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My song sis Leslie Hudson has a fundraiser going for a gorgeous new album project which has already inspired tons of other tangible works of art. Please boost and back it if you’re able! Her birthday was yesterday and for us story-singers, there’s no better gift than proof that folks believe in what we do.

I’ve got two shows this month, one in Northwest Arkansas and one online, with a potential second online show around the 24th!  I’ll share a Fayetteville show with Renée Janski on June 13- get tickets here: http://soojliveinfayetteville.bpt.me

She and I will give an online show on Father’s Day evening on my Concert Window channel: http://www.concertwindow.com/sjtuckermusic

My “Girl from the River” song was featured in Part 2 of KUAR Arts & Letters’ program on the life of Arkansas outlaw Helen Spence last weekend, and I think Part 2 of their “She was of the River” show turned out even slicker than part 1! Listen to the archive if you like at http://www.ualrpublicradio.org 

Parts of Arkansas near the Arkansas River are currently underwater, but we are safe and sound so far at my place.  I promise we will take care and evacuate if we are advised to do so, but as I said, so far we are 100% safe. If you’re traveling through the state and want to make sure you know whether or not your route is clear, check IDriveArkansas.com I’ll share and boost disaster relief information as it comes.

I figured I’d better get this out there since it’s going to be part of an upcoming 2-part episode of Arts & Letters on my local NPR station, KUAR 89.1 FM!  Host Brad is presenting a pair of shows about the short life of Helen Spence, Arkansan outlaw and child of the Lower White River- my song is inspired by the same, and Brad chose to include it at the behest of local author Denise Parkinson, who’s been my buddy and cheerleader ever since her book (yep, the one I’m producing the audiobook for right now) brought us together in 2017.

Help save the bridge in the cover photo

More about the radio show

I’m hitting the road for the first time since January one week from today. By this time next Tuesday, I’ll be setting up for my concert in Lawton, Oklahoma, which is my one stop on the way to the Beltania festival in Colorado.  Help me spread the word?  I wanna fill those seats with friendly faces.  It’s been a while, and this will only be my third trip out of state with the baby boy on board.  Thank you all.

Facebook event page

Where to buy tickets

My next online show will be Sunday, May 19, at 8pm CDT.  I’ll be broadcasting from Colorado, fresh from the Beltania festival, likely with some fun stories to share!  Tune in here.

I’ll be back in northwest Arkansas for a live concert on June 13! Come see me!

I have TWO live shows very soon, one in Lawton, Oklahoma, and one plus a workshop at the Beltania festival in Colorado!  This will be my one trip out on the road until August, so having friendly fan faces there will mean so much!  Please come if you can, and please help me spread the word if you can.

TUESDAY MAY 14, LAWTON, OKLAHOMA 7:30PM
Solo Sooj #MayMiniTour concert 
UU Church of Lawton
816 W. Gore Blvd.
Lawton, OK 73501

GET TICKETS HERE!

The UU Church in Lawton is a gorgeous space that’s hosted several concerts for me, and I’m thrilled to get back there on my way to Colorado.  There are 75 seats available and everyone is welcome! Grab yours!

THURSDAY MAY 16-SUNDAY MAY 19, BLACK FOREST, COLORADO
Sooj performs & teaches at the FINAL Beltania Festival
La Foret Retreat Center
6145 Shoup Rd
Colorado Springs, CO 80908

REGISTER HERE – final days to do so!

“Beltania is a retreat, camping festival, and music fest. It is geared towards those who practice an Earth-honoring religious or spiritual path. We welcome all who wish to express their support of religious diversity, freedom of expression, and worldwide peace and harmony. Let’s create community, celebration, and deep spiritual connection with each other, with the Earth, and with the Divine as we each desire.  Sooj will give a concert on Saturday afternoon at the festival & she’ll teach a workshop on Friday.  More info here.“

The Beltania community has been 100% kind and supportive to me over the years, and while it’s bittersweet that this will be the festival’s final year, I look forward to what the Living Earth crew will come up with next!  Let me know if you plan to be there.

OTHER NEWS

–I will most likely give my next online solo show while out on the road, either Sunday May 19 or Monday May 20.  Let me know if you have a preference!  Also, I have a shared online show with Renée Janski scheduled for Sunday, June 16, and she and I are also working on a live concert in Fayetteville, Arkansas for Thursday, June 13!  Stay tuned for more details there, but it’ll be hosted by the UU Church in Fayetteville, which has lovely acoustics.  

My shared online concert with Leslie Hudson on April 23 was a sweet success.  Thanks to all who tuned in for giving her and me a chance to reconnect at last.  Leslie’s music was well received by my online crowd!  If you don’t yet know her work, check it out here.

–Something to keep between us for now, while I make sure that I know how to operate the thing properly:  after much careful thought and collecting of opinions and advice from fans and colleagues, I have launched a Patreon.  Please pledge there if you wish to.  It’ll be a bit quiet for the first couple of months while I make certain that I’m getting the hang of the creator side of the Patreon interface, but as I have a decade’s worth of experience coming up with monthly content for subscribers to enjoy, I can promise that my newness to the Patreon thing won’t prevent me from sending out goodies in a timely way.  I won’t be shouting this from the roof tops or announcing it on social media until summertime most likely, so please don’t worry about sharing the link around just yet.  Those of you who choose to become Patrons of mine in these early days may consider yourselves my top advisors in how to make Patreon a good experience for all of you AND for me.  I appreciate your consideration!  

One thing worth noting:  my preexisting subscription, which has been active since 2009, still exists, and it will stay the same for all of you who’ve subscribed there or who wish to do so now.  I believe I have set my Patreon up in such a way that it will not undercut my regular PayPal monthly and yearly subscribers, otherwise I would not have attempted Patreon at all.  Content between one and the other will mirror itself, so don’t feel as if you must subscribe to both or move from one to the other!  Not at all.  My hope is to be able to curate the same delightful experience for the one as for the other.  I’ll hold myself accountable to all of you for that, so if you see me slipping, please write to me and tell me.  Thank you.

AUDIOBOOKS:  I’m closing in on completion of my next audiobook release, y’all! Author Denise Parkinson started working with me in late 2017 to get an audiobook produced for her account of the short life of misunderstood native Arkansan Helen Spence. Though Helen only lived to age 22, her story captivated me.  It didn’t hurt that her birthday (February 23) is one day after my own, and that she was born into a community and way of life that went extinct in our part of the world shortly after World War II- not that long ago at all. Denise has been great to work with, and we’ll have an announcement about this audiobook soon, for Daughter of the White River: Depression-Era Treachery and Vengeance in the Arkansas Delta.  I’m sharing the cover image here with her blessing.

Denise is also hard at work getting a documentary film funded, shot, and produced, and I’ll be involved with that project as a songwriter at the very least.

I’ve been producing a second audiobook project with my husband as narrator, and it’s of a somewhat wackier nature.  Imagine H. P. Lovecraft meets Turtleman at the local Lions Club barbecue.  We’ll let you know when it’s ready. 

RECORDING: Never underestimate the value of a set of brand new grandparents to help a new mom get a little baby-free work time each day.  Thank goodness for my in-laws, who’ve been more than willing to keep baby Jesse entertained long enough for me to record guitars or get a little editing done almost every afternoon this month.  More accurately, they’ve elbowed the world aside to get a little time with him every day since he arrived, and I’m so grateful for their love and enthusiasm.  I’m working on various songs one at a time, and a new album release draws closer therefore, slowly but surely.

SHOWS: I’ve just added two live appearances and an online show to the tour calendar for this spring! And it feels good, oh yes.  Check it out.  

I’ll broadcast on my Concert Window channel on Feb 5 and Feb 19, both at 8pm Central, both on Tuesdays, and both timed to match up with a Lunar event: Feb 5 is Lunar New Year, and Feb 19 is the full Snow Moon! Watch here.

My “Snow Moon” song is available for the rest of this month. Listen free in the player below.

Two online concerts coming up! Come hang out with me on my Concert Window channel, Sunday January 27 at 3pm CST, or Monday January 28 at 8pm CST, or both! There’s almost certain to be a baby Jesse cameo- and hopefully he’s in a good mood. That’d mean we’re all in a good mood, right?

It’s MLK day, as well as my favorite cousin’s birthday. Last weekend I had my first live show since baby arrived, and it couldn’t have been more kindly received. Last night I smiled up at the Wolf Moon eclipse in between attempts to put my little son to bed. We’re all still here. I’ve missed you all, and I wish you well. Hope to see you soon.