Cozy in blustery Rochester.

It's a freezing 1-degree outside my hotel room here in Fairport, NY, Philip Seymour Hoffman's hometown (according to NPR) and the town next to Rochester.  Nestled between Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes, the biting cold is a staple here during winters, but the students at Nazareth College told me it's nothing anyone really gets used to.

I made the drive up from Reading earlier today; watched the sky turn from blue to gray, as snow began to fall, light and airy at first, then fiercely as I winded up local roads. The Interstate doesn't cut through the north-central part of Pennsylvania, so I found myself caught in the post-industrial romantic beauty of forgotten river towns and rural villages. The trek was a solid 5 hours, but it didn't seem too long to me - maybe the scenery forced me to be present in the drive. I let my mind get lost in it. I found comfort in the twang of country radio. On the homestretch, I found myself engulfed in tornadoes of powdery snow, dispersed by blustery winds that were born from stretches of open fields to the left, to the right. I slowed the car and turned on my headlights. I felt my nerves and kept the steering wheel straight, hoping pavement was still ahead. I was worried, but I felt it would work itself out.  Tonight, after the show, a similar predicament befell.  My GPS wasn't working on my phone. Frustrated, I called Rob to see if he could help. I knew it'd be hard to pinpoint my location, but he did his best.  I tried to piece my route together by looking at Google Maps, even if it wouldn't actually direct me.  After wandering, lost, through pitch black country roads, making a U-turn and dodging ridges of slippery ice, I found myself back at the hotel - a fancy Hotel/Spa that sits large and stately atop a hill, unlike its more modest surroundings.

I checked my e-mail and silently chastised myself - I'm checking e-mail and social networks too often. I'm tempted to give Facebook a rest for a month.  I'm craving some time to myself.  But something good came out of it. The student adviser at last night's show at Albright had passed on some music, including Dawn & Hawkes - an Austin couple that made their way to Tuesday's episode of The Voice. I love the idea of them.  I hope they make it through the show... http://www.dawnandhawkes.com/  One of their videos is below.  Goodnight for now.

Music Connection / Kacey Musgraves love / FilmOn TV

I see-saw over whether or not to divulge details of my non-artist/songwriter life on this blog, but ultimately have decided that I wouldn't feel right withholding the facts. So, I guess you should know that I teach music once a week at a preschool in Walnut, CA. I really love it, even if it means being out there from 9:30 to 5:30 with just a 45-minute break.  I teach 5 classes and 9 private voice students. All that time, I am in awe of how open and enthusiastic young kids are, how viscerally music affects them, and how my heart melts a little when they call my name excitedly (I'm "Miss Alfa" to them).  Once in a while, like today, I'll get reports from a student or teacher who has stumbled on my videos on YouTube. The reaction usually hovers around fascinated-shocked-amused on the general reaction scale.

Anyway, since I was out there today, I wasn't exactly plastered to my phone and therefore was a little slow on the uptake: Music Connection Magazine, which had critiqued "World Go Blue" last month 8.0 out of 10, wrote a bit about my recent endorsement with Kawai, and NAMM, and Walden.  Of course, I thought this was pretty rad. It's crazy to think of everything that's happened since "World Go Blue" was released just a little over a year ago.  You can see the whole link here, and screen shot is below.

In other news, I've been falling in love with Kacey Musgraves' album. I remember driving through Iowa, Missouri and Tennessee last year and hearing "Merry Go Round" constantly on the radio. I thought the song was really great - still country, but with a melancholic, introspective touch any folk-influenced writer can appreciate. I got around to hearing the rest of it, and wow.  I wish the best for her - the album is extremely well-written and sophisticated in its production (what I mean by this is that it's not overproduced, but exercises brevity in instrumentation and arrangement). Her voice isn't standout - she's no Allison Krauss or Kelly Clarkson - but she works what she has, and what has materialized is a well-crafted album with great lyrics, melodies that sneak up on you when least expected, and great vocal delivery. Some of my favorites: "Merry Go Round," "Step Off," "Follow Your Arrow," "My House." Turns out that Marc Lacuesta, who produced my record, lives a few blocks on the same street, and has spoken to her at various Nashville parties.  This is right around the time I fight the urge to buy a plane ticket to go out there...  Anyway, check her album out - I have been Spotifying it on a daily basis.

I also did a TV appearance yesterday with FilmOn TV. Guess who hosted the show?  None other than Kato Kaelin, of OJ Simpson trial fame. He was way sweet, though, and not too slathered in L.A. sheen, believe it or not.  The show has an interactive chat feature that goes on-screen simultaneously with the show. This made for some laughs and awkward moments. Apparently it's a popular primetime station in U.K., so shoutout to the folks out that way.