❤ An Invitation + Online Concert Mon 11/23!

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The Amanda West Newsletter | NEWS & ADVENTURES of a mama musician artist
| November 2020

Dear Ones,

I see a light at the end of the tunnel.
It's still a long tunnel, to be sure. A long winter lies ahead of us with so much still unknown. But think of all we've been through. I know we've learned a thing or two by now about facing fear, and about finding our way. And I am daring to feel just a little bit hopeful.... I believe we can do this!

Here are a few updates from my musical world:

~ I'm celebrating a successful first ever virtual music student recital last weekend (first, and hopefully last? Though I keep being surprised by how well these virtual events can work!) My students were AWESOME, and I have so much gratitude for each of them.

~ On Monday evening (11/23) I'll be part of a benefit concert for the CZU fire victims. You can watch it from the comfort of your own home, in your pajamas, with your snack and beverage of choice. It will be broadcast live on youtube, so you don't have to register or sign in to anything. Easy peasy (as my kids like to say). JOIN HERE.

~ My female-identified friends: Remember to save the date of Sunday December 20th, for our annual Women's Winter Solstice Community Circle & Sing with Debbie Nargi Brown. Yes it's online, yes it's gonna be amazing. TICKETS HERE.

~ I pushed my own edge and did a facebook live thing, which is now a little video I get to share with you. I hope you'll watch it (see below).

~~~~~

So much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. And still so much to grieve.
But did you know that grief and gratitude are best friends? Think about it.

Sending you love & courage & solidarity in this most extraordinary time on planet earth,

with a wide open heart,

your mama musician
~ Amanda

Upcoming Events ~

"Many Voices"
CZU Fire Victims Benefit Concert
{livestream online}

Presented by the Center for World Networking
hosted by Freesia Rain

~~~
Monday November 23rd @ 7:30 - 9pm

~ Songs of Courage & Gratitude ~
~~~

all donations go towards Valley Churches United Missions
compassionately serving the needs of low income residents
in San Lorenzo Valley & Scotts Valley
including CZU fire victims

JOIN HERE & DONATE AS YOU WISH

Women's Winter Solstice Circle
{online from the comfort of your home}

with Amanda West & Debbie Nargi Brown

~~
Sunday December 20th @ 4:30-6pm

meditation, song & ceremony in community
~~

DETAILS & TICKETS HERE

Your Inviation ~

Here's a little video in which I talk about the importance of community, connection, resilience and finding our way. It was rather spontaneous, and is totally unedited, but I think it explains things in a way you might like.

// ~ // ~ // ~ // ~ // ~ // ~ //

Meanwhile, a little more about Patreon...

The best way to describe Patreon is like a musical CSA (community supported agriculture): I am the farmer ~ planting, tending and harvesting artistic creations that nourish the heart and soul. If you join and become my patron, you will make a regular financial contribution of your choice each month, and in return you will receive in your personal email inbox, a direct link to whatever musical or creative bounty I harvest each month.

Patreon is set up so that different contribution levels (also known as "tiers") can receive different benefits depending on how much they give. I have set mine up differently - every level gets the same benefits. I know that $10 can mean something very different from one person to another. So my tiers go from $3 - $100, and they're all the same.

I would be SO honored and grateful should you choose to join me on this path. It is a wonderful way to nourish and grow community right now in these strange covid times. It is also the new way of the artist, which is actually a very ancient way (there are long traditions of the arts being made possible by patrons).

I see it simply as a reminder of our beautiful interconnectedness.

JOIN ME ON PATREON

Music of the Month ~ (in case you missed it last time)

All of Us
(a song for those who came before)

This month's song I released on Patreon last week. It is shared as a public post, so you can listen even if you are not my patron.

This song came to me 10 years ago and since then I've only performed it a tiny handful of times. I recorded it 4 years ago as part of the "Consanguinity" album that is still unreleased.

As this autumn season rolls around again, this time that is honored in so many traditions as a time to connect with the ancestors, contemplate the endings of things, hold grief, and remember our interconnectedness, this song surfaced again for me.

In a few hours of precious babysitter time, Pete & I dug it out of the archives and polished it up to share. There is so much more production I'd love to add to it. But I release it now in the hopes that it may connect you to something you've been needing or hoping to find.

I offer it in honor of the ancestors, and for all of us.

LISTEN HERE

Notes from home ~

Nearly every day we go to the deck in our backyard and look out across the roof of our house.
.
Here we can see the San Lorenzo Valley, and the mountains of redwoods surrounding it. And there we can see the scars of the fire - deep orange patches among the sea of green.
.
I’m not exactly sure why I love staring at those scars so much, but I think it’s because they remind me of what we’ve been through, and the blessings of all we have.
.
They remind me of being scared,
and they remind me of being strong...

Isn't life amazing?

~ U P C O M I N G E V E N T S ~

November 23rd | Monday @ 7-9pm
-->CZU Fire Victims Fundraiser for Valley Churches United Mission
With Betsy Rose, Joya Winwood, Freesia Rain, Amanda West & more... Join here & donate as you wish: www.centerforworldnetworking.org/manyvoices

December 20th | Sunday @ 4:30-6pm
-->Women's Winter Solstice Circle
With Debbie Nargi Brown. Details & tickets HERE

ONGOING --> private lessons in voice, guitar & songwriting

Winter/Spring 2020/2021: Surviving! We can do it! :-)