Locavoracious

Back home in Llano, TX, where I’m getting my first fall projects ready to go. They are something special in that they’re music with an unusual sense of place. In Austin in a few weeks, we’ll premiere David Hanlon’s “Texanische Liebeslieder.” I wrote the lyrics for these. They were inspired by first-person stories of the last living speakers of Texas German. And of course, Arizona Lady is right around the corner, in Arizona. I’m delighted by such a special combination of the German language, Viennese style, and American tradition. It all feels pretty cozy. Our classic Broadway musicals have roots in operetta, tejano music owes a lot to the sounds of German music brought by the immigrants – the family resemblance is striking! And yet it’s a totally new opportunity to perform music directly inspired by a place, in that very place. It’s a new facet of Slow Listening , being a Musical Locavore!