Circle of Life

          Brenda Waters, 1944

           Brenda Water's Grandson, 2004

Ten years is a long time. A whole decade. An era. Music changes, fashion, media, life itself. This year marks ten years without the single most influential woman in my life. She was my very first music teacher, my very first friend, the first person to ever teach me about God. Her music touched me from the very first moments of my being. The wisdom she imparted guides my decisions even now. Her joy at being still rings in my own laughter. She was the first person to ever love me and although I have been blessed to be loved by many, no one will ever love me like she did because no one loves like a mother does. The woman she was influenced the woman I am in countless, immeasurable ways from the way I write to the way I sing to the way I mother my own child.  She was strong, beautiful, talented, funny, expressive and a great woman of faith. Ten years truly is a long time but when someone has been that strongly interwoven into the fabric of who you are, ten years is just long enough to let you finally realize that they never left.  -- In tribute of Brenda Waters, my mother, my friend.
         
                                                                                               

                                                                                             

Heb's Guet (Take Care)

Concert time in Bülach

While standing at the cash register in my old home Switzerland, the song "Heb's Guet", from the Swiss band Plüsh, came on. After a few days of music making in Switzerland,  it seems Glarnerland was saying goodbye to me. The song says basically, "take care and hold me in your heart. Whatever comes,  believe in yourself, don't doubt. And when you're at a loss, think of me". I had to hold back the tears. Leaving the place/friends/family I've held dear for 17 years is never easy. But it's a natural part of this journey we call life. People come, go, die, move away, return and occasionally drop off our radar forever. We can only hope that the time we spend with those we love leaves a lasting impression and the solid knowledge of that love.

Prodigal Son Returns

Photo by Bernadette Egger

After a longer than usual hiatus, Hedreich returned to Switzerland for the famed Casa Cleo music party. Guschti Schönbächler, with his usual flair, put together a group of Switzerland's finest musicians for a fete extraordinaire in the Seedam Plaza. After facing down some health challenges, Hedreich was in rare form and had a ball singing not only her pieces but also joining in on several duets and group numbers. She even reprised her 2009 Art on Ice rendition of  "Listen" by special request. Word on the street is, the party will be repeated in 2 years. Now ain't-a that good news!

Speaking of good news, we'd like to congratulate one of Hedreich.com's very own. From tomorrow on, if you're flying Swiss Airlines , you will hear the music mix put together by our own German news content writer, Simon Gisler. This all-arounder keeps expanding his horizons and we're thankful that he's a part of our team!

Spring has Sprung

Spring came early this year as Hedreich started the 2013 concert year off on the beautiful island of Kauai. St Michaels was the host of not only two evenings of the finest Jazz but also two Jazz Masses featuring the choral and instrumental arrangements of Grammy Governor Matt Lemmler. All four performances featured incredible international talent in both instrumental and vocal music. Hedreich delighted the crowds with her usual aplomb and charm, even pulling out some mad scat skills together with the phenomenal Greta Matassa.

Starting Off Right

"Start off like you're gonna finish up". So goes the old adage and if 2012 is to end up like it has started, it will be a very good year. After singing for the Southern Glarus New Year's Day/ first birthday service, Hedreich started gearing up for 100 Years in Music at the Kulturbuehne Lihn, high above Lake Walen. The concert sold out within days of being publicized. A special musical journey through the last century with pianist Greg Galli, the event promises to be an intimate evening of song and tale. And the best news? A Sunday matinee has been added so there's still time to be a part of this very special evening.

Police Cancel Performance

If you were one of the people standing in a quiet restaurant in Basel expecting a concert, you may already be in the know. For those here to find out how the concert was, well, there wasn't one. Unfortunately, today at about 4PM a legal petition was delivered to Tibiz Basel prohibiting music louder than 75dB --about the same noise level as your household dishwasher. If you've heard Hedreich or Tanja, you know they each sing, uh, a bit louder than a dishwasher, thus the cancelled performance. Let's hope the performance takes place in some form in the future.