LIVE Lemonade! By Gail Dreifus After two years of keeping my passion, Yosemite Songwriting Retreat, going on Zoom for four retreats, we will be LIVE in October! Although I was getting used to seeing and hearing people in their “Zoom box,” I am excited to be live (although a little cautious) for our tenth anniversary […]
Read moreMore TagLaunching Lemonade Stand
Welcome to the Lemonade Stand! Coming Soon! Watch this space for the upcoming launch of the new monthly blog from the FAR-West Community. This space will be the place for the reconstituted lemonade (formerly known as the “Lockdown Lemonade“) of ideas, trends and stories from our FAR-West membership and beyond, writing monthly pieces of 300 […]
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Lockdown Lemonade #60 by Storm
Gratitude for the Zoomiverse I am grateful for Zoom. It has no doubt been a major contributor to keeping me sane and physically here. I live a fairly isolated existence, with a number of medical issues and physical limitations without a car or much money or resources, yet through Zoom I can and have shared my songs, poetry, prayers, […]
Read moreMore TagLockdown Lemonade #59 by Kathy Crosby
Letting Go to Make a Difference I became redundant at my corporate job shortly before the quarantine hit. In my case, it simply moved our 5-year plan up a bit. My spouse is a private music instructor. Due to the pandemic, he moved his business online and began working from home. At the end of […]
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Lockdown Lemonade #58- Special Thanksgiving Gratitude Edition
SPECIAL THANKSGIVING GRATITUDE EDITION I feel grateful to live where I live (on a cherimoya ranch) and to do work (psychotherapy) that makes a difference in the lives of other people. I feel grateful for the communities I am a part of — that, though hampered by not being able to gather in person, have […]
Read moreMore TagLockdown Lemonade #57 by Severin Browne
So Many Songs The first six months of the pandemic were a mix of “What am I going to do?” and “Oh shit, what just happened?” It wasn’t until the beginning of 2021 that I learned to relax enough to let the songs flow. Also in February 2021 I released my new CD, Overdue, which […]
Read moreMore TagLockdown Lemonade #56- Requesting Gratitude
Let’s all count our Blessings Hello FAR-Westerners and extended family! Our Lockdown Lemonade blog recently reached an incredible milestone of fifty-five entries from fifty-five different family members! As we enter this season of thankfulness and gratitude, our Lockdown Lemonade team would like to hear from YOU so we can multiply our blessings through sharing. Please […]
Read moreMore TagLockdown Lemonade #55 by Jean Mann
Finding the Lemonade As the pandemic began and gigs disappeared, I found it hard to focus, especially on songwriting. Featured in an article about Zoom teaching, I gained new ukulele students, gratefully keeping my voice and fingers from rusting! SeattleTimes In September 2020, I learned about “Art 365”. The goal: do something creative every day […]
Read moreMore TagLockdown Lemonade #54 by Donna Lynn Caskey
Staying Creative and Connected Little did I know when I signed up for an international online songwriting group at the end of February 2020 that it would become my primary music community for over a year. What a godsend. That accountability, camaraderie, and structure to keep up a songwriting practice have contributed to me writing […]
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FAR-West News, Monday, Oct 25th
Just Published Today, Monday, Oct 25th: Lockdown Lemonade #53- How I got my groove back by Nalini Lasiewicz Excerpt: “In the summer of 2018, I faced a career choice: either seek a new part-time position or focus on my own music. I committed to music and set out to find a community of artists I […]
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