Wishcasting: A New Direction

I'm still riding high on the inauguration coverage I've been soaking in all day. I had to beam as I watched the entire world celebrate--watching the globe cheer and people sobbing tears of joy makes me cautiously optimistic. It was like the world took one incredible concurrent exhale. What a celebration! I let the television talk while I worked in my studio, smiling while I smushed around cerulean blue.

But enough drooling--
*** it's time for WishCasting! ***

The Famous Graves: Alex (Muffin), Pat and John...I'm the short one on the end. :)
Image by H. Hanson. Click for a larger view.

Usually, I use this blog space as a forum to discuss my art projects and studio tinkerings but rarely use it to talk about my musical misadventures. This week, I'm making a wish for The Famous Graves--we've decided to venture in a new direction. A really new direction. We've been playing together for four years and have enjoyed several evolutions: punk, ska, kind of punk, dance rock, screamo and eventually moved into our own strange yet scintillating blend of saturated dance metal. After our last round of performances, we'd realized we'd reached a plateau--that we weren't really sure where we were going artistically, who our audience is or who we were really writing music for. I recently had an alarming experience: while trying to sing to the radio I discovered I'd lost most of the upper register of my voice, that screaming was ruining my vocal chords--and quickly. EEP! That wouldn't do.

So--I rounded up the boys for a chat and long story short, we decided to reformat as a jazz combo. I know that sounds like a trip via catapult to the polar end of the musical spectrum BUT it makes sense seeing as each of us started as jazz musicians--in fact that's how I met my Muffin. :) It's a project I've always dreamed about doing and it's finally feasible. Etta James, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday and Peggy Lee have always been my heroines--women I wished I looked like, women I wished I sounded like, women I wished I was. These Ladies are the epitome of Class, Attitude, Artistry and Raw Talent. While I'm absolutely giddy about getting started, I must admit I'm a little tentative about my ability to move from this:

to this:

Image by H. Hanson

Then this morning I received an e newsletter about the goddess Hathor, telling stories about her amazing ability to shape shift and change to suit her life and adventures. A divine chameleon. Synchronization anyone? So, my wish is for The Famous Graves seed to be carefully tended as it starts to push it's way out of the grime-- that we might be exuberant, expressive and creatively cohesive in making art together in our new and exciting direction!

*** Go out and tend wishes, My Dearies! ***