Beth Wimmer
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Living With War Today Website Posted: Apr 2, 2013
i just submitted my song 'I Couldn't Do It' to Neil Young's website, Living With War Today, for their 'Songs of the Times' playlist.

this a truly great website, brought forth from Neil Young's compassion for Veterans and humanity, and his grieving of lives lost and life ruined by war. filled with timely information and soul.

'I Couldn't Do It' is not a protest song, it is a song that has compassion and awe for the Soldier - and humanity - written by a anti-war, peace-loving singer-songwriter, myself, from California now living in Switzerland.

'I Couldn't Do It' is currently cued up at the top of my song list and ready to hear on my Songs page. hope you like it.

You can submit your protest song or topical song to Living With War Today and be part of this conscious community with your music.

Shine on,
beth

'I Couldn't Do It'
Words & Music by Beth Wimmer, ©2008
vocals and acoustic guitar, Beth Wimmer
drums and vocals, David Raven
bass, Taras Prodaniuk
electric guitars, Billy Watts
Produced by David Raven & Beth Wimmer

LYRICS:
I Couldn't Do It Beth Wimmer ©2008
from the album Miracle Girl

Sometimes I think i should trade in my life
give up my dreams for a cause much greater than this
I don't know but maybe the soldiers that go
got more Passion in their toes than i have in my finest Kiss

I wanna know... how it feels for you
to give up your rights... and fight where they tell you to

Chorus:
But I Couldn't Do It
do what you done
it takes crazy courage
it takes brave Blood

I can't imagine fighting in war
i got my causes but only one of them worth dying for
we're all the same but we change at the core
i guess it depends on the ends of the Earth you were born

I wanna know... how it feels for you
to give up your rights... and kill who they tell you to

Chorus:
But I Couldn't Do It
do what you done
it takes crazy courage
it takes brave blood

I Couldn't Do It
kill with a gun
you couldn't count on me
i'd turn and run

I wanna know... how it feels for you
to give up your Life... and die when they tell you to

Chorus:
But I Couldn't Do It
do what you done
it takes crazy courage
it takes brave blood

I Couldn't Do It
kill with a gun
you couldn't count on me
i'd turn and run
winter waning, making music... Posted: Feb 26, 2013
we've been enjoying winter this year because of the fresh and beautiful scenery around our new apartment, and because we don't have nearly as much snow to shovel as the previous four Winters! :) we moved three months ago--from living at 6,000 feet in the mountains of St Moritz to a more modest, down to earth elevation of 1,600 feet above sea level. and even though there's no level of sea to be found close by, and i DO miss me some ocean, now more than ever i feel very at home in Switzerland.

we now live in the Rheintal - the Rhine Valley - in the town of Sennwald, village of Frümsen. anyone who 'Google-maps' it will see it's "somewhere in nowhere", as Pascal likes to say. though we are quite close to Austria and Liechtenstein now--so close to Liechtenstein that we can see the twinkling lights from their mountain town of Planken from our balcony at night.

we're surrounded by farmland, bike paths, and hiking trails--including one that meanders by three local vineyards where one can stop for some wine tasting! (perhaps a bit of a 'staggering' hike:) we enjoy friendly neighbors, playful dogs and neighborhood cats, cows mooing, their bells tinkling, and three little pigs jumping about. though wait: the pigs grew quite big and fat, fast... and come to think of it, now they're gone. :-/

and the mountains? well, they're still there, beautifully, but in the distance. though the dramatic range, Kreuzberge, is stately and close, directly west from our home...


only one more month until spring. and it does look and feel like spring will come to this region of Switzerland on time. :) in St Moritz we waited till May or even June for signs of spring! i warmheartedly welcome the "normal" seasons.

at the end of 2012 i was honored to play a very special gig in Chur, Switzerland's oldest city, at Postremise, an old postal building transformed into culture and performance room. i was thrilled to have the talented Daniel Wisler accompanying me on various stringed instruments. Daniel and i have more shows together coming up.

my good friend, guitar player Billy Watts, told me years ago that moving to another country would expand my performing opportunities in ways that would surprise me. he was right. i now sing harmonies in other languages! last weekend i accompanied my good friend Mondo, singing in Swiss-German (with Bündner dialect) and Rumantsch (Switzerland's 4th official language), at his recent show at Cinema Sil Plaz, a culture center in Ilanz, Switzerland.

i am grateful to have a network of wonderful, musical friends. in spring i'll play some shows again in northern Italy with my excellent band mates, Luka Zotti and Damiano Della Torre (who happen to have the coolest names on the planet.) if you're curious as to where i'll be performing, have a look here on my website under Play Dates.

i have shows booked throughout the year, and i'm excited to play in beautiful Bern, Switzerland, two nights in early September. in October i think i'll make the long and beautiful trip down to southern Italy for a series of solo shows. this is coming about via a new friend, a music promoter, who found me from my facebook page.

i'm so happy and feel so blessed that i took this love-leap of faith and moved to Switzerland. this summer brings my fifth year here and it seems it's getting better all the time. friends, when you get the chance, take the chance. especially on Love.

i'm thankful that the energy of life is getting better for many loved ones who've been struggling--with health, with money, with ill family members. i know there are still big challenges, and it's a slow road to recovery for some. you truly are in my prayers. hold on, have faith, you are so very loved. please put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward, at your own pace.

sent with my Love and my Gratiude,

beth

PS - visiting my Website? please remember to sign my Guestbook
Springsteen Dream! Posted: Jan 24, 2013
YAY! i had the coolest dream about Bruce Springsteen and me this morning!

i was looking around in a store on 3rd Street Promenade, in Santa Monica, California. like a Pottery Barn type store. people started noticing that Bruce Springsteen was in there, shoppin' around. i found ourselves looking at the same pillows as Bruce. i was humming a song. he looked at me and smiled. i decided to tell him that i could sing some of the best harmonies on his songs that he could imagine. he laughed, a bit shyly. i said, no, really. just for fun, try me. he turned and asked his friend or assistant to "play somethin'. play Marry You" (as in, Little Girl I Wanna Marry You). at once the song came on over the store's stereo system. i jumped in with a simple, perfect harmony right from the first line (not wanting to waste time.) Bruce smiled and nodded. the song suddenly stopped playing, but the customers in the store were still laughing and excited. Bruce then turned and walked toward the cashier. i started singing something a capella, enjoying the moment. the customers were smiling. i left the store and saw Bruce putting his purchases into his 4x4 as i was walking by. he looked in my direction and said, hey, nice! i said thanks. i said, sing anything at all and i'll jump in with a harmony. just for fun. i would love to sing with you. so he did (i can't remember which song) and i did. we both laughed a bit. he looked me in the eyes and said, OK, how can i contact you, what's your name, what's your number? i gave him my card and we started to talk about a rehearsal.....then i woke up.
we're feeling groovy in the new year... Posted: Jan 10, 2013
Happy New Year Everyone!!

i deeply wish, wish, wish all things good, healthy and beautiful for you, my friends, family, fans, readers -- and for your friends, family, fans and readers. may the joy and good luck spread ten- and twenty-fold around the globe!

honestly, our new year started off shaky. my husband and i moved to a new region in Switzerland as we wanted a change from mountain living in St Moritz, and because my man got a nifty, new job about 2 hours away from St Moritz, in the Rhine Valley. we were so happy with our move--our new home and new neighborhood (and still are!) when suddenly, my man's new job fell through. no work. nada. nyet. nothing. nichts. we celebrated the holidays in a modest, very down to earth way. really the best way to celebrate life anyway.

but with patience, acceptance, faith AND action, things are looking up! Pascal has a new job that he's excited about. one where he can shine, use his skills and charm, have fun, make people happy AND make money. BARTENDER! :) well, more than a bartender, he's the new manager of a lovely, rustic bar & grill and he's very happy with the new conditions. and his happiness is my happiness.

as for me, i was able to book 6 new shows in Switzerland for 2013, just in the past 3 days! i love it when that happens. with this momentum i may just surpass the 100 shows that i played last year! i'm so excited and grateful to live in a lovely region in a beautiful country where i can make music for a living. thank you, my family, fans, venues, bookers, band-mates, colleagues and friends for your continuous support and encouragement.

May you SHINE this year. find your thing, love your thing, work your thing! :)

Love ~ Peace ~
beth
fall in our new home Posted: Dec 4, 2012
hello friends!

big changes in my physical world...

i have always wanted to post photos in my blog. i finally figured out how to do it, but they are huger than HUGE!! hmmm.... well, hope you like them huge. they are of our new neighborhood, looking north and north-west, respectively, on a lovely fall day.

for more photos please see my facebook page! :)

so my husband, two cats and i just moved to a new neighborhood and region in Switzerland. we're now in Fruemsen, in Canton St. Gallen. just below are a couple photos of our very lovely, peaceful new environment, taken last week... now the rest of the leaves have fallen, the rain has come and turned to snow. weather forecast looks like snow most of this coming week! but here we don't feel so isolated as we did before--perhaps it's the neighbors and the neighborhood. we are in a small village with a small winding road going through it. not much in this village: a bakery, a market, lots of farms and quaint houses. and friendly people. :) our apartment building is not old and quaint, but it's good and proper. 10 units inside. it's located, like most of the homes around here, on that main road. we have tractors with dogs hangin' out on the back lift, farm trucks, scooters, bicyclists and of course cars going by. otherwise it's quiet and peaceful around here with beautiful, country views in every direction and the Alps off in the distance. the mountains are very close on the north side of our home! very majestic and beautiful! we watch real neighborhood, farm-like scenes: the German Shepherd kennel across the street, the elderly man in another house across the street doing things in his yard every day, kids bouncing and biking by, grandmothers pushing their grandbabies in strollers, three little pigs running 'round in a field south of us... there's a grape vineyard across the street with a hike you can do from this vineyard to 2 more vineyards in the next town--and even taste some wine. very sweet.

from our south-facing balcony we have a spectacular view from east to west across the Rhein Valley -- farms and little houses, trees, fields with cows, pigs, sheep, goats, a small babbling brook. it's really pretty. this morning i watched two hawks circle each other and raise and dip on the wind on their search for something tantalizing for breakfast.

taking the road in either direction we come to slightly larger towns with more markets, hardware stores, veterinarian, cafes, bars, a flea market every Saturday, schools, churches, etc... about 14 minutes drive from here is the city of Buchs. really nice little city/town, with second-hand stores, nice food markets and clothes and souvenir shopping, commercial shopping, live music, restaurants & bars, a small movie theatre (i have never been to the movies in Switzerland), bowling, and an old castle, Schloss Werdenberg, in the old village by a small lake with swans, ducks and wild birds...

it tends to be foggy here. i hope i'll get used to that. i do love my sunny days. but the foggy ones have made me appreciate the sunny ones that much more. and the summers here will be longer and warmer and sunnier than they were in St Moritz. i'm looking forward to that!

our apartment is lovely--lots of space, big, bright, airy rooms. we're enjoying spreading out! and our kitties are adjusting well and seem to like it too!

i look forward to and welcome the continued inspiration in my life. and the quiet. i feel very blessed, and as always, very lucky.

Happy Holy-days,
Peace~
beth

the view looking north, out of our kitchen windows...


the view looking west, from my desk...
health = art = friends = communication = health Posted: Oct 6, 2012
It's amazing how things work - how energy flows...

i was out for a hike earlier this year. as i came down from the mountains, i stopped into a health center/spa that is close to my home. inside there is a fountain, with water flowing up from the ground that is filled with minerals and is very healthy. it tastes like metal and earth, because of the high content of magnesium, iron, calcium and other minerals within.

as i drank the water, i strolled down the hall and joyfully took in the artwork hanging in the gallery -- beautiful, strong, ceramic wall pieces by Diana Ingrid Michat. Michat's Website

i was inspired. i signed her guestbook with my admiration. i started to walk away, but went back and added my website beneath my signature.

the next week, i got an email through my website from Diana Ingrid Michat -- in Italian. i translated: turns out she appreciated my comment and listened to my music, and loves it.

2 weeks later, i played a gig in Erba, Italy with Luka Zotti. who came but Diana Ingrid and her husband, Jose. they are from Argentina, but relocated to Italy 20 years ago where they have family. now they live in beautiful Lecco, near Lake Como, where Diana Ingrid is an artist, and Jose designs Apps and practices Qi Gong. they smiled and held hands throughout my show, then bought all 3 of my CDs. :) and Diana Ingrid and i had this immediate, comfortable soul-connection, like sisters.

i had the pleasure of having coffee with them as they passed through St. Moritz last week. but, thing is, Diana Ingrid doesn't speak English. she speaks Spanish and Italian. Jose speaks Spanish, Italian, and English. so Diana Ingrid and i have much to say to one another, and we do, with Jose interpreting the whole time.

now we are friends. and hiking in nature brought me art, art brought me a new friendship. even though we don't speak the same language.
Some Summer Reflections... Posted: Sep 20, 2012
Dear family of friends and fans of my family, ;)

Happy Sunny Summer's End! i hope you are ready for a change of seasons and a change of energy. maybe even a change of heart...

i'm a bit embarrassed i haven't written this whole summer. the last time i checked in with y'all was end of spring! and now those long, sunny, summer days have sweetly breezed away. but my heart is singing, 'cause here in the Upper Engadin in Switzerand we have gorgeous sun and warmth mixed with that new fall feeling. i'm grateful: gimme the heat! though i know it was tragically too warm--hot and burning for weeks--in so many places around our planet this summer.

will there ever be a balance? sadly, i think not a gentle one. what do you think? i feel that the intensity gets intenser. yet importantly, our light gets ever brighter in many places. people, let's keep shining our light. a year ago Damiano Della Torre shot this video for my message of love, "For The Living" i'd be very happy if you watch. and let me know what you think...

i hope these days you are doing things you love with people you love, especially yourself. and especially among the stresses and challenges of living. my heart and prayers are with some special loved ones in my life who are suffering with and fighting extreme illness. i pray my people--and yours--have strength, get well and stay well.

i'm blessed. highlights from my Summer Camp were:

**being in Costa Rica with my love Pascal for most of the month of June...

**having one of my dearest friends, photographer Cari Pike from California, come visit and tour with me in Switzerland. and take new photos for me!

**playing at Chapella OpenAir Music Fest and at La Tavolata Festival in St. Moritz, Switzerland -- with Luka Zotti and Luca 'Mondo' Mondelli.

**playing magical, summer evenings at Lake Como, Italy, with my talented band mates Damiano Della Torre, Gianluca Greco, and Luka Zotti.

**driving to Austria with Pascal, then driving home through Italy to behold the sunken village of Alt Graun, in Graun im Vinschgau...

**hiking with Pascal in Maloja, Switzerland, to Lake Bitabergh.

**playing with the great Paul Fogarty at Der Zug Music Festival in Gueglingen, Germany...

and in music news... i'm pleased and honored that one year after the release of my latest album, Ghosts & Men, it continues to receive new, lovely reviews and lots of airplay in Europe.

CD Baby recommended 'Ghosts & Men' in their July issue of 'Great Folk Music': "Taking a page from the books of Aimee Mann, Tracy Chapman, and Chrissie Hynde, Wimmer makes folk-rock Americana tales of men past, present, and dearly departed. These are songs confident, worldly and warm, filled with harmonies just as smooth as her voice."

and this just in from England: "Beth Wimmer is an American who is big in Europe--except that Britain seems to have largely passed her by. Ghosts & Men is her third album--strong acoustic/electric songs and imaginative arrangements topped off with a brilliant slow-burning cover of Bad Moon Rising. Recommended." -R2 Rock n Reel, UK

:-)
how's by you? tell me do...

by the way, the preceding Blog was accompanied by my photography in my latest Newsletter Mailing to my mailing list of friends and fans. if you'd like to join my Newsletter Mailing, please send me an email at bethsongs@verizon.net

thanks!
Peace in and out,
beth
WoNoBlog Magazine (NL) Online Interview with Beth Posted: May 10, 2012
Post-Show Interview with the lovely WoNoMagazine -- after my show at Qbus, in Leiden, Holland, on March 30, 2012.

Interview with Beth Wimmer
by Wout de Natris
Copyright WoNo Magazine 2012

WoNo: Some things happen in life by accident and one such accident led me to being introduced to the music of Beth Wimmer. The stories she told in introducing her songs, the songs themselves and the album I bought after her show led me to several questions. Here's our interview.


WoNo: Most people of WoNo Magazine may not be familiar with you or your music. How would you like to introduce yourself to them?

Beth: Hi fellow music lovers and readers of WoNo. My name is Beth Wimmer and I thank you for reading about my music. I am a singer-songwriter born and raised on east coast USA, then further inspired in Southern California, now living and making music in Switzerland and Europe.

WoNo: Your bio suggests a long road travelled towards your latest album ...Ghosts & men'. Were you always a musician?

Beth: I've always been a singer. I have three older sisters and an older brother, so growing up I listened to all the rock and roll albums my siblings listened to. The music and stories of my favorite songs sunk into me. I was inspired and I sang along, every day. I was told (and I felt) I had a natural feel for it, so as a teenager I took some voice lessons, then some guitar lessons, and I continued to ...dabble' with singing for years, on other bands' projects and as a background vocalist in studio. Around the year 2000 I had some new inspiration and I began writing and performing my own, original songs.

WoNo: You've recorded the album with Italian producer and multi-instrumentalist Damiano Della Torre. How did you meet and what made you decide that he was the right man to record the album with?

Beth: I met Damiano Della Torre in Summer 2009 through a mutual musician friend, Massimo Gini. I met Massimo "Max" Gini on a bus in St. Moritz, Switzerland. I had my guitar with me, going to a gig. Max began talking with me and told me he's a musician (turns out, he was a gifted multi-instrumentalist). When we got together, there was an ease and joy in our playing together. Max organized four concerts for me to play, in Valchiavenna, Italy ---his home region. He set up a full band to learn and play my original songs. Damiano Della Torre was one of Max's closest friends and long-time music colleagues. Damiano was brought in to play electric guitar. He and Max switched back and forth between electric bass and electric guitar throughout the concerts. The four concerts were successful and quite magical for me.

In late 2010, when I had some new songs I was excited about, I turned to Damiano to ask if he'd record and produce with me. Della Torre had released a new CD in early 2010, "Radiosky: Viva la Vita". It was beautifully recorded and arranged, inspiring, and I loved the messages of peace and joy in Damiano's songs. And we had become closer friends as we both-and many other musician friends-suffered the sad and shocking blow that Max Gini had spiralled into a depressive state and, tragically, killed himself. Working with Damiano was a natural musical, and soul-connection choice.

WoNo: Can you tell a little about the recording process as the songs are beautifully arranged?

Beth: Thank you for the compliment, Wout. The songs with all the melodies, verses, bridges and breakdowns, etc were arranged pre-studio. I worked on the songs at home, quite simply, and brought them studio-ready to Damiano's home-studio near Como, Italy. But the recording process was quite unrehearsed. There were certain ideas I had for sure, like which instruments I'd imagined on certain songs. I knew I loved Damiano's accordion playing and that I wanted that magic on some of the songs. So first, I played all the songs live, in studio, just the acoustic guitar and my voice. Then we'd feel and discuss what to add, one song at a time-almost always electric bass and always, electric guitar (my favorite instrument). The various ideas of electric guitar, like the Wah on the first track "Lover On The Run" and the ska rhythm on "For The Living", and slide on "Bad Moon Rising" and "Easier Life" were my ideas. I'd learned a lot about what I like from working with three talented LA musicians on my first two albums. But the sound and the gorgeous playing and feel, and style: it was all Damiano. From there, Damiano and I would feel what was next: his adding Hammond organ, or piano, or percussion, or Swiss Hang ...drum'. And as the songs would develop instrumentally, I would listen and feel for what harmony and background vocals I would later add.

WoNo: When writing a song, do you already have "a plan" for it or does the arranging come later?

Beth: The arrangement for a song reveals itself to me as I write it. Like with the last track on "Ghosts & Men", "For The Living", I knew soon into the writing of it that I wanted two different refrains intertwining in the end of the song. I had one refrain written, lyrically, and then I worked on the other refrain so that it would sound harmonically interesting and add to the message. For the most part a song idea comes to me as I'm walking along thinking about my life, or what's happened to a friend, or observing some strangers interacting in an interesting way. I come home and write down my lyric ideas. Then when I pick up my guitar and find the right phrasings to go with my lyrics'.that's when the plan comes. :)

WoNo: At the concert in the Q-Bus in Leiden, the stories you introduced the songs with suggested your lyrics are sometimes very close to you. In how far does your life inspire your music?

Beth: My life inspires my music completely. I find that the ...closer to home' that one writes a song, the more heart-felt it normally is for others as well. Almost every song on "Ghosts & Men" is from a highly personal experience of my own. Only "Lover On The Run" came forth out of total fantasy. But once into writing it, I immersed myself into the lead character: I had fallen in love with a man who was being secretive, who then disclosed to me that he'd shot and killed someone and he's afraid to come clean about it. My lyrics are always very close to me. For me it's the only way to write. And usually, the only songs I like from others are the ones with highly personal lyrics. That's why bubble-gum pop, mainstream pop/rock and "I got a hangover, whoooaaa" feel like a waste of time to me, monotonous, gratuitous and tedious. The messages are generic, dumbed-down, and commercial.

WoNo: What made you choose the title of your album, Ghosts & Men?

Beth: The title came to me during the recording process. I became aware that every song we were recording was about a man I'd been with, or who'd inspired me (be that inspiration negative or positive), or with whom I'd had a relationship---in my past, or present. And my songs "Bring You Back", "Damn Angel", and "Blame Yourself" were inspired by men I'd loved and who had died. One was my father, Paul Wimmer, the other was Max Gini, the musician I mentioned above. So I went with the theme of the songs and came up with "Ghosts & Men". I liked the title, for me it was poetic and precise and I never second-guessed it.


WoNo: You must have gotten used to the reaction from the audience to the line "making love in the shower" from your song "Makin' War" by now? Did you expect that the first time you sang the song in public?

Beth: I didn't expect any particular reaction; though I hoped people would enjoy it, get a little laugh. My US audiences know now that I sing with some sarcasm, some humor, and some ...provocative' lyrics at times. My song "Self-Righteous Son Of A Bitch" got big reactions when I sang it live. There's a lyric in that song that goes: "thought maybe we could just have sex'once in a while we'd reconnect'but you're a self-righteous son of a bitch". And there's lots more name-calling in that song. I like to be provocative at times, it's much more interesting than being nice. :) I wrote the lyric you mention above because it went with sexy longing of the song, and it was a fun rhyme. And sure, I like the reaction I get at times. It's fun.

WoNo: The opening song on the record, Lover On The Run, has the 1972 The Bouys' song Give Up Your Guns theme, but also one of total dedication. Does this say anything about you once you commit to someone or something?

Beth: Haha, I don't know. Yes and no. "Lover On The Run" is a fantasy piece, a story, but I did think hard and feel my way through it, if these circumstances were actually happening to me. But you could say that when I commit to something, I certainly try and plead for every possible, positive option before calling something quits if it is clearly dangerous, or no longer working.

WoNo: Lyrically the album tells of new found love, but also of loss. Is your music a way to come to terms with this?

Beth: Maybe, not intentionally, at first' but yes, as I write a song, finish it, play it again and again, feel certain that the lyrics are ...done' and that I've expressed myself and what I've wanted to say' yes, my songs are a way to come to terms with my love, my feelings, my life, my story.

WoNo: What made you decide to cover CCR's Bad moon rising?

Beth: Two words: climate change. One word: disaster. The song is more than 40 years old yet the lyrics are precisely about what is happening today and has been happening over the last 4 decades: more severe, "bad" weather and lives lost: hurricanes, earthquakes, rivers overflowing. And the song is about trying to be aware and accepting of this devastation. Plus, I'd heard a bad cover band in Switzerland sing the song, regularly, up-tempo. The singer was singing the wrong words and clearly had no idea what he was singing about. I looked around at the audience, it seemed no one understood the message of the song. So I started playing "Bad Moon Rising" very slowed down, live, and people loved it - telling me that for the first time, they understood the message of this amazing song.

WoNo: What artists did you listen to in your youth?

Beth: Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Heart, Janis Joplin, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, The Beach Boys

WoNo: And who influenced you most working towards your latest album?

Beth: Lucinda Williams, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, Mojo Monkeys, Robert Plant & Alison Kraus

WoNo: You are making "American" music in Europe these days. What are the most significant differences for an artist between the US and Europe?

Beth: The most significant difference, speaking for myself, is that my living and playing in Europe is full of opportunities to play my songs for appreciative, eager, listening audiences. Perhaps to European audiences my songs, my style, and my personality become more interesting. In the US I was ...just another talent' one of many, many, MANY female singer-songwriters hoping to stand out and be different. Here I feel more appreciated, more accepted for who I am, my message, my style.

WoNo: I understand that you are also a photographer. It is also on observing, like your song writing. Do you have a preference for the two art forms?

Beth: Interesting question. I guess my preference, if I had to choose, is for singing and guitar playing and writing songs, and performing live. So there you go. But I love, love, love photography and I am thrilled when I can capture a beautiful moment and its light, action, feeling and serenity or joy with my camera. I will never stop doing either art form. And I hope to incorporate even more art forms into my life.

WoNo: The cover of the album is beautiful. I have my own idea of what it may symbolise, but what made you choose this picture?

Beth: Thank you! I chose the picture because the light is simply stunning. It's my own, original photograph - I took the shot from the moving car I was in, with my husband, as we made a road trip across the US. My song "Easier Life" is inspired from this road trip and the feelings I got from traveling with the right person. So it seemed fitting to put one of my own shots, one of my favourites, on the cover. All the photography from "Ghosts & Men" are photos I took while traveling with the right person. :)

WoNo: The last song on the album "For the living" is musically quite different from the rest of the album? A hint for the future?

Beth: If you listen to my other albums, "Live Within Live Without (2004) and "Miracle Girl (2008), you'll hear different influences of style in my songs. There is a ska song on "Miracle Girl" as well; it's called "Lover From Last Summer". I would say that "For The Living" is not exactly a hint of the future of my style of music. I am generally influenced with a few different styles on each album. But perhaps the message of "For The Living" is a hint for the future: more songs about Love and Compassion and being brothers and sisters in this strained world.

WoNo: What can we expect from you in the near future?

Beth: Near future: Definitely more live concerts, new songs, I'll come up to Holland again to play music in Spring of 2013, and hopefully also to the UK then. There's a good chance I'll begin recording again in 2013. I'm not totally sure. But you CAN be sure I'll keep you posted if you stay in touch. I welcome any messages or contact from new folks, friends and music lovers. You can find me on facebook.com/bethsongs or on BethWimmer.com :)

Thank you so very much for your time, devotion to music, and your interest, Wout. I appreciate that you've enjoyed "Ghosts & Men" and wish to share it with more people! And thanks to everyone for reading. Peace and Harmony, Beth Wimmer

WoNo: And so the interview turned out as interesting as her music. Ghosts & Men is a great album. You should listen to it sometime soon.
cruisin' the road! first stop Kellerhalle, Karlsruhe, DE Posted: Mar 28, 2012
i'm excited to leave tomorrow for my tour of Holland and Germany! first stop, Karlsruhe, DE - the Kellerhalle! thank you Reiner for organizing this. :)

Here is a cool, new review of my Ghosts & Men, by AltCountry.nl in the Netherlands. I'm jazzed. I've used Google Translate from Dutch to English - this is why there are some interesting phrasings.

Original version, in Dutch, is below.

February 27, 2012

"The Swiss-American perched Beth Wimmer has delivered a great album with Ghosts & Men (Radiosky) in which her handsome compositions are given additional great value by the outstanding play of the Italian multi-instrumentalist Damiano Della Torre. Wimmer serves her songs with soul in her veins. A beautiful voice she has. On 'Sweet Tragedy' she reminds of a particularly sexy Carly Simon in top form. 'Bring You Back' is equally beautiful, but something more like Rory Block. Beth Wimmer deserves much praise for the beauty of Ghosts & Men, but that can not live without the spotlight also on Damiano Della Torre. Just listen to the glowing floor of Hammond organ on 'Blame Yourself'. Too hot to stand on. And the rolling notes of the accordion on 'Beautiful Friends' are pure magic. And yes, the electric guitar solos are even finger-licking. Percussion in proper doses is also his work. And from Pablo Leoni on drums, cajon and djembe, beautiful accents are moved. Very special is the bare rather slow cover of 'Bad Moon Rising'. Available at CD Baby." -J. Gjaltema, AltCountry.nl

http://www.altcountry.nl/blog/2012/02/beth-wimmer-2/

"De in Zwitserland neergestreken Amerikaanse Beth Wimmer heeft een schitterende plaat afgeleverd met Ghosts & Men (eigen beheer) waarop haar knappe composities een geweldige meerwaarde krijgen door het uitmuntende spel van de Italiaanse multi-instrumentalist Damiano Della Torre. Wimmer serveert haar liedjes met sloten vol soul. Een prachtige stem heeft ze. Op Sweet Tragedy doet ze vooral denken aan een sexy Carly Simon in topvorm. Bring You Back is al even fraai, maar dan iets meer als Rory Block. Beth Wimmer verdient nog veel meer lof voor al het moois op Ghosts & Men, maar dat kan niet zonder de spotlichten vol op Damiano Della Torre te zetten. Luister maar eens naar die gloeiende bodem van Hammondorgel op Blame Yourself. Te heet om op te staan. En de rollende noten van de accordeon op Beautiful Friends zijn pure magie. Oh ja, de solo's op elektrische gitaar zijn ook al om de vingers bij af te likken. Percussie in de juiste doseringen is ook zijn werk. Trouwens ook van Pablo Leoni, die vooral op cajon en djembe fraaie accenten zet. Heel bijzonder is de kale nogal trage cover van Bad Moon Rising. Met naast al het andere hier nog even een stukje slidegitaar van Damiano. Verkrijgbaar bij CD Baby." -J.Gjaltema, AltCountry.nl, Netherlands
family affairs... Posted: March 10, 2012
i sat next to a small family out to dinner the other night. there was a father, about 55 years old maybe, a daughter, 28, and a son, 25 or so...
i kept hearing pieces of conversation like this: "are we REALLY talking about this AGAIN?", and "stop. just...stop. don't talk. you need to just stop. ok? stop.", and "that is SO stupid", and "why do you ALWAYS....???", and this: "i love you, but you are an annoying pain in the ass!"
these folks sounded so upset and bored with each other, and so unhappy in general. i send them Peace, and Light...
and i am so, so grateful for my family, who are full of love, laughter, passion and appreciation. and respect.
i love my family - my five sisters, my brother, my sister in law and my brother in law, my nieces and nephews, cousins, my wonderful three old aunts, my dearly departed uncles... my step-mom, my father (i miss you Dad!) and especially my mom. Bless your big lovely Hearts, all of you! i'm a lucky girl.
Ghosts & Men in TOP TEN! And a new video... Posted: Jan 14, 2012
My dear family of friends,

I hope everyone is feeling well and has new faith in 2012. Some of my friends are experiencing great life changes right now: from moving their entire household across the country, to being close to giving birth... to fighting and winning the battle against cancer. Life is always challenging, always changing. I send my love to all of you, and wish you the most important things in life: Health and Joy.

and i've a bit of lovely music-news to share...

I'm very pleased to introduce my new VIDEO! "For The Living" -- the final track from my new album, "Ghosts & Men". The video is filmed and edited by Damiano Della Torre (Radiosky; Como, Italy) and shot in the Upper Engadine, Switzerland (the area in which i live.) "For The Living" has a particular message about Living that i feel compelled to share. You can view it right here on my website under 'videos' - or on Youtube


Next: I'm thrilled to say that "Ghosts & Men" was chosen for the TOP TEN ALBUMS of 2011 at the tasty NetRhythms UK music magazine! Thank you Mike Davies for this excellent honor!

"Ghosts & Men" also finished in 'Lazlo's Den' TOP 100 ALBUMS of 2011! Lazlo's Den, on BlowUp Radio, is New Jersey's best Rock and Roll Radio Show. Lazlo listens to thousands of new albums each year and participates with a million musicians and music benefit shows. to be included in his TOP 100 is a real joy!

2012 started off very snowy, very stormy in St. Moritz! But New Year's Day brought mild temps and sun... a good sign. :) For the next couple months i'll stay close to home, playing a few concerts around Switzerland and Italy and getting out into the woods on my cross country skis!

In Spring I'll travel again to the Netherlands! Holland is like no other place with its rich history, dreamy architecture, art, museums, pancakes, friendly people, and MUSIC! I'll play concerts March 30, 31, and April 2... then head into Germany to play a lovely House Concert, and a fun show at 'Der Zug'--an old, stationary train car! Please have a look at 'tour dates' at www.BethWimmer.com for more info. and please sign my guestbook while you're there if you'd like to make my day. ;-)

so, those are my plans these days... thank you for reading.

Warm, winter Love and Blessings,
beth

p.s... You can pick up your copy of my "Ghosts & Men" here.
i ❤ Italy! Playing shows in Italy last weekend... Posted: Dec 21, 2011
i love Italy!

I feel so lucky to have played two lovely shows near Como, Italy, this past weekend! Thank you Damiano Della Torre (keyboards/vocals) for putting together a great cast of musician friends both nights - different players, various vibes, and marvelous feelings and sound!

Saturday night's show was in a bit of an unlikely venue: a fluorescent lit newsstand type coffee bar called Punto Bar, in San Fedele Intelvi, a small town in the hills above Lake Como. if i understand correctly, this was just the second time for live music at Punto Bar. and so the people came out, showed up, had fun, danced, hooted, howled and hugged me!

I ate, drank and sang the whole night! i enjoyed 'lenticchie & zampone' (i think), birthday cake, red wine... and excitable people. i just love Italian people!

as a good friend pointed out to me today, in her experience, the Italian people live their emotions -- they hug, they touch, they speak with their hands and bodies, they kiss, the use their voices, they eat delicious food and drink tasty wines and want to share it all with everyone... and they dance!!

they even danced to my song "Miracle Girl". ;)

Sunday night we played in a warm and beautiful music room called Aguaplano Music Bar, in Cantù, Como. Again the guests and the music friends were warm, wonderful, appreciative, talented, connected, full of life and gusto!

and in between the two shows i stayed up till 4:30am sitting next to a wood stove fire in a country home in Cantù, listening to Gianluca and Luca play precise and lovely, in sync and in harmony, classical guitar solos.

Even the ride home yesterday on a bus crowded with teenagers, rattling along the bumpy, sunny, winding road along the west leg of Lake Como didn't put a damper on the afterglow that still lingers from such a marvelous, musical weekend.

Thank you Damiano, Laura, Simone, Clara, Corrado, Luka, Gianluca, Alessandra, Luca, Alessandro, & Francesco! Big hugs!

Thanks for reading, friends. and thank you for your musical support and love.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Blessed Kwanzaa - and Happy and Healthy New Year!!

Peace on Earth,
beth
Sweet Little Christmas Gift...to me. Posted: Dec 16, 2011
i ♥ Italy! i played the Arcore Street Festival in June 2011 with my friend Luka Zotti accompanying. it was a hard day. the sky brutally rained, sporadically! Luka & i scrambled in and out of a chic little clothing store, 3 times, trying to save our amps, guitars & CDs! the Festival was a 'gratis' performance; one could make tips or sell CDs--if only the audience stayed, which they didn't because of the rain. :-( Luka and i finally took refuge in the clothing store, dried our equipment, and sang out the door to mostly no one. TODAY, i received an email from Valentina at the Arcore Fest thanking me for staying & playing, and announcing they are rewarding me with 100 Euros! Luka, i'll share it with you! ;-)
Thanksgiving in Switzerland Posted: Nov 23, 2011
I love my life. I'm so grateful to now be a Resident of Switzerland. I'm thankful for and in love with my husband. Appreciative of my lovely, modest apartment by the river in the Alps, and feel blessed to be able to spend my time making music, reaching out with my music, and creating business for myself and others with my music.

Love my new mother-in-law. Very fond of my new brother-in-law though not fond of his lack of table manners. But it helps me to appreciate my family even more... :)

I miss my family so, especially this time of year--America's Holiday, Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving because even with the bustle and the busy-ness of it, it brings people, friends, families together to (eventually) relax, enjoy food - what a blessing - and appreciate each other's company.
We don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Switzerland, naturally... but i celebrate it every day, especially this time of year, in my heart.

I'm very, very thankful for my health. Thankful for my adorable kitty cats that make me laugh and keep me company, and need me. Thankful for the 10-franc pair of new running shoes, scored at the second hand store, that i hike through the woods in every day. Thankful for the sun shining on my face this afternoon, as i sat on a beautiful wooden bench at the woods' edge.

So appreciative and in admiration of my family; my two moms, my 5 sisters, and our brother. Love my nieces to pieces and love my nephews! (and my niece's boys!!) Adore my extended family... my cousins...

I cherish and admire my three old aunts and their backgrounds and experiences.
I miss my grandparents very much - Nana and Grampa, and Oma. I wish i could have had more time with them in my adulthood, to learn more about their pasts and their experiences, to hear more about their feelings, loves and fears. I wish i could have met my Opa. But I'm thankful to him and his intelligence and sense of family and adventure all the same.

I'm forever grateful for the love and laughter and support with and from my dear friends.

I'm very appreciative of the support and encouragement from the lovers and appreciators of my music.

I'm thankful for the love in my heart, and the love i have found.

How lucky am I?
Autumn Poem Posted: Nov 8, 2011
this Autumn rain is cleansing my brain, cleansing my brain, feels good in my veins.
and this mountain air is fresh in my hair, good for my hair, it's good for my hair.
this cool clear wind enlivens my skin, it's life for my skin, life for my skin.
and the morning sun is warming my run, thank God for the sun, thank God i can run.

the more i see in life of hatred
in movies news and politics
the more i turn myself to Nature
where souls renew and life begins


c.2011 beth wimmer
"Ghosts & Men" Gets Good Words from NetRhythms, UK Posted: Oct 13, 2011
I'm very honored by Mike Davies, from NetRhythms, UK, with his good words for "Ghosts & Men". NetRhythms.UK is a sharp and wonderful Music-scene Zine out of England -- dedicated to great, Americana and Independent Music. Be informed & inspired!

September 2011- from Mike Davies, NetRhythms, UK
NetRhythms.UK

A swiftish follow up to last year's Miracle Girl, the Swiss-based Bostonian's third album,Ghosts & Men, was actually recorded in Italy, working with multi-instrumentalist, producer and label boss Damiano Della Torre and a mix of Italian and American sessioneers, LA drummer David Raven representing the latter.

Inspired by men ...past, present and dearly departed' with the songs a mix of true stories and fantasies, as with the previous release, it's a warm mix of uptempo blues and soul inflected Americana and more laid back, easy rolling balladry. If there's an era influence, it's probably the 70s with the dappled folk haze of Easier Life suggesting early Joni while the funkier Bring You Back, the Hammond backed Blame Yourself (a poignant song about her sister and dead father) and Makin' War's Southern soul swing conjure thoughts of Bonnie Raitt or the late Nicolette Larson.

As before, one track introduces a reggae influence, the chugging positivity of For The Living infinitely better than anything on the superstar littered Supercharged album, while the introduction of accordion adds a Paris cafe flavour to the lazy back porch sway of Beautiful Friends. The use of such instruments as djembe, dumbek and Tibetan bells also adds depth without playing any obvious world music cards.

Loss and leaving loom large, most specifically on the country soul Damn Angel, an angry-sad love letter farewell to friend Max Gini (also the inspiration for Bring You Back) who tragically succumbed to depression and committed suicide, a recording from his files providing the posthumous sax solo that lights up the track.

But loss is everywhere leavened by love and compassion, evident in those songs and others, among them in the stand by my wanted man story of the bluesy Lover On The Run, the stand by my unreliable, drunk walking disaster man in Sweet Tragedy (another Joni echo) and the border country colours of the joyful My Babe.

On her last album she included Neil Young's Only Love Can Break Your Heart and there's another choice cover here, a swampy slowed down version of Creedence's Bad Moon Rising that focuses on the words and which, underscored by Damiano's moody slide guitar solo, emphasises the song's sense of apocalyptic foreboding.

Deserving to reach as wide an audience as recent releases by Welch and Williams, it's a contender for the end of the year best ofs. Even if I didn't get a chocolate bar incentive this time.

-Mike Davies, NetRhythms.UK
My new CD "Ghosts & Men" Posted: Aug 9, 2011
Hello friends!

We're really into the swing of Summer everyone! Here's hoping you're all well and enjoying the warmth that Summer brings... or, that it CAN bring. Here in the Alps it's been, well, a 'refreshing' Summer. But I do have my gorgeous, purple petunias blooming like there's no tomorrow, every day. :)

I'm thrilled to announce that my new album "Ghosts & Men" is receiving some wonderful, early feedback and radio play! A big thanks to Mike Penard, Lazlo, and Chris Spector for the following expressions...

in a letter to me, from DJ Mike Penard, Radio ISA, Lhuis, France:
"the very first positive feeling comes from the beautiful cover picture...it already gives an idea of the quality inside. after listening, I have been impressed with the sound quality, the beautiful and rich arrangements... everything is chiseled.
there is magic in your voice that carries emotion... your songs are beautiful and they are a testimony of your humanity... your words immediately bring the listener into your world. I am happy to know you and your music. I will air the songs Easier Life, My Babe, Bad Moon Rising, and Damn Angel starting Tuesday, and will send you my next playlist at the end of September.
Merci,
Mike"

WOW!! Merci to you, Mike. xo

in a letter to me, from DJ Lazlo of Lazlo's Den, New Jersey, USA:
"On first listen I think 'Ghosts & Men' is my favorite of all your albums... Love the new songs, each one has something about it that pulls me.  And I love what you did to "bad moon rising".  I have always said that if an artist is going to do a cover, make it your own, and you certainly did.  I will start playing songs from 'Ghosts & Men' on Lazlo's Den Tuesday night (my new music show).
Peace,
Lazlo"

and from Chris Spector, Midwest Record, USA:
"BETH WIMMER/Ghosts and Men: Left leaning, neo nu folkie travels to Italy to give her songs a load of special sauce that might not have been sprinkled on if staying in her native Boston and recording locally. Presenting deeply felt songs in a deeply felt performance, you also feel something lurking under the surface that she's not really a queen of pain type. It's got its heart and soul in back porch music, but Wimmer's back porch might be the balcony of a high rise condo." -Chris Spector, Midwest Record, USA

AH, I'm so pleased! stay tuned... more to come!

Peace,
beth

click here for your copy of "Ghosts & Men".
and sample for for free on www.BethWimmer.com
Ghosts & Men! and long time married couples... Posted: Jun 28, 2011
"Ghosts & Men", the new Beth Wimmer CD, to be released on July 12, 2011!

"Ghosts & Men" is a collection of Wimmer's Americana, Modern-Folk songs inspired by past and present love, and two dearly departed men. The songs are real stories and fantasy told with Beth's confident and calm voice. Guitars lilt, Hammond organ swirls, and accordion and world percussion weave a warm, rustic bed from which these stories rise up. You'll be sung tales of love certain, strong, weak and lost. And you'll be reminded to appreciate what you have, in this very moment.

"Ghosts & Men" available July 12, 2011 on BethWimmer.com, Itunes, CD Baby, and Reverb Nation!

hello everyone, thanks for dropping by! cute story: i had a nice gig the other night where i only sold one CD... but it was a lovely sale, to a couple who've been married 56 years! i sang the Buddy Holly song 'It's So Easy To Fall In Love', and after i finished they told me, "yes it's easy to fall in love. to stay in love takes practice." ♥ thank you for the inspiration Gerhard & HannaLaura!
springy music news... Posted: May 9, 2011
hello friends!

i'd like to share a few things of musical, creative and political importance in my life these days...

recording my new CD "Ghosts & Men" is thrilling me! :) i am loving making this album with my kind and talented new friend Damiano Della Torre, near Como, Italy. in March i had great fortune that my good friend, the consummate drummer David Raven from L.A., was in Switzerland and joined me on a trip to the Italy studio to play some drums on my upcoming CD! i am so grateful, and very happy! Raven fronts my favorite swamp-blues band Mojo Monkeys, and he played on and produced my first two albums "Live Within Live Without" and "Miracle Girl".

the "Next Big Thing" is a wonderful, independent music & arts website! "NBT" offers free streaming online radio, eclectic music podcasts and excellent commentary. they've featured my music previously and poetically reviewed my Miracle Girl CD. Martin at NBT recently told me about the capture and detainment, in Libya, of four freelance journalists: South African freelance photographer Anton Hammerl; American Clare Morgana Gillis, a freelancer who writes for The Atlantic and USA Today; also American James Foley of GlobalPost; and Spanish photographer Manuel Varela de Seijas Brabo. the four were abducted in early April. it is confirmed they are still detained in Libya, with no release date announced. Anton Hammerl has not been allowed to contact his family in Surrey, England. the other three journalists were allowed to make one phone call home last weekend.

so Next Big Thing has just posted the 'Free the Journalists Podcast': it is free to listen to, has a highly important intention and features passionate songs, including my work-in-progress cover of "Bad Moon Rising". please tune in and enjoy on your computer. and most importantly, please, sign the PETITION to release talented freelance photographer Anton Hammerl and the three other journalists! journalists are the greatest protection and information we have against the worldwide abuse of power. please take note and if possible, get involved.

on another note, a cute little win: my song "Miracle Girl" recently landed in the Top 10 Folk/Rock Songs on the independent music website Broadjam.com - not a Grammy, but Top 10 is nice. :-)

and i'm wishing you love and creativity and continued success every day!

Peace & Harmony,

beth
my Birthday this Year... Posted: Apr 3, 2011
I just celebrated another Birthday and I'm so grateful for it.
For many people, Birthdays and Holidays can be a very sad time that brings forward thoughts of what's not yet accomplished, places not yet seen, words still not spoken...
And although there are many things I've yet to accomplish, to see, to say and to sing, I am acutely aware and feel now more than ever how precious this life is.
With devastatingly sad and frightening Natural Disasters in Japan - and strife and unrest all over the globe - i am more and more centered in my appreciation of my place in this World. within me is a deep desire to strike out physically, travel and help the Global Community... but honestly, a bigger part of me fears taking such huge steps, and so i pray, love, create, write songs and practice Peace in my own, very small corner of the Earth.
With all the 'things' i did and did not have this year on my Birthday, i can truly say i cherished every moment and did not want for more - or less.
When my dad was alive, he always prayed before any meal we shared together. and one thing he'd praise that always rang sweetly for me is "the Love in our Hearts". what a beautiful thing to say. and feel.
How lucky i feel. Praise be.
Blessings...
E
T
H
my dad is happy for me... Posted: Feb 7, 2011
i was recording in Trezzo sull'Adda, Italy last week. laying down some bass and drums on a bunch of my songs, with bass-player (really, everything-player) Damiano Della Torre, and drummer/percussionist Pablo Leoni.

after lots of fun progress, we left Pablo's studio and had Italian-Chinese food for dinner.

we went late to Pablo's home where his lovely wife Chiara had fresh beds ready for us all. i had the bottom bed in a set of bunk beds. 12-year-old Pietro had the top bunk and was already sleeping.

i slept deeply and in the morning i dreamed... i dreamed i was on a small motorboat skimming over an electric blue lake in the bright-bright sun with Pablo and Chiara, and with Nipun, the lovely young man who has booked me for three gigs this winter in Pontresina, Switzerland.

we were cruising along, smiling at each other, all of us looking around silently at mountains and blue sky and splashy water. there was a table with lots of food on it, mainly colorful fruit.

a old fashioned phone rang. Nipun answered. seems it was his boat. he smiled and nodded his head into the phone. "She's right here", he said, looking at me. he handed the phone to me saying, "it's your father."

i was so pleased. Dad passed away more than 12 years ago, but it was perfectly normal and very welcome in this dream to receive a call from him. i put the phone to my ear. as if in a movie, my dream went 'split-screen'. i was on the left. i took the phone, "Hi Dad!" i beamed. the sun shone on my face.

there was Dad on the right of the dream screen. He was leaning back in a chair. He wore a white polo shirt, his ample belly in view. His round face, chocolate brown eyes, and neat, thick white beard smiled into the phone. then his warm voice, "Where are you?" he chuckled.

"I'm on a boat in Italy with Nipun and some friends!" i said. "It's beautiful here, we're having an amazing time!"

He smiled some more, his white teeth shining. "Good, good. We're just wondering when you're coming home?" he asked, amused.

I said, "Soon i'm sure. Maybe in about an hour.." My body was warm. i smiled at my friends who were all smiling back at me. the water whizzed by us.

"Perfect", Dad said, "have fun honey, and we'll see you soon, then!" His eyes blinked and twinkled - his smile flashed.

The dream screen vanished. 12-year-old Pietro opened the blinds in his room. The hazy, early morning sun streamed onto my face.

Thank you for the visit, Dad. i Love you.
Top Ten Things I Am Grateful For in 2010... Posted: Jan 12, 2011
Top Ten Things I Am Grateful For in 2010!

10. My legs. i was able to walk through mountains in Switzerland, wade through warm sea waters in Italy, jump rocks across a river in Scotland, get lost walking in triangles in Amsterdam, and walk off an airplane into Boston Airport, out the doors, and into the car of my sister, providing me with a wonderful visit with my family in Massachusetts.

9. Music: "If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music. I get most joy in life out of music." ~Albert Einstein

8. My eyesight: i saw "trees of green, red roses too...", mountains, rivers, waterfalls, sparkling seas, smiling faces i Love, funny faces, strange faces i don't know but can learn something from... sad hard situations, rolling fields, artwork, sunsets, my lover's eyes, the back of his neck... the funny antics of my kitties and their sweet furry bodies...

7. My mother. i am so grateful that she was not injured worse in her fall when she visited us in Switzerland. i'm glad for the intimate time we had together during her healing. So appreciative that now i can call her every weekend and have great conversation. she is there, and she's better than ever.

6. Clean, hot and cold running water. Millions of people do not have clean water to drink or bathe in. they must walk 100 or more kilometers just to carry it back to their villages for their families. on a different note, a good friend of mine was without hot water in his drafty apartment in the Autumn for 13 weeks. i drink and bathe in clean, delicious water from the mountains, every day, right from my cozy home.

5. My friends. i moved so far away from my hometowns in the USA. i am so pleased and touched and inspired and grateful for the friendship and Love i continue to feel and see displayed by my true friends. and i appreciate the openness and support of my new friends that i have earned in Europe.

4. The ability to eat and drink: ripe juicy tomatoes, red wine, champagne, coffee, bubbly water, hot chocolate, cheese, mangoes, bananas, kiwis, yogurt, eggs, pasta, pesto, spinach, carrots, pizza, oatmeal cookies, Nutella, prunes, cake.

3. Love: in 2010 i laughed with loved ones, i cried for a loved one for days, i hugged and held on tight to warm, loving people... i held hands with my Love and felt more filled up than ever before. my friends and family sent me gifts for my Birthday, gifts for Christmas. my cup runneth over.

2. My hands and fingers: i am able to type this now. i've been able to operate my camera, take pictures, answer emails, click and add photos, prepare food, bake, wash myself, comb my hair, tie my shoes, put my clothes on, massage shoulders, pet and feel my soft kitties' fur, PLAY MY GUITAR!

1. My boyfriend: thanks to Pascal, i have a partner, support, humor, companionship, adoration... and i have time to write more songs, enjoy nature, enjoy my solitude, thrive in a lovely little apartment by the river in the mountains, and enjoy beautiful times and trips with him. and through it all i feel so Loved and inspired to Love and Care in return.

with and wishing Gratitude for All,
beth
Spoiling Myself, Unintentionally... Posted: Dec 31, 2010
Spoiling Myself, Unintentionally...

I walked to the market yesterday in the winter mountain, afternoon sun for some chocolate fondue fixins and a bottle of wine. (see my FB page for a look at our fondue dinner)

i decided to purchase a bottle of champagne - for i've always enjoyed mimosas on New Year's Day. they remind me of my family: fresh squeezed orange juice with bubbly champagne. refreshing and fun = yum.

well, i tend to be economically practical, tho' i've learned about creating abundance and wealth in my life and i am living from that precept. but still, i picked a nice looking champagne from France, "Colligny: Pere & Fils, Reserve", that really pleased me with a 5.95 price ticket below the bottle. wow, you can't beat that!

apparently you can't. i was distracted by my fondue partner in line behind me. i paid the total to the cashier (it seemed high, but i didn't double check). i got home and looked at my receipt: TWENTY-5.95 for that champagne! not 5.95.

i would not spoil myself with a bottle of champagne at that price, normally. i'm not poor, but i'm thrifty. i asked Pascal who is a liquor expert. he said yes, the bottle is priced fairly at 25.95. "Good choice honey!" he said, "You need to drink that - enjoy it!"

i went back to the same market today for eggs, cheese and bread (very Swiss) since the markets will be closed the next couple days... i looked again at that champagne and the price ticket. today, a sign stating 'you must be 18 or older to buy liquor' had been moved over, uncovering a '2' and revealing the "Colligny: Pere & Fils, Reserve" champagne's price to be 25.95.

in the US i would have returned the champagne, or exchanged it, explaining my folly while pointing out the store's. but in Switzerland "we" don't do that. we suck it up, and drink it down. :) turns out i chose well and spoiled myself, unintentionally.

i won't be mixing orange juice with it, either.

Happy New Year everybody! be extra good to yourselves, and the kindest ever to others. :-)
stuck in the middle with me... Posted: Dec 4, 2010
so i just read my horoscope - i'm an Aries - and it reminded me that if i'm stuck, just let myself be stuck and don't push. things will unstick. and i know that to be true... and lately i am stuck in a couple spots like: feeling sedentary and isolated by the cold and the mountains, and missing my warm santa monica california breeze and salty air. and i'm a bit stuck in the middle of writing some new songs...
but, i'm just going to keep on swimming through the swirls of my days and coming up for air as often as i need. and in doing so, i find i'm accomplishing little things that add up and mean a lot, collectively. and every day is new. thank goodness, i get a fresh start at creating myself, each new morning. and each new afternoon, or evening, for that matter. :)
i wish you good energy with making some healthy choices for yourself, every day.
love, music, miracles...
beth
No longer am I talking to myself! Posted: Nov 18, 2010
We just adopted two kitties, two weeks ago. both females: Paloma is 4 months old and such a cute character. Mia is two and a half years old, pretty and wise and plays hard to get. i love cats so much that sometimes it actually pains me. or rather, it fills me up inside with warm fuzzies. like, i'm gonna cough up a cute, little hairball that i'll actually delight in cleaning up! and these warm fuzzies make me feel like all in the world is perfect. which, in one divine-right-time way, it is. though in so many ways i know too well that too much is very wrong with the world. but - full of joy is how curious, precise, innovative (in a purely domestic way), soft, furry, warm, clever, pretty kitties make me feel. and it's good to know that no longer am i (technically) talking to myself when i'm home, alone, all day. and that's kind of a good feeling. :-) meow.
i love recording, new songs, cooler days... Posted: Oct 21, 2010
"damn angel damn you. i could have loved you, can you hear me sing?"
new lyrics, from my song 'damn angel'

"do you really think we can just disappear? baby don't go sayin' things 'cause they sound good to hear"
new lyrics, from my song 'killer on the run'

hey folks,
i'm recording a new record these days. working with musician/producer Damiano Della Torre, in Como, Italy.

i've got new songs, a new chill in my bones, yet a deeper compassion in my heart and soul.

i love recording, new songs, cooler days... and i love people. how could i write songs, without people?

be good humans, love, laugh, create,
beth...x
heading west... Posted: Aug 7, 2010
hey all...
i have a new place with my honey, i'm working on a painful new song, and i'm riding my new bike over hills, through woods, and over streams...
and i'm really excited about traveling back to the states next week. going to see family, beaches, dear friends, my sisters' cafe, attend the 'old home days' in the park... eat some home made ice cream at the excellent home made ice creams stands in new england, paint my toenails on my mama's country porch... surely will have some lobsta at markie's at the beach, sink my feet into the sand at the atlantic, find some sea glass...
and i'll play an all acoustic, intimate gig at Rhythm Cafe, August 21.
then when i fly back to europe, i'm bringing my mom with me for a visit here! love that!
life is sweet.
love and miracles,
beth
very excited... & AmericanaOK Radio! Posted: Apr 17, 2010
hey all,

i just finished my two-week marathon, nightly, smoky-bar, high-energy gig at Stueblibar in St. Moritz! lots of fun, LOTS of sing-along, some challenges - like drunk person insisting he can sing, leering over my shoulder 'trying' to harmonize along - but resulting in whiny puppy sounding background vocals! but all's well that ends well and i think everyone, including me, was very happy. :-)

now i have two weeks to prepare my sets, my self, my suitcase -- and hit the road for Wales, Scotland and Holland on my May 2010 "Miracle Girl" tour. i am thrilled and already SO grateful to the many people, venues, and new friends i've made while booking this tour. it looks like i'll be playing with, and staying with, some very fine people!

my BIG thanks and howdy to Tom Fahey at Scotland's AmericanaOK! Mr. Fahey's music labor of love,Now That's AmericanaOK Radio, in partnership with CMR Nashville has added my "Miracle Girl" CD to his April playlist, along with so many marvelous artists! Tom plays some FINE Americana music available 24/7 worldwide, and he tells me "Miracle Girl" is being well received. big smile! :D

okay, i gotta get to bed before midnight tonight. bright and early tomorrow i'm helping some darling friends move from their apartment down four sets of old, wooden stairs. happily their lovely, new apartment is on the first floor. ;-)

Music & Miracles,
beth
xo
UK's 'Net Rhythms' Digs Posted: Apr 5, 2010
UK's 'Net Rhythms' Digs "Miracle Girl"!

by Mike Davies, Net Rhythms UK, March 2010:

"Being confronted with a blurb that describes her as "the conscious person's Renaissance Singer/Songwriter. A strong & sensitive Artist tuned into living peacefully in today's uncertain world", immediately prompts me to expect some sort of New Age dippiness. However, the CD having arrived with payola in the form of a Swiss bar of chocolate-enrobed Ovaltine biscuit, I'm predisposed to give it a chance.

Thankfully, the soft shuffling opening title track quickly dispels such fears, revealing the Boston born, Switzerland based Wimmer to be more in tune with the Americana of Lucinda Williams with a warm, relaxed, slightly twang-smeared huskiness that's drawn comparisons to Chrissie Hynde.

It's a winning introduction and she proceeds to cement our new relationship over the course of the following nine cuts, from the equally easy rolling Ten-Four through a ska-country bouncing Lover From Last Summer, a bluegrass streaked Dreams Bring Me Down and the fragile folk balladeering My Name Is Love to closing bar room guitar slinging Nashville rocker Self-Righteous Son Of A Bitch where she shows she has the sass to match the sweet.

Topped off with a dreamy, piano waltzing cover of Neil Young's Only Love Can Break Your Heart, it deserves to win her wider attention and build on the positive reviews for her Live Within Live Without 2003 debut. Released in Europe at the end of last year, two tracks found their way on to the end of year Top Ten of Glasgow based Radio Six International. I'd be surprised if at least one didn't figure on the Radio 2 list in nine months time. Even without chocolate bars."

~"Miracle Girl" by Mike Davies, 'Net Rhythms' UK
European Radio playing "Miracle Girl"! Posted: Jan 28, 2010
I spent a little time last night looking at which Radio Stations and Programs in Europe have been playing songs from my new release "Miracle Girl"... and wow, what a list - i am blown away and so pleased.

Great big thanks to these very creative and appreciative DJs in Europe! i have been in touch with most of these folks, and they are real people... music lovers, hard workers, and kind, passionate souls...

SCOTLAND:
Tony Currie's - Radio Six, Glasgow (TWO Beth-songs finished in the TOP TEN RECORDS OF 2009!)

NETHERLANDS:
Gerrit Vermeij's - Muziekvenster
Marthijn de Wit's - Tuesday Night Americana Music Club
Peter van Zeijl's - Folk En Zo
Bert van der Wijst's - Peelstar Country Club
Peter Kranendonk's - Blue Heaven Radio
Johanna J. Bodde's - Radiogirl
Bart van der Pol's - Acoustic Rain
Ries Verwijmeren & Johan Braat's - Country Express
Rein Wortelboer's - PeelGrass
Michael van Bruggen & Robburt Lieberwerth's - Landslide
Gerrit Caspers' - GoodNoise
Paul van Gelder's - Americana Radio

GERMANY:
Gerd Stassen's - Hillbilly Rockhouse
Friedrich Hog's - Free FM
Martin Smit's - Next Big Thing (BEST OF 2009 Podcast!)
Rolf Hierath's - Hillbilly Jukebox

FRANCE:
Mike Penard's - Radio ISA
Christian Maraillac's - Blues News
Jacque DuFour's - Rockin'Boy Saloon

DENMARK:
Herbert Fischer's - Bonanza Radio
Benny Sorenson's - Skagenexpressen, Tiger FM
Herbert Fischer's - Over There

PORTUGAL:
Frederico Fonseca's - Diana FM

BELGIUM:
Hans Hanegraaf's - American Music
Raymond Swennen - Radio FM Goud

ITALY:
Massimo Ferro's - Highway 61 Radio
Roberto Rossi's - Mystery Train

MACEDONIA:
Vasja Ivanovski's - Mojo Alt

SWEDEN:
K103's - Pa Veranden's Playlist

with so much appreciation and anticipation and inspiration, i say thank you...
Music & Miracles,
beth

You can order Beth Wimmer's "MIRACLE GIRL" here.
my 2009 experience ~ 2010 plans... Posted: Dec 20, 2009
Thanks to the wonderful Next Big Thing podcast and blog, by Martin Smit, NextBigThing-Podcast & NBT-Blog, and to a few other terrific, online outlets for indie-musicians, my '2009: Year of Adaptation' has flowed with a bit more ease. The 'adaptation' has been my adjustment to the most monumental change in my life to date: from a busy, energetic life working three part-time jobs to make ends meet and support my music career in warm, sunny Southern California, USA to' living in the crisp, snow-kissed Alps of Europe, working solely as a musician, singing late into the smoky nights, sleeping away the mornings' and learning another language - German!

And if that weren't enough of a huge change, well, my relationship status went from single (however creatively inspired by the elusive LOVE) to involved; in a deep, growing and soul-satisfying love relationship with a wonderful man. The only challenge that this has presented is that in my present, contented and peaceful state of heart and mind, I am not writing as many songs' seems the fire and feelings of love in turmoil had presented more muse for my songwriting.

But I'm working on this. ;-) I'm letting the beauty and humor of this new, fulfilling love, along with the more-crucial-than-ever news of the world provide inspiration and depth for my new songs. This past year I've enjoyed lots of positive play and attention for my Miracle Girl CD, and so in 2010 watch for a new Beth Wimmer CD! i plan to record in summer with a charismatic and highly talented group of musicians from Italy that I had the delight and privilege of playing with in 2009!

Thanks for reading' I wish you all Love, Creativity, Balance and Sweet Music in your hearts,
beth
Nice review for MIRACLE GIRL by Belgium's Rootstime.be Posted: Oct 20, 2009
Hey all... here is a recent "very positive" review, i am told, of my album 'Miracle Girl'. published by www.Rootstime.be (BELGIUM - targeting the rootsmusic-lovers in Belgium & the Netherlands). written by Valere Sampermans.

if any of you out there speak Dutch and would like to translate to English for me, let me know... ;-)

October 2009 ~ by Valere Sampermans for Rootstime - "Miracle Girl" by Beth Wimmer

Beth Wimmer is een zangeres die haar roots heeft in het Amerikaanse New England maar nadien sinds meerdere jaren in Los Angeles woonde van waaruit ze gestaag aan haar muzikale carriere werkte. Ze is langzaamaan populair geworden in Europese landen als Zwitserland - waar ze momenteel ook woont - en in Italie en Duitsland waar ze steevast enkele dagen doorbrengt tijdens haar Europese tournees. Volgende keer zou ze zeker Belgie en Nederland aan haar reisschema moeten toevoegen want deze muziek kent ook in onze contreien een trouwe aanhang.

Haar singer-songwritercapaciteiten etaleert ze uitgebreid in de tien tracks die werden weerhouden voor haar nieuwe album 'Miracle Girl' dat ze samen met David Raven heeft geproduceerd. Als producer werkte Raven in het recente verleden ook al samen met o.a. Norah Jones en Nancy Sinatra.

De liedjes over hoop, humor, liefde en menselijke warmte vormen een coherent samenhangend geheel en werden op melodieuze muziek gezet waarbij de invloeden uit het country- en folkgenre duidelijk herkenbaar aanwezig zijn.

Qua stemgeluid doet Beth Wimmer soms denken aan Lucinda Williams en in de song 'Ten-Four' roept ze bij ons zelfs even het beeld op van Chrissie Hynde van 'The Pretenders'. Het uptempo countryrocknummer 'Lover From Last Summer' gaat er bij ons in als zoete broodjes maar dat geldt evenzo voor de meer klassieke tearjerkers als Miracle Girl, I Couldn't Do It, O My Brother, of Only Love Can Break Your Heart, een song van Neil Young en de enige cover op deze mooie cd.

Dat Beth Wimmer ook over een behoorlijk grote portie soul beschikt valt dan weer te beluisteren in 'Dreams Bring Me Down' en 'Self-righteous Son Of A Bitch', een onvervalste rock'n'roller die als afsluiter van dit album wordt geserveerd. Die swingende stijl was overigens nog veel sterker aanwezig op haar vorige plaat 'Live Within Live Without' uit 2003.

Beth Wimmer blijkt dus een dame te zijn die van meerdere markten thuis is en daarmee kom je dezer dagen heel ver op de podia in het Europese muzikale landschap.

~Valere Sampermans

*** "Beth Wimmer is a lady with soul in her voice and love in her heart on the album ...Miracle Girl', reminiscent of Lucinda Williams or Chrissie Hynde. She demonstrates that she can deal with different music styles which will bring her on several stages in Europe and in home country America"
- www.rootstime.be
Miracle Girl Songs on The Next Big Thing Show! Posted: Sep 10, 2009
hello again my dears...

i know you just heard from me, but more has happened that i wanted to share!

i'm happy to announce that Music from my Miracle Girl CD and my commentary on my music and songwriting are featured on the "Next Big Thing" International Music Podcast, by Martin Smit in Germany, as of yesterday!

i'm so delighted and honored to be included in the 09/09/09 Edition of the "Next Big Thing" Podcast! Martin puts together an inspiring collection of artists, along with their intimate comments on their music - what a service! :) i highly recommend streaming the podcast while you're at your computer or in your office -- all the music from this month's episode is really wonderful!! i hope you will listen - i am thrilled with it.

from Martin Smit, of "Next Big Thing", Germany: Greetings all, the new NBT podcast 9th Sept 09 is up featuring great music from Melody Klyman, HuDost, Doug Folkins, Beth Wimmer, and more... Click on
http://nextbigthing.libsyn.org/ or http://nextbigthing.libsyn.com

THEN... Easy Instructions... Right click on the "Pod" icon next to the title "Mad Butterflies and Gentle Trespassers" to "Save Link as... MP3" OR simply click on the "play" arrow on the little grey & white radio console display, just to the right of the title, to listen right away.

Martin of "Next Big Thing" has also written a review of Miracle Girl and here is the link to enjoy his review... Miracle Girl, Beth Wimmer-CD Review

i find Martin's writing both poetic and provoking. he made me more intrigued with my own songs - ha! :-) i thank NBT hills and heaps for their kindly attention to my music...

with so much gratitude...
Peace & Harmony,
beth

**New!: Publicity, Europe - Peter Holmstedt, www.Hemifran.com

**TO ORDER MY CDs... CD Baby~Beth Wimmer
Luscious Gig - Sept. 4th in Verceia, Italy! Posted: Sep 9, 2009
just back this week from a bellissimo time in Italy last weekend... my first gig with full band here in Europe was a concert, Friday night, in a small sweet village called Verceia. Verceia is about an hour's drive south of the Swiss border, nestled at the foot of the Italian alps. my new band-mates, Massimo Gini on guitar and bass, Damiano della Torre on guitar and bass (they take turns), and Pablo Leoni on drums, and i were set up on a custom built wooden stage at lake's edge, under the night sky, bright full moon. train tracks on one side of us, and lake and late-evening, summer-sun-soaked mountains on the other. it was a magical evening!

about 300 people in the village came out and listened, swayed, danced along. i was in heaven. played 10 of my songs and 7 or so sweet cover tunes... it was SO great to play with a band again! and i LOVE playing with Italian musicians! haha - food is SO important to them. it's essential to have a good meal together before every show. ;) and wine flowing...

met a bunch of the people after the show, all excitedly speaking italian at me. needed a translator. :) it was awesome. i had such a great time with these lovely musicians that i spontaneously stayed another 24 hours! the next day, enjoyed a robust meal complete with guitars being strummed and songs sung at the lunch table... home-made mushroom polenta from Massimo's aunt Lidia... then an afternoon garden jam session between the apple and pear trees. and in the evening i attended their next concert.

saturday night my guys backed the gentle giant, wonderful Italian singer~guitar player Silver Pozzoli. a long-white-haired, kind-faced, big-voiced singer, well known in italy from so much great music he'd made in the 80s... they put on a tight and energetic show, though the wind nearly blew them all off the open-air stage on the football field! i took pictures and helped a bit - as much as Italian gentlemen musicians would let me help. it was a special experience.

another gig to come, with the band, on September 18th in Gordona, Italy - then another to follow on October 1st - i don't know where exactly. ;) but i'm grateful.

this friday, September 11th, i am playing a solo, 3 hour evening at a hotel in Grindelwald, Switzerland. i've never been to this region, so it will be a new experience... a good gig and they feed me a nice dinner and breakfast the next morning. chocolate croissant, bitte und danke schoen... :)

and friday night i shall play my version of Bruce Springsteen's "Empty Sky" - a strong and sadly honest song of loss inflicted by the attacks on the US on September 11, 2001. eight years ago...

Love and harmony...
~beth

**New!: Publicity, Europe - Peter Holmstedt, Hemifran www.Hemifran.com

TO ORDER MY CDs...Beth Wimmer - CD Baby
star songs... Posted: Jul 24, 2009
i learned recently that every star has its own sound, its own personal song. the star sings it clearest, strongest song when it's at its brightest... then the star sings a lower tone when it is waning. one day when the sun is finished, it will be a white dwarf. but even a white dwarf has a song.
My CD 'Miracle Girl' Gets NICE Review from Musical Discoveries... Posted: Jul 15, 2009
MusicalDiscoveries.com has reviewed in the past year both my latest CD, "Miracle Girl", and my "Live Within Live Without" CD, and they've said some real nice things.
i want to thank them for their in depth look at all the songs, and for their time!

on their site, they've published both reviews and posted my photos - though they were encouraging me to let them post the nude, self-portrait from the inside cover of "Miracle Girl", reminding me that i would sell more CDs that way. i say let the music stand for itself, the naked is on the inside because that's where i like the naked to be. :) haha.

thanks to Audrey Elliot, and to Russel Elliot of MusicalDiscoveries.com!

and thank you everybody for reading...

so here are both CD reviews, Miracle Girl first...and since i don't think i ever posted the Live Within...CD review, it's below for good measure.

love loves soul,
xo ~ beth

FOR THE FULL Review of 'Miracle Girl', use this link:
http://www.musicaldiscoveries.com/digest/digest.php?a=viewr&id=858

SNIPPET of 'Miracle Girl' CD review by www.MusicalDiscoveries.com...
(25 May 2009) Miracle Girl picks up where Live Within Live Without left off. Again, Beth treats listeners to her unique blend of Americana and folk with a touch of rock - and a lovely cover of Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart."

Her songs are infused with lush vocals and guitar laiden accompaniment. Her luxuriant voice mesmerizes the listener, wanting more and more. She tugs at the heart strings with her songs of humanness, hope...This tapestry of human emotions is beautifully woven and quite captivating.


FOR THE FULL Review (if you can believe...there IS more:) of 'Live Within Live Without', use this link:
http://www.musicaldiscoveries.com/digest/digest.php?a=viewr&id=833

SNIPPET of 'Live Within Live Without' CD review by www.MusicalDiscoveries.com...
(15 November 2008)...she opens this emotive album with "Situations." Beth's alluring vocals are down-to-earth and filled with wonderful fervor. The marvelous violin by Mark Indictor complements the flowing melody, in addition to the hammond B3, lending a sumptuous feel to this track. "Move On" has a rockier edge in this song about self-realization. Beth shows her expertise in telling her story with a sensivity and humanness. The title track, "Live Within Live Without," has a great psychedelic feel with its folk/rock roots.

"With Our Eyes Closed" has a catchy percussive melody that has great hooks. There is a warmth that envelops her vocals shown throughout this entire set of songs. She can handle many genres, and has a special affinity to her gorgeous country-infused folk as in "Hey Babe." There is an honest simplicity that she delivers with confidence. She continues in a similar vein in "Lose My Way," permeating this track with slide guitar and her beautiful vocals.

"Saturated" heightens the senses. Beth's soulful tones and folk/rock sound are explosive here. She continues to show great sensitivity in "Calling All Hearts" and "Hard." The latter song has marvelous mandolin, mandola and violin accompaniment that pervades this piece. Combined with her clarity of tone, this song is a true winner. You can definitely "feel your sensations run high from within."

Her soulful rendition of "The Wheel" carries a straight-to-the-point feel. Country sounding "Holdin' Out" speaks of hopes and dreams of a love relationship. Beth exposes a vulnerability and intimacy of feelings that tugs at the heart. She concludes with the flowing "Every Time." This song of human setbacks and hope is spirited and beautifully presented.

Beth Wimmer certainly deserves top kudos for this lush and savvy album. Live Within Live Without has a free spirited feel, exploring love lost and love found. She has definitely found a connection with her gorgeous vocals and sweeping melodies. She exudes a richness as a vocalist, songwriter and guitarist that leaves the listener wanting more and more. She has a new release entitled Miracle Girl that has also been well received. Her music comes from the heart and heightens the senses. --Audrey Elliot in New York for MusicalDiscoveries.com

TO ORDER MY CDs...please click here:
http://www.CDbaby.com/cd/Beth4

thank you! ~beth
Hotel California - in Switzerland! Posted: Jun 30, 2009
since i was a teenager i have loved the song Hotel California. it's just a cool song, no matter how you slice it...

last thursday night at my gig in Stueblibar (St. Moritz, Switzerland) was THE night, if any, that i should have had an entertainer's video head-cam mounted and running!

it seemed my audience was provided by Central Casting of Hollywood. i had the crowd's immediate attention at first strum, even through the din. their personal conversation and their antics during my playing were quiet and polite - and after every song i played, the folks of all ages were smiling, applauding enthusiastically and nodding, awaiting the next song. they didn't even smoke too much!

i write this because i have learned that the bar-gig scene here can be unforgiving. it's mostly fun, yes, it's good experience, yes -- but there are nights where i can go all night and feel like i've just played my heart out to a room full of zombies...

but thursday night - a model audience. then in walk the F.C. Basel (Swiss, of course) Football team. Tall and handsome, rugged... and, even drunk, also polite! they added a secure and appropriate dose of testosterone to the scene.

the evening was a pleasant twilight zone... how lucky can a female bar musician get?

i was delighted that i actually knew and could play (to the best of my ability) nearly every song requested by the appreciative and well-behaved audience. as the night went on, the bar guests became louder and sloshier, but still, so damn nice! the head Football hunk tossed a 50- franc-bill into my tip jar!

next request, from table 2: Hotel California by the Eagles. sure, no problem. the room further transformed as i sang the first line, "on a dark desert highway..."

the crowd ROARED with delight!! women screamed their approval in my direction, then their gratitude into each other's faces - one dropped to her knees as if a long-awaited medicine was just delivered to her dying village! the men hugged and held on to each other, single fists in the air like they'd just won the war! individual patrons threw their hands up to the Gods as if some deeply personal prayer had been at long last answered. and even the heavy-metal-loner dude, with spikes on the shoulders of his jean-jacket, pulled the ponytail out of his long hiar and banged devotedly away to the beat!

i did not have to sing the song. they sang it for themselves, and to the heavens!

alcohol inspired? yes, probably... but no matter how you slice it, Hotel California is just a cool song.

:)
great gigs in Herisau, Switzerland! Posted: May 26, 2009
i reveled in my experience of playing music last weekend in a small Swiss town in spring...

saturday afternoon, sauntering through a sunny valley village, riderless horses pass by.

white and violet lilacs present their sweet treasure at every garden corner, and wildly offer themselves along the railway. i cross the tracks, fresh pulled lilacs, and step across a shadowy cobblestone alley. come into a sun soaked backyard and the inviting aroma of baked potato for saturday's supper.

sun goes down late in the evening sky, floats like a farm-fresh, orange egg-yolk over the train station.

and at the top of the lazy hill i tune up my guitar in the square and cozy Chaplin's Pub. no stage for me, and my backdrop is the giant-framed, handsome face of James Dean, under which he reminds us: "Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today."

the night sky darkening, i begin to strum and sing for the flashing eyes and lively smiles on the faces of the carefree folks, satiated with saturday, in Herisau.
temporary relapse - painbody songs... Posted: April 18, 2009
a couple months ago i posted a blog called "old songs new memories" (something like that)... i was remarking how an old song that used to mean a certain time, place, smell, person to me, was now bringing in new feelings and beautiful new memories. cool.

but then i just experienced the power of the memory again -- this time in the strength of the painbody memories...

i was listening to my Itunes, on shuffle, and Anne McCue's song "Hellfire Raiser" came on... and it got me in the gut. i absolutley love that song, but...

i suddenly found myself longing for pain... longing for living in santa monica again, driving around the town with all the windows down, music loud - singing "Hellfire Raiser" at the top of my voice... and wondering, wishing and worrying at the bottom of my heart. i actually missed the wishing and worrying! my, how dramatic, tragic and interesting it was when my day to day was the mind-chatter, thinking, "will the married man call tonight" or "will my out of town lover come this weekend, or should i call my boy-toy in the valley...?"

who will be with me? with whom should i be? what am i doing?

i would just go home, make a salad for myself, then work on some songwriting... but my mind would just keep working, trying to figure it all out. what's best for me vs. what do i want right now.

i became aware, as "Hellfire Raiser" played on, how much has changed, but how parts of me have stayed the same... i became worried about myself that i was longing for pain again... then i thought that perhaps this was normal. :) don't worry, just...let it come and let it go...

next song that came through the speakers was "Here Comes the Sun" (perhaps needless to say, by the Beatles.) and you know... i listened, i listened...and i couldn't hear or feel anything old. only the moment. all felt right again. i looked for my friend, Pain, but he was gone. i breathed deeply and reached high with my hands for the sun.

appreciative of this day... grateful for the experiences, accepting of the painbodies. most grateful for the path i am on...

"but tomorrow may rain so, i'll follow the sun..." (lennon/mccartney)
things i've won... Posted: Mar 29, 2009
pascal and i were talking about things we've won... i thought i was not the lucky type, but i realize how lucky i am, really. all my life...

age 8: a giant jar of jellybeans when i guessed the right amount inside! i ate them all.

age 10: a giant, aqua-colored stuffed lion at knotts berry farm. i tossed a wooden ring onto a stretched bottle-neck. and i was in bandages at the time, after my car accident. i brought that lion on the airplane with me, back home to massachusetts from california. a proud moment.

also age 10: a free pizza at "jimmy's famous pizza and miniature golf" in north andover, mass. get a hole in one on the last hole, and you get a free pizza! i did.

10 years old was a lucky, and unlucky, year for me.

age 12: a contest at school where you hang from a bar, elbows bent, hands facing forward, gripping the bar, chin above the bar. i hung there longer than any other student in the school. i won stiff hands, achey shoulders, and a lot of respect from the boys and girls for that one.

age 17: i won a ricoh photography contest that i entered via my high school - won a 35mm ricoh camera -- for my high school. they were nice enough to let me use it my senior year.

age 18: i won the annual poetry reading contest in my high school - i read a poem about cancer, written by my mom's friend, kate drury. i won a book of poetry by john greenleaf whittier.

age 25: a braided-garlic decoration from a kitchen store that had newly opened in burbank. oh joy, oh rapture! nearly forgot about that victorious moment.

age 27: second place in a talent show, in pasadena, california. i sang bonnie raitt's 'love letter' and came in second over an all too large array of dancers, singers, comics, breakdancers... i was the only white girl in the house. i won a gift certificate for a restaurant.

age 32: a $25 gift certificate from trader joe's, for trader joe's. i ran through the store yelling "i won, i won!" - boobs bouncing, like a crazy lady on the price is right! running and yelling in the store was more exhilirating than actually winning the 25 bucks.

three years ago: lucinda williams tickets, in a radio call-in contest. i took dierdre with me cause we can't get enough of lucinda. a joyous occasion!

two years ago: first place on american idol underground (an online song contest) for my song 'self righteous son of a bitch'. i merely won fame and fortune for that. nothing else.

pascal looked at me and told me he won a pair of sweet, gold earrings for the girl he had a crush on when he was 10, at a school carnival.

then he told me his biggest win ever, was when he won my love.

oh my heart! he is beautifully poetic, deeply soul-centered.

ich bin eine glückliche frau!

what have you won?

Love, and good luck,
beth
old songs, new meanings... Posted: Feb 25, 2009
Our sense of smell is one of our most sensitive and reliable senses for bringing back strong memories... remember dad's aftershave, your grandmother's tomato sauce, or maybe the smell of cigarette smoke mixed with your mom's perfume...

but i think the next, strongest memory-making sense is our sense of music. a song that you haven't heard in an incredibly long time can bring you right back to where you were when something important happened - right back to where you were standing, what was around you, who you were looking at - and the moments unfolding during that song left vivid, beautiful imprints, or sometimes scars, on your heart or in your mind that are relived when 'that song' comes on the radio...

and that's really fascinating and wonderful. even though those song-memories can tear you apart, stop you in your tracks and make you cry all over again... there's a purpose for everything.

but yesterday i felt something new, which is always a treat. these days and nights for me are so fresh, so bright and unusual, that an old song now brings something completely new. i've made such big changes in my life, my location, my heart, my thinking... that yesterday when Rolling Stones "Moonlight Mile" surprised me, crooning sublimely through my stereo while i baked a pumpkin pie, my heart swelled up into my throat, and new tears spilled forth. and it wasn't the old sadness, the old melancholy scene. the song was simply bringing me back to last week, and "Moonlight Mile" became the new soundtrack to our silent, moonlit, frozen-serene, gloved-in-mittened-hand walk through the snow, in the middle of the night.

my cup runneth over with brand new memories, new imprints of joy, and fullness of heart. and i am so grateful for fresh, new memories to complete and complement the story of the old scenes, that still live on in my mind.
important memories... Posted: Jan 22, 2009
i was just in the shower and i think i was thinking about nothing when suddenly, sweetly, the very first moment that i heard pascal say his name to me poured back into my mind. when he introduced himself...looking clearly into me, the way his name sang from his lips, the smile in his cheeks, the candlelight flickering in his deep brown eyes, and the timbre of his voice rising just above the din of the room, the smoke in my nose...all the senses of that moment became so clear to me again. and i decided, 30 minutes ago, to never ever forget it. i will experience it again and again.

then i asked my brain, with some help from my soul or something, to remember other moments like that...really important ones. when i first met someone extraordinary, or first heard some sweet important word from a person now so dear to my heart and life.

my mother. now: i think in my dna or somewhere in my body are many many stored memories. and if i were to have an early-life regression i could remember more. but tonight what i let myself remember, then lingered in, and then promised myself i will never forget was this:

her laughing voice calling, "Come on - Come on! Come!" sing-songy above the chaotic splashing and laughing of other children, and with such unbridled excitement that i summoned my courage and desire to dog-paddle through the choppy, deep-dark lake water to her! i was 3 years old, being taught how to swim by my mother! how grand! we were in lake attitash - amesbury, massachusetts. the hot sun on our heads, the water cold and earthy in my mouth. my mom was beautiful, and wet, and calling me to do my best and come to her.

this was much more of a personal journal entry than a blog - but i have been so peaceful for some time...i really don't write in my journal any more. so with all these sweet moments surfacing, well, i share them...

here's to our health, and sweet strong memories!

and here's to so much hope -- and good, clean, honest work ahead of us all in this world.

Love,
beth
my Gods...this New Year. Posted: Jan 6, 2009
very big sigh. heavy heart.
i want to wish everyone a happy new year. i want to say and mean and make happen all the things i love to say and wish!
happy, beautiful new year!
may the new year bring you more Love than your heart can hold!
wishing you Peace and Prosperity!
and i really really wish those things. and i believe in those things.
but things are harder than ever. worse than ever. sadder than ever, more tragic than ever. deadlier than ever in the world. in gaza, in greece, in africa, in bangkok. in indonesia, in the arctic and antarctic. the weather is deadlier, the money is tighter, but the weapons are more, and the people are needier. and bush is stupider.
i deeply deeply wish for Peace, for Tolerance, for Food, Energy, Health.
i meditate, i pray.
i feel really terrible about all that is going wrong. where is it all leading? i shake my head quickly, it's a nightmare. there's a pit in my stomach as i stare at my food tonight. what is going to happen? i hope i hope that it is leading to some sort of Light, some beginning of a Global Resolution will begin!
i know there is hope. humans are amazing that way!
so, happy new year! may we all do our best to Love one another so big and so full and complete, that it helps to literally radiate Peace and healthy things into the atmosphere.
and let's please donate what we can and give time where we have it, to those who need it much more than we.
Love,
beth
singin' in switzerland! Posted: Nov 17, 2008
i am nearing the end of my two-week nightly gig at the movie-scene-worthy Stublibar in St. Moritz, Switzerland. (i wish for my script-writer friends to experience this!) lately i have been paying tribute to Barack Obama in my songs. besides my own songs, i play favorite songs of the locals here. so in 'Country Roads' by John Denver, i sing, "country roads...take me home...to the place...i belong...Barack Obama...mountain mama...take me home..." and then there's... "Sweet Home Barack Obama....where the skies are so blue..."

the people love it and they are congratulating me and the US - they are very happy with America's choice of president this time!

i mentioned "movie-scene-worthy" Stublibar... here are some little gems: Five Swiss soldiers walk into Stublibar, they order beers, drink them, order another round, they are listening to me sing above the din of the crowd. the biggest, burliest one (think Burt Lancaster) approaches my stage. my brain to myself: "oh no, he's going to ask me to play something by Metallica." no no. tall, rugged soldier-boy says, in gentle, broken english, "entschuldigen, (excuse me), you are nice. can you for me play 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow?" ah, regretfully, i don't know the chords. his brother then asks, "then how about 'Killing Me Softly?" i couldn't resist that one, so sang it a-cappella, and to my delight everyone joined in! such SWEET soldiers!! no wonder the Swiss don't do war. they'd rather drink beer and sing sappy songs together. :)

a big macho German dude sitting with his friends began mocking me as i opened my set that night with Van Morrison's 'Crazy Love'... but a few songs later he was really into it. i think i won him over when i played 'Come as You Are' by Nirvana. he then listened, hooted, and applauded after every song i played. end of the night, 2am, he searched me out in the crowd and approached me with earnest. i leaned in to hear him, thinking he's going to tell me he enjoyed the music... nope. he asked me if i would call him a taxi home. apparently i look like the transportation expert in addition to the musical entertainment.
good swiss trash! Posted: Oct 30, 2008
i did my first trash picking in switzerland yesterday. for two days i have walked by this chest-high dumpster and noticed a drawer... a heavy looking (and it is) wooden drawer, sort of looks medieval, with a red velvet, plush interior. a big, dark, heavy wooden drawer with an old handle on the end (turns out, both ends) and decorative useless metal rivets and findings on the sides. i needed that drawer!! for 2 days i walked by it, eyeing it, but there was always someone near enough by to see me pick the trash! and there's something about the people here... they are really nice, but i get this feeling that they are generally rule-followers - and i'm not sure what the rules are... SO - last night i walked up to Stublibar bar to see Casey Jones play (a great singer and player from memphis, now living in europe) and he is a sweetie. in fact - he fixed my guitar yesterday!! the wire inside for my pickup connection had become severed, possibly from my hard-cased guitar's trip down the mondo-escalator in zurich!! anyway, casey and i went to a toy shop, he found a 9volt do-flicker with a wire - he stripped the old wires, connected to the new ones, covered with elec tape, etc - BUT I DIGRESS. SO, since i would be soon walking up the quiet street toward Stubli-bar where my treasure, i hoped, still lay in the dark but safe looking dumpster, i brought a big shopping bag with me and this time no one was around and i got my first dumpster dig!! my first trash pick here in swanky st. moritz!! and the drawer is SO great!! and i needed it - it is an integral part of my office as of this morning!! it is now my inbox, my outbox - my papers of all kinds now fit neatly in my red velvet lined medieval drawer which has the name "Briciola" and a skull and daggers drawn on one side of the dark wood with crayon. pascal inspected it carefully and approved, and pointed out that it did indeed used to be a treasure chest, a box for special things, lid now long gone.
"Miracle Girl" from the Alps to California...and back! Posted: Jul 2, 2008
My dear friends...how are you?? I hope this note finds everyone well and enjoying the summer!

I'm pleased to announce: My new CD "MIRACLE GIRL" is ready for release!!
PLEASE COME TO MY CD-RELEASE SHOW on July 10th in Santa Monica, CA!! (details below)

Hey everyone! I have just returned from 5 weeks perfectly spent in Switzerland, playing music at "Stublibar" - a lively and loved, wooden ski-bar in the Swiss Alps! I played 6 nights a week in a vibrant, crowded, smoky, oft-crazy bar. it was an absolute blast, on occasion quite a challenge, and really a privilege and pleasure. this place became special to me.

what i learned:

~ 60+ cover songs including favorites: Country Roads by John Denver, Sweet Home Alabama, Hotel California... also Me and Bobby McGee, Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire and Walk the Line were huge, and Bob Marley's Three Little Birds brought down the house. Those songs cured all in the Stublibar. They also loved my new songs Ten~Four, and Dreams Bring Me Down... Lover From Last Summer, Saturated, and Move On! (Self-Righteous S.O.B. was a little too aggro for them: methinks something was lost in translation -- they didn't get the tongue in cheek of it). :)

~ that the young men there love to stand on tables, dance, and take their clothes off - with no financial incentive!

~ that 2am is still early in the evening.

~ that Sambuca shots work great as a throat-soother.

~ that drinking beer and champagne while singing makes me burp a lot. not convenient.

~ that my fingertips have an endless supply of calluses for my calluses.

~ that the cigarette smoke smell eventually comes out of the wood of my guitar if i let my guitar air out long enough.

~that it is okay to shove a large, toothless, drunk man off of my stage - he most likely will not get hurt.

~ that it is perfectly acceptable to dismount from my stage by stepping over onto the bar and walking down the bar-top over beers and patrons (instead of the more commonly used method of - using the floor).

~ that i could make a new family of friends in a small, after-ski dive bar in Switzerland!

having said all that - i am going back next month!! but before i go...

MY NEW CD "MIRACLE GIRL" IS READY FOR ONE AND ALL!!
PLEASE COME TO MY CD-RELEASE SHOW!!

THURSDAY, JULY 10, 2008, 8PM @
SANTA MONICA BAR & GRILLE
3321 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, California, 90405
with Billy Watts by my side on electric guitar!
(cross street is just west of Centinela, near the 10 fwy)
(310) 453-5001
www.smbgrocks.com
free show!

PLEASE COME - i look forward to playing the songs for y'all, and to seeing your beautiful faces - it will be my last opportunity to see many and most of you for a long time! SO LET'S PARTY!!!

and - I am thrilled to celebrate the release of my new CD "Miracle Girl"** - my latest collection of songs of Love and Brotherhood. Conceived in late 2007, then recorded and birthed all within 5 weeks total gestation period in April/May 2008.

**With my favorite playmates: David Raven producing and on drums, Billy Watts playing tasty-good guitars, and Taras Prodaniuk making it stick with his perfect bass lines. Additional production and special musical appearance by Daniel Nahmod. Photography and design by Beth.

with huge Love and appreciation for your talents, enthusiasm, Love and support all these years!!
happy independence day!!
xoxo
beth
the latest from St. Moritz Switzerland, and my current Set List... Posted: May 29, 2008
My gigs at the Stublibar in St. Moritz Switzerland are going great. i am loving it, even though it is taxing on my voice and sometimes my energy. many interesting people passing through town, then the locals are there almost every night, and almost every night they get wild and crazy. i have learned soooo many songs - more than i learned in the states. i have a couple of regulars now that i let get up on stage with me and sing... a young man, Sandro, likes to sing Nirvana with me, and the young and beautiful Christine likes to sing Country Roads. everyone sings along, it is hysterical! and now, on a couple of different nights, when i take my break and the bartender plays deejay, the men get up on the tables and take their clothes off - two nights now of very nearly naked hot guys dancing on the tables!!

lucky me, i had my camera on one of those nights...

if i accepted all the drinks people are trying to buy for me i would be sloshed every night. instead i drink my tea with lemon, and water with lime and fresh orange for my voice... and when my sweetheart comes in when his work is through, i sit with him on my break and have a beer or sambuca.

he is the most amazing man, we share a beautiful and powerful connection... it's like we have known each other before and before. i am a lucky woman. we have taken long walks - around the lake to another little lake in the woods...long talks. he is swiss - he is teaching me some swiss-german, and i teach him more english, though he speaks four languages or more. he is very well spoken and runs deep, has some strong and interesting beliefs, great at expressing himself. it is a special time...

okay - back to the bar and my gigs... of course i play my original songs, to which the people are now singing along with somewhat - they actually request Saturated, Move On, and Lover From Last Summer... my S.O.B. song does not go over as well, maybe too aggressive and too many negative name callings...not as much animosity here among the sexes. :)

So then, alles gut...

Here is my current Cover Song set list - it's so much fun!

Tom Petty - american girl, runnin down a dream, a face in the crowd, free fallin, learning to fly

Blind Faith - well all right

Johnny Cash - ring of fire, walk the line

Lucinda Williams - greenville, drunken angel, something about what happens when we talk, right in time, can't let go, still i long for your kiss

Van Morrison - wild night, crazy love, brown eyed girl

Bob Dylan - knocking on heaven's door

Rolling Stones - wild horses

Lynyrd Skynyrd - sweet home alabama

John Denver - country roads, annie's song

The Clash - should i stay or should i go

AC/DC - you shook me all night long

Janis Joplin - me and bobby mcgee, mercedes benz (a capella)

Dusty Springfield - son of a preacher man

Tracy Chapman - talkin' bout a revolution

Cranberries - linger

Aretha Franklin - natural woman

Oasis - wonderwall

Nirvana - come as you are

Pink Floyd - wish you were here

Eagles - hotel california

it's a blast... i am learning so much. as i said, i am lucky. i Love the life i have created and found here in the Alps.

Peace and Music,
beth


update from Der Schweiz Posted: May 17, 2008
hello Loves...

thanks so much to all of you who have written to me. great to hear from you.
to answer a FAQ - the weather is about 60 degrees daily so far, varying from drizzly rain to sunny and lovely. hopefully it will just get nicer as the season progresses. nights are cold... but clear usually.

walked home from my gig last night - yes, at 2:30am - and enjoyed the solitude, quiet, with waterfalls coming down the hills in between houses. wow. it is about a 15 minute walk from my apartment to my gig at the hotel.

last night was my first night playing and it was fun, and hard at the same time. the cig smoke was tough. it did not bother me too much at the time, but could not get to sleep even after a nice hot shower at 3am... could still smell the smoke - probably in my mind, but... so, did not sleep much last night. there were many appreciative listeners at the show last night, and also many appreciative drunk men. it was my first night, did i mention that? the big crowd pleaser is john denver's 'country roads' - i had them all singing along!

things to note...

i thought my guitar had a problem - a rattling sound. turns out it was a piece of chocolate chip cookie inside of it. who knows how that got there. :)

met the italian musician, glauco mason, who finished in the stublibar the night before i began. very nice man, does mostly cover songs in his heavy italian accent. we talked over dinner here at the hotel. talked about music, romance, his family, my family - got along great. but now he has gone back to italy (2 hour drive for him). but before he left, he was kind enough to show me the set up of the sound system, and he also has lent me his music stand which i badly needed - in exchange for my CDs... and what he also decided was fair exchange, when i took my outer sweater off, he exclaimed "nice a-teets!" and gently pushed me against the wall and put his tongue in my mouth. those italian men are the same everywhere. i guess he took it to heart when i said i am the kind of woman who prefers the man to make the move, when we were talking about gender roles. i did not mean him!! too funny. all is well, he is gone.

i see lots of people walking their dogs - the dogs bodies are quite full sized, long hair with full buttleruffs (the term my friend kevin created for the hair - or not - that hangs down past the dogs butt at the back legs), but all the dogs have tiny little stumpy legs!! what gives? i would have thought that for a wealthy ski resort village i would see more purebreds, less mutts. have only seen one cat so far - hope to see more. no homeless cats here like there are in Rome. good for the kitties...

lots of birds chirping constantly.

the meals i am being served here at hotel schweizerhof are incredible. five course meals every night, delicious wines and coffee... very fine dining...i mean, it is perfect food - and not too much, like the crazy american portions! the table is set with at least 8 pieces of silverware for me. good thing my dad taught me to work from the outside of the table settings, inward. i am trying to at least appear cultured and european. i am being treated very well by the wait-staff - they are super sweet and fun.

my fave is 23 year old daniel... who placed my perfectly cooked, beatifully displayed pike-perch (fish) meal in front of me last night and said to me "i have found nemo". :)

my apartment - i am liking it. it is home for now. big rip-tear on the ceiling in one spot... strange. but from my bed, lying down, it appears to be a giant heart. so that is nice.

okay, gotta go get outside today and get as much oxygen (at 6000 feet here in the village) as i can before i breathe in tonight's dose of poison.

i Love you guys - how are YOU??
xo
beth
Miracle Girl heads to Switzerland! Posted: May 11, 2008
so, my to-do list has been head-spinning...

i am leaving for switzerland this tuesday, may 13 - for 5 weeks. my friend jordan got me a gig over there, in st. moritz, playing solo at a lovely hotel 6 nights a week for 4 1/2 weeks! i've never been, and how lucky i am. very cool.

so, i realized i needed to record more music, and take it with me on the road (or in the air and the alps, as it were)...

so, enter Miracle Girl, my new 10-song CD!! i am Blessed once again to have some of THE finest musicians in los angeles, nay, the world, on my new record. david raven producing, engineering, drumming... billy watts playing electric and lap steel guitar. taras prodaniuk playing bass.

my new CD - Miracle Girl - was essentially recorded in four weeks time, i designed the artwork and layout (so have mercy), and it is right now in manufacturing. i'll receive them in switzerland next week, then when i come back (if and when) to california, i'll have a bunch more... so, watch for a CD release gig and celebration in so-cal this summer!

i am going to try to get some of the new songs up and into the website here today... here goes nothin'!

thank you for reading, for caring, for sharing... just thank you for your support and your Love. i can feel it from here, right now...

Love ~ beth
singing to a stranger Posted: April 29, 2008
i was heading home late last night after a recording session with david raven, in hollywood. i was stopped in my car for some time at a red light. a homeless man - or a broke one, out at 2am hoping for money from any single soul - was just outside my window, standing around at the stoplight. he smiled, waved, asked for money, called me pretty lady... i think i had about $3 in my wallet, and honestly, after giving a dollar every week to j.r. near my post office, i just was not in the mood. instead i rolled down the window and began singing to him. i was listening to Lucinda Williams' CD, "West" -- the song "Learning to Live". so i crooned to the man who looked handsome under his dirt and rags. i sang, "i'm learning how...to live....without you...in my life". he said, "me too, beautiful." me (singing): "i made the best...of what you had to give..." he: "i got nothin' to give you sweetheart." me: "all i have left...is this dimestore ring." him: "lemme see it, is it worth anything?" me: "i'm learning how....to live." he: "me too and you just warmed my heart."

...mine too. we connected and it had nothing to do with money.

people are so human underneath their "inhumanity". the more civilized folk are often the more assholized ones.

Love and Peace ~ bw
retreat, resurface, and sing! Posted: Mar 4, 2008
hello Love, thanks for reading...

i'm just back from 10 days in beautiful Moab, Utah - Arches National Park - where i participated in a musical, spiritual, hiking, intro-and-outro-spective retreat hosted by my friend, singer/songwriter Daniel Nahmod. i was immersed in the millions of years-old natural beauty of the near-gravity-defying red rocks and arches, slot canyons, off the beaten path trails, the colorado river, pristine snow, lively streams, lovely deer, gazillions of stars... all topped with whipped cream clouds and a full-moon-eclipse-cherry. the experience was awe-inspiring and utterly breathtaking. and though words cannot truly describe it, i am obviously not at a loss for them...

the retreat went really, really well. it was a privilege to be there with the many lovely and truly awesome people. we engaged in life-changing conversations, sang, danced, laughed... went for several intense and invigorating hikes - one through "fiery furnace" in Arches Nat'l Park... it was exquisite, filled with ancient, timeless beauty, standing on 150,000,000 year old red clay soil - beheld 1000 year old juniper trees...and a 7,000,000 pound balanced rock. made me feel like a weightless baby next to them.

i soaked in all the breathtaking beauty around me, journaled a lot and quietly played my guitar every night before bed...

working on, for myself, releasing my attachment to hope that 'things', and people, will make me happy, and looking at letting go of my fears of being unappreciated... i am feeling the sweet release of attachments and... just let what comes to me, come to me...

seems easy, but it can be elusive. it is simple, but it takes practice. so i'm practicing.

now i'm home in sunny santa monica, california -- and moving forward in my life with refreshed appreciation.

and although i could easily move to Utah and become a hiking guide and bus driver, i will next play some shows in california and see how that feels.

with Love,
beth
guaranteed anti-depressant!! Posted: Jan 2, 2008
oh my gosh!!! if you are feeling at all down... just listen to The Police - "Canary in a Coalmine" (off of Zenyatta Mondatta). it works unbelievably - hidden, magical endorphins within the music... then chase it down with "When the World is Running Down You Make the Best of What's Still Around". my suggestion, turn it up AS LOUD AS YOU CAN STAND IT! and concentrate on Sting's basslines... :) music is the food.... Peace out. beth
January One Posted: Jan 1, 2008
once again it is a new year...filled with promise, excitement, beauty seen and unexpected, music, Love, laughter... my intention for this year is to express fully - to do, write, and sing everything i was meant to be, to express, to communicate. i commit myself to putting mindful and whole-hearted effort into my callings - my music, my art, my relationships...and to continue taking care of my body and my mind and soul... my commitment is to let myself, my Love-filled heart, dance ahead through life, and to shine my light as brilliantly as i can possibly shine it!

if i am holding onto anything that doesn't serve my commitments...please may i let it all go, and let myself flow into the biggest Love i've ever known...the Love that is inside of me.

i am indeed grateful for this day...i am truly grateful for this moment. it is a gift. i am most fortunate...

"ring out the old, ring in the new, ring, happy bells, across the snow: the year is going, let him go; ring out the false, ring in the true." - alfred lord tennyson.
thanksflowing... Posted: Nov 19, 2007
happy thanksgiving to all who are reading this, and to all who are not. many Blessings are wished for you...
i know i am Love, i know i am Loved...i know i am growing as long as i'm flowing...in the giving of thanks, in the giving of breath and Love, i am flowing and growing.
i am so grateful for my family, for my friends, for the Love in my heart...for my creative abilities, communicative power, for music, for flowers, for food, for my body, especially my body - it makes all those other things possible.
happy thanksgiving with Love and Peace.
~beth
Music + Art Posted: Nov 3, 2007
hey friends,

it's been some time since i've written, even with so very much on my mind, in my heart, through my eyes and ears...

mostly i've been so very busy - with music, with photography, work and play, with friends, family, alone time, silence, busyness, chaos.

i've been taking more time to reflect and meditate, i'm finding it's Peaceful time out of mind and helps me to stay in Love with my life and all the people coming in and out of it.

this coming monday evening, november 5th, i have the privilege of playing some music and showing my artwork at the elegant Air Conditioned Lounge in Santa Monica...details are in my 'shows' section. please come and enjoy the evening with me and many talented local artists and friends...hope to see you there.

i wish all to be well in your world - drop me a line and say hi...

Peace, Love,
beth
my goodness! Posted: Jul 12, 2007
hello dears,

holy smokes! (is that an oxymoron? no...maybe not). the discriminating listeners of American Idol Underground have rated my song "Self Righteous Son of a Bitch" at 1 (that's Number One out of hundreds) this week in the Rock (and Roll) category!! go to this link if you wanna see for yourself that i'm not makin' it up! :)

http://www.idolunderground.com/Pages/Charts/ChartDetail.aspx?GenreID=11

Love and Gratitude,
Please and Thank You,
beth
good feelings...bad feelings... Posted: Jul 7, 2007
i've been feeling sooooo good...wrote a new song this past week that has found me in such a positive place of power and acceptance.

went to my favorite, essential yoga class friday early evening, breathed like breath was going out of style (which it is), sweated the sweat of the serious...

celebrated a birthday after that, with some friends...

then went to the market for one thing on my way home, talked with some interesting people there, got in my new car... driving home safely, and out runs a cat right in front of me, which i hit and kill. i killed a big, beautiful boy cat last night. i put my hand on him, apologized to him, and stroked him while he died. and i cried and cried.

i know things could be worse...and are worse in so many places. but i am very sad about it...

no matter what, i keep letting go, and i look to the Light for my Love...
615Music in Nashville grabs Beth Wimmer songs! Posted: May 25, 2007
May 25, 2007:

615Music.com, based out of Nashville, has signed two of Beth Wimmer's original songs to their reputable library. Many thanks to Robert S. Williams and 615Music. To see Beth's listings, visit: www.615music.com/core/cd_list.cfm?id=1019

Make it a great week! Best in Music ~ Peace, beth
Self Righteous Son-of-a-Bitch is #7 on American Idol Underground! Posted: May 25, 2007
Hey this is fun - Listeners on American Idol Underground have rated Beth's "Self Righteous Son-of-a-Bitch" as #7 of the Top 50 Rock songs this week! Thanks, people! www.idolunderground.com
this evening - it's now my birthday... Posted: Mar 27, 2007
i think so clearly in the shower.

i need pen and paper in the shower.

i'm so clear-headed, when naked and wetted.

i feel things clearly in the shower...

a little poetry this evening, the eve before my birthday. i was not looking forward to my birthday this year - i was letting stuff, silly stuff like: 'how can i have exactly what i want right now in my life all the time', bother me. and i was making life wrong for flying by and taking me with it.

but - after the news i've received lately: brilliant people i've listened to, hugged, and laughed with, losing their lives and leaving behind their little children...which then reminds me of all the brave and interesting and sweet people i've never touched nor seen losing their lives to wars, famine, disease, oppression...

now i'm reminded how privileged and blessed and quite grateful i am to be celebrating another birthday. i'm here and healthy and it's midnight on march 27th, lovely california time.

ahhhh damn. life is so beautiful and full of so many achingly lovely things - and it is so fleeting and delicate. be here now and live. not super original, i know, but super true.

so, living: try it on, adjust the fit and wear it. your specialness and vibrance and sexiness and originality will shine through if you really really wear it.

happy birthday to me... :) life makes me happy...

"Develop interest in life as you see it; in people, things, literature, music - the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself." ~ Henry Miller
what i'm eating and Elliott Smith Posted: Feb 21, 2007
i'm Loving my dinner. i made a totally random meal - sauteed onions and carrots with tofu seared in amino sauce, then i spread it over a bed of romaine lettuce, added feta, slivered almonds and raisins...and my darling trader joe's sesame soy dressing. wicked healthy and really really yummy.

so i sit and eat...and listen to elliott smith's 'xo'. and it's blowing my mind. again. always... taking it in nice and loud. ...and how i Love the 2nd track, 'tomorrow, tomorrow'. i listen to every sound and every second of it and i think 'how did he do that'. it's so beautiful. then i think, 'how could he do that?'...decide to end his life this time around and the way he did it. that hurt must have been unfathomable. it feels right to hurt sometimes, but i can't even imagine that...

then track 3, 'waltz#2' is the finest waltz my heart has ever heard. now i'm onto track 5 and i hang onto every note again. the piano break in the middle is so simple yet so... last verse coming up: "the first time i saw you i knew it would never last. i'm not half what i wish i was. i'm so angry i don't think it'll ever pass. and i was bad news for you just because i never meant to hurt you". i hear him sing that, i imagine i know him, and i cry. i wish i could have met him and helped him. awesome that he expressed it all though, before he left.

gotta express it all before we go.

"i'm never gonna know you now, but i'm gonna Love you anyhow." ~elliott smith
changes all around... Posted: Jan 23, 2007
Change is constant, and that is constantly happening in my life and all around me. People are showing up, people are leaving... My Loved ones are succeeding, and some are being hurt and then bouncing back resiliently, stronger than before. i Love seeing that.

My challenge is to keep up with it all...my friends, family, myself and my mind and body, my music, my photography...with grace and ease, with effectiveness and Love, with an open heart and mind with which to see and feel the inspiration all around me.

Every new year people say 'this is the year', and i think...'no, it probably isn't, cause what year really IS THE year??' ...but if we dream it, and if we envision it, and if we ACCEPT it, then, i guess...this IS the year.

but first...THIS is the MOMENT. and moments are really all that we have.

God Bless...
MLK Posted: Jan 15, 2007
"If a man hasn't discovered something he will die for, he isn't fit to live." ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

i'm working on it Mr. King...i can think of one thing, so far, i'd die for...so i'd like to say i'm on the right track of this living thing. and in the meantime i'm waking up each day (at some point) and doing my best, even though at times it doesn't feel like it...i know i'm doing it.

it's too heartbreaking, how much sadness and angst and anger and hatred is practiced in the world today - now more than ever. i see we make strides and i feel so good about that, then i see the huge steps backward, daily, as a race, a human race...

it's the little, good, Loving people who make such a sweet difference day to day...you know who they are...thank God for them.

i was trying to think of something inspiring to say...but i'm coming up small in the scheme of how large this Life is...be and teach Peace. let Peace teach and be...

a happy and healthy new year. Peace.
hard, but so good...nothing is better... Posted: Nov 26, 2006
than Loving, feeling so deeply, exchanging it, saying it, nourishing it, telling it, not speaking a word...

it's hard to Love someone who is so far away...when you want them so close there is no space between you...

then it's hard Loving someone so closeby you can feel them...but you don't hear from them. i feel pained for someone so beautiful, but so afraid of the power of Love that is available.

but i will keep writing about it, feeling it deeply. i wouldn't want to be any other way. thank God i like my own company... :)

musically, i've been writing a lot. not playing so many shows. this time of year i just Love going to others' gigs, parties, homes... and i Love staying at home on a chilly evening with my cats and my candles, and my guitar.

awesome internet shows continue to support and play my music. they are so sweet to me. i'm going to mention them all, cause they are all so worthy of praise and mention:

seems like every other day, www.artistlaunch.com lets me know that my songs "move on" and "self-righteous s.o.b." are charting, and featured...and my profile is often on their home page. thanks so much to Paul and Paul at artistlaunch.com and www.freeworldradio.com!

the lovely and talented 'Nette continues to spin my songs on her show, www.netteradio.com, based out of her studio in dallas. she plays inspired, unsigned women from piano to punk! and 'Nette is a sweet musician in her own right: www.edenautomatic.com

many thanks to Lazlo of www.lazlosden.com, based out of new jersey. Lazlo continues to play my music among some of the finest musicians ever. so nice to be included by someone with such great taste!

next is Martin, live from Germany, and his nextbigthing podcast: www.nextbigthing.libsyn.com. Martin includes my song "move on" again and again on his fab podcast! and he is such a sweet-heart too!

then, thanks to Dave at www.nessmp3.com. nessmp3.com is based out of Scotland, and my songs are doing well - have been in the top 20 on several occasions now. :) Also their live broadcaster "Retrosmith" has included my "lover from last summer" in his first podcast on podbean and says very nice things about my music. thanks Dave and Retrosmith!

and last but not least is my darling Les Lewellyn, based out of alabama. Les continues to feature my music on his various podcasts, which are #1 out of millions: the Chill Pill show, and No Man's Land podcasts: www.preyinglizardmusic.com/podcast.htm. i cannot thank Les enough for his support and encouragement. he has become a dear friend...

Love and gratitude to all of my friends, fans and family.
Music, Life and Love are privileges that i will never take for granted. i promise to open my heart to the world, and open the world to my heart.

Safe and Happy Holidays to all...
God Bless you Isgo, i will miss you and never forget you.
Peace,
beth
from nashville to venice... Posted: Oct 6, 2006
Hooooweeee! my, what a week it's been! just got back from Nashville where i had the best time ever – hearing music, playing music, making music. bein' good and bein' bad. my first trip there was ever so fortifying. had a blast thanks to playing some songs at Billy Block's Western Beat, then at BBKing's Blues Club for another set of tunes later in the week. (many thanks to billy block, and michael oneill for puttin' me up there).

saw some smokingly beautiful music...james mcmurtry, anne mccue, randy weeks - to name some of my favorites... the music just kept spilling over me like warm honey. gosh-damn. :)

and it helped that i was being held up and swayed with. that was fun.

came back to cali to the festivities of the abbot kinney street faire in venice, CA, where i was fortunate enough to play a set of my tunes with my dear billy watts on electric guitar before thousands of people! what a fun, extremely warm, festive venice day! the sun on my back was baking my behind and that felt so nice! thank you so much to all my friends for coming out and diggin' in with me.

so, my song 'self righteous som-bitch' is a finalist in the Dallas Songwriting Competition... wish me luck - more on that later.

can't wait to see you again...
beth
Son-of-a-Bitch songs continues to connect... Posted: Aug 31, 2006
hello my friends...

i've been feeling a bit...quiet for some time now. but you know, a closed mouth gathers no foot.

but alas, the storm is coming - and i'm here & there, playing with music and life. so here's my latest musical news, and please know i invite you to write back and clue me in on what's new with you. after all, i have missed you. hope this note finds you well and enjoying your summer...

* my song about an honest look at an unhealthy relationship, Self Righteous Son-of-a-Bitch, is currently a semi-finalist in the Dallas Songwriters Association 2006 Songwriting Contest. woo-hoo! wish me luck and cast some good-mojo thoughts to the judges. 'Self-Righteous' also recently finished in The Unisong Intntl Songwriting Contest in the Top 20 finalists of the Alt-Rock category.

* this Sunday, Sept.3rd, i'm happy to be featured playing live for the multi-cam, streaming video broadcast of V.K. Lynne's Bare Bones 5. the effervescent V.K. Lynne's music-video show is brought to us by Flashrock.com and its very cool. find out more on v.k. lynne's myspace page (she's in my top friends). i'll let you know when the broadcast is up online and where to find it.

* Sept 13th and 19th find me in fine company playing songs at Billy Block's Western Beat show on Weds, Sep.13th in Hollywood, CA at Highland Grounds, for Billy's 15-year-Anniv show, and on Tues, Sep.19th in Nashville, at 12th & Porter, for Billy's 10th year hosting Western Beat in Nashville! COME OUT and see these unparalleled Western Beat shows - they are the bomb, filled with kind people and incredible Americana talent from all over the country. more details below and at www.westernbeat.com

* October 13th (Friday) and November 9th (Thursday), i'll be playing 45 minute acoustic sets at Gayle's Perks, in Northridge, CA. 9028 Balboa Blvd, 91325 i'll give you more details as the shows get closer (or see my website or myspace page for more info).

* October 29th, Sunday night, i'll be at Synergy Cafe Lounge for an intimate, acoustic evening there along with some wicked-cool, talented friends - making music and merry.

* my songs are featured regularly on Preying Lizard's Chill Pill Podcast show. Les Lewellyn hosts a supreme, eclectic choice of #1 weekly podcast shows. he is a GREAT d.j., with an acute appreciation for the myriad of quality, unsigned bands and music in the world. www.preyinglizardmusic.com/podcast.htm

* please, please go see An Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore's presentation film on the crucial truth about what's happening with our planet. it's playing for FREE on Tues, Sep.26 at the Santa Monica Pier, CA, outdoors and under the night sky. www.santamonicapier.org www.climatecrisis.net

* also special thanks, as always, to www.netteradio.com and www.lazlosden.com for their continued support and airplay. xoxo

thanks so much for reading, and for spanning time with me. manythanks and muchLove,

beth
Self Righteous Son-of-a-Bitch Top 20 finalist! Posted: Jul 7, 2006
Hey there, i hope all's swell in your world. i thought i'd let you know the latest in my musicworld:

My song, Self Righteous Son-of-a-Bitch finished in The Unisong International Songwriting Contest 2005 in the Top 20 finalists (in the Rock-Alternative category)! Woo-hoo! My guess is it probably would have been #1 if it were an all-female judging panel. :) The ladies seem to connect with that song especially, though it does strike a certain chord with the men... :) Anyway, i'm grateful, not bitter. really. So that was kind of neato. www.unisong.com

A huge thank you to my friend Les Lewellyn of the band Dixie Lizard! Les continues to champion my music with his innovative internet radio shows and podcasts. Please visit his website at www.preyinglizardmusic.com Les plays my music regularly, alongside today's best indie music, on his weekly "Pirate Radio Indie Soft Rock Show", and on his daily podcast, "The Chill Pill Show." www.preyinglizardmusic.com/podcast.htm and Les has a brand new channel at TowerPod (yes, Tower Records sponsored) with his weekly podcast called "Preying Lizard Eclectic Pod." Les has wonderful taste in music, and he is putting forth amazing energy and effort into getting unsigned music out there and appreciated. All Les' shows are all riding high at number one on Google. That is just too cool!

Also big thanks to Annette of www.netteradio.com 'Nette continues to play my songs on her fine radio program! 'NetteRadio is a weekly 2-hour internet radio show that is dedicated to promoting unsigned women musicians. Hosted by Annette Conlon from rock band Eden Automatic, the show broadcasts live each week from their studio in Dallas, TX. Tune in Wednesdays from 8-10 Central Time (6-8pm pacific) for the LIVE show. www.NETTERADIO.com and you can CHAT while listening at www.netteradio.com/chat.html and that's a fun little trip in itself. Just 2 weeks ago, 'Nette played my song "With Our Eyes Closed" - that song was a virgin to radio till she got her hands on it! :)

Oh - I recently played an extraordinary solo show at David's Tavern in Newburyport MA! (June 25). The audience and energy were the BEST! i grew up in MA, so i was just thrilled and touched to see so many familiar (and looking mahvelous) faces from my old haunts (like...school) out at my show. Thanks so much to leslie and dave, richelle, diane, tim and jody and the gang, mi familia, maria, sue, pamela, valerie, all the new faces, everyone else, and the amazing staff at David's Tavern for welcoming me - what a great night! (David's Tavern, 11 Brown Square, Newburyport, MA, 01950. 978.462.8077)

And lastly but most importantly - please, please go see Al Gore's riveting presentation on the Earth and Global Warming. "An Inconvenient Truth" is confronting, yes, but still there is hope if WE ALL act now. We need to. www.climatecrisis.net.

Love and Music,
Please and Thank you,
beth
disappointed yet blessed... Posted: Apr 11, 2006
and i call myself a writer...i feel like a mere typer these days. and i hadn't typed any greetings for far too many days here on the ol' website. with myspace messages, emails, thank yous (which i'm grateful to have reason to write), follow-ups, more follow-ups, giving my word, using my words, reading your words plus lots of other words... anyway, point is, i don't feel i've had the chance to be creative of late - to be quiet, attentive to the moment, creative and free. i shall be. i'll keep you posted on that progress.

NEWS NEWS NEWS...let's see:

my song "Live Within Live Without" is in the Top 10 best songs of www.Broadjam.com in their Rock/psychedelic genre! that's neat. thanks to all the Broadjam members and their generous listening and support.

i have a new friend via the internet who is super-sweet and talented. his name is Les Lewellyn, he's living in Dothan, AL and he is a huge Lover, supporter, and maker of independent music. he has my music on his edgy and insightful music website and on his radio show this week!
on www.preyinglizardmusic.com/pirateradio.htm

Les is also one of my friends on myspace - his profile is Dixie Lizard... and I'M on myspace at: www.myspace.com/bethwimmer it's crazy and fun! i've found some really great music on myspace, and met some very interesting people from far, far away - it's pretty amazing.

two wonderful internet radio broadcasts have been featuring my music pretty regularly:

~on tuesdays and thursdays at 5pm-PST, 8pm-EST, the refreshing Lazlo has a phenomenal online radio show: www.upstageradio.com to listen, or www.lazlosden.com - out of new jersey!

~on wednesdays, 6-8pm PST on www.netteradio.com LIVE on www.RenegadeRadio.net oh, the lovely sounds 'Nette plays - live from texas!

my music is also on these great music sites:

www.limelightradio.com
www.freeworldradio.com
www.broadjam.com

and the KAOS Music Department at Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA
www.kaosradio.org
kaos_music@evergreen.edu
request line:(360)867-KAOS

so there's all that...thanks for reading!

i have been playing gigs and writing tunes...and trying to stay healthy and happy in a world which can make no sense and alienate and infuriate. i can't believe how much we (the people) are willing to take - with this current violently crooked administration, with the man trying to sell us everything, and with society and even our own peers asking us to compare ourselves and sell up...sell up.

i generally do not wax political...but i guess i needed that. i feel better now.
Peace and Music.
Love,
beth
Beth's 'Situations' enters Broadjam's Top 10! Posted: Mar 3, 2006
hey Lovers, fighters and harley riders...

i know you’re out there – and i hope everyone is doing as well as can be in these strange days of divinity and deception.

thanks so much to everyone for coming out to my Temple Bar show last week – what a great night that was! i had a blast, and i am so grateful and inspired by your support and your warmth.

during this time of acceptance speeches, i want to thank Broadjam and its members and listeners, at www.broadjam.com, for their support! – my song ‘Situations’ has made it into their TOP 10 in the Folk-Alternative category...it’s been there for four days now – yeeha!

now, here’s what’s cookin’ for my tunes in the land of internet radio-play:

Two, fine internet radio programs have been playing my tunes pretty regularly! – such swell folks, i’m grateful:

Every Wednesday, www.netteradio.com (6-8pm PST, 8-10pm Central time) the darling host ‘Nette plays some outstanding female artists, from piano to punk. ‘Nette featured my heart-achey ‘Calling All Hearts’, on her valentine’s show. this show is based outta Texas, check their SHOWS page for rebroadcasts.

And every Thursday on Lazlo’s Den, on www.upstageradio.com (5pm PST, 8pm EST) Lazlo played my song ‘Every Time’ last week on the 23rd, amidst some very fine, well-Loved artists. i was honored. ya never know what Lazlo’s gonna play, but he seems to have taken a shine to my music, bless him. also, be-friend him on www.myspace.com/lazlosden

i’m playing more live shows on the near horizon (is there such thing as a near horizon?)...

this Monday, March 6th, at the LAMN (LA Music Network) Jam!!
@ The Scene, 806 E. Colorado St. Glendale CA 91205
7-9pm 818.241.7029 Free, all ages!
i’ll be playing 2 songs, (as will several other musicians), then receiving critique on my songs and performance from industry professionals. (not sure which industry they’re from – maybe the steel industry??)

and FRIDAY March 10th
at Genghis Cohen!!
740 N. Fairfax Ave. L.A, 90046
8:15pm, $7, playing a 45 minute set of acoustic music. (no critique necessary)
323.653.0640 www.genghiscohen.com
please come and be with me at Genghis Cohen! especially all you hollywood types who never seem to make it to the westside. :) i Love you guys.

catch you later!
Peace,
beth
radio airplay for beth! Posted: Feb 14, 2006
hey kids,

happy valentine's day to all you Lovers - and damn that valentine's day for all those who hate it! (see how diplomatic i can be)??

so, my music's getting some attention from internet radio and college radio stations - yay! friends, please contact me if you need help with accessing any of these sites, or choosing a 'player' to stream through...it can be confusing if you're not so computery inclined (like me - i prefer wood and strings)!

here's a list of online features and radio airplay happening for beth wimmer music:

my CD, LIVE WITHIN LIVE WITHOUT, is being featured on the front page of www.ArtistLaunch.com. Artist Launch is a great site for discovering new, independent music! browse away...my CD will be up there for a few days.

Artist Launch has added my song “Move On” at No 10 on the playlist of their internet radio station Enchantress Radio at http://www.artistlaunch.com/enchantressradio. The station features the music of outstanding female artists including Etta James, Michelle Branch - and now me. :)

KAOS Music – Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA
www.kaosradio.org. request line: (360)867-KAOS

on “Lazlo’s Den” Thursdays at 5pm PST/8pm EST. Lazlo's Den airs on www.upstageradio.com.

on Gatorzilla3000, DJ for *** BUZZ *** Yesterday's Music Today
http://www.live365.com/stations/gatorzilla3000

on www.Limelightradio.com based out of New Jersey. they’re playing my song “Lover from Last Summer.” request it whenever you want by visiting their site!

on... D'Art Radio "Where Indie Music Hits the Spot!" http://www.dartradio.com

on Eric’s podcast of indie music, ‘Amplified’ - http://www.amplifiedpodcast.com.

on www.netteradio.com LIVE on www.RenegadeRadio.net
Wednesdays 7-9PM PST/8-10 PM CT
From piano to punk the best unsigned women's music from around the world.
(Rebroadcast on Free Radio Jackson http://www.live365.com/stations/aaronchilds Saturdays 2-4 CT)

...and more to come. i'll keep you in the soup. thank you so much for your support.
Love,
beth
Creating myself... Posted: Jan 20, 2006
i can create myself, i can control myself, i can think positively...i know the universe sometimes works in reverse...the only way to get it is to let it be.
new lyric idea...just had to put it somewhere.
hope you are enjoying a healthy new year so far, with ease and creativity abounding. i have a bunch of shows coming up, i'm psyched about them. each one is important, thrilling, empowering, humbling...and brings me closer to true Love. i would Love to see you there.
spanning time...we're spanning time...
xo for all.
bw
happy hopeful new year Posted: Jan 10, 2006
greetings in this new year of 2006. here we go into the future!! watch out for the past, cause it's looming ahead...but i invite you to put it back where it belongs, in the past, and create something new for yourself and your life in this moment, and the next, and the next...

last time i logged, or blogged in to write something to you all, i was overwhelmed by man's (and nature's largely, though quite likely karmically brought on by man) inhumanity to man. (tho i should be p.c. and call it HUman, not just man...in all fairness to all the fine men out there). but i digress...

anyway, i (as were most of you) was devastated and shocked by current events. and we're living in the most difficult of times. i had mentioned i would write again when i thought of something i could do.

well, i'm still overwhelmed, but i did "do" some stuff which may have helped in some small way. i donated. time, money, and energy...to MuchLove animal rescue, to AIDS Project LA, to Project Angel Food, to Union Rescue Mission, to Amnesty International, and to my 93-year-old friend Marygrace Gordon who is very weak and lonely (among others). my secret desire is to drop out and join the Peace Corps and drop back in somewhere, unknown, and get my hands filthy and worn. but i have many desires i don't act on (thank God).

my commitment, however, is to be an integral part of creating a world in which there is Love, generosity, and compassion happening for humankind (and animalkind) in every corner of the earth. i intend to do this through making myself aware of what's going on in the world, writing proactive letters to the people in "power" who speak for the rest of us, and by making money to share with the masses less fortunate. and by being a positive, open, supportive person on all levels.

and of course, i have a continued commitment to making music that makes a difference - to me and to others. i hope to move and inspire people wherever i go. and to rock out!! or rock on! just plain rock, baby.

happy new year.
with Love and gratitude.
beth
this difficult world. Posted: Oct 20, 2005
October 20, 2005:

unbelievable! all the tragedies everywhere! pakistan’s earthquake; guatemala’s hurricane and mudslides, small Mayan villages covered under 20 feet of mud; the U.S. east coast flooding; new orleans...more hurricanes on the way! my God, there are some huge spiritual-physical purifications happening in the world. understandably so.

i looked online today and read that the Arctic ice caps are 20% less in mass than they were in 1978. they are melting at a rate of about 8% every decade. that’s got to be due to global warming, and in turn continuing the cycle of the warming, and i would think it’s changing the very earth and the atmosphere. i’m no scientist but i’m not too dumb either. :) it will be astonishing, i'm sure, to see what major catastrophe(s) i may see when i’m an old woman...or long before. yikes!

it's time to do something. be more involved. i'll let you know what i come up with - there are so many avenues one can take.

i hope you and yours are well in your corner of the world.
Love and Light,
beth
mid-September Posted: Sep 14, 2005
Hello friends: If you haven't already done so, please go to redcross.org to donate for hurricane katrina victims! i urge you to help, help is and will be needed for a long time to come.

...feeling melancholy these days. so much sadness happening to people. it's everywhere. usually i'm inspired to be a better person by every injustice and hardship i'm aware of...but this time i'm just too tired and saddened by it all. i just want to lie down and go to sleep for a few days...

but, i know i have nothing to complain about. i am blessed, i am safe, i am well. i believe challenges happen for a reason...just not sure what it is this time. i wonder if anyone has any idea what the reason is.

my friend meredith is asking for help with the animal rescue organization she works closely with. 'MuchLove' needs volunteers and supplies of all kinds to help with the influx of displaced and orphaned animals that are hurricane katrina victims. please go to Muchlove.org to help.

next time i write, it will be something funny...to help relieve the stress of life. let me meditate and levitate and graduate to a lighter place.

Namaste,
beth
First greeting from beth's new home-site. Posted: Sep 1, 2005
Hi friends, and thanks for visiting my new website. I hope this day finds you well and counting your blessings.

Heartfelt condolences and Prayers of Healing go out to all of the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Please help: Besides donating money, needed items and/or time through RedCross.org to aid people in the beloved South of the USA, music lovers can go to www.CDBaby.com and browse through the many cds by artists (including me) that are currently donating all of their proceeds from their sales to the relief effort for the hurricane victims as well. A wonderful idea put forth by CDBaby - thank you Derek Sivers.

Please share your thoughts with me in the 'talk to me' section.
More to come...