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Dar Williams, the breath of fresh air, our polluted souls need, to find our promised land.
Empowered woman
Wife
Mother
Singer
Poet
Gardener
Pro-green advocate
I can add another 100 titles to this amazing woman but now that I have your attention let's talk about her voice; the powerful tool she uses to share the secrets of her soul and dreams.
I love music; it offers me an escape to a wonderful place, with each song leading me to a different destination. I tire easily of repetitive artists using the same concept and beats time and time again.
As a music lover I want to be challenged and I want someone to grab my attention from the first word being sung and hold me there until the entire album is over. This is what you can expect from Dar.
Her lyrics and clean sounding voice can take you to a promised land. A promised land filled with beauty, grace and security.
She has been changing the vision of music for the last 15 years. This Chappaqua, NY resident truly understands how important it is to fight for the smaller, priceless things. When she is not touring the world she dedicates her time to help those in need of assistance.
Her first album was self released in 1993. And with 6 studio albums and 1 live album in her discography, her message remains strong.
Life is a little insane right now; our economy has gone down hill, we are losing the battle with Mother Nature and so many of America's soldiers are still not home. We can all use a break to treat ourselves. Let's start this new year right by relaxing, dimming the lights and sharing a dance with Dar.
Continue on to the interview...
Six Questions
1. Olga: If you could describe in one word an emotion/feeling that you would want to leave with a fan, after they have heard your music. What would that word be?
Dar: Connection. Huston Smith says that a good performance makes you want to go out and do something good. I think that happens because people connect with something and automatically feel more investment in their lives.
2. Olga: Your career takes you on the road often. Can you share with us your most memorable concert and why?
Dar: I remember every concert! I did a festival outside of Pittsburgh and expected the worst: it was sponsored by an organization that works with teen delinquents and I said yes because the person who asked me was a friend of my sister. It was the best!! Little kids started jumping up and dancing immediately, and then they were joined by all of these curvy teenage girls with gauzy skirts, and halfway through the concert, a cat started weaving his way through the stage, and by the end of the night we'd found a new owner. Seven years later, I still get photo updates of the cat, who is a horror show, but the owner has a great sense of humor and a big heart.
3. Olga: You are a beautiful woman inside and out; happily married and a proud mother. How do you find the perfect harmony to balance your family and career without depriving either?
Dar: I think the perfect balance is to know there isn't one. We all have strengths to offer our kids. Mine have needed lots of reinforcement from grandparents, husband, and a wonderful pre-school. I learned the hard way that I wasn't having the best of both worlds by tossing a kid into a tour bus. Touring and parenting both require improvisation; the combination can be totally great and unique or like jamming with two bands --of different genres-- at once.
4. Olga: Can you describe what gardening does to your soul and how important is gardening to our earth.
Dar: I love walking through the garden when it's in full swing, or even when it's just coming up. Aligning our selves with local food, regional farmers, and what we can cook with what grows in our regions is the future. I don't believe any arguments that a farmer 5,000 miles away will suffer if we stick with our local food economies! I tend to get very statistic-y about this, but I know that my garden is, ineffably, very important to my soul. Committing to it is, too.
5. Olga: If you were hosting a national 'All Green' concert what artist would you want performing right next to you?
Dar: Moby. I'm all for earthiness in the green movement, but there's also a massive cool factor in renewable energy and sustainability. I think Moby would help usher in the beautiful, clean aspects of what we call "appropriate technologies", like elegant, moldable low-watt LCD billboards, water turbines shaped like egg-beaters that don't kill fish, and super-efficient new wind turbines. Not to mention the importance of embracing our computers in the overall equation.
6. Olga: America is filled with so much raw talent, young and old. What advise can you share with those artists?
Dar: I would say to find a scene. I was part of one that jammed, open-mic-ed, interviewed, tip-jar gigged, fought and competed with each other. There was a lot of misfire dating, too. We also had a fledgling audience of people who could roll with the fact that we were all works in progress. They practically had to wear mining hats, there was so much to dig through. But out of this, we really discovered ourselves artistically, bruises and all. There are cities that love art and culture. Go there! Oh yes, and write about stuff you care about, even if you think no one else does. That's what got me on this path, and I was as surprised as anyone about that.
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For more information on Dar Williams, visit her official website.
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