Songlife Weblog

Piano is taming the beast - said this to my long time client earlier today. "Huh?" he asked, startled, unsure of what I had said. I repeated, "Piano is taming your beast. Good for you." He chuckled in his, I've-come-through-a-bout-of-defensiveness-and-am-learning-to-have-a-sense-of-humor-about-it voice I have come to recognize and cherish after our decade plus of adventures in songwriter land. He had successfully navigated his right and left hands, counted time, and read th

One of my favorite parts about visiting Romania was enjoying the food, and warm hospitality of the people we met along the way. I was delighted to discover that many of the dishes enjoyed by Romanians are also part of a hearty Southern U.S.A. style of cuisine. Combine that with influences from the Mediterranean and the German, and you end up with a culinary delight all its own in Romania. For breakfast, our host hotels provided a lavish feast fit for kings that was pre-negoti

Traveling through Transylvania - A Tennessean's Perspective rail tracks in Racovita, Romania As a U.S. Arts Envoy from the great state of Tennessee, I felt like I had a lot in common with the Romanians, even before our visit. For one thing, there are said to be 3 distinct parts of Romania, and our State of Tennessee also has 3 distinct parts, each with its own unique cultural differences, represented by the three stars on our flag. Of the three regions in Romania, I was able

Christmas Market Magic in Romania - U.S. Arts Envoy Day In the Life Cluj Napoca Romania Christmas Market at Night It came as a surprise to me that Romania as a country counts itself as having over 90% Christian population. The local people take great pride in their culture and traditions, and commonly participate in the wonder and magic that is a Christmas Market. For those like me who had never visited such a market, it was a revelation of beauty and communal celebration of

I have been preparing for this trip to Romania for months, learning the beautiful Romanian language and reading everything I can get my hands on about the culture, history and people. Arts Envoy visits are mission driven toward achieving certain goals. Our mission in Romania: to conduct interactive keynotes and team building workshops to target audiences including: Embassy affiliates, industry leaders, shareholders, and creative stakeholders. We will also provide our educatio

People often ask me what I do as a U.S. Arts Envoy, so I thought the occasion of the United States' 250 year birthday, and the U.S. Embassy Bucharest including me in their Freedom 250 campaign, is the perfect opportunity to talk about my trip to Romania. A Day in the Life of an Arts Envoy in Romania An Arts Envoy is a citizen ambassador with a specific field of expertise that works closely with counterparts in other countries where the U.S. has an active Embassy. My mission i

Honored to be part of the U.S. Embassy Bucharest’s #PassTheStar Freedom 250 series! In this reel, I share what it meant to visit Romania as an Arts Envoy—writing songs with incredible people across the country and celebrating our shared values of family, community, and creative tradition. Stay tuned as I take you through workshops, Christmas markets, songwriting sessions, and the warm Romanian hospitality that made it unforgettable. Thank you to the U.S. Embassy Bucharest

NEW RELEASE "Always A Love Song" from tonight's 52 Acoustic live. Watch the debut LIVE on Facebook and X on 52 Acoustic Live. LYRICS Always a Love Song words and music by Pete Garfinkel, Taylor Lewis, Amanda Williams What gets her through the night? Moonlit bath and candle light Celestial dreams and satin sheets To hold her tight What gets her through the night? It's always a love song It's always a love song On her lips In her eyes A reason to sing a reason to cry All wrappe

Tonight's 52 Acoustic Week 25 Live Performance - 52 Acoustic Week 25 Amanda Colleen Williams This week 25 features: Track 1 - "Last Resort" words & music by Crystal Hoyt & Amanda Colleen Williams​ Track 2 - "Love Holiday" words & music by Alan Bennett & Amanda Colleen Williams NEW RELEASE - "Always A Love Song" words & music Pete Garfinkel, Taylor Lewis & Amanda Colleen Williams​ Visit the 52 Acoustic Archive and see all the posts

NEW RELEASE "Never Understand (Trio Record)" from tonight's 52 Acoustic live. Watch the debut LIVE on Facebook and X on 52 Acoustic Live. Visit the 52 Acoustic Archive page to catch up on the weekly concerts.

Tonight's 52 Acoustic Week 24 Live Performance - 52 Acoustic Week 24 Amanda Colleen Williams This week 24 features: Track 1 - "She's Tired Of Boys" words & music by Garth Brooks & Amanda Colleen Williams​ Track 2 - "Papa Loved Mama" words & music by Garth Brooks & Kim Williams​ NEW RELEASE - "Never Understand" words & music D. Scott Miller & Amanda Colleen Williams Visit the 52 Acoustic Archive and see all the posts

Tonight's 52 Acoustic Week 23 Live Performance - 52 Acoustic Week 23 Amanda Colleen Williams & Taylor Lewis This week 23 features: Track 1 - "39 States" words & music by Joel Brentlinger & Amanda Colleen Williams​ Track 2 - "Never Rains In Texas" words & music by Pete Garfinkel, Taylor Lewis & Amanda Colleen Williams​ Track 3 - "Love Holiday" words & music by Alan Bennett & Amanda Colleen Williams Track 4 - "Mystery" words & music by Pete Garfinkel & Amanda Colleen Williams N

NEW RELEASE "Muse (Trio Record)" from tonight's 52 Acoustic live. Watch the debut LIVE on Facebook and X on 52 Acoustic Live. Visit the 52 Acoustic Archive page to catch up on the weekly concerts.

Tonight's 52 Acoustic Week 22 Live Performance - 52 Acoustic Week 22 Amanda Colleen Williams This week 22 features: Track 1 - "Water" words & music by Russ Robertson & Amanda Colleen Williams​ Track 2 - "Jesus Loves Me" words & music by Amanda Colleen Williams NEW RELEASE - "Muse" words & music Gerald O'Brien & Amanda Colleen Williams Visit the 52 Acoustic Archive and see all the posts

NEW RELEASE "After Tonight" from tonight's 52 Acoustic live. Watch the debut LIVE on Facebook and X on 52 Acoustic Live. Visit the 52 Acoustic Archive page to catch up on the weekly concerts.

Tonight's 52 Acoustic Week 21 Live Performance - This week 21 features: Track 1 - "I Picked Wrong" words & music by Paul Brown & Amanda Colleen Williams​ Track 2 - "Lost Love Saloon" words & music by Michelle Hill & Amanda Colleen Williams NEW RELEASE - "After Tonight" words & music Kris Bergsnes & Amanda Colleen Williams Visit the 52 Acoustic Archive and see all the posts

Tonight's 52 Acoustic Week 20 Live Performance - Click image to see 52 Acoustic | Week 20 video and playlist This week 20 features: Track 1 - "Lit Up In Love" words & music by Brenda Register & Amanda Colleen Williams​ Track 2 - "I'm On Fire" words & music by Bruce Springsteen​ NEW RELEASE - "Make It A Night" words & music D. Scott Miller & Amanda Colleen Williams Visit the 52 Acoustic Archive and see all the posts

NEW RELEASE "Make It A Night" from tonight's 52 Acoustic live. Watch the debut LIVE on Facebook and X on 52 Acoustic Live. Visit the 52 Acoustic Archive page to catch up on the weekly concerts.

NEW RELEASE "Let Him Go" from tonight's 52 Acoustic live. Watch the debut LIVE on Facebook and X on 52 Acoustic Live. Visit the 52 Acoustic Archive page to catch up on the weekly concerts.