Shannon Murray: Journal

I crumbled and chipped up a bone in my elbow in December. So all winter tour plans have been put on hold. It is a long recovery... Sorry sorry sorry says sad little the elbowless folk-singer:(

I've been hard at work in Bemidji on a radical community space that will open up this fall. I've also been missing the road! I'll be heading back out this fall and again in the winter. Give a holler if you want to set up a show.

We are in Tallahassee today at the end of our 1,355+ mile bicycle journey through Florida. I am excited to get back home and get busy working on the community space I bought with my partner and jump back into the local foods project and other local endeavors. I'll be doing a few short tours over the spring and summer, but mostly settling into the rhythm of gardening and being a home body. Please come visit!!

evan greer and i are touring through the sunny state of florida this february with our friends lylee and art. you can check out all our dates on the tour page.

we've also got a blog going at:

http://www.respectyermama2009.blogspot.com/

So you may be wondering where I've been hiding... The answer is Bemidji! But I am getting all ready for a tour through the middle of the country to help raise some money for a community space we are starting up in Bemidji. Hope you can come out and sing some songs with me!! Check out the schedule:
http://www.shannonmurray.com/calendar.html

See you on the road!
Much love!! XXO

I just got back from an adventure to St. Louis and a show at Webster University, and I am realizing how much I miss touring and playing music for people.

I'll be back out on the road soon, but for now there is a lot of work here in Bemidji. I thought I'd take a little time to fill you all in and let you know I am alive.

I am busy organizing a scholarship/grant fund for at-risk young women to study music and have mentorships with other musicians in the community. I've been digging into local politics lately, and am organizing a fundraiser for the RNC 8.

I am also involved in local food work, and working on a new little song called Volcano...

Hope to see your smiling faces soon. XXO Shannon

Hey ya'll! I'm back in the saddle again and starting planning for a Midwest and possibly a West coast tour this fall (Oct/Nov/Dec) and a bicycle tour of Florida for February-ish. Give me a holler is anyone is interested in helping set up a show! much love, shannon

I've been kind of busy and haven't updated my tour schedule here. Check out www.riotfolk.org for current info!!

hey folks... I know you've noticed I haven't been out on the road lately, and I wanted to write a little note to say thanks for all the emails and show offers. I promise I will be touring again soon. Right now I am feeling the need to be home and work in my community. You are all in my heart. I can't wait to see you again. Until then, come visit Bemidji!

P.s. East coast folks--- I am coming out for a conference in Boston at the end of the month. Hope to see some of yr smiling faces!

Hey folks! I am still on a much needed vacation, though there is no shortage of work to do. John and I are still trying to buy a house. (so keep yr fingers crossed)

I just wanted to post a short note to let you all know that Cuomo! and I are getting all geared up for a bike tour this fall of Minnesota. We are still looking for help setting up shows and networking with some rad local folks who do environmental justice work. Check out the dates here, or at http://www.riotfolk.org/tours.php?tour_id=17

XXO
Shannon

I've been a bit absent, not just as an "on-line, here's what I'm up to way" but in life, in general. Seems there are always times like this where you have to struggle and figure things out. I haven't even begun, but I am feeling better.

I started having severe anxiety around people... strangers, friends, people i love. it is such a strange thing, and more strange to suddenly realize how afraid I am, and not really have any concrete reasons for how I am feeling. And to finally start talking to people and hear that this isn't my own isolated, fearful, crazy-making, neurotic party. We are living in crazy times. We are beautiful, intuitive. feeling creatures (even if it isn't on a conscious level all the time) and it makes sense to feel overwhelmed and sad. I guess what I am trying to say is that I have honestly been in some of my darkest times and I'm probably going to be here for a bit... thinking and meditating, and dreaming and listening and building. kansas has nothing on this:)

I hope to see you all very soon. Come to bemidji and visit.... it may be a while before I do any big tours.

I just wanted to thank all of you SOOOOO much for all of your good thoughts, and mojo working prayers, and for being so understanding while my family and I are going through all of htis tough stuff. I really appreciate it, and I hope to see all of your smiling faces very soon.

Much love back at you!

So folks- here is the scoop. That grant I got is the best news I could have heard. It makes it possible to make two cds by the new year, but I am still about $300 dollars short to finish the split. Some folks have already pre-ordered the new albums, and if you have it in your heart and in your bank account- send a little love my way with a letter telling me which cds you want, and I'll ship a little cd or two or ten back to you when they are all done!!! As always, they are sliding scale: $5-20.

My address is:
Shannon Murray
P.O. Box 1927
Bemidji, MN 56619-1927

Lots of love, and a little fear...

But in spite of my inability to have any patience, I still recieved that anticipated envelope in the mail when it was due to arrive- and no sooner.

I opened it and read it and jumped up and down and sqeaked a little- pivot, jump, jump, pivot, sqeak. Nope- I'm not in the WNBA after all, but I did get a $1,000 grant to make my new cd, and I am pumped up!!!!

Much love to all of you who have sent good thoughts and lovin' my way. And for having so much patience with this silly little cd. I promise it'll be worth all this waiting.

XXO
Shannon

It is true.

Good news coming soon...

I left Bemidji yesterday- heading south towards St. Louis with a few fantastic stops for shows and hugs along the way.

I thought I would cry. I thought it would be harder to leave, but I'm happy to be back playing music, and I am looking forward to coming home again with a million lessons learned and stories to share.

That's the optimistic take on things at least:)

As for the pessimistic- the IRS sent me a letter saying I suck at doing taxes and owe them money and a few colleges who owe me money from spring still haven't sent me the checks. So I pretty much break into tears at any mention of money or bills. I don't want to live like this forever. It is hard not having a safety net. I've been thinking a lot about this lately. I am going to have to get clever-er. I'm writing a grant right now to do the new cd, so fingers crossed... please.

And also- as always- if you are feeling angelic and saviorish and would like to make a down-payment on either the "love and fear" split with Ryan or the "elated" cd to help with the up-front recording and printing coststhe address is:

Shannon Murray
P.O. Box 1927
Bemidji, MN 56619-1927

My mom has the key to the box and will be playing banker for me. Her name is Sue and if you want to send her little notes too she'd love that.

I'll write more soon.

So unofficially we are calling the split "Love and Fear". It won't be finished before I head out on the bike tour and Ryan leaves for his "Uprise" counter-recruitment tour (speaking of- if you have any extra money in yr pockets the folks that are organizing this tour would greatly appreciate donations). So there will be a release party in Bemidji sometime in December maybe after I get back to the sticks and before heading out east. You can still pre-order it if you want and I'll get my fabulous mama to send you one in the mail when they are finished.

I am so excited!

...that people think I have up and died!

It is not true, not true at all. I've been hiding away from the world and technology and what a wonderful thing.

Anyway- I'll try to to a reappearing act in the weeks leading up to the bike tour. Sorry if you thought I died.

Love,
Shannon
XXO

The Ryan Harvey/Shannon Murray split is all recorded. We are going to get it mastered next week and packaged up by next month. Hopefully come up with a name for it by then:) Are you as excited as I am??

Also- I returned to Mahtowa last weekend to participate in the Highway 61 Folks Festival Songwriters Contest and they gave me first place for the garden song!!! Its been an ok couple of weeks.

I guess I should start by saying I am stealing wireless from the local sorta conservative coffeeshop in town. Sometimes I buy things, but today I don't want anything but internet access.

Maybe it is karma kicking my ass or just a reminder that I should get up off it and do something, but I am currently sitting across from this total asshole and his passive as can be lady friend who laughs at every damn thing he says. They are sitting five feet from me talking about thanking God and Jesus and Mary mother of God for making AIDS to kill the gays and that we need to get the government on the same page and outlaw gay marriage once and for all because that is what rational God lovin' folks must do to keep the world a float. People actually think like this! People actually think like this?

I tell them what they are saying pisses me off and a whole lotta other things I don't want to get into repeating right now.

I am so done with rage, but it's such a constant melody, rhythm beating out in my mind. Today I need hope. Need to witness love. Need to act before I scream at the top of my righteous lungs.