singer, songwriter, because home is where the music plays. . . - Tanya Pluth - Journal and News

Writing, writing, writing!

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700

Hello, everyone! I've been enjoying our current Oregon "Summer." I wanted to take a minute to update folks on some of the absence of my time and energy to this website and music.

As many of you know, this past year I struggled with some serious medical problems. After enduring more tests and diagnostics than necessary to talk about, my doctor settled on a diagnosis and potential cure. I went with the offer, and underwent surgery on June 8th. I am so happy to report that after the surgery, my recovery has been rapid and also very positive overall. I've felt so great! It's like having a whole new body, one in which I know get to experiment with how strong, healthy, and vibrant I can be.

The second best part is since I've been feeling better, I've also been writing and playing music a whole lot more. I've got a bunch of new tunes I'm working on and am excited to share them with everyone, hopefully this fall and winter.

So watch for announcements from me about upcoming shows! Thanks for all your continued support and inspiration.

Little blue houses

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Our house is being painted blue, and I'm working it into a new tune...oh, yeah...little blue houses, for you and me!

Into the reading...

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Just a quick note to say I'll be reading from some of my fiction work at the Show and Tell Gallery in July. This is a great event held at Three Friends coffeehouse, and sponsored by Melissa Sillitoe. I've been invited to read with P.K. Gott, an awesome local author, and another author will be joining us. Come on out to hear it! It'll be on Monday, July 20th starting at 7pm.

May...be...

Wed, 06 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The clock has started on my new album! I've been working on new tunes and am excited with the direction the writing is taking. I enjoy this time very much - retreating into a place of more creation and listening to my everyday with an ear to what I want to write about and create in voice, lyric, music.

I'll be pulling back from performing for a while during this process, but will pop up here and there. Drop a line if you'd like to hear the tunes in progress, and I'll send out a blast when I have a show coming up and a chance to play the new tunes.

Hope all is well in your worlds -

Tanya

Fiddlin' with The Muses

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

I'm very excited to say that I'll be playing a handful of shows with a great band, The Muses. I met Tanya and Matt at the FAR-West Conference in November, loved their "Celtic Music With Zing" and stayed in touch with them since. As it turns out, they're touring through the region, and tagged me to join them on fiddle and vocals for a few shows. Come and have fun with this great live band to listen to! Hope to see you at one of the gigs - .t

Invite. Invoke. Inspire.

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

2009 has brought many transitions - for me personally, for people I love, and for the nation, the world. I appreciate the air of "anything could happen" that's currently percolating. And while some part of me catches a few whiffs of the fear and worry that seem to always come along with uncertainty, mostly I find myself reveling in the bounty of opportunity that is appearing these days.

First, I'm excited to announce the start of my practice, Invite-Invoke-Inspire. This is a place where I invite folks to come and work on grounding, deepening awareness, and making choices for wholeness and healing. You can read more about my practice by visiting: www.invite-invoke-inspire.com

As long as I'm talking about creating new entities, I am thrilled to say that I'm officially working on a new album. The songs are coming together, and I anticipate that within the year I'll be looking for studio time, musicians, producers, the works. Please contact me if you have any recommendations on folks to work with in the northwest.

And, now that I've had a decent hiatus from performing, I'm looking to schedule some gigs in the coming months here in the hometown. So look at the calendar for dates coming soon!

That's all for now - drop a line and say hello when you get a chance! Thanks for reading.

Tanya

FAR-West Fest

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Phoenix is big. Have you been there? You know what I mean. It's long, stretched out over a desert whose only complaint comes by way of heat waves, dust storms, thunder, lightening. I just spent three days in Phoenix, Arizona at the wonderful Folk Alliance, Region West conference. I had so much fun I can't talk about it all right now, because I'm still on my trip. Currently I'm avoiding Disneyland, as I just spent 7 hours there. I'll post again soon with photos and more about the FAR-West experience.

peace -
.t

The Equinox means...

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The change from summer madness in the mountains, out in the garden, surfing in the ocean, aahhh, a lovely summer ending as the Fall takes the gauntlet and helps carry us all into winter. I love the fall. Fall in Oregon feels like home, with the cold windy eves and the warm strong sun of afternoons.

This Fall I've been working on a bunch of new projects. New tunes that I'll play at my upcoming gigs (my favorites? "Pez Despenser" is a rockin love song, and "Fantastic", a tune I'm writing as an ode to spirit and change). And I'm honing the groove on a few new covers (anyone for Abba? I'll leave the tune a mystery, though...). Check out my new project, "song for your pet" at the following website: www.songforyourpet.com. I've got folks tapping me on the shoulder for this work, which feels great.

I'm looking forward to October! The Far-West conference is a favorite, and this year I'm hosting a showcase room, as well as playing in the Twitter Twatter showcase. I've already met some great folks just by putting the showcases together, and I look forward to all the jamming and grooving and meeting that occurs at the conference.

Enough for now - peace to all-

.t

And the nominees are. . .

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700

October in Oregon is one of wind.Wind is a funny thing in Oregon. It isn't always super present, but on the days that it's here, it lets me know. I saw orange-leaf mini-tornadoes today, the wind whipping itself up into Fall and stirring up all kinds of mini-drafts, up drafts, down drafts, it's been a drafty day. And the leaves are so full of color - the maples changing, and for about 30 feet today I walked on a red world. . . aahh. . .

Fall is full of wonder and wonders never cease this fall! The first wonder involves teaching at Portland Community College - I've really been enjoying getting to know students there, and revisiting topics of feminism, identity, change. . . The students rock! I learn so much from them every week. I hope it's at least vaguely vice-versa. . .

The second wonder of the fall is FOUR Pride in the Arts Award Nominations...um. . .really? really, people? That's just the most amazing thing I've heard in a long time. Pride in the Arts awards are totally fan-driven - - which means through some sequence of events, people voted for Saving Graces - in multiple categories! I feel so honored by this show of fan support. Saving Graces has been nominated for:

Favorite CD of 2007

Song of the Year

Musical Artist of the Year

Favorite Lesbian Artist of the Year

I never in my life imagined I'd be voted favorite anything, let alone favorite artist, song, Cd. . . wow. . .
Did I already say thank you?

Thank you!

You can check out all the nominated artists and cast your votes too. The winners of the above awards will be determined by fan voting.

Cast your vote for Saving Graces and other artists by November 12th!

Ok enough rallying around the votes. Let's talk Winter. It's coming up, people, and there's nothing for it, but to surround ourselves in that which is nurturing: friends, good food, family, whatever activities found to be fulfilling, restful, rejuvenating. I'll be doing just that. Plus I plan on playing more gigs here in P-town and around the state. I'll be at the Gotham tavern in November and January, and will be at the FAR-West festival in Vancouver in early November. I also have this secret plan for a tour in the spring. . . more to come!

Till then, folks, drop me a line when you see fit and leave your thoughts on the Say Your Peace page!

Here's to fall,

tanya

Summer in the. . .car?

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Hey everyone!

Between nursing my dog back from the brink of yet another garbage-induced near death experience and settling in after lots of travel in May and early June, I've decided to. . . yes. . . go on another trip!

July will be Minnesota time, and I am so excited. It's been a lot of work to schedule gigs, as I'm learning that summer is tour time and I was a bit slow on the ball to get gigs. For now I've got a show up in Grand Rapids - hoping all the Flatley's and Mattesons can make it! Plus a few folks on the email list who are up North in the fine state of Minnesota. I'm up for playing some other gigs too so if you've got any venues you'd recommend, or want to host a house concert, send me an email!

Turns out I've also just had an article published in "Climbing" magazine. You can check out some people's comments on my "Say your peace" page. I've felt very honored by the kindness and generosity of people's responses to the article. Haven't decided yet if I'm going to read the "letters to the editor" in the next Climbing issue. . .

Meanwhile. . . "Saving Graces" continues to get attention and be picked up by new radio stations. My song "Well as you Will," which was featured on the latest version of "acoustic rainbow," got picked up by a bunch of radio stations around the world. I'm working on posting a full list of where you can hear "Saving Graces" tunes both in cyber space and in old fashioned radio waves. . .

I'll post some more on my travels! For now, it's gearing up for Oregon's heat wave... 100 degrees tomorrow. . . Time to go surfing!