Sunday, October 9, 2011

An 80+ degree October.

I can't believe it's already October! PUMPKINS are for sale, people! Pumpkins! This is cause for celebration. Buy everyone you love a pumpkin. Because nothing says "love" like an edible gourd.

So fall is officially here. I've busted out the sweater box, switched to my winter boots, and invested in some serious wool socks. I am both prepared and in anticipation of the autumn months.
...and yet today it was 80 degrees in New York City on October 10th. There seems to be a disconnect.

Maybe it's global warming, maybe it's happenstance, but MAYBE it's the universe thwarting me of joy.

This suspicion was confirmed today when Nick Paul and I went in search of an apple orchard before driving back to NYC from our gig at Messiah College. Strites Orchard was not only revered as the best in the land-- it was also on our way home and included a pumpkin patch and a bakery.
Jackpot.
We made up songs on the car ride over, yelling joyfully, "APPLES!" out open windows, the sun shining it's mid-morning light, the breeze brushing our unkempt hair.
But as we came upon the glorious rolling apple hills, we also came upon a deserted parking lot and, much to our dismay, a sign indicating that Sunday is NOT a day for picking apples.

Apparently, Autumn as been postponed.

...We instead settled for a highway CrackerBarrel.

But seriously, fall is absolutely my favorite time of year. The brisk air; the expectation of holiday spirit; the willingness of people to be outside and soak in the last moments of late sunshine;  the smell of mulled spices from every cafe's open doors. It's enough to send my heart into a tizzy.

This also means the beginning of costume consideration. I take my Halloween adornments quite seriously. Past years have included Wonder Woman, Sarah Palin, Hobbes from Calvin and Hobbes, Lumber Jill, Alice in Wonderland, a one-eyed pirate, and my favorite, Peter Pan (little boy's tunic from The Disney Store included). Last year I was the wolf on one weekend night, and then Little Red the next, wearing the wolf head (hat) as my cap. Morbid, perhaps, but hey-- it's Halloween. I am always open to suggestions, and I am ALWAYS down for group themes.
i.e. Captain Planet and his gang of Planeteers.

...Which leads me to another really wonderful thing about this October in particular. Towards the end of the summer I was contacted by Timberland Clothing Company's corporate office, asking me to be featured on their community site. They were looking for musicians with environmental fervor. Essentially, Planeteers.
Being that I am so deeply inspired by and committed to protecting the environment, I was honored to accept their offer. It gave me a chance to kick start what I eventually look to do with my music-- to use it as a voice for greater good. Because at the end of the day, music speaks of the human condition, and the human condition is provided and determined by our earth. It's a perfect way, as I see it, to create a harmony within my own life, and use my passion to help others feel the same way.

Prompted by the opportunity, I teamed up with Noah Paul, the incredibly talented young designer/videographer who created my EP artwork for "Imaginary." We wanted to create a video for Timberland that would be representative of their product and their mission, as well as my product and mission as an artist. Using "Smoking Gun" as the backdrop and with Noah's visual instincts, we ventured to the wilds of upstate NY to film this video for their site.

I am always impressed with what can be done in a short amount of time-- and this was a perfect example of that. In two days of filming and less than a week to edit, we created what feels to me like an artistic success. It's not just what the video does visually-- it's how it feels. He was able to take my feelings about music and the wilderness and represent it honestly, visually and aurally. All I had to do was... be me.  Perhaps that is why this opportunity was so amazing-- I found out that in 3 minutes, I could perfectly capture my thoughts about the world around me, and have it reach many who feel the same way. (Evident by the fact that the video is now hanging out on the Timberland website, blog, and YouTube channel).
Did I mention I got to wear Timberland's buffalo-check coat in the film? And that I looked like a lumberjack?
October, you are WINNING.

Check out the video and feature here, if you like!
Timberland's website: http://community.timberland.com/Music
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRc1bv9fYHo


So in conclusion, you can take the Autumn out of Fall, but you can't take the Autumn out of Alicia.

Or something strange like that.

Until next time--
Earth! Fire! Wind! Water! Heart! By your powers combined, I am Captain Planet!


Go Brewers!

-<3- Lic

2 comments:

  1. Sooo....you know that me and some friends dressed as Captain Planet and the Planeteers a few years ago for Halloween, right? Actually, we were Captain Planette and her Planetteers, as yours truly played the part of the good Captain ;). I fashioned the costume out of a fantastically hideous rain jacket that I found at a garage sale. Oh yes. I love the sound of where your life is going - singing for Mother Nature! You're awesome! <3

    GO CARDS! ;)
    ~Amanda K.

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  2. You made a Captain Planette costume out of recycled clothes? YOU ROCK.

    Much love, and thanks for the note :-)

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