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A day coming...

I can't wait for this election to be behind us.  Not long now, and we can begin picking up the partisan pieces and move forward.   I miss Tim Russert.  I don't know much about politics, but he always seemed to so humble and informed in his opinions.  He was able to agitate and diffuse in the same stroke.

This presidential campaign seemed to start so early, and has regurgitated the same themes and sound bites for so long that i can hardly stomach it.  As the end approaches, people on both sides are finding less common ground than ever, and i have seen even more polarity within circles and families around me than I can remember.
 
I agree that it is a very pivotal moment for our country, but the banner of fear that is prevailing is not constructive and will be hard to remove after the decision has been made.  Neither side is a perfect platform, and past next week, we will still have to all do the dirty work of caring for our communities, our neighbors, and making the most of our resources for the greater good. 
 
So, like the rest of us, I am looking forward to the other side of things.  I hope the new leadership will help toward resolution and progress toward peace in the middle east and diplomacy all over the world.  I hope for the rebuilding of our domestic economy, starting by caring for the poor and the sick and the voiceless among us.   I hope for the conservation of our environment and sustainable communities within our nation.  Most immediately, I hope that we as a people can unify after this election.  It seems like such a hateful cultural climate and I welcome some peace between us.

I urge everybody go out and vote.  Vote early and be done with it.  Then we can go back home to the day to day shaping of our character as families, as communities, and as a people.  The president elect can't do that for us.  We have to do it ourselves.

The way i see it, these things I'm thinking about are not really political.  I have a wary faith in politics as a substantial solution for these big issues.  But I believe there is a day coming when all things will be made right.  And that IS the big hope on which all these little hopes hang.  Haste the day.

Published on October 31, 2008 at 12:24 pm | | 0 Comments

Curator Magazine Interview (part 2)

Sandra McCracken:
A Red Balloon of Hope (Part 2)
By Jenni Simmons ⋅ October 17, 2008 ⋅

This is the second of a two-part interview with singer-songwriter Sandra McCracken. You can read the first part here.

Is there a certain atmosphere in which you write best? A time of day, room in the house; tea or coffee?

It happens sporadically; it’s somewhat unexpected when that actually occurs. If I feel inspired to write something, I have to take advantage of it as quickly as I can because they are fleeting moments, those clear moments of inspiration or a clear thought; journaling is really helpful. The music part can happen a lot more easily and regularly. If I sit down, I can chip away at something and I’ll come back to it and reevaluate and reshape it. But especially the lyrics and ideas - they happen when they happen. The challenge is to carve out enough space in my brain and schedule where I can be open and listening to that voice in my head.

I do like to record and sing vocals in the morning. Having a home studio is really conducive to that. When you’re paying for a studio by the hour, there’s often a lot of pressure. It’s such a different environment than having a home studio and going upstairs with a cup of coffee, still in your PJ’s, and recording something before you have time to over-think it. We did a lot of that on Red Balloon.

 

(read the rest of the interview [Part 2] here)

 

Published on October 17, 2008 at 3:48 pm | | 0 Comments

Curator Magazine Interview (part 1 & 2)

 

Sandra McCracken:
A Red Balloon of Hope (Part 1)

Posted By jennisimmons On October 10, 2008 @ 6:00 am

Singer/songwriter [1] Sandra McCracken has crafted beautiful, thought-provoking songs for seven albums now. Musically, she’s well-known for folk-rock, pop, and Americana sensibilities; lyrically, she frames attentive, abstract ideas. On her latest album, Red Balloon, she marries her trademarks with innovative layers of electronic sound creating a work of ethereal spirit, as in the first song, “Guardian” - an organ note pressed down, sounding like a hovering over still waters. One by one, electric piano, guitar, and a drum loop form music out of a singular resonance. Sandra’s soulful, honest vocal sings with consolation, an empathetic melody...

(click here to read part 1 of the interview)

(or click here to read part 2 of the interview)

 

Published on October 16, 2008 at 4:42 pm | | 0 Comments

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