Venus-Jupiter: LOOP Recording Project, 35!

venus-jupiter: LOOP

Today marks my 35th turn around the sun.  Life has brought much unexpected beauty, challenges, and opportunities for growth since my "Saturn Return"  at age 27, when I became pregnant with my now 6 year old daughter.  She glows brightest of all in my life and I am learning so much about the true nature of love as a mother.  Since about that time I've had a tradition of marking my birthday with a musical happening. Music and it's creation are what make my inner and outer worlds turn and it feels good to honor this on my birthday.  This year I'd like to present you with the LOOP EP by Venus-Jupiter, a duet project between myself and violinist Yvette Holzwarth.

Yvette and I met at an Occidental Permaculture Center in the Wild West, in an outdoor amphitheater built of rough hewn tree trunks, surrounded by a blooming garden of Love Lies Bleeding Amaranth and Lupine.  In the space of five hours, at my rural Northern California home on an extremely windy day in July, when Venus and Jupiter were closest to the moon,  we recorded a collection of songs based on feminine circular thought and feeling.  It was an intuitive exploration, a meeting of minds, hearts, voices, piano and violin strings.  “Loop” was our first creative adventure as a duet. We spoke mainly in musical phrases for the entire session, needing few words to describe the process and communicate freely through the music.    We gave each other a wide berth of musical freedom, creativity, and expression and I hope you enjoy the results.  

​Phantom, Starcrossed, and Love of Mine are songs I wrote on the piano in an exploration outside of my usual Americana genre, drawing from my classical choral experience and the circular, irregular rhythms of the Balkan Music I grew up around as a child.  I wrote "Suspended" in my early twenties, inspired by suspended chords and the suspended feeling that accompanies deep yearning.   My friend of 30 years, Idun Cary, designed the hand drawn art work that accompanies the music.   Enjoy!  May this turn around the sun bring blessings, love, and joy!