Lisa Bastoni: News

Last summer, my husband Chris and I took a most amazing trip across the country to promote his new novel "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive" (Melville House, 2011). For me, it was also a crash course in video production - I spent nearly the entire month of July creating the stop-motion book trailer, and several of the videos from the tour appear on www.vwalive.com. Yes, the 1971 Volkswagen suffered a permanent break down 40 miles out of LA, but we made it happily home in a rental car, with tons of pictures and good memories. (Tip: If you're ever in Iowa City in the summer, do yourself a favor and try some sweet corn ice cream = the best!)

And the fall was smooth - being a second year teacher is a lot better than being a first year teacher! Still, I'm getting used to the pace of it all. I would give my left pinky toe for some time to just sit down and try to write a song. Honestly, it's been so long, I don't know if I even remember how! The last song I wrote was a school spirit song -- so far the Busy Bee Song video has gotten over 11,000 hits on YouTube. Maybe my future is in children's music? (Hmmm...slight shudder and/or flickering light bulb?)

In any case, I'm sending out the warmest of welcomes to 2012, and to all that this new year will bring (for example, in June, a baby!!!).

Love,
Lisa

Because, oh my god, teachers work hard.

I recently completed my first year teaching integrated arts to kindergarten and first graders, and yes, it kicked my behind. Maybe it's because I haven't spent a lot of time around kids, or because it's been thirtymmmphl years since I was one myself, but the intensity of 5-6 year olds was pretty new to me. Wow. Can those kids learn...and cry, and fight, and tease, and paint and sing, and dance, and laugh.

But, hallelujah, I made it to June.

This summer, aside from catching my breath and getting ready for the next school year, I will be undertaking a literary/literally death-defying road trip with my husband Chris. We will be driving cross-country in a 1972 Volkswagen Beetle, in support of his debut novel, How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive. Chris will be keeping a blog of our adventures along the way. Check out www.vwalive.com to see if we'll be in your area - we may even break out the travel banjo and guitar upon request!

I'm hoping that the time on the road will help shake loose the songwriter's block I've been alternately fretting over and ignoring for the past (gulp) five years. Hey, if anyone out there has any advice, songwriting assignments or encouragement, it would be much appreciated. I miss my music life!

Happy summer,
Lisa

Well, I know it's been awhile since my last update, but don't think I've been sitting around doing nothing. In fact, it's been a very busy couple of years, between working full time, going to school full time, student teaching, planning a wedding, and doing many, many loads of laundry.

I am happy to tell you that I am finally close to finishing my Master's in Art Education. (I don't mean to gloss over the part about "planning a wedding"-- that's happy, too!) I've posted one of my projects "And I Took it Down: A Busker's Tale" on the Gallery page of my website. It will be available soon in booklet form for those of you out there who (like me) appreciate holding actual paper in your hands as you read.

Another exciting thing that happened/is happening/will happen is that my band the Gray Sky Girls reunited in NYC to record a few songs for an upcoming PBS series called On Record. It is always a pleasure when Naomi comes back from Germany for a visit -- I think this was the first time stylists were involved, so it was extra special! The series is set to appear in the Fall of 2011, so that will give you plenty of time to figure out how to use your TiVo or DVR or whatever.

Thanks for reading!

Happy Earth Day,

Lisa B.

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to help spread the word about a community art program called Common Art. Common Art is an art program that is free and open to Boston artists who are homeless or poor. As you can imagine, the tough economy is hitting this organization especially hard. To help raise needed funds and awareness, they are hosting an open house this Saturday, March 14 from 11-3. I'll be there, and would love to see some of you there as well! Details are below.

Thanks for reading,

Lisa B.

A message from my friend Mary, director of Common Art:

Greetings,

I'm writting to invite you to join me this Saturday for the Common Art Open House. Common art, which is usually open only on Wednesdays, is a place for homeless and poor individuals to express themselves through paint, beading, chalk, and other materials. It is also a place of quiet and calm amidst a world of trauma and worry.

This amazing program is on the verge of being cancelled because too few people know it exists. Therefore, I invite you to join me, this Saturday between 11-3, and to spread the invitation to others. Come to meet the artists, come to make your own creation, come to purchase some cheap artwork, or come for the free coffee and snacks. Either way, I hope to see you there.

Peace
- Mary

Mary Eaton
Program Director, common art and common cinema
617-216-3250


http://www.ecclesia-ministries.org/common_art.html

I need to say thanks again to everyone - performers and audience members alike - who came out to Club Passim last night! Your support will be much appreciated by the clients of the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter.
I also have to say a giant public thanks to our friend and host, 24 Hour Tom Bianchi, not just for putting together a great night of music, but for being a true advocate and supporter of local music. I haven't performed in many many months, and I am so grateful to have been included in the line-up.
Another giant thanks for Josh "We're gettin' the band back together" Kantor, who gallantly wheeled an upright bass through the icy streets of Harvard Square to play the show with me. Aside from providing the low notes, Josh has a steady, calming presence. Thanks for helping me feel at home up there.
A couple of years ago, I'm sure I took so much of this for granted: the music, the friendship, the community. Now, I'm amazed by how one night has brought it all back for me. Yep. More shows are definitely on the horizon.
Thanks again,
Lisa B.

Hello,

I don't know if anybody out there is still checking in here, but I thought I'd write an update just in case. It's been so long since I've been on a stage, I'm feeling like Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler, minus the spandex, bleached hair, fake tan, steroids, sleeping in a van, etc. Ok, not a great analogy, but I highly recommend the movie!
After a lot of soul searching, I've set my path towards a career in art education. As I work my way towards a degree and teaching certification, one of my goals is to begin to incorporate music back into my life. It's a little tricky right now, between a full course load and a full time job, but please don't count me out just yet! Look for more shows this spring and summer.
My website will be changing in the coming months to reflect some of the work I've been doing recently in the visual arts. One project I'm especially proud of is the block print cover for Geoff Bartley's new album "Blackbirds in the Pie" and "The Song of Imaginary Gifts" single. Check it out at www.geoffbartley.com.
Well, I think that's all for now! Be well and stay warm.

Lisa

Two songs I’m thinking of today:

“Everything passes, everything changes, just do what you think you should do…” -- from “To Ramona” by Bob Dylan

“We’re coming upon the time in our lives when the little dreams live but the big dream dies - and it’s not for nothing.” --from “Hard Times in Babylon” by Eliza Gilkyson

When I was seventeen I met my friend Dylan. He was singing “Brownsville Girl” in Oscar’s Deli, and I thought, “If I could only do what he’s doing, I don’t need to do anything else.” So I started to write songs, and began cultivating the courage to play these songs outside my bedroom.

A few years later, when my grandfather was in the hospital for the last time, he said to me: “Go sing your heart out.” So that’s what I did. Over time, I sang my heart out in delis, coffee shops, bars, subway stations, rehab centers, homeless shelters, concert halls.

I have had an adventure that’s lasted ten years. It’s been a series of small successes, and it was all more that I ever could have hoped for. I made up some more songs and I drove them around the country, stumbling upon heartaches, maps, coffee cups and guitar strings; and found kindness everywhere.

I aspired to a beatnik existence. I found my way around Los Angeles, San Francisco, Burlington, New York, Austin, New Orleans, Atlanta, Nashville, Cleveland, Chicago, Kansas City. I got a bird tattoo with Naomi in Wichita. I heard my songs on the radio, saw my name in some music magazines, opened for Famous Musicians, signed some autographs, even! I slept in cars, motels, tents, big fluffy beds, on pull-out couches and air mattresses, on blankets on the ground; I moved a million times. I sang for my supper. I sang my fool heart out.

Eventually, I found my way home. I am now In My Thirties. I have become a homebody. I like to cook in my kitchen. I like to sing songs with my banjo-playing boyfriend in our living room. The idea of burning up gasoline driving alone from coast to coast no longer appeals to me. I do feel BIG twinges of nostalgia when I hear about the cool things my musician friends are doing. But for me, I'm finding myself very much needing this period of quiet reflection. Next summer I would like to have a garden. I have a day job I actually like, at a nifty non-profit, with health insurance that’s not courtesy of the state. I’m slowly working my way out of the debts I have accumulated while running wild.

There’s a humility you can find by singing in the subway. Nobody has asked you to play, you just play your songs over and over, and take in the smiles and the funny expressions. You step over puddles of urine, you pause when you get yelled at, or when someone starts to cry or asks your name, and then you keep singing. You say “thank you” every time someone throws you something, even if it’s only a twig or a nickel.

There’s another kind of grace I'm seeking, simply by settling into my little life and living it. Working, running, writing, singing, loving, laughing, reading. Meditating on the idea of empathy. Trying to listen for a change. I want music to be a part of my life, but I need to figure out how to really just enjoy it again.

Though I’m not scheduling many shows right now, music for me won’t be a closed book, and nothing’s ever really over. I have no regrets, and I don’t feel that any effort or time was wasted. But for anyone who’s wondering, I wanted to share my thoughts, to let you know how much your encouragement has meant to me. You've pulled me through some of my best times as well as some of my bleakest times, and I am always grateful for your company and support. I hope to share music with you again one day, but for now the adventure continues in a different, quieter way.

Thank you for your interest, and thanks for listening.

All the best to you,
Lisa B.

Tonight I am packing my backpack for a quick trip down to Nashville.
I'll be recording some harmonies on Naomi Sommers' upcoming album,
which is being produced by Jim Rooney! Jim has worked with John
Prine, Iris DeMent, and Nanci Griffith, so it will be a delight to be
a part of the recording.

The other exciting news is that my song "Southern Belle" as well as
Gray Sky Girls' "Alaska" are featured this Spring on Lufthansa's
InFlight Radio Program.

But the most exciting news, for me, anyway, is that I will be moving
back to Boston over the summer. Through extensive trial and error,
I've made the shocking discovery that there really is no place like
home!

Next month: updates on my next experiment, tentatively called the
"wheel."

Thanks for reading! Be well, and see you soon,

Lisa B.

So much has happened since the last time I wrote. The two weeks I spent tour with Naomi last month were full of adventure and discovery. We played some great places (see past shows), drove on some legendary roads (Highway 61!), and met some great folks (too many to mention!). We even got matching tattoos in Wichita.

Mostly, though, it was inspiring to have the chance to stay on a small organic farm/homestead in Wisconsin. We were there for only a few days, but it sparked a whole new desire in me to become more involved in and aware of my/our relationship to the planet. It's bringing me back to the good old vegetarian, no-leg-shaving, patchouli-wearing, litter collecting, McDonalds picketing days of my youth.


Now I want to build a house (a small, earth-friendly house, with solar panels and a composting toilet) and plant vegetables. This is in spite of the facts that I 1) accidentally killed all my potted tomato plants last summer and 2) haven't used a saw since I was 12 and tried to saw off the front of a regular drawer of the TV cabinet to make it into a hinged drawer.

Oh well. I'll keep you posted (and beamed, ha ha ha).

Lisa B.

Recommended listening:
Bob Dylan - Modern Times

Recommended reading:
James Howard Kunstler - The Long Emergency

What are you reading/listening to?

Naomi and I will be leaving in a couple days for our tour out to the midwest. It's our first Gray Sky Girls tour since March 2005! Last time we went on tour, I ended up staying in Austin TX for a year. This time, I promise promise promise that I will come back to Massachusetts, no matter how much Wichita may rock my world.

We have a new Gray Sky Girls CD coming out this month on American Melody Records. Ordering information will be available soon. There will also be a companion booklet with recipes, road tip and cartoons! To hear some samples, go to www.grayskygirls.com.

Hope to see you out there!
XOXO,
Lisa B.

Seven things I am happy about today:

1) New England is beautiful in the springtime! Even when it's cold and drizzly for three weeks straight.

2) My new EP Small Time Big Town is here! It's available at shows and by mail order. (Check the "music" page for audio samples.)

3) Naomi Sommers lives only minutes away from me! So we can practice and be Gray Sky Girls again.

4) The Gray Sky Girls have a new website, too!

5) I just bought a bunch of tiny pre-fab hinged wooden boxes. Mini Bob Dylan Dioramas are back in production! I'll post some pictures soon.

6) The ever-elusive organic, unsweetened dried mango is currently in stock at the local Trader Joe's. Yay!

7) You are taking the time to visit me here at lisabastoni.com.

Thanks for stopping by!