Time Machine: Freshman Year of College

Scene of the class: Keller Hall This article is not one I remember reading back then, because I just showed up to class one day and didn't know what to expect. This was when I was a freshman in college and the class Susan performed in was my Music Appreciation 139 class. Thanks for my awesome current job, Professor Kostur, wherever you are... Dixie Chicks writer finds her own space - Albuquerque Journal November 02, 2001 Byline: Kevin Hopper FOR THE JOURNAL "I'm Susan the-girl-who-wrote-'Wide-Open-Spaces' Gibson now. Until I do something else." So says Susan Gibson talking about her place in the country/folk music industry and what she has to overcome now that she is on her own. The "Wide Open Spaces" she refers to is the smash hit Gibson wrote for the Dixie Chicks' 1998 debut album of the same name. The album went on to sell 11 million copies and gather many top awards, including a Grammy for Country Album Of The Year. While her song propelled the Dixie Chicks toward country greatness and became a bona fide commercial success, the Amarillo native's own music, which until recently has largely been made with her band the Groobees, tends to stick a little closer to the ground. "I feel really good about 'Wide Open Spaces' and its commercialness," Gibson said in a recent telephone interview. "And I feel good about the Dixie Chicks doing it, but the fact that that seems to be what you have to emulate in order to find a place (in the music industry), I don't like that." The Groobees split up in May, and rather than take an extended and much-deserved hiatus, Gibson has hit the road and will perform a number of gigs in Albuquerque, starting tonight with a performance at Kellys Brewing. She plays Saturday at Tractor Brewing Company in Las Lunas and again in Albuquerque Sunday at Johnny's Restaurant. In addition to that, Gibson is taking time to drop by music appreciation class at the University of New Mexico this morning. "I'm still kind of in the midst of extricating from the Groobees, but I felt compelled, even if it was for my own good, to (continue performing)," Gibson said. "It would have been easy to find a lot of reasons to take a break. It was important for me to not quit just because the Groobees did." Gibson is due in the studio in early March and shows a strong interest in breaking away from both the Groobees and her status of "the girl who wrote 'Wide Open Spaces.' '' The 29-year-old Gibson said she respects folk-legend-in-the-making Ani DiFranco and ideally would like to pattern her career after DiFranco's. Gibson's resolve to form a new identity will probably come to her much easier than most other artists. She's already got a country hit and a stable of Groobee songs that display her songwriting abilities. Unfortunately, she has to deal with an industry that molds and shapes artists as it sees fit. Gibson again alluded to DiFranco and her ability to be seemingly in total control of her own destiny. "The number one thing that Ani DiFranco does is believe what she says and stands by her guns," Gibson stated emphatically. "I mean, that's No. 1. That's human."

Back to it.

I figured I'd actually write a blog post for once instead of posting a movie. Four in a row is kind of overboard, I guess. But that's why my name's at the top of the blog, so there. I had a great time at the JFK Sixth Floor Museum. I've always been sucked in by conspiracy theories and intrigue in politics. I also really dig visiting the actual sites of where things happened...so looking out the windows at the "sniper's nest" was a fascinating thing to do. Gave me the willies, to be honest. No smoking+no guns=no smoking guns Who knew they actually marked the assassination spot on the highway? Then it was off to Marble Falls to catch up with the boss and watch a songswap with some awesome folks. Hal Ketchum was among the swappers, and I have loved his stuff since I started listening to country radio in the 90's. Weird how someone you see on CMT when you're a kid is playing a show you're at in Texas 15 years later. It was a great set! Gary Nicholson, Hal Ketchum, Susan Gibson, Walt Wilkins Susan rocked as aaaaaalways! Now I'm back in the van on the road to Possum Kingdom Lake, Houston, and Fort Worth. I hope I see a possum. An opossum? Hm.

In Search Of...JFK

Yes, another video. This weekend I took a day and visited the Sixth Floor Museum at the Kennedy assassination site in Dallas. Since my degree is in Modern American History, I was quite thrilled to see it.

Austin City Flippin' Limits!!!!

Ok. So I grew up on PBS and after I got into playing guitar at age 11 I grew up on Austin City Limits. One of the draws of working at PBS/KNME-TV in college was that they aired ACL, even though our station had nothing to do at all with the filming of it. Something about the mystique of that show stuck with me. Mary Chapin Carpenter has been on it quite a bit, which was my big harbinger of coolness back in the day...and of course everyone from Johnny Cash to The Dixie Chicks to Bonnie Raitt to John Prine to Alison Krauss etc. etc. has graced that stage. I own a coffee table book about ACL for crying out loud. Some people came prepped with chairs and reading material. So I was pretty stoked when we got the chance to see a taping yesterday for Band of Heathens. There's a process you go through to get in, and since I work 8 jobs but none of them have a precise schedule I was free to stand in the 106 degree heat outside KLRU at 4 PM to snag a couple of numbers for Katie and I. The numbers allowed us to come back that night and they let us in the studio until they ran out of room. We made it in no problem and I spent the night gaping at that famous stage. In line! Happy! It is pretty much exactly like it looks on TV. There's the skyline backdrop, the trees (are those fake? I always assumed), the piano on right side of the stage. During the taping they named just a few of the people who have played that piano...Ray Charles, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino...crazy the amount of history. The ACL studio will be moving to a new location downtown soon, so I'm thrilled I got in to see this stage before it shifts locations. I'm sure the new one will be awesome, but I'm a little stuck on nostalgia with things like this. The most amusing part of the evening was that we were to turn off our phones for the taping, and in fact have them off in the building completely. But of course I can't stop Twittering things, especially things as cool as this, so I tweeted a photo of the stage before anything started and then turned my phone off. Afterward I checked my replies and the producer of Austin City Limits had tweeted, "You are so busted." Hehheh! Of course they have a search set up for ACL stuff. Too funny. I told her when I play their show I will tweet from the stage. She said no one had done that yet, so I hope no one does until...you know...2020, when I might get my shot. Anyway, the power of social media at work: proven. Famous skyline! MCC with the same famous skyline! Wee!

Two Years :: Part 5/5

"It's been two long years now since the top of the world came crashing down. And I'm getting it back on the road now, but I'm taking the long way around." - Taking the Long Way (Dixie Chicks) So...the news is that I gave my two weeks notice at my county day job last week. I will be working at Red Leaf School of Music as their office manager. (I kind of want a laminated badge that says “MANAGER” hehheh!) I’ll also be helping with their new retail and repair store as needed. The school is growing and I'm honored to be a part of it. Also...I will be finishing my EP, starting the next one (it's perpetual from here on out, this recording thing), practicing intensively, writing daily, and I will be around music. All the time. I can't stand it. There's a lot of stuff floating around about "lifestyle design" these days and I kind of feel like I am getting what it means. You find what you like and your surround yourself with the circumstances to grow in it. I've listened to this Chicks song about a million times already. It's personal to them, but it fits pretty well. Thanks for reading along...who knows what Year 3 will bring?

Two Years :: Part 4/5

"Every story's got a chapter, and that chapter will be defined by what's before and what comes after; this one is mine." - Better to Dream of You (Mary Chapin Carpenter) Fall of 2007 through Winter 2008. Busy! Red Leaf studies going strong. JP Project No. 2 with Susan and another week in New Mexico. Workshop with Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines. Inspired. And I started working 10 hours a week for Red Leaf in addition to my county job, plus my lesson time, plus starting the EP (with Dan! Amazing how those things happen). Acquired knowledge, had fun, flexed skills, tried not to be too tired! Sleep patterns have been adjusted, believe me. 17 hour days are kind of...intense. All worth it. Except that one time I drove to 3 grocery stores to find a certain type of granola. Not worth it.

Two Years :: Part 3/5

"Many precede and many will follow; a young girl's dreams no longer hollow. It takes the shape of a place out west, but what it holds for her she hasn't yet guessed." - Wide Open Spaces (Susan Gibson) Spring of 2007. Susan Gibson called and asked if I wanted to open for her in for shows New Mexico. Of course I did. That was a great week. I wanted to do that more...the play music for people all over the place thing. I had to have knowledge and skillz that I could not acquire on my own, or it would take me 35 years to do so flying solo. I called Red Leaf School of Music because one of the owners (Dan!) was in porterdavis, a band I liked. I started a curriculum in voice, guitar, professional development, and business. I learned a lot all summer and Red Leaf became a second home.

Two Years :: Part 2/5

"She needs wide open spaces; room to make her big mistakes." - Wide Open Spaces (Susan Gibson) Fall of 2006. I was working part time for a nice pediatrician who offered me some income while I job hunted. Filed lots of charts. I turned down a job offer as a tour guide at the State Capitol and refused a second interview at Starbucks. I picked cucumbers on an organic farm for exactly 7 hours one day and was sore for exactly 6 days afterward. I needed something with predictable hours so I could gig at night. I was finally offered an admin job with the county 4-H office, a full 4 months after moving to town. I knew nothing about 4-H. Settled into a 7:30 AM start time. Much indecision and confusion. Nice people at the 4-H office, though. In the meantime, Josh and I officially agreed that we should operate as a business partnership and work toward our goal of owning a label and being musical entrepreneurs. It’s nice to have someone in the trenches with you.

Two Years :: Part 1/5

"Who doesn't know what I'm talking about? Who's never left home, who's never struck out to find a dream and a life of their own? A place in the clouds, a foundation of stone?" - Wide Open Spaces (Susan Gibson) I moved to Austin in May of 2006, just about 2 years ago. I had graduated the previous December, moved back to my parents’ house, and taken a month-long road trip to Seattle and back in a 2-door Hyundai. After another month of unsuccessful internet job hunting, my buddy Beth and I drove to Austin for 3 days. I found an apartment in 1.5 days of looking. I packed up all my stuff and Mom and Dad helped me bring it all down on Memorial Day weekend. I still had no job and knew no one. I settled in a studio apartment and spent the 100 degree days mooching wireless internet from a neighbor looking for jobs online. I hit the open mics by night, meeting some good people. I was rather impressed with all the music around me. I listened to this song all the time around then. I'm listening to it again a LOT recently. It makes me smile.

Quote - The Very Special Guest - Unquote

This evening was spent at a lovely SXSW week event called Love on the Lawn. Ooo, risque. No, actually it is a concert series that takes place outside a cool boutique named Love...and the show happens on the lawn. Love on the Lawn. Right. The 92 degree high calmed down with some nice breezes and some shade, so it was a perfect evening to see Susan, Patrice Pike, and Monica McIntyre among others. Amazing stuff from all. We also had a Very Special Guest over to record some background vocals for the EP. This officially upped the number of people who get credits on the record by 33% (up to 3 from Dan and I). Math! I like to treat awesome people who are amazing singers and also nice to me well, hence I actually WROTE OUT THE WORDS to the song she was singing with. I know. They call that the "extra mile" here in the music biz. Right now it is obvious that I failed to document this Special Guest session at all, and am making up for it by taking self portraits with pieces of paper. A haiku: Dear Very Special Guest; Thank You. You are the best. Best rhymes with Guest. End. (I never was a haiku writer). I will now break a cardinal rule of blogging and use an emoticon to express my feelings. :)

Everyone's a Lobo: Woof woof woof.

(I kid you not, that was the school chant at UNM.) We interrupt your regularly scheduled blog post for a trip down memory lane: So one year I went to Homecoming and then we lost but that's ok because I got a tattoo on my cheek. I'm glad it washed off. I got kind of worried that I had made a bad life choice for a while, and then Beth (she was my roommate) told me, "Jana, it's temporary." And I said, "Well if it's temporary why didn't I get six more?" I am rather burnt in that photo. I think we sat on the sunny side of the stadium. Plus I wanted to show off as much cherry and silver as I could. End of nostalgia break.

Ode to the Albuquerque Tribune

A little piece of my growing-up years shut down yesterday...after 86 years of publishing, the Albuquerque Tribune has ceased to exist. It was the afternoon paper, and I guess people like morning papers, so now the only paper left in ABQ is...well, "the other one." My parents always subscribed to the Tribune, and since they are current events savvy folk, I learned how to "read" the paper with them after dinner (though it was always just the comics and TV listings for me until I got a little older). When I was probably 8 or 9, they published an opinion piece that I had sent in. The topic? "Why I love cats." (I still do!) I felt like a real writer. They sent me a certificate to tell me so, too. I got to know the columnists by reading them every week, and in some happy twists of fate, I had the pleasure of crossing paths with a few of the Tribune folk, too. V.B. Price was one of my favorite professors in college. When he wasn't writing for the Trib or writing his own books and poetry, he was leading an amazing seminar on poetry and poets at UNM. I still have my final essay I wrote for that class with his words of encouragement to me as a writer inked on the last page. It meant a lot coming from him. I got to know Kate Nelson and Gene Grant by virtue of working with them at KNME. I was an intern, they were the hosts of In Focus and The Line. They always treated us with respect on the set, even though we definitely had no clue what we were doing at the beginning, hehheh! I was a dang good water girl, though. Kate was exceptionally helpful and patient when we produced our own episodes at the end of our tenure. Gene was always one of my favorite Trib columnists, so I'll admit to being a little starstruck when I started seeing him around KNME...but he's simply a nice guy to talk to. (Right now I'm all paranoid that I am writing about writers and I just ended that sentence with a preposition. Oh well). Me and Kate and producer Tish Bravo on the set of "By the People" in 2005. I got to speak with Jim Montalbano for the first time when he called me here in Austin to interview me about going back to Albuquerque to play some shows with Susan last May. I think I probably rattled on nervously for too long, but he was great to talk to and the article was very cool. I thought it was neat to be an actual part of the paper I grew up with. I got to meet Jim when we went down to the Trib's offices to film a segment for TribVid with Michael Amedeo, another of the nice Tribunites. Of course we have video. I don't mean to sound all funeral-like...the good thing is all these folks are great at what they do, and I am curiously awaiting where they'll pop up next. (Kate is already working for the Lt. Governor...good stuff). So that's that. A newsroom full of nice people, great writers, and what I thought was the more cutting edge and technology-aware news daily in the city...cheers to the Tribune! Thanks for all the words.

Year End Recap No. 1: All Googly-eyed

It's nice to sum up the year that was, usually. (Unless you had a really bad year, then you should probably just up the egg nog consumption this season...and spike it). But you know me, and I like lists...and I think 2007 was pretty dang fun. Hence, a mini-series of postings about the year. (No worries, not THAT kind of mini-series. Not the kind that inevitably stars that girl that played Laura Ingalls Wilder on Little House on the Prairie, or perhaps David Hasselhoff). Let's begin with some Google Analytics. Google tells me how people get to my blog. Most search terms are pretty standard like "jana pochop" and "jana" and "pochop". (Shocking, I know). Also, just to reiterate...if you just got here...THE "H" IS SILENT. But I digress. Some search terms were a little out of the ordinary. I will link to appropriate posts when possible. taji iraq - my friend Zoey phoned her friend Kenny in the military while I was playing at the Artist Market. He's stationed in Taji. Long distance, much? jana of the dragon - as far as I can tell, having gigged at the ABQ venue called The Blue Dragon makes me "jana of the dragon." Rawr! photo of red velvet bingles - Sorry, but I couldn't find any pictures either. I might have to break down and buy some just to take a photo. Then I'd have a monopoly on Red Velvet Bingles snack cake photos. zia sun tattoo - I have one, yes I do. "i roll like a cholo" - This one confused me until I realized my college roommate Beth left a comment with this phrase. Beth's such a linguist. bugs bunny albuquerque t-shirt - same post. Someone must have been shopping for a t-shirt. giant super balls - my birthday present from Katie. It still entertains me to no end. how to be a goog singer - when you type in a search term, it helps to spell correctly. Except this post is all about running scales singing "goog" as part of the Roger Love method, which WILL improve your singing. I hope this person took heed. making desk out of file cabinets and plank - Call me the Home Depot of songwriter blogs. music song susan vegan my way - you know what, I have no clue. schlotzskys t-shirt designs - I would assume they have a sandwich on them. Just a hunch. who is the best singer-songwriter pie chart - I love this one! Sadly, I don't yet have a blog post relating this very scientific information. I've kind of been sitting on it for a while, waiting for the appropriate time to release this news. Without further adieu: A STUDY OF THE BEST SINGER SONGWRITERS IN PIE CHART FORM* (a very scientific study (c) 2007) * ok kids, I am JUST KIDDING. The thought of quantifying songwriters in pie chart form only made me want a slab of rhubarb a la mode. Also did I mention I am just kidding?

The Vault: Maybe My Mind Will Change

What have we here? It's a video made back in '06 (aught-six?) right after I graduated from skoo'. Josh was a partner in a production company called Spinning Hat, and I was their test project. I had a song. They had cameras. It was fun! The video has kind of been floating around for a while, but Josh dusted off his archives and here it is. It stars my good friend Jamie, who is the flustered waitress. Josh makes a cameo, too. 10 points to whoever picks him out!

Ruminations from a 25-year-old.

Well, I’m happy. I act like 25 is scary but whatever. I don’t feel old but I feel less young. That’s not a bad thing. Things I know: - If you would have told me as a 12 or 17 or 20-year-old where I’d be, what I’d be doing, and the circles I have the privilege of being in now, I wouldn’t have believed it. And I would have secretly hoped it would be true anyway. - Stuff doesn’t freak me out much anymore. I spent a good deal of my life tied up in knots. It’s not worth it. People are people, stuff happens, you make your own way. - Wanting to impact the world in a positive way is not a naive, vague, youngish statement to make. Being optimistic is the new black...everyone’s doing it. - Wanting to be an artist/writer/musician is something that has been programmed into me, and I can trace it all the way back to conducting symphonies on the couch with a chop stick as a baton. - Yay chop sticks! As a 25-year-old, I plan to: - Make my first fully produced EP. - Get paperwork and legalities in line to officially form my business with Josh. Our record label will be handling its first release this year! - Be working full time in music, however that may be cobbled together. - Sit back and appreciate everything thus far and look forward to what is coming. In-the-moment checks are essential things. So, to check in with THIS moment...if you made it this far...thanks for reading the commentary on all these little bits of life. It means a lot. Now I’m going to bed. Party at the Irie Bean tomorrow night! Come on over.

Let's do this thang.

Yes, she does. Which is why I am quite pleased to be meeting Ms. Gibson in New Mexico this week to play some shows. I am currently a fluster of packing and re-packing and tossing around and freaking out. The plane leaves tomorrow. There's not much you can take on a plane, compared to a whole car load. Thankfully I am hitching a ride back with the headlining act, so I can spread out more. Heaven. I just got the coolest birthday present ever, and my birthday is still 2 weeks away. I won't reveal it because...I need to take pictures, and it's not "set up" yet. :) Thanks, dB! All right. There will be much blogging and video to come, kids. Stayed tuned in, and if you are in New Mexico...come say hi!

Albuquerque: My Hometown

In only two weeks I fly to Albuquerque to play some gigs. Well, the gigs are all over New Mexico, but Albuquerque is a nice place to land, always. I miss it all the time, but especially in the fall when the scent of roasting green chile and burning cedar fills the air. And then there are the balloons...taking over the skyline for a few weeks in October and adding color to an already vibrant sky. It's not really explainable...y'all might think a few hot air balloons in the air is not so much a big whoop. Except there are HUNDREDS, all at once. It's awesome. There are years that the wind triumphs and some of the events are cancelled, but the last time I attended the Balloon Fiesta in 2005, it was perfect flying weather. Here's a little bit of Albuquerque in October: The Mass Ascension in the morning. Right now my mom is freaking out because her photo is now on my blog. Hehhehheh. She's a cute mom. Special shapes rock, too. They're huge. Inflating for the Balloon Glow at dusk... 3...2...1...GLOW! There are a few more photos in my Flickr Pool if you are interested...

The CAPS Song

Wow. I just had big piece of my past pop right back up. In a good way! See, when I was in college I worked for the Center for Academic Program Support, which we call CAPS because we're extremely busy people who can't spit out "Center for Academic Program Support" every time we turn around. I spent many a semester tutoring writing and political science and history there, as well as doing workshops on time management (everybody now: "HAHAHAHA! Jana and time management!") and note taking and stuff. My Life Guru, whom I prod for advice over breakfast pastries, was kind enough to employ me there for 3 years so I didn't leave college totally broke (thanks, Karen). Anyway, I met one of my best buds at CAPS one summer. Mary is a fine connoisseur of pumpkin baked goods, a wickedly good writer, and keeps me posted on all the CAPS goings on whilst I am away. Sh emailed me the other day with this website and asked if it was ok to post it for the world to see. Crazy. Mary spears a muffin. See, when we worked at CAPS in the summer, Mary and I had some downtime because there's just less going on at a university in the summer. So we had good times and I got to know and love CAPS quite a bit...and what does Jana do when she loves something? She writes a song about it. (Currently forthcoming: musical tributes to Oatmeal, Bruce Springsteen, and Ziplock bags). Thus, I give you... The CAPS Song. It was recorded in one take and mayhaps even written in about 15 minutes. :) But it was written with love. Here's to you, my CAPS peeps! Keep workshoppin' the masses, we all need it.

iSoy de BURQUE!

I am from Albuquerque. A Burqueño. Burquean. iSoy de Burque! I remember trying to write my address in school as a kid. I'd leave out q's and add q's and r's and soon I'd hail from Albuquerqueque or Albuque or something along those lines. For a while I realized addressing an envelope with "ABQ" was suitable enough for the post office. Now I am old/stubborn enough to appreciate the quirks of my hometown and I love to tell people where I'm from, all syllables intact. Yes, it rhymes with turkey. I'm not eating meat anymore, or I'd hit up Schlotzsky's for the Albuquerque Turkey. Bugs Bunny did indeed take a wrong turn at Albuquerque. The Duke of AlbuRquerque wandered in 300 years ago and we're still here, minus one "r". We're known for our Balloon Fiesta, our green chile, and our "Mañana" attitude. (Meaning "tomorrow." Why do today what you can do tomorrow? Let's have a margarita and make tortillas). As all locals do, we shorten it sometimes...ABQ works in writing. "Burque" is the preferred slang when you have to say it out loud, though. You've gotta use that gutteral "u" and roll that "r", too! Everyone with me now..."booourrrrr-kay." Or something like that. I'm still a white girl. Apparently, Mayor Chavez (or Mayor Marty, affectionately), wants to re-brand the town as..."the Q." Excuse me? What's the slogan for THAT? "Get in line for The Q"? (Get it? Line...queue...Q? Bah dum ching). This is not going to fly. Not for me and not for the fine folks over at iSoy de Burque! They've set up a website...and a revolution. I bought myself a fine t-shirt to show my pride, and to protect a certain way of life. You can't just re-nickname a city. That's ludicrous. And folks across this fine nation aren't going to all of the sudden say, "Hey...you know, now that it has a one letter nickname, I suddenly want to go to The Q." Next thing you know we'll be Q-Town or some such nonsense. A city as weirdly named as Albuquerque should be embraced, not mass marketed for easy commercialization. Burque is a term of affection, given by generations of locals who know the place. I'm not knocking Mayor Marty's love of the place, but something that looks nice on a letterhead is not my standard for cultural revolution. iViva Burque! -- and buy a shirt.