Hello everyone, and welcome to another great round of East Side Storytellin’. Similar to the 45 previous shows we’ve put together from East Side Story, we’ve come together here to get you cultured up just right in the form of a local Nashville writer reading from original prose, followed by an amazing local musician performing and talking about their original music, and then a round-up creative conversation with all featured guests of this event to talk about their individual journeys and personal ties to Nashville. Without further ado, this is East Side Storytellin’ 46. Let us begin, again.
The first featured guest of East Side Storytellin’ 46 first began writing and publishing for various journals nearly 20 years ago (a weird fact after knowing she’s only 21 years old), but I’ll take her word for it. Often praised for her abilities with wordplay, she has published quite a few fantasy books for middle grade/young adult readers and literary pieces that sometime lean more towards the genre of magical realism. She is the author of 8 fiction books for both adults and children. Those books are The Orchards of Hope (not Orchids, despite what you hear on the recording below and 1- I can read and 2- orchids are very hopeful), The Orphanage of Miracles, All That The Dog Ever Wanted, The Ferryman, Confessions From a Moving Van, Leftover Shorts, Conversations With The Moon, and Bedtime Stories For Dogs/Cat- the last being a book that currently donates 10% of the proceeds to no-kill animal shelters via Fog Ink, the publishing company our featured guest co-founded. Some of her favorite things include traveling, books, movies, art, the Oxford comma, and gargoyles. I was very excited to introduce Amy Neftzger and her little gargoyle (Newton) too.
With Newton perched on the podium, Amy jumped right into a few excerpts from several of her books. She read from her newly released The Ferryman for a handful of minutes, describing the premise and outlining a point or two of why you should run down to East Side Story to buy a copy for yourself or friends. Then, putting down one book for another, Amy read from both sides of the enchanting, totally original book titled Bedtime Stories for dogs/cats. She explains the book’s concept in the recording below, but all I needed to know to listen in person was that many of the stories in the book are the same but seen through different animal narrators. I’ll go ahead and tell you right now, I was giggling out loud and I wasn’t alone. The stories were insightful, the voices on point with what I envision my pets think about at our house, and it was just an all-around pleasant trip to take. Before I knew it, we had listened and laughed our way through the reading segment. I honestly think I could have listened to Amy read, especially from the book by dogs/cats, all night long. It was a pleasure for all.
The second featured guest of the evening was a genre enigma. She has a sophisticated melodic sense and eclectic songwriting style, mixed in with a multitude of instruments like the piano, guitar, and accordion. Nicknamed The Shy Gemini, she calls her music Alternative Pop. I first heard about her music after her latest appearance performing at the Music in the Lobby series at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. I received an email from a friend not my wife who works at the Frist, suggesting she would be a perfect fit for East Side Storytellin’. After about 5 seconds of listening to her music on YouTube, I totally agreed and requested her contact information. We’re lucky to have her here tonight. A graduate of Belmont University with studies in piano and composition, she has recorded two projects to her name, most recently the 2014 release “The Shy Gemini Sessions.” She shares the stories behind the songs in her blog by the name of “Advenures of the Shy Gemini.” Off the stage, she has written and recorded for commercial spots, Nashville film festival submissions, and helping co-write for several other emerging artists. Pursuing the creative adventure and making a meaningful connection with her audience is a major key this artist tries to play every day, and the audience at hand this particular evening definitely helped her feel connected by giving a warm welcome to the one and only Rae Hering!
Rae was joined onstage, not by a gargoyle, but a very talented percussion friend and musician by the name of Duane Borba. Duane had a wide variety of instruments, some strapped to his ankles. It made me think of The Music Man. Actually, truth be told and something I mentioned after the set was finished to both Rae and Amy, I visited a friend who has a 2-year-old daughter this past weekend. The parents and the daughter played the soundtrack of Mary Poppins on their record player, dancing and marching around the living room to the music, interpretative dancing to the gills. I must have had this world of thought in my head and heart during East Side Storytellin’ 46, up front and center, because I kept on imagining how magical it would be if Amy and Rae combined the stories told by dogs/cats with the fantastical chord progressions, time measurements, and sure brilliance behind the voice and sounds that Rae performed. I felt like I was at the TPAC and experiencing the most cool performance I’d ever seen there (without any acting or long intermission).
I’m serious, Rae really brought a lot of beautiful, insightful, and joyous words and songs with messages that I know I’m not alone, again, in wanting to thank her and Duane for sharing with us. One mantra that stayed with me long after the show was her song that mentioned the phrase “YOU are endless so don’t stop now.” You can listen to her genuine performance on the link below, or on her website. Just Google her, as the cool kids may say.
But yeah, I had the privilege of interviewing both ladies after their performance, together. It was a nice time of relaxing and conversing together about what makes them tick, who their other halves are for support at home, and what has inspired them to keep growing artistically with what they do and where they are trying to go moving forward. I’ll save the words here, and let you jump right into the edited recording so you can hear for yourself.
So, here is the edited version of East Side Storytellin’ 46. Enjoy, over and over, and share it with all of your family and friends, over and over again.
Before I say goodbye for this round of fun, I’d like to give a big round of thanks for Amy Neftzger, Rae Hering and Duane Borba for sharing their stories, talents, and time with us.
I’d also like to show much love to Tyra Neftzger and Jonathan Morse, the other halves of support for these talented ladies that helped to get this show together too. You guys rock!
You can read more from Amy Neftzger here – http://neftzger.blogspot.com
You can listen to more from Rae Hering here – http://www.raehering.com
I’ll keep the gratitude going for Tom Eizonas, for the recording and sound of the night, Clay Brunton for the amazing art print, for Kevin Anthuis at 5 Points Digital Imaging (http://5pdi.com) for printing those art prints, Otis James for my wicked cool hat, and to my lovely wife and everyone that came out live to support the show … and to everyone who has helped continue to spread the word and support the show online afterwards.
You can listen to this show, edited, soon, alongside the previous shows too, on our website, www.eastsidestorytn.com, at our In Our Own Words Tab – see here –http://eastsidestorytn.com/in-our-own-words/
But we are not finished.
The NEXT East Side Storytellin’ 47 event will be …
Date- Tuesday, October 21st, 2014
Time- 7 pm sharp (Central)
Location- Mad Donna’s (1313 Woodland Street)- http://maddonnas.com
With Sara Harvey and music by the one and only Bill Davis. It will be our 2nd annual Halloweenish-themed show to liven up your spirits.
That’s all for the East Side Storytellin’ 46 show. Thanks for coming out and sharing the good word. Remember to be nice to one another out there. Thanks and good day your way.
Much love,