I'm feeling some green life trying to poke through my brown winter branches. I've been on a trek to the underworld this winter, and I have no doubt that new life is getting ready to spring forth from what I found there. In order to facilitate this new life, I feel an urgent need to make room for it by cleaning out the old. So, for the next 9 days, I will be getting rid of 27 items from my apartment each day. This equals 243 things going to charity, sold on ebay, taken to the consignment store, or passed on to a friend who could use them. I got this idea from anthropologist Angeles Arrien in a magazine article I read yesterday, and I'm ready to go tomorrow. Twenty-seven things a day! Two hundred and forty-three things removed from my living space! Sounds like a lot huh? I'm already planning in my head--old lipstick liner I never use, those shoes in the back of my closet, that old phonebook in the kitchen, broken DVD player. . .

This is going to be fun. Anyone want to join? I'll be posting my daily progress on Facebook. :)

Making room for the new,

McCall

Hello everyone! I figure it is time for an update since the last one was in June!! Seriously, I am good at some things and not at others. I'm super good at Facebook. I'll give you an update there every single day (pretty much). So find me on Facebook, my friends! It's a hot spot right now, and I love just being able to share and be myself on there. But what have I been up to?? A line from a Patty Griffin song keeps running through my head "I don't know nothing except change will come. Year after year what we do is undone." Also a similar line from my friend Matt Harlan's song "in every waking moment we learn better ways to grow. Then in every moment after, we destroy each truth we know." So, I'm changing and growing. After a busy, exciting summer with shows, songwriting schools and workshops, I have retreated to my apartment writing and studying songs most nights. On the other nights, I curl up with a good novel and let my imagination take flight. Right now, imagination is more important to me than knowledge. That's how I'm approaching my art and my songwriting. A few of my favorite things that help me do that:

Patty Griffin's songs. Any of them. Seriously. Read the lyrics. Holy crap. I heart you, Queen Patty.

Robin Rice's books. Specifically "A Hundred Ways to Sunday."

Musing on Facebook.

Morning Pages. Thirty minutes of stream-of-concious writing first thing in the morning. I swear by this, as do many working artists I know.

Daily physical exercising. Yoga, weightlifting, cycling. It opens me up and frees my mind of a lot of crap.

I wish the best for all of you this holiday season, which can be hard for some and easier for others. May the changes that come into your life keep your heart and imagination open and free.

Love,

McCall

Folks, the reason I love doing what I do is because of the people I meet and collaborate with along the way. Last friday I was honored to be a part of Amir Jackson's Poetry Cafe for his Nuture the Creative Mind Foundation. He's all about reaching out to young people and helping them learn to express themselves through poetry, music, and art at a young age. He's got a beautiful thing going. I'm inpsired by him, and I hope you will be too. You can read more about him and the Poetry Cafe in this newspaper article www.standard.net/live/news/174785

Amir Jackson

Ah. It's been awhile, friends. I'm happy to report that life is better than ever. I'm learning, growing, stretching, aching etc. I've spent the past few months laying low as far as live performances go. I've been spending time writing new material, getting some things ready to record, and beefing up my repetoire so I feel more equiped to do all the shows I have lined up this summer. I've also been learning that to be a working artist and musician means to constantly be open to change and new ways of doing things. I've had enough space from my "Beautiful Place" album to clearly see it's strengths and weaknesses. I've gathered feedback from close friends and not-so-close friends. I've wieghed it all. I've listened to my heart and to the undying creative force that runs through my viens. And I'm happy to report that I feel more open and creativitely alive than ever. I'm looking forward to hitting the studio with a new producer late this year. I will be experimenting with new recording styles for my songs. I've also opened myself to more collaboration with other musicians. I will be making a few appearances on some friends' albums as well as having them join me on mine and onstage for some live performances. I'm ever grateful for the supportive, close-knit community of musicians I am a part of. I couldn't do it without these connections. I'm excited and hope you will join me for this beautiful ride. Onward and upward. Love and blessings to all, McCall

"Beautiful Place." McCall Erickson. The debut album by the Ogden singer/songwriter is sparse in the sense of production, offering only Erickson's tender soprano and delicate guitar playing as a means of conveying Erickson's positive and healing message.

Some songs feature a bit of whimsy, such as "Watch the Moon." Others, like "Time to Shine" and "Beautiful Place," present hopeful images, songs that Erickson wrote as a personal comforting tool in difficult times.

Erickson wrote the music and the lyrics for all but one song — the poem "Birdwings" by Rumi is set here to music, closing the album. Clearfield musician and producer Mark Stephenson assisted in engineering the album.

This one will be fun for your friends who still miss the Lillith Fair artists, and love introspective songwriting. Erickson bears watching. www.mccallerickson.com

Hey everybody! I just opened my new gift shop and am offering CDs this month for only $10 and FREE shipping and handling. This is a huge thank you to all of my supporters and fans. I also have some handmade lyric books and other art peices available for sale. I'm trying to help you get some early holiday shopping done. ;)  Love, light, and peace to you all!

My, my how time flies by. Thought I'd stop in today and let you all know how things are going. I had a fabulous trip to the east coast in September. Met some incredible musicians. A huge shout out to PapaCarl and the Jam for Life Foundation. His yearly Jam for Life is raising incredible awareness for organ and tissue donation. Are you a donor? I was blessed to be a part of the Jam this year at the KatManDu in Trenton, NJ. I had a great show and met some cool people. I also got to play a couple shows in Philly and Virginia. I saw some beautiful country, rode some sick roller coasters at Busch Gardens, sang in people's living rooms, sold a few copies of "Beautiful Place," and got to spend some real quality time with my honey, Tyler. Thanks to all my fans, friends, and fellow musicians who made this all possible for me. For the rest of the year, I'll be laying a little bit low as far as shows go. I have a bunch of new music boiling inside me, and it's time to sit down and write it out. Look for new music soon. I love you all!
Papa Carl


Me, Mike Matisa, Lisa Bouchelle


Me at Crossroads Collective in Philly


Me, Tyler, and a Chesapeake Bay sunset

Hey folks. . . I can't tell you how excited I am to announce the release of my independently produced debut album Beautiful Place. I'm pretty proud of my work. Quite honestly, I haven't done anything this noble or worthwhile since graduating from college. ;) It's a big deal to me. You can sample the songs and read the stories behind them on my music page If you like what you hear, go ahead and buy a copy. Hell, go ahead and buy two. It puts food on my table. :) PS this part of my website is now a blog which means YOU can leave comments and tell me how you feel about my news and ramblings. Peace out. M