Category: Recording

Fire & Ice

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Here’s a new ditty for the day: Fire & Ice. This solo harp excerpt is from a longer vocal and multi-instrumental track I’m working on. Today, I have only a few hours to record and I wanted to hear some instant results!

https://soundcloud.com/harppoet/fire-ice-harp-excerpt

I started writing the piece on a snowy December day and eventually added lyrics. You can listen to The Daphnes singing it (at the end of this stream from February 8, 2016)

Who are we but ice / Part of the snow
Who are you to ask / Don’t you know
That we were stars once / And we were on fire
https://monicaschley.com/

I did a little research and Robert Frost wrote a poem of the same name. Nice that he’s got the name to go along with it. His poem is brief too:

Fire & Ice
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
– Robert Frost

 

Now I’m Fine

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I just returned home to Seattle after a week of playing music in New York. I play harp in Ahamefule Oluo’s monologue/musical, Now I’m Fine. Words cannot describe the amazing week we had performing across the country! For me, something about it was life changing, life affirming. This trip’s capacity to open something up in me makes me feel like anything is possible. It was fun and exhilarating and I got to play with the best musicians that I know.

Photo of the year (in my opinion!) for Aham Oluo's "Now I'm Fine" (L. to R. - Monica Schley, Evan Flory-Barnes, Bryant Moore, Ahamefule J. Oluo, Soulchilde Bluesun)
Photo: Kelly O: “Now I’m Fine” (L. to R. – Monica Schley, Evan Flory-Barnes, Bryant Moore, Ahamefule J. Oluo, Soulchilde)

I’ve been playing Aham’s music since about 2006. I met him when we were in another band together. He said he was writing some tunes and asked me if I’d like to join his band too? Aham is forthright, a trait I greatly admire, so I immediately agreed.

When I got the music, I fell in love with the groove of the songs. Even though compositions were for a modern brass band, and I am a harpist, I knew it could work. We laugh now, because you could barely hear me on our first gigs (this was before I had my Dusty Strings pick-up put in).

This group has taught me so much about how to hear my instrument with fresh ears. It has taught me how to be a better improviser and how to just have fun and PLAY. Beyond that, the talent of my peers in this group is extremely inspiring. I am wowed and grateful.

The show received so much positive attention while we were in New York. Reviews came pouring in from the New York Times, from Time Out NY.  After this NYC trip, I now feel bursting with optimism, creativity and motivation. I am so happy for Aham and what he’s created and worked so very hard at. These days, no one makes it in the entertainment industry without busting their butt. And he does.

He's got some 'splainin' to do
He’s got some ‘splainin’ to do. In studio for Now I’m Fine album (2015)

Its a long story on how the show got to what it now is. For that, you’ll just have to come and see for yourself! We are playing a special ONE NIGHT ONLY show in Seattle’s oldest theater, The Moore on April 2, 2016.

The Daphnes on Sonarchy Radio

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My trio, The Daphnes, just finished our best show yet at the Sunset Tavern this week! The good news continues. Now you can hear a live performance of The Daphnes without leaving the comforts of your home!
The holiday season is a crazy-busy time. You want to go hear some live music, but the weather is taking a toll on your ambition. You can’t muster the energy to get off the couch. I have a solution!
You can listen to The Daphnes on Sonarchy Radio three different ways.
1. Tune into KEXP 90.3FM (Seattle, WA) at midnight PST on Sun 12/27/15
2. Subscribe to the podcast http://www.kexp.org/podcasting/podcasting.asp#sonarchy
3. Streaming any ol’ time you want after the broadcast date
http://feeds.kexp.org/kexp/sonarchyradio
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Keep the Night Dark

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I am recording an album! I’m so thrilled to be working on my first full-length album of original songs.

Entitled, ‘Keep the Night Dark’, this work is a 12-track album reflective of many musical styles: waltz, jazz, Indian raga, ambient drone, do-wop, classical, neo-folk with added vocal lyrics repurposed from my original poems and inspiration from the writings of contemporary Am. poet Anne Sexton, 17th Cent. British mystic William Blake, 18th Cent. French epicurean Brillat-Savarin, Greek mythology, and the world’s first feminist/poet, Sappho.

All songs of KtND were written over the past five years. I am super excited by stellar musicians participating! – my bandmates in The Daphnes (Nate Omdal, bass and Julie Baldridge, violin), plus two amazing drummers (Greg Campbell and Jeremy Jones) and more mystery surprise sound makers!

Harp repertoire of this kind does not readily exist. KtND reflects my wildly wide range of musical tastes. Because I long to play music that covers a broad scope, it took a break from performing to realize the only composer who could fulfill that desire was me!

While recording at Gallery 1412 last week, Greg asked me if I’d always sung. I did. I had. I had just stopped. For about 15 years. When I studied music in college, I thought I should focus on harp. The harp is a complex instrument and I had much to learn. Since it took so much of my time to study, I didn’t have energy to sing. So that was that.

When I stopped performing 5 years ago for a while to have a child, I found myself singing to her all the time. Then, I would write the songs out or record them. Thus, there’s a thematic feeling all the way through that I think comes from subterranean tide pools of maternal emotion. The album also covers general and mythic mother/daughter relations, and nighttime activities like stargazing at constellations and recognition of light pollution.

Soon, Sonarchy Radio will broadcast a session of KtND songs that The Daphnes recorded in June of this year – Stay tuned!

I will also be doing some fundraising concerts for the album this fall as I begin to wrap up the recording process.

Fundraising Concert of November:
Harpy Hour – Tues. November 3rd 
Stone Way Cafe – 
3510 Stone Way
Seattle, WA  98103
Happy Hour + Harp Music = Harpy Hour
4-6pm
$1 off drinks

 

Like My Facebook!

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Enough already. That’s what you’re thinking, right? Everyone wants to have 150 thumbs up and 1000 likes! Well, I guess that makes me no different. I just want to make sure someone out there’s reading my posts : )

Here I am, waiving my hands in the air saying, “Like me! Like me!”

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Monica-Schley-harp/81551655517

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