An awesome day in Nashua – plus the May wrap-up!

Wow, what a weekend!  The 1st annual “Singing Against Homelessness” event at Simple Gifts Coffeehouse in Nashua, NH on May 19th was an amazing day.  I met and shared the stage with some of the best songwriters I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing live.   After a full day of competing in the songwriting contest, I’m excited (and completely flabbergasted) to say that I won the whole shooting match!  The grand prize: to work with Grammy award winning producer Joe Sparkman on one my songs!  Joe’s resume is impressive – he won the 2008 Grammy for Best Contemporary R&B Album, for Miami-based Ne-Yo’s “Because of You”, plus he’s worked with Snoop Dogg, Rihanna, Heather Headley and the Pussycat Dolls.   What an amazing opportunity!  Thanks so much to everyone who came out on Saturday to support such a wonderful fundraiser for the Nashua Soup Kitchen and who voted for me to advance through each round.   I finished the day at the open mic at Studio 99 in Nashua, where Gary and the gang were gracious enough to squeeze me in for a couple of tunes on the beautiful Kimball.  I’ll be performing there later on this fall, too – stay tuned!

Oh, and speaking of votes… I’m still pushing to get my music featured in “We Made This Movie”!  It’s long been a dream of mine to have my music appear in film – here’s your chance to help me make that happen!  Public voting ends this coming Wednesday at midnight – and only two out of the top 25 voted tracks per scene will make it into the final round.  That means that the only way I can get there is with your help! Please follow this link to vote for me once per day!  And spread the word if you feel so moved.    http://redbullsoundstage.com/moviechallenge/

This coming week is a nice, quiet end to a busy and fruitful month.  Here’s what I’ll be up to:

Thursday, May 24th

A new venue for me ! J’s Corner in Gorham, NH is a popular spot in the North Country offering live entertainment every Thursday evening.  I’ll be performing solo from 8 to 10 p.m.  J’s is located at 277 Main St.  Come for dinner and stay for the music!

Friday & Saturday, May 25th and 26th

I’ll be back in the Ledges Dining Room at The White Mountain Hotel in North Conway, NH.  6 to 10 p.m. both nights.

Thursday, May 31st

I’ll be enjoying the sunshine and singing my little heart out at the Norway Farmers Market in Norway, ME.  3 to 5 p.m.  Support locally produced food and music all in one place!  :)

The next post will be about what’s happening in June!  (Where is the time going, anyway?)   There’s a lot of excitement in store for the summer – I can’t wait to tell you about my big trip next month!  Thanks, as always, for your love and support!

“Singing Against Homelessness” this weekend in Nashua!

Hello friends!

I am really excited to participate in the first annual “Singing Against Homelessness” event at Simple Gifts Coffeehouse in Nashua, NH!  It will begin at 2:00 p.m. this coming Saturday, May 19th at the Coffeehouse, which is located at 58 Lowell St. in Nashua.  There will be many solo performers (including myself) competing before a panel of judges and a voting audience (come on out and vote for me, y’all!) for some very cool prizes, including the chance to work with a Grammy-award winning producer!  The best part?  It’s all for a very worthy cause – all money raised will be donated to the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter.  Hope to see you there in the audience cheering me on!

The rest of the week is looking good, too!  Here’s the scoop:

Wednesday, May 16th

Tonight!  The Heather Pierson Quartet (with Joe Aliperti on sax, Matty Bowman on drums and Shawn Nadeau on bass) will perform at Delaney’s Hole In The Wall in North Conway, NH starting at 9 p.m.  Blues, jazz, funk, soul – yes, we have all that and then some!

Thursday, May 17th

I’ll be returning to Strange Brew Tavern in Manchester, NH with The Jeremy Dean Band to serve up an evening of  face-melting blues!  9 p.m. til the wee hours.

Friday, May 18th

I’ll be back behind the grand piano in the Ledges Dining Room of The White Mountain Hotel in North Conway, NH from 6 to 10 p.m.

Saturday, May 19th

I’ll be “Singing Against Homelessness” in Nashua!   For more information, please visit http://www.uunashua.org/simplegi/.

Be sure to connect with me on Twitter (@HeatherPierson) and Facebook (HeatherPiersonMusic) to get the scoop on what’s happening with me day to day.  Thanks so much as always for your love, enthusiasm and support!

Happenings in the merry month of May!

May is off to a gray start here in New England weather-wise — but that beautiful color of green that is painting the landscape and the tips of all the trees is so incredible!  It’s the same color that has overtaken the kitchen counter here at the house — so many seedlings of tomatoes, cukes, leeks, basil, parsley, dill, lettuce and chard waiting to be planted outside in just a few weeks.  What an amazing time of year!

And busy, too!  Here’s what’s happening in the next couple of weeks:

Saturday, May 5th

Tonight! My dear friend of many, many years, singer/songwriter Nate Towne, will be releasing his second CD, Empty Tables and Chairs, at a very special show at Tucker’s Music Pub in Norway, ME! I’m psyched to be joining him along with some other awesome musicians (including the amazing Rusty Wiltjer on his beautiful handmade drums) as part of the celebration. 8 p.m. start — and no cover charge!

Wednesday, May 9th

I’ll be the guest host and feature at Conway Cafe’s Songwriters Showcase!  Every Wednesday, Conway Cafe, located in the heart of the village of Conway, NH, opens its doors and its stage to songwriters of all stripes to come share their talents.  6 to 8 p.m.  Come early for the buffet, and stay for the great offerings from the wide variety of players who come out to support this great event every week!

Thursday, May 10th

Shawn and I return to Portland, ME to perform at Andy’s Old Port Pub on Commercial St.  Our first outing there was very well received and we’re excited to return!  7 to 10 p.m.

Friday, May 11th

I’ll be at “home base” – playing solo in the Ledges Dining Room of the White Mountain Hotel in North Coanway, NH from 6 to 10 p.m.

Wednesday, May 16th

The Heather Pierson Quartet (with Shawn Nadeau on bass, Matty Bowman on drums and Joe Aliperti on sax) will hit Delaney’s in North Conway, NH from 9 p.m. to midnight.  Bring your dancing shoes!

Thursday, May 17th

I’ll be travelling downstate with The Jeremy Dean Band to play at Strange Brew Tavern in Manchester, NH from 9 p.m. til the wee hours.  Blues, blues and more blues is what we’ll have on tap!

That’s it for now.  I’ll send an update down the road about the rest of my May calendar.  Be sure to connect with me on Twitter (@HeatherPierson) and Facebook (HeatherPiersonMusic) to get the inside, day to day scoop on what’s happening in my world.

Oh, and check this out — it’s the first song from my and Shawn’s recent appearance on Great Falls TV in Auburn, ME!  Enjoy – and thanks much for your love and support!

Spring — and music — are popping up all over!

What a week I just had!  The official debut of The Heather Pierson Quartet last Thursday, a wonderful show at Tucker’s Music Pub with Davy Sturtevant on Saturday, and an absolutely heartwarming Earth Day Celebration to end the week on Sunday.  I’m so lucky to be involved with so many different  – and so many rewarding — projects at once.

Oh, and there’s a little bit of video from last Thursday’s gig.  You can check that out here:

Coming up, I’ll be doing some of the familiar things close to home, plus I’ll be part of a couple of very special performances: an evening of songwriters in Brunswick, ME and Nate Towne’s CD release party!   Read on!

Friday & Saturday, April 27 & 28

I’ll be playing solo in the dining room of the White Mountain Hotel in North Conway, NH.  6 to 10 p.m. both nights.

Wednesday, May 2nd

Singer/songwriter Lisa Redfern hosts Songwriters In The Round at Frontier, located at 14 Maine St. in Brunswick, ME.  Each month, Lisa brings three songwriters to perform in an intimate, unplugged setting in Frontier’s theatre for an evening of compelling songs and stories.  I’ll be joining Lisa for this very special evening, along with Ted DeMille and John Schindler.   Tickets are just $10 and you can purchase them online at www.explorefrontier.com.

Saturday, May 5th

Nate Towne — my dear friend and other half of HEPINATO — will be releasing his second CD, Empty Tables and Chairs, at a very special CD release party at Tucker’s Music Pub, located at 290 Main St. in Norway, ME.  I’ll be joining Nate — as well as other players from western Maine, including Rusty Wiltjer, Bob Rosenbaum, Tom Zicarelli and Bob Wallace –  to present selections from his new CD.  8 p.m. start – and no cover charge!

That’s all for now.  There are still more exciting things happening later in May, but I’ll save those for the next post.  You can also get ahead of the game and check out my schedule at www.heatherpierson.com, where you can also connect via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.  Thanks so much for your love and support, everyone!

Come celebrate Earth Day (and life) with me!

April is the month for Earth Day, daffodils, planning gardens, celebrating life!  This week, with the return of warmth and sunshine, I’ve been watching the seedlings grow that have emerged from the dark and damp soil in their pots on the kitchen counter to become tiny little tomato, leek and pepper plants.  Pretty soon, they’ll make the jump to bigger containers and then, finally, to the garden bed outside.   We’ve got squash, basil and lettuce planned, too.  It’s so exciting to watch them grow a little stronger each day — and to daydream about garden fresh salsa and pesto and spaghetti sauce!

I’m also excited about some shows coming up this week!  Here’s the scoop:

Thursday, April 19th

The Heather Pierson Quartet (with Joe Aliperti on sax, Matt Bowman on drums and Shawn Nadeau on bass) will play at McGrath’s Tavern in North Conway, NH beginning at 9 p.m.  Adding Joe’s soulful playing to the band is icing on the cake.  Come out and hear what we’ve been working on — jazz, blues, funk and more!

Friday, April 20th

I’ll be back in my seat in the Ledges Dining Room of the White Mountain Hotel in North Conway, NH from 6 to 10 p.m.

Saturday, April 21st

Tucker’s Music Pub in Norway, ME will be the location for a very special evening of music with songwriter extraordinaire Davy Sturtevant.  Beginning at 8 p.m., we’ll be sharing a lot of our original work (including some brand spankin’ new songs of mine!) and some obscure (and not so obscure) covers.  If you haven’t been to Tucker’s before, you’ll love the warm, friendly and cozy listening atmosphere!  (And no cover charge!)

Sunday, April 22nd

I’m psyched to be a part of the Earth Day Celebration at First Universalist Church of Norway, ME.  There will be a church supper, which will feature health-conscious selections made from local ingredients, beginning at 5:00 p.m.   After supper, all are welcome to attend the Earth Day Peace Concert, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. and will feature performances by yours truly, Davy Sturtevant, The Norway UU Choir and Mollyockett Chorus.  Admission to the supper is $7, and $5 for the concert.  There is a special $10 admission for those who would like to attend both.  Proceeds will benefit the church’s Belfry Repair Project.   Please join us for this heartfelt celebration of the Earth!

That’s it for now.  I’ll write again next week with news of an exciting show coming up in Brunswick, ME, a CD release party in Norway, and more!   Be sure to follow along at heatherpierson.com, where you can connect with me via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more — and thanks for your continued love and support!

Portland, here we come! — plus more April news from HP!

Hello there!  I can’t even believe that it’s already April.  Here in the Northeast, the snow is pretty much gone now, trees everywhere are budding and daffodils are starting to burst through the soil.  Folks are planning their gardens and starting seeds indoors, enjoying the longer days and abundant sunshine.  There’s still a bite of chill in the air, but the warmth of the sun holds the promise of the summer that will be here before we know it!

Shawn and I had a fantastic time this past weekend in Cape May, NJ, showcasing at the 5th annual Singer-Songwriter of Cape May conference.  We attended workshops and talks during the day and, of course, spent a good amount of time walking along the lovely side streets and beaches.   The highlight was our very well-received performance at the Merion Inn before a packed and attentive house!

I’m also excited to announce that the Heather Pierson Trio has grown into the Heather Pierson Quartet with the addition of the fabulous Joe Aliperti on saxophone!  Joe’s soulful playing adds another new dimension to the live show and I’m looking forward to more shows with the four of us (including one later this month — read on!).

Here’s what’s happening:

Friday-Sunday, April 6th – 8th

I’ll be playing a whole lot at the White Mountain Hotel in North Conway, NH this weekend!  Friday and Saturday night, I’ll be doing the usual 6 to 10 p.m.  On Easter Sunday, I’ll be playing starting at 1:30 p.m. for the hotel’s holiday brunch.   In the area this weekend and interested in reservations?   Call 1-800-533-6301.

Wednesday, April 11th

My big brother Jeremy Dean and his lovely daughter Emma will be the feature at this week’s Songwriters Night at Conway Cafe, located in the heart of Conway Village.  6 to 8 p.m.  I’ll be in the audience, and you should be too.  Their vocal harmonies are exquisite and not to be missed!

Thursday, April 12th

Maine Songwriters Association presents Songwriters in the Round at Blue on Congress St. in Portland, ME.  MSA board member Phil Daligan hosts this intimate evening starting at 6:00 p.m.  I’m looking forward to being one of three featured songwriters that evening!

Friday, April 13th

Friday the 13th!  We’ll be celebrating the day in Portland, ME again — this time at Andy’s Old Port Pub on Commercial St.  It’ll be the first time Shawn and I have performed here and we’re psyched!  Music starts at 9.m.

Saturday, April 14th

I’ll be performing solo at The Cave, underneath the famous Mount Washington Hotel in lovely Bretton Woods, NH!  I start at 9 p.m.

Monday, April 16th

Shawn and I return again to Portland, ME to play for the first time at Flask Lounge, located at 117 Spring St.    We start at 9 p.m.   I hope that you Portland-area folks will come out to support us at these new (to us) venues!

Thursday, April 19th

The Heather Pierson Quartet (Shawn Nadeau on bass, Matty Bowman on drums and Joe Aliperti on sax) will rock the house at McGrath’s Tavern in North Conway, NH.  9 p.m.  So psyched for this show!

That’s it for now — I do have some really exciting shows for the end of the month, including a very special evening with my dear friend and songwriter extraordinaire Davy Sturtevant, plus an Earth Day Celebration that you won’t want to miss!    Thanks to all for your continued love and support!

“The Open Road” coming soon!

I’m so excited to share with you the title track from my upcoming CD! It’s called “The Open Road” and I’ve just completed a simple video for it, which you can see here:

If you feel so moved, please like, comment, repost and share it with your friends and loved ones! Thank you! I can’t wait to release the CD later this year!

I also wanted to take a moment to remind that my good friend Davy Sturtevant is the new host of the Norway Open Mic Night and the next one is this coming Friday, March 30th. Same time, same channel (479 Main St. Norway, 7-ish p.m. start). Please come out to support him and to keep this decade old open mic alive and thriving!

Oh, and my gig schedule is always kept up to date at heatherpierson.com. Check back frequently, as new gigs are being added all the time!

Thanks, as always, for your continued love, support and enthusiasm!

New songs cooking, a new CD in the works, and new adventures await!

Hello faithful readers!  As I type this, I am contemplating another gorgeous day here in the Northeast, following an equally glorious weekend during which I got my motorcycle out of storage and went on a couple of nice rides!  The great weather also finds us planning a vegetable garden.  The kitchen is currently overrun with all the necessary ingredients to get things started indoors.  It’s an exciting time!  As I once read on a sign in the Louisiana swamps, “It don’t get no better than this.”

Here’s a few things I wanted to let you know about:

1. I want to tell you how psyched I am to be working on some brand new songs!  With so many new ones cooking already, I’ll be ready to get back into the studio in no time!

2. I’m still planning on releasing my 6th studio CD — The Open Road – later this year.  It’s a collection of some of my instrumental piano pieces that are already receiving attention from some big names in the “getting your music into movies and TV” world!  (Wooooo!)  I can’t wait to share this music with you!  Stay tuned for news about the official release date!

3. I’ve been accepted as an artist on StageIt (www.stageit.com), which is a unique online concert venue where an artist can broadcast a show from anywhere in the world via laptop, and viewers like you can tune in online for a nominal ticket price (or tip).  I’m planning my first StageIt show and will let you know when it’ll be happening!

4. There are always new adventures awaiting — new venues, new friends.  One way to combine these two great things is at a house concert!  If you’d like to consider hosting me at a house concert in your home, please reply to this email and we’ll get the conversation started!  (And don’t be intimidated by the sound of “house concert”.  It’s really just an informal gathering of friends in your home while we all share potluck food and music.  Drop me a line and we’ll discuss it!)

5. My gig schedule is always up to date at www.heatherpierson.com.

Hope all is well with you!  Thanks, as always, for your love, enthusiasm and support — and Happy Spring!

A new month + new venues = new adventures!

March has certainly made a dramatic entrance up here in the Northeast this year with more snow than you can shake a stick (or a shovel) at.  As I type this, however, the sun is burning its way through the overcast and keeping its promise of the coming vernal equinox.

There’s quite a lot happening with me this month as well!  I’ll be visiting a few new (for me) venues in the coming weeks and I’m really excited!  Here’s a list of confirmed performances for March:

Wednesday, March 7th

I’ve got an hour long solo set at Radio Bean Coffeehouse, located on Winooski Ave in lovely Burlington, VT.  It’s been a while since I’ve visited this town (one of my favorites!) and I’m looking forward to bringing my music there.  My set starts at 6 p.m.

Thursday, March 8th

I’m sitting in with The Jeremy Dean Band at Strange Brew Tavern in Manchester, NH.  We hit at 9 p.m.  Another new venue for me – I’m psyched!

Wednesday, March 14th

I’ll be the featured performer at Conway Cafe, 32 Main St. in Conway, NH.  Red Gallagher hosts this weekly songwriter showcase, which runs from 6 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday night in Conway Village.  Come for the $9.95 buffet and stay for the music!

Friday, March 16th

Friday night means all-you-can-eat seafood at the White Mountain Hotel in North Conway, NH!  I’ll be playing solo in the dining room from 6 to 10 p.m.

Saturday, March 17th

Come celebrate St. Patty’s with The Heather Pierson Trio at Hillbilly’s in North Conway, NH starting at 8:30 p.m. with special guest Swamp Dog!   This promises to be a very fun night indeed!

Tuesday, March 20th

I’ll be the feature at the singer/songwriter night at White’s Cue Connection in Gray, ME starting at 7 p.m.

Thursday, March 22nd

The Heather Pierson Trio returns to McGrath’s Tavern in North Conway, NH.  The food and the vibe here are both fantastic!  We start at 9 p.m.

Friday, March 23rd

I’ll be playing with my sweetie at 302 West Smokehouse in Fryeburg, ME.   8:30 start.  What a cozy little place – and their Thursday night open mic is not to be missed, either!

Saturday, March 24th

I’ll be back at White Mountain Hotel, 6 to 10 p.m.

Friday & Saturday, March 30th & 31st

I’ll be heading down to New Jersey as one of a select few songwriters to showcase at the Singer-Songwriter Cape May Conference!  Two days of music, workshops, networking, and more!  My showcase will be held at Cape May’s Merion Inn on the 31st at 8:45 p.m.  It’s a *free* show so please spread the word and let’s fill that place!

That’s it for now!  In between working on new songs, putting the finishing touches on the next CD (I can’t wait to share these compositions with you!) and filling up my April calendar with a lot of shows (including a few in Portland, ME), I’m keeping pretty busy.  Stay tuned for details!  Thanks, as always, for your continued love and support.

Coming to see you?

After my cross-country adventures with Shawn at the start of this year, I’m so excited to be back home reconnecting with friends, working on new songs, living life to the fullest and loving every moment of it!

During our time in the Southwest, we performed house concerts in Arizona and New Mexico.  Have you ever attended – or perhaps hosted – a house concert?  I really love them, both as a performer and as a listener.   A house concert is a very unique and heartwarming experience that allows artists and audiences to connect and get to know each other. These events are so much fun, and so memorable and intimate, that it’s a growing national trend among DIY artists like myself to book more and more house concerts.  (No living room is too small – all you need is enough space for me to do my thing – if you have a piano, that’s even better! – and for as many or as few friends as you’d like to invite to attend for a small ticket price.)

Curious?  Interested?  Read this free guide for more of the ins and outs and to find out how to become a fabulous host! http://bit.ly/cKQzQm

Here are some of the areas that I’ll be visiting soon:

• New Jersey at the end of March
• New Orleans in mid-June
• Northern Massachusetts in August and September
• Maine, NH and VT – that’s home base!

I’d love to come and play for you and your friends in your home, so please contact me if you are interested.  We can compare calendars and decide when I could be in your area.  (Or, perhaps you can’t host but have a friend who’d be willing and able to.  If that’s the case, feel free to share this message with them if you’d like.)

Hope to hear from you soon – and thanks!  :)