(PS:  Curious?  Pre-listen/download Aurora Borealis here.)

**************************

Sept 24th, 2014

Hi Esther-

I am a hammered dulcimer player and came upon your  CD for sale in Cooper Landing Grocery last summer on my first trip to Alaska.

I must tell you this story:  It became my “theme music”  for 10 days as I fished,  hiked and drove all around discovering the many beautiful sights and people of Alaska (including Talkeetna…. I met  Mr.  Stubbs,  the Mayor! ).  I never did get to see the Aurora Borealis while in Alaska,  but I  was able to imagine the Northern Lights while listening to your music.

On the last evening as the sun was going down,  I was sitting in the car in an Anchorage park with your music playing.  Another couple drove up. They came over and asked about the beautiful music.  I explained what I had learned from the CD jacket and your website. They told me that they had just arrived in Alaska and were starting their vacation.  I popped the CD out of the player and gave it to them with the jacket and case, wishing them that they get inspiration and peaceful experiences with it as I had.  I never even learned their name.

I had downloaded the music to my laptop and my cell phone during the trip,  so I’ve been able to still listen to it.  Sometimes I listen to it to meditate.  Sometimes I listen to it  to bring back the smells and feelings of Alaska. As a fellow musician,  I really appreciate the tremendous skill and gift that you have in your music….

I’d dearly like to have another original CD.   If  you could sign it: “To Eric – A Fellow Alaskan Spirit”,  that would be very nice.

Attached is a picture of me up on one of the Denali glaciers below the peak ……. An unusual crystal clear blue morning.  Special moments.

Happy Trails!
– Eric

FolkWorld #53  03/2014 – CD Reviews

Esther Golton “Stay Warm” – Tiny Cabins Records , 2013

Esther Golton (vocals, dulcimer, flutes, keyboards) was born in Philadelphia and in 1997 moved into a cabin in Talkeetna, Alaska, where she led a simple life and released her two previous CDs. At the moment she lives in New Haven, Connecticut, and has just released a new album with nine original songs and two cover versions.

” Yula “, a song in the Congolese Lari dialect by Borrina Mapaka is driven by rousing Afrobeat , two djembe, shakers and drums,  Esther sings and plays dulcimer and flutes on this beautiful World Music Song.

“Where is the field” is a great folk-rock ballad with cello, electric dulcimer, flute, fretless bass and drums.

Esther also offers the folk ballad ” Chokecherry ” which she sings accompanied only by the dulcimer .

“What Can I Say ” is a funky song with organ, clavinet, bass, drums, dulcimer and cello.

On ” Face” Esther thrills us with a great game on flute, dulcimer and piano.  Drums and bass provide the pace along with a notable saxophone solo in this rhythmic song .

The album ends with the gentle title song “Stay Warm”,  sending thoughts to friends up north .

Esther Golton has a beautiful voice, her playing on dulcimer and flute is a delight, and the band centered around the co-producers Pat Fitzgerald (drums, percussion ) and Robin Dale Ford (bass , vocals) is excellent.

© Adolf ” gorhand ” Goriup

I’m happy to report that just 3 months after being paralyzed by the rare neurological autoimmune illness Guillain Barre Syndrome, I’m 99% back to normal.  Hooray!  (That’s an understatement!)  I feel so very lucky; the nerve-damage aftereffects of GBS often take 1 to 2 years to clear up.  My own experience has been far more rapid.

About 3 weeks ago the nerve sensitivity in my hands began to dramatically improve, and now my fingers feel perfectly normal.  I marvel that my dulcimer strings don’t feel like torturous knife-edges anymore, and that I can play evenly and expressively again on both dulcimer and flute.  That means I’ve begun practicing my music in earnest to rebuild my chops (I just wanted to say “chops” because that word makes me smile.  “Chops!”)

On March 9th I’ll play a house concert in New Haven, CT.  This is the only show I had lined up pre-GBS that I didn’t have to cancel.  I’ll be sharing the afternoon with a local folk-bluegrass band called  The Nameless Trio.  Last winter Matt, Morgan and Pat employed me to sing (and flute) a very sweet boy-girl duet for their new album Explore!.  You can listen to samples (I sing on Track 10, “All The Way Home”) and buy it here.  If you live in/near CT and would like to attend the concert, please contact me and I’ll put you in touch with the host, my wonderful friend Louis Audette.

The GBS experience definitely rocked my world.  In my 47 years before this event, major illnesses were always the “stuff that happens to other people”.  Now I truly (and a little anxiously) realize  that random, unexpected “stuff can happen” to me or those close to me at any time.  Of course I always knew this intellectually, but now I feel it in a tangible way.  I’ve talked to friends who’ve gone through big health challenges and they nod knowingly … wide-eyed …  at this change in perspective.  It’s made me more compassionate towards anyone dealing with health issues.  It’s made me want to decide consciously how I spend my days on this beautiful earth.

What does this mean for my music?  I can’t wait to play my “comeback” concert on March 9th!    Then I’m headed to Alaska for the entire summer to sell our house and 10 acres, work for my sister in her wonderful Flying Squirrel Bakery Cafe,  reconnect with friends and breathe the wild, open spaces.  I’m sure I’ll play a few low-key gigs, and will search out new gift shops to carry my Alaska-infused CDs.   It will be a great time for writing new songs, and letting music be music, and savoring everyday life.

Thank you again to all who sent me good wishes/cards/vibes while I was hospitalized.  I can’t help but attribute my strong recovery to the love that flowed my way, right through my soul into my nerve endings.  Also thanks to all who ordered my CDs during the holiday season.  That income really helped ease the financial impact of all those cancelled gigs.  I love imagining my music playing in your kitchen or car or headphones…

By the way, I’ve achieved almost half of my 2000 album goal, which means our “mystery painting” is almost halfway filled in.  I still have to go out and sing pretty for a lot more people to fulfill that goal so stay tuned.  And … stay warm!

Photo of bundled-up Esther taken at 2012 Fairbanks Alaska World Ice Art Show

… The title track “Stay Warm,” places Esther comfortably in the realms of Leonard Cohen as a disciplined wordsmith with melodies that are like milk and whiskey. …

… This CD is a little glorious achievement. Most artists, talented as they are, don’t create a single album as good as “Stay Warm” in their entire careers. There isn’t one filler tune on the entire collection. Each holds its own wealth equally and none sound as if repeated listens would diminish their strength. …

Please “Share” on Facebook, Twitter, email, etc.  as No Depression will elevate it to their front page (a big deal for us indy musicians) if enough people click – thanks!

Click to read the entire review

On Thanksgiving day, I came home on a hospital day-pass for the first time since being diagnosed with the rare autoimmune illness called Guillain-Barre Syndrome. (You saying “Huh?” Go here to read my story.)  Home was filled with welcome signs and flowers and a very happy dog.  Talk about thankfulness!

I have huge appreciation for all the well wishes sent my way via snail mail, email, Facebook and thoughts.  Every little bit has helped.  Every day I make a little more progress towards normalcy.

Now I’ve been discharged from the nursing-rehab facility.  I just spent my first wonderful night at home and have started outpatient therapy.  I can do a lot of day-to-day things but don’t have much stamina.  Still, I’m walking up stairs, cooking eggs in the kitchen and doing my exercises on the floor.  Look at ‘er go!  Woohoo!

Although I continue to feel upbeat and motivated about re-gaining my health and strength, I’m also facing the reality that I’ve had a huge and unexpected setback in my music career.  I was so excited about putting together my big winter-long “Stay Warm Tour” as well as working out the final touches on my first-ever radio campaign and attending my first NERFA music conference.  All the shows I’d worked so hard to book and rehearse this autumn and during the holiday season had  to be cancelled.  That was really, really hard.

But all is not lost.

I may not be able to travel and perform right now, but I can still ship CDs from home.  

If you’ve been thinking about buying or gifting my CDs, now is the perfect time.  You’ll give the magic of music … you’ll contribute to my occupational therapy … you’ll warm my hands and my heart. 

For those who love holiday sales  (like me!):  If you order 4 or more CDs, I’ll add an extra CD for FREE.  You can tell me which CD you’d like as the extra in the order notes, or via email.  The second I get your order, I’ll sign ’em and lovingly pop them in the mail to you and/or to those special someones on your holiday gift list.

Click here to order CDs and help get me back to work!

Please have a very merry holiday season everyone.  Savor the cookies, the neighborhood lights,  the people you care for, your own healthful moments.

Thank you so merry much for your support and love in the past, this year and beyond…

Stay Warm,

Esther

So many times I’ve recited the mantra “Enjoy each moment – you never know when a curve ball will come your way.”  Guess what?  Curve ball!

Despite emergency hospitalization, paralysis of my lower body, partial paralysis of my upper body and face and having to postpone / cancel all of my upcoming gigs, I feel incredibly lucky.

On Oct 23rd, having just returned from a wonderful Ohio music tour, I woke up with numbness in my arms and legs, tight muscles, and huge fatigue. A few days later, back spasms. Ouch. Then increasing weakness until my legs were buckling under me when I tried to stand. I got scared. We went to Yale-New Haven Urgent care. The good doctor there sent me right to the Emergency Room.  I remember him saying “Time is precious.”

A spinal MRI. Three spinal taps (not the band unfortunately). A fancy shock-the-nerves test called electromyography (EMG). Several neurologists asking me to squeeze, lift, push, pull. Knee reflexes absent. Arm reflexes absent. Nurses and aides guiding me gently to the bathroom … until I can’t walk at all any more. Bedpans.  No interest whatsoever in food.  Breathing tests every four hours.  I need to be turned in bed.  Weaker and weaker all over.

I have been diagnosed with a relatively rare and completely random condition called Guillain-Barre Syndrome.  It’s pronounced ghee-YA-buh-RAY but I’ve heard it pronounced twenty five different ways.

Here’s the good news: I’ve been handed an illness that 80% of the victims recover from completely.  Thank Goodness.  And I have incredibly loving, helpful support from Jim, my family and friends.  So very lucky.

As of now I’m an acute rehab patient at Gaylord Hospital. I’m on the upswing. My nerves are beginning to regenerate, and each day there is notable progress and increased strength. But it will be months or longer for me to regain my body. There’s no way to know exactly how long it will take.  I’m going to have to work very hard.

Today, holding on to parallel bars and being spotted by Dan, my fabulous physical therapist, I stood for the first time in two weeks. Like the rusted tin-man in the Wizard of Oz, my first steps were clumsy and felt strangely robotic. I am ecstatic.

There. Now you know. You know why I haven’t replied to email or returned phone calls … why my gig calendar says POSTPONED DUE TO ILLNESS all over it.

We were not sure what effect this paralyzing condition would have on my ability to play my instruments or sing. When I was handed my dulcimer for the first time a few days ago, I thought for a minute … awkwardly formed a few chords … then this is what came out…

Hello all – I’m back in New Haven after a wonderful 3-week woodsy retreat in Michigan.  The trees have started to turn, and I hope you feel like I do – invigorated with crisp autumn energy.

Lots of news:  Good things happening, good things to come…

Stay Warm is receiving radio airplay all over the world!
With the help of Tracey Delfino and her crew at Trespass Music, Stay Warm has recently been delivered to folk DJs far and wide.  It’s gratifying to know that this music I created is delighting random new ears.  Here’s a list of radio and web programs that have been playing tracks from Stay Warm.   This is a great time to request my songs on your local radio show.  If your station doesn’t have a copy, let me know and I’ll send one out, or you can steer them to Airplay Direct.

Ohio Tour in mid-October
Please pass the word on to all you know in Ohio – I’ve got a sweet little tour set up for mid-October!  Tour dates are here, including house concerts in Pataskala, Wellington (near Oberlin), Columbus, Peninsula ( a “lay-down-and-listen” relaxation concert with the lovely dulcimer player Jan Hammond), and performing/instructing at the Southeast Ohio Dulcimer Festival in Stewart (near Athens.)  I so look forward to this trip – I kind of have a thing for Ohio-ans! 

Concert dates in the Northeast and beyond
New shows are listed on my tour page, with dates in New Haven and Seymour, CT, the Philly area, Baltimore, and my first Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) conference in NY.  I’m actively adding more, including travels to further-away regions like the West Coast and the Southeast, so check back.

List of shops carrying my CDs
I’ve posted a list of the wonderful array of shops that carry my CDs.  If you’re in Alaska and want to pick up a copy of Stay Warm, you can buy copies in Anchorage, Talkeetna, Cooper Landing, Palmer, or Fairbanks.  Aurora Borealis is available in many more places in Alaska plus a dulcimer store in Sedona, Arizona.  Of course you can also order/download my CDs via my website store.

Our Alaska property is for sale
10 beautiful acres with a fully renovated log home plus 2 cabins and a carport/barn/workshop (give this link extra time to load slideshows). This was the home of Whole Wheat Radio’s webcast and house concert series.  It’s the perfect place to live your Alaskan dream and run a business, school or retreat center.  And the 48-foot long cathedral ceiling is covered with wild 1980’s folk-art paintings of Alaska … it’s quite a special place!

Thanks, as always for your support.  I hope to see some of you at upcoming concerts.  I promise to sing pretty for you!

Stay Warm,

Esther

20 Feet From Stardom is a current documentary about backup singers.  I found this film moving, inspiring and insightful, both for the music story, and as a metaphor for many life aspirations.  (Goosebumps, teary eyes, don’t-I-know-it laughter.)  I’ve seen it twice and would see it again.  I urge you with enthusiasm – if it comes to your area, go!  Here’s a list of cities where it’s playing.

Today I happily discovered a sweet review of Stay Warm written by Cile Stanbrough, who’s been a great friend and true music-appreciator since the early days of Whole Wheat Radio.  I’ve copied her essay here:

Keeping Warm with Esther Golton – A Review on cilesfineline blog – Sunday June 9, 2013

http://cilesfineline.blogspot.com/2013/06/keeping-warm-with-esther-golton.html

I have been listening to Esther Golton’s new offering Stay Warm for a few weeks now and enjoying the full sound and sweet expression only Esther can elicit in her musical offerings.  I’m a big fan of Esther’s instrumentals and I can hear in this album the force of this aspect of her talent gaining momentum, rising and merging with her songwriting making Stay Warm a multi-faceted and genuine delight.

Esther really shines in telling stories about her life in Alaska; in finding the words and music to express what it is like to live on the fringes of an America that is so intimate with the brutality and beauty of wilderness in the Alaskan bush. Her songs Fireweed Ladies, Wintered In, and Stay Warm reflect directly her experience in these wild places.  While topical in this way, the album explores some of Esther’s more personal side in the songs like Overjoyed by Christine Kane, and her own songs, Chokecherry and Face and the sobering Where is the Field add a poignant and personal depth to the compilation.  The cover Yula by Borrina Mapaka, besides being an outstanding interpretation of the tune, features Esther’s exceptional command of foreign tongues in song. For some of us long time fans there are new and exciting renditions of well-loved songs like Echo Point and a delightfully rocking, What Can I Say making a strong and clear comment on our addiction to wasting in this culture. There is also a whimsical tune called Nectarina and Avocado. You can listen to excerpts here.

My neighbor stopped in as the CD was playing and made an immediate comment on the striking quality of the sound and I had to agree that it is notable. Esther allied herself with talented musicians and the highly capable sound support of 10th Planet Studio in Fairbanks, AK, making this a beautiful offering from an artist that has indeed brightened many lives with her talents.  Buy and enjoy Stay Warm and melt into Esther’s spirited message. Take it to your heart and let it glow.

Esther’s CD (or MP3’s, if you prefer) Stay Warm can be purchased through her website or at CDBaby or Bandcamp

And now I must go pack for my trip to Alaska – I’m SOOOOO excited!

Click any photo to begin an enlarged slideshow. Captions explaining each photo will show at the top.  Enjoy!

Here’s the enticing short description:

Adventurous mountain dulcimer, flute, & a sincerely expressive voice.  Artful lyrics & entrancing multi-genre instrumentation.  A love song involving a nectarine & an avocado.  Esther’s 3rd CD is a real gem for creative souls.

Both companies allow you to choose audio quality (file type) for your downloads.   (FYI:  CD Baby keeps a smaller portion of the total for themselves, but Bandcamp allows you to pay a little extra if you want.  I think they’re both great.)

Thanks to all who’ve already ordered physical copies of Stay Warm.  I’ve been mailing them off with joy and gratefulness.

I’m curious to observe a changing world.  When I released Unfinished Houses in 2007, the vast majority of purchases were for the physical CD.  Digital distribution of music was still in its infancy.  Now, I wonder how many of you actually prefer downloading your music.  I’m about to find out!

By the way, full-album downloads will count toward my 2000-album goal, and thus will help uncover the mystery painting.  Thank you!

• Tomorrow, Monday, May 6th, is the release date for my new album Stay Warm!  Parts 1 and 2 of this series describe the contents, recording experience, and cost.  And now for Part 3!

• Where the funding came from:  I didn’t use Kickstarter or any other crowd-funding source to raise the $21,000 for Stay Warm.  Nor did I borrow.  The funding for Stay Warm came from my business bank account.  From money earned and saved performing and selling my first two CDs plus financial support from two highly dedicated patrons-of-the-arts (thank you Mom and Dad!)

• The 2,000 album goal:  I’d like to earn back what I spent on Stay Warm by selling 2,000 CDs, either physical or digital.  Simple as that.  I can’t do that unless you (and 1,999 other people like you) buy them!

• Let’s have fun getting there:   I’ve created a webpage with a hidden painting that’s very dear to me.  It’s an oil painting that hangs in my childhood home.  There’s a neat story behind it.  For every 20 full albums sold (including any/all of my three CDs), I’ll reveal 1/100th of the painting!  Gradually, we’ll all get to see the painting emerge as we reach the 2,000-album goal.  When the entire painting is finally revealed, we’ll all pop open a bottle of celebratory beverage and I’ll tell you the story of the painting in a video.  And I’ll sing you a special song!  And I’ll say thank you for your support with all my heart.

On Monday, May 6th you’ll be able to order my new CD Stay Warm.  It contains eleven tracks I’m very excited to share with you!

Independent musicians often crack jokes about their “job”, implying how hard it is to make a living, but rarely discuss the actual numbers.  Since most people don’t know what’s involved, I thought you might find it interesting to see what it costs to produce a high-quality record like Stay Warm.

Of course, CDs can vary immensely in cost and quality.  For example, recording solo voice/guitar is much less expensive than recording multiple voices/instruments.  I layered (overdubbed) quite a few vocals and instruments.  In my experience each layered part can add about 1-2 hours of studio time, including tracking, editing and mixing.  Bands who record all their instruments simultaneously rather than overdubbing individual tracks save considerable time and money.  Some musicians record on home computers, some find small studios that charge as little as $25 hour, some go for top-of-the-line big-city studios that charge $100+/hour.  There’s a huge range.

The biggest expense, by far, is the recording studio – so musicians must choose carefully.

I returned to 10th Planet Studio in Fairbanks, Alaska because I love working with engineer-musicians Pat Fitzgerald and Robin Dale Ford.  Professional equipment and skills are just the beginning.  Pat and Robin contribute terrific drums, guitar, bass and banjo.  They work their butts off to make projects shine and provide smiling encouragement (and strong coffee!) every step of the way.  Their studio is crazy cozy – a log house in the woods.  After long studio sessions, we’d take late-night hikes in the endless daylight of Alaska’s summer.

For this Alaska-themed project and the musical palette I wanted to paint from, 10th Planet Studio was a perfect choice.

I suspect Stay Warm cost a little above average for a solo singer-songwriter layering musical parts on top of each other.  I can’t be sure because money taboos prevent most musicians from divulging the cost of their CDs.

So what DID the new CD cost?

Stay Warm cost about $21,000 to make.

Here’s the breakdown:

• The new CD, Stay Warm, is finally done!  I’m so happy to announce my new collection of eleven songs entitled Stay Warm.  Woo-woo-woo-hoo!  You can order it as of Monday, May 6th, 2013.  In anticipation, I’m writing a series of four articles to give you a behind-the-scenes look at how Stay Warm came to life.

• Wow!  When did this happen? I recorded it in Fairbanks, Alaska in the five months between April and August, 2012.  I collaborated with many fantastic musicians.  Shortly after the audio was “in the can” I began the next chapter of life by moving to an amazing Connecticut town called New Haven.  The five thousand mile transition from Alaska to Connecticut took so much time and energy that Stay Warm had to await patiently in its little can for another four months.  I returned to the project in January, 2013, taking care of mastering, graphics, web presence, and mechanical production, and … four months later … finally(!) … Stay Warm is out of the can and into CD form.  Here’s a long-arm self portrait taken just days ago under a New Haven cherry tree:

• What songs are on it?
  

1. Overjoyed (Christine Kane)
2. Nectarina & Avocado
3. Fireweed Ladies
4. Yula (Borrina Mapaka)
5. Where is the Field
6. Echo Point
7. Chokecherry
8. What Can I Say
9. Face
10. Wintered In
11. Stay Warm

• Why Stay Warm? The cold is no myth in the far north, and Alaskans frequently depart with a cheerful “Stay warm!”  I wanted to express this sweet sentiment with my music.  The album weaves together my 15 incredible years in Alaska with songs of wilderness, whimsy, snow, and sunlight…

• Musically, this is my most diverse CD.  Stay Warm mixes folk, pop, rock, funk and world with intimate vocals and harmonies.  I play the mountain dulcimer and tons of flute, and I play power chords (yes!) on a solid-body electric dulcimer.  I employ two djembe players, two cellists, and a classic funk clavinet player named “Mighty Dave”.  I stroke wind chimes.  I sing in the Lari dialect of the Congo.  Just sayin’…

It’s been quite a journey.  I’m thrilled with the results and think you will be too.

There’s nothing like a move from Alaska to Connecticut to cause a long hiatus from gigging.  April’s daffodils have inspired me; it’s time to open up again.

I’m giving my first official concert here in CT on Wed, April 17th, 8PM at Best Video in Hamden.

Best Video?  Yes, it’s a video store!  And they offer a delightful listening room venue amidst shelves full of moving pictures.  They also have a coffee-beer-wine bar, and snacks.  You can even buy a pint of gourmet ice cream from the freezer, as well as locally popped kettle corn.  What more do you need to enjoy an evening of music with me?  It’s really a funky, unusual, cheery atmosphere.

If you’re new to my music, this show is just an hour long, so it’s a great intro for the curious.  I’ll tell stories and include songs from my forthcoming new CD Stay Warm, plus a few from Unfinished Houses, and I’ll also spin an on-the-spot improvised flute painting of the northern lights.

If you don’t live in New Haven, but know of someone nearby who might enjoy my music and stories, please share this post with them.  What can they expect?  How ’bout an evening of laughter, whimsy,  insightful observations, and musical expansiveness…

Here are the details:

What: Esther Golton – Solo Concert – Songs with Mountain Dulcimer & Flute

Where: Best Video Performance Space, 1842 Whitney Ave, Hamden, Ct

When: Wednesday, April 17th, 8 – 9 PM (just one hour)

How Much:  $5 venue cover

What it looks like, video shelves and all:

Today I received news that my childhood piano teacher, Maureen Hooper, died this morning.  With tears in my eyes, as a ripened musician, I tell you that I truly love my music teachers.

Mrs. Hooper was the first.

I dutifully attended weekly lessons at her house a few blocks away from the age of 6 to 16.  She gave me the basics of music.  How to read.  How to apply music-theory.  How Chopin was romance, Debussy was a paint brush, and Mozart was ecstasy.  How to understand emotions and phrasing.   “Now, again, with feeling!” she’d say.   And oh how I remember the incessant command to my 6 year old self:  “Curve your fingers, dear!”

I admit I got away with a lot as a relatively talented student.  I didn’t practice many days, and became very good at tricking Mrs. Hooper into thinking I had labored through the week.  Cheerily, she placed a check mark on each exercise or piece I’d learned to her satisfaction, or placed a new date next to the tunes that had not been mastered.  When I did work hard and shined with progress, she would chirp, with her wonderful British accent, “Well done, Esther.  Well done!”

I don’t play the piano much these days, but I still know my scales.  I curve my fingers.  I sight-read with slow delight.  I lean my weight into the keys.  I shape a phrase with passion.

And I carry every bit of musical technique and wisdom she taught me into my singing, dulcimer, flute playing, performance and recordings.

My favorite bit of wisdom from Mrs. Hooper, which I will always cherish:

“Esther, you mustn’t practice your mistakes.”

Goodbye, Mrs. Hooper.  I will miss you.  You were a great teacher and human being.  Well done.  Well done.