march-ing on (live shows, bard songs, and good food)
Greetings from between the seasons,
Though the weather is still giving me whiplash, I feel much more settled these days. I'm grateful that February is behind us, and feel renewed heading into March. Onward we go!!!
March Shows!!!!
I'm playing Pete's on Monday!!!!! I am so excited to play in that beautiful space. Hope to see you at one of these shows this month. Bring your friend, bring your lover, bring your friend-to-lover, bring your arch nemesis to kickstart your enemy-to-lovers arc. Good times will be had by all.
-Pete's Candy Store - Monday March 6th, 9:30pm (Free, recommended donation $5)
-Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 1- Thursday March 30th, 7pm (No cover, one drink minimum)
Strumming My Lute in the Corner of a Tavern
At work recently I have been receiving a bunch of orders for custom songs for folks' D&D parties!! I love writing and recording these bard songs and hearing stories of peoples' characters and adventures and world-building lore. D&D is a hobby I fell in love with in 2020 and I feel so grateful to get to incorporate it into my job as well.
You can hear samples of songs I've done recently here.
If you've got a campaign that you'd like to commission a song for, I've still got availability for the month! Let me know that you're subscribed to my newsletter and I will give you a 20% discount code :)
ALSO! If you have been wanting an anniversary song but your budget is on the tighter end, I now offer a template song for anniversaries with 9 areas of personalization! Rates for those range from $20-35 and can be delivered within 72 hours of purchase! Place your order here.
Little Joys (A Meditation on Good Food)
(tw- light mentions of restrictive eating)
The meal for the evening is salmon crusted in dukkah spice with a side of an arugula-quinoa salad with radishes, red grapes, fresh mint and parsley, and an orange vinaigrette dressing Every time I get a bite of fresh mint I want to cry from pure joy. Sometimes I forget the joys of being alive- get bogged down in my own b.s, appetite sapped from my body- but food, my god, food is such a joy. A joy I have often been away from before recent years, with a tight pocket and a sneaky tendency towards the word 'unworthy'. Eating was (and is sometimes) a chore that must be done, and on the strictest budget possible to save for the things that really mattered. But when I had forgotten The Joys of Living this past weekend and asked myself bitterly what all the hype of life was about, the first answer my brain provided for me was the strawberry chiffon pie that I had for my birthday this year, a dessert that dreams are made of. I believe I'll never forget that pie, eaten after courses of delicata squash and white bean ragou over corn polenta, and blue crab legs with buttery homemade sourdough toast.
What a joy it is to be about to nourish not only your body but your soul and senses!! Magnolia Bakery's banana pudding. Win Son's mochi donut. The mushroom soup that my roommates and I make, each spoonful marveling how we created something so good ourselves. The dim sum from a place in Flushing where every other bite my friend and I remark to each other how the flavors are blowing our minds. Veselka's bacon egg and cheese pierogie that makes me laugh out loud on first bite in pure euphoria to proclaim, "god, I love New York."
I hope you eat something joyful this week, and are able to be present with it. I'm often guilty of eating with media playing in the background, eating in a rush, as we all are. But if you can find it within yourself to be mindful with a meal this week, to express gratitude for the journey your food took from growing to preparing to cooking to mouth, I recommend the experience. We all deserve it.
I'm glad you're here.
Keep March-ing on,
Em