Kristin Lems: Kristin's Blog

This summer I performed for a wedding of a dear friend's daughter, and my part in the ceremony was instrumental music as the wedding party came down the aisle.  Pretty cool!  I decided to try out the autoharp....a much loved but underused instrument I've had for years ~ and got as a gift from a very special friend.  I dusted it off, then took it in to the famous Hogeye Music and had it restrung and adjusted, then went to work on the wedding music.  As I got used to the new muscle patterns needed for pushing buttons while strumming in a standing position, my "inner autoharp" emerged from a long sleep, and I got to love it.  Next time you see me, just ask for my autoharp rendition of Pachebel's Canon.......!

I did a phone interview with the Illinois Times and it's published in today's issue....please check it out and enjoy.  Looking forward to the Springfield performance! 
http://www.illinoistimes.com/Springfield/article-7092-kristin-lems-is-back.html

I took a friend to the airport Thursday and on the way back to my car, stopped to listen to an amazing jazz violinist, just at the entrance to Terminal 3.  He had a whole getup of "karaoke" jazz tracks which he played over with style and skill.  Samuel "Savoir Faire" Williams is his name; and I took his card so I could download his recordings later.  This guy, I thought, was someone really special.
Fast forward to last night - Saturday night - and a gig I was part of, a benefit for Haiti's children, held at the People's Church.  Joe Jencks had invited me to be part of this special show, just he, another guy he know, and myself.  I hauled my guitar onto the stage, turned to meet the other musician, and it was.....Samuel Williams!!!  His bright, smiling face and complete devotion to his fine art once again stopped me in my tracks.  He and Joe did many tunes together, beautifully, I did mine, and we all took a bow together at the end.  (I'll upload [...]

I managed to capture the performance of the new song "Oh Little Bird" on video - and have now uploaded it at You Tube.  Hope you enjoy it!  It was the first performance, so a little rough, but you get the idea! 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZO_oaAYUgI

I just penned a new song, as I often seem to be able to do on the very eve before a gig...."Little Bird" is about displaced persons everywhere, and especially for the people in refugee camps, outside Iraq and all around the world, who just want to go home to a peaceful place.  Hope you'll come by for the song's debut.  (Feb. 20, 2 pm, Evanston Public Library, Iraqi Student Project).