You are who make SongSpace possible.  We, and the artists, are so grateful that you support live music in Pittsburgh.

We are so sad to cancel both our April 3 show with The Early Mays and our May 2 show with Joe Crookston, in the interest of doing what we can to slow the coronavirus pandemic.

We are in discussion with both the Mays and Joe about rescheduling their shows, but we do not expect to be able to announce new dates until well into May or even later.   If you are holding advance tickets for either show, you can get a full refund by emailing refunds@brownpapertickets.com. Be sure to include your confirmation number.  Or, if you prefer, you can hold on to your tickets and we will honor them at the rescheduled show.  

In the meantime we wanted to share this feature on the Early Mays done by WQED in Pittsburgh

and this live-streamed concert that Joe Crookston recently did from his own back porch in Ithaca.

Taking Care of Ourselves in the Time of the Novel Coronavirus

A good summary of epidemiological data on the spread of the novel coronavirus and the positive effects of mitigation strategies like social distancing, limiting unnecessary travel, good hygiene, etc., can be found in this Medium post.  Some of the most digestible advice on taking care of ourselves and our community is available from the World Health Organization.

This is a difficult time for all of us.  Anger, disappointment, uncertainty, fear, and more, are all natural and healthy reactions to this time in history.  As human beings, we need each other, and the social distancing required to combat the coronavirus pandemic makes that more difficult. Patience with ourselves and each other, and extra kindness toward ourselves and each other, is so important now.

Tracy Grammer writes in her weekly “Good News Tuesday” post on Facebook,

Times are kooky and self care is especially important right now. I mean, it’s important every day, but right now i think it’s critical we each take it up a notch. Hydrate, eat healthy, see your friends, get some sunshine and exercise, love big, forgive, stretch, and sleep deeply. Oh yes, and wash your hands. I think if you sing the alphabet song, that’s 20 seconds 🙂

A friend who is unable to travel from Italy to the United States at the moment shared these words of Lao Tzu:

“Do you have the patience to wait
Till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving
Till the right action arises by itself?” And, of course, music can heal even in these trying times.  Music is ringing out in the deserted streets of Italy.  Let it ring out in your heart and on your lips now too.

---

We’re booking for the 2020-2021 Season, and we hope to have announcements for you soon!

First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, Shadyside, 605 Morewood Avenue, Pgh., 15213.  All ages; wheelchair accessible.  For more information, 412.621.8008 or uusongspace@gmail.com or uusongspace.com.

You are who make SongSpace possible.  We, and the artists, are so grateful that you support live music in Pittsburgh.

Cancelled: Early Mays at SongSpace April 3

We are so sad to announce that our April 3 show with The Early Mays must be cancelled.

This is really in the best interest of protecting ourselves and those we love by doing what we can to reduce the rate of infection of the novel coronavirus in our community. Indeed, all events at First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh have been suspended in the interest of social distancing – one of the best tools we have to mitigate the spread of the virus today.  

We are in conversation with the Mays about the possibility of rescheduling the show.

Advance ticket holders for the April 3 show may contact us concerning refunds (uusongspace@gmail.com); we will also be sending you individual email about this shortly.

Joe Crookston at SongSpace May 2

We are not cancelling our May 2 show with Joe Crookston at this time.  Joe has cancelled all of his dates through the end of April, but hopes to resume touring again in May if conditions allow.  

Taking Care of Ourselves in the Time of the Novel Coronavirus

A good summary of epidemiological data on the spread of the novel coronavirus and the positive effects of mitigation strategies like social distancing, limiting unnecessary travel, good hygiene, etc., can be found in this Medium post.  Some of the most digestible advice on taking care of ourselves and our community is available from the World Health Organization.

This is a difficult time for all of us.  Anger, disappointment, uncertainty, fear, and more, are all natural and healthy reactions to this time in history.  As human beings, we need each other, and the social distancing required to combat the coronavirus pandemic makes that more difficult. Patience with ourselves and each other, and extra kindness toward ourselves and each other, is so important now.

Tracy Grammer writes in her weekly “Good News Tuesday” post on Facebook,

Times are kooky and self care is especially important right now. I mean, it’s important every day, but right now i think it’s critical we each take it up a notch. Hydrate, eat healthy, see your friends, get some sunshine and exercise, love big, forgive, stretch, and sleep deeply. Oh yes, and wash your hands. I think if you sing the alphabet song, that’s 20 seconds 🙂

A friend who is unable to travel from Italy to the United States at the moment shared these words of Lao Tzu:

“Do you have the patience to wait
Till your mud settles and the water is clear?
Can you remain unmoving
Till the right action arises by itself?”

And, of course, music can heal even in these trying times.  Music is ringing out in the deserted streets of Italy.  Let it ring out in your heart and on your lips now too.

More to come at SongSpace this spring! People are already buying tickets for these shows online at songspace.brownpapertickets.com:

Friday Apr 3, 2020: The Early Mays – Entwined, Entrancing Harmonies

.The warmth emanating from every song and tune is proof that the collaboration is a labour of love. … instrumentalism and harmony singing to make the heart soar.” — Isabel Boothby | UK Old Time News 

Saturday May 2, 2020: Joe Crookston – Beauty in a Broken World

All shows:

$20 advance, songspace.brownpapertickets.com
$25 at the door
$10 discount for students/reduced income.

First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, Shadyside, 605 Morewood Avenue, Pgh., 15213.  All ages; wheelchair accessible.  For more information, 412.621.8008 or uusongspace@gmail.com or uusongspace.com.

Thanks for Sharing a Great Evening with the Afro Yaqui Music Collective!

YOU are who make SongSpace possible.  We, and the artists, are so grateful that you support live music! 

What a show!  January 11 was a foot-tapping, body-moving, cross-cultural, justice-raising event!  If you were there you know what a great audience you were part of, and how much energy was coming from the Afro Yaqui Music Collective onstage!  We wanted to share a few pictures of the show with you, from our crack staff and several generous audience members.

Ben and Gizel are off to a spring residence at the University of Wisconsin, but they’ll be back on February 7 for a special performance at First Unitarian Church with the Chamber Orchestra of Pittsburgh!

Art is never neutral in the struggle for a new world. The Afro Yaqui Music Collective combines rhythms of Africa, Asia, and the Yaqui people to imagine a world beyond mass incarceration and ecocide — a world where life fits.  And they will be here at SongSpace to disturb, inspire and amaze you this coming Saturday!

Blending jazz and native Yaqui tribe musical influences of founders Ben Barson and Gizelxanath Rodriguez with Asian, Rap, Tango and African musics, AYMC is soothing, introspective, grooving, hard-hitting and funky all at once. You can hear more about them Wednesday in the 11 o’clock hour of Whiskey Before Breakfast, and hear Ben and Gizel live in the studio at 11am this Saturday on the Saturday Light Brigade!

“For the Pittsburgh-based funk-jazz group Afro Yaqui Music Collective, advocacy is at the core of who they are. Their new album, a jazz opera titled Mirror Butterfly: the Migrant Liberation Movement Suite, is about climate change and mass migration.” — Nick Lippa, WBFO 88.7 NPR Buffalo

“A one word summary of this concert? Unforgettable. To simply call the event a “concert” would be a misnomer- instead it was a musical journey, blending funk, jazz, hip-hop, rap, African music, Yaqui and Tzotzil-Tzeltal indigenous music from northern Mexico with powerful political messages.” — Dhruva Krishna,FoundSound Music

“Percussively driven and mighty.” — WNYC New Sounds

Come and be moved and inspired.

Afro Yaqui Music Collective at SongSpace
Saturday January 11, 2020, 7:30pm
Doors – 7:00pm

Get your tickets in advance & save a few dollars!

$20 advance, songspace.brownpapertickets.com
$25 at the door
$10 discount for students/reduced income.

First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh, Shadyside, 605 Morewood Avenue, Pgh., 15213.  All ages; wheelchair accessible.  For more information, 412.621.8008 or uusongspace@gmail.com or uusongspace.com.