In 2016 I felt pretty depressed about the state of the world. One day I picked up an old New Yorker from years back. In it was a fantastic article that I had never read by David Remnick about Aretha Franklin. It occurred to me that the same country that produced our horrifying racial past (and present) also produced the most amazing artist ever. I started listening to Aretha constantly. One day I turned to my neighbor and musician Monica Schley and thanked her for being an artist. Art will get us through this; art is the beauty that remains in trying times.
Monica’s primary instrument is the harp. I have sat in my backyard and appreciated the beauty of her music wafting through the air. Her band “The Daphnes” is having a CD release party this Thursday October 25th at 7:00 pm in the Chapel of Good Shepherd Center. Tickets are $10. The new album is “Braids of Kabuya.” My favorite songs on the album are “Snake Charmer” and “Mood Indigo.” I’ll confess I’m not a music critic so I’ll find it hard to describe the mix of genres on the album, but from my untrained ear I hear jazzy magical Eastern tones. It’s evocative and transporting. If you like the sample above consider stopping by her CD release party.
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Please come enjoy some wonderful personal songs written by Monica Schley. Songs about things our Wallingford neighborhood cares about—the environment, parenting, Mothers, and Washington State Ferries (of course). If you are a parent and haven’t been to an adult concert in a while this is a great one to see. The music combines jazz, folk, and elements you can’t categorize that sort of fall in to rock or indie music. There will be kids their, but it is a sit down concert, so not appropriate for restless little ones. Thank you Daranee for posting!