I am so happy to report that we are in the final stages of the new album for 2016! It’s a full album with three themes: Songs For Adults / Songs For Kids / Songs For Adults w/ Kids. There will be 16 songs, only 2 of which are re-makes of older material that I couldn’t resist re-recording to capture…   …read more.

“You are as pretty as Nicole Kidman,” said the choreographer with a huff. It took me a moment to realize she was talking to me. “But you have no idea how to move your body. You could look so pretty if you just relaxed. Be more sexy! Flirt with the camera! Get into it!” I love the criticism-couched-in-a-compliment technique. Crafty….   …read more.

When I left the first round of Mama Mia, I thought it was over and done with. I mean, a television shows is a vacuum of self-centered focus. All the employees involved have been sucked in for so long they don’t even realize they’re living in a vacuum bag anymore. Any doubt of your complete devotion to their televised reality…   …read more.

A week ago now, footage from a national Chinese television show “妈妈咪呀” was aired in households across this populous nation. I was one of the featured “artists,” or should I say “mamas,” as the show was about mothers first, talent second. Tomorrow, another episode will air and the episode featuring my family and me will be archived. In Chinese, the…   …read more.

Newsletter Final Thought: May 2014 My daughter is away for the week and it’s just me and my infant son, Paz. Their daddy is doing gigs out of town. Their grandma (nainai) is the one who took Echo back to the family’s hometown. It’s officially the second time in my experience of motherhood that I’ll have been separated from her…   …read more.

Why is Beijing’s air quality more atrocious with every passing year? Everyone must breathe — rich and poor, weak and powerful alike — so everyone is affected by this situation. This, in and of itself, should push authorities to quickly restore order to this urban bubble we all live in. After all, their families are here too. Everyone is breathing,…   …read more.

Final Thought, Dec 2013   This fall, I finally started my Masters Degree through an online program at The City University of Hong Kong. This MFA for Creative Writing is the only one of its kind in the world because it focuses on writings about Asia in English. In October, I attended an in-person session called a “residency.” Required once…   …read more.

Final Thought, Aug 2013   So, the tour is over and I’m poised to return to Beijing next week. I will look a lot different coming back than when I left. My belly has grown significantly and I am sporting a new bump. Yes, the big news is that I am 4.5 months pregnant and expecting baby #2 in December…   …read more.

Final Thought, June 2013 There are so many changes in the air. On Saturday, June 8th, we performed our final show in Beijing with our fantastic drummer, Zac Courtney. Zac and his family are moving back to Australia and we are on the hunt for a new drummer for our Beijing band. I celebrate this move for his family, but…   …read more.

Newsletter Final Thought: May 2013 It’s amazing how sometimes many days go by when I forgot to appreciate how lucky I am. I mean, sometimes I’m exhausted and underslept. Sometimes I fight with my partner and I’m in a bad mood all day. Some months are more scant than others, money-wise, and I have to coach myself out of the…   …read more.