To the Class of 2007

Hello Dear Ones,
I just read the note from Heather on my guestbook and it made me so happy. Heather is a graduating senior in Portland, Maine who participated in one of my songwriting workshops at her elementary school when she was just little. She wrote to tell me what happy memories my music brought her, and that made me feel all mushy and sentimental.
I first began "officially" writing songs with children in 1995, with the first graders in Mrs. Forest's class at Maple Avenue Elementary School in Goffstown, NH. I was a classroom aide then, working on my Masters Degree in Education.
Now those kids in the original "Forest Chorus" are graduating, and so is my own daughter, Emma, who was a first-grader at Bartlett Elementary school across town that year and who had inspired my very first song writing for children when she was just a baby in my arms. And so are all the first graders who attended my concerts and workshops all over New England that year.
So, to Emma, Heather, the Forest Chorus, and all the other children I sang for that year, I have a message:
Don't Ever Let Go of Your Dreams!!!
But....don't just dream...find every way you can to make them come true. I wanted to be a singer since I was a little girl, and even though I haven't wound up to be a famous pop singer, which was my original dream, I have never given up on music. I have pursued every avenue I could to keep on singing and have my music heard, and those avenues took me through rock music, piano lounges, country bands, and finally, to making music with children. I never dreamed back then that I would have the career I have now, but look how blessed I have been, to have been in the lives of all of these children. There is at least one moment during EVERY concert that I close my eyes and say a silent "thank you" to God for allowing me to do this for a living, and for helping me live in a musical world.
Now, here's the part that might make you laugh. In 1967, when I was eight years old, I saw the ORIGINAL Batman movie (the one based on the old TV show). It was a pretty stupid movie, but in it, Batman said something that struck me, even at that young age. I wrote it on my binder cover every year through elementary, jr. high and high school, and it was my senior message in my yearbook. I leave you, class of 2007, with the words of Batman, because I believe that no one has ever expressed this thought so eloquently. Please take it to heart, and make your dreams come true:
"After all, Robin....of what use is a dream, if not a blueprint for courageous action?"
Be courageous, class of 2007!
Fondly,
Judy

More radio dates...

Just got the latest schedule from Oldies 103.3....
You can hear me live on the air (or streaming from your computer)
This Friday night, May 18, from 9pm-1am
Saturday, May 19 from 2-7pm
Saturday, June 2 from 9am-1pm
Sunday, June 10 from 3-7pm.

That's all the dates I have scheduled for now.....

Mother's Day

I hope all the Moms who visit my site had a wonderful Mother's Day! And thank you for making my music a part of your childrens' lives. I'm honored and delighted that my songs and my voice accompany you on your car rides, inspire you to dance around the house with your children, and help them get to sleep at night.

I had a lovely Mother's Day and received a very thoughtful present from my family...the Taylor Hicks CD!! This was especially nice since they don't particularly care for his music and they knew if they gave it to me I would blast it nonstop through our home (which I am doing right now!) I loved Taylor's energy and joy during his performances on American Idol and looked forward to seeing him every week when he was on the show. Since I rarely purchase music for myself anymore, I hadn't bought the CD and was hoping to receive it as a gift. I love it! I think he has a great voice and I really like the song choices he made and the arrangements.
Now....if someone would just take me to see him when he's in New Hampshire in August.........

Catching up

Hi...Sorry I haven't written in a while. I've been very busy planning my summer concerts and there never seems to be a spare minute. Looks like it's going to be a very busy summer! Hope I get to see you!

I want to say "hi" to all the librarians, children and families we met in Pensacola during the last week of April. The concerts were all well attended and we had a terrific time, plus it was great to relax at your beautiful beaches!

I also want to give a big shout out to my New York City fans who came out to see me at my concerts at the Tribeca Family Festival this past weekend. I always have fun there and it was just great to see you dancing in the streets. I was also THRILLED to see Shaun White, "The Flying Tomato" Olympic Snowboarding champion at the festival. He's soooooo cool. And you should see that red hair in the sunshine!

A lot of people have been emailing me asking about my schedule on Oldies 103.3. Because I am only a part-time DJ there, I don't have a regular schedule, but here are the next couple of times I'll be on the air:
Sunday May 13 3-7 PM EST.
Saturday May 19 2-7PM EST
Remember, you can listen online at www.oldies1033.com

TTFN!
Judy

Christmas in April

Well, we had a big snowstorm here in NH last night, and this morning it looked like December outside. How fitting that on this day I should discover yet ANOTHER video of a house that is decorated with lights that blink in time to my song "The House on Christmas Street." This phenomonon has really taken off, and I couldn't be more honored. If you want to check out this video, follow the link to YouTube.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l3wEeU377o

I also want to announce that I've been invited by the folks at PlanetChristmas.com to perform the song and others from my Christmas CD at the annual PLUS seminar (Planet Christmas Lights Up Seminar) in Gatlinburg during the first weekend in August. It's very exciting!

Make New Friends, But Keep the Old

Jennie Nadeau moved across the street from me when I was four years old, and quickly became my best friend. Like most little girls in the early sixties, we played Barbies for hours on end, rode bikes together in the spring and played in the snow in the winter. Jennie went to Kindergarten before I did, and I remember waiting every day for her to come home around noon so we could play together.
My family moved away when I was eight and Jennie and I lost touch because I went to Catholic School and she went to public, but we met up again in Jr. High and became close friends all over again.
My high school years are measured in long telephone conversations with Jennie every evening during which we would discuss boys, school, what to wear, and how to avoid eating potato chips. She had boyfriends, I did not, so I learned about teenage love vicariously through Jennie while she joked around about my crushes on Al Pacino and John Travolta.
After graduation we went to different colleges, but we kept in touch sporadically through the years. We settled far apart from each other but we did meet each other's husbands and children and tried to visit whenever we could, but I haven't seen Jennie in about five years. Time and life just got in the way.
Today I found out that Jennie passed away suddenly on Friday night. She was 48 years old and had not been ill.
I can't believe that she is gone, and I will never hear her voice again. I would give anything to go back in time, even a week, and pick up the phone and call her. I would do it in a heartbeat.
I don't know how much of the person I am today is because Jennie Nadeau Mayott was in my life, but I suspect quite a bit. Thank you, Jennie, for all the laughter and tears and shared angst and love. You were my best girlfriend ever, and I will miss you forever. Everyone should be so lucky as to have a Jennie in their lives.

New York Performances

WOW! My daughter, Emma, and I had a fabulous time in NYC performing at the Children's Museum of Manhattan yesterday. I did two sold out shows and the audiences were greeeeeaaaat! We look forward to returning for more shows at the end of the summer....so, if you live in the NY area, keep watching the calendar for the exact date of the show. We'd love to see you there!
On another note, we stayed in the city to attend a nightclub performance of a great young band called MOOK. Emma is a big fan of theirs and I really enjoyed their music also. It's fresh and innovative, but still evokes the sounds of bands I listened to in my youth in the 70's such as Steely Dan and Yes. You can check them out at mookmusic.com. Tell them Judy and Emma sent you!