Update

Hoo boy, it has been far too long since my last post. Life keeps getting in the way, then flying by.

My second album, "am I am," came out in April on Juste Une Trace, and we had a wonderful album release concert at the Café de la Danse in Paris. I had a very exciting month of July doing the Avignon Theater Festival with the electro a cappella group "Les Grandes Gueules" and managed to get away to Budapest for a few days in August. The fall has brought other new adventures, such as recording the fourth album by "Les Grandes Gueules" for Sony Music, arranging four-part vocal music for two jazz choruses using ProTools, and performing at album release events for composer François Elie Roulin's "Le Catalogue des Rêves," for which I also wrote some lyrics.

All in all, a great year, with several dreams coming true. So very lucky to do what I'm doing.

And on a furrier note, I welcomed a 6-week female kitten named George into my Paris home, after she was found abandoned in the Belgian woods. Amazing how much one critter can change the energy in a space and between people! Hilarious and fascinating.

All the best,

Vicki

Muffin Top!

Only 2 weeks to the official release of "am I am," and amid the excitement of hearing it on the radio, giving interviews and working on our live shows, what is the one phrase that keeps popping into my head?

"Muffin Top"!

Why? Why? Because I recently read that this expression will soon be in the English dictionary; it is now a legitimate phrase describing the roll of midsection fat that protrudes from a pair of too-tight, low-riding jeans! Personal trainers are now devising specific exercises to work on/against the Muffin Top. Some people accept and embrace the Muffin Top. Some couldn't care less about the Muffin Top. For some reason this phrase has taken up residence in my brain, making me smile even as it distracts me from more important things. How long will it last?

While I'm at it (Muffin Top Muffin Top), here are my concert dates for the next few months:

April 20 - showcase at Café de la Danse, Paris
April 28 - live performance on "Le Fou du roi," Radio France
May 5 - Hôtel Bel Ami
May 6 - Strasbourg, eastern France
May 27+28 - Théâtre de Poche, Sète, southern France
(Muffin Top)
June 20 - Boeuf sur le Toit, Paris
July 3 - Rethel, eastern France
July 8-31 - Avignon Theater Festival
July 11 - Burgundy, central France

All the best,

Vicki
P.S. Muffin Top

Building

The "am I am" album release happens in just a little over a month, on April 18th. On April 20th, my group will do a set at the prestigious Café de la Danse in the hip Bastille district. On April 28th, we're doing a well-known radio show called "Le Fou du roi" on France Inter, a major national station!

It's exhilarating and scary at the same time to make progress toward a dream. I can't thank my friends, family and followers enough for keeping me going, and keeping it all in perspective!

More soon.

All the best,

Vicki

Words I Miss

The European adventure continues, with linguistic surprises at every turn. Now and then a really obscure word pops into my brain, and I think, "What a great word, haven't heard that in about fifteen years! How can I work it into a sentence?" And then, "Will anyone understand it? Will they appreciate the beauty and silliness?" Alas, most of the time all of this starts and ends in my own little head :)

Here are a couple of examples:

Glib - Maudlin - Gams - Catarrh - Snicker - Caboose - and that old favorite, DUDE!

Feel free to add more!

Here's a pic from a festival we did outside Paris last November.

All the best,

Vicki

Let's Make It a Good One!

Just a word of greeting, to thank you for a thrilling 2010 and create some good vibes for an even better 2011! Just got back from a very cold trip to the U.S., to recharge my batteries, you might say. Celebrated my return to Paris with some gorgeous wine and cheese, so things are good.

Again, all the best, and thank you for your support. More soon!

Vicki