Musings on Weird Things

I was thinking yesterday about what I had to do over four years to get this album completed, and the thing that first sprang to mind is all the stuff I sold on Ebay to finance it.  As an indie musician there is no "big money" behind me so I had to come up with every cent to pay for it, and believe me, I didn't skimp as you can probably tell from the production values on the CD.  I wanted everything to be just right...an album I could say is truly the best I have to offer.  So I sold my treasures...including ancient Barbie dolls I'd had since I was little and my set of ceramic buildings from "Mitford," the wonderful little town in the "Father Tim"  books I love so much from Jan Karon, among other things.    These are things that were very important to me, but I told myself at the time that doing the thing I love the best now and moving forward with my creative life was more important than holding on to material things and memories from the past.  But I have to admit, it wasn't easy selling those things.  Still I was happy while working on the CD with my producer and one of my dearest friends, Jim West, and I was excited about my idea of a concept CD that would take kids on a journey across the USA with me.  I've just loved traveling and discovering new things in this amazing country and I wanted to get kids excited about learning all about our great country and the many wonderful and varied treats it has to offer.

It would be a lie to say I wasn't also apprehensive, though.  I was doing a concept CD, something that is rarely done anymore in this age of downloading single songs, and I had all kinds of doubts:  "Is it boring?  Am I doing okay on the narration?  Does it make sense? WILL KIDS ACTUALLY LIKE IT?"  Jim had to reassure me at just about every session, but he's really good at that and bringing out the absolute best in me, so we forged on.

Now, the CD has been out there for a year, and it has done more than I ever expected it to do.  Lookie here:

*Paula Slade from Examiner.com called it a "one-of-a-kind" CD and said it was an "engaging musical road trip," plus:

All in all, Weird Things are Everywhere is a very special trip for children ages five through 10 that offers plenty of entertainment and packs an educational punch perfect for classrooms and home school families.

* It received a coveted STARRED review in School Library Journal, which said I was a "vocal chameleon"  (my kids are so sick of hearing me say that!) and:

The focus on literacy and reading, the fun segues between songs, and the performer's superb voice makes this an excellent choice for use in a school setting.

*Amber Bobnar from BostonChildrensMusic.com said it was one of the 12 best children's CDs of the year!

aaaaaannnnnnndddddddd....

There IS that little matter of a GRAMMY NOMINATION!!!

So, all in all, I'd say it was good decision to sell that stuff. 
Still, the indie musician struggle goes on.  A Grammy Award nomination does not instantly make one rich, so now begins the matter of buying the plane tickets, paying for the hotel, finding a DRESS to wear on the red carpet and all that stuff. And I wasn't expecting to have this kind of expense in the quiet month of January so I didn't exactly plan ahead!  We should all have such troubles, huh?  That's easy for you to say....you don't have MY husband who is peering over my shoulder every second saying, "How are we gonna pay for all this?"
I swore to him this morning that I would do it, just like I've managed to do all the other stuff...the CD, the tour, etc. etc. 
So my point is?  I need to sell CDs...lots of CDs...between now and the end of January. Would you consider purchasing one?   Is there a child in your life who has a birthday any time this year?  How about getting that end of year teacher gift out of the way now?  Is there a librarian you know who has a small budget but would LOVE to have a CD that's been given a starred review in School Library Journal? Buy one for your special niece, your Godchild, the kid next door....
It's $15 and that includes the shipping and handling.  You can pay through PayPal or send me a check.  For the details, click here:  http://judypancoast.com/tune_room_store.htm

You can also get them at Amazon.com and at CDbaby.com but the only place you can get a personally autographed one is from my website or at one of my shows.  Plus buying it directly from me means you aren't giving any of your hard earned money to a middleman.


Thank you once again for supporting my music and helping to make my dreams come true!

Updated Tour Schedule

I just updated the tour schedule yet again and I believe this will be the final itinerary. Still to come..details on the big finale in Orlando on CHRISTMAS EVE!! Stay tuned!

Saturday, November 27th

6pm

The Mitchell Homestead

16 Francis Street

Claremont, NH 03743

Wednesday, December 1

The Toole Castle

Manning Close

Wells, United Kingdom

Friday, December 3

12 noon

The Factory at Franklin Shopping Experience

Food Court

230 Franklin Rd
Franklin, TN 37064-2256
(615) 791-1777

Saturday, December 4

Christmas by the Tracks

Elgin, TX

Several performances at the gazebo throughout the day

and that evening a performance at

The Dennis Residence

806 N Main St.

Elgin, TX 78621

Sunday, December 5

6:30pm

The Brown Residence

6607 Avenue S

Lubbock, Texas 79412

Tuesday , December 7

The Hurlle Homestead

1003 N.W. 24th St.

Fruitland, Id 83619

Wednesday December 8

The Zembruski Residence

23620 NE 183rd St

Woodinville, WA 98077

Saturday, December 11

The Bicknase Homestead

1027 North Hampton street

Fairmont, Minnesota 56031

Sunday, December 12

The Jeffries Homestead

2112 NE Waterfield Drive

Blue Springs, Missouri(east side of Kansas City)

Monday, December 13

The Home of Indiana Jones (been dying to say that!)

11720 Gatwick View Dr.

Fishers, IN 46037

Tuesday, December 14

7pm

The Reph Homestead

198 Firehouse Lane

Nazareth, PA. 18064

Wednesday, December 15

6pm

The Moyer Residence

117 West Penn. Ave.

Cleona, PA 17042

Thursday, December 16

12 noon

Special appearance at Paul's Bakery in Fredericksburg...more details to come~

5pm

The Shank Homestead

9410 Deep Creek Lane

Fredericksburg, VA 22407

Friday, December 17

Annual Driveway Party at the Joyce House

Sponsored by XTRA 99.1

Gloucester, VA

Saturday, December 18

The Bottomley Estate

8010 Glade Valley Road

Ennice, NC 28623

Sunday, December 19

The Brown Homestead

4019 Lake Charles Way

Indian Trail, NC 28079

Monday, December 20

The Charpiat Mountain Home

2 miles east of Old Highway 52 on NC Highway 268 East in Pilot Mountain North Carolina.

Tuesday, December 21 (the first day of WINTER and the official RIBBON CANDY DAY)

The Greer Residence

114 University Drive

Conway, SC 20526

Wednesday, December 22

The Drum Compound (Larry and his neighbors)

4730 Bryn Ridge Ct.

Cumming, Ga. 30028

Thursday, December 23

6pm

The Walker Residence

1013 Mare Bello Dr

Winter Park, FL 3279

"The House on Christmas Street International Tour" CHARITY

One of my other goals for the tour is to somehow improve each community I visit along the way by doing a concert there. To that end, I present the list of charities that my tour hosts are collecting for along the route. I'm honored to be a part of their efforts to make the world a better place:

The Mitchells, Claremont, NH: Children's Hospital at Dartmouth

The Browns, Lubbock, TX: South Plains Food Bank.
http://www.spfb.org/site/c.lgLQIVOyGpF/b.5475427/k.5CCB/South_Plains_Food_Bank.htm

The Hurles, Fruitland, ID: Food drive for two local Senior Centers and CASA, Court Appointed Special
Avocates for children.

The Zembruskis, Woodinville, WA: Special Olympics of Washington

The Jones' of Torrington, WY: The ALS Association

The Charpiats of Pilot Mt., NC: The Pilot Mountain Outreach Center

The Greers of Conway, SC: St. Jude's Children's Hospital

The Drums and their neighbors in Cumming, GA: Family Haven a local Forsyth County battered woman's (and children's) support center, shelter and legal aid group. We will be collecting cash and supplies for their shelter.
https://www.forsythcountyfamilyhaven.info/Home.html

The Bicknase's in Fairmont, MN: The Salvation Army

The Moyer's of Cleona, PA: Shining Light http://shining-light.com/.

The Jones' of Fishers, IN: Humane Society for Hamilton County, a non-kill humane society that is very
overcrowded.

The Bottomleys of Ennice, NC: Glade Creek Volunteer Fire Department

The Walkers of Winter Park, FL: Give Kids the World where a lot of the Make A Wish Children go when they
wish to go to Disney World

The Jeffries' of Blue Spring, MO: The Salvation Army

The Browns of Indian Trail, NC: the Union County Christmas Bureau:
http://www.co.union.nc.us/HumanServices/SocialServices/ChristmasBureau.aspx

XTRA 99.1 in Gloucester, VA: The Peninsula Food Bank.

And the Holiday by the Tracks event in Elgin will help to support various local non-profits through the sale of decorated Christmas trees.

And coming soon, an announcement about how YOU can help a major children's charity during this tour....

MAY I HAVE YOUR VOTE?

Hi! I'm VERY excited that my latest CD, Weird Things are Everywhere, is on the list of potential nominees in the Nickelodeon Parents' Picks Awards for Best Kids' CD. I'm nominated to be nominated!
Now I need your vote! Please visit the site, register and vote for me. I'm up against some serious competition and I know this is a longshot and that's why every single vote counts. It will only take up about five minutes of your time but means the world to me, so please vote.
http://www.parentsconnect.com/parents-picks/best-parents-picks-kids-music-cd

THANK YOU!

PARENTS' PICKS AWARDS!

Voting is now going on...but only for 6 more days...for the Nickolodeon Parents' Picks Awards for Best Kids Music CD...and "Weird Things are Everywhere!" is on the list. Please vote for my CD so that I can be one of the nominees!!


Nominate Judy Pancoast for a Parents' Picks Award! http://www.parentsconnect.com/parents-picks/best-parents-picks-kids-music-cd?xrs=pp10-social-fbembed-parents-picks-kids-music-cd-PRODUCT-Judy-Pancoast&hl=Judy-Pancoast


THANK YOU!!!

Judy's Tune Room on the Radio

Have you been in Judy's Tune Room yet? That's my radio show for kids and families, which is produced by Jordan Shea, a student in the broadcasting program at Londonderry High School here in New Hampshire. It airs on their Low Power FM Stations, LEO 103, on Saturday and Sunday mornings at 8 and 11am. But no matter where you live you can hear it streaming live at this address http://www.londonderry.org/leo/leo103.cfm

We play fun music for kids and we have jokes and lots of silly stuff. Sooooooooo
I'm looking for your jokes, birthdays and special announcements, too. Please send them to me ASAP here at my website. I'll also be featuring a "Star of the Show" in Judy's Throne Room, and I'm looking for kids to celebrate. If you know a special kid who should be celebrated on the radio, let me know about him or her!

Thanks!

Where is The House on Christmas Street?

As of January 3, 2010, The House on Christmas Street has been used in outdoor home lighting displays in these locations (these are the ones I know of. If you know of any more, please let me know! I like to keep track!)
AUSTRALIA:
Ballarat, Victoria
CANADA:Tillsonburg, Ontario
Thorsby, Alberta
UNITED KINGDOM:Wells, Somerset

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:
ARIZONA:
Fort Mohave
CALIFORNIA:
Folsom
Millbrae
CONNECTICUT:
Brooklyn
Vernon
DELAWARE:
Newark
FLORIDA:
Deerfield Beach
Eustis City
Kissimee
Orlando
Punta Gorda
Riverview
GEORGIA:
Smyrna
HAWAII:
Hilo
ILLINOIS:
Kankakee
Leroy
Tolono
INDIANA:
Fishers
Huntington
MAINE:
Wilton
MASSACHUSETTS:
Stoneham
MICHIGAN:
Livonia
MISSOURI:
Jefferson City
Kansas City
NEBRASKA:
Friend
NEW HAMPSHIRE:
Claremont
Hudson
NORTH CAROLINA:
Monroe
OHIO:
Cincinnati
Columbus
PENNSYLVANIA:
Easton
Pittsburgh
SOUTH CAROLINA:
Conway
TEXAS:
Cypress
Garland
VIRGINIA:
Ridgeway
WASHINGTON:
Spokane
WYOMING:
Torrington

TALLY: Four countries and 23 states, 54 Search results on YouTube.
Christmas decorating enthusiasts ROCK!!

Okay..so once in a while I google my own name!

....and sometimes I find some really cool stuff that I didn't know was out there....like this blog from Vermont which was written by someone who attended our Dartmouth Hop-Stop Series concert about a year ago.
Thank you, Bettina! Hope to see you again sometime!

http://damnyankeevermont.blogspot.com/2008/10/judy-pancoast.html