Lili McGovern: News/Journal

The Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America proudly represented America, its people, its values, its determination & most of all its hope for a bright future. The call to all citizens that they transcend their differences to hand the banner of freedom, intact, to our children. I am so proud to be an American. The rule of tyranny, fear, hatred & deceipt is at an end. Nam myoho renge kyo

Just posted Black Confetti RAW track to get the idea down and to share what I've got so far...I can't wait to get it produced along with the remaining tracks on the album. LOOKING for a producer in Bellingham!

Here's a link to a YouTube video from a BIMA Open Mic at the Wild Buffalo. Thanks Beth!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXVNeFKz9qI

Thank you so much to Don Sechelski for his review from the Muse's Muse! I missed it in September and just came across it! I'm in good company alongside Delaney Gibson! She's awesome--check her out.

Just returned from a visit to Whistler, BC...lovely little resort offering just about anything anyone could ever desire or need. We stayed at a cute B&B just 10 minutes walk from the Village. Wrote our Holiday Cards and relaxed. Now I've got to get rehearsing for the upcoming gigs at the Allied Arts Fest. Hope to see you there!

Lili --
I'm about to head to Grant Park to talk to everyone gathered there, but I wanted to write to you first.
We just made history.
And I don't want you to forget how we did it.
You made history every single day during this campaign -- every day you knocked on doors, made a donation, or talked to your family, friends, and neighbors about why you believe it's time for change.
I want to thank all of you who gave your time, talent, and passion to this campaign.
We have a lot of work to do to get our country back on track, and I'll be in touch soon about what comes next.
But I want to be very clear about one thing...
All of this happened because of you.
Thank you,
Barack

I just posted a new song, "Speaking in Tongues" fresh from Milo Matthews of LoveLifeMusic, producer extraordinaire! Hope you enjoy...

It's always going on, the songwriting, in the background I'm listening to every conversation, absorbing headlines, book titles, questioning movie plots, media spins...typing in hooks with whatever catches my ear... but sometimes it pays to actively concentrate on improving my writing & now's the time. September back-to-school rhythm deep in my bones calls me to respond with activity & creativity and demands action. I can no longer think about songwriting and maybe write today, I must pursue the muse wherever she takes me every moment of every day. Vicky & I have scheduled twice weekly writing sessions, I'm also studying a new songwriting course and attending some songwriting critiques. Community is a strong pull right now--I often find myself flying solo when I really need the community of other writers, fresh perspectives and shared struggles. I've reached a plateau and it's time to get climbing to the next summit, the next big peak ...I love the run down but I also treasure each hard-won step forward on my musical journey. Hand in hand with Ani, Dayna, Tracy, Dave & all the as-yet-undiscovered seekers we are pressing forward despite the daily struggles of taking care of business.

A warm & enthusiastic audience, succulent salmon and orca sightings were all part of the groovy Lummi Island Reefnet Festival I played at today. There was a steady, cooling breeze off the Pacific making it the perfect place to be on what was supposed to be the hottest day in Bellingham's history...Russ Thompson and Riley Sparks, the promoters of the event, took care of every little detail to make sure I and the other performers were comfortable, and the surrounding environment took care of the rest. My whole family came out to support me and I even spied a few friends in the audience, which is always a wonderful treat! Thanks for coming all the way out to the island. It makes all the difference when you're up there all alone on stage. After my 75-minute set, I met a few enthusiastic fans, signed & sold more cd's than I ever have in Bellingham, and added a few names to the mailing list. A couple of fans had written down exact lyrics to ask me song references--what a great, attentive crowd! Before and after the set, I really enjoyed meeting & listening to some great musicians: Robert Sarazin Blake, a fellow local Bellinghamite with catchy tunes and a bass/baritone voice I could listen to all day! Louis Ledford, Robert's close friend, is a singer/songwriter from New Orleans and he was very pleasant to listen to as well. Finally, an award winining singer/songwriter from Austin, TX, David Lutes aka PlumTucker lived up to his impressive "voted one of the 5 best TX singer/songwriters". He has an amazing versatile voice with quite a range plus he plays guitar like Jimi Hendrix. He also kindly helped me tune in the monitors for my set. He's going to be playing at the Willows Inn tomorrow night (Sunday 08.17.08) from 5-7 and if you're free, I encourage you to catch his act while he's here in town. The crowning touch to the day was a Reefnet Festival t-shirt with my name (as well as all the musicians' names) printed on it--a nice keepsake! It was a wonderful, beautiful day...much like a daydream!

Due to the Honey V's commitment to excellence, they have decided to put their CD on hold until it's completely ready...

Two of my songs, "Say It Out Loud" and "Simple as Breathing" have been included in the UNESCO project "New Songs for Peace". This project is intended to encourage people to think about peace, talk about peace, and write a new song that will be collected and self-published in a book. These new songs will promote peace, cultural acceptance and understanding for those who work towards peace throughout the world.