tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:/blogs/note-by-note?p=3
Note by Note
2024-01-14T14:26:12-06:00
Joy Zimmerman
false
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/7333820
2024-01-14T14:26:12-06:00
2024-01-14T14:26:12-06:00
Note by Note: Keeping Vigil | No. 41 | 1.14.24
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/318665/9f8fd2e1348ecbf4b61aa941828149d1a6d55dbb/original/simon-berger-r9c9pbl3eyo-unsplash.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p><p>As the temperature plummets, the world and I are frozen in place. Winter means fewer gigs, sorting through endless notes and scraps of paper, and waiting. This hibernation is both comforting and disconcerting. I take a deep breath and remember the wisdom of two dear friends. After the release of my recent album, Riva and Rae shared their reflections on “Keeping Vigil,” offering beauty, perspective and gratitude.</p><p><i>From Riva:</i><o:p></o:p></p><p>When Joy Zimmerman put out a call for writings on our personal experience of “Keeping Vigil,” I was immediately attracted. Several thoughts swam through my head, banging into each other, until most of them cleared out leaving one to take center stage. Over the past few years, I have been nourishing the concept of “wintering.” I first read about this in an article by J. Drew Lanham and in the book, <i>Wintering: The Power of Rest</i> <i>and Retreat in Difficult Times</i>, by Katherine May. The idea of “wintering” and the physical manifestation of it for me, seem inseparable.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Recently retired and hitting a milestone birthday, I relish the slowing down of my life. The shorter days of winter after the so long ones of summer, bring relief from the drawn out expanse of sunlight, by ending the day earlier. It was during the darkness of winter that I discovered the fractal beauty of trees, their bare branches crystallized by snow and ice, slicing the sky into patches of such deep blue. My time spent looking at trees from the warmth of my sun room has deepened my belief that these amazing creations do indeed keep vigil. During the winter, they are not asleep, but continue to horde fuel for the spring blossoms, provide food and shelter for a myriad of animals and insects during this cold season. They stand silent, unwavering against the onslaught of winter. Their rootedness counters the instability of life. Their steadfast endurance contrast with our short ephemeral existence.<o:p></o:p></p><p>The word saeculum broadly means “the expanse of time which something is in living Memory.”* Trees hold memories of a past we have no knowledge of, and they carry it forward after we are gone. They keep vigil for this history, for the lives that have been lived and lost over the course of their long presence.<o:p></o:p></p><p>I was recently in Savannah, Ga and learned that live oak trees can live up to 1000 years. We visited the Angel Tree, only about 400 years old, but already it’s huge, heavy branches were resting on the ground, the trunk unable to keep them skyward. It had yet to live even half of its potential life, but already contained 400 years of history and knowledge. Longer than anyone I can trace in my ancestry.<o:p></o:p></p><p>I try more often now to pay attention to these grand sentinels who ask very little of us, who hang on through drought, neglect, lightning strikes and fire. It is now me who keeps vigil over them, safe guarding the past, the now and the future for all of us.<o:p></o:p></p><p>(*Rebecca Solnit from Orwell’s Roses)<o:p></o:p></p><p><i>From Rae:</i><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style="color:black;">Keeping Vigil: The words conjure a wave of emotions. The weeks, days and final hours keeping vigil with my dear friend Heidi paints sacred in a new way for me. The experience to accompany someone so extraordinary in her final hours, defies adequate description. The thing is, my heart clung with talons to the hope of a miracle, even up to the last days. It became clear that she would discharge from the hospital no longer communicating in her expansively articulate Heidi way. She would receive hospice at home. Yet, I could not grasp how this person, who was such an integral part of my life, and so many others, who many described as a "force of nature" could ever succumb to death. She was just way too important, too kind, too smart, too generous, too unique; the world and my life could not possibly go on in any kind of normal way without her voice. I mean, if anyone could kick this cancer's butt, Heidi could. As my ally and inspiration in all things artistic, she was a font of never ending solutions to the challenges that making art presents. A drawing never felt complete to me, until I could put it in front of Heidi's cultivated and thoughtful gaze. As my appointed editor, she delivered her critiques honestly, no mincing of words (we both learned how important that was in art school); but she didn't stop with the critique as we often do in the classroom. She encouraged, brainstormed and accompanied me through the rest of the stages until I arrived at a fuller expression of what I was trying to create. (Who does that?)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="color:black;">In the final few days in her home, as a steady stream of loved ones came to sit by her bed to cry, laugh, sing and storytell their goodbyes, at times it felt too loud, too crowded, just too much. (Oddly I thought to say: "People, can you quiet down and let her rest?") But this was Heidi's way of being in the world - opening her home and heart to people she cared about, and providing opportunities for more connections to be made for each of us in her circle. And now, without speaking a word, she created this bedside community as yet another gift - a way to approach this reality and grieve together. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="color:black;">Her final two nights stand out for me as the most precious; when all who remained at Heidi's bedside were her night team composed of her husband, sister, brother, two other friends, and myself, taking turns, providing comfort measures as she needed them. At times we sat together on her bed, holding her hands, rubbing her feet, belting out her favorite musicals, and reliving crazy Heidi stories. In her final hours, I was alone and rocked between the gentle breath of her husband dozing on the couch behind me while her breath became steadily less rhythmic - signaling a change. I felt called to create one last work of art together: holding her right hand in my left, and drawing a colorful butterfly with my right. The image had lingered in my head from one of her sister's earlier stories about Heidi's childhood attempt to save a roomful of monarch butterflies. They were dying for some unknown reason and Heidi could not let such beauty slip away without her passionate attempt to save them. Hand in hand, heart to heart we made one last tribute of artistic expression. Beyond the pain and loss: this amazing presence, this beauty, this force of nature lives on in me, and I am so grateful.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>Deepest thanks to Riva and Rae for these beautiful gifts.<span> </span><o:p></o:p></p><div class="video-container size_xl justify_center" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="kh87piJIKDM" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kh87piJIKDM?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p>Wishing you peace as we keep vigil for each other and our world. xoxo.<o:p></o:p></p><p>Joy<o:p></o:p></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/7301766
2023-11-10T14:58:12-06:00
2023-11-10T16:09:17-06:00
Note by Note: We'll Hold the Light | No. 40 | 11.10.23
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/318665/3990dba3474dbfd229f3af15e7d7133b513b5830/original/screenshot-2023-11-10-at-11-02-36-am.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p><p>From my front row to heroism, I wrote <i>We’ll Hold the Light</i>. For decades, my wife Linda, an anesthesiologist at a safety net hospital/trauma center, has worked long, stressful shifts within an overtaxed medical system. <o:p></o:p></p><p><i>“Working all night at the hospital is like time out of time. The outside world, which includes your loved ones and friends, goes on without you. You miss dinner, bedtime, gatherings of friends, special events. And you are immersed in trauma, illness, grief, loneliness that those outside your work life will never know. The chasm between the two parts of your life sometimes feels immense…”</i> ~Dr. Linda Dill <o:p></o:p></p><p>Enter Covid. Who can imagine the unprecedented sights, sounds and challenges health care workers experienced amid life-threatening conditions? Much of their heroism happened without fanfare. An ICU nurse was the last person to hold the hand of a dying patient, a physician shared devastating news with families, an EMT struggled with nightmares, and the list went on. <o:p></o:p></p><p>Our applause resounded from balconies at shift change…signs proclaimed our gratitude in yards across the country…firsthand accounts appeared in newspaper. We searched for ways to thank health care workers for trying to keep us safe. Our gratitude still seems inadequate.<i><o:p></o:p></i></p><p><span>First released as a single during the height of the pandemic, </span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K6ikusXtQE" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><span style="color:blue;"><i><span>We’ll Hold the Light</span></i></span></a> was remixed with a few added tracks for my new album. Linda and I created this video to honor healthcare workers and first responders, inviting our friends to send us photos. Their work goes on. </p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K6ikusXtQE" target="_blank" data-link-type="url"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/318665/8c8cb64facc82e7e9e14c81baee21919d2d87b95/original/screenshot-2023-11-10-at-11-08-17-am.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></a></p><p><o:p></o:p></p><p>Thank you, thank you.<o:p></o:p></p><p><i>Joy<o:p></o:p></i></p><p><span style="color:#3B3935;">Joy Zimmerman is a touring folk & acoustic roots singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and former social worker. Her new album, "Where the Light Lives," illuminates light within the cracks of these challenging times, debuting at #6 on the Folk Alliance International (FAI) Folk Chart Top Albums in August.</span><a class="no-pjax" href="https://u648841.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=GY2BDz5lq2B6kc-2BGGfYMnGr-2FsKpgdRIys3yYP8Vjynxo3dxw4AsgUOtzuR2dompXni-2FvFXq5a-2Fmr2T3xTSYUNT4totPoLEBqVXFHIYaINzWmBLD9OqzfWmVbNA2fYJpj3LSJW1FkBiYvA0UHRnUC5od-2BQXnSVRiWhYPX4iTvQ-2B8-3DOzTI_9MOm01ktVVtsFufrBFqZYyQ8rAqYbt9Xaj-2F4Vl-2FrMQXTMGPpE8r3cLS9EUpQbFYOpjnO0YHIx45mIk5pv0LzrX1HGU3BDJ1nMEz0NFdxwcu-2Fkar5Uf6SmfuYsHAmqIQjqCdtkL6aEAM-2FUGSxfBCyTmjA7jmHuTt-2Fiy1hOrKrHq8meH8KK3HhXj7eN-2FeqLQo0yjJ31-2FbrUViG6D4l65tpdrxLFGu9iPJQtUPZjFi0qtK5HIQzgDikydzxl37DgRv5f3iRsSjPAP69Dbyhl-2BYtRVBqt-2FnacrYGzUNkWiA6nIxykOkiD50dWXE057gYKezOBkdjkvBZdp04Kg9XFkICIg-3D-3D" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue;"> joyzimmermanmusic.com</span></a> <o:p></o:p></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/7274422
2023-09-16T15:16:37-05:00
2023-11-10T15:51:21-06:00
Note by Note: Hear Our Voices | No. 39 | 9.16.23
<p>Like many women, my experiences around reproduction are complex. </p><p>I am a mother and sister by birth and adoption and also a stepmom in a blended family. My friends have had abortions as well as easy and challenging pregnancies. Assistive technology helped many become pregnant. Some friends have chosen not to become mothers; others became foster or adoptive parents. Postpartum hemorrhages led to my emergency hysterectomy and later surrogacy attempts. As a social worker, I facilitated support groups for parents whose baby had died and women with postpartum adjustment issues. </p><p>When I learned Roe v. Wade had been overturned, stories of despair and desperation rang in my head. How could this exceedingly complex and personal issue become a simplistic ruling for all women and girls? How could we ignore their voices and distrust their experiences and needs? </p><p>“Hear Our Voices” implores us to listen. </p><p>Wishing the world were different—no unplanned pregnancies, no rape or incest, no families without adequate resources to support their children, no mental health issues or addiction, no domestic violence, no life-threatening pregnancies for mothers, no contraceptive failure, no medical conditions leading to fetal death or devastating abnormalities, no lack of effective sex education—doesn’t make it so. We must see the world as it is and work to make it better. </p><p>Each person demanding that all pregnancies be carried to term regardless of circumstance will not adopt or foster a child, contribute to food programs and college funds, or vote for candidates who support the affordable childcare, housing, and medical care needed for every child and family to thrive. </p><p>Can you hear the voices of women and girls? Their unique and complicated stories demand empathy, action, and options they choose for themselves. </p><div class="video-container size_l justify_center" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="edj7pI7vNaw" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/edj7pI7vNaw?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p>In August 2022, voters in my home state of Kansas overwhelmingly rejected an amendment aimed at restricting abortion rights. In the first individual state vote since Roe v. Wade was overturned, voters acknowledged women's voices and demonstrated their nuanced understanding of this issue. </p><p>With gratitude for those who speak out, sing out, tell their stories, and advocate for each other, </p><p>Joy </p><p>P.S. I’m thrilled that Erin McGrane, Danielle Anderson, and Eboni Fondren added their beautiful, important voices to this song! "Hear Our Voices," originally released as a single, was remixed for inclusion on “Where the Light Lives.” </p><p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/318665/69d3290f17604a9928b2423f2fea40290ae3b387/original/joy-zimmerman-promo-photo.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p><p> </p><p>A folk & acoustic roots singer-songwriter with a clear, honeyed voice, Joy Zimmerman believes in the power of music and community. At home on guitar and violin, Joy’s most recent album, “Where the Light Lives,” debuted at #6 on the FAI Folk Chart .</p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/6919124
2022-03-10T15:35:17-06:00
2023-11-10T15:52:03-06:00
Note by Note: Women Who Walked on Water | No. 38 | 3.11.22
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/69c847374f0c80c734f3bc06ac42e0f44c1caeef/original/jz-wow-thumbnail-5.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" alt="" /></p><p style="text-align:center;"><i>“Each time a girl opens a book and reads a womanless history, she learns she is worth less.”</i> ~Myra Pollack Sadker, professor, author, researcher and activist </p><p>As a young girl, I loved reading biographies of strong women. As soon as I got home from school with my order of paperback Scholastic books, I would dive into the lives of Elizabeth Blackwell or Harriet Tubman or Amelia Earhart. I would always ask myself—could I be that brave or daring or resilient? </p><p>Many years later I was preparing a fundraising concert for Together Women Rise during Women’s History Month. I hoped to write a song that would celebrate strong women and invite singing. Once I took off with the line, “women who walked on water”, it was a challenge to choose which women to feature. I initially used first names to maximize space, thankful that “Jane” could be paired with Goodall, Austen or Addams. Ultimately, though, I added last names for clarity. I’m quite sure my song could be at least 30 minutes long with name after name. </p><p>Each of us stands on countless shoulders. </p><p>Who's on your list? Which women have inspired you the most as they changed the course of history, pioneered in their field, created something new, advocated for others, and used their voice? Your list may be full of famous or only-famous-to-you women. History is full of unnamed, unaccounted-for heroines. </p><p style="text-align:center;"><i>“We need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead.”</i> ~Beyonce </p><p>So, let us sing the praises of strong women, speak their names, and give thanks for their impact. And let us do the best thing—emulate their courage and keep their impact alive. </p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style="--video-width:320px;"><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="LF8LdnxBXa8" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LF8LdnxBXa8?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p>For even more women’s history content, go to: <a class="no-pjax" href="/women-who-walked-on-water" data-link-type="page" data-link-label="Women Who Walked on Water" contents="https://joyzimmermanmusic.com/women-who-walked-on-water&nbsp;">https://joyzimmermanmusic.com/women-who-walked-on-water </a></p><p>With gratitude and hope, </p><p>Joy </p><p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/5d72344b7e90c9885a027aac4b090c8692c97148/original/cultivate-joy.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpeg" class="size_s justify_left border_" alt="" />Joy Zimmerman is a folk & acoustic roots singer-songwriter with a soulful voice and thought-provoking lyrics that light up her music. You'll hear echoes of your own journey in Joy's songs of hope, resilience and humor. At home on guitar and violin, Joy's bound to add a fiddle tune or two along the way. Joy's most recent album, The Canvas Before Us, debuted at #8 on the FAI Folk Chart.</p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/6739144
2021-09-07T18:42:44-05:00
2023-11-10T15:52:19-06:00
Note by Note: Measure My Heart| No. 37 | 9.08.21
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/c8e902a239833627032182cec788ff956d905d39/original/screen-shot-2021-09-07-at-6-28-07-pm.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" alt="" /></p><p>“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery </p><p>If you were an Ancient Egyptian, you probably believed your lifetime of good and bad deeds were recorded on your heart. After death, a feather of truth and justice would be weighed against your heart in the ritual outlined in the “Book of the Dead.” Would your heart be light enough to grant you access to the afterlife? </p><p>I knew this was good fodder for a song, as I questioned the lightness of my own heart. Plenty of love, resentment, challenge, and delight has been etched there. Some of the baggage I still carry remains heavy. </p><p>And what of the cracks? You may have heard of Kintsugi, the long-standing Japanese art using gold to repair broken pottery. The result highlights “flaws” instead of hiding them. I wanted to celebrate our resilience too. </p><p>As we keep searching for what is most essential, let’s underscore the cracks and delights that have made our hearts stronger. And hopefully lighter. </p><p>With deep appreciation for you in my heart, </p><p>Joy </p><p>P.S. My original idea was to add a “heartbeat” on cajon throughout the song…until the very end. During the recording process, we decided I should play djembe instead with its better tone. You can hear the faint heartbeat on the final recording. </p><p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/5d72344b7e90c9885a027aac4b090c8692c97148/original/cultivate-joy.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJjb250ZW50LnNpdGV6b29nbGUuY29tIn0=/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpeg" class="size_s justify_left border_" alt="" /></p><p>Joy Zimmerman, a soulful singer/songwriter, explores the everyday and the extraordinary with a captivating voice. Her songs resonate with humor, triumph and humanity. Joy’s seventh studio album -- The Canvas Before Us -- is an acoustic reinvention and available now.</p><p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/98182b3ac675e71a1c9db4d5faedc1164e6e7460/original/cultivate-joy-1d45bc-transparent-copy.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJjb250ZW50LnNpdGV6b29nbGUuY29tIn0=/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" alt="" /> </p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/6726172
2021-08-24T19:57:08-05:00
2023-11-10T16:02:11-06:00
Note by Note: Light the Stage | No. 36 | 8.25.21
<p style="text-align:center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/e3720a0c8172c0f104e75001ac6d011d3a610c59/original/screen-shot-2021-08-24-at-7-44-25-pm.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" alt="" />When I began attending songwriting workshops, I felt slightly annoyed by the emphasis on being “satisfied” with our own songs. Is this the best we could hope for when we all have big dreams? </p><p>And then you learn that Spotify receives 60,000 new songs every day. Every day. You wonder how your music fits into that whole big picture, especially when all roads have led you to songwriting and you have something to say. </p><p>Anyone in the arts know the vulnerability of sharing original work. As your creations are judged, you try hard to celebrate your efforts internally…just as the workshops advise. Even if you don’t get positive feedback. Even if few tickets are sold. Even if you aren’t traveling as fast or as far as you’d like. </p><p>So what is creativity’s reward at the end of the day? Can it be measured? Will there be enough to feel successful? </p><p>My struggle with each of these questions is woven into this song. If I wait to be validated or “discovered”, I’ll miss the tremendous satisfaction of having a unique voice. If I feel bound to subjective feedback, I’ll always chase more “likes”. </p><p>A glorious but challenging road awaits all artists. Think long and hard about who gets the final say on your art. In the balance between internal and external validation, make sure your creations make you proud first. </p><p>Dare to create and, by all means, light the stage! </p><p><i>Joy </i></p><p style="text-align:center;"> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="Y-p1b2aFUkg" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y-p1b2aFUkg?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p style="text-align:center;"><i>Songwriting is an act of hope </i></p><p style="text-align:center;">Hope that the song will resonate </p><p style="text-align:center;">Hope that the song will be of service </p><p style="text-align:center;">Hope that the songwriter won’t be too critical </p><p style="text-align:center;">Hope that the song will find a home </p><p style="text-align:center;">Hope that the songwriter will know peace in the effort and the gift. </p><p style="text-align:center;">~Joy Zimmerman</p><p> </p><p><span class="text-small"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/5d72344b7e90c9885a027aac4b090c8692c97148/original/cultivate-joy.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJjb250ZW50LnNpdGV6b29nbGUuY29tIn0=/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpeg" class="size_s justify_left border_" alt="" /></span></p><p><span class="text-small">Joy Zimmerman, a soulful singer/songwriter, explores the everyday and the extraordinary with a captivating voice. Her songs resonate with humor, triumph and humanity. Joy’s seventh studio album -- The Canvas Before Us -- is an acoustic reinvention and available now.</span></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/6719854
2021-08-17T20:19:19-05:00
2023-11-10T16:00:02-06:00
Note by Note: Dear John or Jane | No. 35 | 8.18.21
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1f035c150eeac6b4687ea3e185710d5ce6888d56/original/screen-shot-2021-08-17-at-8-17-56-pm.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p><p>What are your favorite sounds from childhood? (I’ll give you a minute to ponder….) </p><p>My top picks include listening to my mom play piano downstairs as we fell asleep, the school librarian reading us another chapter, Stevie Wonder singing as we danced, kids inviting me to roller skate or play kickball…and typewriter keys tapping as Mom typed my Dad’s graduate school papers. </p><p>That beautiful, classic typewriter once belonged to my grandfather. It was as heavy as an anchor. I began to wonder whether I could write a song incorporating the cadence of those keys. After discovering a rhythm, I launched into a break-up song tapping on those keys and adding the chime of the return at the end. </p><p>For lyric inspiration, I remembered an expression I’d heard in college – “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.” I added more ill-fated images and was off to the races. </p><p>I hope you enjoy the song and video…and I hope you conjure up some treasured childhood sounds. </p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style=""><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="pXi3irBVmus" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pXi3irBVmus?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p><br> </p><p> </p><p>Oh, and let’s not break up, </p><p>Joy </p><p>P.S. This song originally appeared on my 2016 album, “Say My Name”. I love this new acoustic version and our revamped video. </p><p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/5d72344b7e90c9885a027aac4b090c8692c97148/original/cultivate-joy.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJjb250ZW50LnNpdGV6b29nbGUuY29tIn0=/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpeg" class="size_s justify_left border_" alt="" /></p><p>Joy Zimmerman, a soulful singer/songwriter, explores the everyday and the extraordinary with a captivating voice. Her songs resonate with humor, triumph and humanity. Joy’s seventh studio album, The Canvas Before Us, an acoustic reinvention, is available now.</p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/6712448
2021-08-10T14:43:24-05:00
2023-11-10T15:54:56-06:00
Note by Note: Prairie Wind | No. 34 | 8.11.21
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/a09e885d04b45249c9dd990134e57481119da7da/original/cd-promo-1.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p><p style="text-align:center;"><i>“Dr. Wilson </i>(note: her husband)<i> has determined to go to California. I am going with him as there is no other alternative…Oh, my dear mother…I thought I felt bad when I wrote you from Independence, but it is nothing like this.”</i> ~ Margaret Hereford Wilson (grandmother of General Patton), 1850 </p><p>Swales from 19th century covered wagon wheels are still imprinted in the ground two blocks from my house. I live in Prairie Village, Kansas, after all. Limestone markers identify the confluence of the Santa Fe, Oregon and California Trails. </p><p>The deep impact of this mass migration still exists in other ways as well. This land, the home of indigenous people for thousands of years, was irreparably taken and altered. </p><p>Since college I had moved an unread book from bookshelf to bookshelf. Realizing my proximity to history, I finally picked up “Women’s Diaries of the Westward Journey” by Lillian Schlissel and read the firsthand accounts. </p><p>The majority of women did not want to go west but had no choice. Most were married by age 15. Along the trail they gave birth, took care of children and livestock, crossed rivers and mountains, withstood untold hardship, and buried loved ones in shallow graves. </p><p>All the while they maintained the Victorian customs and dress of the day. There is no mention of how they kept their privacy, relieved themselves or gave birth surrounded by other pioneers in these stark settings. </p><p>“Prairie Wind” imagines the loneliness of a young woman traveling west and settling in an unforgiving landscape after an arranged marriage. Not likely to see her family and friends again, I pictured the ever-present wind becoming her companion. “I will be your comfort here”. </p><p>What a complicated legacy our history weaves. </p><p>In appreciation of resilience and its many forms, </p><p>Joy </p><p>P.S. Robert Bowlin played a rare 1937 Recording King, Carson Robinson model K guitar on the official recording of “Prairie Wind”.</p><p>Prairie Wind video:</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style="--video-width:320px;"><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="JHeqGbFHjZw" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JHeqGbFHjZw?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p><span class="text-small"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/5d72344b7e90c9885a027aac4b090c8692c97148/original/cultivate-joy.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJjb250ZW50LnNpdGV6b29nbGUuY29tIn0=/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpeg" class="size_s justify_left border_" alt="" /></span></p><p>Joy Zimmerman, a soulful singer/songwriter, explores the everyday and the extraordinary with a captivating voice. Her songs resonate with humor, triumph and humanity. Joy’s seventh studio album, The Canvas Before Us, an acoustic reinvention, is available now.</p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/6709957
2021-08-07T14:20:28-05:00
2023-11-10T15:55:28-06:00
Note by Note: Not Enough Time | No. 33 | 8.6.21
<p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style="--video-width:320px;"><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="gk1J7vLz_BI" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gk1J7vLz_BI?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p>“Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life.” ~Robin Sharma </p><p>Next to love—or the loss of it—time might be the most popular song topic. Consider “Time After Time”, “Time is On My Side”, “Back in Time”, “Yesterday”, “Time”, “Too Much Time on My Hands”, “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)”, “Clocks”, “Old Man” “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”, “When I’m Sixty-Four”, and so on… </p><p>What is your relationship with time? Mine seems to be getting more complicated. I wish for more hours in the day, more accomplishments on my ledger, and more creativity in my bones. I am wistful for missed opportunities and days gone by. </p><p>The antidote seems to be staying grounded in the present moment and finding peace within the limits of this lifetime. Time might slow down a bit when we spend more time with loved ones, marvel in nature, set down our work, limit multi-tasking and social media, seek new adventures, and help others. I’m sure you have your own list too. </p><p>While time is finite and unpredictable, it is a true gift. We live in the balance of that complexity. </p><p>I threw all these musings into yet another song about time. It’s upbeat and bittersweet with side helpings of social commentary and chocolate. </p><p>Thanks for taking time to read this, </p><p>Joy</p><p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/5d72344b7e90c9885a027aac4b090c8692c97148/original/cultivate-joy.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJjb250ZW50LnNpdGV6b29nbGUuY29tIn0=/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpeg" class="size_s justify_left border_" alt="" /></p><p>Joy Zimmerman, a soulful singer/songwriter, explores the everyday and the extraordinary with a captivating voice. Her songs resonate with humor, triumph and humanity. Joy’s seventh studio album, The Canvas Before Us, an acoustic reinvention, is available now.</p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/6696187
2021-07-23T09:26:11-05:00
2023-11-10T16:09:17-06:00
Note by Note: Courage Walks Alongside| No. 32 | 7.23.21
<p>“Life shrinks or expands proportional to one’s courage.“ ~Anais Nin </p><p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1cc14937e09242c977f6ce6eefa4616779682134/original/img-0652.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.png" class="size_m justify_left border_" alt="" />I once heard that our most vivid childhood memories involve loss. The deepest mark is often left by discomfort or pain. </p><p>Revisiting my own childhood brought back two such scenarios. In third grade, I joined a summer softball league. Brand new to the sport, I struck out repeatedly. My disappointment in myself is seared in my memory, especially during one of the final games with my father in attendance. </p><p>Failure is tough for a perfectionist, so I didn’t sign up again. </p><p>The following year I sang my first solo verse in the children’s choir at church. While my friend began her verse, I marveled at her beautiful voice. I was much less pleased with my own voice, deciding it was subpar. </p><p>Such judgments are long-lasting. It was decades before I tried another solo. </p><p>Meanwhile I didn’t understand why it was so hard to listen to female musicians on the radio, attend Lilith Fair or watch “Shut Up and Sing”. A profound longing was brewing under the surface. When I finally joined my first band in mid-life, the world opened up. </p><p>I like to think courage was accompanying me the whole time. Courage stood with me at home plate and next to me in my choir robe. Courage did not give up, whispering that a new passion and purpose lay ahead if I only jumped in and said yes. </p><p><a class="no-pjax" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsjvT5bAKJo" target="_blank" data-link-type="url">The Canvas Before US - audio recording</a></p><p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/318665/617e514510153c01c455d1720527d2175ba7a91b/original/screenshot-2023-11-10-at-4-04-24-pm.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ==" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p><p>What does your “book of unsaid things” contain? Have you read it aloud yet? </p><p>Grateful for you and new adventures, </p><p>Xoxo </p><p>Joy </p><p>P.S. A special thanks to all the folks who generously supported my Kickstarter campaign for the new album! </p><p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/5d72344b7e90c9885a027aac4b090c8692c97148/original/cultivate-joy.jpeg/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJjb250ZW50LnNpdGV6b29nbGUuY29tIn0=/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpeg" class="size_s justify_left border_" alt="" /></p><p>Joy Zimmerman, a soulful singer/songwriter, explores the everyday and the extraordinary with a captivating voice. Her songs resonate with humor, triumph and humanity. Joy’s seventh studio album, The Canvas Before Us, is an acoustic reinvention set for radio release on August 6, 2021.</p><p> </p><p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/98182b3ac675e71a1c9db4d5faedc1164e6e7460/original/cultivate-joy-1d45bc-transparent-copy.png/!!/meta:eyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJjb250ZW50LnNpdGV6b29nbGUuY29tIn0=/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" alt="" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/6602216
2021-04-12T19:02:54-05:00
2023-11-10T15:56:44-06:00
Note by Note: Let Us Not Close Our Hearts | No. 31 | 4.12.21
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/6ad18929c220d7df7605887fe7397a07e8e79d4b/original/windows-1.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p><p>During the long winter did you keep envisioning this spring day? The weather would warm, the vaccine would spread, and you would begin to breathe more deeply. You'd gather safely with a few treasured people and even hug after being fully vaccinated. </p><p>Then we'd close this difficult, year-long chapter and move on… </p><p>But reality is painting a different picture. The “normal” we seek has forever changed, and we don’t just pick up where we left off. </p><p>No matter your unique circumstances, everyone suffered losses this past year. Everyone knows someone(s) who died of Covid. Everyone had challenging, soul-searching moments in isolation, missing physical contact and community. Everyone experienced the cancellations of anticipated events. Some lost jobs, businesses and experienced financial instability. Some bore the life-threatening stress of caring for others with Covid. We all watched in horror as the California wildfires raged, the Capitol was sieged, and George Floyd was killed. We all lived through bitterly divided elections and feared an invisible virus. </p><p>The New York Times recently published a collection of anecdotes entitled “Who Are We Now" and an Opinion by David Brooks called “How Covid Can Change Your Personality”. Has Covid soul-searching also brought you to a new place? </p><p>Rabbi Steve Leder counsels us in More Beautiful Than Before: How Suffering Transforms Us to confront our losses with honesty and move through our pain to seek wisdom. This is not simply a shiny, everything-works-out-perfectly-in-the-end sentiment. In my own life I eventually found my way through trials with introspection, resilience, connection, full-on grief, and patience. </p><p>One day last summer I quickly crossed the street to avoid an oncoming walker and realized I had become accustomed to this knee jerk, “anti-social” action. I wondered about the long-term effects of this practice, of masks, of isolation. </p><p>When I returned home from that walk, I began writing “Let Us Not Close Our Hearts”. I’m delighted to share a solo version I recorded in the hallway of Weights and Measures Studio in Kansas City.</p><p> </p><div class="video-container size_null justify_inline" style="--video-width:320px;"><iframe data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="o4EBI7WP4FM" data-video-thumb-url="" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/o4EBI7WP4FM?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div><p> </p><p>As we gradually make our way into a life after this pandemic, let’s “see our strength, trust our ties” and hold onto ways we have been transformed. </p><p>I look forward to singing with you. </p><p>Love, </p><p>Joy </p><p>P.S. “Let Us Not Close Our Hearts” will be on my new album scheduled for a 2021 release.</p><p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/5d72344b7e90c9885a027aac4b090c8692c97148/original/cultivate-joy.jpeg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpeg" class="size_s justify_left border_" alt="" /></p><p><span class="text-small">Joy Zimmerman, a soulful singer/songwriter, dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. Known for compelling vocals and captivating performances, Joy is a touring musician based in Kansas City. Her forthcoming album, The Canvas Before Us, is an acoustic reinvention and her seventh studio album. joyzimmermanmusic.com</span></p><p><span class="text-small"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/98182b3ac675e71a1c9db4d5faedc1164e6e7460/original/cultivate-joy-1d45bc-transparent-copy.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" alt="" /></span></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/6416959
2020-08-25T15:12:49-05:00
2021-08-26T10:02:19-05:00
Note by Note: Bloomers, Bicycles, Songs & Votes | No. 30 | 8.25.20
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/24bd508fd737f50cc303789a7e80dd9ddba76917/original/screen-shot-2020-08-24-at-8-29-39-pm.png/!!/b:W10=.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>How amazing is it that the 100th anniversary of the women’s right to vote falls during an election year? What a great reminder to exercise and protect this right! </p>
<p>To honor this Centennial, Linda and I cooked up a Facebook Live event called Celebrate Our Vote! Several friends joined us for an evening of stories, quotes and songs about the suffrage movement. </p>
<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/JoyZimmermanMusic/videos/719593892106342"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/34b38a03ce0720031b16083fd34e297fa3c6b89c/original/screen-shot-2020-08-24-at-8-43-17-pm.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.png" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></a></p>
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<p><a contents="(Watch the replay here)" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/JoyZimmermanMusic/videos/719593892106342">(Watch the replay here.) </a></p>
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<p>Since we couldn’t cover all the interesting historical nuggets that night, here’s some additional information: </p>
<p><strong>Bloomers </strong></p>
<p>Some Suffragists sought freedom from corsets and crinolines in the mid-1800s. According to Elizabeth Smith Miller at the time, this "freedom dress" was essentially “Turkish trousers to the ankle with a skirt reaching some four inches below the knee, were substituted for the heavy, untidy, exasperating old garment." </p>
<p>After Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s neighbor, Amelia Bloomer, championed this new garment, it became known as the “bloomer.” As its popularity spread in the U.S. and England, caricatures of bloomers as deviant spread as well. Women who dared to wear this new garment were subject to unending controversy and ridicule. </p>
<p>Eventually the early American Suffragists abandoned bloomers for fear they were distracting from their political cause. They returned to wearing dresses to project a more feminine image, knowing this would prove much less threatening. </p>
<p>It would take until the 1960’s and 1970’s for pants to become commonplace for women. </p>
<p>Read more: <a contents="“When American Suffragists Tried to ‘Wear the Pants’”, Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell,&nbsp;The Atlantic, June 12, 2019&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/06/american-suffragists-bloomers-pants-history/591484/">“When American Suffragists Tried to ‘Wear the Pants’”, Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, The Atlantic, June 12, 2019 </a></p>
<p><strong>Bicycles </strong></p>
<p>“Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.” ~Susan B. Anthony </p>
<p>As bicycles rose in popularity in the 1890’s, women experienced a new level of freedom. This met with a backlash, of course. According to a writer in the Sunday Herald in 1891: “I think the most vicious thing I ever saw in my life is a woman on a bicycle—and Washington is full of them. I had thought that cigarette smoking was the worst thing a woman could do, but I have changed my mind.” </p>
<p>Despite all the negativity, women began hopping on bikes in record numbers (in modified bloomers!) and riding into the sunset. </p>
<p>Read more: <a contents="“How the Bicycle Paved the Way for Women’s Rights”, Adrienne LaFrance,&nbsp;The Atlantic, June 26, 2014&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/06/the-technology-craze-of-the-1890s-that-forever-changed-womens-rights/373535/">“How the Bicycle Paved the Way for Women’s Rights”, Adrienne LaFrance, The Atlantic, June 26, 2014 </a></p>
<p><strong>Songs </strong></p>
<p>Plenty of songs during this time period addressed political and cultural changes. “Eliza Jane” warned young women of the dangers of bloomers and bicycles. One of its many verses: </p>
<p>Eliza had a nice young man, (Alas! ‘twas long ago.) </p>
<p>As gay and fair, as debonair, as any man you know; </p>
<p>He saw her ride in bloomers, he screamed and quickly fled, </p>
<p>And as he ran, this nice young man in trembling accents said: </p>
<p>“Oh, have you seen Eliza Jane a-cycling in the park?” </p>
<p>The best pro-Suffrage song title on the Library of Congress website is “She’s Good Enough to Be Your Baby’s Mother and She’s Good Enough to Vote with You”. You know you gotta hear some of the lyrics… </p>
<p>No man is greater than his mother <br>No man is half so good <br>No man is better than the wife he loves <br>Her love will guide him <br>What 'ere beguile him </p>
<p>She's good enough to love you and adore you <br>She's good enough to bear your troubles for you <br>And if your tears were falling today <br>Nobody else would kiss them away <br>She's good enough to warm your heart with kisses <br>When your lonesome and blue <br>She's good enough to be your baby's mother <br>And she's good enough to vote with you </p>
<p>Read more: <a contents="Songs of Women’s Suffrage, Library of Congress&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200197395/">Songs of Women’s Suffrage, Library of Congress </a></p>
<p>Votes </p>
<p>Inspired by the brave women (and men who were their allies) who have sacrificed and broken new ground, Linda put together this video to encourage each of us to VOTE! </p>
<p><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/joy.zimmerman.79/videos/3357089244347914"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/9f9f674c1f9f5bb25d34a3d6f03820e75c9253a7/original/screen-shot-2020-08-24-at-8-39-40-pm.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.png" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></a></p>
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<p><a contents="VOTE video&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.facebook.com/joy.zimmerman.79/videos/3357089244347914">VOTE video </a></p>
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<p>P.S. It was fun to use “Jump On In” as the soundtrack for the video </p>
<p>P.P.S. Jump On in and VOTE! </p>
<p>Joy Zimmerman's soulful vocals and original music dance effortlessly from poignant to hilarious to joyful -- round-trip guaranteed! With folk rock as a springboard, Joy dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. A touring musician based in Kansas City, Joy is a voice of authenticity, hope and joy. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and nine Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded seven albums - three in Nashville and four in Kansas City. Joy's most recent release, Shed a Little Light: Joy Zimmerman Live is available now. <a contents="joyzimmermanmusic.com" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://joyzimmermanmusic.com/home">joyzimmermanmusic.com</a></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/6388386
2020-07-21T12:43:27-05:00
2021-04-12T20:00:40-05:00
Note by Note: A New Day| No. 29 | 7.20.20
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/56ad08308a88698b250b9bd55bddc7a687fc3354/original/pastel-photo-food-facebook-cover.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.png" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>How have these times changed you? Even as I ask, I doubt any of us can fully answer. I suspect we’ll be unravelling the impact of this pandemic for decades. </p>
<p>Living with an invisible, unprecedented threat has brought with new fears and realities worldwide. Do you also have to calm your mind as you spin through threads of loss? </p>
<p>We humans generally fight hard against shifting sand and shaky ground. Even so, we’ve come up with new ways of adapting and connecting. </p>
<p>How have these times changed you? Those of us who do not have black or brown skin need new eyes, ears and hearts to better understand historic and current injustice. I am heartened by the new ground swelling towards more justice and equality. </p>
<p>In the midst of all this change, a late frost killed most of the leaves on the ginkgo tree that graces our front yard. (I sang the praises of this tree in a blog after our dog Charlie’s sudden death.) We sadly assumed our beloved tree would remain barren until next spring. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/a39531c68ce94989186120922ae51a223271e99d/original/img-1841.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.png" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></p>
<p>But, in a surprise move, another round of leaves eventually appeared. This ancient tree, with earliest fossils dating back 270 million years ago, relied on ancient knowledge (and evolution!) and began anew. Not knowing a second set of leaves was possible, this tenacity and transformation astonished me. </p>
<p>(New and old ginkgo leaves on our tree) </p>
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<p>A New Day, my song of challenge and hope, was recorded by Fett at Azalea Studios in Nashville. Mark Kibble of Take 6 arranged the choir parts and invited five amazing singers (pictured above) to join him. Fett suggested we solo the exuberant choir for a bonus track. Mosaic ends with their voices singing A New Day. </p>
<p>May it be so. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="CCJ4V5xH4rQ" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/CCJ4V5xH4rQ/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CCJ4V5xH4rQ?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> A New Day (Choir Excerpt) </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="8oNkky_NJ_4" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/8oNkky_NJ_4/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8oNkky_NJ_4?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe>A New Day </p>
<p> </p>
<p>P.S. More ancient wisdom:"Great music stops the inner turmoil of thought and allows the mind to seek its natural state of joy. Music frees our minds and allows us to soar to heights where we can experience the celestial." ―Wu Wei, I Ching Wisdom: More Guidance from the Book of Answers, Volume Two (The I Ching is estimated to have been written between the 10th and 4th centuries B.C.) </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/5d72344b7e90c9885a027aac4b090c8692c97148/original/cultivate-joy.jpeg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpeg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Joy Zimmerman's soulful vocals and original music dance effortlessly from poignant to hilarious to joyful -- round-trip guaranteed! With folk rock as a springboard, Joy dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. A touring musician based in Kansas City, Joy is a voice of authenticity, hope and joy. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and nine Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded seven albums - three in Nashville and four in Kansas City. Joy's most recent release, Shed a Little Light: Joy Zimmerman Live is available now. joyzimmermanmusic.com</p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/6345541
2020-06-07T15:12:58-05:00
2020-06-07T16:19:47-05:00
Note by Note: Hallelujah | No. 28 | 6.7.20
<p><em><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/09b9922aea2919d3f82f8944cd95c0088946c37f/original/st-louis-youth-orchestra.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" />"This world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled. But there are moments when we can...reconcile and embrace the whole mess, and that's what I mean by 'Hallelujah.'</em> " ~Leonard Cohen </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Hallelujah </em>(n.) – an expression of praise or thanks or rejoicing </p>
<p>* In 1741 George Frederick Handel composed the libretto and score to <em>Messiah</em> in 24 days without leaving his home, often without food or sleep. While writing the “Hallelujah” chorus, Handel is said to have exclaimed in fervor that “he saw all heaven before him”…<em>Hallelujah</em> </p>
<p>* As members of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra, my friend Devra and I ushered for <em>Messiah </em>performances in the great Powell Hall. As soon as the lights went down, we would climb the red velvet steps to the very top row. The majestic “Hallelujah” chorus brought the audience to its feet and me to tears…<em>Hallelujah</em> </p>
<p>* I was released from the hospital on Christmas Day after a life-saving hysterectomy. The “Hallelujah” chorus played on the radio as my then-husband, mother and 6-week-old baby took me home on that transcendent morning…<em>Hallelujah</em> </p>
<p>* Leonard Cohen took five years and 80 drafts to finish his “Hallelujah”. More than 300 artists have recorded his lyrical poetry and offered their own interpretation of this captivating song…<em>Hallelujah </em></p>
<p>Here's my version with Ryan Dugan and Jake Wheeler: </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="901QPWxGwVw" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/901QPWxGwVw/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/901QPWxGwVw?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>P.S. The 6-week-old baby in that car on Christmas Day grew up to play this incredible introduction…<em>Hallelujah </em></p>
<p>P.P.S. “Hallelujah” is one of the tracks on my new live CD, <em>Shed a Little Light: Joy Zimmerman Live</em>. To purchase, <a contents="click here" data-link-label="CDs and downloads" data-link-type="page" href="/cds-and-downloads">click here</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/5d72344b7e90c9885a027aac4b090c8692c97148/original/cultivate-joy.jpeg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpeg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>
<p>Joy Zimmerman's soulful vocals and original music dance effortlessly from poignant to hilarious to joyful -- round-trip guaranteed! With folk rock as a springboard, Joy dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. A touring musician based in Kansas City, Joy is a voice of authenticity, hope and joy. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and nine Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded seven albums - three in Nashville and four in Kansas City. Joy's most recent release, <em>Shed a Little Light: Joy Zimmerman Live</em> is available now. <em>joyzimmermanmusic.com</em></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/98182b3ac675e71a1c9db4d5faedc1164e6e7460/original/cultivate-joy-1d45bc-transparent-copy.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/6317724
2020-05-15T12:12:29-05:00
2020-05-15T12:16:09-05:00
Note by Note: Life's Blooper Reels | No. 27 | 5.15.20
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1a6bc21cf8f86d7b9c129fca090efdad009ffdf9/original/screen-shot-2020-05-15-at-11-41-31-am.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.png" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>When Linda cooked up the idea of recording a live CD, my insides clenched. I proceeded to be nervous for the next four months. </p>
<p>You see, I’m a card-carrying perfectionist. I love performing and sharing music live, but “what happens on stage, stays on stage.” It’s an entirely different deal when the songs will be recorded in perpetuity. </p>
<p>For this adventure I was joined by two talented young men, my son & guitarist Ryan Dugan and bassist Jake Wheeler. Linda decided to make both live performances more fun (and easier on the nerves) by giving us each a Get Out of Jail Free card in case we wanted to repeat a song. </p>
<p>While playing one of my new songs, “<em>Not Enough Time,”</em> I forgot the lyrics. (Who wrote them anyway??) What happened next couldn’t have been scripted…I just kept going. The fellas backed me up, and I found my way, eventually, back to the right words. </p>
<p>Turns out I love this blooper reel (see below). I improvised. I laughed. I trusted myself. </p>
<p>We’re all improvising right now through this new territory. New skills. New anxieties. New variables. And we are finding our way day by day. </p>
<p>Who knows how and when this pandemic will end, but I suspect we will all be proud that we dug deep, made sacrifices, and survived what was previously unknown. </p>
<p>As the title suggests, <em>“Not Enough Time”</em> reminds us that we never have as much time as we want. So why not trust ourselves? Tolerate our mistakes? Laugh? Stick together? </p>
<p>I’m happy to be sticking with you, </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="-_Cy6TU61Fw" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/-_Cy6TU61Fw/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-_Cy6TU61Fw?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>P.S. Here’s the outtake of “Not Enough Time”. It still cracks me up! The whole song is on the new album,<em> Shed a Little Light: Joy Zimmerman Live.</em> </p>
<p>You could even order one now at joyzimmermanmusic.com </p>
<p><em>When I sit down to write a song, it’s a kind of improvisation, but I formalize it a bit to get it into the studio, and when I step up to a microphone, I have a vague idea of what I’m about to do</em>. ~Paul McCartney </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/5d72344b7e90c9885a027aac4b090c8692c97148/original/cultivate-joy.jpeg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpeg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Joy Zimmerman's soulful vocals and original music dance effortlessly from poignant to hilarious to joyful -- round-trip guaranteed! With folk rock as a springboard, Joy dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. A touring musician based in Kansas City, Joy is a voice of authenticity, hope and joy. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and nine Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded seven albums - three in Nashville and four in Kansas City. Joy's most recent release, <em>Shed a Little Light: Joy Zimmerman Live</em> is available now. joyzimmermanmusic.com</p>
<p> </p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/6280491
2020-04-12T16:35:09-05:00
2020-05-15T12:17:55-05:00
Note by Note: If I Needed You | No. 26 | 4.12.20
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/d5081ec7259c437e9dc28659763d776858c3a56c/original/little-joy.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.png" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Five-year-old me is rocking back and forth on her heels. All dressed up, I am waiting to meet Santa Claus for the first time. The line for the elevator at this department store in downtown St. Louis is long. My mom, little sister, family friends and I see the doors open. I run. </p>
<p>This early memory is mostly a slide show with just a few slides. What happens next, though, is a movie reel. I make it into the elevator just before the doors close. As the elevator starts to ascend, I sink with the realization that I'm alone in uncharted waters. </p>
<p>A well-coiffed woman with kind eyes sizes up the situation. She takes my hand, assuring me that she will accompany me back to my family. </p>
<p>During this pandemic, the elevator doors have closed. We are filled with fear and anxiety…losses are all around…the future is uncertain…our moorings have shifted…suffering is real. </p>
<p>And still we are found…we are connected to the known and unknown…acts of kindness are all around…bravery is real. </p>
<p>I’ve heard that the brilliant Townes Van Zandt wrote “If I Needed You” while he slept. He found the song the next morning in the notebook by his bed. In another account, he wrote it all down as soon as he awoke. </p>
<p>Van Zandt died far too young from alcoholism and medical complications. The darkness he knew from addiction and loss coexisted with the beauty of love and music. From that connection, he wrote this song in his sleep. A song with a profound question and a profound assurance. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="Fk_haZyVlDg" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/Fk_haZyVlDg/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Fk_haZyVlDg?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>No matter what your spiritual practice, spring has arrived, Passover is being celebrated, Easter is here, Ramadan will soon begin. All traditions mark suffering and renewal. </p>
<p>Whatever your sources of light, summon them. </p>
<p>Whatever your memories of hope, call them up. </p>
<p>Whatever your times of resilience, live them now. </p>
<p>Love and light to you, </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p>P.S. Loop and Lill in Verse 2 are his parakeets. </p>
<p>P.P.S. This song, recorded live at Knuckleheads in Kansas City, will be on my forthcoming album, Shed a Little Light: Joy Zimmerman Live. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/5d72344b7e90c9885a027aac4b090c8692c97148/original/cultivate-joy.jpeg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpeg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Joy Zimmerman's soulful vocals and original music dance effortlessly from poignant to hilarious to joyful -- round-trip guaranteed! With folk rock as a springboard, Joy dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. A touring musician based in Kansas City, Joy is a voice of authenticity, hope and joy. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and ten Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded six albums - three in Nashville and three in Kansas City. Joy's most recent release is To the Girl. joyzimmermanmusic.com</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/98182b3ac675e71a1c9db4d5faedc1164e6e7460/original/cultivate-joy-1d45bc-transparent-copy.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/6255540
2020-03-19T20:13:56-05:00
2020-05-15T12:17:17-05:00
Note by Note: The Fall | No. 25 | 3.19.20
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/e25465983cc5aad056d8d72faf1499d8c389e1ce/original/joyzimmerman-gospellounge-everyone.jpeg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpeg" class="size_m justify_center border_" />My dream was crystal clear. A woman was falling from a tall skyscraper in slow motion right in front of me. I watched helplessly from across the street. Unable to I avert my eyes, I was horrified and also confused—why did she have a peaceful look on her face? </p>
<p>When I awoke, it hit me—that woman descending was me. I had fallen from grace but survived. </p>
<p>The current state of the world and my dream have some commonalities. We are in a free fall. Where is our solid ground during these unprecedented days? How and when will the invisible strike? What will remain constant? </p>
<p>We are already digging deep and making sacrifices. With so much uncertainty, how can we hold onto as much peace as possible and fill our days? </p>
<p>Some suggestions I’ve been gathering: </p>
<ul> <li>Keep track of those you know who are vulnerable. </li> <li>Learn something new via online lessons or YouTube. </li> <li>Start an email stream with friends to share inspiration and resources. </li> <li>Walk outside. </li> <li>Send a note of encouragement to parents of school-aged children. </li> <li>Contribute to nonprofit organizations. </li> <li>Collect good news. </li> <li>Write a poem or a song or create a piece of art. </li> <li>Call at least two friends you’ve been missing. </li> <li>Enjoy a movie night with your family. </li> <li>Read a book that’s been waiting on your shelf. </li> <li>Video chat with a friend. </li> <li>Sort through a box in your basement. </li> <li>Listen to some new music. </li> <li>Clean out your inbox (decidedly less fun…). </li> <li>Exercise. Stretch. </li> <li>Find solace in nature. </li> <li>Try a new recipe. </li> <li>Look through old photos or letters. </li> <li>Purchase a gift certificate to support a local business now to be used later. </li> <li>Watch funny pet videos or create one. </li> <li>Plan a future event. </li>
</ul>
<p>We’re gonna have to keep being creative and compassionate. This poem says it all. </p>
<p><strong><em>Pandemic </em></strong></p>
<p><em>What if you thought of it <br>as the Jews consider the Sabbath— <br>the most sacred of times? <br>Cease from travel. <br>Cease from buying and selling. <br>Give up, just for now, <br>on trying to make the world <br>different than it is. <br>Sing. Pray. Touch only those <br>to whom you commit your life. <br>Center down. </em></p>
<p><em>And when your body has become still, <br>reach out with your heart. <br>Know that we are connected <br>in ways that are terrifying and beautiful. <br>(You could hardly deny it now.) <br>Know that our lives <br>are in one another’s hands. <br>(Surely, that has come clear.) <br>Do not reach out your hands. <br>Reach out your heart. <br>Reach out your words. <br>Reach out all the tendrils <br>of compassion that move, invisibly, <br>where we cannot touch. </em></p>
<p><em>Promise this world your love– <br>for better or for worse, <br>in sickness and in health, <br>so long as we all shall live. </em></p>
<p><em>— Lynn Ungar 3/11/20 </em></p>
<p>My vivid dream led to writing “The Fall”. Click on the photo below for a video of my live recording with Ryan Dugan and Jake Wheeler on March 6th at Knuckleheads in Kansas City. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="Z99gYMuYtBE" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/Z99gYMuYtBE/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z99gYMuYtBE?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>Live performances have now ceased. Please remember musicians, artists, small business owners, servers, teachers, health care workers…well, all of us, really. </p>
<p>Together we will find strength. Our invisible ties are stronger than this invisible virus. </p>
<p>Be safe and well, my friends~ </p>
<p>Joy</p>
<p>Top photo credit - Mike Schwabauer Photography</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/5d72344b7e90c9885a027aac4b090c8692c97148/original/cultivate-joy.jpeg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpeg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Joy Zimmerman's soulful vocals and original music dance effortlessly from poignant to hilarious to compelling to joyful -- round-trip guaranteed! With folk rock as a springboard, Joy dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. A touring musician based in Kansas City, Joy is a voice of authenticity, hope and joy. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and ten Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded six albums - three in Nashville and three in Kansas City. Joy released To the Girl, her sixth album of original music in April 2019. <a contents="joyzimmermanmusic.com" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://joyzimmermanmusic.com"> joyzimmermanmusic.com</a></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/98182b3ac675e71a1c9db4d5faedc1164e6e7460/original/cultivate-joy-1d45bc-transparent-copy.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/6222307
2020-02-20T19:57:38-06:00
2020-02-21T19:08:26-06:00
Note by Note: Consider the Bear | No. 24 | 2.20.20
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/473b9433b029f656efe5e97f19aefd40c747a123/original/black-bear-0440.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Consider the bear... </p>
<p>* Bears hibernate up to 7½ months without eating, drinking, urinating or defecating. They have an amazing self-contained system that enables them to recycle their own water and retain bone strength and muscle mass. <br>* During hibernation, bears’ heart rates become extremely low, but their body temperature remains relatively high so they can wake up quickly to defend themselves if needed. <br>* Female bears give birth to cubs during the winter months—a feat matched by no other Northern animal. As her cubs feed, she dozes on and off as they await spring. </p>
<p>In a less dramatic fashion, I’ve channeled bear energy this winter. When snow and freezing rain cancelled three gigs, I relished the break. I've indulged in several “big sleeps” and caloric stockpiles. I’ve walked around in fuzzy slippers and curled up in cozy blankets. You’ve probably enjoyed the same delicious wintry activities. </p>
<p>But my connection with the bear goes much deeper. </p>
<p>Turning 50 was a struggle. Still reeling from my divorce and coming out, I was convinced that my birthday wasn’t worthy of celebration. As harsh as it sounds, I didn’t know if anyone would come to a party. It was too painful to risk. </p>
<p>Linda surprised me with a trip to Asheville instead. On the eve of 50, we went to a fabulous Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings concert at The Orange Peel (highly recommended!). Driving back up the mountain afterwards, we were the only car on that dark road. As the dashboard clock struck midnight, I began practicing “50” out loud. </p>
<p>Exactly four minutes later, a black bear appeared out of the darkness. She sauntered in front of our car for a quarter of a mile, her backside well lit by our headlights. By 12:09 she had stepped off the road and returned to the woods. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/e74533bbdbac8617ecae290527d534e7982dfbed/original/bear-1.jpeg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpeg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Why had she walked in front of our car so long? She could have easily avoided us on that dark night. Stunned, we looked up the bear totem and discovered that they represent strength and emotional healing. </p>
<p>All at once I felt at peace. I knew healing lay ahead. This mystical bear had appeared when I needed her and shown the way. </p>
<p>I have often reflected on that bear and other unexpected sources of solace and strength. In this complex, intricate world, there is much that we don’t understand. Much that can’t be quantified or contained. Somehow I find comfort in that mystery. </p>
<p><em>Do you have a totem animal? </em></p>
<p><em>Have you had a mystical experience…animal or otherwise? </em></p>
<p><em>What will emerge for you as spring arrives? </em></p>
<p>Thank you for bolstering me…and each other…on the unchartered road ahead, </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p>P.S. Here's a fun video with hibernation facts (click on the photo below).</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="xptpXSTtgSY" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/xptpXSTtgSY/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xptpXSTtgSY?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Joy Zimmerman's soulful vocals and original music dance effortlessly from poignant to hilarious to compelling to joyful -- round-trip guaranteed! With folk rock as a springboard, Joy dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. A touring musician based in Kansas City, Joy is a voice of authenticity, hope and joy. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and ten Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded six albums - three in Nashville and three in Kansas City. Joy released To the Girl, her sixth album of original music in April 2019. joyzimmermanmusic.com</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/98182b3ac675e71a1c9db4d5faedc1164e6e7460/original/cultivate-joy-1d45bc-transparent-copy.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/6132198
2020-01-18T20:17:30-06:00
2020-03-06T09:27:36-06:00
Note by Note: Hats Off to 2020! | No. 23 | 1.17.20
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/994f34ffd1e7526b0dc0d10812cd23974c2fdbf1/original/banner.jpeg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpeg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>My word of intention for this new year is “gutsy.” I originally toyed with “fearless” but decided that a certain amount of fear will be my companion if I’m living right. Choosing gutsiness, I’m declaring “Hats Off to 2020!” </p>
<p>“Do one thing every day that scares you.” ~Eleanor Roosevelt </p>
<p>Hillary and Chelsea Clinton’s new book, The Book of Gusty Women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience, features Eleanor Roosevelt and more than 130 inspiring women. The Clintons say the most notable commonality among these women is fierce optimism. This optimism isn’t naive, but rather based on determination and a practice of being brave and hopeful. </p>
<p>Many of you sent me your words of intention for 2020, including “light”, “openness”, “new”, “balance”, “be bold,” “ambition” and “perseverance”. Words to live by. </p>
<p>Sometimes we need physical manifestations of our inner shifts or commitments…like deciding to let our hair go gray, taking up skydiving or crochet, quitting a job we’ve outgrown or trying a dating app. </p>
<p>In 2020 I’ll be stepping further into my power and letting my songs take center stage. To mark this new chapter…this new year…this new decade, I’m taking my hats off for a while. I need some newness, some freshness and more freedom. </p>
<p>One exciting but scary leap will be a new venture into live recording on March 6th. Ryan Dugan will join me on acoustic guitar and Jake Wheeler on upright bass at Knuckleheads in Kansas City. I’ll be sending out more information about this new live CD and other adventures soon. </p>
<p>As always, I’m so grateful you’re part of the team. </p>
<p>Here’s my first very short subject video—a “talkie”, as it were.</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="jyDhDRm9vZY" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/jyDhDRm9vZY/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jyDhDRm9vZY?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>Wishing you lots of newness and some fierce optimism too, </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p>“The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better.” ~Stephen King</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Joy Zimmerman's soulful vocals and original music dance effortlessly from poignant to hilarious to compelling to joyful -- round-trip guaranteed! With folk rock as a springboard, Joy dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. A touring musician based in Kansas City, Joy is a voice of authenticity, hope and joy. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and ten Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded six albums - three in Nashville and three in Kansas City. Joy released To the Girl, her sixth album of original music in April 2019. joyzimmermanmusic.com</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2db53b6ad180262eef7b08908693a702f4746e82/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/6024540
2019-12-16T17:47:08-06:00
2019-12-16T17:56:13-06:00
Note by Note: One Simple Wreath | No. 22 | December 16, 2019
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/d1db5ae94c7f38b28356dfd5c0cf6e50faaba855/original/screen-shot-2019-12-16-at-5-40-26-pm.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.png" class="size_m justify_center border_" /><em>“The music is not in the notes, but the silence in between.”</em> ~ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart </p>
<p>I distinctly remember the moment the Kindermusik teacher told us moms and little ones that the rests are just as important as the notes. Even though I had played violin for 30 years, I had never thought of music that way. I had always focused on the intonation, rhythm and expression of the notes. </p>
<p>And so my life had gone. All the time spent doing, trying, striving, working hard. All the concern about what I needed to accomplish but still hadn’t. Intentional solitude was a far-fetched, challenging notion. </p>
<p>Many of you are more versed in the gifts of rest and solitude. You know that clarity often comes in the stillness, that satisfaction deepens when we are quiet, that our actions are strengthened by solid rest. </p>
<p>While the holidays are not usually associated with rest, clarity can help. <em>Which traditions mean the most to you? Can you shed some activities that no longer bring meaning? How can you simplify and add some down time? </em></p>
<p>As she traveled through the Northeast, my friend Marcia was struck by the simplicity of some of the Christmas decorating. Perhaps a remnant of their Shaker past, a wreath was the sole decoration at times. This is in contrast with the general sensibility in the Midwest where I live. </p>
<p>If your house and your tree are all decked out, no judgement, of course. But It did get me thinking how little is actually required for a celebration….and this thinking led to a song, “One Simple Wreath”. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="IYbXbNNK9ME" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/IYbXbNNK9ME/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IYbXbNNK9ME?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>As 2020 approaches, we can’t help but note that another year has flown by. The only way I’ve found to stretch time is to savor the present moment, especially if it’s a delicious one. Take it in with all your senses. Note its beauty. Give thanks. Rest in its wonder. </p>
<p>I’m grateful for any of the moments we got to share in 2019. Thank you for your sustaining support. I hope to provide the same for you. </p>
<p>However and wherever you celebrate, may your holidays be merry and bright…and a bit restful, </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p>P.S. If you need a little inspiration to discover and do more of what you love in 2020, might I suggest a kid’s book for adults called I<em>t’s Never Too Late</em> by Dallas Clayton? <em>“It’s never too late to start something new. To do all those things you’ve been longing to do.” </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>
<p>Joy Zimmerman's soulful vocals and original music dance effortlessly from poignant to hilarious to compelling to joyful -- round-trip guaranteed! With folk rock as a springboard, Joy dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. A touring musician based in Kansas City, Joy is a voice of authenticity, hope and joy. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and ten Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded six albums - three in Nashville and three in Kansas City. Joy released To the Girl, her sixth album of original music in April 2019. joyzimmermanmusic.com</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/ed138963d03bf34ee8a6bb35a76d252f01d360ab/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5965704
2019-11-19T12:12:28-06:00
2020-02-24T11:46:00-06:00
Note by Note: Until the Dawn | No. 21 | November 19, 2019
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/d97f1e44ea0da4ec7c8fac2946298cc4ae1ca30e/original/sunrise-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><em>We are creatures of habit, aren’t we? </em></p>
<p>Most of us drive to work the same way, hang out with the same people, and follow familiar routines. We seek patterns and predictability to help us make sense of the world. </p>
<p><em>But is predictability always good? What happens when we mix it up? </em></p>
<p>Brain science has shown benefits to driving different routes to work and altering well-worn habits. Neuroscientists believe that our brains are constantly searching for newness. By instituting variety, we can increase our creativity and focus, improve our memory, and maybe find a renewed sense of purpose. </p>
<p>Big and small changes often require courage and self-evaluation. Maybe a lot of both. </p>
<p>I wrote “Until the Dawn” about a complete upheaval in my life. There was plenty of darkness but also big, beautiful light. I hoped to capture all that in this nontraditional love song. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="KySqVtUYcN0" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/KySqVtUYcN0/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KySqVtUYcN0?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> </p>
<p><em>What could you shift in the darkness?<br>What might you discover as the dawn breaks?<br>Who do you want to be in the new day...new year...ahead? </em></p>
<p>As we move toward 2020, I offer John O’Donohue’s brilliant poem for all of us who wish to become even bolder versions of ourselves. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">For a New Beginning </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">In out-of-the-way places of the heart, <br>Where your thoughts never think to wander, <br>This beginning has been quietly forming, <br>Waiting until you were ready to emerge. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">For a long time it has watched your desire, <br>Feeling the emptiness growing inside you, <br>Noticing how you willed yourself on, <br>Still unable to leave what you had outgrown. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">It watched you play with the seduction of safety <br>And the gray promises that sameness whispered, <br>Heard the waves of turmoil rise and relent, <br>Wondered would you always live like this. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Then the delight, when your courage kindled, <br>And out you stepped onto new ground, <br>Your eyes young again with energy and dream, <br>A path of plenitude opening before you. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Though your destination is not yet clear <br>You can trust the promise of this opening; <br>Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning <br>That is at one with your life’s desire. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Awaken your spirit to adventure; <br>Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk; <br>Soon you will be home in a new rhythm, <br>For your soul senses the world that awaits you. </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">~John O’Donohue </p>
<p>Always in your fan club, </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p>P.S. This live video was a stretch for me…both performing AND watching it! The camera got pretty close ;) Big thanks to Charlie Steen who filmed it in Grand Rapids, MI, during the Folk Alliance Regional Midwest conference. </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>
<p>Joy Zimmerman's soulful vocals and original music dance effortlessly from poignant to hilarious to compelling to joyful -- round-trip guaranteed! With folk rock as a springboard, Joy dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. A touring musician based in Kansas City, Joy is a voice of authenticity, hope and joy. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and ten Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded six albums - three in Nashville and three in Kansas City. Joy released To the Girl, her sixth album of original music in April 2019. joyzimmermanmusic.com</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/ed138963d03bf34ee8a6bb35a76d252f01d360ab/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5937497
2019-10-24T10:39:26-05:00
2023-11-10T15:57:58-06:00
Note by Note: Evensong | No. 20 | October 23, 2019
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/6ebd83757e2cd584e21f1f555ca27b33171dd147/original/oregon-nighttime-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>I’m currently writing a song called <em>“Not Enough Time in a Lifetime”</em>, but I haven’t had enough time to finish it. Seriously. </p>
<ul> <li><em>When your head hits the pillow, do you usually feel your day was well spent? </em></li> <li><em>Do you find peace knowing you did all you could do in that day? </em></li> <li><em>Do you rest well knowing your mistakes were growing opportunities? </em></li>
</ul>
<p>If you answered yes to these questions, I’ll definitely have what you’re having! </p>
<p>My perfectionism and insatiable drive sometimes catch up with me at night. I wish I had accomplished more, and I wish I had done it all better. This is not a recipe for peace in anyone’s book. </p>
<p>Over time I’ve learned to be somewhat easier on myself. I’ve worked on being more compassionate with my striving. I’ve tried to reframe my failings, but the struggle is real. </p>
<p>I wrote<em> "Evensong"</em> to remind us of the power of gratitude and the beauty and connection that surround us. </p>
<p><em>We are held deeper than we know<br>Beyond all that's spoken below<br>Even when we lose our place in the sun<br>And our wounds won't let us go<br>We have offered ourselves to this day</em></p>
<p><em>At the closing of each day<br>I will count what's swept away<br>And give thanks for the love that remains<br>I know challenges begun and songs that will be sung<br>While the beauty endures and awaits<br>The beauty endures and awaits </em></p>
<p>A couple of weeks ago I got to see Heart perform again. Ann and Nancy Wilson and their band blew me away. Have you ever seen them live? These pioneering women are still rockin’ it like crazy. </p>
<p>I take heart in Ann Wilson’s words…<em>"What’s important to me is love, especially that. What’s important to me is growing and evolving. But ultimately, what’s important to me is being real and being authentic. I’ve spent enough time in my life holding poses, playing roles.” </em></p>
<p>Here’s to being real and authentic—growing edges and all, </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p>P.S. This live version of “<em>Evensong”</em> with Jimmy Dykes is completely acoustic at the Johnson County Old Courthouse in Warrensburg, Missouri. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="5hmtIPecdfc" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/5hmtIPecdfc/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5hmtIPecdfc?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>P.P.S. The second video is the full-band version from my album, <em>“Say My Name”</em> recorded at Weights and Measures Soundlab in Kansas City.</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="VpFyKfWmCvc" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/VpFyKfWmCvc/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VpFyKfWmCvc?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>
<p>Joy Zimmerman's soulful vocals and original music dance effortlessly from poignant to hilarious to compelling to joyful -- round-trip guaranteed! With folk rock as a springboard, Joy dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. A touring musician based in Kansas City, Joy is a voice of authenticity, hope and joy. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and ten Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded six albums - three in Nashville and three in Kansas City. Joy released To the Girl, her sixth album of original music in April 2019. joyzimmermanmusic.com</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/ed138963d03bf34ee8a6bb35a76d252f01d360ab/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5895918
2019-09-17T20:37:15-05:00
2020-02-24T11:48:56-06:00
Note by Note: When You Are Gone to Me | No. 19 | 9.17.19
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2ca41999d6a8baaac2b2bd758005e4f93e3cfd01/original/img-0914.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>When we begin a new job, marriage or friendship or join a band or a book club or move to a new city, we usually don’t spend much time imagining how it might end. Thankfully we jump in, head and heart first. </p>
<p>But sometimes endings do come. Change, the curse and opportunity of being human, is inevitable. </p>
<p>I had never lost a friendship until my divorce and our bitter church split, both of which occurred during the same season. This particular blend of devastation left me sobbing on the floor and sleeping in my coat. This particular blend of sorrow left unanswered, unresolved questions. </p>
<p>As I began to emerge, I noted what we all know after deep loss--we are forever changed and forever grateful. </p>
<p>“Growing apart doesn’t change the fact that for a long time we grew side by side; our roots will always be tangled. I’m glad for that.” ~Ally Condie </p>
<p>As I began to emerge, I wrote “When You Are Gone to Me”. Riva Capellari, my voice teacher at the time, helped me envision the journey of this simple lament. After the initial shock, you wrap yourself around the extent of your loss and then find your way forward with the losses and gifts woven into your fabric. </p>
<p>How have you survived deep losses? Has your sorrow coexisted with gratitude? </p>
<p>I am thankful for you, </p>
<p><em>Joy </em></p>
<p>When You Are Gone to Me</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="zGu_CPjj1i0" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/zGu_CPjj1i0/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zGu_CPjj1i0?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>P.S. Dave Hoffner, a stellar pianist in Nashville (One of his claims to fame is the piano part on Michael Martin Murphey’s hit song, “Wildfire”), recorded this song with me. The experience was unforgettable. </p>
<p>P.P.S. The footage for this video is from Oregon and the YMCA of the Rockies Snow Mountain Ranch in Colorado where my son Connor is spending a gap year.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>
<p>Joy Zimmerman's soulful vocals and original music dance effortlessly from poignant to hilarious to compelling to joyful -- round-trip guaranteed! With folk rock as a springboard, Joy dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. A traveling musician based in Kansas City, Joy is a voice of authenticity, hope and joy. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and ten Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded six albums - three in Nashville and three in Kansas City. Joy released To the Girl, her sixth album of original music in April 2019. joyzimmermanmusic.com</p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5859530
2019-08-15T21:04:56-05:00
2020-02-24T11:51:38-06:00
Note by Note: My'Rish Blessing | No. 18 | 8.15.19
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/c75de9da72a5bf6fe3e9b3635c70e5bece56853a/original/lighthouse-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” ~Toni Morrison </p>
<p>Life is rich and raw, isn’t it? As brilliant, beloved author Toni Morrison showed us time and time again, beautiful moments coexist with heartbreak. We ride the waves as best we can, striving to end injustice and create more peace. </p>
<p>After singing Irish Blessings at poignant events, I decided to attempt one--even though I'm not a bit Irish. The result is "My'Rish Blessing" which contains my wishes (and a bit of humor) for each of you. </p>
<p>Here’s a live version from a recent evening in Oregon at J.L. Kiff Vineyard. The official version of “My’Rish Blessing” is the closer of my latest album, To the Girl. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="bwbGIgcN_4Y" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/bwbGIgcN_4Y/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bwbGIgcN_4Y?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>Thank you for being in my corner. I'm honored to be in yours. </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Joy Zimmerman's soulful vocals and original music dance effortlessly from poignant to hilarious to compelling to joyful -- round-trip guaranteed! With folk rock as a springboard, Joy dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. A traveling musician based in Kansas City, Joy is a voice of authenticity, hope and joy. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and eight Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded six albums - three in Nashville and three in Kansas City. Joy released To the Girl, her sixth album of original music in April 2019. joyzimmermanmusic.com</p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5834178
2019-07-23T17:15:23-05:00
2020-02-24T12:20:23-06:00
Note by Note: No Shortcut to Love | No. 17 | 7.23.19
<h3><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/85320fe314dfd56273f57055b48854cac1b2515b/original/path.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></h3>
<p>How do you envision the road map of your life? <br>Have you followed a straight line or taken many twists and turns? Enjoyed some rest areas? </p>
<p>En route home from Oregon (a.k.a. the land of milk and honey), I couldn’t help but relive our numerous hikes totaling close to 60 miles. Some trails were clearly marked while others left you guessing. One trail was a mile straight up and others were wide, level and cushioned by pine needles. </p>
<p>As the Queen of Side Trips and Alternate Routes, I’ve had many jobs, relationships, travels, friends and challenges. All those side trips finally make sense with songwriting. All roads have led here. </p>
<p>You don’t get to my age without learning and living lots of lessons. I threw many of these observations—along with the kitchen sink—into this song. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="r1U56BaCfMU" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/r1U56BaCfMU/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r1U56BaCfMU?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>Love and friendships in their many forms are hard work. Especially deep, sustaining relationships. With the inward and outward journey to find yourself and your people, there’s “No Shortcut to Love”. </p>
<p>See you on the trail, </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Joy Zimmerman's soulful vocals and original music dance effortlessly from poignant to hilarious to compelling to joyful -- round-trip guaranteed! With folk rock as a springboard, Joy dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. A traveling musician based in Kansas City, Joy is a voice of authenticity, hope and joy. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and eight Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded six albums - three in Nashville and three in Kansas City. Joy released To the Girl, her sixth album of original music in April 2019. joyzimmermanmusic.com</p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5780894
2019-06-05T15:50:22-05:00
2020-02-24T12:25:38-06:00
Note by Note: Messy Girl | No. 16 | 6.5.19
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/23227d31a0560325d9d27f8f596f636c8a00f18b/original/dishes.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><em>How messy are you? </em></p>
<p>Me? A whole bunch. </p>
<p>I distinctly remember the image that prompted <em>Messy Girl</em>. As I opened the rear door of my minivan, I surveyed the slew of dried-up snack fragments, mismatched sports equipment, miscellaneous papers, a rogue sock or two….and I knew dust bunnies ran amok and laundry baskets overflowed at home. </p>
<p><em>I have a messy house and a messy mind <br>I drive a messy car; I lead a messy life <br>With a messy dog in this messy world <br>I have a messy bed, I’m a messy, messy, messy girl </em></p>
<p>Some of this was due, of course, to the condition known as Parenting Young Children. But now that I’ve tamed the dust bunnies and traded in the van with seatbelts gummed up by raisins, there’s still a larger issue: my messy mind. As many of you know, the creative mind is a messy one. Boxes of lyric ideas, piles of songs and instruments to learn, and notebooks of project ideas and to-do lists await. </p>
<p>In truth, everyone’s life is messy, no matter what your bent. No one’s life follows an exact plan. While some of us are more comfortable with the muck, there’s always more to do than we can accomplish in a day, more things to read and watch, more people to meet, more places to visit, more help to give than is possible. </p>
<p>As I constantly seek new opportunities and a full calendar, I hear the whisper of Pulitzer-prize winning poet Mary Oliver: “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” </p>
<p>Clarity is the antidote. Clarity is a gift. </p>
<p><em>Do you know what brings you joy?</em> <em>Do you pause enough to reflect on the wonders of your past and the beauty around you? Where are you heading? </em></p>
<p>Since time is certainly finite, be sure to figure out how you create meaning. Gather it and give it away. </p>
<p><em>I want to come clean with you</em>, <br>Joy </p>
<p>P.S. This is the jazziest song I’ve ever recorded or sung. And truth in advertising—those aren’t dishes in my sink. I’m not quite <strong>that </strong>messy.</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="FOTffCouyec" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/FOTffCouyec/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FOTffCouyec?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Joy Zimmerman's soulful vocals and original music dance effortlessly from poignant to hilarious to compelling to joyful -- round-trip guaranteed! With folk rock as a springboard, Joy dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. A traveling musician based in Kansas City, Joy is a voice of authenticity, hope and joy. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and eight Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded six albums - three in Nashville and three in Kansas City. Joy released To the Girl, her sixth album of original music in April 2019. <a contents="joyzimmermanmusic.com" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://joyzimmermanmusic.com/home">joyzimmermanmusic.com</a></p>
<p><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2db53b6ad180262eef7b08908693a702f4746e82/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5760623
2019-05-19T20:39:55-05:00
2020-02-24T12:17:06-06:00
Note by Note: Plant Me a Tree | No. 15 | 5.19.19
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/d58a26aa2c264dabeab4b8d4658ba879d348f66b/original/woods-png.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Have you ever taken a bath in the forest? </p>
<p>As in “forest bathing”? As in retreating to nature to immerse yourself in its healing powers? </p>
<p>Shrinrin-yoku forest therapy was developed in Japan during the 1980s as preventive health care. Researchers have since proven many benefits, including boosting the immune system, reducing blood pressure and stress, and improving mood and sleep. </p>
<p>What’s not to love? So basic and intuitive -- we feel better when we are connected to nature. All that’s required is a slow, intentional walk in a forest or natural area. </p>
<p>It’s like magic. I instantly gain perspective when I step into the woods. My challenges seem smaller and more manageable within the grand scope of life. </p>
<p>“And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.” ~ John Muir </p>
<p>After the devastating 2011 tornado in Joplin, Missouri, friends from our church went to replant a small fraction of the 25,000 lost trees. Linda and I contributed a tree in her mom’s memory since she had grown up near Joplin and deeply loved nature. </p>
<p>Our memorial tree was planted in Helen’s front yard to replace a tree that had brought great comfort after her husband’s death. The memory of Linda’s mom and Helen’s husband became intertwined in this walnut tree. I immediately thought of ways our sorrows and memories….struggles and triumphs…roots and branches are connected. In life. In disaster. In celebration. </p>
<p>“Plant Me a Tree” is the result. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="wgQgGHb-M3o" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/wgQgGHb-M3o/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wgQgGHb-M3o?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>And now we’ve learned that trees communicate – even warning and nourishing each other. Read The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wolleben and be amazed. </p>
<p>Go outside whenever you can. Set it down. Open your senses. Breathe in the goodness. Give thanks for the natural world and the healing it brings. </p>
<p>Hope to see you in the forest~ </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p>P.S. Here’s a short video of nature, collaboration and creativity bringing healing to Joplin. </p>
<p><strong><a contents="Joplin video link" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article151573672.html"><span style="color:#0000ff;">Joplin video link</span></a></strong></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Joy Zimmerman's soulful vocals and original music dance effortlessly from poignant to hilarious to compelling to joyful -- round-trip guaranteed! With folk rock as a springboard, Joy dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. A traveling musician based in Kansas City, Joy is a voice of authenticity, hope and joy. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and eight Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded six albums - three in Nashville and three in Kansas City. Joy released To the Girl, her sixth album of original music in April 2019. <a contents="joyzimmermanmusic.com" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://joyzimmermanmusic.com/home">joyzimmermanmusic.com</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2db53b6ad180262eef7b08908693a702f4746e82/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5745867
2019-05-07T11:22:30-05:00
2020-02-24T12:15:54-06:00
Note by Note: Big and Wide as the Sky | No. 14 | 5.7.19
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/cdfd2dad20a257d8630996ef890e639c695735e6/original/big-header.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" />This Mother’s Day will be particularly poignant as my youngest son graduates from high school two days later. The impending empty nest will mark an ending and a beginning. </p>
<p>Parenting is so complex, so challenging, so life-altering that it almost defies description. Especially since each child is completely unique and we parents are different each day and stage of life. </p>
<p>There are no precise roadmaps or perfect solutions…only trail guides, fellow travelers and open-hearted love. So much that it overwhelms you. </p>
<p><em>I carry you deep in my heart that has grown big and wide as the sky. </em></p>
<p>When you first hold your baby (unless your beloved child comes to you later), you cannot possibly know what will be required. The depth to which your heart can be full or broken…the ways you will feel intensely lost and found…the vast amount of time, resources and your whole self freely given… </p>
<p><em>How could we know the changes our lives would undergo? Who could foresee the bravery each heart will need? </em></p>
<p>I am a parent by adoption, birth and the blending of families. In every instance, I have been stretched. My growing edges have not always been pretty or neatly wrapped. When my boys were little, I remember ending conflicts with “Should we try again?” Thankfully I’ve had many chances to try again. </p>
<p>And thankfully I’ve had the honor of the hardest job possible. </p>
<p>Whether you’re a parent, a treasured relative, teacher, coach or companion, you know the beauty and challenge of watching a child grow up and away. Their growth weaves together abiding love, the passage of time and the investment we have made in the future stretching before us… </p>
<p><em>Then you’ll know the weight of a heart that has grown as big and wide as the sky. </em></p>
<p>I’m excited to share the video Linda and I created for “Big and Wide as the Sky” – one of the new songs from my new album, <em>To the Girl</em>. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="117ZVnGPju8" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/117ZVnGPju8/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/117ZVnGPju8?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>With a full heart, thank you~ </p>
<p><em>Joy</em> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Joy Zimmerman's soulful vocals and original music dance effortlessly from poignant to hilarious to compelling to joyful -- round-trip guaranteed! With folk rock as a springboard, Joy dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. A traveling musician based in Kansas City, Joy is a voice of authenticity, hope and joy. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and eight Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded six albums - three in Nashville and three in Kansas City. Joy released <em>To the Girl</em>, her sixth album of original music in April 2019. j<a contents="joyzimmermanmusic.com" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://joyzimmermanmusic.com/home">oyzimmermanmusic.com </a> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2db53b6ad180262eef7b08908693a702f4746e82/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5725017
2019-04-18T21:45:40-05:00
2020-02-24T12:14:38-06:00
Note by Note: Dear John or Jane | No. 13 | 4.18.19
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2b29bc49cf2f7a55e9dea604f82b8c598023d392/original/old-typewriter.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><span style="color:null;"><em>What were your favorite sounds from childhood? </em></span></p>
<p>(I’ll give you a minute to ponder this…) </p>
<p>My top picks include my mom playing piano downstairs as we went to sleep, the school librarian reading us another chapter, Stevie Wonder singing as we danced, kids calling out to invite me to roller skate or play kickball, typewriter keys tapping as my mom typed my dad’s graduate school papers… </p>
<p>I’m old enough that this particular typewriter was a beautiful, black classic model and heavy as an anchor. It once belonged to my grandfather. </p>
<p>The cadence of those keys and the frequent chime of the return led me to write a song with the typewriter as its foundation. I started by finding a rhythm on typewriter keys and then launching into a break-up song. </p>
<p>After remembering an expression I first heard in college -- “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle” -- I thought of other ill-fated images, and I was off to the races. </p>
<p>A big thanks to my stepdaughter, Samantha Wilkinson, for helping us create this video. It was lots of fun to find the assorted images and figure out how to depict the psychedelic guitar solo. </p>
<p>I hope you enjoy it too. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="IQVlkI3aXe4" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/IQVlkI3aXe4/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IQVlkI3aXe4?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p><em>And see whether you can conjure up some of those treasured childhood sounds… </em></p>
<p>Let’s not break up, </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p>P.S. Speaking of childhood, I’ve just released a brand new album called T<em>o the Girl</em>. You can find more information on my website:<a contents=" joyzimmermanmusic.com. " data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://joyzimmermanmusic.com/home"> joyzimmermanmusic.com. </a>As you might imagine, I’ll be blogging and videoing about the songs soon.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/a90fb6fcc5be5efd7b50eca02d70e74e8d77e1cd/original/img-9944-v2-copy-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Joy Zimmerman is a soulful singer-songwriter known for compelling vocals, inventive songs, and captivating performances. A traveling musician based in Kansas City, Joy released <em>To the Girl</em>, her sixth album of original music, on April 5, 2019. Joy is a multi-instrumentalist whose eclectic music might be best described as folk rock with extra helpings of other favorite genres. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and eight Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded three albums in Nashville and three in Kansas City.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2db53b6ad180262eef7b08908693a702f4746e82/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5703303
2019-04-01T19:33:19-05:00
2020-02-24T12:13:02-06:00
Note by Note: The One I Love | No. 12 | 4.1.19
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/099eec464f04326245b180562329c4688eea50fe/original/screen-shot-2019-04-01-at-7-28-53-pm.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Note by Note: The One I Love | No. 12 | 4.1.19 </p>
<p>Do you cringe when you hear a favorite song turned into elevator music or a dance mix or sung by the Chipmunks or Weird Al? Or do you enjoy it? Many of us feel protective of the songs we love. The original performances and the arrangement feel sacred. </p>
<p>But sometimes we welcome a re-fashioning…a different singer, perhaps in a different tempo or genre, perhaps changed to an instrumental rendition. Swapping a female for a male singer or vice versa might lead us to a new experience of the lyrics. An instrumental version might amplify the beauty of the melody. </p>
<p>Whether such changes enhance or detract from the original song is your call, of course, since music is completely subjective. </p>
<p>If you like mixing it up, you might want to check out SecondHandSongs (<a contents="www.secondhandsongs.com" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.secondhandsongs.com">www.secondhandsongs.com</a>) which has catalogued 85,987 originals and 694,166 covers. This website invites you to “Discover the Original” and “Listen to the Cover” with a link to both. For example, you can compare “Respect” by Otis Redding with Aretha Franklin’s version. </p>
<p>I also found a listing of the 100 Greatest Cover Songs and Remakes on the web. Such a list can lead you to discover that a classic was first released (and maybe written) by someone you have never heard of. </p>
<p>Taking on the challenge of remaking a favorite song, here’s my version of R.E.M.’s “The One I Love”. My son, Ryan Dugan, joined me in this entirely different vibe as different (younger) versions of ourselves: </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="W74zZP0WThs" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/W74zZP0WThs/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W74zZP0WThs?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>What two (or three) versions of the same song do you enjoy? Can you imagine one of your favorite songs in a new tempo or genre? </p>
<p>Here’s to originality and evolution! </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p>P.S. Speaking of R.E.M., have you ever seen this Sesame Street retake of “Shiny Happy People”? </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="J9G1FhQUnSo" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/J9G1FhQUnSo/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J9G1FhQUnSo?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>P.P.S. Speaking of Sesame Street, might I also suggest “Letter B”? </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="WmVd9F1fW00" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/WmVd9F1fW00/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WmVd9F1fW00?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Joy Zimmerman is a soulful singer-songwriter known for compelling vocals, inventive songs, and captivating performances. A traveling musician based in Kansas City, Joy is releasing “To the Girl”, her sixth album of original music on April 5, 2019. Joy is a multi-instrumentalist whose eclectic music might be best described as folk rock with extra helpings of other favorite genres. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and eight Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded three albums in Nashville and three in Kansas City. </p>
<p>More information available at joyzimmermanmusic.com</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2db53b6ad180262eef7b08908693a702f4746e82/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5692691
2019-03-25T07:44:35-05:00
2022-12-02T08:39:16-06:00
Note by Note: To the Girl | No. 11 | 3.25.19
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/35c83fde27f6eb5b680c3aa14232ec8cf67708bb/original/to-the-girl-cover.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></p>
<p><em>“Art is how we decorate space, music is how we decorate time.” </em> ~Jean-Michel Basquiat </p>
<p>While still a novice at guitar and solo singing, I wrote “To the Girl” to my younger self. I felt an overwhelming desire to tell my little girl self that all would be well somehow. The song poured out-- using all the guitar chords that I knew. </p>
<p>At the time I was in the midst of many struggles…unaware, of course, of the mighty struggles that lay ahead. Still, I knew that all roads had led to that moment. Playing in a band, songwriting, and combining social work with music had opened new pathways. I felt lit up. I wanted that little girl to know. </p>
<p>“To the Girl” is the title track of my new album to be released on April 5th and debuted on April 11th. Its songs celebrate love, taking chances, the wisdom of time, and finding your passion. I can’t wait to share them with you. </p>
<p>I wonder which songs will speak to you… </p>
<p><em>What would you say to yourself as a child if you had a chance? Where are your roads leading? </em></p>
<p>All the best to you—with gratitude, </p>
<p><em>Joy </em></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/c11d688f8667bd0c7399b25e36fd70574715ec4e/original/img-0629.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Joy Zimmerman is a soulful singer-songwriter known for compelling vocals, inventive songs, and captivating performances. A traveling musician based in Kansas City, Joy is releasing “To the Girl”, her sixth album of original music on April 5, 2019. Joy is a multi-instrumentalist whose eclectic music might be best described as folk rock with extra helpings of other favorite genres. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and eight Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded three albums in Nashville and three in Kansas City. </p>
<p>More information available at <a contents="joyzimmermanmusic.com" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://joyzimmermanmusic.com/home">joyzimmermanmusic.com</a></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2db53b6ad180262eef7b08908693a702f4746e82/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5675111
2019-03-09T20:35:42-06:00
2020-02-24T12:10:34-06:00
Note by Note: Sweet Bird | No. 10 | 3.10.19
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/52087ae484e153840c88717e6689393a72860546/original/winter-wonderland.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Spring is coming….really, it is. </p>
<p>As you and I have struggled with the ice and snow of this frigid winter, how have those tiny birds survived? </p>
<p>And how do each of us survive turbulent times? I was convinced during one of the darkest periods of my life that songbirds were calling directly to me. Their simple, repetitive, insistent songs reassured me as I lay in the darkness unable to sleep. The sun would rise, and so would I, to face whatever lay ahead. </p>
<p>I wrote “Sweet Bird” as a love song to those hardy creatures of hope. </p>
<p>Sweet bird, sing your song, sweet bird </p>
<p>Sweet bird, you need no words, sweet bird </p>
<p>Songs of darkness, songs of dawn </p>
<p>Inviting us to carry on </p>
<p>Wake the world, sweet bird </p>
<p>Brad Sneed, a dear friend, author and illustrator, painted a female cardinal for us. Both Brad and the cardinal star in this video. Be sure to watch Brad’s time lapse painting at the end and check out his website at www.BradSneed.com. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="E7x4iTq4Q00" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/E7x4iTq4Q00/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E7x4iTq4Q00?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>What or who encourages you in dark times? What will you do when the weather warms? </p>
<p>Here’s to the renewal of spring and to the resilience of birds…and each of us! </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p>P.S. Here’s a great article (from a great website) entitled “How Do Birds Survive Winter?” <a contents="http://www.birdsleuth.org/how-do-birds-survive-winter/&nbsp;" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.birdsleuth.org/how-do-birds-survive-winter/">http://www.birdsleuth.org/how-do-birds-survive-winter/ </a></p>
<p>Hint: Sometimes survival involves a big change in brain size or body temperature—wow! </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>
<p>Joy Zimmerman is a soulful singer-songwriter known for compelling vocals, inventive songs, and captivating performances. A traveling musician based in Kansas City, Joy is currently working on “To the Girl”, her sixth album of original music. Joy is a multi-instrumentalist whose eclectic music might be best described as folk rock with extra helpings of other favorite genres. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and eight Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded three albums in Nashville and two in Kansas City. </p>
<p>More information available at <a contents="joyzimmermanmusic.com" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://joyzimmermanmusic.com">joyzimmermanmusic.com</a></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2db53b6ad180262eef7b08908693a702f4746e82/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5658459
2019-02-25T10:24:41-06:00
2020-02-24T12:09:07-06:00
Note by Note : Let It Be | No. 9 | 2.25.19
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/6c3466396410dd790d67be774a94e5005319e881/original/let-it-be.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" />It seemed a big advantage to have a last name that began with “Z’. Seated alphabetically, I often had time to rehearse my answers before the teacher called on me. So I wouldn’t make a mistake. </p>
<p>I remember reading ahead quickly to practice the section I’d be reading out loud to the class. So I wouldn’t make a mistake. </p>
<p>Even my kindergarten teacher said in a report card, “Joy doesn’t need to try so hard to be perfect.” </p>
<p>Fast forward to the fall of 2017…. </p>
<p>After playing the opening set, I was enjoying the performance of Ellis Paul, a nationally renowned singer/songwriter, at the Green Guitar Folk Series. As the audience called for an encore, Ellis walked over and invited me to join him on “Let It Be”. </p>
<p>A complete surprise. No time to practice. No time to check any lyrics. No turning back. </p>
<p>And when Ellis suggested we step off stage and sing in the midst of the crowd, no mics. </p>
<p>Paul McCartney explains the inspiration for “Let It Be” with a catch in his throat on Carpool Karaoke. He recounts how his deceased mother, Mary, appeared to him in a dream and spoke those seminal words. </p>
<p>On the title track of my upcoming album, “To the Girl”, I send words of comfort to that conscientious young girl. </p>
<p>May we all say “yes” on a lark. May we sing out. And beyond any mistakes, may the spirit of our experiences carry us into our next “yes”... </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="g23psAtoFEM" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/g23psAtoFEM/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g23psAtoFEM?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>Let It Be, friends-- </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p>P.S. If you’re in Kansas City, I highly recommend the Green Guitar Folk Series:<span style="color:#009966;"> </span><a contents="Green Guitar Folk" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://greenguitarfolk.org/"><span style="color:#009966;">Green Guitar Folk </span></a></p>
<p>I’m honored to be in the line-up again on Saturday, October 12th. </p>
<p>P.P.S. If you've somehow missed Paul McCartney’s Carpool Karaoke, watch it as soon as you can: <a contents="Paul McCartney Carpool Karaoke" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjvzCTqkBDQ">Paul McCartney Carpool Karaoke</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Joy Zimmerman is a soulful singer-songwriter known for compelling vocals, inventive songs, and captivating performances. A traveling musician based in Kansas City, Joy is currently working on “To the Girl”, her sixth album of original music. Joy is a multi-instrumentalist whose eclectic music might be best described as folk rock with extra helpings of other favorite genres. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and eight Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded three albums in Nashville and two in Kansas City. </p>
<p>More information available at joyzimmermanmusic.com</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2db53b6ad180262eef7b08908693a702f4746e82/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5636497
2019-02-10T16:08:44-06:00
2020-02-24T12:07:47-06:00
Note by Note: Crazy In Need | No. 8 | February 10, 2019
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2b55ecd6cb8f231aa5d6ea071c6577bd037fe83f/original/joy-and-kids-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><em>“Love is the most universal, the most tremendous, and the most mysterious of the cosmic forces.” </em> ~Pierre Teilhard de Chardin </p>
<p>Who and what do you love to your core? </p>
<p>How do you put that love into words...or music…or art…or food…or projects…or donations…or…? </p>
<p>You might say everything we do is motivated somehow by love. While romantic love commands most of the spotlight, our lives are full of all sorts of deep love. </p>
<p>Throughout the centuries, people have attempted to describe the full-on, full-body experience of love. Isn’t it delicious when someone else’s depiction of love speaks eloquently to and for us? We can’t get enough. </p>
<p>But even then, we’re only scratching the surface. Countless poems, songs, paintings, sculptures, photographs try to describe the indescribable…try to tame the vastness…try to capture a piece of the infinite. </p>
<p>Annie Leibovitz’s <em>Yoko Ono & John Lennon</em> </p>
<p>Mary Oliver’s <em>Wild Geese</em> </p>
<p>Bob Dylan/Adele’s <em>Make You Feel My Love </em></p>
<p>Samuel Barber’s <em>Adagio for Strings</em> </p>
<p>Camille Claudel’s <em>Vertumnus and Pomona</em> </p>
<p>Roberto Begnini's <em>Life is Beautiful </em></p>
<p>In honor of Valentine’s Day, here’s one of my attempts. <em>Crazy In Need </em>was co-written with Jan Linder-Koda (over Skype no less!) and recorded in Los Angeles. </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="TgVYfj3mCkw" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/TgVYfj3mCkw/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TgVYfj3mCkw?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> </p>
<p><em>What are you favorite depictions of love? What love language(s) do you speak? What’s better than being in love with the world? </em></p>
<p>Viva l’amour in its many forms! </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p>P.S. I love including friends in musical projects…from contributing photos for videos and album covers to singing in a choir on my new record, sharing song suggestions, and participating in the big feedback loop of live performances.<em> Enjoy the photos many of you submitted for this video! </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Joy Zimmerman is a soulful singer-songwriter known for compelling vocals, inventive songs, and captivating performances. A traveling musician based in Kansas City, Joy is currently working on “To the Girl”, her sixth album of original music. Joy is a multi-instrumentalist whose eclectic music might be best described as folk rock with extra helpings of other favorite genres. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and eight Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded three albums in Nashville and three in Kansas City - the latest, <em>To the Girl</em>, will be released in April 2019. </p>
<p><em>Crazy In Need</em> and other songs are available on CDBaby, iTunes, Spotify and Amazon Music Unlimited. joyzimmermanmusic.com </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2db53b6ad180262eef7b08908693a702f4746e82/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5605374
2019-01-21T10:09:40-06:00
2020-02-24T12:06:29-06:00
Note by Note: Will You Stand With Me | No. 7 | 1.21.19
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/06ecaf44fbb76de517f79f005caa218d2741ef37/original/will-you-stand.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.png" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p><em>“You must do the thing you think you cannot do.” </em> ~Eleanor Roosevelt </p>
<p>I almost quit guitar lessons about twelve years ago. Between Mom duties, two or three part-time jobs, graduate school, band practice, major league volunteering, etc., there wasn’t enough time to practice. And frankly, guitar was kicking my butt. </p>
<p>As many of you know, it’s humbling to be an adult learner. Being a pretty accomplished violinist -- as well as a card-carrying perfectionist -- made it painful to fumble around on the guitar. And I wasn’t finding time to make much progress. </p>
<p>Close to quitting (and saving face), a friend asked me to consider a job at a residential treatment facility. I would lead a youth choir, play music for the weekly worship service, and lead musical activities for 5 to 12-year-olds who were hospitalized for mental health and behavioral issues. </p>
<p>I really wanted to be the person who could do that job, but I was still struggling to sing and play guitar at the same time. Plus I had never done anything remotely like this. </p>
<p>Wrestling my fears, I determined to live into this challenge. I’m still not sure exactly how I put two and two together, especially given the tough crowd. But taking that job and persevering with the guitar led to countless opportunities and new paths. </p>
<p>Sometimes we see turning points loud and clear, and other times we ease into them without knowing…. </p>
<p>Today’s video is a shout-out to all who have stood with me and to those who stand with each other when the going gets tough. </p>
<p><em>When have major turning points occurred in your life? What new things(s) are you itching to learn? </em></p>
<p>All the best—with gratitude, </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p> <iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="McXKy-bPDZQ" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/McXKy-bPDZQ/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/McXKy-bPDZQ?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p><em>“Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it.”</em> ~Andy Rooney </p>
<p>For inspiration, I recommend reading <em>Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead</em> by Brene Brown…or really any of her books.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Joy Zimmerman is a soulful singer-songwriter known for compelling vocals, inventive songs, and captivating performances. A traveling musician based in Kansas City, Joy is currently working on “To the Girl”, her sixth album of original music. Joy is a multi-instrumentalist whose eclectic music might be best described as folk rock with extra helpings of other favorite genres. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and eight Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded three albums in Nashville and two in Kansas City. </p>
<p>More information available at joyzimmermanmusic.com</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2db53b6ad180262eef7b08908693a702f4746e82/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5582353
2019-01-05T13:15:57-06:00
2020-02-24T12:04:41-06:00
Note by Note: The Firefly | No. 6 | 1.5.19
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/03cb765f32b9316d4c59290246a9cf769f109722/original/firefly-in-a-jar.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>“Growing pains are not just for the young…” </p>
<p>While experiencing those uncomfortable pangs once again, this line became the genesis of “The Firefly”. I was reminded of fireflies kept too long in mason jars. <em>Did you also gather up fireflies as a child? And sometimes leave them behind when you moved on to flashlight tag? </em></p>
<p>I have learned to listen to discomfort. Although I don’t always see the next steps clearly, I now recognize signs that I’m getting ready to shed old skin and take on new, unforeseen challenges. </p>
<p>Some of the best things have happened when I leapt into the darkness without knowing the next chapter. </p>
<p>It can take a long time to find yourself….to understand the undercurrents and find your deepest passions. (For inspiration, read “For a New Beginning” by John O’Donohue below.) </p>
<p>I eventually discovered that mine include songwriting and playing music. All roads have led here—all those seemingly insignificant side trips, major highways, thickly wooded paths, and dark alleys lit only by a single bulb. </p>
<p><em>As we launch into a new year, what are your deepest passions? How will you say “yes”? What is waiting beyond the mason jar for you?</em> </p>
<p>All the best to you and yours in 2019 – with gratitude, </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="tuwn5zuzPJU" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/tuwn5zuzPJU/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tuwn5zuzPJU?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p><em>For a New Beginning </em></p>
<p>In out-of-the-way places of the heart, </p>
<p>Where your thoughts never think to wander, </p>
<p>This beginning has been quietly forming, </p>
<p>Waiting until you were ready to emerge. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>For a long time it has watched your desire, </p>
<p>Feeling the emptiness growing inside you, </p>
<p>Noticing how you willed yourself on, </p>
<p>Still unable to leave what you had outgrown. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The delight, when your courage kindled, </p>
<p>And out you stepped onto new ground, </p>
<p>Your eyes young again with energy and dream, </p>
<p>A path of plentitude opening before you. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Though your destination is not yet clear </p>
<p>You can trust the promise of this opening; </p>
<p>Unfurl yourself into the grace of beginning </p>
<p>That is at one with your life’s desire. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Awaken your spirit to adventure; </p>
<p>Hold nothing back, learn to find ease in risk; </p>
<p>Soon you will be home in a new rhythm </p>
<p>For your soul senses the world that awaits you. </p>
<p> <em>~ John O’Donohue </em></p>
<p> www.johnodonohue.com</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>
<p>Joy Zimmerman's soulful vocals and original music dance effortlessly from poignant to hilarious to compelling to joyful -- round-trip guaranteed! With folk rock as a springboard, Joy dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. A traveling musician based in Kansas City, Joy is a voice of authenticity, hope and joy. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and eight Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded six albums - three in Nashville and three in Kansas City. Joy released To the Girl, her sixth album of original music in April 2019. joyzimmermanmusic.com</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2db53b6ad180262eef7b08908693a702f4746e82/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5563622
2018-12-20T21:39:24-06:00
2020-02-24T11:52:48-06:00
Note by Note: The Gift of Light | No. 5 | 12.20.18
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/28d24acaa2a084a43b92bebf5e5b29848b9a89f7/original/the-gift-of-light.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>Isn’t this a fabulous premise? A noted author travels far and wide to thank his mentors by preparing beautiful, home-cooked meals of thanksgiving. He shares each “pilgrimage of gratitude and generosity” with a mentee or two, thereby widening the circle of wisdom. </p>
<p>The Traveling Feast: On the Road and At the Table with My Heroes details fourteen of Rick Bass’ pilgrimages. He takes great care to create gourmet meals and receives much nourishment in turn. With the backdrop of Bass' recovery from a divorce and his visits to wise, sometimes terminally ill mentors, the book is filled with keen observations about writing and life. </p>
<p>Just as your checkbook chronicles your priorities, the list of people you admire speaks volumes. Who are your mentors? Have you thanked them? If they are deceased, do you pause to remember their impact? </p>
<p>We find ourselves now in the darkest days of the year. The winter solstice is upon us. When we need it most, the holidays arrive with their underlying message of hope and light. </p>
<p>And as Melody Beattie has said, the power of gratitude can unlock the fullness of life and turn a meal into a feast. </p>
<p>When I set out to write my first holiday song, I began with my most treasured gifts…ones that cannot be wrapped, ones that need to be shared. Unconditional love, peace-filled days, forgiveness, hope, light in the darkness. </p>
<p><em>May you know the gift of love along the way </em></p>
<p><em>May you share the gift of peace this day </em></p>
<p><em>May you find the gift of hope to give away </em></p>
<p><em>May you spread the gift of light we pray </em></p>
<p>A couple of years ago, I invited friends to send photos of hope and light in their lives. May their varied images illuminate The Gift of Light for you today and in the coming year. </p>
<p>Do those you are feasting with this holiday season know of your gratitude? Who do you need to thank today? </p>
<p>Wishing you peace, </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p>P.S. I love, love the gospel choir on this song led by Mark Kibble of Take 6! I’ll explain more about that amazing Nashville experience in a future blog. </p>
<p>P.P.S. Sheet music will be available soon for many of my spiritual songs. Stay tuned.</p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="tP9mfAxaPG8" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/tP9mfAxaPG8/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tP9mfAxaPG8?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Joy Zimmerman is a soulful singer-songwriter known for compelling vocals, inventive songs, and captivating performances. A traveling musician based in Kansas City, Joy is currently working on “To the Girl”, her sixth album of original music. Joy is a multi-instrumentalist whose eclectic music might be best described as folk rock with extra helpings of other favorite genres. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and eight Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded three albums in Nashville and two in Kansas City. </p>
<p>More information available at joyzimmermanmusic.com</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2db53b6ad180262eef7b08908693a702f4746e82/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5549918
2018-12-11T19:26:12-06:00
2020-02-24T12:03:21-06:00
Note by Note: Christmas Card Blues | No. 4 | 12.11.18
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/06411854c100d6e3efda60ed052f678000658c2f/original/img-8648-copy-1.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsImxhcmdlIl1d.jpg" class="size_l justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>One of my favorite Christmas cards ever arrived in our mailbox several years ago. The front photo had your typical darling, smiling, outfit-coordinated children, but the backside was hilarious. The photographer captured the action a few minutes before or afterwards (or both)…one child had just pulled the hair of his crying sister who is leaning into the other annoyed, frowning sister. </p>
<p>A pure gift. The true story. We kept this card in our dining room for an entire year. </p>
<p>We all like to put our best feet forward by displaying our bright and shiny on social media, in conversation, in advertising, in our holiday cards. </p>
<p>My history of falling prey to perfectionism is long and storied. And let’s face it—if you are feeling less than perfect, the holidays can be rough. December may not be “the most wonderful time of the year” if you are living with illness, loss, divorce, financial stress, division, infertility, loneliness…or even burnt cookies, too few invitations and a bad back. </p>
<p>Resist the urge to think that everyone else is having the best time, that everyone else always feels included, that everyone else has matching, monogrammed pajamas and a great attitude. </p>
<p>“Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It will keep you cramped and insane your whole life.” ~Anne Lamott </p>
<p>Feeling broken against the backdrop of beauty, I wrote “Christmas Card Blues” as the cards rolled in. I needed humor and a little bit of resistance. Hopefully you’ll find some catharsis in this song too. </p>
<p>The truth is that my holidays—and yours—will be full of snapshots similar to the front AND back of that favorite card. Magical and challenging, beautiful and trying…and wonderful all the same. </p>
<p>Can you find some humor in holiday events or moments that go awry? Will you give someone else the gift of sharing your imperfections? How can you take your holiday expectations down a notch? </p>
<p>Happy (perfectly imperfect) Holidays! </p>
<p>All the best – with gratitude, </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p>P.S. I’m delighted that my son Ryan Dugan joins me on this version of “Christmas Card Blues”! Our green tint is Grinch-intentional.</p>
<p>P.P.S. Please don’t delete me from your holiday card list. Despite my flaws, I delight in your news and your beautiful photos. And I have to admit there are no crying children on my card this year… </p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="YwEeSyVMFtM" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/YwEeSyVMFtM/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YwEeSyVMFtM?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_large"><strong>Christmas Card Blues </strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Words & Music by Joy Zimmerman </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Copyright© 2017 Joy Zimmerman Music </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>It’s December 8th, at least I think that’s the date </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>In the midst of the cheer and the fun </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>But my cookies have burned, and the weather has turned </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Now my next test is close at hand </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>You see, my mailbox is full, and I’m feeling the pull </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Of the holiday cards that await </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>I get the Christmas card blues just hearing the news </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>A mix of delight and charades </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>In those matching sweaters, your lives could not be better </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>My insecurity takes the stage </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>With your fancy advances and your dog in honors classes </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>I’m sinking right into a stew </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>I know your meals are all square, you all have perfect hair </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Your days are all sunny, and everyone’s funny </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Your kids master flashcards, architecture, Creole and chess </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Each athletic feat will live on </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>O Christmas cards, those Christmas cards </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Why do I take it so hard? </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Here we have dust balls and fur balls and athlete’s foot </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>We are cranky and tired with lousy attitudes </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>We love junk food and baked goods when we’re up to no good </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>I’d exaggerate and try to brag if I could </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>But I am cynical and too aware of our flaws </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Especially on those who come with four paws</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em> </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>I get the Christmas card blues just hearing the news </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>A mix of delight and charades </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>In those matching sweaters, your lives could not be better </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>My insecurity on parade </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>With your fancy advances and your dog in honors classes </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>I’m sinking right into my stew</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em> </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Glo…ri…..all those Christmas cards </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Glo…ri…..all stuck in my craw </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>I’m not proud of my annual brawl </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>With perfection’s siren song </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>In truth our blessings run deep, far and wide </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>We have such a wonderful life </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Please keep your cards coming, despite my shortcomings </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>My own cards soon will fly </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>So be of good cheer, good tidings are here </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Just don’t take it personally </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Be of good cheer, good tidings are here </em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Just don’t take it personally</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em> All those Christmas cards….</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Joy Zimmerman's soulful vocals and original music dance effortlessly from poignant to hilarious to compelling to joyful -- round-trip guaranteed! With folk rock as a springboard, Joy dives into the everyday and the extraordinary. A traveling musician based in Kansas City, Joy is a voice of authenticity, hope and joy. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and eight Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded six albums - three in Nashville and three in Kansas City. Joy released To the Girl, her sixth album of original music in April 2019. joyzimmermanmusic.com</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2db53b6ad180262eef7b08908693a702f4746e82/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5506813
2018-11-09T15:28:36-06:00
2020-01-20T20:27:46-06:00
Note By Note: O Sorrow | No. 3 | 11.9.18
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/091a38faa60d0006a2adaddccc824cedef763cb7/original/charlie-bear.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></p>
<p>Snow began falling on our drive home from Des Moines yesterday afternoon. As Linda and I re-lived the delight of the two workshops I led at Mercy Medical Center, Linda’s cell phone rang. During a routine teeth cleaning, our vet had discovered a tumor in our beloved dog, Charlie Bear’s, spleen. </p>
<p>And just like that life changed. It was decided to remove Charlie’s tumor and then make a determination. The snow picked up steam as we drove on. Hoping against hope to make it to the vet’s office in time to see him alive, we waited for the next call. Ten minutes away from the office, we learned that Charlie’s heart had stopped during the surgery, and it would not start again a second time. The great, big heart of our lab/Great Pyrenees mix was now silent. </p>
<p>The compassionate staff let us see him – so peaceful, still warm and smelling like our old pal. Stunned, we spent time thanking him for his life and his love. </p>
<p>Then the hard work of telling our children and bearing their grief as well as our own. Lots of tears and stories and solidarity throughout the evening and night. </p>
<p>This morning the ginkgo tree in our front yard began “raining.” All fall we have waited for this day when the brilliant yellow leaves fall all at once. </p>
<p>Despite our sadness we threw on coats and shoes and headed out. Linda had recently read that it’s good luck to catch a ginkgo leaf as it falls. Slipping on the wet leaves on our steep hill, we began laughing as we tried to scoop up the magical leaves mid-air. The falling leaves began to feel like a shower of grace. </p>
<p>We tend to think of good luck as a future proposition. But as I caught my first leaf, I gave thanks for Charlie Bear. I knew that our family had been supremely lucky. Charlie was a great connector when we needed it most. A gentle dog who looked deeply into your eyes, always ready for a snack or a belly scratch. </p>
<p>Linda and I ended up catching numerous leaves, reminders of sadness and the good fortune of being surrounded and loved by wonderful people and wonderful animal friends like Charlie Bear. </p>
<p>Rest in peace. </p>
<p>All the best—with gratitude, </p>
<p>Joy </p>
<p>“O Sorrow” is my song for today. I tried to capture some of my experiences with grief, as well as others I have accompanied in support groups I have attended and led. Here are the lyrics: <a contents=" O Sorrow Lyrics" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://joyzimmermanmusic.com/track/1571833/o-sorrow"> O Sorrow Lyrics</a></p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="0o6Ogls7-Ag" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/0o6Ogls7-Ag/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0o6Ogls7-Ag?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>Here's a video of our tree this morning. Ginkgo leaves have been found in fossils dating back 270 million years. Native to China, the tree was cultivated early in human history. After the first hard freeze its leaves usually fall all at once -- often within an hour or two. More information: <a contents="Missouri Botanical Gardens" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=z990">Missouri Botanical Gardens</a></p>
<p><iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="fcgP2xj41io" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/fcgP2xj41io/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fcgP2xj41io?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/a0f654a9638cf69cc830b41bab38e0a16f8a79af/original/lucky-ginkgo-leaves-2.jpg/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" /></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Joy Zimmerman is a soulful singer-songwriter known for compelling vocals, inventive songs, and captivating performances. A traveling musician based in Kansas City, Joy is currently working on “To the Girl”, her sixth album of original music. Joy is a multi-instrumentalist whose eclectic music might be best described as folk rock with extra helpings of other favorite genres. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and eight Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded three albums in Nashville and two in Kansas City. </p>
<p>More information available at joyzimmermanmusic.com</p>
<p>To purchase "O Sorrow" visit <a contents="CDBaby.com" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/joyzimmerman22">CDBaby.com</a></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2db53b6ad180262eef7b08908693a702f4746e82/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5495926
2018-11-05T14:30:36-06:00
2020-02-24T12:32:34-06:00
Note by Note: I Wish You'd Met Me When My Stomach Was Flat | No. 2 | 11.5.18
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/fb8e630d7dc68ea135eb9c7828ed7fb023ea9e20/original/screen-shot-2020-02-24-at-12-28-36-pm.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.png" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>
<p>What body images have shaped your beauty standards -- Rubenesque figures, Twiggy or Nicki Minaj? How wide is your definition of loveliness? </p>
<p>True story--I avoided my neighborhood pool for a whole summer in middle school because I thought my butt was too big. Seriously. I hope I’m alone in feeling body shame/self-criticism in middle school and many other times, but I suspect I’m not. It’s in the water. </p>
<p>For those of us who’ve had tumultuous relationships with our bodies, how can we make peace? How do we forgive our bodies for perceived flaws and shortcomings? </p>
<p>It appears that I’m getting older, and the struggle is real. Sometimes I feel like a slowly-evolving science experiment. Intellectually I know to expect changes, but there they are. In the mirror. </p>
<p>So what to do? Determine to set your own beauty standards. Thank your body for carrying you thus far. Look for loveliness. Laugh. </p>
<p>As I got dressed one day, this line came to me—I wish you’d met me when my stomach was flat. I knew this line had launched a song. A funny song, I hoped. Audience response routinely tells me I’m not alone in my struggles. My autobiographical tale (minus the kidney stone) seems to hit a nerve. </p>
<p>Diane Keaton has said, “As you get older, you become more comfortable in your own skin”. Even if that skin needs to be ironed. And celebrated. </p>
<p>After all, dear friends, we just might be hitting our stride. </p>
<p><em>*What beauty standards do you worship? How can we grow older more gracefully? What’s your best body-positive message? </em></p>
<p>All the best—with gratitude, </p>
<p>Joy</p>
<p>Click on the images below for two different versions of this song...</p>
<p> <iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="YYFTZGL8pUk" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/YYFTZGL8pUk/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YYFTZGL8pUk?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> <iframe class="justify_inline" data-video-type="youtube" data-video-id="S91jWgqbp0A" data-video-thumb-url="https://img.youtube.com/vi/S91jWgqbp0A/mqdefault.jpg" type="text/html" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S91jWgqbp0A?rel=0&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" height="180" width="320" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></p>
<p>P.S. I remember pre-production conversations with Fett of Azalea Studios in Nashville about the genre of this song. We wanted it to be amusing but not too kitschy so the novelty wouldn’t wear off. I think our decision to go with klezmer struck the right chord. </p>
<p>My violin often plays the part of the clarinet in live performances. And a final note -- when Linda and I made the official video, we opted to use images of animals instead of people (namely me) to illustrate the lyrics ;) </p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" /></p>
<p>Joy Zimmerman is a soulful singer-songwriter known for compelling vocals, inventive songs, and captivating performances. A traveling musician based in Kansas City, Joy is currently working on “To the Girl”, her sixth album of original music. Joy is a multi-instrumentalist whose eclectic music might be best described as folk rock with extra helpings of other favorite genres. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an American Songwriter Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and eight Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded three albums in Nashville and two in Kansas City. </p>
<p>More information available at <a contents="joyzimmermanmusic.com" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://joyzimmermanmusic.com">joyzimmermanmusic.com</a></p>
<p>To purchase "I Wish You'd Met Me When My Stomach Was Flat", visit <a contents="cdbaby" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/joyzimmerman1">cdbaby</a></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2db53b6ad180262eef7b08908693a702f4746e82/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman
tag:joyzimmermanmusic.com,2005:Post/5478773
2018-10-22T12:00:53-05:00
2019-06-03T11:57:56-05:00
Note by Note: An Introduction | No.1 | 10.22.18
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/c11d688f8667bd0c7399b25e36fd70574715ec4e/original/img-0629.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_left border_" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/ace6465ba74b7e2eba4a00f124c174ab86e70932/original/img-0626.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsIm1lZGl1bSJdXQ==.jpg" class="size_m justify_right border_" /></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">I love hearing the inspirations that led songwriters to their songs. And I love knowing what makes artists tick. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">These fascinations led me to this leap of faith into the blogging world. My intent is to explain <em>Note by Note</em> how my original songs came to life. One song per post. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">By way of introduction, these two photos depict my musical beginnings….violin lessons before kindergarten and singing in the children’s choir at my church in St. Louis. </span>(I'm sporting the pixie haircut in the first row, far left) </p>
<p>Violin was my main squeeze. I pursued it vigorously through college with many lessons and many orchestras. Eventually realizing I was not cut out for classical music alone, I didn’t have a larger musical vision. Besides, I was out to save the world as a social worker, so I set down my violin bow on a music career. </p>
<p>Singing had always been second nature, but my 4th grade self decided that I didn’t have a solo voice. I clearly remember the day I made that secret determination without any fact checking. Sad but true, since a person can’t really know how their own voice sounds to others. I resolved to be a good choir member and blend well. </p>
<p>That is, until I picked up a guitar and started performing a decade ago. What followed was discovering songwriting, my solo voice, and this uncharted road. </p>
<p>Some say the violin is the closest musical equivalent to the human voice. (I find it curious that my own vocal range begins with the lowest note on the violin and goes up to the highest note in first position.) Maybe playing violin helped me learn to sing out—in addition to a great voice teacher and stepping up to the mic repeatedly before I was fully ready. </p>
<p>My story is one of reinvention and renewal. I bet yours is too. </p>
<p>Join me on this musical adventure and let know what you think. </p>
<p>*How have you reinvented yourself? When did you last sing? How are you using your voice? </p>
<p>All the best—with gratitude, </p>
<p><em>Joy</em> </p>
<p>Note of Inspiration: <em>The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity</em> by Julia Cameron is a powerful guide to “discovering and recovering your creative self”. Designed as a twelve-week program, this book is full of exercises, activities and wisdom.</p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/1e1339c75516546930bb080e09d35f320ce31991/original/profile.jpg/!!/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.jpg" class="size_s justify_left border_" />Joy Zimmerman is a soulful singer-songwriter known for compelling vocals, inventive songs, and captivating performances. A traveling musician based in Kansas City, Joy is currently working on “To the Girl”, her sixth album of original music. Joy is a multi-instrumentalist whose eclectic music might be best described as folk rock with extra helpings of other favorite genres. </p>
<p>Joy's songwriting awards include an <em>American Songwriter</em> Lyric Contest Honorable Mention and eight Walnut Valley Festival NewSong Showcase wins. She has recorded three albums in Nashville and two in Kansas City.</p>
<p>More information available at <a contents="joyzimmermanmusic.com" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://joyzimmermanmusic.com">joyzimmermanmusic.com</a></p>
<p><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/318665/2db53b6ad180262eef7b08908693a702f4746e82/original/cultivatejoy-black-01.png/!!/undefined/b:W1sic2l6ZSIsInNtYWxsIl1d.png" class="size_s justify_center border_" /></p>
Joy Zimmerman