Well…a tentative Happy May! It’s hard to hear about
our community, state and world music, writing and art events being cancelled.
Everyone’s safety and health is so important, and we’ll all be back soon…
First, thank you for so many, many views the first night of our Facebook Music Livestream on Saturday April 4th ! It was in the room, so to speak, so I’m glad you liked it as it was quite live! Here is the Facebook link. The Video was just uploaded to You Tube by The Isle of Wight, U.K., too, where we performed 2 years ago and will again! “I Will Rise” is a forthcoming music Release coming up this year when we get into the studio soon.
April 30th, I was honored to be talking about my music and art in an online appearance on PBS Detroit’s WTVS and the City of Detroit’s Covid 19 Artist Relief Fund by Rochelle Riley & Mitch Albom with such artists as Jeff Daniels, Big Sean, Steffanie Christi’an and many Detroit artists. You can watch my segment at the .mov link or view the entire 90 minutes here at Channel 21 Comcast TV/Detroit WTVS. http://detroit-vod.cablecast.tv/CablecastPublicSite/watch/4?channel=3
With music events/gigs and poetry events in April, May, June and July cancelled or postponed, our U.K. tour 2020 has been moved to 2021. The south Florida Book Tour is hopeful but likely moved to Spring 2021. I’m writing new music and we’ll be recording more, too. The band will come into the studio when we’re allowed to get all together again!
Thank you for the Detroit Music Award Nominations 2020 for Outstanding Rock/Pop Songwriter and Singer, and for Scott Dailey for Outstanding Rock/Pop Instrumentalist too! https://www.detroitmusicawards.net/2020-nominees
I’ll be releasing the Audio Book on Amazon and other outlets, so look for it this early Summer. It’s good news with some more good news on “Detroit (Maiden Energy)” soon. I miss everybody, my family, students, musicians and friends. And there’s so much emotion behind this post, even if it seems like a “regular” update/blog. We’re all so grateful for grocery and pharmacy delivery and the bright days ahead, with special big thanks to the hospital workers. In the meantime, as we’re artists and everything is cancelled, please download music, books and support Detroit, Michigan and world artists. Here’s a bit of my recent music catalogue (partial list) or the book in the meantime, and prayers to the world!Love, Carolyn https://music.apple.com/us/artist/carolyn-striho/276003130
DETROIT MUSIC AND BOOK DATES POSTPONED, MICHIGAN BOOK DATES POSTPONED U.K. TOUR POSTPONED UNTIL LATER IN THE SUMMER
A new update as we get moving through another lockdown week. We will be working on the Facebook Live event for Saturday April 4th, 7 pm EST with several songs and poems. The redbird is up and singing, and there could be some buds on the trees. It’s still cold but – this is the least of our worries. I sure hope everybody is doing OK under these extremely worrisome and stressful circumstances. Most of our music events/gigs and poetry events in April, May and June are postponed. Our shows overseas in the U.K. are postponed. School is closed. Thinking back when I was recovering from cancer surgeries almost 7 years ago, I could do barely anything at first but try to just walk a few steps….a sort of quarantine, but I’m remembering so many kind people who helped! This last weekend, friends and fans asked for live music and live poetry online. Scott Dailey and I are thinking of scheduling a Facebook music livestream soon. And we’re using this quarantine time to create stuff. I’m working on another book and waiting to go back to teaching while we record new songs, And thank you for the Detroit Music Award Nominations 2020, too! https://www.detroitmusicawards.net/nominees
I did have a couple more nice announcements about my poetry here. First, my book “Detroit (Maiden Energy)” street princess poems & lyrics is now in a Kindle version on Amazon! So you can download it right from this link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B086J9H6J6 – so happy to hear this news! Thanks to Heather Buchanan and Aquarius Press, my publisher. And it has also been added to The Kenyon Review poetry title list! Please note that my book was in the top new Releases for Amazon poetry in October 2019 and was a best seller at Horizon Books in Traverse City, Michigan in January 2020!
Thanks to the incredible medical workers at this time, too. We heard a National Security Alert and these are scary days and scary times. It reminds me of stories my Dad and Mom told me and Dad’s stories in the war…Everything’s cancelled and I’m trying to get a grip on my blog, my music, my writing and poetry for another book – much is there for it – and Facebook livestream. We are recording a new album which I’m quite excited about. I can only say how much I admire the courage, resourcefulness and desire to overcome adverse anxiety. I’m sorry for everyone suffering. We likely will have to depeche-vous et attendre maintenant and for some time – hurry up and wait now!
Today is a bit warmer and the sun is out bright finally! The uncertainty of just what we can do is over the top. Can we breathe the air in a hallway in an apartment? Can we bike ride? Nobody is in a place to not have to contend with losing a job, and not seeing family and friends. While I miss my students tremendously, my music friends and fans, my family, I’m grateful they are at home, safe and sound, even though the social beings we are compel us to kind of go a little nuts right now. If you’d like, please download some of my music catalogue (partial list) or the book in the meantime, and prayers to the world! https://music.apple.com/us/artist/carolyn-striho/276003130
UPDATE – Will be RESCHEDULED due to Coronavirus – Friday night, April 3rd I’m part of the National Book Event at Detroit’s Scarab Club in early April for National Poetry Month with my book “Detroit (Maiden Energy)” street princess poems & lyrics. I’m honored to be on this national poetry show, hosted by Aquarius Press and The Scarab Club, which features Lupe Mendez from Texas, Brian Gilmore, John Jeffire and so many Detroit poets – and with music by me and Scott Dailey on guitar, and Tracy Kash at 6 pm to 8 pm -! https://scarabclub.org/
There’s some super music shows we’re doing in April and May with bigger details next month and specifics. And the U.K. tour is coming this summer. But first, we’re recording new songs and there will also be new Book/Music Event in Grand Rapids this Spring, too, at Schuler Books for “Detroit (Maiden Energy).” https://www.schulerbooks.com/
Good news also on my book: “Detroit (Maiden Energy)” street princess poems & lyrics was just added to Nicola’s Books in Ann Arbor and Brilliant Books in Traverse City! You can also pick it up at Book Beat, Dearborn Music, Mayflower Bookstore, Horizon Books Traverse City and Horizon Books Cadillac, Leelanau books Schuler’s in Grands Rapids, at Pure Detroit and in Toronto, Canada. It’s also on Amazon, Target or Barnes and Noble websites. Thank you! https://www.amazon.com/Detroit-Maiden-Energy-Carolyn-Striho/dp/1733089837
Thanks to Jeff Milo from WDET-FM and The Metro Times and Ferndale Library for a great interview for the podcast! https://alittletooquiet.podbean.com/ where I was interviewed recently, – here is the Interview! https://podbay.fm/podcast/1485477183/e/1584098894. Jeff gave me such great press, too! And thanks for the airplay on Local Spins podcast and airplay in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Local Spins WYCE 88.1 FM John Sinkevics – appreciate it! And don’t forget to support Michigan music with this great compilation CD we are on – you can also hear it at all Starbucks (!) – https://localspins.com/product/michigan-music-compilation-cd/
Short of doing a decade overview – and this decade was quite a changing up decade with three albums released, tours of Italy and the U.K. and many awards and videos with great Detroit shows, too (and a wedding and teaching and Wayne State University degrees, health challenges, very challenging and sad loss of my father, but also much grateful love 🙂 – here’s a little recap of 2019
The first book is here! “Detroit (Maiden Energy)” is available now with “street princess poems & lyrics” with some prose, finally done. The next book features much more prose but first things first! Thank you to Aquarius Press/Aux Media and Heather Buchanan, to the great writers who sent me blurbs for the book and fantastic reviews and family, friends and Scott Dailey and the band for the support! And to WDET-FM NPR Detroit’s Ann Delisi for the great interview which ran for 2 weeks on WDET-FM.
One of the bigger highlights was returning to Detroit’s Concert of Colors with Don Was in July at The Michigan Theatre in Jackson, Michigan and the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) Film Theatre for shows filled to capacity.
I was featured in a PBS special “Those on the Front Lines of Cancer” and my song “I Will Rise” was also in the film. Scott Dailey and I performed the song at “Dancing with The Survivors” for The Pink Fund in Southfield, Michigan, a beautiful night!
We performed up at Earthwork Harvest Gathering up in Lake City, Michigan, with Erin Zindle joining on violin and started doing new recording for a 2020 release
The Downtown Detroit Tree Lighting was amazing in November with approximately 50,000 people attending in the freezing just before Thanksgiving with WXYZ-TV Detroit (ABC) and Downtown Detroit Partnership. Thank you!
November also included the first Book Events at the stellar bookstore Book Beat in Oak Park, Michigan, world-renowned for its particular attention to writers, artists and literary fulfillment. We were also at the River’s Edge Gallery for a Book Event reading in Wyandotte.
The packed house with The Orbitsuns at The Cadieux Café in November on my birthday, a May date at Trinity House Theatre with Mary McGuire and Chris McCall and other shows including Focus Hope in Detroit – culminating in a big 4 night stand with EBird and Friends in Ann Arbor in December! Thank you Erin w/ four tremendous sold-out shows at The Ark.
I’m also honored to have one of my poems in RESPECT: The Poetry of Detroit Music and reading at the Book Event at Third Man Records Detroit. I just another great Book/Music Event In Traverse City, Michigan with Horizon Books and a fun interview with DJ Racin’ Jason on WKLT’s Morning Show – thanks to fabulous DJ and friend Terri Ray as well.
Also, there’s a great new album titled “Recreation” produced by Freddie Brooks and Orchide Records – it’s a great, rare 10 inch red vinyl, and it features our celebrated band Detroit Energy Asylum and Patti Smith. Here’s a link https://orchiderecords.bigcartel.com/products
With some nice radio airplay this year – thanks to WDET-NPR Detroit, WKLT-FM Traverse City, WHFR-FM Dearborn, 107.1 WQKL-FM Ann Arbor, Michigan, WAKT-LP 106.1 FM Toledo, Rock-Radio-UK Spins in Porstmouth England U.K., WYCE-FM 88.1 Grand Rapids, Ferndale Radio 100.7 FM, WLNZ 89.7FM in Lansing, thanks!
Happy December 1st. There is so much beautiful music and energy coming up in The City of Detroit, and Metro Detroit, Ann Arbor, and all through Michigan, Canada and the world. Time to think about the strength and hope of the cold winter resilience as a theme with creating this winter. Just an update or two on what I just did and am doing 🙂 A couple of Friday nights ago, November 22nd in Detroit, I performed at Detroit’s Tree Lighting at Campus Martius Park. Attended by nearly 50,000 people and broadcast on WXYZ Detroit Channel 7, we were thrilled to be on the main stage! We performed with Mayer Hawthorne and Beth Griffith Manley, and there were beautiful choirs and skaters, families and friends…with many thanks to my amazing musicians, Scott Dailey, Dave Dion and Dominica Lamarra, and the fantastic Downtown Detroit Partnership! https://www.facebook.com/events/488208235243032/
Sunday December 1st at Third Man Records Detroit Cass Corridor, it is the debut for the new book “Respect: The Poetry of Detroit Music” on Michigan State University Press. I’ll be reading one of my included poems in this very cool anthology. Thankful! Details http://msupress.org/event/r-e-s-p-e-c-t-book-launch-at-third-man-records-detroit-mi/
The holidays are coming and please don’t forget to check my new book “Detroit (Maiden Energy)” as a holiday gift. You can find it locally at Book Beat, Mayflower Bookstore and Dearborn Music – soon to be added to stores in Ann Arbor and Traverse City, and Toronto, Canada – or on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Aquarius/Auxmedia’s website. Thanks again to the Metro Times for the November feature! I’ll be heading up to northern Michigan for Book Events/Signings/Readings and also over to Canada in the New Year. https://www.amazon.com/Detroit-Maiden-Energy-Carolyn-Striho/dp/1733089837
We’re on a new Michigan CD Benefit album with many Michigan bands This compilation features Carolyn Striho’s “East of Eden” written by Striho and Scott Dailey. We’re grateful for the Michigan music community coming together for Ralston Bowles, and we’re happy to be included on this special “Michigan Music” compilation album, featuring over 30 songs from artists across Michigan. BUY ALBUM: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/michganmusic DETAILS & INFO: https://localspins.com/the-unprecedented-michigan-music-co…/
I’m grateful for writing today on December 1st and gratitude is a theme…Thank you again to Jim McFarlin/Detroit Metro Times for the nice 2 page feature on my new book earlier this month. Also so many gracious thanks to everyone who came out to the shows and book events, and bought my book from me or online – or at a store! Also, thanks to NPR Detroit’s WDET-FM’s Ann Delisi for the great interview and airplay. Thanks to WHFR-FM Henry Ford College and Scott Boatright. And thanks to Gary Graff, Ann Delisi, ML Liebler, Brian Jabas Smith, Brian Gilmore, John Jeffire, Heather Buchanan and kind words about the book from many… I’m amazed, and it’s deeply super stuff to have so many care about my music, and writing. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Kwanzaa – more shortly xo
