My love for music and photography intersect in the art of video production. I hope you enjoy these samples of my work that also include collaborations with other artists and musicians.
HOWL AT THE MOON
Some songs take 20 minutes to write, others twenty years. This is one of those songs that I started awhile ago and thought it was worthy of a revisit.
Fast forward to having the best producers, arrangers and musicians in the business and Howl emerged as a full moon.
Brad Heck not only arranged and performed all of the guitar parts, but also did a a masterful job on this mix. Many thanks to Richard Grossman for his solid bass and keyboard tracks, and to Joey Finger for his tasty drums. Holly Circle tops off the track with her angelic background vocals.
COMMON AS THE RAIN
Hopefully, as we grow in life we gain some new perspective on our younger years. In some ways this is a song about “if you knew then, what you know now” sort of thing. The bottom line is that in the end, everything will be alright.
Many thanks to my co-producers, Richard Grossman and Brad Heck, for their masterful production and arrangement. Brad lent his stunning guitar tracks and of course, Richard’s tasteful bass and percussion.
ST. CHRISTOPHER
When I wrote this song, I really had no idea why or where it came from. It was just there – until my husband and I went to New Mexico. Being immersed in it’s beauty cracked my heart wide open and all the imagery I had for this song was right before me.
Many thanks to my partner in life and love, Richard Grossman, for recording this song and for shooting this beautiful footage. It gave me the palette to create this video. Thank you to the musicians who brought this song to life, including Holly Circle, Brian Peters and of course, Richard.
To learn more about this song, visit my Featured Songs page.
PARIS
Sometimes life’s regrets can weave their way into your subconscious only to emerge as a song. That is the case with this song. Written about and for my mother, Evelyn Frawley, it embodies a trip I had the opportunity to take with her and my older sister Maureen many years ago. The reasons I didn’t go are complicated and numerous, some of which I probably will never completely understand myself.
Many thanks to the musicians who contributed to making this track an inspiration for my visuals, including Jimmy Steffen, Lonnie Knight, Marc Anderson, Jim Anton and Richard Grossman.
Visit my Featured Songs page to learn more about this song.
SPRINGTIME IN OHIO
Sometimes events in life are beyond our understanding. For some, the beauty and cruelty of life becomes too much to bear. We never know the suffering that someone else might be shouldering in silence.
I thank Holly Circle for interpreting my song so beautifully and to Jimmy Steffen for his heartfelt piano and Michelle Kinney for her exquisite cello.
ORION’S LIGHT
My sister Maureen was an intrepid traveler and adventurer. There aren’t many women I know that traveled alone throughout India, Pakistan and Europe and points in between. She had a deep respect for nature and the environment and truly walked her talk.
She was my guiding light and I miss her more than words can express. I will be forever grateful to Lonnie Knight for recording this song that I penned in her honor.
COULD’VE HAD ME
TELL ME NOW
Every now and then memories creep to the forefront our our minds that lead us down a path of wondering. This song is for old friends and lovers, wherever they may be.
It features the musicianship of my favorite studio players, including Lonnie Knight, Jim Anton and Marc Anderson.
REFUGE
This song was born on a night when the wind was whipping outside my window and lightening was cracking open the sky. Like so many songs of mine, it took it’s own turn, but the seeds were born of the pain that we all experience from having to face inescapable loss: loss of family, loss of friends, loss of loved ones.
I am forever grateful for the musicianship of Lonnie Knight and Peter Ostroushko, both of whom breathed life into this song from their own wellspring of love and loss.
FREE FALL
This song was inspired by a friend who had the courage to pick up her life and move from the Midwest to the West Coast to fulfill her dream of doing research with orcas. It’s ultimately about surrendering oneself to whatever and wherever our hearts lead us.
This song features some of the Twin Cities most stellar talent, including Lonnie Knight, Marc Anderson, Holly Circle and Richard Grossman.
ME AND THE MOON
This song was written for my brother shortly after the passing of his wife. I don’t believe it’s possible to truly understand the depths of someone else’s grief, but I tried to capture the universal emotion of loss and loneliness that connects us all. Prudence Johnson’s plaintive vocal captures the emotion of this song supported by the exquisite piano arrangement and performance by Richard Dworsky. Bruce Kurnow’s haunting harmonica carries us through this journey of love and loss.
WORD GYPSY
This video is a collaboration between myself and my musical and life partner, Richard Grossman. Richard penned this beautiful song and I added the visuals to interpret the many photographic images of Joni Mitchell. Michael Monroe’s deep and luscious vocal interpretation, together with Bobby Schnitzer’s emotive guitar lines, create a memorable experience for the listener/viewer.
GENTLE HEART
Written for my mother, Evelyn Elizabeth Vanda, this video attempts to capture her remarkable life and influence on all who were graced to know her. Born on a Wisconsin farm in 1916, she was the only girl in a family of seven children. She was an extraordinary woman who faced everything life threw at her with grace, strength, and kindness. My hope is that this video honors her spirit and all the gifts she gave to so many.
EYES OF BLUE
This video was created using images from the beautiful painting by Australian artist Timothy McConnchie to convey a graphic novel interpretation of the lyrics. Timothy’s original painting of Eyes of Blue beautifully captures the intention and mood of my composition. Richard Dworsky’s exquisite arrangement and piano performance artfully carries us through the emotion of this song, supported by Joe England’s haunting cello.
LANDFALL
A true collaboration between myself and Richard Grossman in every sense, his gorgeous music and melody fit hand and glove with my lyric contribution. Richard tracked all instruments and provided the heartfelt vocals that evoke deep love and longing. This song was an inspiration for me to capture those emotions through my photography and graphic imagery.
To view more of my video work, visit my YouTube Playlist that includes both my work with/for other artists and my songwriting collaborations.