Hit it, boys! Let’s have a little Blues in C:

I’m gonna Loooseeana, just to play my harp
Oh, I’m gonna Loooooooseeana, just to play my old harp
Gonna court my muse, gonna teach some Blues
Loooseana here I come

I’m headed to New Orleans for a tiny little festival where harp players congretate to learn Blues, Jazz and Pop harp.  And I’ll be performing my special “Strings of Passion” show on Thur. June 6 at 8pm, and thanks to sponsorship from CAMAC Harps, tix are only ten buckaroos!

WHAT: Strings of Passion Show at the New Orleans Jazz & Pop Weekend
WHEN: Thursday, June 6 at 8pm
WHERE: The Crowne Plaza Airport Hotel, 2829 Williams Blvd. Kenner, LA 70062
TIX: Available at the Door –  more info HERE.

This is a show that was inspired by the Boston “Ideas” festival which, like the TED talks, is built of short presentations by thinkers and artists. I was invited to speak  and instead of talking about my work, I brought my harp and both accompanied and illustrated my own presentation.

What hit me was the power of doing what I do while describing what I’m doing – and how deeply illuminating that is for the audience.

So I took that 20-minute “Ideas” Festival presentation and developed it into a full show – breaking my artistic process into 7 parts, each inspired by tiny, explosive moments from my life

I realized that those 7 concepts work together like the 7 strings in each octave on my harp, and that through the show I could trace the artistic impulse from the first glimmer of inspiration through the lift-off of expression – and do it in that very moment –  talking about art while being art – taking apart and revealing the elements of transformation at the very moment of transforming.

For me this is the most engaging kind of art: art that reveals exactly how it works at the same moment it is working that way.  The deep magic that’s revealed when all the mystery is removed.

Performing the show is like being my own 4-dimensional power-point presentation,  by a internal commentator, filtered through an artistic prism, expressed through my harp, voice, looper and story.

It’s part of my life-long search – for how a single artist can embody the two nodes of of human experience – grandeur and simple humanity – at the same moment, because I believe that in that moment, we reveal ourselves to each other – and that revelation transforms both  performer and audience.

If you’re anywhere near New Orleans, please come to the show – and if you’re a harp player come to the whole weekend and find your own strings of passion – you can register here.

And now … one mo’ time … hit it boys!

I’m gonna Loooooseaaana … just to play my harp …
Oh, I’m gonna Loooooooseeana, just to play my old harp
Gonna court my muse, gonna teach some Blues
Loooseana here I come ….

Take it away DebORah!

OK … ah will!!