Friends,

Happy New Year one and all!  I hope the new year finds you happy and healthy, though I can’t help but think we’ll need lots of laughter these next 10 months as we face another presidential election.

As January draws to a close, I’m grateful for the nine different sites that employ me and the hundreds of children I see over 26 classes each week.  In addition, I am still at work on my new CD, Come and Make a Circle 3:  Look What I Can Do!   Still can’t say for sure when it will be released in its entirety, but I will be posting songs as they are mixed and mastered at this website so you can hear how the project unfolds.  My friend and recording engineer Victor Sanders (Lakeside Media) is helping me create the 8th CD of my children’s music career!  I’ve got tons of new songs and poems and some of the most wonderful musicians in town helping me make the CD sound fabulous.  Most of the songs are original, but one cover song is Peter and Ellen Allard’s “We’re Building a Better World,” a song many of you have heard me sing in class and concert.

I had a great time with the fine people of Oak Park last Sunday as we raised the roof of Wonderworks, the much-cherished children’s museum located on North Avenue.  Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of performing there with my musical buddy Matt Yanny-Tillar, my storytelling friend Dot Kane, and solo.  Sunday’s solo concert could not have happened without the help of willing dads and moms as backup singers, dancers and musicians.

Please join me at Schuba’s on Saturday, February 11, 2012 as we do a little fundraising for JCYS Lakeview Family Center.  Call 773-281-2533 for ticket information.  We had a blast at last year’s February concert and lots of families stayed to enjoy the delicious food from Schuba’s brunch menu.

Check me out on Facebook, if you haven’t already.  I’m trying to be as media savvy as possible these days, so I’m commiting to posting events, news, photos and video as often as I can and driving my daughters crazy as they guide me through the various machinations of social media.

As I enjoy our late-blooming winter in Chicago, I send all of my friends across the country wishes for snow to play in, rain to jump in, arms to hold you, and music to serenade you.

Susan S.xo