New Pic - A Taste of What's to Come...

This is a pic from London artist Trish Lyons. Many more to come...

Couch Surfing and Upcoming Tour Dates

Hey Friends,

Well I'm now done my residency at the Banff Centre. Been crashing on my friend Uel's couch in downtown Banff for the past few days. There has been so much to take care of in regards to tour planning. It's been a tad overwhelming. Everyone here keeps asking me if I'm excited for the tour yet and I keep replying saying no as I haven't even had time to think about it. Just so much to catch up on before I leave Banff.

Lots of stuff in the works...Just got a whole new bunch of photos taken by a fantastic artist named Trish Lyons who is currently at the Banff Centre as an artist-in-residence. I'll post them as soon as they're ready. They're going to shock a lot of you!

I'll also have some new demo recordings on MySpace in the next little while. I recorded 5 of my new songs in the Banff recording studio with my audio engineer friend Jeong seon Choi. I'll post them as soon as they are ready...

And here are Melwood and my tour dates:

March 30 - Calgary @ The Ironwood
April 1 - Calgary @ Karma
April 2 - Field @ Truffle Pigs
April 3 - Golden @ Packers Place
April 5 - Canmore @ The Drake
April 7 - Slocan @ Little Slocan Lodge
April 8 - Enderby @ Lorenzo's - Concert and Improvisation Workshop
April 9 - Vancouver @ The Railway Club
April 12 - Kelowna @ Minstrel Cafe
April 13 - Hope @ Blue Moose Cafe
April 15 - Ashcroft @ Ashcroft Opera House - Evening Concert
April 16 - Ashcroft @ Ashcroft Opera House - Matinee Concert

Hope to see you there!

I'll write more while I'm on the road...

Love Rozalind

I'm a Mountaineer!

These are pics from a Thursday mountaineering trip I did with my friend Uel. I am now officially a mountaineer!

We took the gondola up Sulphur Mountain in Banff and then we went along the ridges of the mountain. I've never been mountaineering before so it was a completely new experience for me. And what an experience it was! Simply amazing! I have never been so high up in the mountains, never climbed with my hands and counted so much on my upper body strength to pull myself up over those rocks, never used all that special gear for treking in the snow and ice, never felt the power of the wind and the warmth of the sun from the reflections against the snow. And don't get me started about the snow...The snow was so beautiful. We called it "goofy snow" as that's how it felt to play in it. Often, I would take a step in it and half of my body would be immersed in it!

The really cool part about this trek is that hardly anyone ever takes it in the winter so we were the only two people on the mountain the entire time. I can't wait to do it again as it was one of the most exciting things I have ever experienced!

Uel treking away in the snow...

Taking a rest by an inukshuk by the summit.

My first snow angel in the mountains!

Uel - loving every minute of the mountains!

Me heading back down. You can really see how steep it is in this pic. That was a pretty scary part of the trek

Me - loving the mountains!

Looking back...I just didn't want to leave. Man, I climbed all that?!!!

This is a pic of me after doing my famous snow jump! It's like doing a canon ball in a swimming pool. So much fun!

ChartAttack - Calgary Buzz - Rozalind MacPhail Hits All The Right Notes

Hey Friends,

Check out a new article written about me in ChartAttack, titled, Calgary Buzz: Rozalind MacPhail Hits All the Right Notes by Trevor Morelli

Visit: http://www.chartattack.com/damn/2006/03/1002.cfm

Love Rozalind

It's an Evening of PJs and Cozy Warm Blankets

Photo: Rozalind MacPhail

Yup, me in my PJs...Hanging out in my room on a Friday night instead of going to concerts and partying...A nice change from the norm! : )

Hey Friends!

So it's Friday night and I should be at the Rolston Recital Hall listening to a classical concert right now with the rest of the Banff Centre musicians but hey, I'm tired and feel like taking the night off. I'm calling it a lazy night and I'm going to stay in my residence, chill out, wear my flannel pjs (already on), watch some crappy television...It's a nice change.

I haven't written a journal entry in here for a long while so I thought I would give an update on all that's been going on. Sure, I've been posting lyrics and pics but I thought it would be nice to write a bit about what I've actually been thinking about and experiencing lately, kind of like what I write about in my personal journal...So here it goes...

I've been thinking lots about everything I have been learning since I arrived in Banff two short months ago. As with every other time I've been in Banff, I feel like a different person. A new me has emerged.

Three years ago, I remember telling my ex boyfriend all about that "life changing experience" that one goes through while being here. He didn't believe me and made me feel pretty stupid for sharing my thoughts with him. He said that when I came back home, he hadn't seen any change in me and that I was imagining it. I found that very hard to believe. It totally threw me for a loop as I felt like a totally different person and just didn't understand how he couldn't see all the beautiful changes that happened in me while I was away. People who have never been here just don't understand the immense personal growth that one experiences while being in such an intense program like this one. Funny, the same guy who couldn't see all the change that I had gone through also couldn't remain in a relationship with me once I had returned from Banff. He ended up breaking up with me the day before I returned home over the phone! It seems as if Banff is a place that either brings people together more or ends things in a very dramatic way. I've always noticed that about this place.

So talking about changes, I have been through many. I remember when I first got to Banff at the beginning of January, I was so stressed out. Call it the Christmas blues, the fast pace of being in a big city like Toronto or the fact that I packed and moved all my stuff into storage. Whatever it was, it was eating away at me and I was no longer able to enjoy all the beautiful things that surrounded me. I felt depressed, physically sick and just not in a good place in my life. That changed a few weeks into my Banff residency and now I seem to be a far more relaxed and happy individual with great excitement for my future. I have brought the joy back into my life which I was missing just before I came out here. I really like the laid back atmosphere which is such a big part of the Western Canadian culture and I adore the people. It is a far healthier lifestyle around here, that's for sure and I find the people to be far more open-minded.

With only three weeks left of my program here, I am now facing a different set of exciting challenges. I will be touring as an opener for two different singer-songwriters: Melwood Cutlery and Johnny Eden. Both tours are taking place in April and May and will take us through Alberta and British Columbia. Since I have done most of the booking and tour planning on my own, it has taken a huge amount of energy and has been an intense process of figuring out how it all works. What a great learning experience though. It feels so good to be able to book my own tours now and to take control of my future. No more depending on others for my livelihood. I am also excited about the idea of performing my own music for so many different people and in so many different places. I think the touring lifestyle was created for people like me who want to connect with others through their music and want to see the world.

With that being said, there are also ugly things about the touring lifestyle which I am learning lots about during my stay in "transitory" Banff. A dear friend of mine, Josh and I were talking on the phone earlier this evening (great inspiring chat BTW) about the touring lifestyle and how it's sometimes so lonely and a great challenge in regards to relationships. It's true. I often find myself spending many nights alone, when I wish I could be sharing special moments with someone I care about. But I guess with everything good comes some sacrifice. I am learning that there are many others just like me who wish to build a relationship yet cannot because of their difficult musician lifestyle that so many people find so unattractive...and I wonder...Should us musicians go for that "safe" person who has the day job and doesn't have this crazy lifestyle of ours or do we go for the person who is travelling and seeing the world just as much as us? Or do we put it all on hold and just observe for a while, to let time tell us what's right? I think for where I'm at right now that I'd like time to tell me what will happen in regards to my relationships. I'm in no rush and it's really nice to be developing special friendships with people I care about over the long term. I think the most happy couples in the long term are always the ones who develop their relationships from their beautiful friendships so I'm willing to give it a shot and be patient. With this being said, catch me on a day where I am feeling really lonely and I'll complain about why I hate being stuck in this situation... : ) Just like the weather in the mountains, wait a few minutes and I may feel totally different about all of this!

Now back to what's been going on...I have been writing a lot of new material and really growing as a performer. Most of what has been coming out is from personal experiences that I have been going through while I've been here. I thought that I would be reflecting more about my past but only a few songs were actually focused on matters from the past, and most of them were things that I really needed to get out. The real doozy that I had been working on for so long (Everything Changed in Just One Night) is now out of my system and I'm looking forward to writing more about what makes me love life and what I'm experiencing during the present moment. The thing I really love about songwriting is the fact that it enables me to keep a musical journal. It is far more personal than just sharing my thoughts through words and I really love experiencing all the growth that comes from developing a new craft. Sure, with all that being said, it has been a very humbling experience but as with everything, there are good and bad days and I can feel that my songwriting is improving.

And then there are the true signs of growth as a performer, like how I can use my looping pedal so much better in live performance and how I am feeling more confident singing! I have created lots of new song arrangements on my looping pedal and feel like I am really starting to create my own sound. And the audience is noticing the change as well...I performed at Props Pub last night, a much longer set than usual (11 songs) and kept the attention of my audience so much better. There were the obvious things that show that I am getting better at what I do as well, like how a bunch of different strangers approached me to congratulate me on a beautiful performance, to ask how they could purchase a CD or to sign my email mailing list.

And then the biggest compliment of the evening was at the very end when the bartender went on about how she sees amazing things in my future and how she loves my CD, even playing it when she's cleaning her house. When I complained to her about the fact that I am totally broke and only have $2 left in my bank account, she said, "Rozalind, don't even question itas you're on the right path. You're doing amazing. Just keep at it. Money is only money and it will come. What matters is that you're doing what you love and you're making people happy by sharing it." Do you know how many times people have said the same thing to me lately? And these are people from all different backgrounds, from music professors, professional musicians, to administrators and other business professionals and more. It's hard to have faith in our abilities sometimes, especially when we're so broke but I am going to try to keep the faith going and to believe that there are great things coming my way.

Yes, it seems like the big growth this time around has been personally and through observing my relationships with others. I have been learning so much about how I need to truly believe in myself in order to attract others to what I do. I have also learned that I must be true to myself and true to others. I must have faith that all will work out and through all that, if I am able to speak from my heart always, I will find the path that is meant for me. I can't wait to see what I learn next...

So there's a bit of personal sharing for y'all.

Have a great weekend everyone... : )

Love Rozalind

Lyrics - Everything Changed in Just One Night

Hi Friends,

Well this is a bit of a sad entry. Not sure how many of you know about a personal experience I went through seven years ago but I might as well share it with you now as this song took seven years to get out of my system and it's pretty intense. I won't go into details as it still hurts to talk about it. My only wishes are that through sharing this experience, I will be able to help other rape vicims not feel so alone and will be able to let the ghosts go, the ones that have haunted me for so long...

Seven years ago, just a few weeks before I moved to Ottawa, I was raped by a stranger who had considered me physical prey in a downtown Toronto bar. The man had put a pill in my drink and you can finish the rest of the story. It was a terrible experience which changed me forever. Unfortunately, this experience is shared by too many women.

Everything Changed in Just One Night

Words and Music by Rozalind MacPhail

Everything changed in just one night
When you chose to hurt me with your predator delight
And I didn't even know your name
When you slipped that pill into my drink
That left me unable to move or to think...

And things will never be the same
'Cause you took away my innocence
And replaced it with many years of shame
And I didn't realize that you were playing a selfish game
And I pray everyday that I was the only victim of your cruel ways

I can never go back to being the same girl that I was.
I can never feel as safe as you violated my sense of trust.
I can never look at another man in the same loving way.
I can never open myself up in that childlike, beautiful place.

'Cause everything changed in just one night
When you chose to hurt me with your predator delight
And I didn't even know your name
When you slipped that pill into my drink
That left me unable to move or to think

I will try to move on and let the past go.
I will try to remember the beautiful moments that I used to know.
I will try to forgive you.
I will try to be brave.
But please be careful of my tender heart
As I'm scared that it will break.

Things will just never be the same again.