Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Homeward Bound





What started out as a last-minute "hey, wanna sing with us" kinda thing with the East Troy Community Band (conducted by Jay Huenink) and Choir (directed by Rodger Trader) last Sunday turned out to be something pretty darn special!  The groups do a yearly concert at the world famous Alpine Valley here in East Troy that is whipped together in a week of rehearsals.  My dad is a regular in both of these groups, so of course I was down for joining them!  I had the honor to sing the solo in "Homeward Bound" and my dad sang the male part in a duet too.  Yay!  The whole arrangement with full band and chorus is downright stirring to the soul!  My brother, Matt, videotaped it but for whatever reason the picture was blurry so I had the idea to set some of his oil paintings of Wisconsin scenes to the music. When I saw/heard how beautifully they went together, I have to admit I was choked up... ok I actually cried!

Here it is if you'd like to see/hear for yourself:

http://youtu.be/m1FpjFjQ9y4


HOMEWARD BOUND
Words and Music by Marta Keen
arranged by Jay Althouse and Brant Karrick

In the quiet misty morning, when the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing and the sky is clear and red,
When the summer's ceased its gleaming, when the corn is past its prime,
When adventure's lost its meaning, I'll be homeward bound in time.
Bind me not to the pasture. Chain me not to the plow.
Set me free to find my calling and I'll return to you somehow.
If you find it's me you're missing, if you're hoping I'll return,
To your thought I'll soon be list'ning; in the road I'll stop and turn.
Then the wind will set me racing as my journey nears its end,
And the path I'll be retracing when I'm homeward bound again.
Bind me not to the pasture. Chain me not to the plow.
Set me free to find my calling and I'll return to you somehow.
In the quiet misty morning when the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing, I'll be homeward bound again.

p.s. the baby you hear in the beginning is a cameo by the notorious Jackrabbit!

For another chance to hear this piece being performed along with a whole program of great tunes, come join us in the East Troy Town Square this Thursday, August 1st at 7:30pm!  

for more details:

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Ice Cream Social Concert in the Park

After moving out of our house in Oakland, stopping over in Wisconsin before a whirlwind house-hunting trip to NYC, then back to California for a couple singing gigs, and finally landing back here to Eagle Springs Lake, WI ...  At last, Jackrabbit and I are enjoying our precious time in Wisconsin while our poor Johnny-boy slaves away at theater camp in Mill Valley, CA.  That brings us up to date!

The 4th of July weekend here on the lake is a wild and exciting time!  It started with the kiddy parade at Eagleville Elementary and an impromptu singing of "God Bless America" by Jackrabbit and I on the 1920's fire engine.


After a slew of BBQs, swimming, rehearsing, and Fireworks, we made it to Sunday, the day of the
ICE CREAM SOCIAL!!!  Ed Pierce graciously invited me to sing again with Palmyra-Eagle Community Band and the Kettle Moraine Blues Band this year and to all our delight, I was able to sing at their largest gathering.  We planned the challenging program over email from Wisco to Cali and selected some of my favorite songs of all time!  The warmth and support I feel from this group and from the audience in Eagle is tremendous, almost over-whelming.  I wish I could bottle it up and take it to NYC.  Maybe I can find a friendly Mr. Ed director out there who wants me to sing to my heart's content with his amazing band and everyone is happy ever after!!!



Here is the poster from the concert:


And now for the live footage from the event!  Click on the links to see the video:




My bio:

Kimberly Fadner "Kimbirdlee" is a performing and visual artist who grew up in Hales Corners,WI and lived in Oakland, CA with her husband and 1 yr old son, "Jackrabbit" up until this summer.
"The 40s: A Sentimental Journey" and her ongoing collaboration with PECM marks a special time for Kimbirdlee and her family as they spread their wings and make NYC their home in Fall, 2013.
Kimbirdlee's natural gift as a singer was discovered as a young girl and she was in musicals with local Milwaukee-area theaters at an early age. Her first big roles were Amahl in "Amahl and the Night Visitors" and Marta in "Sound of Music" when she was only 7 years old. She was soon dubbed the singer of the family and sang for many special events, often with her father singing and playing along on guitar.  Kimberly majored in Vocal Performance & Dance at Mills College in Oakland, CA and acting at the American Conservatory of Theater-SF. She appeared in West Coast productions including "It's a Grand Night for Singers" at Jarvis Conservatory in Napa, "Forever Broadway" at Herbst Theater, "Working: The Musical" at ACT-SF, Marin Shakespeare Company's "The Tempest", Berkeley Playhouse's "Cinderella:Enchanted", "Narnia", "Born and Raised" & "Seussical The Musical".  She worked with the Berkeley Playhouse, and 142 Throckmorton as an actress, aerialist, director and teacher for several years. Her performance in "Seussical" earned her a Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Award nomination in 2012 and a guest performance at the Palace of Fine Arts in SF. Kimberly performs and records with her husband Jonathan Fadner and brother Matt Miller in The Kimbirdlee Fadner Trio & La Boheme.  She is a soloist for various churches, as well. Here's to spreading joy and inspiration through music and the arts.

Some extra video fun - Pre-show at Jack's Place!




Thank you so much for visiting Kimbird-Land today and come back often.  I will do my best to make you smile!!!
:D