tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85795276627192675902024-03-13T22:11:08.463-07:00Zoe's Incredibly Interesting Bloghelenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-24451361827466636472014-09-12T10:45:00.002-07:002014-09-12T10:47:35.452-07:00this is my OLD blog, new one is on tumblrThis is my OLD blog...
I moved to Tumblr in 2012 and this site is an orphan.
To read news from 2012 onwards go to <a href="http://zoekeating.tumblr.com">zoekeating.tumblr.com</a>
Thank you!helenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-71808403996853213032011-12-06T21:29:00.001-08:002011-12-06T21:34:41.964-08:00Tshirts, Tours n ToddlersHello Dear Listeners,<br /><br />By popular request, tshirts are available for sale on my website. Now you can have a cello-action-figure silhouette of me emblazoned on your chest with which to, um, impress your friends and family with both your sublime style and taste in music. The shirt was designed by yours truly, made and printed in the US of A and will be personally mailed to you by my sister. You can find these shirts (and posters too!) at http://music.zoekeating.com.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://music.zoekeating.com"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 302px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf4Jw7qhNd6rks3SiZPQjm3tFjtt2mBbwn7CxvpjlfdYX7cjEq8l_BiXH96hTeSZ-IO4jktMlrzVWc0FZdjQXdr6AvJhQLAHZseMoPqQpeGbP-vLWj5pivfbGbIh2M6TcAQZLSKhU4lKU/s320/zoetee_girl_zkt104c_sm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683254860843616322" /></a><br /><br /><br />More tours are being plotted for next year. So far we’ve got the Midwest in February and then Virginia, southern California, the Northwest and Ecuador in April/May (those places are all near each other, right?). I’ll also be an artist ambassador at the Direct2Fan camp in MIDEM in Cannes in January if you’d like to come and hang with me on the French Riviera in the middle of winter. Tickets for all these dates (and more are coming) at http://bit.ly/zoetour.<br /><br />In other exciting news, I’ll be performing live with San Francisco’s legendary ODC Dance at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in March. More about that one as it draws closer. Have I missed anything? Well, I can definitively say that I am WORKING ON A NEW ALBUM. I might even release it next year…. but I am the parent of a toddler so I don’t like to promise too much.<br /><br />I guess that’s it. I hope you enjoy the long, dark days if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere…the long, light days if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere…and the equally light and dark days if you’re near the Equator.<br /><br />Thank you for listening and for your continued support!<br /><br />best wishes to you and yours,<br /><br /><br />Zoe<br /><br /><br /><br />Feb 11 Evanston, IL: <span style="font-weight:bold;">SPACE</span> <br /><br />Feb 13 Iowa City, IA: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Englert Civic Theater</span><br /><br />Feb 14 Omaha, NE: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Waiting Room</span><br /><br />Feb 17 Scottsbluff, NE: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Midwest Theater</span><br /><br />Feb 18 Denver, CO:<span style="font-weight:bold;"> Soiled Dove</span><br /><br />Mar 15, 17, 21, 23 San Francisco, CA: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Yerba Buena Center for the Arts</span><br /><br />Apr 12 Minneapolis, MN:<span style="font-weight:bold;"> Cedar Cultural Center</span><br /><br />Apr 14 Reston, VA: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Reston Community Center</span><br /><br />Apr 26 Los Angeles, CA: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Largo at the Coronet</span><br /><br />Apr 27 UC Riverside, CA: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Culver Center of the Arts</span><br /><br />May 3 Seattle, WA: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Neptune</span><br /><br />May 4 Portland, OR: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Aladdin Theater</span><br /><br />May 17 Quito, Ecuador: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Teatro National Sucre</span><br /><br />concert tickets: http://bit.ly/zoetour<br /><br />tshirts & albums: http://music.zoekeating.comhelenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-75342207270146793902011-09-06T13:22:00.000-07:002011-09-06T13:32:22.972-07:00Northeast & Midwest tours, NPR & Tears for FearsHello Cellofriends, <br /><br />I've been having a very productive and enjoyable month of composing. It really is such a joy to be writing new music and its been just spilling out. I'm trying to capture it as quickly as possible before it evaporates (I don't know if it WOULD evaporate, but better safe than sorry). <br /><br />A little interruption though to announce some things....<br /><br />In case any of you are NPR listeners, I'm on All Things Considered today. Tune into your local radio station, or you can hear it on the <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/08/30/140069246/zoe-keating-a-symphony-unto-herself">NPR site</a>.<br /><br /><br />I have short Northeast tour planned for November. There are more dates coming, but here are the three confirmed so far:<br /><br />Nov 5 - Boston, MA<br />Nov 6 - Burlington, VT<br />Nov 18 - New York, NY<br /><br />And in two days, I'll get to live out my fangirl dream, and play a cello version of Mad World with Tears for Fears at their <a href="http://bit.ly/zoetour">Northern California shows this week</a>.<br /><br />There are other things:<br /><br />- A speaking engagement on Sept 12 at the<a href="http://sfmusictech.com/"> SF Music Tech Summit</a><br />- A short performance on Oct 3 at the Fillmore in SF to kick of the <a href="http://www.grammy365.com/events/san-francisco-san-francisco-2011-mayoral-candidates-forum">SF Mayoral Candidates Forum</a>.<br />- The November 3 premier of the Kepler Project at the SF California Academy of Science Morrison Planetarium. I'm currently composing the score and it's an inspiring subject to write music for: snowflakes, harmony of the spheres, paradigm shift. Plus it will happen in a DOME.<br />- A Midwest tour in Feb 2012<br />- A new work for the Low End String Quartet that will <a href="http://www.restoncommunitycenter.com/arts_community_CenterStage_Show16.shtml">premier in April 2012</a>.<br /><br />Tickets and details for all these events can be found <a href="http://bit.ly/zoetour">HERE</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br />Thank you, thank you for listening!<br /><br />celloly yours, Zoehelenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-800242167301169682011-03-26T15:15:00.000-07:002011-03-26T16:02:00.501-07:00New Video: The Avant CellistA couple of weeks before I left to go on tour, a crew came north to the forest to shoot a short documentary about me. Most interviews have tended to focus on either the technology I use, the business of my career or my use of social media. So it was refreshing, and anomalous, to be asked about music for once. The video crew wanted to know about my artistic life and inspiration and point of view. But what makes the video even more unusual is that this wasn't made by an indy documentarian or a media outlet....but by Intel as part of their Visual Life campaign.<br /><br />If you know me, you already know that I don't do endorsements (well, to be honest, no one has ever asked) and that I choose my licensing clients very carefully (you'll never hear my music in a Coca Cola ad for example). So for the record, I was not paid to do this video. So far everyone I've met at Intel has been genuinely interested in and supportive of the arts. So if they want to highlight that support with their campaign, I think its a rare example of corporate intent and artistic purpose dovetailing. I'm ok with it.<br /><br />Its beautifully done and I think they captured me and my artistic life extremely well (although I find it hard to watch myself on video without putting my fingers in my ears and diving off my chair to hide under the table every 30 seconds). Thank you Intel.<br /><br />Hope you enjoy it.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" width="500" height="311" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/63wanWqzav8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>helenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-36035642751393994742011-02-10T09:56:00.000-08:002011-02-10T10:07:13.539-08:00A tour...and shows with Kaki King & RadiolabHooray, an "Into The Trees" tour is finally coming into focus!<br /><br />I've said it before, booking seems to be the last hurdle for a DIY artist. My previous efforts at lining up concerts in a logical geographical order haven't always been a success ;-) These new headlining concerts are thanks to my new booking agent.....(thank you Mark Lourie of Skyline for helping me get to my fans)<br /><br />I'm going to visit the continent in stages. This first round I have concerts on both coasts, and a few dates in Europe. We'll visit more of the continent in May and June. I say "we" since for the foreseeable future I tour with Cellofamily in tow (i.e. #cellobaby and #cellobabydaddy to those of you who follow me on Twitter...or Alex and Jeff to everyone else!). No doubt this experience of touring with a baby will lead to a fair amount of mommy-blogging....I apologize in advance.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.zoekeating.com/perform.html">Click here for Into the Trees Tour dates and ticket info</a> <br /><br />Radiolab shows...<br /><br />In March I'm pleased to announce that I'm joining the creators of my very favorite radio show, Radiolab, as they hit the road on a three-city tour...<br /><br />"Jad and Robert will be performing an upcoming episode on symmetry, and how it shapes our very existence—from the origin of the universe, to what we see when we look in the mirror. We'll search for love in ancient Greece, head to modern-day Princeton for a look inside our brains, and revisit an unlikely headline from the Oval Office circa 1979. And one of our favorite musicians, the amazing Zoe Keating, will be on stage to provide live cello scoring!"<br /><br />We're performing the show in NYC, LA and Seattle.<br />Tickets for these very special dates <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2011/feb/07/get-tickets-radiolab-live-symmetry/">can be purchased here</a><br /><br /><br />Kaki King shows...<br /><br />AND last but certainly not least.... I have four concerts on the West coast supporting Kaki King! Kaki is amazing and I love her music (did you hear the score to "Into The Wild"?). I can't tell you how pleased I am to be opening up for her. We have plans to do a little special something together too...<br /><br />Ticket info for these shows & the rest of my tour <a href="http://www.zoekeating.com/perform.html">can be found on my performing page</a>.<br /><br />So what is one of my performances like?<br />In case you've never seen me live before, hopefully this review will give you an idea...<br /><a href="http://www.glidemagazine.com/articles/56868/zoe-keating.html">Zoe Keating at the SF Independent 1/19/2011</a><br /><br />Thank you, thank you for all your continued support. I hope to play for you this year.<br /><br />Celloly yours, <br /><br />Zoe<br /><br />Feb 27: <a href="http://www.thecompoundgrill.com/compound/artist/141">The Compound Grill</a>, Phoenix, AZ<br />Feb 28: <a href="http://www.artpwr.com/events/695">UCSD The Loft</a>, La Jolla, CA (Supporting Kaki King)<br />Mar 2: <a href="http://www.largo-la.com/">Largo at the Coronet</a>, Los Angeles, CA (Supporting Kaki King) <br />Mar 3: <a href="http://www.cos.edu/artsandlectures/default.asp">College of the Sequoias Theater</a>, Visalia, CA (Supporting Kaki King) <br />Mar 4: <a href="http://sfyoshis2.inticketing.com/events/138308/KAKI-KING--8PM">Yoshi's</a>, San Francisco, CA (Supporting Kaki King) <br />Mar 6: <a href="http://lepoissonrouge.com/events/view/1982">Le Poisson Rouge</a>, New York, NY (2nd show added at 9pm!)<br />Mar 11: <a href="http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/01004592BAAF7250?artistid=1537979&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1&camefrom=CFC_BUYAT_drivngrevenue">Red Room at Cafe 939</a>,Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA<br />Mar 14: <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2011/feb/07/get-tickets-radiolab-live-symmetry/">Radiolab Live: Symmetry</a>, NYU Skirball Center, NY<br />Mar 17: Teatro de la Ciudad, Mexico City, (Supporting Andrew Bird)<br />Mar 20: <a href="http://www.katharinehepburntheater.org/blog/?appSession=821200769357698&RecordID=296&PageID=3&PrevPageID=2&cpipage=2&CPIsortType=&CPIorderBy=">The Kate Theater</a>, Old Saybrook, CT<br />Mar 23: <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2011/feb/07/get-tickets-radiolab-live-symmetry/">Radiolab Live: Symmetry</a>,UCLA Royce Hall, Los Angeles, CA<br />Mar 29: <a href="http://thetripledoor.net/Calendar/Events/March-2011/Zoe-Keating.aspx?date=2011-03-29">The Triple Door</a>, Seattle, WA<br />Mar 30: <a href="http://www.radiolab.org/blogs/radiolab-blog/2011/feb/07/get-tickets-radiolab-live-symmetry/">Radiolab Live: Symmetry</a>,5th Avenue Theater, Seattle, WA<br />Mar 31: <a href="http://www.aladdin-theater.com/">The Aladdin Theater</a>, Portland, OR (tix onsale 2/11/11)helenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-4166577539148237902010-12-15T21:26:00.000-08:002010-12-15T21:32:17.192-08:00A few shows in Jan & MarchAhoy me cello friends,<br /><br />Baby Alex (aka Cellobaby) has shown himself to be a happy sailor. He seems to enjoy new places, people and singing along during my concerts. So while the going is good, I have a plethora of performances in the approaching months. If you don't see your fair port in this list please do not be alarmed! In the coming year I do really intend to visit as many locales as possible, but I must do it in small chunks. Stay tuned for more concerts as I book them.<br /><br />One huge way you can help....tell me where you are! While we might occasionally frequent the same cafes in the astral plane (you know that one with the red sofas?)...I only know the terrestrial location of a small fraction of you. To tell me where you are, just sign up on my <a href="http://zoekeating.fanbridge.com/">email list</a> (I won't write you too often, don't worry).<br /><br />Lastly, I wanted to mention that (cough) my cd "Into The Trees" could be the perfect gift...say for a certain someone you'd like to impress with your sublime musical taste...or maybe as a peace offering to an estranged relative...or maybe to the person who seems to have everything and you never know what to give them. My sister Laura has been doing an amazing job sending cds off to every corner of the earth, and if you need them sent speedily or to be gift wrapped, she can do it (just say so in the order). They are available at the usual place: http://music.zoekeating.com<br /><br />Here are those shows in 2011...<br /><br />Jan 19: SAN FRANCISCO<br /><a href="http://www.theindependentsf.com/calendar/event-detail/?tfly_event_id=21083">The Independent</a><br />628 Divisidero Street<br />San Francisco, CA 94117<br /><br /><br />Mar 6: NEW YORK<br /><a href="http://lepoissonrouge.com/events/view/1850">Le Poisson Rouge</a><br />New York, NY<br /><br /><br />Mar 11: BOSTON<br /><a href="http://www.cafe939.com">Cafe 939</a><br />939 Boylston St<br />Boston, MA 02115<br /><br /><br />Mar 17: MEXICO CITY<br />Teatro de la Ciudad<br />Mexico City<br /><br />Mar 20: OLD SAYBROOK<br /><a href="http://www.katharinehepburntheater.org">The Kate: Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center</a><br />Old Saybrook, CT<br /><br /><br />Thank you yet again.<br /><br />celloly yours,<br /><br />Zoehelenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-25321171832412492812010-08-27T14:34:00.000-07:002010-08-27T14:48:07.854-07:00NPR, BBC, NBC and other acronymnsI've had a stroke of media luck this last week. I was interviewed by Laura Sydell for NPR's All Things Considered. Then, over the weekend BBC played me on "Introducing with Tom Robinson" and NBC used one of my songs (without telling me, ahem) in a Dateline special about Hurricane Katrina. Not a bad week!<br /><br /><a href="http://n.pr/bcwcjA">NPR: Women Musicians Seize on Social Media</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tj7sb">BBC Introducing with Tom Robinson (I'm about 1hr30 in)</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/11178">NBC Dateline: Hurricane Katrina, the First Five Years (my music at 06:51)</a><br /><br /><br />Right now I'm working on three things. First, my composition for the 01SJ Biennial with digital artist Robert Hodgin. We'll be premiering a BRAND NEW WORK in San Jose on Sept 18th. Here's where you can find out more details about both this incredible art festival and the concert. <br /><br /><a href="http://01sj.org/">01SJ Biennial "Build Your Own World"</a><br /><br />And second, I'm recording some more cello loops for Mark Isham for his score to a film called "Warrior" (can't remember if I mentioned it, but less than 1 day before baby Alex was born, I recorded parts for another of his scores...a Robert Redford film called "The Conspirator"). Then, I leave in less than 2 weeks for Switzerland, where I'm performing in the tiny town of Ilanz and in Berne. Thank goodness baby Alex seems to enjoy traveling...so far ;-)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cinemasilplaz.ch">Zoe Keating at Cinema Sil Platz: Sept 9 & 10</a><br /><br /><br />My concert with Apex Dance at Boulder Chautauqua was heaps of fun. Thank you to Apex Dance, Dan Gesmer of Seismic Skate and the Colorado Music Festival for hosting Jeff, Alex and I and for making my first major concert as a mother logistically possible. And thank you to everyone in Colorado who came to see us!<br /><br /><img style="width: 350px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSpLUVKBcg1nIb6A3QObOYKWsOHCOA358BJjozzc1EhAhDGPnU1Xdn-W6EthQbwdT4LEFHvHg9qhKR1GsWZIo_FbzCsujGmv17vqaPLgQVPJ-0fEFsxfdz-a4M004AEgnlZcwTJDr7EY/s1600/web-6.jpg" border="0"/><br /><br /><br />My next goal is to do a national tour to play for as many of you as possible. I'll need your help in figuring out which cities to visit...but more about that in my next post.<br /><br /><img style="width: 350px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj55tS5aSF-KHrQNGUwyA9gIA3-0b8YEh3z7avVMEDloeJvUQiIJ5ykcnpmRbU95NzNODtDG2iK6pg5QQx5zIYMKN9LElBGw4AVxeO9MCO5fKs8SfnBlaCJeGqS3ezmkHkOKz4SGFmuXWI/s1600/web-10.jpg" border="0"><br /><br />Anyway, I hope you've had a wonderful summer, nutty weather and all. <br /><br />Thank you, thank you for listening....<br /><br />celloly yours, Zoe<br /><br /><img style="width: 350px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mhbqq6emDRdgR9wR-PnxX3Q9_ta_0MKZdsptpmRseZXR3hho8aw7YIt74YvlOFrqwMJz9BU6a9kMvvMo5rdaFC7_gqs9Dsyo15WPke6RplBqn-JHFT_TZ6ljXRWCiqeG1-ey1G-cQJc/s1600/web-7.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510208269406699602" />helenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-71927354441552215462010-07-09T09:25:00.000-07:002010-07-09T22:33:38.740-07:00Internet Royalty Math Makes My Brain HurtLast year, egged on by the ubiquitous "We've Got Money for Artists!" advertising campaign... I signed up for Soundexchange (Soundexchange, in case you don't know them, are the entity entrusted by Congress to administer performance royalties for artists for internet airplay). <br /><br />I've been a Pandora fan since they began. I remember seeing a job posting for the Music Genome Project back in maybe 2000 and considering applying. I have a subscription and listen almost every day. I had a vague sense of my internet plays from other people. From what i hear, I think a lot of people listen to and discover me there. So to GET PAID indirectly by Pandora, in addition to being a fan, seemed, well, awesome.<br /><br />It took over six months to process the Soundexchange paperwork and I waited with cautious optimism to receive a check. I got it last week. The amounts were, from 2006 to the present:<br /><br /> $158 as copyright owner (i.e. label payment since I'm my own label)<br /> $135 as performer<br /><br />Honestly, that seemed kind of low. So, I wrote to Pandora to ask my total plays. They, bless them, wrote back that collectively all my songs have had about 423,000 spins <br /><br />That number isn't up there with Lady Gaga, but it seemed like a lot of plays to me. Not having followed the outcome of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, I naively thought that 423,000 plays should surely amount to more than $293. I wrote to SoundExchange asking for details about how the math works. <br /><br />Their response I did not understand....<br /><br /><blockquote><br /><i>...Digital service providers are only required to reported 2 weeks worth of performances a quarter. Moreover, those 2 weeks do not have to be on consecutive days, they can report any 14 days worth of performances within a 3 month period. If your performances do not occur within that period, then there are no reported performances to be compensated for...I believe that while you had 423,000 performances from Pandora, not all of them were during a reported period.<br /></i> </blockquote><br /><br />I was confused, and spawned a discussion on the Tunecore mailing list. However, a few hours later, after writing it all up for this blog, I got a message from Soundexchange which explains the math once and for all.<br /><br /><blockquote><br /><i>To address your concerns about the amount, the number you cited ($290 or so) is just about correct for 423,000 performances by a service operating under the pureplay rates (as Pandora does). The nonsubscription “per performance” rates for services that elect the pureplay rates start at $.0008 in 2006 and rise to $.00097 “per performance” in 2010. Remember that by law 5% of your earned royalties are paid into a fund which supports backup musicians and session players, and around 8% is SoundExchange’s administrative rate, to pay our staff and keep the lights on.</i><br /></blockquote><br /><br />So there you have it. There is no mystery or shadowy accounting going on. The numbers are just very, very low. Lower than I realized, which I suppose is the tradeoff to keeping internet broadcasters in business. <br /><br />End of story. Now I'm off to put baby Alex to bed with his favorite Ulrich Schnauss Pandora station.helenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-25848108384365653212010-07-08T10:10:00.000-07:002010-07-08T12:19:53.454-07:00The Scoop on Billboard ChartingMy first gig as a new mum was last Tuesday: a short performance at an Intel conference in San Jose. The days leading up to the gig, I managed to practice in little chunks in between Alex's feedings. Then on Tuesday morning, I tanked him up for the 2 and a half hour drive, gave him a quick feed when we got there, sent baby Alex off with his Dad, rearranged my outfit and played the concert. On the way back home we got stuck in traffic in San Francisco and since it was a nice day, decided to wait it out at the Java Beach Cafe on Ocean Beach. <br /><br />While we were there, soaking up the beachy atmosphere, I got an email from someone at Billboard inquiring about details for "Into the Trees" for the charts. Oooh! I took Alex back to the van for another feed and called the number.<br /><br />"What is the record label and catalog number for this album?" the man on the phone asked.<br /><br />"Er...none", I said, "I released it myself."<br /><br />"Ok, and what is the retail price?"<br /><br />"Well, I'm selling physical copies for $14 and deluxe editions for $20, but I sell them from my website so they aren't reported. I guess I'm charting from digital downloads on Bandcamp, which are pay-what-you-want with a minimum of $8".<br /><br />"Bandcamp?" he asked.<br /><br />At that moment Alex started crying.<br /><br />"Hang on a minute! My baby fell off the nipple, I have to adjust him". <br /><br />I got Alex latched back on and picked up the cell phone again.<br /><br />"You have a new baby?"<br /><br />"Yes, he's seven weeks old. I'm nursing him in the car on the way home from a corporate gig".<br /><br />"Ah...well that's all I need to know. Congrats on the new baby and on making the charts".<br /><br /><br />The following day, sure enough, there I was on the Billboard classical chart at #7. I was very pleased. However, I kicked myself for not doing all my sales through Bandcamp because none of my pre-orders were counted through Soundscan. Until last week, I was still selling the physical CDs from my site, which means they don't "count". So on the one hand, I was happy to chart 100% from digital downloads and no advertising or PR other than a couple tweets and emails.... but on the other hand, two thirds of my sales weren't reported. 24 hours previously I hadn't cared about reporting sales at all. Now I cared about it.<br /><br />You see how this goes - its the musical equivalent of keeping up with the Joneses. Before, I was alone in my forest and happy as a clam to be selling any music at all but now I'm comparing myself to others and left unsatisfied (Semi OT: this is one of the things I like about living where I do. There aren't very many people around to remind me that my car is old and I've been wearing the same grubby outfit all week).<br /><br />I had been revamping my website prior to the album release in a piecemeal fashion (i.e. doing bits of HTML with one hand while breastfeeding) and hadn't gotten around to changing the ordering page. So the day after charting on Billboard, you can be sure I moved all my physical sales to Bandcamp as well (much to the relief of my sister, who handles the mailing of my CDs, and was exasperated with both me and Paypal. Bandcamp has a much friendlier order fulfillment interface).<br /><br />AND NOW WE COME TO THE MEAT OF THIS RAMBLING BLOG POST where I talk about how many sales figures it takes to chart on the Billboard classical charts.<br /><br />This Washington Post article is interesting:<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/29/AR2010012904193.html">Classical artists such as Hilary Hahn chart big on Billboard with little sales</a><br /><br /> <blockquote>"The dirty secret of the Billboard classical charts is that album sales figures are so low, the charts are almost meaningless. Sales of 200 or 300 units are enough to land an album in the top 10. Hahn's No. 1 recording, after the sales spike resulting from her appearance on Conan, bolstered by blogs and press, sold 1,000 copies."</blockquote><br /><br />As delighted as I am to be able to add the tagline to my resume, I was actually surprised to make the Billboard charts because I didn't think I'd sold very many. How many did I sell that week to make the #7 spot? I sold 640 full album downloads (I'm assuming Soundscan doesn't count single song downloads). This last week I sold 709 copies, which put me at #12. <br /><br />What doesn't get reported though is what I call "purchase enthusiasm". In other words, how many of you opted to pay $20, $30, $50, even $100 for a download of my new album. I've been floored by your generosity (thank you!).<br /><br />Other bits of data for you to interpret as you wish: on Bandcamp, as of today I've had 71,115 plays (57,789 complete plays, 13,317 partial plays)...1700 Bandcamp album sales and 1988 album pre-orders. Someone also pointed out that my album is on numerous filesharing sites, and one site logs 27,000 downloads of it. This listen-to-buy ratio doesn't seem all that great to me, but then, I have nothing to compare it to.<br /><br />I'm in this for the long run (the Natoma album has keep me housed and fed for four years) and happy with how things are going, especially given that I've done zero promo. So I won't dwell any more on the numbers but will get back to the more important task of making music. I have a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/zoekeating?v=app_2344061033">performance with a ballet</a> to get ready for on August 3rd.helenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-34569940373937817792010-06-23T18:28:00.000-07:002010-07-06T18:58:58.849-07:00My new album is here!!!Dear Friends, Family and Fans, <br /><br />At long last "Into The Trees" is shipping!!!<br /><br />It felt rather epic getting the album out. There were an astonishing number of snags that had nothing to do with me having a baby. Maybe I'll tell you the story later when its aged enough to be funny...<br /><br />For those of you who pre-ordered....thank you again. My wonderful sister is mailing your CDs as I write this. To tide you over until your copy arrives in the post.... the album is temporarily streaming at <a href="http://music.zoekeating.com">music.zoekeating.com</a><br /><br />For those of you who would still like a physical copy...the album comes in 2 flavors: a regular edition with 11 tracks in a cardboard digipak; and a deluxe edition with 16 tracks, album notes and photo-booklet in a cardboard digipak. Both can be obtained on my website <a href="http://www.zoekeating.com">www.zoekeating.com</a><br /><br />I don't know when "Into The Trees" will appear on iTunes, hopefully soon, but digital copies (including 320k mp3 and FLAC) can also be downloaded at <a href="http://music.zoekeating.com.">music.zoekeating.com</a>.<br /><br />THANK YOU for your patience and I hope the music is worth the wait. I've already started on Album #4. I've found motherhood so inspiring and my head has been filled with music since I gave birth six weeks ago.<br /><br />Now, the next step is to tour....;-)<br /><br />celloly yours, <br /><br />Zoehelenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-87172775863931978312010-03-10T00:39:00.000-08:002010-03-10T00:40:02.717-08:00Album, SXSW, LA show...Yes, I know, I know...I missed my album release date (I'm gonna fire myself for sure this time!). I really thought I could get it to you by March 1st, but I was sorely mistaken. There's no problem other than I'm just a slowpoke and doing too far many things at once. <br /><br />Also, for the <a href="http://www.zoekeating.com/blog/2010/03/expanding.html">reason I announced here</a> (i.e. I'm having a baby in May!!) for the last 6 months I haven't been able to work late into the night as is my custom...because I keep falling asleep! I've been doing little bits here and there, in between all my other projects, but not the solid music immersion sessions that I like to do. <br /><br />However, I am at last happy with how everything sounds. Now I need to finish up the mixing/mastering process with my trusty post-production friend Count and then Jeff and I will package it up...and hopefully some of you will still want it!<br /><br />In the meantime, I've got some performances coming up that I'm really looking forward to. <br /><br />The first is my SXSW showcase, next week on March 17 at 8pm at <a target="top" href="http://my.sxsw.com/events/eid/8627">Central Presbyterian Church</a>. I'll also be speaking on a panel, <a target="top" href="http://my.sxsw.com/events/eid/6571"> Effective Online Marketing Platforms</a>, on March 19 at 2pm, along with Lou Plaia from ReverbNation, Corey Denis of Not Shocking, Jason Lekberg from Epic Records and Josh Wittman of Redeye Distribution.<br /><br />Then, after SXSW, I'll be heading to LA to play a very special show with Curt Smith from Tears For Fears on March 23, at <a target="top" href="http://www.largo-la.com">Largo at the Coronet</a>. As <a target="top" href="http://mashable.com/2010/02/23/curt-smith-interview/">Mashable wrote recently</a>, we collaborated via Twitter on his new song "All is Love". I'm rather happy with how the cello arrangement came out (you can download it on <a target="top" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0031W1O8Q?ie=UTF8&tag=cursmioff-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0031W1O8Q">Amazon</a> and <a class="link-store storelink-itunes" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/all-is-love-feat-zoe-keating-single/id351226506" target="_blank">iTunes</a>.).<br /><br />On March 23rd, I'll play my own set, with songs from my new album, and then I'll sit in with Curt and his band on "All is Love" and maybe even "Mad World", if I can hash out a good cello version. More info at the <a target="top" href="http://www.largo-la.com">Largo</a> website and tickets are available in advance by calling (310) 855-0350. <br /><br />Other performances coming up:<br /><br />March 28: <a target="top" href="http://www.switchboardmusic.com/">Switchboard Music Festival</a> in San Francisco, CA<br /><br />August 3: Colorado Music Festival in Boulder, CO<br />This evening will feature both solo performance and the premier of new ballet by the Apex Dance Company set to live music by me. <a target="top" href="http://www.coloradomusicfest.org/">tickets available here</a><br /><br />Ok, that's it for now. If you're in Austin next week, say hello to me and my giant belly! <br /><br />Thanks for listening, <br /><br />Zoehelenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-76274634350299592812010-03-09T22:54:00.000-08:002010-03-10T09:23:26.939-08:00ExpandingJeff and I went down to see Robert Hodgin & Aaron Toblin's exhibit at <a target="top" href="http://www.gaffta.org">GAFFTA</a> a couple weeks ago. They are both such awesome artists. I'm really excited to be collaborating with Robert for the <a target="top" href="http://01sj.org/">2010 01SJ Biennial</a> in September. We're going to put on a joint performance. The spiel:<br /><br />"<span style="font-style:italic;">Composition for the ears meets composition for the eyes in an organic, evolving world of sight and sound. Zoë Keating will create a lush soundscape of live, layered cello, which Robert Hodgin will translate into light. "</span><br /><br /><br />While we were there, I finally saw the SFMOMA posters in the MUNI station that everyone's been talking about. I really wanted to steal one, but I refrained.<br /><br />However, I doubt you will find the poster the most interesting thing about this photo ....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zoekeating.com/blog/uploaded_images/P2211062-788701.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://www.zoekeating.com/blog/uploaded_images/P2211062-788651.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zoekeating.com/blog/uploaded_images/P2211060-790650.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://www.zoekeating.com/blog/uploaded_images/P2211060-790636.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />ahem.<br /><br />Yes, its true! We're expecting a baby in MAY! So, if you see me over the next couple months, please don't think my latest hippo-look is just because I've gone all crazy with the chocolate ice cream (although I admit I have felt compelled to eat a fair amount of it over the last few months).helenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-11441786352088051282010-01-06T11:44:00.000-08:002010-01-06T11:52:42.187-08:00NEW ALBUM news & SFMOMA concertHello my friends...<br /><br />A very happy New Year to you!! 2010 feels like a very futuristic number. Are we in the future yet?<br /><br />I have so many things to tell you that I'm going to have to break it up over several posts. <br /><br />But to start....<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;color:white;">***MY NEW ALBUM*** is called "<i>Into the Trees</i>"</span><br />I've selected March 1st as the release date. Much more about that next week!!! Please stay tuned...<br /><br /><br />Other things....<br /><br />- "In C Remixed", which is an album of remixes of Terry Riley's "In C" as performed by the GVSU New Music Ensemble (with pieces by me, Jad Abumrad, David Lang, Mason Bates, DJ Spooky...many others) was named one of the top 10 classical albums of the year by the Washington Post. <a href="http://www.in-c-remixed.com/">Here's where to get a copy.</a><br /><br />- I did some cello arrangements for a new song by Curt Smith (who you might know from Tears For Fears). Its called "All Is Love" and <a href="http://www.curtsmithofficial.com/">will be released on Jan 24th</a>.<br /><br />- I recorded cello on this lovely little song by a new band called <a href="http://bit.ly/7RnHZ5">Pomplamoose</a><br /><br />- For the 75th anniversary of the SFMOMA, I wrote some music to go with 2 works in their permanent collection (Rothko "No, 14, 1960" and Ellsworth Kelly "Stele 1"). The music will be included in the museum's launch of a multimedia tour of the collection, be available on your own handheld devices, such as cell phones and MP3 players, and as an application for iPhones. The app will launch on their anniversary weekend, Jan 16.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">And speaking of January 16.....</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">- FREE concert at the SFMOMA with Loop!Station and Matmos.</span><br /><br />I'm looking forward to performing for you, then listening to some music, maybe having a sip of wine while walking around the museum...and its all free.<br />I'm playing first, so make sure you come early, or you might miss me!<br /><br />Saturday, January 16, SFMOMA, Haas Atrium 6:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. <br />Zoë Keating at 7:00 p.m.<br />Loop!Station at 8:00 p.m.<br />Matmos at 9:30 p.m.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sfmoma.org/events/1531">Museum and program admission are free.</a><br /><br /><br />***<br /><br />Thank you so much for listening. In preparation for my next release, I did a detailed tally of albums sold and its almost 30,000 (breaks down to 64% digtial and 36% physical) !!! Not bad for no record label, marketing or publicity...and especially considering my 100% lack of "strategy" other than "be myself". I know that many of you have bought CDs multiple times just to support me. I keep thinking that I'll have to eventually go back to working my tech job, and each year, I'm amazed that this music thing is working out. Really, I can't thank you enough! <br /><br />very humbly yours, <br /><br />Zoehelenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-92052281914198974192009-09-27T22:38:00.001-07:002009-09-28T00:59:56.319-07:00Deep thoughts on my music careerI went down to San Jose last week to do an interview and performance on the NBC Bay Area show <a href="http://www.pressheretv.com">Press:Here</a>. The host, Scott McGrew was awesome for making the whole thing happen. The piece aired on TV this morning (its also available on the web <a href="http://www.pressheretv.com/default.asp?cat=1&subcat=1#videoplayer">here</a>) and one of the interviewers also wrote about it for <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/09/27/zoe-keating-web-fame-that-actually-translated-to-a-career/">TechCrunch</a>.<br /><br />The interview went by so fast, and there was such much I wanted to say that I didn't get in because I was so flustered. Thankfully, that's what blogs are for: a chance to elaborate. Here are some of the questions I was asked, and how I would have liked to answer them if I had had my wits about me and an hour instead of a few minutes.<br /><br />Thank you Scott McGrew and everyone at Press: Here TV and thank you Sarah Lacy for the follow up story. These things really help, they really do.<br /><br /><br />----<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;color:#bbbb88;">Do you feel like you've sold out in licensing your music?</span><br /><br />Nope. Basically I think "selling out" is when you compromise your creative ideals in exchange for money. I have never done that, so I don't think I'm selling out.<br /><br />I've been lucky that the companies who've wanted to use my music are selling things that I approve of, like Apple, Specialized Bikes, and Herman Miller. Second, in every single case, I didn't solicit them. The people making the commercials found me and asked if they could use my already existing music, or if I could tweak something to fit. Thankfully I haven't had a situation yet where I've had moral problems with the company (i.e. Exxon).<br /><br />The film work I've done has been custom in that I've had to write to the movie. But I don't feel like I'm selling out there either. Directors ask me to write for their films because they want a certain style that I presumably have. I would never compose anything out of character. Its all MY music and I think its recognizable as such. If someone approached me wanting me to write a score of salsa music, well, I'd turn them down...because I don't write salsa music. <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;color:#bbbb88;">How did you get 1 million followers on Twitter?</span><br /><br />I've been very upfront about this. I've written about it, the SF Chronicle and Billboard magazine have written about it: I am on the Twitter Suggested User List! I don't know how I got there, or how (or if) I deserve it...but of course its incredible and I'm grateful and I should probably give Twitter a cut of my income if it makes me a lot more money than normal (I don't know yet if that is the case). <br /><br />I will say however that I don't think this all this is a big deal. I honestly don't believe that 1 million people are listening to everything I say. I use Twitter to talk to whatever subset of that million is my friends, fans and potential fans.<br /><br />What is great about Twitter is that, like I said in the interview, it allows me to be myself to as many people as possible. Me and my music are the same thing and I've always had this stubborn, egotistical belief that if I just had a chance to get the real me across....people would be interested. The belief that what I'm doing is worthwhile, even if no one hears it, has sustained me through a lot of rejections and hard times.<br /><br />I doubt my current career would be possible without the internet. Thanks to social networks I can have what feels like a direct relationship with an increasingly vast audience. There is no middleman. <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;color:#bbbb88;">If a label approached you with a huge record contract, would you take it?</span><br /><br />No. There are so many reasons....<br /><br />I can't help noticing that most of the signed musicians I've known are broke or struggling. Those on small labels keep their day jobs. Mid-level bands, they run through their advance quickly and then they make a living by touring constantly so that they can sell t-shirts. It will be several millennia before the amount they owe the record label is recouped out of the band's royalty, and they don't own the recordings. New music/modern classical artists seem to sustain themselves with teaching and maybe performing as they get more well known.<br /><br />Then there are the bands I know who've been dropped as soon as their sales dip. I know bands who've been majorly screwed by this: they recorded followup albums that never saw the light of day, or had nervous breakdowns. A basic financial decision to a company can feel like a matter of life or death to an artist.<br /><br />So I've just watched all this and since I'm realistic that my brand of instrumental cello music is never going to go platinum anyway, I might as well save myself some suffering, release it myself and keep all the money.<br /><br />I didn't always think this way. I used to feel like landing a recording contract was like a "stamp of approval" and I wanted that approval. Back when I was starting out my solo career, Myspace didn't exist yet. The standard wisdom was that the way to success was to build a local following and strive to get the attention of a record label. I spent some time and energy sending my music unsolicited to record labels, agents and managers that I thought would be a good fit for me. Of course I didn't hear back from most of them. I did hear back from two labels that were kind enough to reply. They both said that I didn't fit with the other artists on their roster. <br /> <br />Since then, I've had industry executives tell me very respectfully the following things: my music is interesting but not marketable; my music can't be sold because it doesn't have words & it lacks a single, simple melody for people to latch onto; and I am not young/not sexy enough/too nerdy. I've had classical industry people tell me that my music is too pop. I've had pop industry people tell me my music is too classical. And by the way, what category am I in and can I name any similar artists? The music industry seems entirely focused on releasing albums that are similar to albums that have sold before. <br /><br />Very quickly, it became clear that I would never fit on any label without serious compromise....so I stopped trying. I didn't bother to hire someone to craft a "story" that would fit me into a neat little bucket. I just focused on playing music and selling my CDs at shows and on my website, and on Amazon, CDBaby, iTunes, Rhapsody, etc.<br /><br />I'm not trashing record labels. They perform a useful service for many artists. But I don't think the model works for me. I think of recording contracts as very, very expensive bank loans. In the future, if I need extra money to make an album, I'm more likely to try and raise it by appealing to my fans.<br /><br />Because there aren't very many mouths to feed, I don't feel any pressure to continually be selling more, more, more. I have never done an ounce of official marketing or publicity. I make enough to pay the mortgage, the bills, go out to dinner and a movie every now and then, go on vacation and save money for the future. I'm not rich, my car is old, but I have enough to live well and not be continually worried about money. That's really all I want. I want to exist and keep making more music. I'm in this for the long haul. Slow and steady is fine by me. <br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;color:#bbbb88;">How do you make a living?</span><br /><br />I realized that I should probably know the exact percentage breakdown of my finances before I answer questions on television. I just went and looked up all my tax returns, looking from Dec 2005 when I released my Natoma album until today. Averaged over that almost 4 year period, roughly speaking, digital sales have totaled 40% my income. Of the remaining 60%, maybe a quarter of that is physical sales and the other 3/4 is licensing, commissions, performance fees, grants, and royalties. That's all 4 years together. This year physical sales and performance fees are much less because I've spent most of the year in the studio and not performing (that's the deal... if you're out there performing, you sell music, but then you can't write music). But digital sales and licensing has been much higher and made up for it. This year has been my best year ever, I'm guessing because of my internet presence.<br /><br />I'm optimistic about the future. However, the entire situation is constantly changing and I know I can't keep all my eggs in one basket. So if by this time next year everyone has migrated to subscription music services, I'd better find a substitute for the digital chunk of my income. I don't want to start selling T-shirts, which I've resisted to date. I do know it helps when people know that by purchasing my music they are supporting me directly, that each CD sold is a vote for me to continue as an artist. <br /><br /><br /><br />Phew! That's it! <br /><br />I'd love to hear your comments about all of the above!helenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-64159739878902474162009-05-25T21:28:00.000-07:002009-05-25T21:41:11.147-07:00Billboard Mag storyThe press gods have been smiling on me recently. I'm sure it won't last, so if you are near a magazine shop this week, pick up a copy of Billboard Magazine and you will find in there a picture of me with a wee story.<br /><br /><a href="http://bit.ly/laSxw">Billboard: Tweet Child O' Mine</a><br /><br />(one detail about the story I feel the need to correct: my so-called "sales" figures. As you know, I don't have a record label and sell the majority of my CDs through my own website and at shows. Because individuals have to jump through such hoops to report sales to Soundscan, I don't. I never saw any point. Anyway, the sales figures they mention in the article can only be be digital....unless Soundscan is omnipresent and knows what people buy directly from me on Paypal. The article failed to mention that detail.)<br /><br />Thank you again for coming to see me in April and selling out the Old First Church. I never believe there will be more than two people in the audience, so you really surprised me.<br /><br />Since I forgot to say anything about it at the April show (doh!) just a reminder that I'll be doing it all again (sans Charles Rus, alas) at the Great American Music Hall on Thursday, June 4th. I'm opening for Amy X Neuberg and her cello chiXtet. Its an early night, the doors are at 7:30 and I play at 8pm.<br /><br /><br />Amy X Neuberg & the Cello ChiXtet<br />Zoe Keating<br /><br />"Amy X Neuburg & The Cello ChiXtet celebrate the CD release of "The Secret Language of Subways" -- an 'avant-cabaret' song cycle for voice and 3 cellos, with live electronic percussion, looping and processing. Opening the show will be the incomparable Zoë Keating performing her one-woman orchestra of solo works for layered cello. "<br /><br />Thursday, June 4th<br />Great American Music Hall<br />859 Ofarrell St<br />San Francisco, CA 94109<br /><br />Doors 7:30, Show at 8<br />$15<br /><br />advance tickets at: <a href="http://bit.ly/15k3xJ">GAMHTicket</a><br /><br />Thank you!<br /><br />celloly yours, <br /><br />Zoehelenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-73099044260905421942009-05-04T17:38:00.000-07:002009-05-04T22:33:58.421-07:00Wired and WoodpeckersHello Everyone, <br /><br />The cello and I have a few things we'd like to tell you about.... <br /><br />WIRED INTERVIEW<br /><br />A few weeks ago Dylan Tweney, the Wired "Gadget Lab" editor, and a video crew, made the windy trek up to my forest studio north of San Francisco. We talked about composition and information architecture and I played a few songs. The result was captured in these THREE videos now up on the Wired website. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/05/keating/">Here they are</a><br /><br /><br />GHOST BIRD PREMIER THIS WEEK <br /><br />You've heard me talk about Scott Crocker's film "Ghost Bird" that I wrote music for last year. Well, the official world premier is happening this week at the Toronto Hot Docs Festival. "Ghost Bird" will be screening Wed May 6th and Friday May 8th. I realize most of you are not in Toronto, so, for your listening pleasure, <a href="http://www.zoekeating.com/musicfromghostbird.html">here is some of the never-before-released music that I made for the film</a><br /><br />And, for those of you in Toronto: <a href="http://schedule.hotdocs.ca/index.php/2009/film/ghost_bird">screening info</a><br /><br /><br />JUNE 4TH IN SAN FRANCISCO<br /><br />And lastly, tickets are onsale for my performance on June 4th at the Great American Music Hall. I'll be sharing a bill with Amy X Neuberg and her cello chiXtet for her CD release party. So yes, a cello extravaganza!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.gamh.com/artist_pages/amy_x_neuberg_060409.htm">Tickets here</a><br /><br />Ok, sorry to be so brief.....back to work with me....(on that album I won't even talk about until its DONE)<br /><br />Thank you very much!<br /><br />Celloly yours, <br /><br />Zoehelenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-26944142263064195652009-03-25T12:27:00.000-07:002009-03-25T13:03:43.297-07:00Australia report, SF Concerts, film newsHello my cello friends, <br /><br />Australia was amazing. I've been back for two weeks now and already I'm wondering if that really happened. Did I really go sunbathing on a perfect white beach and then swim in the Indian ocean, on the same day as a show? Did I really play four nights at the Sydney Opera House? I loved the people I met, the coffee, the light, the food. Fantastic.<br /><br />Touring is wonderful, its one of my favorite things about my job, but it can be maddening when you are a "slow" traveller like myself. I like to explore every nook and cranny of a place, preferably over a period of weeks. I like to buy fish and vegetables in the local markets. I like to sit in cafes and learn bits of history or language from locals who will humor me. But on tour, especially one where I'm in a different city every day, I might have only a couple hours, if that, to absorb as much atmosphere as possible. I spend those precious hours alone, getting drunk on scenery, gorging myself on whatever local delicacies I can find. Sometimes I think I'm invisible, am I really here? Then, I race back to the venue to setup my equipment, soundcheck, and start the evening's work. All these delicious glimpses of a place make me fantasize about the adventures I will have when I come back. That list of places is now impossibly long. I've written about this before, but I really felt it keenly in Australia. <br /><br />Anyway, back to the present. I have some nice bits of news to report.<br /><br />First, Scott Crocker's documentary "Ghost Bird" was accepted into the Toronto HotDocs festival. I composed and recorded the soundtrack and I am very happy with the music. I would like to come out for the screening, and so I'm trying to arrange a performance in Toronto around that time. More details soon I hope. Until then, here is info about when the film will be screening:<br /><br /><a href="http://tinyurl.com/dbsrng">Ghost Bird screening times</a><br /><br />Next, I have a couple of performances coming up in San Francisco! <br /><br /><b>April 24th with organist Charles Rus. </b><br />This is a very special concert. Charles is an old friend, he's an uber talented organist and all-round amazing human being who lives and breathes music. He recently moved to Seattle, but prior to that he played organ with the San Francisco Symphony. We'll be doing a joint performance that will include my solo layered cello music, some modern and classical works for solo pipe organ (i.e. Phillip Glass and Bach), some duets and some cello plus pipe organ ambient improvisation. <br /><br />Friday, April 24th<br />8:00 pm<br />Zoe Keating & Charles Rus<br /><br />Old First Church<br />1751 Sacramento St. (at Van Ness Ave)<br />San Francisco, CA<br /><br /><a href="http://www.oldfirstconcerts.org/performances/229/">Tickets are available in advance here</a><br /><br /><b>June 4 with Amy X Neuberg</b><br />Amy is another amazing musician I've known for a while. She is celebrating the release of a new CD with a performance with her Cello ChiXtet at the Great American Music Hall. I will be opening the show and playing the 1st half of the evening. So an all-cello, all-the-time, evening at my favorite local venue.<br /><br />Thursday, June 4th<br />doors 7:30<br />show 8:00pm<br /><br />Great American Music Hall<br />859 O'Farrell Street <br />San Francisco, CA 94109 <br /><br /><a href="http://www.gamh.com/artist_pages/amy_x_neuberg_060409.htm">Tickets are available in advance here</a><br /><br /><br />That's it for now! I'm looking forward to playing in San Francsico again. Its been a while.<br /><br />Thank you for listening. <br /><br />Celloly yours, <br /><br />Zoehelenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-46848985410692153222009-01-20T17:03:00.000-08:002009-01-20T17:51:53.087-08:00Creative Capital performing arts grant20 Jan 2009<br /><br />Hello everyone. <br /><br />I'm still somewhat stunned by this news...<br /><br />...Jeff Rusch and I were awarded a performing arts grant by the Creative Capital Foundation! The initial grant is for $10,000 and we are eligible for up to $50,000 over the course of the project. In addition to funding for our project, which I'll tell you about in a minute, we also get to participate in Creative Capital’s Artist Services Program. The program "offers artists assistance in areas like as fundraising, networking, marketing, and strategic planning, with the goal of advancing both their projects and their careers". <br /><br />Um, WOW. The application process spanned several months last year and it seemed like such a long shot that I tried not to get my hopes up too much. In fact, I had put the grant out of my mind entirely and assumed we would do our project this year without funding. So when I got the phone call, I happened to be at a restaurant at the time, and I promptly lay down on the floor in shock. <br /><br />What is the project? It is to create a live synaesthetic presentation of my music. Jeff and I will be taking one step further the work we have done together in the past with our layered cello-plus-video performances in San Francisco, in Italy, and in France. The goal is to create an ideal live performance environment in which you, the audience, can experience a version of what I see in my mind's eye as I play. <br /><br />I'm very grateful. The first meetings with Creative Capital are this week. The work begins!<br /><br />Obviously, I'll keep you posted on all this as it develops. If all goes well we should be ready to perform in November.<br /><br />2008 went out with a bang. I had a great time on tour with Amanda Palmer and the Danger Ensemble. I really love performing, and also I love to travel. Its already a blur of warm fuzzy memories. A special treat this time around was that I got to tour with my sister Laura and her pregnant belly (she is Amanda's as merch girl extraordinaire). <br /><br />Now I'm also very eager to be back in my studio because being in my studio means I can WORK ON MY ALBUM, which I haven't been here to do since August. I've been tinkering away on it the last 2 weeks, hopefully productively!<br /><br />Thanks very much for listening. I know these are tough times for a lot of people, but watching the inauguration today gave me so much hope. <br /><br />celloly yours, Zoehelenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-24696758062225594562008-11-21T09:01:00.000-08:002008-11-21T09:09:23.890-08:00A Ballet in ValenciaIt is 6am and I am wide awake here in my temporary apartment on a quiet medieval street in Valencia, Spain. It is so beautiful! Its like a stone stage set. I am still having difficulty believing I am here.<br /><br />How it happened....the choreographer Asun Noales discovered my music on iTunes. She choreographed a ballet to "Updraught", "Legions (War)" and "Frozen Angels". Then she was invited to put on the ballet at the Teatro Principal here in Valencia so the music director of the theater contacted me to see if I could produce sheet music for orchestra. However, because I didn't have time to do that (because I was leaving the following day to play at MIT and then join Amanda Palmer's European tour) they asked me to come do it live.<br /><br />Hmmm...let me think hard about that one...a two week trip to Valencia, Spain to perform with a ballet company in a grand theater that is a copy of La Scala in Milan...how about....FUCK YES?!<br /><br />So here I am. I've stayed up nearly every night the last 4 days making the music perfect. I'm finally ready, which is good because the premier is today.<br /><br />Here are the details if any of you happen to be in Spain over the next week (come on, the weather is lovely and the food here is fantastic!).<br /><br /><br />"Llebeig" <br /><br />danced by the Ballet de Teatres de la Generalitat<br />choreography by Asun Noales<br /><br />live music by Zoe Keating<br /><br />Teatro Principal<br />Valencia, Spain<br /><br />Nov 20, 21, 22 and 28 at 9pm<br /><br />Nov 23, 26 and 27 at 7pm<br /><br />10 to 20 Euro<br /><br />tickets here: http://www.bancajaticket.es/Servientrada/janto/main.php<br /><br />Celloly yours from Spain, <br /><br />Zoe<br /><br /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.zoekeating.com/blog/uploaded_images/2371239551_11098d19ae-749770.jpg" border="0" alt="" /><br /><br/><br /><br /><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.zoekeating.com/blog/uploaded_images/2472717627_39dc4eac06-723240.jpg" border="0" alt="" />helenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-72910085834499279362008-10-30T14:02:00.000-07:002008-10-30T14:05:27.628-07:00Live videos from ParisHere are two videos from my performance in Paris last week at La Boule Noire. Thank you Fanch Oriant and Alexandra Opillard for taking video! Also, these two songs are still untitled...if you have any suggestions, write to me!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TBiixjFZzMs&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TBiixjFZzMs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PTU-6oigFg0&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PTU-6oigFg0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>helenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-38490295584084282922008-10-22T15:56:00.001-07:002008-10-22T15:57:10.849-07:00My schedule for the rest of the yearHello!<br /><br />I'm writing this from Paris, where I just spent a lovely day wandering with my sister. Because we're here on tour we had no plans, which is kind of nice. We headed off in the most appealing direction and went from pastry shop to pastry shop until we found ourselves at the Louvre. Then we strolled along the Seine to Notre Dame and wound up the day in the Latin quarter. I have to say, it is days like today when I LOVE MY JOB. I think we stopped for crepes at least three times. <br /><br />The concert is tomorrow at La Boule Noire in Montmartre and that's my last performance on this leg of the Who Killed Amanda Palmer Tour. Amanda and the Danger Ensemble will continue on to Belgium and the Netherlands, but I must get myself to Chicago for another live installment of Radio Lab on Oct 26 and 27. You might remember last year I performed with Radio Lab in St. Paul Minnesota for their deconstruction of War of The Worlds. They are reprising the show, for two nights, at the Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago and I am providing live music. Details below!<br /><br />Then, in November I'll be in Spain working on live music for a ballet. It will run from Nov 20 to Nov 28 at the Teatro Principal in Valencia. And immediately following that, I rejoin Amanda Palmer in Toronto on Nov 30 for the rest of her North American tour which ends on Dec 16 at the Henry Fonda Theater in LA.<br /><br />That's the scoop! All the dates are below...and will be on my website as soon as I have internet for more than 30 minutes!<br /><br />Thank you to everyone in Europe who came to see us. I've had an amazing time. Its all still a bit of a blur, but there were so many amazing moments, and audiences. I will certainly be back.<br /><br />celloly yours, Zoe<br /><br />--------------------<br />Oct 26, Oct 27<br />RadioLab Live!<br />Chicago: Victory Gardens Theater<br /><br />Victory Gardens Theater Fresh Squeezed and WNYC's Radio Lab will present Martian Invasion! Decoding the War of the Worlds, on the eve of the War of the Worlds 70th anniversary, at Victory Gardens Biograph Theater, October 26 and 27.<br />Radio Lab hosts Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich will deconstruct the original broadcast of War of the Worlds and describe what was happening-sociologically and psychologically-at each step. The program will be accompanied by cellist Zoe Keating.<br /><br />more info: <br />http://blogs.wnyc.org/radiolab/2008/10/08/get-yer-tickets-war-of-the-worlds-live-in-chicago/<br /><br />--------------------<br />Nov 20 to Nov 28<br />performing live with the Ballet de Teatres de la Generalitat<br />Teatro Principal, Valencia, Spain<br /><br />--------------------<br /><br />Who Killed Amanda Palmer - North American Tour<br />(supporting and accompanying Amanda Palmer on all dates)<br /><br />Nov 30, Toronto, Ontario: Mod Club Theatre<br />Dec 2, Ferndale, Michigan: Magic Bag:<br />Dec 3, Chicago, Illinois: Cabaret Metro<br />Dec 5, Minneapolis, Minnesota: First Avenue Nightclub<br />Dec 6, Denver, Colorado: Bluebird Theatre<br />Dec 7, Apsen, Colorado: Belly Up<br />Dec 8, Murray, Utah: Murray Theatre<br />Dec 10, Vancouver, BC: Richard’s On Richards Cabaret<br />Dec 11, Seattle, Washington: Showbox Theatre<br />Dec 12, Portland, Oregon: Wonder Ballroom<br />Dec 13, Sacramento, California: Harlow’s<br />Dec 15, San Francisco, California: Bimbo’s 365 Club<br />Dec 16, Los Angeles, California: Henry Fonda Theatrehelenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-75182408700410298282008-09-30T05:57:00.000-07:002008-09-30T05:58:45.710-07:00in europe!hello everyone, <br /><br />i'm in edinburgh right now, in a fantastically homey pub called the Black Rose Tavern. the mohawked staff is attractively decked out in black, the music loud and punk, but most importantly, they have all day breakfast (black pudding!!), comfy sofas and free wifi.<br /><br />anyway, i haven't had internet for a few days and see that i have a PILE of messages! i will do my best to read them all, but you should know that i might be a bit out of touch for the next 4 weeks since i'm relying on free wifi in conjunction with free moments to find the wifi!<br /><br />thank you for the lovely messages. as some of you probably heard, amanda palmer got hit by a car in belfast. she stepped off the curb while looking the wrong way. thankfully, only her foot was injured, but pretty seriously, and she has three broken bones in her foot, a broken big toe and a cast up to her knee. the girl is a trooper though and even performed an extra long set in belfast that same night. so...the show goes on. send her your best bone-healing wishes....<br /><br />i'm going to go now and have a wander while the sun is shining. i forgot how much i LOVE BEING ON TOUR. <br /><br />celloly yours, zoehelenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-10337072035014984752008-09-25T08:53:00.001-07:002008-09-25T08:57:56.330-07:00Pics from Oracle Open WorldJust some quick shots of one of my Oracle performances. There was a 350 foot screen behind me, showing animated text that conference attendees were entering into kiosks around the Moscone center.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zoekeating.com/blog/uploaded_images/zoekeating_oracle_01-726937.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.zoekeating.com/blog/uploaded_images/zoekeating_oracle_01-726606.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zoekeating.com/blog/uploaded_images/zoekeating_oracle_02-764621.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.zoekeating.com/blog/uploaded_images/zoekeating_oracle_02-764278.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.zoekeating.com/blog/uploaded_images/zoekeating_oracle_03-706340.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://www.zoekeating.com/blog/uploaded_images/zoekeating_oracle_03-705976.JPG" border="0" alt="" /></a>helenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-18156182844169699422008-09-10T13:13:00.000-07:002008-09-10T13:21:19.034-07:00Newsy bits, European tour, WKAP pre-ordersEllo, ello, ello....<br /><br />The outline....<br /><br />1) NEWSY BITS<br />2) WHO KILLED AMANDA PALMER PRE-ORDER<br />3) UPCOMING PERFORMANCES<br /><br />1) First the NEWSY BITS....<br /><br />I'm getting ready for tour, trying to finish all my competing projects, and coping with the RadioLab-podcast-effect (i.e. mailing hundreds of CDs - thank you everyone! AND you made me #1 on iTunes classical last week!!). Jeff's been helping me figure out logistics of transporting me and my stuff (fly to Boston, rehearse in Boston, fly to SF, then perform at Oracle OpenWorld, fly to Boston, perform in Boston, fly to Ireland).<br /><br />One of my goals is to not bring any external hardware with me, and just use a software looper called SooperLooper. Not sure yet if I'm going to be able to pull that off, but it would be so freeing (er, and with less baggage charges!) to travel with just cello+computer+foot pedal.<br /><br />I heard, via my Dad who read it in the NYTimes, that "Secret Life of Bees" premiered at the Toronto Film Fest the other day. It said the film "a coming-of-age drama set against the civil rights struggles of 1964, turns out to be stitched together, emotionally speaking, with a cello". I know they're speaking about Alicia Keyes' cello-playing character, but its gratifying nonetheless, given that it is me playing all those cello parts. The movie premiers in theaters while I'm in Europe, so if you see it, tell me how my "solos" with the London Chamber Orchestra sound...<br /><br />2) Next....WHO KILLED AMANDA PALMER PRE-ORDER...<br /><br />Yes, at long last Amanda's album is here! Its great, nuff said. I can't wait to go on tour and play the songs. I am extremely happy with how my bits came out. And its not just an album, this is a full-on art project that comes with a variety of options: signed by Amanda and Ben Folds, companion book by Neil Gaiman, lithographs, twin-peaks-inspired crime-scene-photo sets, special songs, etc.<br /><br />Here's where to get it: <a targert="top" href="http://www.whokilledamandapalmer.com/">Who Killed Amanda Palmer?</a><br /><br />3) And now...UPCOMING PERFORMANCES!!!<br /><br />So, at the bottom you will find whens and wheres of the Amanda Palmer tour. Opening solo are myself and also Accordion-playing-audience-mesmerizer Jason Webley. Then I'll join Amanda and the Danger Ensemble for the big show (yes, costumes are involved). <br /><br />Right before leaving this continent I have a performance at MIT for the Emerging Technology conference. For those of you in Boston, yes, this show IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!<br /> September 25th, 4:30pm <br /> MIT: Building W16 (Kresge Auditorium) <br /> street address: 48 Massachusetts Ave (Rear) <br /><br />Also in there, are performances on Sept 22, 23 and 24 at the Moscone Center in SF at Oracle OpenWorld (before keynote speeches, if any on this list happen to be going). <br /><br />After the tour, there are some other things happening (i.e. live performances with a ballet in Spain) but I think there is already enough in here and I'm amazed if I haven't lost half of you already!<br /><br />Thank you, thank you for all your support. <br /><br />celloly yours, <br />Zoe<br /><br /><br />Performances: <br /><br />Sept 22,23,24 Oracle Open World @ Moscone Center, San Francisco<br />Sept 25 4:30P EmTech @ MIT, Boston<br /><br />Sep 27 7:30P Academy Dublin, Ireland<br />Sep 28 8:00P Auntie Annie’s Porterhouse Belfast, Ireland<br />Sep 30 7:00P Cabaret Voltaire Edinburgh, Scotland<br />Oct 2 8:30P King Tuts Wah Wah Hut Glasgow, Scotland<br />Oct 3 7:00P Birmingham Space 2 @ The Custard Factory Birmingham, UK<br />Oct 4 7:00P Concorde 2 Brighton, UK<br />Oct 6 7:30P Club Academy Manchester, UK<br />Oct 7 7:30P Thekla Bristol, UK<br />Oct 8 6:30P Carling Academy Sheffield, UK<br />Oct 10 8:00P Koko London, UK<br />Oct 12 9:00P Knaack Klub Berlin, Germany<br />Oct 13 9:00P Star Club Dresden, Germany<br />Oct 14 9:00P Karlstorbahnhof Heidelberg, Germany<br />Oct 16 8:00P Abart Zurich, Switzerland<br />Oct 17 9:00P Music Drome (fka Transilvania) Milan, Italy<br />Oct 18 8:00P Komma Wörgl, Austria<br />Oct 20 7:00P Szene Vienna Vienna, Austria<br />Oct 21 9:00P 59:1 Munich, Germany<br />Oct 23 8:00P La Boule Noire Paris, France<br />Oct 24 8:15P Handelsbeurs Ghent, Belgium<br />Oct 26 7:30P Melkweg Amsterdam, Netherlands<br />Oct 27 7:30P Helling Utrecht, Netherlands<br />Oct 29 8:00P 13 Tilburg, Netherlandshelenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8579527662719267590.post-41145566085897459052008-08-23T21:13:00.000-07:002008-08-23T21:23:57.288-07:00cello and audio-responsive visualizationLast month I wrote about my weekend at O'Reilly's Foo Camp. During my performance, I mentioned that I was looking to work with someone doing music visualization. Well, someone there (Jeffrey Veen) hooked me up with this incredible artist, <a href="http://www.flight404.com">Robert Hodgin</a>. <br /><br />His work is astonishing, here is a piece he did to a song by Trentemoller:<br /><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="never" allowNetworking="internal" height="344" width="425" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/TwQ_BwRTDFs&hl=en&fs=1"><br /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /><br /> <param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" /><br /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TwQ_BwRTDFs&hl=en&fs=1" /><br /></object><br /><br />We thought it would be cool to try something together, so he invited me to perform a couple days ago during his presentation at Flashforward 2008 (an Adobe Flash conference). Here's a video of it, certain parameters of his animations are responding, live, to musical input from my performance (as I understood it: pitch, density, that sort of thing). I hope somewhere out there is better video of it, because it looked amazing from what I could see in the stage video monitor. <br /><br /><object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="never" allowNetworking="internal" height="344" width="425" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/N5lzqqwpm7A&hl=en&fs=1"><br /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never" /><br /> <param name="allowNetworking" value="internal" /><br /> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/N5lzqqwpm7A&hl=en&fs=1" /><br /></object><br /><br />I'd love to do more of this kind of thing. I dream about midi control as well as audio since it seems like things could easily be triggered via midi data from my foot controller and Ableton Live. <br /><br />If you know anyone, or have any interest yourself, write to me!! (info <at> zoekeating <dottt> com).<br /><br />more about Robert: http://www.flight404.comhelenahandbaskethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13752051969960329718noreply@blogger.com4