5/20/08
Thank you to all of you who have made
donations to my
green guitar fund. If you haven't, don't worry there's
still time :) My guitar finally arrived and I love it! It feels so
good to be playing on an instrument that is made from sustainable
wood. It is beautifully made and sounds amazing!
Now onto more exciting news....It is
finally happening, I will be recording my long-awaited full length
album this June and July. So hopefully by August 2008 - you will
have the opportunity to have one in hand! I've been writing lots of
new material and am so happy with where my music is headed. I've
recently decided that this coming year will be the year that I fully
dedicate to songwriting and performing - sharing this new album from
coast to coast. I can't my community enough for all of its patience
and support as I head out on this great adventure. I have always
known that I must share my music - I know it is a gift and I am so
privileged to be able to pursue this dream...stay tuned.....
1/5/08
Happy New Year friends!
Thank you so much for all your support and interest in my music,
2007 was a great year! This message is quite lengthy but filled with
tons of insight into my world of music. If you are anything like me,
the word count of this message will overwhelm you and I might
suggest coming back to it when you have the time to get through the
entire thing. I would love for you all to know what I am up to these
days.....Thanks for reading!
2007 was perhaps one of my most memorable years as I finally cut
back to working just one part time job in order to support my music
career. With a little more time on my hands in 2007, I was able to
play many more gigs including participating in some amazing benefit
shows supporting local organizations such as
Girls
Need Guitars,
Evergreen AIDS Foundation,
Sean Humphrey House,
Project Education and
Domestic
Violence and Sexual Assault Services. In addition, I was
honored to entertain hundreds of friends and members of my community
at this year's Elizabeth Park Concert Series as well as share the
stage with inspiring artists such as
Chris
Pureka and
Tret Fure.
Now onto 2008! I have finally finished converting my home basement
into a music/writing/recording space which has given me a much
needed boost of creative energy. Simply having a space that demands
that I play music has really helped move some of my new songs out of
draft stage and into production. With that said, 2008 will bring my
debut full length album. My goal is to get into the studio to begin
recording this March with the intent of a release later in spring
2008.
This brings me to my most recent piece of news. I am finally
upgrading my guitar.
I have been thinking about this for quite some time - while knowing
that my current guitar is more than decent and has been my best
friend for 10 years now, it just really doesn't seem to do my songs
justice anymore. My trusty Yamaha fails to inspire me and since the
guitar is one of my most essential tools for making music, I have
decided that it is time find a new one (in time to record my album
with it). You may be surprised to know that buying a new guitar is
not easy. An instrument really has to choose you - it has to fit -
it has to ring the right way in your ear. Above all, it has to
represent you....
Over the past few years I have made some lifestyle changes in order
to actually reflect my strong beliefs and passions about social and
environmental issues. Believe it or not, less than 5 years ago I ate
fast food, shopped at major retail stores and didn't think much of
my ecological footprint. Today, I choose to support local businesses
and organic farmers. I shop at second-hand stores and choose to
reuse and recycle anything I can. I am constantly examining my
lifestyle to identify ways that I can reduce my impact on the
environment. To the best of my ability, I want my actions to be a
reflection of my words. The message in my music has always been
about being authentic and living out our truths. So, if I care about
the environment and serious social issues stemming from our
consumption - how can I stand up on stage with a new guitar made
from exotic and endangered woods that were bought in Central America
for a fraction of the price that a company would sell them for here
in the U.S? It ends up - I can't.
Did you know that most fine instruments (including guitars) are made
of rare exotic woods from South and Central America? Ever seen
Brazilian Rosewood, Ebony or Mahogany growing in vast quantities in
your back yard? Spruce is a pretty common wood around the
Northwest... but did you know that the most highly valued Spruce
(Sitka) used to make guitar tops often comes from old growth trees
clearcut from the rain forests of southeast Alaska? Much of the hard
wood used to build these fine instruments are now endangered and the
logging is even threatening the culture and lives of natives in the
areas where these trees exist. I felt there must be an alternative.
And with quite a bit of research I have finally found her, my
"green' guitar made of sustainable woods.
Along with a few other companies,
Martin
Guitar Company has been building sustainable wood (Smartwood)
guitars for several years. They use alternative hard woods such as
Birch and Cherry and seek out Spruce that would otherwise be turned
into pulpwood (called "rescued Spruce").
Click here to see the guitar that I
recently ordered from a local music store with the intent of buying
it when it arrives from Martin.
I've decided that even though this guitar's monetary value is
greater than nearly every vehicle I have ever owned in my lifetime,
standing on stage knowing that the guitar slung across my heart was
built with the earth at the forefront of its mind - is priceless. I
am not depending on financial help from folks in order to make this
purchase but rather I am hoping that a few of you feel inclined to
support me and my music by sponsoring a portion of this guitar -
perhaps a fret or two... In short, I am hoping to avoid eating up my
entire savings and credit line :)
If you would like to support my music career by offering me
financial assistance (no matter how big or small) as I prepare to
purchase this new sustainable and inspiring music tool, please
respond to this e-mail or
click here for further details.
Thank you to all of you who support me by coming out to my shows,
sending me encouraging e mails, and providing financial assistance -
you are all helping to propel me into the next phase of my music
career. I hope that 2008 brings you much joy and exciting new
adventures!
Peace,
Amber Darland