Songlife Weblog

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

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