May 8, 2012
Janis, Cheryl Wheeler & Lucy Kaplansky
A busy, busy couple of weeks! Had a great time with old friends Cheryl Wheeler and Lucy Kaplansky at the annual Clearwater Benefit in Tarrytown. And of course, my sweethearts Tom Paxton and Tom Chapin were there. In fact, it occurred to Debra and me that we could do a tour of "Janis and her Tom Toms" at some point...
<ouch!>
I was also privileged to give the keynote address to the Alabama Librarians Association in Hoover, followed up a week later by two sold out shows with Karla Bonoff at the Hoover Library. What a great idea, to build a beautiful small theater as part of a library! I wish it was like that everywhere...
Janis & Tom Paxton
Pat and I got to see the incredible Lily Tomlin when she performed in Nashville last week. Can't recommend her show highly enough - we laughed, and laughed, and laughed.
AND I just got off the phone with my audiobook editor, and it will be available for download as of June 7th - details and clips to follow!
I'm headed up to Warren Wilson College to give the commencement address this Saturday - imagine, me, the high school dropout, telling graduates how to commence their lives!
Janis & Tom Chapin
The following Monday I'll be having rotator cuff surgery, so I'll be off line for at least four weeks and probably closer to eight. With no wish to offend, let me ask you all not to email me, or Judy, or Debra, with well wishes or questions -- Debra's going on vacation, Judy will have her hands full, and I won't be able to respond. In lieu of get well cards, I'm asking that micro-payments equivalent to the card and stamp be made to the Pearl Foundation through Paypal and our donation buttons on the site. I have a great surgeon, I'm not worried, and I'm actually (don't tell anyone I work with...) looking forward to some peace and quiet. Even physical therapy sounds pretty good compared to how busy I've been these past couple of years!
Most of all, I'm going to start plowing through all the great books I've been wanting to read these past couple of years - on my Kindle, on Pat's iPad, from the library and our fabulous local bookstore, Parnassus. I plan to enjoy myself as much as possible.
Janis & Lily Tomlin
So thanks in advance for your well wishes, and for those of you following my "Quote of the Day" on Facebook, Twitter, or my own forums, it's going to be a while, so let me leave you with this:
"After all manner of professors have done their best for us, the place we are to get knowledge is in books. The true university of these days is a collection of books."
~Albert Camus
With all best wishes,
Janis
New Message From Janis in the Website Newsroom
It was another good year for the Pearl Foundation, so thanks to everyone who bought merchandise, attended shows, held a Living Room Concert, visited our re-opened eBay Store, or just plain donated a buck or two in thanks for the free downloads! I’ll be publishing a final report on my Facebook page and the forum, but as of this moment we are adding $75,000 to our scholarship endowments, bringing the grand total up to $1,191,250.00
[more]
The Great Divide now available as a free download!
Go here to download a free mp3 of "The Great Divide", with free sheet music and lyric! But there's more...
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2020 tour dates almost set!
Here's a list of places on the 2020 touring schedule - venue list coming soon!
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click on any date for full information
click again to close that date
All tour dates updated on January 23, 2020
Wednesday February 26th
Memorial Hall, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Memorial Hall
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Phone: (513) 977-8838
Visit the venue's website
An evening with Janis, some new songs, some old songs, some funny stories and some heart-wrenching moments! Expect a shout out to the science fiction community of Cincinnati, and of course, Janis plans to stay after the show to greet people and sign whatever they may buy or bring!!
Friday February 28
E. J. Thomas Hall, Akron, Ohio
Sunday, March 1
Buskirk-Chumley Theater, Bloomington, IN
Buskirk-Chumley Theater
Bloomington, IN
Phone: 812.323.3020
Visit the venue's website
With Livingston Taylor.
Tickets available via OvationTix.Monday, March 2nd
Monroe County Public Library, Bloomington, IN
Monroe County Public Library
Bloomington, IN
Phone: 812-323-3020
Visit the venue's website
7:00PM
* This class is free but because of limited space, you must get tickets! Janis Ian has given master classes in both conventional and unconventional settings; as an adult, she's studied with such luminaries as Stella Adler (a close friend), Chao Shao Lin of the Peking Opera Company, Dora Krannig of the Royal Ballet, and Bart the Garage Mechanic from down the street. Illustrated with live performances, you'll hear her take on the history of music (“from the caveman to syphilis and its effect on the arts”), personal anecdotes based on Ian’s five decades of experience as a writer, performer, and business person. There will also be a free-wheeling Q&A, no holds barred.
This class is for anyone interested in the arts, musical or otherwise. In fact, it's for anyone interested in humans. As Janis says, "What have I got to lose at this point in my life?" There will also be an extended Q&A period at the end.
The Stone Age Institute, through a gr
Monday June 29 to Friday July 3
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Phone: N/A
Visit the venue's website
For the first time, Janis will be giving her 5-day series "A Master Class In Artistry" during each of the Swannanoa Gathering weeks. Time of her classes is TBA; please check the website for more information. The 5 day class covers everything from the origins of artists to physicalization, songwriting for profit and not so much, performance, the need to be brave, how to survive as an artist in the modern world, and why bother. Points are illustrated with songs and playing as she takes us on a journey that begins with the first caveman to tell a story and continues through the myth of the artist as "crazy", the need for silence, and why she believes "art saves". Drawing on her 55 years of experience in the entertainment industry and her ten years with Stella Adler, presented with humor and grace, brutally honest, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her students.
Monday July 6 to Friday July 10
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, North Carolina,
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, North Carolina,
Phone:
Visit the venue's website
For the first time, Janis will be giving her 5-day series "A Master Class In Artistry" during each of the Swannanoa Gathering weeks. Time of her classes is TBA; please check the website for more information. The 5 day class covers everything from the origins of artists to physicalization, songwriting for profit and not so much, performance, the need to be brave, how to survive as an artist in the modern world, and why bother. Points are illustrated with songs and playing as she takes us on a journey that begins with the first caveman to tell a story and continues through the myth of the artist as "crazy", the need for silence, and why she believes "art saves". Drawing on her 55 years of experience in the entertainment industry and her ten years with Stella Adler, presented with humor and grace, brutally honest, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her students.
Monday July 13 to Friday July 17
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Phone:
Visit the venue's website
For the first time, Janis will be giving her 5-day series "A Master Class In Artistry" during each of the Swannanoa Gathering weeks. Time of her classes is TBA; please check the website for more information. The 5 day class covers everything from the origins of artists to physicalization, songwriting for profit and not so much, performance, the need to be brave, how to survive as an artist in the modern world, and why bother. Points are illustrated with songs and playing as she takes us on a journey that begins with the first caveman to tell a story and continues through the myth of the artist as "crazy", the need for silence, and why she believes "art saves". Drawing on her 55 years of experience in the entertainment industry and her ten years with Stella Adler, presented with humor and grace, brutally honest, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her students.
Monday July 20 to Friday July 24
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Phone:
Visit the venue's website
For the first time, Janis will be giving her 5-day series "A Master Class In Artistry" during each of the Swannanoa Gathering weeks. Time of her classes is TBA; please check the website for more information. The 5 day class covers everything from the origins of artists to physicalization, songwriting for profit and not so much, performance, the need to be brave, how to survive as an artist in the modern world, and why bother. Points are illustrated with songs and playing as she takes us on a journey that begins with the first caveman to tell a story and continues through the myth of the artist as "crazy", the need for silence, and why she believes "art saves". Drawing on her 55 years of experience in the entertainment industry and her ten years with Stella Adler, presented with humor and grace, brutally honest, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her students.
Monday July 27 to Friday July 31
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College, Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Swannanoa Gathering, Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Phone:
Visit the venue's website
For the first time, Janis will be giving her 5-day series "A Master Class In Artistry" during each of the Swannanoa Gathering weeks. The final week will also feature a second, more interactive class tentatively titled "War Stories". Time of classes is TBA; please check the website for more information. The 5 day class covers everything from the origins of artists to physicalization, songwriting for profit and not so much, performance, the need to be brave, how to survive as an artist in the modern world, and why bother. Points are illustrated with songs and playing as she takes us on a journey that begins with the first caveman to tell a story and continues through the myth of the artist as "crazy", the need for silence, and why she believes "art saves". Drawing on her 55 years of experience in the entertainment industry and her ten years with Stella Adler, presented with humor and grace, brutally honest, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for her students.
Wednesday August 5
The Kate, Old Saybrook, CT
The Kate
Old Saybrook, CT
Phone: (860) 510-0473
Visit the venue's website
Janis returns to The Kate a scant year later, at their insistence. She's sure it's too soon, they're sure it's not. She's writing furiously so she can present some new material, and looking forward to visiting one of her all-time favorite venues again! Expect some good, relaxed fun, some tears, an after-show appearance for signing things you've brought and things you may purchase at the "merch table"!!
