Let's gather round the fire for some parlor singing, eh?

Hi there,

Where in the world am I? Still in Cambridge, MA, but not for long. I came here to visit my friends and family after the wedding - had a whirlwind of a visit with lots of fun and a few surprises. Now I'm leaving on a jet plane tonight and will be back in LA before midnight west coast time. Life is so crazy. I don't know where I am or what I'm doing next half the time, but I'm experiencing that if I'm open to it - it's wonderful. I know I've talked about this before. It's becoming sort of a theme, I guess. But going with the flow one day at a time is seriously the best idea ever. I'm loving it!

Something really cool that came out of this practice was an idea to sit in a living room area at a house in Cambridge and sing some songs to my family and friends. I guess I just thought, why not? I'm out here! A year ago if anyone asked me to sing in a living room - parlor sing, as I call it- the answer would be no. NO. Hate it.

This time I intentionally set up a parlor singing event and it was wonderful and special and intimate and just the kind of setting for sharing stories through music. My closest friends and family in Cambridge and Boston gathered round a room in my mother's house for a few songs. We laughed and cried and generally had a grand time together. I suggest we take back this old tradition. Let's do it. Get your friends together, invite over a few musicians, and share your music and talents with each other in a living room over some drinks and snackies. Let's go back to the old days when the only entertainment in the living room was a piano and whoever could play it. Screw TV and chat roulette and twitter and facebook and video games. Gather around the proverbial fire and tell stories, with music or without. It's good for the soul!

Here are a few videos from my parlor singing event. I hope you enjoy them.





Also, if you live in the LA area or Boston area and would like to organize a parlor singing night like this one with me, just shoot me an e-mail at franbetlyon@franbetlyon.com. It will be super fun!