Two Pianos
a new song with intention setting...
A few years ago, my friend Zach Berkman came over to write a song together. My husband Aaron had been working with him for some time on songs for tv shows out back in our recording studio. After a few sessions Aaron suggested I reach out to him to write. He just had a hunch our sensibilities would really compliment each other. I had known Zach for several years through Ron Pope (they wrote Ron’s hit song Drop in the Ocean together) but very casually. I was in a rut with songwriting. I hadn’t written since before I had my first baby. It was getting to the point where writing a song felt too scary to approach. Maybe a co-write with someone I wasn’t particularly close with would feel safe? I’ve learned over the years there’s this magic that can happen in a songwriting room and the level of familiarity we have with each other can impact it. Sometimes, when you’re feeling particularly raw, like I was at the time, a little distance can help.
So I invited Zach over. He walked into our dining room, noted my childhood piano and said, “Hm. Two pianos. What a beautiful life.” He was referencing the fact that we also have a piano in our studio. It was such an innocent, fleeting comment but it struck me. How often did I stop and wonder at the privilege of having two pianos? Or a roof over my head? Or guitars? Or a warm bed? For some reason, it stayed with me. I nodded and smiled as I gazed around the room. “Yea…. it is!”
Some time later I was on the phone with Caroline Spence as I usually am, chatting about life and what we were up to. I recounted the story of Zach’s piano comment and she replied, “oh Michaela, that’s a song.” So on a sunny September afternoon, we sat in her front parlor room and wrote the song Two Pianos together. I love it. It’s a simple little meditation on how hard it can be some days, that grief may be there, but when we look around, there’s always something to be grateful for.
We recorded it quickly, the last song of the first 3 days of sessions for basic tracking for the record. It came together so easily. Simple, just like the song. Then Caroline came and added her sweet voice to it and Kristin Weber arranged strings and performed every part (Kristin has arranged and performed all of the string parts on my last 3 records now starting with Desert Dove).
Two Pianos felt like a beautifully intentional lead single for this year of releasing my album. Grounding in gratitude, in the reminder to remember all that we’ve grown, we started from seed. It is so easy to focus on the things we haven’t yet accomplished, the things we haven’t yet done, the things we don’t have. It’s so easy when releasing music to get caught up in the ‘what am I getting,’ ‘how are the numbers,’ ‘is this helping my career’? It’s so easy to be pulled away from the root of why we write songs to begin with: the magic and self-transformation that happens from creating for the sake of creating, because that’s what we are designed to do. But Two Pianos is that gentle reminder that yes, it’s okay to recognize how hard some days feel, sometimes it’s our perspective, and sometimes it’s helpful to pause, look around and take stock of all the things in our life that we used to only dream about.
If you haven’t yet, I hope you’ll go listen here. Purchasing it on Bandcamp and then streaming it nonstop on your platform of choice is the best way to help indie artists. Thank you so much!
As always, these essays are written quickly, from the heart, very sleep deprived, without an editor. Please forgive any grammatical or spelling errors!
NEWS!
Dates and events….
DATE CHANGE March 8th: Song Circle! My dear friend Paige, The Riverbank by Paige Appel, is a spiritualist, circle facilitator, seeker and all around just beautiful person who nurtures her community. I’ve attended some of her circles and it’s profound how quickly you can feel so safe with those you didn’t know moments before. Another testament to the energy in a room when we all have the same intent and attention. Paige asked if I would sing and play for a song circle. I will share some melodies and the group will respond. No experience or “skill” is necessary. This is about using our voices for attunement, to quiet the mind and build connection. It will be in a beautiful setting in Kingston Springs, TN. SIGN UP HERE.
Feb 20th - City Winery Nashville, TN I’ll be opening for Emily Scott Robinson’s album release tour! Tickets here!
March 3rd, 24th and April 7th - Vinyl Tap Residency! Free shows from 6-9pm. Special guests will be announced soon!
April 23-26th - I’ll be teaching at the Lutsongs Songwriter Retreat! Lutsens, MN
JUST ANNOUNCED! I’ll be joining my buds Fantastic Cat for a few shows in the midwest in April! TICKETS HERE
April 26th, Appleton, WI at Gibson Music Hall
April 28th, Columbus, OH at Natalie’s Music Hall
April 29th, Millvale, PA at The Funhouse at Mr. Smalls
