September/October 2010
Remember, our first ever "Christmas In August" website sale ends at midnight on Tuesday, August 31st.
While it's too early to tell yet, it's looking like the website sale raised a net of at least seven thousand dollars for the Pearl Foundation. Nice going, folks!! In addition to that, as promised, Pat and I will be making a donation-in-kind to Nashville Public Television for every NPT Living Room Concert sold, and since we sold out, that's a good thing!!!
Special thanks go to Joan Maute, who handmade all the LRC DVD's as well as our Master Class in St. Augustine sets. From artwork to packaging, these "homemade" items have been a roaring success, and we hope to offer more of the LRC disks around the winter holiday season.
Special thanks also to Kyser Capos and Planet Waves Tuners, both of which will be sold out by the time we revert over to the regular Shopping Mall.
About those tour schedule postponements and changes... Back when I first started performing again, around 1990, I injured my left hand pretty badly while on tour in Japan. Unfortunately, it took the better part of a year for the doctors to really find out what was going on, and the injury left me with permanent problems. Many of you know that I stopped playing piano onstage due to my inability to stretch the fingers on that hand, and the danger of re-injury if I forgot myself and really bore down. Even with the guitar, I have ice packs in the dressing room and at the signing table so I can "cool it down" after a show.
When I developed "trigger finger" in the middle finger recently, I was going to ignore it, until my friend Michael Johnson said he'd done that and his finger had "locked down" on him mid-tour, in the middle of nowhere. Based on that and my surgeon's concern that disregarding it might result in further injury - not to mention my pain level - I decided to go ahead with surgery last month, trusting that I'd be able to play a full show by September. Unfortunately, my surgeon discovered on the day that not one, but two of my fingers were affected. While the surgery went well, recovery has been much slower than any of us had anticipated, necessitating daily physical therapy and severe limitations in what I can do with that hand right now - including playing. I have a great team, and I have every confidence that I'll soon be right as rain, but in the meanwhile, I had to blow out six weeks' worth of obligations. While most could be re-scheduled, several could not, including the Iowa Women's Festival. As heartsick as I am about that, there's nothing else I could do, and I hope I have your patience and understanding.
In my entire 45-year career, I've cancelled less than ten shows, all because I was hospitalized at the time. I'd hoped to finish my career with that "record" intact, but apparently, it's not to be. I know many of you can sympathize with how frustrating this is to me, whose playing is integral to her writing, performing, and being.
But. Life goes on. As I keep reminding myself, it could be much worse. And I have every confidence I'll be seeing you all later this fall, when my hand no longer looks like the Pillsbury Dough Boy's and I'm playing my heart out again!
Thanks for being a part of the sale, and for all your support.
Janis
P.S. Check out Angela Aki's fantastic job - first time singing it in public, too! - on our recent piece "Every Woman's Song"!! And you can find the lyrics here.
Janis Ian Announces Wearables & More
I've partnered with Hogan Made, a small Tampa-based business that's offered to create T-shirts, masks, pillows, and whatever else we can come up with, using quotes from my songs and prose. In turn, Hogan Made will be sending a full third of every cent you spend on these items (not including postage of course) directly to the Pearl Foundation. So if you spend $24.00 on something, the Pearl Foundation will receive $8.00. That's 100% of my share - I'm making nothing, Hogan Made are covering their material and labor costs. Nobody's getting rich here!
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Join me for the "Better Times Project"
My hope at first was to help my friends, but it's turned into a way of reminding people that you don't have to be a "professional" to make music. You just have to have a willing heart.
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New Free Downloads
A live-in-concert version of "At 17" is available for FREE DOWNLOAD at the Janis Ian Store. It's also available on YouTube. Feel free to share this information, and take advantage of all the other free downloads on my personal website!
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All tour dates updated on May 16, 2020
Sunday June 27 to Saturday July 3
Swannanoa Gathering Fiddle Mando Banjo Week, Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Swannanoa Gathering Fiddle Mando Banjo Week
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.
Sunday July 04 to Saturday July 10
Swannanoa Gathering Traditional Song Week, Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Swannanoa Gathering Traditional Song Week
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.
Sunday July 11 to Saturday July 17
Swannanoa Gathering Celtic Week, Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Swannanoa Gathering Celtic Week
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.
Sunday July 18 to Saturday July 24
Swannanoa Gathering Old Time Week, Swannanoa, North Carolina,
Swannanoa Gathering Old Time Week
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.
Sunday July 25 to Saturday July 31
Swannanoa Gathering Cont. Folk & Guitar Week, Swannanoa, North Carolina, USA
Swannanoa Gathering Cont. Folk & Guitar Week
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.
Thursday, 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"!!
August 6th
Pearl Foundation private concert, , Massachusetts,
Pearl Foundation private concert
, Massachusetts,
Phone:
Visit the venue's website
A private concert benefitting the Pearl Foundation.
Saturday, August 7
Shalin Liu, Rockport, MA
Shalin Liu
Rockport, MA
Phone: (978) 546-7391
Visit the venue's website
Janis has been hearing about Shalin Liu from friends for more than a decade, and it's taken this long to coordinate schedules so she could do two nights in this prestigious venue. Expect old songs, new songs, stories, and time afterward for hellos and signing whatever you bring or buy! Since she'll be there for two nights, things should get a bit more relaxed than usual - maybe an extra step out guitar solo, or an audience Q&A. Who knows?! We can promise that this ten-time-Grammy-nominee will put on a great show, with plenty of heart and soul. 8 pm show
Sunday, August 8
Shalin Liu, Rockport, MA
Shalin Liu
Rockport, MA
Phone: (978) 546-7391
Visit the venue's website
Janis has been hearing about Shalin Liu from friends for more than a decade, and it's taken this long to coordinate schedules so she could do two nights in this prestigious venue. Expect old songs, new songs, stories, and time afterward for hellos and signing whatever you bring or buy! Since she'll be there for two nights, things should get a bit more relaxed than usual - maybe an extra step out guitar solo, or an audience Q&A. Who knows?! We can promise that this ten-time-Grammy-nominee will put on a great show, with plenty of heart and soul. 8 pm start!
Tuesday, August 10
Shea Theater, Turners Falls, MA
Shea Theater
Turners Falls, MA
Phone: (413) 648-7432
Visit the venue's website
And the new venues just keep on coming! We're really excited that Janis will be playing this town-owned theater, a centerpiece of the Turner's Falls resurgence. Expect old songs, new songs, stories, and time afterward for hellos and signing whatever you bring or buy! * 8pm showtime
