Great experience hosting this commercial for Sinch and ThinkMojo, directed by Ron Small and produced by Ashley Moore of Sway Productions! 

Junebug is back with more letters from friends, holiday celebrations and lots of cuddly time near the campfire! I tried to stretch myself with the tunes I contributed, looking to more varied sources for inspiration (the theme from To Kill a Mockingbird, Vince Guaraldi Trio, Bela Fleck and Archie Bleyer were all rolling around in my head at different times). I learned a lot. I'll be meeting with the show's creator, my dear friend Manda Bryn Severin in January to begin work on an exciting new project. Check out www.comfortseeds.com for a preview. More anon.

It's taken me 37 years to realize that one of the things I want to do (like, as a job, dig?) is compose and produce music for children's content. My best friend in the world Manda Bryn Severin has created a gentle and kind series centered around her long-haired dachshund Juniper (AKA "Junebug"). From the get-go, the project seemed charmed. The universe offered little resistance and lots of joy in the creation of it. Manda comes to me (and her talented husband Ezra) for some of the music -- as well as story advice and the occasional camera trap shot of a squirrel or lizard. But working on these short compositions has been a real pleasure in a curious (and frequently scary) year. The opening theme, Romi the Cat's song, Alexander Hamilton's letter, and a few other ditties are my doing. We're grateful for the support of the Britt Festival, who sponsored this video and the second installment, which will be available in a few weeks. I hope you and all the young-at-heart in your life enjoy Junebug's adventures as much as I enjoy contributing to them.

From late June to early July I was privileged to serve as dramaturg on a workshop of Threshold by Amy Brenneman at The Yard in Martha's Vineyard. Under the inspired leadership of artistic director David R. White, executive director Alison Manning and co-producer Jesse Keller Jason, The Yard provides creative residencies for dance makers and diverse artists whose works (usually) incorporate dance in some way. I had no idea what a special place I was walking into when I arrived. The support we received as a team was simply astonishing. Amy and director Sabrina Peck generated and staged a new draft in just two weeks, with plenty of time to enjoy the island between rehearsals. Not sure how this was possible, although I suspect it's due to a magical time dilation phenomenon on the Vineyard.
In regard to the work, I got to do what I love most: a little bit of everything. When I accepted the gig I thought I'd be on the other side of the table for the whole process. Within days Amy had me up on my feet for scene work and dancing. It was the most deliciously workshoppy workshop I've EVER been in -- juicy discussions, generous contributions, instincts firing, working hard and playing hard at the same time.
The response to this incarnation of Threshold at its two intimate showings was overwhelmingly positive. I'm excited to watch where it goes next. For more about the show, check out this article that appeared in The Vineyard Gazette in early July. And enjoy the short slideshow below.

Last week pop/punk band Grayscale released the music video for their new single "In Violet", in which I play a very sad lady. It was a pleasure shooting with director Jordan Mizrahi and his talented crew at the Paramount Ranch back in June. The church set we used was one of a very few structures spared by the Woolsey fire. Highlight: as the lads shredded to playback, a family of ducks bobbed in the nearby creek. Life carries on.