"Saint Judas" Rehearsal Intensive and Retreat

So, I’ve never really blogged before. I do make regular updates on
twitter – https://twitter.com/markgrowden – and that kind of counts,
but I’ve been asked by a number of people to start. Especially
through the process of making my new album “Saint Judas”.

I’m accustomed to getting up early in the morning and writing three
pages in a journal. I got the idea from Julia Cameron’s book – The
Artist’s Way.
I figure I’ll get up and blog instead. I don’t intend to get into the
personal details so much though.

I’m currently sitting in a lodge at Occidental Arts and Ecology Center
in Occidental, CA. http://www.oaec.org/
Its an amazing place. I’ve rented the facility for 4 days for me and
my ensemble. We are here to for a rehearsal intensive and retreat.
We’ll be rehearsing about 8 hours each day. The intention is to get
deep into the material and find what it wants, find the nuances. And
also to build the intimacy of the group. Most of us have been
together for over a decade but we’ve added Alex Kelly on cello
recently. We’ll all be closer after these few days.

After this retreat we play two shows in a 5 days span; one in Santa
Rosa at the theater where I had my residency last summer, and on in
San Francisco. Then we go in to the studio to record the album.

I feel good about this strategy and I think the hard work will show on
the new album.

We all slept in 2 giant yurts last night. They are actually quite
nice with floor heaters and bunks. I’m going to suggest that the
early risers sleep in one and the later risers in the other. That way
I won’t be bugging anyone when I get up early.

We are being fed fresh organic food for breakfast and dinner by OAEC’s
kitchen staff. Dinner last night was great.

I have a good relationship with OAEC. When they started a radio
station a little over a year ago I was one of their djs/programmers.
I had to stop last February when I broke my back and separated my
right shoulder in a cycling accident. I also played 3 shows here last
summer in their amphitheater.

That’s where I met Daidie Donnelly who has become a bit of a business
partner with my music. She’s been instrumental in helping me do all
the work I’ve been doing. She’s my #1 cheerleader. She’s the friend
I talk to every day.

The sun is beginning to peek through the trees.

I’ll write more later. I’m going to sit at the piano and do my
warmups and play some Satie.