January 2023 Newsletter
Happy New Year! Do you have a word of the year? Mine is Value. I want to be more intentional about how I’m spending my time, and consider whether I’m focusing on things I actually value.
My next show is Sunday, January 29th, at 5:00 PM at Lydian Music Studios in Portland! If you're not in Portland, you can attend via Zoom (register here | program here).
I have some big writing news to share: I’ve been awarded a 2023 We Need Diverse Books mentorship! Over the next year, under the guidance of award-winning novelist H.E. Edgmon, I’ll be sculpting my YA manuscript into something (hopefully) publishable.
To make the most of this opportunity, I need to cut back a bit on my piano-teaching hours. If you’d like to support me as a creator on Patreon, I’ll be very grateful and send you things like stickers and pins. Over the coming month you’ll be the first to see the Varied Thrush music video, the first to hear my next single (Disembodied Mind), and the first to get the sticker that goes with the single.
Thank you so much to everyone who has listened to Silent Film. It’s attracted some nice press write-ups!
“Sparkbird compels a slice-of-life aesthetic that is reminiscent of Sufjan Stevens and Joni Mitchell.”
- Good Music Radar
“[A] neat and nuanced depiction of heartbreak and pain.”
- Indie Music Flix
“The key marker of this song’s genius is the way that the instruments have been arranged to create a sense of cinematic urgency”
- TJPL News
“Silent Film is powerful in its stillness, and Nance delivers a wallop of a performance”
- B Sides & Badlands
“Sparkbird's soulful songs impress with their personality and vulnerability.”
- Indie Dock UK
There’s been a lot of rejection as well, so I’m incredibly grateful for the support I’ve gotten. If you haven’t listened to my recent work, I hope you’ll check it out! I’m still proud of my earlier releases, but I think I’ve come a long way since 2008. :)
Love,
Stephan
a.k.a. Sparkbird