Coming Soon! Idy Mae's Full Moon and Other Stories and Songs

After much anticipation, I can finally say it: my new CD will be here by the end of next week!

I am so excited about this. It has been a long while since my last CD; my last producer moved away and it took me a while to find someone new to work with. I was so pleased to meet Terry of Lens Creek Studios; not only is he a native of the county where I live, he understood storytelling and has experience in recording spoken word pieces. Not all recording studios are familiar with the art of the spoken word, so I was thrilled to find someone who could work with me on a new recording.

Idy Mae's Full Moon combines stories from my husband's memories of growing up in a coal camp,  an Appalachian tale, and stories based around my life exoeriences, along with a couple traditional folk songs. It's fun, often funny, and was just a blast to record. The cover art is based on a photo I took here on our ridge of two venerable old oaks and a full moon just beginning to set as the sun rose, washing the sky with beautiful shades of color. Music for the CD was provided by the multi-talented old-time musician David O'Dell. It's the perfect accompaniment for this work.

Two more CDs are in the works, and I anticipate having them in late September. These next two will be the next in the series started with my last CD, Beyond the Grave, and will contain more West Virginia ghost stories and ballads. So be on the lookout for them in early Fall.


Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Back in the Recording Studio At Last

I have wanted to start a new CD for some time and today it's finally happening. I have four projects in mind, actually; we laid down the tracks for the first of the four today. The hard work is ahead of course--editing, writing the jacket material, getting the jacket designed, etc. But it's started and that's sometimes the biggest hurdle.

Today's recording was of my family stories. I've told all of them here and there over the past few years and it dawned on me that I had enough of them for a CD. The other projects I want to do are a recording of Appalachian children's stories, a second ghost stories CD, a CD of tall tales and one of world folktales. Hmmm, I guess that's five in all, isn't it?

Right now my goal is to get the stories recorded; then we can work through them and get them ready to publish when the time and money are right. My guy I work with is moving and I want to do as much as possible before he leaves for the West coast. I will surely miss him; he does excellent work and he's a great person too.

It felt good to get started. It will feel even better to see the finished product.