Summer, 1/3 through. Onto July, who you once knew.

June embiggened. It got full and busy, but also, it was planned for (thank goodness). 

 

 - Bring Your Kids is now on summer break! The June show was a HOOT, and we're heading back in September. 

 - Nudge's run at HUGE was a dream of goodness. I am the luckiest jerk to play with these achingly funny and beautiful folks. I love to Nudge. Thank you to all who came out!!

 

 

 - Twin Cities Improv Festival!! I was not around for party time (which is bummer, as grown up party time is a rare thing. And grown up party time with improvisers is a delight!), but got to Adorable, Attenborough, and Give the Drummer Some. Oh man. <3 

 

I love watching different improv elements "trend" - - the community felt really into narrative for a while. I adore this dance-clown-adjacent-crawl-on-each-other delight. It takes care and trust and some deep silliness. 

 - I played Stone Arch Bridge Festival! Solo, as a tiny offshoot of Bring Your Kids. It was so lovely. Do I have 45 minutes of solo kids games and mostly-original music, to be played under a tent in the rain? I do! This was not really on my bingo card, but so happy for it. 

 - I also do birthday parties for 7-8 year olds! So many thanks to Sarah and happy birthday, Max! Playing improv and theater games with rising 8 year olds is hilarious, and good if we can run a race or two in the middle. 

 - Finished up co-teaching a Improv Summer Camp at Children's Theatre Company.

 - Finished up morning art and theater classes in Maplewood for their summer school program, through COMPAS. I had a lovely (early morning) time, with apologies to that one class of 5th graders who were far too cool for my business. 

 

The kids are alright and dear. The kids are funny. The kids have the coolest names, and made some cool stuff. 

Domestically-speaking, this was also the June that my oldest kiddo 'graduated' from elementary school and my youngest 'graduated' from Kindergarten. 

(Jojo Siwa's Karma made a terrible terrible impression on millions of preteens.)

I am weeding like mad, prepping things to get out of town for a bit, and then, weirdly, it all begins again?

There's currently a fair amount of space in August and September, which may change as they draw near. Besides, homygob, clearing the basement, I think there's space to ask things like, what can we self-create? What can be seeded? 'What sounds like fun' is a nice question. Also, is this a good time? (i.e. there is never a good time.) And maybe actually figure out how grant applications work. 

Also, realizing that I will be in town for the Fringe Festival: I think I'm going to see some Fringe shows. We'll see what happens. 

🧡

Juney June June

What a funny collection of days... 

There are three things I have NOT BEEN FINISHING as they seem untenable. Or I got exhausted. I need to either finish them or let them go. WHUF. 

Things of May:

 - Flowering trees

 - Allergies kicking everyone's assssss

 - The overwhelming grief of things that words don't, can't, even give definition to. 

 - And the gratitude for who and what is around. 

I am hating the compartmentalization of social media: as my counselor says, it's a tool (and a tool that I don't have to carry constantly. And, honestly, can't. The immediate squaring off of 3 seconds of ultimate tragedy followed by a funny frog video - - I can't.)

But.. things that have happened here... 

 - Nudge at HUGE Theater. We''ll be there Thursdays through the end of June, and we are having true true fun. If you're in the Twin Cities, please come see these dreams. We play things pretty close to 'real' life (think sitcom-ish)... "grounded".. but also, ridiculous. Like people. 

 - COMPAS: started facilitating a memoir series with an amazing group at Tasks Unlimited, and also got to do weekly MAKE THINGS sessions with Central Park Elementary in Roseville. The theater games were a struggle bus; we switched to making masks, helmets, and multiple puppets. I had so much fun. 

 - MILE/MLA conference! I LOVE LIBRARIANS. And what a joy to work with this incredible group. I faciliated their 'ice-breaking' session through a mix of improv exercises and flash memoir writing - - it truly was the most fun. 

 - Tablesalt's fundraiser was lovely!

 - Minneapolis Songwriter Rounds! So many thanks to Taylor for having me again! 

And now June. June gets choppy. School years finish up. Camps start. My family starts to travel to see far away family. 

 - COME SEE NUDGE! All Thursdays through June, except... 

 - THE TWIN CITIES IMPROV FESTIVAL! W000t!!!! IMPROV XMAS! XMAS JOY! I'll be performing with Give the Drummer Some, Attenborough, and Adorable. June 12th - 16th, all at HUGE Theater. 

 - And, of course, BRING YOUR KIDS on June 8th!

June also involves a bit of seeing other people perform: I get to see Choir! Choir! Choir! at First Avenue... Twin Cities Improv Festival... I get to see Madeleine Rowe's Knight Knight... this is good stuff. Last month, I was able to catch two (gasp!) live scripted shows, which is 200% more than the month before. Add in a live concert or two, and it all becomes very fancy very quick. 

I just finished chaperoning five fifth grade boys at the Minnesota Zoo for over 4 hours. 

I may need a bit of a moment.

xo!

well... that slipped by me. MAYYYYYY!

And indeed it did. 

I haven't been overwhelmed. 

There has been a lot going on. 

Through the cracks, these things. 

April/May is actually more of it's own little polycule, but things can be broken down. 

 - Got to write and read a short story for TableSalt Production's annual storytelling show. The theme this year was Fiction; it was so so lovely to play over in that field. Also, DID THE OTHER STORYTELLERS MAKE ME LAUGH CRY? They did. 

 - Got to perform with the Unnamed Jill Bernard Project at HUGE  a couple of times, and that truly was more fun than fun. DELIGHT! 

 - COMPAS: Memoir with Ecumen down in Mankato finished up, and I started (once a week) at an elementary school is Roseville. 

I'm finishing up two weeks up in Anoka with the Middle School for the Arts Center Base students, which has been filled with a lot of joy. I wrote a call-and-response story and song for the students, which we'll be either performing or recording for their annual arts festival in a week or so. Also, 8 bars from Ozzy's Crazy Train and 24 bars from the Greatest Showman. 

 - I taught a Spring Break Musical Theater camp at the Guthrie, and got to work with the amazing Amanda Weis. If you get a chance, always work with Amanda, and always take your lunch in the break room with understudies (understudies who are, by the very nature of the job, incredible folks.) 

 - Bring Your Kids was just lovely, and we were lucky enough to play with Z Puppets Rosenschnoz! Thank you to Chris and Shari for saying yes to the silliest of Saturdays!

 - Getting back into the ever-lovely Library Studio. <3 

 - Also got to workshop my solo musical improv 5 Music Videos with the incredible Katy Berry of Baby Wants Candy. That was a delight! 

 - I took the children to a stadium-style concert. AJR was great. The Australian opening for them declared the Goo Goo Dolls to be one of their favorite American bands, and my baby GenX eye rolls tore the ceiling off of the Xcel Center. AJR's visuals were great, and 12,000 audience members finding games with each other was the sweetest. Who knew? 

So what's up, MAYYYY?

 - Nudge is back at HUGE, Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.! We had a first performance last week, and it was so dang lovely. 

 - I'm truly excited to run an Intro to Improv workshop for the Minnesotan Librarians Association's annual conference! 

 - I'm playing music at “Friends Indeed: a fundraiser for the Centre for Expressive Psychotherapy in Bangladesh.” Wednesday May 15th at The Hive Collaborative. Comedy and loveliness!

 - I'm playing at the 331 as part of the Minneapolis Songwriter Rounds, 9:30 p.m. on Thursday May 23rd. So late! Looking forward to it. So sleepy!

 - BRING YOUR KIDS! Saturday May 11th, 4 p.m.! 

It's sort of domestically focused over here. School is accelerating to the end of the year as it must do - - Concerts! Graduation! Musicals! Testing! Popsicle Runs! It's a lot, but also, lucky and fun. How is it almost mid-May? How is it almost June? 

I went to my friend Ruth's Celebration of Life on Saturday, and she would have loved it. It turns out lovely, generous, blazingly smart, and funny Ruth of course had a family that is lovely, generous, blazingly smart, and also truly funny. (Jim's funny!) It was so so kind of them to offer to bring people in. And for them to bring the purple Neon. Oof. The event did what it was supposed to do; it means she's really actually 'gone'... or, she's still around, but just not accessible to us. Her legacy - her warmth and time and support - is, our memories of her. I'm so grateful. 

Literally woke up on Saturday, "Why am I sad?" Because you're going to a friend's funeral. Ah. 

If you have the means, HUGE is doing a fundraiser and oh boy, we could use your help. Details here! 

Grateful for all the Marsching, onward to April somehow

Releasing an album is very much like planning a wedding. 

Basically, "I spent a whole bunch of money on, and committed a bunch of time to, this thing. Now I'm having a party! And you, nice people, are invited!"

Nice people: "Yay!"

Me: "However, to come, you must pay $12 advance or $15 at the door."

Nice people, somehow, miraculously: "Yay!"

It was a dream of a night, and I'm so damned grateful for it all!

So many thanks to Felicia Cooper, Andy Caush, MJ Marsh, Matt Patrick, Josh Kaplan, Samantha Baker Harris, Jeffrey Nolan + Hawken Paul, Phantom Chorus Theatre, the Bryant Lake Bowl, Adam Iverson, Jeremy and Loanna, and you you you! Sometimes, it takes a village.

It was overwhelming and wonderful, and the most amazing folks were there. <3 =

Oh! And part of this album release video party is ACTUAL VIDEOS!

Here is Calico by Penny and the Bandits 
From the album Apocalypse Disco
Video concept, puppet creation, performance by Felicia Cooper

Edited by Jen Scott
Written and performed by Jen Scott
Drums by Josh Kaplan
Additional instrumentation and vocals by Matt Patrick and Jen Scott
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Matt Patrick at the Library Studio in Minneapolis, MN.

Here is The Haunting of the Living by Penny and the Bandits 
From the album Apocalypse Disco
Video concept, creation, performance, and editing by Phantom Chorus Theatre

Written and performed by Jen Scott
Drums by Josh Kaplan
Additional instrumentation and vocals by Matt Patrick and Jen Scott
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Matt Patrick at the Library Studio in Minneapolis, MN.

Here is Ghost of Whitman by Penny and the Bandits 
From the album Apocalypse Disco
Video concept and performance by Hawken Paul and Jeffrey Nolan.

Edited by Jen Scott
Written and performed by Jen Scott
Drums by Josh Kaplan
Additional instrumentation and vocals by Matt Patrick and Jen Scott
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Matt Patrick at the Library Studio in Minneapolis, MN.

Part of all this releasing is making sure the captioned versions are also up, getting them in all the spaces, etc. I AM DOING IT. 

AND HERE'S THE ALBUM! (Adam Iverson is incredible. Please hire him. And Matt Patrick at the Library Studios. And Josh Kaplan. Good heavens.)

Here it is on Spotify. It's also on Soundcloud, Apple Music, and I'll send you a CD if you like!

I'm a very lucky jerk. 

Besides the PARTY, another highlight was playing for the PayGap Comedy Series. So dang lovely, and so many thanks to Carolyn Poole for being always an amazing charming dream. So grateful!

AND HEAR HER STORIES! It's the show's 3rd birthday; this year was so so so good. 

And so... April?

Oh man. 

I'm at the Guthrie teaching a spring break camp. Report to follow. 

I'm up with the Unnamed Jill Bernard Project at HUGE Theater, Thursdays April 11th & 18th. 

BRING YOUR KIDS! on April 13th, featuring special guests Z Puppets Rosenschnoz!

And Table Salt Production's Fiction, Sunday April 28th, 7 p.m. at the Bryant Lake Bowl. 

Whattayado with an album? Do you pass it to radio stations? (Check. I'll email some CDs too.) Do you contact music bloggers? Do you harass venues? Do you make more lyrics videos? Do you try and get a grip on your social media things? Do you figure out how to play your songs on guitar, so you're a fuller sound when you play out solo? Whattabout a backing track? To quote: 

Seriously, Trixie. 

But you you you. You're all great, and I'm so grateful for you. 

Dude appreciation post

I got to hang out at Star Studio at Children's Hospital with the Dude and play games and it is always the best dang time. 

The Dude is so so good at what he does: not only running/producing silly and sweet entertainment, but also taking you under his very chill wing as a guest. So many thanks to Star Studio and COMPAS for the delight!

MARSCH

 Happy whatever season this is! Things that started in January are in their 8 week-ish roll down...

 - I finished up 8 weeks with Episcopal Church Homes in St. Paul. 

 - I'm teaching an 8 week 301 at HUGE... We have two (?!) classes left? THEY ARE DREAMS!

 - I'm teaching a 10 week Intro to Improv at CTC... We have three (!?) classes left? They are IN MIDDLE SCHOOL. 

 - Two different shows are also wrapping up at HUGE. So much love for Give the Drummer Some and we get to Adorable at HUGE Wednesday one-last-time tomorrow. Both of these shows have been heart-filling in all the ways. So many thanks to the cast of GTDS for open, supportive, loving, roll around on the floors and so many thanks to Butch for making the loveliest scenes with the loveliest of trying lost souls. I'm so gd grateful. 

 - Also, Butch and I got to join James Rone on Saturday Feb. 24th for the sweetest of shows at Strike. James - - we're so grateful to be your friends. 

 - I made little promo videos and images for the two HUGE shows, and am unreasonably proud. 

And then MARCH kicks in!

 - I started with some 8th graders at Sunny Hollow Montessori in St. Paul, through COMPAS. They are ridiculous, and also learning about soul-rocking things. Like Portuguese. And the role of the American government in the mid-80s. 8TH GRADE IS DARK, y'all. We will do improv, maybe some sketch, and BE CONFUSING TO ALL. 

 - I'm still down at Ecumen in Mankato, and monthly at Amira in Forest Lake, both through COMPAS. 

 - Hear Her Stories returns! I get to curate and host this storytelling performance, produced by Mill City Museum. Saturday March 23rd, 7 p.m. show. Please join us!

 - Bring Your Kids rollllllllllls. Saturday March 9th at 4 p.m. at HUGE is our next one and it will be SO. SERIOUS*. 

March is for birthday parties (not mine, but some nuclear family members) and MUSIC. 

 - I'll be playing music at the Pay Gap Comedy Series at Malcolm Yards on Wednesday March 6th! 

 - ALBUM RELEASE VIDEO PARTY!! AHHHH! The exact opposite of monetizing your hobbies! My 'band' is Penny and the Bandits. The album is called Apocalypse Disco. The drummer is Josh Kaplan. The producer is Matt Patrick (of the Library!).. 

The party is on Wednesday March 27th at the Bryant Lake Bowl, 7 p.m.! It is an Album Release Video Party, as I've commissioned three different groups** to create music videos for three of my songs. I'm so excited. Live music by Andy Caush and Penny and the Bandits; videos by Felicia Cooper, Phantom Chorus, and Jeffrey Nolan + Hawken Paul. All hosted by the incredible MJ Matheson. 

Whewwww! Finally, ADORABLE TURNED 15! WE'RE SO OLD!

*This is a lie. It will be very silly. 

**March is also for video editing. 

FEBRUARY... Who actually pronounces the R?

Happy February! It is (creepily) beautiful here: bright blue sky, temperature in the 40s. Everyone's out enjoying the global warming, but also well aware that this ain't right. 

January projects have begun!

 - COMPAS: A memoir class at Episcopal Homes in St Paul, Amira in Forest Lake, and Ecumen in Mankato. Still lovely! It turns out, if you ask a certain group if they remember their first crush, you will get NAMES. What a silly and beautiful thing. 

 - Amplifying Voice 301 class at HUGE Theater is a dream!!

 - Improv for 6-8th grades at Children's Theatre Company is very silly. Truly. Silly. 

 - Give the Drummer Some, 9 p.m. Fridays at HUGE Theater until the end of February. This is a joy. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE AUDIENCE THINKS, but, honestly, we're having a great time. It's all patterns and crawling on each other, and we're the luckiest ducks.  

 - Adorable, 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays at HUGE Theater until the end of February. So much gratitude to Butch for playing this with me. It's so so so much fun, and I love it. Hopefully, we can start making the festival rounds... Neither of us live with toddlers anymore. WHAT IS POSSIBLE!?

 - BRING YOUR KIDS! Next one is Saturday Feb. 10th!! We sold out January, and would love to rock dreamy February...  

Things that also needs to get done while doing the above things?

 - PROMOTION! Wuf. I finally got things together, and have been making little weekly videos for these shows. You can find my tiny and weird video collection here. 

 - CREATION! Matt Patrick of the Library Studio has the final mixes of my first album done! LET'S GO! 

 - APPLICATION! Many things to apply to. (Maybe not many, but it feels like many.) Also, many things to tend to. It's not spring yet, despite all the feels. I've been tending by way of pruning: getting rid of old socks, donating things that were purchased with unrealized good intentions. Make space make space make space, even down to my Google storage. What's filling vs. serving? THIS SOUNDS VERY FANCY, and not as potentially either panic-driven or cut throat as it sometimes feels. 

 - Also, community. There's been some sad and wonderful moments of community. Attended a celebration of life, and am thinking how grateful that we've memorized each others' laughs.

 - Also, community: got to be a part of a group of chaperones, taking 25 fifth graders across town on Metrotransit on a very cold day. Successful highjinks!!  

Onward and hoping things are good with you. <3 

Adorable from Jan 31st. 

Pure silly! A picture from the January Bring Your Kids