back to the future... (i.e. andrea's blog)

Wow. What a performance. Album is out tomorrow and let me tell you, it’s golden! @adamcohen #adamcohen (at CBC Toronto)

Happy 100 St. Pete’s! #tinydancer #highschoolreunion #spss

Me looking at you looking at me. September 21st @ Free Times Cafe in Toronto –> andreagauster.com/tour

Happy Canada Day!

that’s a deal #neworleans

non stop music. non stop awesome. #neworleans

MUSIC and MEDICINE - do they jive? (part 2 of___)

Right now, not so much.

In the last month I’ve been told the following numerous times in response to my entering Clerkship: "never give up your music"

I’ll tell you my current situation:

- I have zero gigs booked

- I haven’t written a (full) new song since September

- My guitar and text books are fighting for my attention. Text books are winning.

- I kinda just wanna hang out with my friends and family

- My stress level is pretty in check (despite a looming final exam on Monday)

So when people ask how my music career is going my answer RIGHT NOW would be that it isn’t.  I simply don’t have the time or capacity to handle the business aspect of being a musician at the moment (ie. booking shows, contacting music reps, updating my website, attending photo shoots, interviews, trying to make money… ahem, break even etc).  So one may say my music career is pretty scheisse right now.  

Interestingly enough, taking out the “professional” aspect of my music in the last month has done something pretty great for me; it’s given me more time to stay balanced. Cooking. Working out. Spending time with friends and family. Writing numerous half-finished songs and being okay with it. Watching movies even!  No wonder I feel pretty calm about it all…

But have I “given up my music”?

NO!  It’s there. You can’t see it as much anymore but I can.  It will never go away. Come January I will be a (oh so junior) clinician and that’s what needs my professional attention right now.  My personal attention can go to all those other things… you know, life and stuff.  Am I still picking up the guitar, singing in the shower, writing musicals in my head while I cook - yes I am.

And it’s my hope you’ll see the result of all of that someday in the next few years.

Until then, I’d like to thank you motivators out there who keep reminding me to not let this side of me go.  It really strikes a cord and I’d like to strike back.  So I suggest you all go for a nice winter walk, give someone you love a huge hug, and enjoy the holidays.  Everyone’s professional life needs a break once in a while.

xag

www.andreagauster.com

A note I wrote to myself one morning (ahem… this morning) before I hurried out the door to start my day. I was needing something. I remembered what.

(caution: this entry contains eff-bombs, viewer discretion is advised)

I have this white board in my apartment that I, surprise surprise, write things on. Reminders, phone numbers, song ideas, my student id number etc.  In late November, as exam season and the time to hibernate and study until my eyes were red (because blinking is too time consuming) loomed, I erased the board and started writing little notes to myself to remind me of the things that, without fail, make me feel human.

Maybe it’s lame that I felt the need for reminders at that point but I say to each their own. You do what you gotta do. So to the white board I went. The result? Essentially a glorified lululemon bag minus one small difference:

“Music. Guitar. Harmonica.DANCE! touch. MOVE. drink(water).red wine.yoga. get breathless. cook. Bike baby. Dogs. Hugs. walks." etc. etc.

and then….

”FUCK OFF!“

You read it correctly. I told myself (wrote myself?) to eff-the-hell-off.  I don’t think they’re allowed to write that on lululemon bags… 

The need for this list was obvious to me.  I’m in my 8th year of school and know what exam stress can do to people/me. As the years go by, I seem to be learning more and more about how I deal.  Like many studies and careers I’m sure, medschool can be very consuming (which is an understatement of sorts).  It’s like an infinite pool of interesting and ridiculously detailed facts that seem (and quite possibly are) vital to your success as a future clinician… a pool so vast it can gobble you up and make you forget what else you enjoy doing with your time and self.

Sometimes I think wrapping yourself up in the bubble that is your career, passion, day job, whatever… is vital to your success (case in point for me: exam season). But there are oh so many other times that blocking out yourself for the sake of your work can be detrimental to your health (in every sense of the word).  I think this applies to everyone.

In an ideal world we’d all have time to drink our 10 glasses of purified water a day, wake up and do yoga after a nice jog, spend our evenings with loved ones doing loved things, travel, be free, visit family, love every minute of our jobs, laugh our asses off daily, read our favourite books, meet up with friends weekly, play guitar… and ALL those things we (I) so easily forget to make time for while getting our daily duties done.  And while the world ain’t perfect, tell me: how crazy is this list?  I say not so crazy.  So I try my best to fit these things into my life so I can achieve some sort of balance… which leaves little time to do the one thing I often forget to: to feck-off!

So, to avoid turning into an android during my medical studies I remember to look at this list. It rarely takes a reminder to sit down and play guitar or think of what is planned for the day ahead… but I often need one that tells me to get lost.

Which brings me to my musical MIA-ness:

In the midst of another 14 hour study day a few weeks back (and after having to turn down a lovely gig in Peterborough due to a prior commitment) I caught myself planning.  A holiday season full of gigs, a summer tour, a research project, a workout schedule, get togethers with friends, New Years Eve, a party outfit… plan plan plan. And then I looked up and saw my little vulgar reminder: fuck off andrea! At that point I made the conscious decision to CHILL this holiday season.  No gigs. No plans. No studying. Just taking it day by day.

So here is my gift to you dear friends: I’m asking you to f*ck off!  Do it for yourself and the ones you love.  Plan it in your calendar and take an hour, a day, whatever you can afford to just GET LOST.  Turn off your cell phone, ignore your to do lists, forget the TV and just be.  Your mind, body, and soul will thank you.

So no gigs this holiday season but I’m excited to get some planned (of course) in the near future.  So stay tuned and get ready to see my face because I’m excited to see yours.

Much love from F-bomb central and a very Happy Holiday season from me to you,

Andrea

www.andreagauster.com

Another year another CD. How did this happen?!

Well it started long ago with a vision…

Just kidding.

It started not so long ago with a gal (i.e me) who wrote a bunch of songs she finally chalked up the courage to sing to the world (i.e. you).

Reverie came and went and remains in your itunes library… it holds a place in my heart that will be held by nothing else.  It introduced me to you, to this, to life as a musician in Canada (and online).

Many days and hours and nights and a year of medschool later I was lost in project We’re Not Lost. My first LP.  A project I would NEVER have embarked upon if it weren’t for you.

When you cook a meal for someone and they don’t eat it… it discourages you from cooking anymore (I learned this from my dad when I decided to go vegan for the summer… essentially robbing him of his biggest weapon to love me - his yummy, home cooked, and not-so-vegan meals).

What I’m saying here is that your feedback goes a long way.  I realize that my mother will love most anything that I do.  But to hear from close friends, old friends, classmates, strangers, music lovers, metal fans etc. that they were actually listening to my music… gave me the courage to say “lez do it again!” (and to pull out the ol’ credit card and finance album #2).

Like Reverie - We’re Not Lost. was made with a lot of love and a lot of help.  It wouldn’t be what it is without the hard work of producer James Pew, co-producer and drummer Adam Campbell, Freddy Gabrsek and the entire crew at Euphonic Sound who helped me put this album together in record time so that I could go on tour and start school in September (now) with a new gem in my hands.

Like last year, a party was planned and you showed up.  To me, that alone was huge!  The night went by so quickly and there was so much going on.  What I remember so clearly though is a sentiment of freedom when I finally just let go on stage and just sang to a crowd of very special and supportive people.

I can’t do the feeling I had justice with words but I will say this.  When you tell me that I evoke some sort of emotion in you with my songs - please know that you do the exact same thing for me by listening to them.  Music is something that really can and does connect us all… but that takes two parties.  A performer and a (preferably many) listeners.  So THANK YOU for listening. And just for being you.

Love,

Andrea

www.andreagauster.com