Raison D'Etre: What's up

Snow Falling on Cedars(and Roofs, and Roads, and...)


While not as socked in as the East Coast, our little corner of the world spent at least half of February in cancellation and rescheduling mode. We received 6 inches of snow near the beginning of the month(overnight on the 5th,) then another 6 inches before we could dig out from the first. And just after our neighbor came by with the huge construction implement to plow our long gravel drive mostly clear, we were treated to another 9 inches of fluffy white over the week of Valentine's Day. As I look out the office window onto the valley below our house, large swaths of 3-4 inch mini-glaciers still dot the hillside. Even a day of rain and a few days of sun were not enough to completely reveal the grass underneath.

Since Violet was out of town for a travel convention, Raison D'Etre was on February hiatus. For once, I was really grateful that we hadn't scheduled the usual 4-5 February dates, as they would have most likely needed re-scheduling. Even with the snow, I was able to make most of my HealthRHYTHMS drumming sessions for February and review a couple of books for WVXU's "Around Cincinnati."

(Photo by Janet Arno, Campbell County Library.)

You can read about my adventures in my blog, "Braverself." if you're interested:

http://braverself.blogspot.com
Feel free to leave some comments.

February meant a new theme show for Women of Substance Radio. We were proud to be included in their "Valentine's Show" which aired every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 3-7 pm. If you'd like to listen to their online programming while you work, we keep a widget on our homepage:

http://www.raison3.com
Coming up in March for Raison D'Etre...

We're excited to be included in the Blue Moon Stage line-up, produced by the Kentucky Arts Council, at Kentucky Crafted: the Market on March 6 at 1 pm and we're real happy to return to Cincinnati's best coffee venue, College Hill Coffee Company on March 12 from 7:30-9:30 pm. Hope to see you at one of these shows. Please come on by to talk and we can compare icicle stories.

Hope you are staying warm, reading some, and listening to some good music!

Raise on, dear friends!
And don't defer those dreams...

Roberta of the Raison
http://www.raison3.com

January is usually a quiet month for Raison D'Etre. In most years, we play maybe one fund raiser or possibly a concert near the Greater Cincinnati area. It's a time for me(Roberta) to tally up the past year and prepare for the new. Traditionally, we meet around Vickie's table and set some goals for the coming year of trio activities. The women of our family gather for Violet Rae's birthday. And that is pretty much the way January transpired until mid-month...

Then Mudbrick Media put up a myspace site to promote our music videos. We're very happy with the design, photos, and videos. Please take a look when you get the chance, and let us know what you think.

http://www.myspace.com/raisondetremusicvideos
(photo by Brad Puckett)

On January 15 and 16, Raison D'Etre took part in Rivertown Music Club's fund raiser for Susan G. Komen Foundation, "One More Girl on a Stage" at York Street Cafe in Newport, KY. On Friday we were delighted to share the Gallery Acoustic Stage with such acts as Shiny & the Spoon and Carole Walker while Lauren Houston and Tupelo Honey rocked the house in the Lounge. Saturday night, I helped out as the volunteer coordinator, working with some great rollergirl volunteers and other helpful members of the Rivertown Music Club community. Event mastermind, Kelly Thomas, performed tunes from her new CD with Ryan Malott in the Lounge on Saturday while the Acoustic Stage featured a diverse line-up of groups playing both standards and originals. I was especially impressed with a group called the Honneycombs. York Street Cafe was a wonderful venue for this fund raiser, offering three floors of fun.


Raison D'Etre at "One More Girl" show(Kelly Thomas)

Rollergirls and Teachers Volunteer(Jan Thomas)

The end of the month was jam-packed with two Swing Canaries shows in Loveland and Sharonville and three HealthRHYTHMS drum sessions for me in Ohio.

Suzie Timmer shot from New Year's Eve

Coming up...Fine Arts Fund Sampler Weekend February 20 and 21. I will be leading HealthRHYTHMS drum sessions at Media Bridges in Downtown Cincinnati and at Campbell County Public Library in Cold Spring. No prior skill necessary, so I hope you'll drop in to have some fun with drums. It's free. Check our calendar page for details.

http://www.raison3.com/calendar.html
It's hard to avoid hearing about and seeing the suffering in Haiti. There are so many ways to help. If you are thinking about buying CDs(like ours or anybody's) at CDBaby, for one more week, they are contributing a dollar from every sale to Haitian relief. Their offer started on January 25 and runs through this coming Friday February 5. If you buy one of our CDs from CDBaby this week, we will sweeten the deal by sending you a copy of our 2007 concert DVD, "Live @ Java 5." Just be sure you give CDBaby your name and address when you purchase our CD, and we will send you a DVD for free. Thanks for helping in any way you choose. Here's a link to get your shopping started:

http://www.raison3.com/products.html
Hope to see you somewhere in the next month.

Raise on!
And don't defer those dreams.

Well, here we are in a brand new decade! I’ve wanted to keep you up on Raison D’Etre happenings for December, but since I was so involved in making those things happen, the best I can do is bring you up to date on our whirlwind holiday experiences.

Noel in November?

Every year Raison D’Etre ends up doing some caroling since we have our little caroling books stocked with at least three hours worth of our favorite holiday songs and our capes and bonnets at the ready. We add a few more favorites each Christmas based on whatever goals we set for ourselves in January. In most years, we might end up doing 4-5 holiday gigs, primarily in December. In 2008, our caroling crept into the pre-Thanksgiving window by a few days when we sang at Balluminaria and for the O’Bryonville Holiday Walk. But in 2009, we actually sang our first holiday songs on November 12 for Kentucky Historical Society and didn’t put those books down until December 19! I think I counted 21 holiday gigs total, including three New Year’s Eve events. So, I hope you’ll forgive me for just now getting back to the Raison D’Etre desk.

Three New Videos on iTunes

Mudbrick Media invited us back to Mobile, AL in December to shoot three music videos from our Tales from the Tall Side recording. We did videos for “Don’t Worry About Me,” by Violet Rae, “Another Train” by Vickie and “This Kind of Rain” by yours truly. It was really fun performing in front of a “green screen” like the pros do while Mudbrick’s team decided how to present our songs to the world.The music videos are available on iTunes now for $1.99 each. Hope you’ll go take a look and tell us what you think.

http://www.mudbrickmusicvideos.com/videos_list.php
From Brad Puckett's photo shoot at the Bragg-Mitchell Mansion in Mobile:

How can we be three places at once?

My friend, Dixie, reported to me that she saw Raison D’Etre performing on INC6 on Christmas Day while the Schultz Family listened to us on WVXU’s Around Cincinnati Christmas show. How could we be on cable TV, Cincinnati Public Radio and enjoying the holiday all at once? Through the miracle of digital footage and pre-recorded radio, of course. We also managed to be featured on CDBaby’s “Festive Folk” podcast during December on the 10th and the 22nd. So, we seemed even busier than we were in real life!

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=340257811

Coming Up...

We are so pleased to help Rivertown Music Club, led by that dynamo, Kelly Thomas, with the “One More Girl on a Stage” extravaganza which is two nights this year at the York Street Cafe. Hope to see some of you there.



Happy 2010, dear friends!
Raise on, and don’t defer those dreams...

Raison D'Etre spent a few days in the Ozarks this October as SERFA(South East Region Folk Alliance) held its 2nd Annual Conference at the Ozark Folk Center, a lovely mountaintop destination in Mountain View, Arkansas. While at the Folk Center, we showcased one song in the Fast Pitch showcase where each performer/act gets five minutes on stage to perform a song and “make the audience love you.” All twelve acts managed to get on stage, set mics, intro songs, and get them performed in under the five-minute deadline. I was a little nervous about the whole deal since we chose my song, “This Kind of Rain,” which—on a good day—can run 4:30. Violet said she found the experience, “exhilarating.” I was very relieved that we brought it in under 5:00.

Here’s a photo taken by Lauren LaPointe,(a fabulous singer songwriter from Savannah) of the Fast Pitch Showcase. We don’t look too nervous.



The evenings of SERFA were filled with official showcases from 7-10:30 pm and then guerrilla showcases back in the cabins until 2 am. Those hearty souls who did not get enough music by 2 am were invited to attend the “late night jams” in the rec room. On Friday Folk Alliance sponsored an unofficial slot for us in their cabin. So, we were happy to perform a full showcase along with Emily Dowden(of the Dowden Sisters,) Happenstance, C. Daniel Boling, Marissa of Folk Alliance and John Stoecker.

Raison D'Etre decided to bring a little Kentucky hospitality with us and host an in-room showcase on Saturday night. Due to a scheduling mix-up, our in-room was moved to the spacious rec room, so not only did we have snacks and snazzy talent, but also some pretty tasteful décor. All performers were asked to do at least one Kentucky-themed song. So, we were wowed with “Somewhere in Kentucky,” (Laurie McClain did this earlier in her formal showcase, so we gave her a pass) “My Old Kentucky Home,” (Chico Schwall played a masterful instrumental version,) “Paradise,” (played by our Arkansas buddies, Brooks and Doug of Happenstance) and “Shady Grove,” done by C.Daniel Boling who is a distant cousin of Jean Ritchie. And last, but certainly not least, Lauren LaPointe anchored that 1:30 am slot with a “Blue Kentucky Girl” sing along. She rocks! Here’s the poster we put together for the ”Old Kentucky Home” experience.


(photo by Gary Schultz of Wilder Ranch Road.)

We truly love the Ozarks, the Folk Center and their wonderful staff, and SERFA’s board for putting together such a great conference. Can’t wait to return to the Ozarks next October. Here’s a little glimpse of the view from the lodge steps.


(Photo by Vickie Ellis)

Back home now enjoying what’s left of the Ohio Valley foliage. We arrived home just in time for the peak color. Hope to see you at some of our upcoming shows.

For photos of our showcase performers, see our PHOTOS page.

Raise on!
And don’t defer those dreams!

I spent the last week of September and the first few days of October on one of the highest mountains in North Carolina at a magical place called Wild Acres. There a circle of song writers--who are really starting to feel like family--gathers to experience each other’s creative energy, a workshop and concert by a prominent song writer, lots of good food and conversation, a prompt-a-day, and informal jamming. This year we again shared the mountain with the Duke Writer’s Workshop--a happy marriage of words and music. Turns out that lots of the Duke Writers sing and play as well. Marshall Chapman rocked the auditorium with her songs and stories. And the marvelous Zelda taught me the proper way to eat scuppernongs.

Coming back with three new songs renewed my faith in my own ability to create, yet left me with an overwhelming “homesickness” for that particular sacred space. Thanks to Georgann Eubanks and Donna Campbell for leading us to Wild Acres each year, and to Mike House for his stewardship of place, and to all the other writers who have taken me in as family. Hope to see you next year.

Pinnacle shot from Joe Pfister, 2008.



Raison D’Etre will travel to Arkansas’ mountains this month to take part in the South East Region Folk Alliance’s second annual conference at the Ozark Folk Center. We have a “Fast Pitch” Showcase, a late night Folk Alliance Showcase, and are hosting our own “Old Kentucky Home” showcase in our room where the participants must contribute either a Kentucky-themed song or snack. We look forward to meeting folkies from all over the country at SERFA while we take in the beauty of the Ozarks.

The Old West Festival winds up for 2009 on the weekend of October 10-11. It’s enjoying some real growth in patronage this year, so here’s hoping you get out to Brown County, OH before you have to wait a whole year to play cowboy/cowgirl. We’re up on the Dodge House Stage one more time this season--October 10 from 1:30-3:30 pm. C’mon out Route 32 to see us before we sing “Happy Trails.” Medicine shows, lassos, gunfights, and saloon dancers. Lots of crafts, food, and interesting characters.


Raise on, Pardners!
And don’t defer those “Happy Trails” dreams

Roberta of the Raison

--Paul Simon

August brought us a few Dog Days, but certainly not as many as we’ve had the past few years. In fact, my dog, Maggie May, is lounging away in the side yard on this pleasant end-of-summer day enjoying the sights, sounds and smells that go along with that first hint of chill in the air. No doubt we’ll still have a few hot and humid days coming up, but today everything feels swept clean.

Raison D’Etre’s August schedule was almost leisurely, giving us the time to enjoy seeing those of you who ventured out from your busy lives to share an hour or two with us. On perhaps one of the most humid evenings all summer we played at the Dilly Deli’s fabulous courtyard space. The owner, Chuck, came out to greet us remarking that “whoa, it looks like Woodstock out here.” While we were puzzling over whether or not we looked like love children, we finally decided he was noting that there was a pretty big outdoor crowd for a Saturday night. It was a hot, hot night, but a great time playing three sets for appreciative and fun people. Thanks especially to Charlie and Gayle for coming by and to the really nice table of partiers who stayed around for the late set and bought our CDs. Plus, our waitress rocked.

The following week brought us to Joseph Beth Booksellers with two indoor sets amid the volumes. We love bookstores and bookstore people! Violet Rae and Vickie were happy to greet friends from Morehead State University’s Drama Department who gathered with the gals for some merriment at Don Pablo’s following our sets. We were very pleased to see our good friend, Dixie, who brought a friend along, and it was great to see Medicine Woman, too. Thanks to all who came by to listen, buy a CD, or just plant a kiss on Berta’s unsuspecting cheek between songs--love ya, Stuart! Big thanks to Barb Hudson for having events like this instore.

August 22 sent us on an adventure to Shepherdsville, KY where Bullitt County Library has a wonderful concert series for their patrons. Charlie and Randy(Programs and Director, respectively) told us that the crowd would be great, but we weren’t prepared for how much they listened to every word and took part in the banter. Musicians--song writers, especially--live for this kind of exchange. Bravo, Bullitt County Library! We enjoyed every minute of our time with you. And, of course, some of our friends from the Louisville area showed up. It was so wonderful to see Cookie, Kathy, Donna, and Erin and her beautiful twins! Some months are just meant to savor, and this year, August was that month for us.

Good thing we had that savoring time, because September promises to be a whirlwind. We’re playing two fund raisers that we’d like to call to your attention here, and of course, The Old West Festival will be getting underway on September 12.

We’re playing our cowgirl set at the Old West Festival on Sept. 12, 27, and October 10, but the Festival runs for 5 consecutive weekends beginning September 12. Be sure to find your way out highway 32 into Brown County for a unique experience for the family. Download and print out a “Side Kick Discount” at this link:

Old West Fest Discount
The 2nd Annual Bluerock Music Festival is coming up on September 19 from 1-8 pm at Blue Rock Farm. EG Kight, blues sensation, is the headliner with Raison D’Etre, Tracy Walker and Jake Speed & the Freddies playing opening sets for her. Hope to see you there, It’s fun, family-friendly, and fabulous.


Last, but not least, is Grailville’s 65th Anniversary Bash. Come on out to Loveland to shake the hand that feeds you!


Hope you’re enjoying the changing of seasons.

Raise on!
And don’t defer those bountiful dreams!

Roberta
Scribe of the Raison

I couldn’t turn on a TV anywhere in Greater Cincinnati without hearing the pronouncement that this July was one for the record books. According to the scribes who note these trends, we haven’t had a July this cool since 1947. Well, I agree, but for different reasons. Sure, I’m enjoying the bounty from the garden that steady rain brings. And I cherish the below 80 temperatures any day. But, the cool I’m feeling is from all the great experiences Raison D’Etre basked in this month. The ones that make me resort to that 1980s favorite saying of my former student, Kelly Webster from Simon Kenton, who often said “cool beans.”

Our performance month started 12 days into July with a trip to the Chautauqua community of Lakeside on Lake Erie. We played on the town Gazebo for the summer concert series where Lakeside Association was auctioning off some unique Adirondack chairs for the benefit of programming and recreation. Artists from the community had painted each chair in a different theme. What a delightful way to raise funds for everyone’s benefit while nurturing the creative spirit! The auction participants--plus Lakesiders who brought their picnics to the park--formed a receptive audience for our music. Many stayed around afterwards just to talk.

View of the chair auction audience from the stage:


Thanks to Shirley Stary for inviting us back to this one-of-a-kind destination. We stayed around the next day to do our “Lakeside in a Day” tourism which included sampling just about every restaurant, walking all the streets, and swimming in Lake Erie. Cool breezes prevailed.

After swimming shot from Vickie's phone:


Last look at the pier before we headed home:


For more photos of this lovely town, here’s a link to our photo page:

http://www.raison3.com/photos.html
The next weekend we had two fulfilling performances at home. July 17 brought us back to the Queen City Balladeers’ summer showcase in Eden Park, Edensong. We shared the stage with other acts beginning in the letter “r.” Cool coincidence? You decide.

Rubber Knife Gang
Rabbit Hash String Band
Raison D’Etre
The Tillers(OK, no “r.” at the beginning. but there is an “r.”)
Ricky Nye

It was a picking and singing good time back stage and onstage. Thanks to the Balladeers for 46 years of putting on these concerts. And we really love our cool T-shirts!

The next night we returned to College Hill Coffee Co. to a fairly packed house of friends and family. Women from Grailville’s “Practice of Poetry” sessions showed up, so I felt that the pressure was on. These women listen to lyrics because they are awesome writers. Thanks to Tina and Phyllis and all the great staff at CHCC for welcoming us “home.” They have both the “cool” and the “beans” since they combine them so well in delicious iced coffee.

And what could be cooler than a standing ovation? We were privileged to receive that honor at Sycamore Senior Center for our July 22 performance of “Sister Acts,” our musical journey through some of the great singing sister acts of the last century. We adore singing these great songs for the appreciative and discerning audiences who often heard them from the original acts. Violet Rae and I debuted our duo version of “Swing Canaries,” on the following Saturday at The Anderson. We’ve been singing this catalogue of 1930s and 1940s songs for well over 13 years, but this was the first time we performed it as a duo string band. Even though I forgot my sheet music, our cooler heads reigned as we shared VRae’s lead sheets, and I played “Sentimental Journey” from short term memory.

We concluded July with a seasonably warm and humid evening in Arnold’s courtyard. What was cool about that, you may ask. Well, it’s Arnold’s for one. And Joe Zerhusen dropped by after his shift as the Reds' announcer to say hello. So good to see Joe after all these years!


We hope you’ve enjoyed the cooler than normal July. I sure have. Thanks to every one of you who bless us with your presence.

Raise on, dear ones...
And don’t defer those “cool beans” dreams!

“...true love and home grown tomatoes.”--Guy Clark

Summer’s here for real. Fourth of July, fireworks, and the very first of those home grown tomatoes are ripening on the vine. No doubt you will hear Guy’s song performed at a few outdoor concerts this summer at Farmer’s Markets, coffee shops, and festivals. Most likely you’’ll hear a version or two on your favorite Front Porch type radio show. Raison D’Etre doesn’t do Guy’s song since many of our close musical compadres already do their own bang-up arrangements; however, we share his passion for the unparalleled flavor that only a home grown specimen can bring. I have a theory that home growns taste better because the careful work of our own hands draws in some kind of supportive energy from the universe. Or maybe the plants themselves respond to the adoration of constant watering, weeding, and preening just like people do, leaning toward the warm light of our hopes, not wanting to disappoint. Maybe after being cared for so patiently and particularly, they just want to give us their best. Whatever the reason, I am grateful for the miracle of red and plump.

So, to celebrate the beauty of those home grown wonders, I include a glimpse of my first homegrown tomato for 2009. It tasted every bit as good as it looks...


Raison D’Etre had a bumper crop of June experiences including a Creative Aging mini-tour of our Swing Canaries show. We shared some songs from the 30s and 40s with the lovely folks at St. Charles Adult Day, Wilson Salvation Army(our favorite sing along group,) and the residents of The Lodge of Montgomery. Bill Schinkal sent us a few shots of the Wilson Salvation show, posting them on their website as well. Take a look at his shots on our photo page at

http://www.raison3.com/photos.html
We were delighted to help out with the Hope Emergency Fundraiser which took place at the Old West Festival grounds on June 6. Madame Gigi’s CanCan Dancers, Raison D’Etre, and the gunfight re-enactors performed for the revelers as they ate some wonderful barbeque dinners and enjoyed the ambience of Drew Deimling’s wonderful attraction. Be sure to check out this great home grown festival this fall because it’s fast becoming a destination for families who want to experience some colorful American history and family fun without truly leaving the Cincinnati area. Time to dust off that cowboy hat and explore, pardner.

http://www.oldwestfestival.com

And what would June be without some downtown Cincinnati music events? Fountain Square hosts several free music events under the umbrella of the PNC Summer Series. Raison D’Etre was happy to play a set on June 25 for the lunch crowd. Pru Hunt preceded us with a half hour of her original tunes about Cadillacs, Tom and Huck, and the Ohio River. I (Roberta) joined her for some harmony on a couple of those tunes. It was the hottest day so far, but hey, now all of us are well-tempered for the Dog Days ahead.

Hope to see you somewhere this summer. We have lots of home grown concerts coming up as well as a few adventures out of town. Until next time...


Raise on, dear friends...
And don’t defer those ripening dreams!

Roberta of the Raison

Raison D’Etre’s had a busy May! Here’s hoping that your month has been as much fun as ours. We started out the first weekend with an Elderhostel Concert in Northern Kentucky saluting the Kentucky Derby, then headed due south for The Governor’s Derby Day Celebration on the Capitol grounds where we played a set on the Capitol Stage following some savory Stephen Foster singers and some tasty bluegrass. And did I mention food? The state parks were serving up some great breakfast sandwiches while kids took part in a stick horse derby on the hour. We were worried how the downturned economy would affect the Derby spirit, but everyone was decked out in crazy hats and Kentucky smiles. So, the sun shines bright indeed. From the Erlanger Elderhostel group who were discussing their Derby picks with us to my former student and super soundman at the Governor’s event, Matt Roser, everyone was ready for the Seabiscuit type Derby we had this year...underdogs cheering for the underdogs!

The following week, I(Roberta) took a couple of days to attend the KPAN training facilitated by Jean St. John of Covington’s Center for Great Neighborhoods and Arts in Education Roster Artist, Pat Ritter. Many of Kentucky’s teaching artists gathered at Happiness Hills Retreat Center in Berea, KY for a fabulous two-day training in marketing. Below are a few photos courtesy of Jennifer Rose and Alfredo Escobar that show us hard at work learning the finer points of marketing our services and products via social networking.



The Conference Space & Housing



Artists at Work Learning to Twitter



Supper, oh, yeah!

Later that weekend Raison D’Etre played two sets for the “Family Matters” art exhibit at Grailville Retreat Center in Loveland, OH. It was a beautiful Mother’s Day event with a feast at 5:30 pm. Parents, children, and art lovers browsed the exhibit and roamed the Grailville grounds in search of the farm’s spring babies. Poet and Co-Director, Pauletta Hansel, offered up her husband, Owen, as our roadie...as long as we returned him in time for the Feast!

May 16 took us back to College Hill Coffee Co. for two sets. We were a little concerned that the lovely weather would keep people outdoors way past our 7:30-9:30 sets, but folks came on over to this friendly neighborhood establishment to have some food and fellowship. I heard that the College Hill Historical Society was even in attendance. How’s that for supporting your neighborhood businesses? As always, Tina and her staff treated us great, and we had an especially grand night for singing.

Pru Hunt and I(Roberta) took a little three-day jaunt down to Greenbo Lake State Park for the very first Gathering of Writers and Songwriters organized by MotesBooks dynamo, Kate Larken. The 30-some writers and songwriters who showed up for this workshop/retreat were thrilled to receive classes, readings and performances from Marianne Worthington, Anne Shelby, Silas House, Jason Howard, Kate Larken and Sue Massek(Reel World String Band.) Plus we had the opportunity to share our pieces in an “open mic” setting each evening. Every shared piece was incredible, making me think “wow, I’m so lucky to be with these people for a couple of days.” At the end of each activity-packed day--we were also invited to hike to a cemetery, go on a pontoon boat ride, and take a wild flower hike--we engaged in a magic mountain tradition called a “swarp.” The swarps went on until the wee hours. And I am proud to say, so did I! Here’s a photo of most of our group on the last day. Thanks to Silas House who took the shot via timer. If you are in need of something to jumpstart your writer soul, this is the Gathering!

http://www.raison3.com/hostbaby2/js/tiny_mce/themes/advanced/langs/en.js">f="http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=73270628&albumID=598569&imageID=46999080">
We hope to see you at some of our upcoming performances. We’ll be at Summerfair on May 30, a fundraiser for Hope Emergency at the Old West Festival on June 6, and you can even catch us at Fountain Square in Cincy for a lunch concert, June 25th. Check our calendar page for details:

http://www.raison3.com/calendar.html
Until next time,
Raise on!
And don’t defer those swarpin’ dreams...

“It’s raining violets...”

So says the song “April Showers.” We’ve certainly had our share of rain this month, bringing the violets to my old Kentucky home right on time...white ones, light ones, and deep purple ones. April is one of those months that requires some belief in the promise of Spring. Skies can feel so vast and gray sometimes, but then we see the redbuds and the violets and the profusion of bluebells along the creek on the way to Easter at the Hickeys, and we know that April is going to deliver again.

Because April is notoriously non-busy for Raison D’Etre, we use it as a month to rehearse, retool, and re-vision. We’re hard at work on some new songs for our Sister Act show, adding a few cowboy songs to our Golden Girls of the West set, and putting the finishing touches on a few of the original songs from TALES FROM THE TALL SIDE that have not yet made it into our regular sets. In addition, we’re planning our harmony workshop for Grailville next month.

We also took some time to host Carla Gover--formerly of Zoe Speaks--for a house concert on April 10th. At our house in Wilder, we are able to host concerts for up to 30 guests in our “Elks Hall”-looking basement. So far, we’ve hosted The Troubadours of Divine Bliss, Anita Camarella and Davide Facchini, and now Carla. Carla’s concert was inspiring, as she shared many new compositions-in-progress, some of her familiar songs from Zoe Speaks, and a few very interesting ballads that she studied in her recent fellowship at the Berea College folk music archives. To give you an example of how organic Carla’s concerts are, she asked me to sit down with her a few minutes before the first set to try out a descant she’s writing for one of her newest songs inspired by her ballad studies. She just wanted to see if it would fit into the song the way she’d envisioned. Then before the end of the set, she called me up to try the part. It was really fun for me and the audience to be both involved in and witness to the creative process.



For a few more photos of the Carla Gover Concert, go to our photos page:

http://www.raison3.com/photos.html
We have several public performances coming up next month where you can hear the results of our April wood-shedding. If you ‘re in Frankfort on Derby Day, we’ll be up on the stage at 11:30 am performing some of our newest songs from TALES FROM THE TALL SIDE. And mid-month, we’ll be back at College Hill Coffee Company for two spring sets. And finally, we’re excited to have some new songs to debut on The Vocal Arts Gazebo Stage at Summerfair.

Until then, “keep on looking for a bluebird, and listening for his song
Whenever April showers come along.”

Raise on, and don’t defer those blossoming dreams!

And that’s what it’s all about in this children’s dance song. A couple of weeks ago, after digging out from an ice storm/snow storm/deep freeze again, my husband Gary and I decided that the Hokey Pokey was pretty much a philosophical statement for people who put their “whole self” into what they’re doing every day while still remembering that even the struggle can be joyful. So we did the hokey pokey around the kitchen for a few minutes and shared a really good belly laugh in our snow gear.

We know about the Hokey Pokey in our area mainly because of a TV performer called “Uncle Al” who invited us to jump around in our jammies in front of the set, or to attend his broadcasts all “gussied up” for the camera. He was on air in Cincinnati from 1950-1985, an astonishingly long run for any kind of television program. In his trademark straw hat and ubiquitous accordion, he advised us to “put your toys away, don’t delay...” and told our moms all about Barq’s root beer, cream soda, and Mama’s Cookies, the local sponsors who brought us our daily installment of Captain Windy, Uncle Al, Hattie the Witch and the other characters inhabiting this dance along, sing along adventure world.

Al Lewis--the real guy behind the Uncle Al magic--left us this week at age 84. He’s inspired a few generations of humans to do the hokey pokey and turn themselves around...
and that’s what it’s all about. Try doing a few rounds of the hokey pokey in your kitchen when you’re having a particularly rough day. If you’re anywhere near a mirror, I’m telling you, it’s a big cure for what ails you.

Last month, Raison D’Etre put our whole selves into launching our dual release of “Tales from the Tall Side” and “Swing Canaries.” Bev Holiday hosted a release event at Kentucky Haus Artisan Center for “Swing Canaries” near the beginning of the month, while Tina Stoeberl scheduled us for our “Tales from the Tall Side” release concert at her comfortable coffee establishment, College Hill Coffee Company, on Valentine’s Day. We were overwhelmed by the loving support at both events! Thanks so much to those of you who carved time out of your busy lives to share it with us. And thanks to WVXU’s Lee Hay and Brian O’Donnell for the “Around Cincinnati” segment, and we’re grateful to WNKU for giving us some inaugural spins on Music with O’D and Morning Music with Michael Grayson. And a very big thanks to Nancy James and Sandi Megowen of Northern Kentucky Magazine. Violet Rae was very excited about her time on the interview couch. So what if we never actually made it in to the Uncle Al Show(our mom worked during the broadcast hours.) Being interviewed by Nancy James is always enjoyable.

This month we continue with another release event. We’re honored to play at the 10th Anniversary Show of Music Cafe at the Fitton Center in Hamilton, OH. Check our calendar page for a link to their website:

http://www.raison3.com/calendar.html
And if you’d like to read the latest article about our dual release, Ryan Clark talked to us recently for the Cincinnati Equirer:


http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009903020375
Raise on, dear friends...
And don’t defer your chance to do the hokey pokey!

Roberta of the Raison

“You make me smile with my heart.” --Rodgers/Hart

Back when I used to practice singing in Ed Yelton’s woods, “My Funny Valentine” was one of my favorite songs. A girl could gingerly climb over the barbed wire fence--to keep the cows in, not me out, I reasoned--and be very far away in a few jogs through the knee-high golden grass. Once I found the shaded canopy of the hickory, sassafras, and maple trees, I could stand on the upper edge of the cow path overlooking the little frog pond and sing just as loudly as I pleased. The deep impression carved by the creek transformed that spot in the woods into a natural amphitheater where I could hear every note of the song bounced clearly off the hardwoods. Back then, I think I enjoyed the song purely for its melody which seemed smoky, mysterious, and grown-up. I was a sucker for anything minor, modal, or major 7th.

But lately, I think I love the song for its theme of total acceptance. Who wouldn’t want be loved even if their looks are “unphotographable?” And who wouldn’t want to be described as someone’s “favorite work of art?” I’m now happily a sucker for paradox.

If you’d like to enjoy a unique interpretation of this song, I’ve included a link to a video of Rickie Lee Jones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uip6iv7pWmw
February News

1. “Swing Canaries” release event
2. “Tales from the Tall Side” release events
3. Raison D’Etre on the radio and TV
4. Where to buy the new recordings.

Swing Canaries at Kentucky Haus

We’re having a release event for our swing compilation, “Swing Canaries,” at Bev Holiday’s wonderful Kentucky Haus Artisan Center on February 7th from noon-2 pm. We’re doing an all-swing set at noon, and will debut some tunes from “Tales from the Tall Side,” as well as our other recordings during set two. Bev carries food, pottery, jewelry, and music by Kentucky artisans. Visit her lovely shop at

http://kentuckyhaus.com
“Tales from the Tall Side” Release Events

Our seventh recording, “Tales from the Tall Side” includes 8 original songs plus a little swing, a little cowgirl, and a beautiful anthem to Northern Kentucky written by Boone County bassist and song writer, Daniel Wilson. Release concerts include our next appearance at College Hill Coffee Company and Casual Gourmet on February 14th and our upcoming March 24th performance at Music Cafe in Hamilton, OH. Hope to see many of you in the weeks to come.


Raison D’Etre “on the air”

“Tales from the Tall Side” has been getting airplay on WNKU and WYSO in the past week. Listen for us on Brian O’D’s show, Valentine’s Day, February 14 @ 11:30 am on WNKU and on an upcoming episode of “Around Cincinnati” on WVXU. Cable subscribers can find us on “Northern Kentucky Magazine,” Insight Channel 6 on February 5th for an interview with host, Nancy James, and a few tunes.

We’ve been getting a lot of play on an internet station called “Women of Substance Radio.” The folk shows featuring our songs air at 7-8 pm(so that’s probably 4-5 pm our time since the station is in California) on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We’re also in their regular rotation, so we could pop up other times amid the big stars of women’s music. Tune in at

http://www.live365.com/stations/breenoble
“Swing Canaries” and “Tales from the Tall Side” On Sale...

You can buy our latest recordings at the Kentucky Artisan Center in Berea, KY, at Kentucky Crafted: the Market February 21-22 in Louisville, KY, at Kentucky Haus Artisan Center, and of course at CD Baby and iTunes.

http://cdbaby.com/cd/raisondetre6
http://cdbaby.com/cd/raisondetre7
Here's hoping that February brings you higher love!

Raise on, Little Valentines,
And don't defer those work of heart dreams.

"Each day is Valentine's Day."

Roberta
Raison D'Etre

In mythology, Janus was the god who could face two ways: toward the past and the future. We make a big deal out of January each year when we celebrate the arrival of a new calendar year and even note the importance of the month by inaugurating our President in this space of time that marks endings and beginnings. And so we have at least two vestiges of Janus in our language: “January” and “janitor”--a month for taking inventory on the past year and beginning a new one and a person who takes care of the doorways and hallways to sweep them clean.

As the janitor for Raison D’Etre, I proudly and carefully look over the highlights of our 2008 and document them in a photo journal on this page:

http://www.raison3.com/photos.html
So, take a look before I get broom happy and sweep them away for newer adventures.

In honor of Janus, Raison D’Etre has added two new recordings to our Detremental Records catalogue. It took us most of 2008 to produce our latest CD, TALES FROM THE TALL SIDE, a 12-song collection with 8 new originals, a controversial song from the 1940s, one cowboy tune, a familiar sing-along, and a beautiful anthem to Northern Kentucky penned by our friend, Danny Wilson. We had a lot of fun recording at Group Effort Sound Studios. So much fun that we asked Dan Murphy what would be involved in putting together a compilation of our swing music. So the part of Raison D’Etre facing the past is that collection entitled SWING CANARIES while TALES FROM THE TALL SIDE urges the listener to “find a new beginning” on the first track which is called “Braver Self.”

You can now--as of this Inaugural Week--find both of our newest recordings on CD Baby at the following links:

http://cdbaby.com/cd/raisondetre6
http://cdbaby.com/cd/raisondetre7
We hope you’ll go give them a look, listen and maybe even a purchase, if you are so moved.

So far in January we’ve found a new beginning by taking part in the One More Girl on a Stage whole house concert at the Southgate House on January 10. 14 women-fronted acts played in the parlour, lounge, and ballroom of Newport’ s rocking mansion for the benefit of the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Julie Martin Memorial Fund.

While it’s still up, take a look at Violet’s photo in The Cincinnati Enquirer:

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090118/LIFE/901180315/1079/rss04
The photographer caught her playing kazoo on a song from our new CD, “Legacy.”

Here’s hoping that you are finding some new beginnings this first month of 2009. I’ll be sweeping out the hallways here in Raison D’Etre land to make room for all those new adventures.

Raise on!
and don’t forget to make a clean sweep for those dreams...

And speaking of dreams, have a safe and meaningful Martin Luther King, Jr. Day!

Roberta, the Janitor

"So I will throw Veterans' Day over my shoulder. Armistice Day I will keep. I don't want to throw away any sacred things.
What else is sacred? Oh, Romeo and Juliet, for instance.
And all music is."--Kurt Vonnegut,
BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

November 11th is a sacred day for me because of this quote, our mom’s birthday and, of course, because of Kurt Vonnegut. He was born on this day and begins BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS with a little explanation of the meaning of this date to WWI veterans:

“It was during that minute in nineteen hundred and eighteen, that millions upon millions of human beings stopped butchering one another. I have talked to old men who were on battlefields during that minute. They have told me in one way or another that the sudden silence was the Voice of God. So we still have among us some men who can remember when God spoke clearly to mankind.”

If I were teaching high school today, I would begin my writing workout session with a reading of Kurt’s quote and a brief sharing of the cartoons in BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS. Later in the day I would notice that the paperback copy of that book had disappeared from the book rack and that several sophomore boys were gathered in the back of the room giggling. And I would rejoice. More reading victims lured in by Kurt’s cartoons.

Raison D’Etre is reminded of November 11 several times a year when we play for military reunions as the Swing Canaries. We’ve been performing that show since the 50th Anniversary of D-Day at the Cincinnati Museum Center, so well over 13 years! However, most of our swing era tunes are spread over 6 of our recordings. In January 2008, we decided to make it one of our goals this year to release a compilation recording of these songs. So, now we have! SWING CANARIES, our 6th CD, is now available for anyone who wants all of our recorded swing songs on one disc. You can reserve your copy by sending us $12.00(check payable to Raison D’Etre, includes postage) at our contact address at this website:

http://www.raison3.com/contact.html
In a few weeks it will be available on CD Baby for those who like to order through that great on-line service. We’ll keep you posted.
Raise on, and don’t defer those dreams!

Roberta

“Leaves don’t drop, they just let go,
And make a place for seeds to grow.”--Carrie Newcomer

So many seeds planted in my head from the incredible beauty and weightless grace that is SOLATIDO. Violet Rae, Vickie and I packed up the Jeep and headed for the highest mountains in North Carolina ostensibly to hone our song writing skills among the other 23 song writers who gather at Wild Acres Retreat Center each year, each soul hoping to give full rein to the creative process. But, so much more happens...

For one thing, we shared the mountain this year with the Duke Writer’s Workshop. What could be more fun than 23 songwriters getting together? Well, just add 30 writers of fiction and nonfiction to that, light us up, and watch us go!

Every day we met at 9 am for our writing prompt, then set off for some quiet space to write. At 11:30, we’d gather back at the Studio(the songwriter’s gathering place) to share the songs or fragments in group. Sharing with SOLATIDO(or “So, la ti da” as some of the participants have come to call it) fellows is a welcome experience. My first attempt at a song from the “shoe” prompt provided by Georgann Eubanks, our fearless facilitator, did not make it into group share because we had so many folks willing to share what they’d written. However, I think that listening to the other songs made me that much more comfortable with our group. In no time at all we were singing along with the obvious chorus to Joe Pfister’s Pete Seeger-like composition, “Who Will Fill My Shoes?” as well as clapping along to the bluesy collaboration between Randa and Diane(who had just met, by the way) about the woman who might wear the flashy dark blue satin pump they had pulled from the pile of prompts.

As the lunch bell rang, we were still amazed at how many good songs came from just selecting a shoe from a pile. When the lunch bell rings at Wild Acres, you drop whatever you’re doing and bask in the gentle care of the dining hall staff as you dine “family style” at a table filled with writers to whom you pass the biscuits and little pieces of your own life story. We sat with mystery writers, business writers, poets who were also doctors, teachers, nurses and software documentors. A sample of lunch time banter, “so, have you ever heard of Tift Merrit? Well, she lives right across the street from me and was my babysitter.”

After lunch we all headed to a reading given by one of the Duke Writer’s Workshop faculty. This became a “must do” for Raison D’Etre as we received as much inspiration from hearing the works of these talented folks as we did from listening to our songs in circle. After the readings the first full day, one could elect to get some peer coaching or climb to the Pinnacle. Violet Rae and I decided that since we were in the mountains, we owed it to ourselves to climb to the top. So, Georgann led an equally mixed group of Duke/Solatido participants to the Pinnacle where we could look directly upon Mount Mitchell, NC’s highest peak and marvel at the magnificence of the Blue Ridge. As a little rain storm loomed on the horizon, our caravan headed down the mountain so as not to miss the really important scheduled event -- 5 pm Happy Hour! Picture 50+ writers on a porch overlooking the mountains, many of us in rocking chairs, drink in hand...yes!

Following dinner, several songwriters performed for the Duke folks in their studio area and then later gathered in the canteen for some late night jamming. We put Kate, Jen and Freddie through most of their set lists while the string band held forth for at least one set. Raison D’Etre played “This Kind of Rain” for the Duke folks right as Carrie Newcomer arrived. I felt breathless all the way through the song...climbing the mountain, happy hour, Carrie Newcomer, but managed to get through without falling over.

On our second full day we proceeded through the same delightful schedule: breakfast, lunch and dinner at the dining hall, morning prompt, share, reading, etc. However, Carrie joined us for the prompt share and sat right next to me while I sang for the very first time a song I wrote from our “smells” prompt. Much to my delight, the other songwriters chimed right in on the “sha la la” part. Violet Rae shared her song inspired by the curry smell which for some reason took her back to Saturdays with mom’s chili. Tim acted as her “Mr. Music Stand” while she read her fresh song from a notebook.

All this was prelude to the profound influence of Carrie Newcomer as a spiritual presence and teacher. To begin our session with us, she picked up her guitar and sang her song “Geodes.” Now, I’ve heard that song before on the radio and thought, “good voice, good song,” but nothing prepared me for the totality of words plus voice plus spirit.Carrie’s whole workshop was about finding inspiration in the sacred ordinary. As somebody who actually has some geodes thrown in my flower garden because they seem somehow precious to me for what they have inside, I have never heard such a beautiful tribute to the human spirit:
“you can’t always tell, but sometimes you just know.” I think Carrie Newcomer gave me the perfect metaphor for how I feel about each and every person I met at Wild Acres. They look ordinary on the outside, but have that crystalline beauty inside distilled from whatever makes them write and sing.

Anyway, Violet Rae, Vickie and I listened to everyone’s music on the way home, hoping not to lose that Wild Acres glow for a long, long time. If you’d like to check out a few pictures from our journey, I posted a few, courtesy of Donna Campbell, on our photo journal page:

http://www.raison3.com/photos.html
You can also read about SOLATIDO at the retreat site:

http://www.solatido-workshop.net/
Raise on, dear friends
And don’t defer those shining glimpses into the heart...

“And inside there shines a secret bright as promise.”--Carrie, again

Here's the last installment of "April, Come She Will" lyrics:

"The autumn wind blows chilly and cold--September, I remember
A love once new has now grown old."--Simon and Garfunkel

That concludes my six-month journey through quoting “April, Come She Will” lyrics--a journey that coincides with Raison D’Etre’s 6-month recording project with Group Effort sound Studios. We have three more sessions scheduled in the studio this month and hope to have a finished CD by fall. Stay tuned for news about our release events.

Meanwhile, we’re doing plenty of live music and always have our live double DVD with us,”Live@Java5” for anyone who wants to experience our Mobile, Alabama concert without leaving the comfort of your home. You can buy the DVD from us at any concert, or mail order it by sending a $15 check to:

Raison D’Etre
Roberta Schultz
622 West Johns Hill Rd.
Wilder, KY 41076

Make all checks payable to Raison D’Etre, and we’ll send a two hour concert your way.

Just for fun, there’s a segment from our live DVD on Kazoobie Kazoos’ blogspot. They featured us last month:

http://kazoobie.blogspot.com
Check our CALENDAR page for September live performances.

http://www.raison3.com/calendar.html
Hope to see you somewhere down the road.

Raise on, dear friends...
And don't defer those google searches.

Roberta of the Raison

--Simon and Garfunkel

It’s high summer in Kentucky. The bugs are in a frenzy, the gardens are in a tangle, and the kids are getting ready to go back to school. Everybody knows that the lazy,hazy,crazy days are winding down to Labor Day fireworks and getting back to business.

But if you’re itching to play a bit more before the seasons change, we hope you’ll come on down to Cincinnati’s Piatt Park on your lunch break for Cincinnati Park Board/LPK Acoustic Lunch. Raison D’Etre will be there providing the tunes(weather permitting) from 11:45am-1:45pm on August 26. You bring the sandwich!

We’ve had a record summer playing Sister Acts and Swing Canaries shows for some of the best audiences in the world. And Roberta has been plenty busy presenting her solo program, “The Story Behind the Song” as well as performing with the song writers of the Ceilidh Group featured on “Isn’t it a Wonder.” If you’re looking for a great gift for a new mother or your favorite niece, nephew, grandchild,child or child-at-heart, proceeds from this delightful CD go to several children’s programs in Greater Cincinnati. Check out the website at:

http://www.ceilidhgroup.org
If you’re thinking of doing some early online holiday shopping, Raison D’Etre will send you a free “Isn’t it a Wonder” CD for every Raison D’Etre CD you buy at CDBaby in September and October. Just go to:

http://www.cdbaby.com/all/berta
Offer ends October 31, so you have plenty of time to shop! FREE STUFF! Who can resist that? And it’s for a very good cause. You will be so happy with your braver self when you hear “Isn’t it a Wonder”-- because it is.

Even with the busy summer we’ve had, Raison D’Etre has logged several studio sessions on our upcoming recording tentatively entitled, “Braver Self.” We have seven new originals recorded already and are working on at least two more for the project. There will probably be at least one swing tune from our Swing Canaries set and maybe even a cowgirl song. We’ve had a lot of fun doing this one at Group Effort. In fact, one of the tracks is already getting some airplay on Women of Substance Radio.

Check them out at:

http://www.live365.com/stations/breenoble
You’ll be listening for “Another Train” by Vickie and “Broken Radio” by Roberta. But the rest of what they play is awesome, so you can’t lose.

Raise on, dear friends!
And don’t defer those dreams...

Next month marks the end of the Simon and Garfunkel lyric adventure.

And give no warning to her flight.”--Simon and Garfunkel

July is flying by for sure! I keep saying things like, “we just had this really great house concert featuring Anita Camarella and Davide Facchini” or “the wine festival was just last week,” only to realize that weeks have passed since then. So, before July completely flies, I just wanted to tell you about a couple of public shows for Raison D’Etre.

On July 24th we are returning to the unique concert experience that is Live@ the Lodge in Clifton Reserve, OH. Concerts take place in a Greene County Park lodge next to a stream, but weather is usually not a problem since the concerts are inside the comfy lodge. Doors open at 7 and music starts at 7:30 pm. Check out the series website at:

http://www.co.greene.oh.us/parks/events-live-at-the-lodge.htm

July 25th takes us back to Cincinnati’s best coffee house venue(according to CityBeat, 2008), College Hill Coffee Company and Casual Gourmet. There’s never a cover charge, but the staff encourages filling the performer tip jar which they display quite prominently and elegantly. We always have a good time at this beautiful, friendly establishment.

For more on their music line-up(updated to this weekend,) see:

http://www.collegehillcoffeeco.com
We are still recording basic tracks for our upcoming CD, “Braver Self,” at Group Effort Sound Studio and will post a few of the rough mixes up on myspace for you to enjoy soon. For now, you can hear a few tunes from “Hearts Content” and very rough drafts of the newer songs at:

http://www.myspace.com/raison3
Hope your summer is filled with fun and a few cool breezes.

Raise on,
And don’t defer those midsummer dreams!

Roberta of the Raison

In restless walks, she'll prowl the night."--Simon & Garfunkel

Still quotin' the song. Remember, you'll have all the lyrics by September.

June's tunes are changing plenty for Raison D'Etre. We have a bunch of bookings for our Sister Acts shows(harmony sister groups from the Andrews Sisters to the McGuire Sisters to the Webster Sisters.) And we're doing two more weekends at the Old West Festival in Brown County as The Golden Girls of the West where we do an entire set of cowboy era music. The Festival is a real blast! Check it out at:

http://www.oldwestfestival.com
And if it isn't enough trying to keep up with those two very different sets, we'll be doing our Swing Canaries show for the 1940s Weekend at Cincinnati Museum Center on June 21 at 1 and 3pm. On some days, when I wake up I have to ask myself, "who are we today?"

At least we get to be ourselves, Raison D'Etre, with our very own swinging country folk for two very delightful June events:

Acoustic Thursdays on Fountain Square, June 12 from noon-1 pm and The 2nd Annual Summer Wine Festival at Lakeside Vineyards in Felicity, OH on June 27 from 5:30-7:30 pm.

And, if you feel like a real change in tune, join us for a House Concert in Wilder, KY when we host the fabulous Italian duo, Anita Camarella & Davide Facchini for some 4os era Italian swing. He's a smokin' guitarist who has played with the likes of Tommy Emmanuel and she has the voice of an angel! They're passing through our area between their All Star Guitar appearance at the Ryman in Nashville and their adventure in Kansas and Colorado. If you'd like to sample some of their music, check out their Myspace page:

http://www.myspace.com/anitacamarelladavidefacchiniduo
We're taking reservations for the House Concert by e-mail:

roberta@raison3.com

Have a great month, June bugs!
And don't defer those crazy dreams.

Roberta, Violet Rae, and Vickie

resting in my arms again."--Simon and Garfunkel

Here's the next line of the song. Just wanted to get some news up here pretty fast. Violet Rae and Vickie just received "Honorable Mentions" in the West Coast Songwriters 2008 Competition for their new songs "Legacy" and "Another Train." The website is

http://www.westcoastsongwriters.org/contest_winnerinfo.htm
but they listed the song credits incorrectly. Gotta give the girls their props!

We just returned from Door County, Wisconsin which is a beautiful place on both Green Bay and Lake Michigan. We played for a Cross Stitcher's Retreat on Sturgeon Bay. And you would think that would be a sedate bunch of ladies, but you would be wrong. Many of them came to the concert in feather boas to whistle and sing along.

After the concert, we drove up the peninsula to join the retreat members at Square Riggers for an authentic Door County fish boil. Randy Turner, the retreat organizer, assured us that we would not want to miss this spectacle of local color. He is never wrong about that, so we went.

Out behind the rustic lodge restaurant everyone gathered around a huge metal cauldren that was heated by pine logs stacked vertically. The Square Rigger's owner told us about the fish boil technique and tradition. Whitefish steaks(from the very bay in front of us), potatoes, parsnips, carrots, and onions were rising to a boil in the cauldren as he spoke. Once the "stew" came to a rolling boil, the gentleman threw in a little kerosene and a column of flame three feet wide shot up from the cauldren at least twenty feet into the air. Everyone gasped and applauded as our dinner was also our fireworks display. It seems this pyrotechnic display boils off the excess fish oil and makes the steaks less "fishy" tasting.

Back inside the restaurant, the wait staff came around to assist us in removing the fish bones as we dined on the tasty whitefish and veggies served with some great tasting Door County Wine. Another great road gig with fun people.

Raise on,
And don't defer those
roadside attraction dreams!

Roberta

P.S. The baby redbirds hatched and flew off in 10 days!

When streams are ripe and swept with rain."--Simon and Garfunkel

For the next several months, I’m quoting the Simon and Garfunkel song as my monthly quote. By September, you will have the entire song lyrics. But if you need instant gratification, here’s a lovely version of the song by a fantastic South Koren singer on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ro4F6Iic5L0
Raison D’Etre only played two formal gigs in April, which is also National Poetry Month, the cruellest month, and the anniversary of Kurt Vonnegut’s death, depending on which media sources or very old books you regularly consult. But since spring is real evidence of rebirth every year, it’s hard to be completely sad in April even after taxes or without Kurt. Something about the fact that a redbird is sitting on her nest this very minute inside my front porch light helps me take heart. If she can manage to “keep on keeping on” in that precarious position just to bring her babies to the world, who am I to despair? Large, scary beings pass by her nest making her fly to the nearest bush at irregular intervals, and still she sits and waits. Strange shadows leer at her from a window, but she fixes a steady eye on the voyeurs as she holds her all important stance. She’s got serious business to conduct here called LIFE. That, of course, brings me back to Kurt Vonnegut(anyone trying to follow the logic in this, I’m sorry. There are circles inside circles in my head.)

Kurt Vonnegut said that the purpose of life is “to help each other through this whatever it is.” So, I’m beginning with the redbird outside my door. I have her back(or her side as it turns out) for the duration of her brooding. If anyone comes to visit the Schultz family, please use the side door for the next few weeks.

April took Raison D’Etre to the Richwood Flea Market for two sets on their food court stage. Then we were off to a three-day song writing/arranging retreat at Prairie Pond Woods in Adams County, Ohio where we worked on three songs for our recording session April 20 at Group Effort Sound Studios. We finished out April at Kentucky Haus Artisan Center in Newport. Several folks who are “helping us through this whatever it is” deserve our heart-felt thanks:

Mike--thanks for the lunch and the invite to play the Flea!
Cindy--thanks for the beautiful creative space that is Prairie Pond Woods!
Dan--thanks for your mellow demeanor that makes recording so easy.
Bev--thanks for having us at your shop and for keeping me from losing it after the wreck.
Bev’s mom is the door woman extraordinaire. Thanks to Audrey for all her help.
Tony and Nilsa--thanks for coming out to see us at Rabbit Hash and Kentucky Haus. The video is really good. I hope to post clips from it it on our myspace site and youtube very soon.
Don--great to see you in Newport and Covington. Thanks for your continued support.
Dottie--what a surprise to see you this month! Hope all is well with the Rizzo Family. Thanks for buying our CD!
And special thanks to the gals who met Becky for lunch and stayed for our concert.

I have to go check on the redbird because any day now, I expect to see babies...

Raise on, dear friends...
And don’t defer your dreams of rebirth.
I’ll just bet that somebody has your back(or side, as the case may be.)

Roberta of the Raison

“There you stood on the edge of your feather...”Neil Young

That’s what the first recording session always feels like for me--diving off a cliff into nowhere with a feather(if you’re lucky, you have at least one fragile hope to buoy you along on this journey that truly is a leap of faith.) How will it sound? Will anybody like it? Will I like it? A wise engineer/accordion player/producer once said to me, “Well, a recording is just another kind of performance. You do it, and then it’s over.” Except for how often you can go back to listen and say, “Why did I do it that way? Why is my voice shaking? Why couldn’t I clear my throat before the first note?”

So, ignoring that voice in our heads and heeding the advice of the accordion player, Raison D’Etre is venturing forth to produce our 6th recording. It is going to be a CD even though the “industry” is inching away from that format. We’re hoping that some of you will like it, but we’d probably do it anyway because we have to. You know that old saying, “don’t give me people who want to dance, give me people who MUST dance.” When your name is Raison D’Etre, you have to go off that cliff once in a while.

Neil’s song goes on to say, “as I laughed, I wondered whether
I could wave goodbye..”

Well, just until next time. We’ll keep you posted on our progress. So far, we have two basic tracks down and another session scheduled for right after our April retreat. Hope to have more to share with you then.

Raise on!
And don’t defer those feathered hopes. Some of them will probably fly.

www.last.fm/music/Neil+Young/_/Expecting+to+fly
Roberta, Violet Rae, and Vickie

“What if I can’t find my raison d'être, and nobody cares?”--Joe Newman, Simon Kenton grad

At least once a month someone asks us where we came up with our name(which we share with projects by the dark ambient Swedish artist also known as Peter Andersson and with a beer by Dogfish Head.) Well, our name came from the source of many a literary and musical inspiration: the Simon Kenton High School teachers’ lounge.

I, Roberta, taught high school English, Humanities, Reading and Journalism at SK from 1985-1996, a storied time for Simon Kenton when the Men’s Faculty Association was still the source of many a folk tale, song, and legend, the Bleacher Teachers flanked the home bench at all basketball and football games and the great Joe Stark walked the earth. My tenure at SK included at least one trip to the basketball state tournament, several road trips to Memphis with other Bleacher Teachers, and one very embarrassing(but fun) victory lap around Boyd County’s stadium when the heretofore hapless SK football team made it to the second round of the playoffs. Luckily, the students were all in a heap in the middle of the field and did not see three of their Bleacher Teachers running around the track, screaming, with tiny white footballs held aloft.

The teachers’ lounge at SK had a peeling painting of "Custer’s Last Stand" hung in the only specially designated faculty restroom extant at that time. Therefore, everyone eventually passed through the lounge for one purpose or other during the day. Besides the restroom, there was a microwave, the coffee, a little half-refrigerator, one table, and several chairs lining the walls of the narrow room. And yes, two more attractions for the lounge: it was the only other room air-conditioned in the building besides the principal’s office, and it was a smoking lounge.

Each period, a specific set of teachers wandered in to eat lunch, smoke, use the restroom, or just take a break from the whirling cyclone that is adolescence. Our principal hated the lounge, calling any of us who went there “lounge lizards.” I guess he imagined we were following the Lakota and Cheyenne examples posted in the restroom by planning some kind of coups. Actually, we were saving our lives by finding like-minded beings who understand the isolation of an adult in a classroom of teenagers. It is from the SK lounge that I learned my daily mantra from Zen Master, Ron Wells: "help me, Jesus!"

So, one day while I was listening to Mike and Dwight sing a song about the ticket crisis at the historic Simon Kenton State Basketball Tournament(the one they won...think Hoosiers,) one of our new, younger teachers wandered in to use the restroom. While she waited, she sat down next to me to tell me how her 4th Period class was handling her lessons on etiquette for the upcoming prom. This ever-industrious, positive-thinking young woman felt that the cultural chasm of eating at a large hotel restaurant was going to be a little wide for some of her charges to cross. So, she had decided to have the students submit their questions about proper etiquette. She was holding one of those questions in her shaking hand because she had never expected anything like it. Joe Newman, a student with waist-length hair and a ready smile, always wanted his teachers to think he was the dimmest bulb in the pack. I know this because his sister was one of the editors of my student newspaper, THE FRONTIER TIMES. Joe figured that if he played dim no one could expect much from him, and he could just breeze through high school unencumbered. I guess he was tired of holding back that day because on the slip of paper was written the philosophical inspiration for our name: “What if I can’t find my raison d'être, and nobody cares?”

Violet Rae, Vickie and I were headed for our first radio appearance that weekend and we still didn’t have a name. Performing under the name "The Blue Kentucky Girls" which our band director, Dan Daniels, kept announcing as "The Kentucky Blue Gills," we knew we needed something different. And while it’s not exactly user-friendly, the name has double meaning for us. We think that music is a wonderful reason for being, and my memories of Simon Kenton High School just continue to make me smile. So, now you know.

Roberta

“I’ve got the heart to see it through
I’ve got the heart for loving you.”--Violet Rae Downey

Well, the “Hello, Kitty” calendar on my wall tells us that it’s the month of the heart motif, as in the Valentine-type heart. And Raison D’Etre is experiencing a little heart’s content over the way so many of you welcomed us into your hearts during the the cold, cold month of January 2008. Here are just a few of our heartwarming experiences this month:

January 5th we returned to College Hill Coffee Company where we were able to perform our newest songs(still with music stands, I hate to say, but we’re getting there.) It was great to see Bob & Kat, Harold & his cousin from Funke’s Greenhouses, Nancy and April, Rita, the local gang--including Anne, and of course Erin, her mom and friends. It was a good evening all around although we didn’t get to talk to everyone as long as we’d like. College Hill Coffee Company just celebrated their 2nd year of music in January with Chris Collier and Tracy Walker doing the anniversary concerts. If you’d like to check out this wonderful gathering place in College Hill, here is a link to their web site:

http://www.collegehillcoffeeco.com
The Raison D’Etre family gals all celebrated Violet Rae’s January birthday at Newport on the Levee this year with lunch at Mitchell’s Fish Market, browsing and buying at Barnes and Noble and then a quick shopping trip to the GW Boutique in Bellevue where Roberta buys most of her performance clothes. Hey, Feist has nothing on Roberta (when it comes to thrift shopping.) Now if Roberta only had that Grammy outfit shopping dilemma that Feist has, well...

From January 14-25 Roberta was artist in residence at Our Lady of the Mountains School in Paintsville, KY. Preschool through 8th grade studied elements of music through listening, performing and song writing. All this was possible through a Teacher Incentive Program grant from the Kentucky Arts Council written by parents and teachers at the school. While at OLM, Roberta offered an after school professional development on integrating music into the curriculum by using KET’s Arts Toolkit for Music. She also addressed the January PTO Meeting about how parents can encourage interest in the arts at home. Students prepared a concert in the third floor ballroom for their parents and members of the Paintsville community which included percussion, singing, songs written by Roberta and the students, and a rousing group sing of “Amazing Grace.” A good time was had by all. Thanks so much to all the teachers and students at OLM for making Roberta feel so much a part of your family. And extra thanks to the Perrins(Clare, Frank, and Zack) for taking Roberta into your home for the residency.

Our Lady of the Mountains is a wonderful school in Paintsville, KY housed in the Mayo Mansion, a historic landmark. See what they are up to at:

http://home.catholicweb.com/OurLadySchool/index.cfm
So many mansions, so little time! Our last performance in January took us to the fabulous Troy-Hayner Cultural Center in Troy, OH. As program coordinator, Kim Clifton, gave us our orientation tour, she called the mansion “the house that whiskey built,” since the Hayners were distributors in the area. They even have a lovely exhibit of the Hayner products! We were amazed at the great acoustics in the third floor ballroom where our concert took place to a packed house. This community truly supports this unique cultural center. Our encore involved a group sing of “Amazing Grace” at this concert, too, but this time there were four distinct vocal parts in the audience. For more about Troy-Hayner’s upcoming schedule:

http://www.troyhayner.org In February we are playing at several venues near and dear to our hearts:

Fine Arts Fund Sampler Weekend is February 9&10, so we’ll be at Mary Ann Mongan Library on Covington as the Swing Canaries on Saturday and at Grailville in Loveland(yeah, more heart metaphor), we’ll be ourselves on Sunday. See our calendar page for details.

February 15th it’s back to Playhouse in the Park, February 16, we’ll leave our hearts in Mariemont at the Dilly Deli...and on February 24 we are pleased as punch to return to the loving community of Rabbit Hash, KY for Concerts by the Stove in the Rabbit Hash General Store.

Raise on, dear Valentines,
and don’t defer those brave heart dreams!

Roberta, Violet and Vickie

“I search for seed to feed my need for singing.”--The Redbird Song

January 2008 Update from Raison D’Etre

1. A look back in photos
2. Looking forward with songs, new recording project, new programs and DVD
3. Roberta solo

According to Miss Manners, it’s OK to wish people a happy New Year until the holiday decorations start to be annoying. It occurs to me that figuring out exactly when “annoying” happens for everybody could be very tricky. For example, I’m sure that my old neighbors in Ft. Thomas have already tossed out their tree as they have done every season since they were married over 20 years ago. So, would they be annoyed if I gave them an additional holiday greeting? However, some really fun people in a tiny cottage just around the bend from the possibly annoyed neighbors will most likely leave their house festooned with lights until February. We actually had an unofficial contest in my old neighborhood to see who had the guts to leave their lights on the longest. I can remember one especially snowy February when two houses were lit up nightly--ours and theirs. So, knowing that about me, “Happy New Year” from someone you would probably classify as “the other weird neighbor.”

Violet Rae and Vickie are ever tasteful in their attire and decor, so don’t blame them.

Looking Back at 2007

I’m not doing a year-end list like I did last year, but instead, I posted some photos on our website of key performances this year where Vickie remembered to bring the camera or for which I had a poster. It was a very enjoyable inventory exercise. I’ve noticed a few things about Raison D’Etre’s year. We’ve started having a lot more fun wherever we travel to sing our three-part harmony shows. That’s probably because we’ve met so many good people who share the simple joy of living. Thank you for that! So, if you want to see a quick review of our 2007 season, it’s posted in photos at

http://www.raison3.com/photos.html
Looking Forward to 2008

New Songs--

Since I received a Kentucky Foundation for Women grant last year for songwriting, the whole trio went into a songwriting frenzy. We attended several retreats in Kentucky and Tennessee where we focused on our individual writing first, then arranging for trio second. This concentrated attention to our songs brought us some awards at the Mountain Valley Arts Council’s Songwriting Festival in Guntersville, AL. So, our next move for 2008 will be recording our 6th project.

New Acts--

Thoughout 2007, we began playing our Swing Canaries program for Creative Aging member retirement communities in Cincinnati. We’ve been doing that program since the 50th Anniversary of D-Day, so we pretty much thought its audience was dwindling. What we’ve found is a whole new intergenerational interest in the Swing Era singers, especially groups like the Andrews Sisters. So, we’re constantly developing a new program called “Sister Acts.” Once people realize that it’s not about the Whoopi Goldberg movie, they are thrilled to hear the blends of sibling singers like the McGuire, Pointer, and Clooney Sisters performed with commentary by the Webster Sisters plus Vickie.

New DVD--

OK, so we don’t have an old DVD. But we do have a NEW one! Because a very gracious film maker produces concerts for his company twice a year, Raison D’Etre was invited to perform at Java 5, a unique video production/performance venue in Mobile, Alabama. Past performers at this venue include The Kingston Trio, The Limelighters, and Roy Bookbinder. Mudbrick Media produced a DVD of that concert. So, if you don’t feel like getting out much this winter, but really want to experience our current concert set in the comfort of your own home, just drop us an e-mail, and we’ll send you our two- set concert (with several new songs included) for only $15.00(postage included.)

You can get the DVD FREE as a bonus by buying any of our CDs during the month of January at CD Baby or by reviewing one of our CDs on CD Baby during January 2008. I monitor the site daily, so be sure to include your mailing address when you purchase a CD online, and I will send you the DVD during February. Offer ends January 31st at midnight.

http://www.raison3.com/products.html
Roberta’s Residency--

I will be a teaching artist in residence at Our Lady of the Mountains School in Paintsville, KY from January 14-25. I’m very excited to be working with the whole school on “Harmonies Through the Ages,” which will be a survey of Western vocal music periods, music elements particular to each period and application of those elements to songwriting. We’re starting out with Gregorian Chant, so I know it’s gonna be fun.

Raise on, dear friends,
And don’t defer those resolute dreams!

Roberta
Official Scribe for Raison D’Etre