Joanna Kirby

Over the past two months my life has taken on new shape and responsibilities.  After nearly a year of planning and considering the leap from employee to sole proprietor, on August 31, 2009, I launched a private music therapy practice in midtown, Harrisburg.

With help, I chose to develop a professional music studio and library in the front room of my home where I provide music therapy treatment and music lessons.  The music room contains a library of song and instructional materials as well as a drum kit, Rhodes piano, several guitars, ukulele, metalophone, a multitude of hand and Latin percussion instruments, a didgeridoo, an ektara, and several djembe drums.

So far, I am providing individual music therapy treatment to several clients each week.  The clients who have followed me over the years have transitioned well to the new setting and continue to make steady progress toward their goals.  I have also picked up a few new clients and  two exceptional music students.  I find that in this new setting, I am able to offer my clients and students more choices and facilitate higher quality experiences.  Since I am no longer a mobile therapist I am able to contribute more time to planning and preparing session materials for each individual.

The most challenging obstacles in this venture seem to be working with medicaid, learning to use my accounting software, and finding affordable health care. I believe that I can over come these with practice, patience, and phone calls.  I look forward to the days when these measures become “old hat.”

We have exceptional performances scheduled this month at SUBA including, a one woman show, The Levity of Lithium!  Check out our line up! Music is always 9pm to 11pm, unless it is listed otherwise, and the show is always FREE!  So mark your calendars, bring a friend, and enjoy SUBA!  

June 5 - Kagero make their way from Brooklyn, NY to bring high energy Japanese Gypsy Rock to Suba! 

June 6 - Indian Summer Jars, local female acoustic duo perform original music with sweet harmonies and groovy rhythm.  

June 12- The Thing With Two Heads Husband and wife disc jockeys Bazooka Joe and XTINE16, tag team a night of extra funky primitave rock and roll. 

June 13 - The Orphan Trains on tour promoting their album On The Night You Were Born.  This acoustic duo performs exceptional original folk music.  

Thursday, June 18 at 7:30 - The Levity of Lithium is a one-woman show about mania, marriage, mojo, karma and other relationships. It’s a comedy, so leave your tissues at home! Poetry, dance, song and humor intermingle for this highly charged hybrid entertainment vehicle. 

June 19 - The Mark Lomax Band from Philadelphia performs original blue roots music. Sonja The  Sexy Mermaid of my band Smoke The Groove on keys and back vox. 

June 20 - Stacey Dee performs original indi rock, backed by The Creekside Combo. 

June 26 - Nate Myers and The Aces are local favorites! Their gritty, red hot blues and americana has made them a Suba staple. They are fun to watch and sure to rock the house!  

June 27 -  The last Saturday of every month the Batida Sistas bring their magic to Suba! These enigmatic women share their percussion istruments and lead a jam over original and Brasillian songs that are sure to get you singing, dancing, and playing along. The spirit is always high. The company is always warm and inviting! This is a Harrisburg must for the free spirit. 

Menue suggestion: Suba is Harrisburg’s only authentic Spanish tapas bar with a wonderful selection of small delishious plates, tacos, and cocktails. My personal favorites are the Fish Tacos and Caipirinha! Enjoy!

by joanna kirby

We have a great music line up this month at Suba! I am especially looking forward to Millennium Music Conference on Valentines Day weekend! Between the musicians and bands at Suba and Maennerchor, North Street will be loaded with touring regional talent.

SUBA’s Music is 9pm to 11pm.    No Cover Charge:)   21+

Feb 6 Indian Summer Jars (York, PA)

Acoustic Folk Duo.

Inspired by layers of emotion, experience and everyday nature, Indian Summer Jars blend soulful harmonies, passionate lyrics and an array of energy in creating their signature, Folk/Acoustic sound. Comprised of Sarah Beth(Lead Singer/Guitarist) and Sarah King(Harmonies/Percussion/Rhythm Guitar), Indian Summer Jars juxtapose Celtic, earthy undertones with hints of Bluesy, ever-flowing rhythms. -Hitt Music Group

Feb 7 The Sketties (Lancaster, PA)

Original Rock

The Sketties is an eclectic five-piece band from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. A live performance is something of an enigma. It brings together high-energy upbeat melodies and twists it together with more sorrowful and introspective themes, all the while maintaining a light-heartedness that makes you want to dance.

Feb 13 Millennium Music Confrence -Showcase Artists     9pm to 12pm.Free!

Jazz/folk experimentalist Becca Stevens (NYC) will open the weekend with a solo performance of original music using voice and stringed instruments, like the Charango.
Ishtar belly dance rock band from Pittsburgh will intoxicate us with the exotic sound of their clarinet, bass, and Middle Eastern percussion instruments the darbuka and riqq.

Feb 14 Millennium Music Conference - Showcase Artists     9pm to 12pm. Free!

Happy Valentines Day! Bring your love 2 SUBA for Gypsy Dave and The Stump Jumpers (Meadville, PA) charming, traveling, acoustic string gypsy folk band will open at 9pm. Then super fun Japanese gypsy rock trio Kagero (Brooklyn, NY) and  The Karl Walters Jr Trio (Brooklyn, NY) will top the night off.

Feb 20 Three Trains Coming (Harrisburg, PA)

Blues

Feb 21 Alexandra Day with Sonja Bontrager (Philadelphia, PA)

Original Jazz Pop

Alexandra Day, is described by Doug Wallen (Philadelphia Weekly) as “sultry yet versatile” and by Dena Marchiony (Philadelphia Songwriters Project) as “a wonderful new songwriter with great lyrics and catchy, interesting musical hooks”, Day will be performing material from her new CD “No Castles No Moats” with her band.

Feb 24 Carnival at Mangia Qui

Mangia Qui celebrates Carnival with a Brazilian menu, a live video feed from Rio and Sao Paolo, and Batida! The Batida Sista’s will jam Brazilian inspired rhythms and lead a percussion jam. Bring your instrument and your spirit. Music 8-11pm.

Feb 27 Nate Myers and The Aces -  Harrisburg, PA
Genre: Red Hot Blues and Americana

Feb 28 Smoke The Groove - Harrisburg, PA
Genre: Original Pop Fusion. Come early for a table.

Thanks to Josh Karns we now have recordings of Smoke The Groove, from our January 2nd, First Friday Progressive Galleries Party in Harrisburg. These songs are posted on our myspace page as well as available on bit torrent.  Soon we plan to have copies available for our fans:)

We are persuing shared gigs in neighboring cities opening for other local music acts. Contact me here or on myspace for booking.

To my surprise Michael Sedor posted a blog on Penn Live reviewing Smoke The Groove and promoting our show tomorrow night at Suba!

WOW! I’m super hyped for our show now! Come early for a table and get ready to rock the house!

9pm to 11pm.

Free Show!

Thank you, Michael Sedor!

Check it out!

http://blog.pennlive.com/afterdark/2009/01/smoke_the_groove_at_suba_satur.html

Each month Jason Rubal hosts a night of free one-take recordings for singer songwriters at his studio, Seventh Wave.  This event is called Midnight at the Angel Factory and on December 19th I was one of his guests. As you can see in the photo below, the space is beautiful!

Mr. Rubal shared his belief in these one-take recordings. The first take is usually the most raw and honest., and he is interested in capturing that in singer-songwriters. It seemed important that he would avoid diluting the song with multiple takes and over production.  We made the agreement that he would record my songs for free and I would distribute them for free.

I recorded acoustic arrangements of Red Eyes, I Love, and Stay, in one take each.  I wailed into five carefully positioned microphones and the result is in fact intimate and clear.

This was truly an extraordinary evening, as I was privileged to record in this fine studio with Jason and his assistant Brandon.  I also met three other local singer songwriters: Messina Whirley, Sarah Witmer, and Loretta Billieux. Josh was also present and gave thumbs up and a proud grin from the control room.

I also perform these songs with my band Smoke The Groove.  See the gig calendar on my home page and come to one of our shows.

I’m off to the Adirondacks for a snowy New Year, but I’ll be back in Harrisburg in time for Friday’s show at Der Maennerchor with Smoke The Groove! Opening for us will be Drake, our new friends from Philadelphia.  We shared a show with them in Philly earlier this month, and the energy was through the roof.  I’m REALLY looking forward to our show on January 2.

Then, on Friday the 9th, I’m joining local laides Indian Summer Jars at the Abbey Bar of ABC.  They are playing two long sets, and I’ll be playing a set in between.  If acoustic music is your thing, this is not a night to miss!

Alexandra Day, is described by Doug Wallen (Philadelphia Weekly) as “sultry yet versatile” and by Dena Marchiony (Philadelphia Songwriters Project) as “a wonderful new songwriter with great lyrics and catchy, interesting musical hooks”, Day will be performing a set of all original material, from her new CD “No Castles No Moats.”

“No Castles No Moats” was released April, and greeted by an enthusiastic crowd at the North Star Bar CD Release party, and at venues around the region, such as the Tin Angel and World Café Live (in Philadelphia), Banjo Jims (in New York City) and at the Cape May Singer-Songwriter Festival. Day will do one more local show (8/9/08 at Milkboy Coffee in Ardmore) before heading out for an East Coast Tour. The CD was reviewed on the front page of the music section in the Philadelphia Weekly, and received blurbs and mentions in the Citypaper and other local publications.

“No Castles No Moats” features ten original songs that demonstrate a convergence of classical training and pop sensibility. Piano and string arrangements that crescendo gently and conjure storm clouds intersperse with twangy guitars and folk percussion that give listeners a chance to tap their feet. The album’s crown is Day’s voice, which soars through the musical landscape with ease, authenticity, and a wide palette of stylistic tools.

For more information, a complete bio, and sound clips, please visit www.myspace.com/alexandraday.

What a night for the Roving Troubadours! We were only three at the start but gathered rhythm loving folks as we toured the city’s open galleries for Harrisburg’s First Friday in November.

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We met at my house on Green Street where we assembled the vibe with brownies, rhythms, and Shiraz. Yum Yum.  Outside, we found our voices in harmony as we traversed the pavement decked with leaves.  This is  Harrisburg’s First Friday, in an unusually warm November.

We arrived at Arts 510 around 630pm. Welcomers swept us through the foyer, into the front room for a verse, then moved us down the hall and into the back gallery where we improvised a song about “beauty on the wall, in my hand, in my head, in my friend.” As our song ended many attendants came over to speak with us, including Alan Hochberg.

Alan roved with us to Arthouse Lounge. He photographed the jam down pine street and the heart of downtown. Click here to see a photo album.

Through the entrance of The Arthouse, we roved up the stairs and into the Lounge where we found a comfy place to unload and jam with a few troubadours who met us there, including The Mains, N8 and Lara, Niuorka, Naommi, Dayonara, Tim, Jessica, and Josh. We also made a few new friends Jason the owner and Alfonso Crawford who biked along with us for the rest of the night. We took a break, the boys entertained the Lounge with a Didjeridoo jam, while the ladies made a surprise visit to Karen’s Thrifty Shopper! We then rounded up the Gang and continued to move.

The Troubadours Roved onto The Mantis in Midtown, where we seemed to bombard the gallery with excitement and music. In a moment of sheer inspiration we walked into the center of a seashell universe sculpture where we bumped the unstable display.  oops:/ and eh:(  We hung our heads low and sang, “This train is moving on.” Live and learn.

On to the coolest party on earth, held in a near secret location just off second street. The Lingerie Room. We found our way through the entrance of the Progressive Galleries Event and jammed the freshest display of street art in town. Bones. Rock. Money. Red. Birds. Man. Woman. Palm trees! Yeah!  Upstairs we found a dark room of whirling lights and a set stage. Yesss! The Troubadours, with an outstanding sound set up (Thank you) proceeded to chant and drum and strum along with other musicians present. Then Dancing! Dancing! Dancing! I’m hoping to see some pictures from the late night.

All day and in my dreams.

rhythm and harmony. dissonance. vowel and rhyme.

phrase. pattern. repeat. change 2 keep it interesting.