Chasing Lizzo
Songs are here today gone tomorrow. How often does a songwriter actually get to thank an artist for reclaiming their song thirty years after it was written? For giving it a second life? For introducing it to a whole new generation?
Cafe Luxembourg
Cafe Luxembourg has this salad that’s insane. It’s the one with the frisée and the perfectly poached egg on top. It better still be on the menu. I’ve been dreaming about it for weeks. For real. I chase food.
30 Greatest Living American Songwriters
How does your list compare with these seasoned critics who were obviously trying to please editors who wanted to include all genres and generations, and keep us talking about it? It obviously worked.
Man On The Run
“You strum a chord and then you kind of see where it leads you. Like breadcrumbs, memories, even regrets, or even the future. If you’ve got some sort of problems, you work them out in the song. It’s really the ultimate therapy I think.”
Something Funny Happened at The Cutting Room
I’m inclined to make a mistake I never made before. What will it be today? Who knows. But it WILL happen. I decide that when it does I’ll blame it on my pic. Or my capo. 😳
The Blizzard
As soon as the cold air hits my face I’m smiling wider than the happiest emoji. There are bundled up men on bicycles delivering pizza, food trucks selling tacos. People are carrying their dogs. Life is going on big time. This is NYC. 🍸🍸🍸☃️☃️☃️
I Survived Grammy Week
I was offered a ticket. But the idea of putting on another night of make-up after all the parties – my face would have fallen off. So I made pasta and DVR’d it. And ate a whole pint of Haagen-Dazs out of the tub. 😳
Olivia Dean
Ok, so ”Man I Need” is not “Man In The Mirror,” but it’s delightful, no? It’s not trying to bedazzle me with substance-free wordplay. It’s a good-old fashioned ear-worm. ❤️🔥
High School Reunion
My life is very fluid and creatively fertile. I pray it continues because it makes me feel deceptively ageless. But I’m not. This I know. Life is like musical chairs. One day the music stops and there might not be a chair for you. I don’t mean to sound morbid, I’m just … well ... reunions. ❤️💛
It’s Wifey-Time Again!
This year (after some resistance) Suzan and I used a bit of ChatGPT to plan our journey. It proved to be a helpful tool but no surprise, it didn’t take the place of good old fashioned human guidance or instinct. He’s merely compiling and consolidating all the opinions of everyone on the whole wide web. So, maybe no Christmas bonus but we weren’t going to fire him either. ☀️🌊 🏰
Messy
I often wonder — if a journey of recovery is indeed part of your brand — your creative force — what happens (what do you write about) when/if you get well? What happens when you overcome that thing that defined you and for better or worse (usually worse) became your brand? That’s a messy question. 😳
Shelly & Kathleen Go To The Movies
Going out is not as simple as it used to be. I wish there were some kind of Theater Concierge who meets you in front of the theater and walks you through the whole process. Tickets, parking validation, popcorn, and then escorts you to your seat. And helps you find your car later. l would pay extra for that. 🍿
Healthcare For Songwriters
SONA worked tirelessly to make healthcare a reality. I was on the board of this amazing grassroots organization for a number of years. I stepped down recently to make room for new blood so I can’t take any credit for the heavy lifting but I’m still proud to have been a founding member and very proud of SONA for this GET! 💪🏽🥁🎶
Let’s Chat
Chat helped me smooth out emails — I could see how they were clearer, more digestible. It allowed me the opportunity to study unfavorable patterns in my writing which I could improve on my own if I chose. So that’s good. But what will AI mean for wonder? Or for kids looking out car windows trying to imagine how the world works?
Grammy Time
It appears that the re-imagining of “What a Girl Wants,” performed by Christina Aguilera and Sabrina Carpenter for Spotify’s 25th Anniversary is ‘nominat-able’ in the category of Best Pop Duo or Group Performance for the 2026 Grammy Awards. It’s a thrill to have had these two powerhouse songstresses from two completely different generations bring the song back into the spotlight with the soulful accompaniment of superb LIVE musicians. 😀😀😀
Pet Peeves
You can’t copyright a title but you KNOW you wouldn’t have named your product What A Curl Wants if not for my song. So pay me.😡
Pam
My friend (and songwriting-sista) Pamela Sheyne wrote a little song called “Genie in a Bottle.” Christina Aguilera took it to #1 all over the world. Join Pam and I as we go down a little bit of memory lane with “Genie” 26-years-later and hear what she has brewing in her current box of endeavors. 🧞♀️🧞🧞♂️
