Hey everyone! I hope you've had a wonderful holiday season so far!
Somehow, the last time I wrote an “Update” message, it was July. That's CRAZY!! This year has flown by! For 2025, I'll get back to monthly updates, but here's a quick RECAP of some fun in 2024, and a few exciting announcements for UPCOMING events in 2025!
ORIGINAL MUSIC: Bandcamp!
Last year, I began creating demos for all of my songs to house them in one place on BANDCAMP! (It's a great streaming or downloading site for you to enjoy music and support your favorite artists.) I'm still finishing up that project, and I'm glad to say, I have some more new songs to add to that list of songs I need to record and upload. The idea is to avoid losing the songs by housing them in one place and also allow all of you to hear new material and offer feedback! So.. Head on over to Bandcamp if you want to hear some of those unproduced songs. One day soon, each one will find a way to an EP or full album!
And just for fun, here's my cover of Auld Lang Syne from my Bandcamp site for you!
PARTY IN THE FROG Podcast
What a blast we had in the FROG in 2024!! Despite a HUGE learning curve and tons of technology struggles, I can proudly celebrate NINE completed episodes of Season One of PARTY IN THE FROG as we close out the year. In case you are not familiar with it, this is a podcast I film in my little rPod travel trailer with the goal of celebrating artists and unique characters!! You can watch all the fun of those past nine shows on my YouTube Channel! In 2025, I have a great list of guests for you, and I hope to share the first episode of Season Two in early spring!
HTRP - THE ADVENTURES OF HUGO THE ROUND PUG
If you are a new subscriber, this is a pet lover's book I wrote about my dog, HUGO, to help teach about the dangers of toxic foods to pets. It's written in rhyming verse, Dr. Seuss style, and I illustrated each chapter, and on top of that, I have written music for the project as well, so it's a really fun project with big goals!
Sadly, I lost my sweet old lady Lollipop in July of 2024, so I have not been mentally able to work on this again just yet. The loss of Lolli's larger than life personality and presence has left a terrible hole in my heart and in our little grumble, but I hope to be able to celebrate her and enjoy sharing her character soon. I know she expects me to do this right, and Book TWO is filled with funny and poignant Lollipop scenes, so I'm hoping to find my way back to Hugo and the gang this year sometime sooner than later. I am targeting a summer release of Book Two, but I sure apologize for the delay on that second book!
Meanwhile, HTRP Book One is still available on Amazon, and there are other HTRP materials available on my website, including coloring pages.
THE JOSIE AWARDS
What an honor it was to be nominated as Americana Vocalist of the Year by the Josie Awards. Over 75,000 Submissions were received by Josie, and to be on that short list of ten nominees was just incredible. I traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, with the boys of Puzzletruck Music by my side in November and thoroughly enjoyed the awards ceremony show. While I did not win, I feel very accomplished by that nomination!
MUSIC SPEAKS
If you've not made it out to my Singer Songwriter/Musician Showcase on Tuesday nights, called MUSIC SPEAKS at the Wing Cafe in Marietta, GA, do add that to your 2025 goals short list! As a player, you'll be among some of the top talent in the area and as a listener, you'll experience a great show! (Please email me to schedule a slot if you are a performer).
And do follow my Instagram page for the fun reels I create each week from the events. Now truth be told, I fell behind on creating my reels in about October last year, so I have a handful to share and will be dropping all of those in January. I'll also be adding a folder to my YouTube page to house all of those fun MUSIC SPEAKS reels, so make sure you SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube Channel ASAP!
And….Make sure you LIKE and FOLLOW my MUSIC SPEAKS FACEBOOK page for all the fun – The first show of 2025 is on January 7th, 7:30pm! We are live on Facebook every Tuesday, so if you cannot make it out, tune in!
BASS and BLADES!
This past August, Bassist Rick Reese and I began performing as a duo we call BASS AND BLADES! Rick is a wizard on the bass and adds incredible vibes, texture, and fun to our show. And sometimes we wear wigs as we take on the persona off a crime fighting duo!! It's so fun and we have been well-received everywhere we go to perform!
Our first show of 2025, is at Ground and Pound Coffee House (and bar) in Alpharetta, GA! It's a bougie room with wonderful food, liquor, and coffee!!! Come hang out in the cozy space on January 4th at 7pm and we will serenade you with our spicy original songs and a handful of your favorite covers! Seating is limited, so get there early! We have a bunch of shows lined up for 2025, so check out our website for more details! www.bassandblades.com
MERCH SHOP SALE!
Have you visited, the BELLY of the FROG? I created this new store in 2024 and there's so much cool stuff in this new online shop! It's been a labor of love to create designs for all of these fun projects, so go check it out and have fun shopping! Please start your New Year shopping off right and use discount code NINJA for a 20% discount off your order! That coupon will be good until January 31st, 2025.
REAL ESTATE
Don't forget! I'm a REAL ESTATE AGENT too and have been helping clients find their dream homes since 2013. Despite the news on TV, the market is fantastic, and we are about to hit the spring which makes it sizzle even more. Please contact me if you want to chat about the market or ask about your property. I can help you buy or sell your home! The time is NOW!
MUSICAL CHARITIES
Many of you may not know that I am the Secretary for MUSICAL CHARITIES, a wonderful non-profit which employs musicians to help fundraise for various causes. If you are looking for a spot to make a year-end donation for tax purposes or otherwise just pure good will, this is a really good one, and you can donate right from the website.
And.. If you're looking to host a party or an event and want to have a special flair added, contact us for ideas about how to create a fun, charitable event in your own home or backyard -- we have done parties and birthdays, etc. where the guests made donations to a cause in lieu of bringing presents while we tailor the music to your guest of honor's liking.
My goal as Secretary this year is to begin a quarterly newsletter, so look for an announcement about that in early 2025, so you can sign up for even more fun events and ways to give back!
DID I MISS ANYTHING?
Maybe! Probably!! It's been a crazy busy year of travel and moving, music and merry making, “pugging” and persisting, and I hope to repeat much of it in 2025! I'll make sure I keep you abreast of it all!
Finally, if you're new here, please expect a newsletter once a month with special messages when needed for special events, and don't hesitate to drop me a line if I can answer any questions about any of the above! Also, I'd love to send you a free song download just for signing up!
I wish all of you a FUN, HAPPY, HEALTHY, HEARTY New Year's Celebration along with a year full of wonderful adventures! Here's one of my favorite Walt Disney quotes to set you on your path: "All our dreams can come true - if we have the courage to pursue them."
Cheers,
Jeannie