other side of the window. On this particular Sunday in Westwood, New Jersey, I entertain skateboarding fellas left to their own devices, giggly teenage girls, ladies doting sweatpants and strollers, and an array of baseball caps and cell phones parading the sidestreets on borrowed time.

It is a seemingly effortless lifestyle of a transient community going about its business: perusing Parian Jewelers, making CVS runs and picking up a cut of prime beef at the Gourmet Italian Eatery, whereupon the teenagers return to their respective hides for turkey sausage or chicken pot pie.

The cops and the boys cross paths in the parking lot of CVS. There is a scolding of some sort, an attempt to run for cover, a body search, a tenacious probing into a back seat, and a sitting pretty for authority that these boys had not yet known. What was parallel is now perpendicular, and there is nothing either of them could do.

Drop a Starbucks into any given neighborhood and watch from the door frame a local transformation. I am sitting pretty inside the conscience of Westwood, waiting for my kingdom come.

Blogging on the Other Side of Thunder

2009-04-03T20:04:00.000-04:00

So this is my first official blog. Hello, Blogworld! World of BloggaBees! As I write this I sit like any beginning blogger should - amidst a cup of tea, a cell phone, and an elevated sense of self-importance. :) Welcome to me!