Another Album

OK friends. I have been doing some really wonderful collaboration with my friend Lacey Brown. Lacey is an artist and percussionist and we have been working together creating an electronic collaboration. The unofficial word that may or may not be confirmed is that I am releasing a 7 song E.P. in the next month. Other off-the-record non-news is that I am working with Logic and Ableton Live and a midi keyboard to be able to present these songs live in concert as they will appear on the alleged album.

You may or may not choose to listen to the three song clip preview HERE.


*
*

More Christmas Songs!

It occurred to me, while I was procrastinating sending my Christmas cards, that I could make a little greeting with the iSight on my MacBook. Anyway, here's some more Christmas presents. Thanks for checking in to RestorationVillage.com!

Listen to "O Holy Night" by Aaron Strumpel and Jacob and Lily.

Listen to "Cold, Cold Day" written and performed by Todd Berger, and his twin girls.

Listen to "What Child is This" performed by me.

Advent Video

Here is a video that Christine Sine put together. She has written and posted different advent resources on her blog, godspace.wordpress.com. Christine and her husband Tom Sine direct Mustard Seed Associates. I (Tracy) did a house concert with them in Seattle back in November and it's wonderful to continue developing our friendship.

Back in 2005, I was helping a small group of people a a Presbyterian fellowship in Longmont, CO discover what it meant to reach out into their community and create a worship gathering loving and relevant to young post-moderns who may or may not profess to be Christian. During Advent I was asked to speak, and the liturgical scripture happened to be out of Isaiah 61. So I spoke about restoration and worship (which is usually what I speak about). I have recently been reflecting even further on this chapter, asking my friends what they think keeps us from being the restorers Christ talks about. Anyway, for an Advent devotion on worship, here's the LINK to the article I posted on worshipexplore.com.

Blessings, Tracy

What Child is This

I'm happy to be in Colorado for Christmas and doing some house concerts in Colorado next week! Check out the Restoration Village Calendar for details. Meanwhile, here is a sneak peak at a song I did for a Christmas compilation. Click HERE to listen to the MP3.






*

Recording Majesty and Power

Aaron Strumpel just gave me (Tracy Howe) this video from our recording time this July in Colorado. When we started recording, we led with "Majesty and Power." Dave Wilton, the sound engineer, set some levels and pre amps for the entire project based on my performance here. We recorded in a very nice home studio my friend designed to double as an office, or apartment, so we recorded with other people in the room...and in the end, I think it added to the energy and live feeling of the project.

Portland House Concert Video!

Yes, that is my friend Todd playing the keyboard on the bottom of one of those musical children's books. I had a wonderful time doing a concert at Don and Carissa's home in Portland last week and Todd and Angie opened up for me (and did a much better job at carrying over the room and city noises without a sound system). But here is a little clip of them playing "Like a Child" and then me playing "So Much Beuatiful."

The New CD is Here!

We have the new CD in the warehouse and shipped the first batch of orders! I'm so excited. People have already been so encouraging, emailing different ways the project has touched or impacted them. We are doing free shipping in the store through Christmas, so go ahead and order a copy! And, we have set up a website just for this CD project. It is SongsForARevolutionOfHope.com.


.

House Concerts!

I'm in Seattle for the Off-the-Map conference and a House Concert with the Mustard Seed Associates. Here's a little flier I put together for the special event. Hope you can make it!

Digital Release of Songs of a Revolution of Hope, Vol. 1!

That's right! The new CD has just been released digitally. You can CLICK HERE to go to the downloads page to hear clips and purchase the CD digitally. This is a video Aaron Strumpel put together with clips from our time recording the CD as well as clips from some of his latest travels, to a piece from the new CD called "11-57." The physical release is still set for Nov 1, just two weeks away!

Seattle Plans

There is still time to register and come to the Off The Map gathering in 3 weeks. I am excited to spend time with my friends Ken and Deborah Lloyd and Todd and Angie Fadel. I am also excited to be there with Kathy Escobar and other friends from The Refuge in Broomfield, CO. The Refuge hosted Jim Henderson, founder of Off the Map, as he started touring with the release of his new book, "Jim and Casper Go To Church." Brian McLaren will be there also, and I'm hoping I will have the new CD in hand, or in my backpack, so I can sell them after I lead my workshop. Finally I am also hoping to do a house concert with my friends from Mustard Seed. I will pass on the details as I get them worked out with Christine. If you've been following me for any time at all, you know Seattle is one of my very favorite cities and this is the perfect open event, good people, kind of gathering, excuse you needed to come!

A Espera Pelo Amizade

I didn't think I would get to come this time. I arrived in Argentina with an expired visa and was told it would take about a week to process another one in the Brazilian consulate in Buenos Aires. That is a whole other story...but miraculously, I got a visa in one day and arrived with my friends in Curitiba just one day late (and that would have happened anyway because of a cancelled flight). The most important happenings by far are our deepening relationships with a small believing community here. It is a joy to learn the stories and each person...some coming out of poverty and drug trafficking parents...others growing up in a nice city in Brazil, concerned for their nation's future...some artists, energized by imagining new ways of using their expression for the kingdom. Here is a Garage Band recording of a collaborative writing exercise we did with some young people here in Southern Brazil. (You have to subscribe to the podcast to hear it).

Friends in Peru Write About the Quake

I am going back to Peru in February, and the friends we are going to serve there are helping people overcome the aftermath of the 8.0 Earthquake that hit Peru last week. Here is an excerpt from an email we received from Lee Williams this week, one of the leaders myself, Doug and Rita Roberts, Ben and Robin Pasley, Aaron Strumpel and Tim Thornton are going to serve in February. If you would like to give directly to these people, you can designate a donation "PERU" and use the "DONATE NOW" link in the left column.

"Blessed be the LORD, For He has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city." (Psalm 31:21).

Our team has just returned to Arequipa after a week in Chincha and Pisco , Peru helping with the relief effort of those affected by the earthquake - which is practically everyone! We arrived in Chincha three days after the initial quake that killed over 500 people and destroyed or damaged more than 50 percent of the homes and businesses in the area. On our first evening we were chased from our hotel room by a 6.0 quake. We returned to our candle-lit accommodations accompanied by the distant (and sometimes not-so distant!) crack of gunfire and rested with flashlights in hand.

We were able to contact a food distributor in Chincha and purchased more than a thousand kilos of rice, a thousand kilos of noodles, close to a thousand liters of water, cases of milk, tuna, crackers, and sugar, etc. In addition, we were able to purchase and have sent from Lima, hundreds of meters of plastic and insulation (Chincha is in the dead of winter, and the climate is very wet and cold, and many, many, people are forced to live outside of their homes in tents and make-shift housing). Also, we distributed more than a hundred blankets to four districts in Chincha and Pisco. THANKS BE TO GOD FOR ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE GIVEN IN AN EFFORT TO HELP WITH THE NEED IN CHINCHA PERU ! Your generosity is not in vain! Gratefully,Lee

Tracy Learns to Video Cast!

Just taking advantage of all the do-dads on my computer and the world wide web. I've actually been way jealous of how cool my friend's, Ben and Robin's, blog/website is. You can check it out at 100portraits.com.

Pre-Order the New CD!

You can pre-order the new CD, "Song's for a Revolution of Hop, Vol. 1, Everything Must Change" in the NEW Restoration Village store.

Here's a note from Brian McLaren, the producer:

It’s been a great pleasure to work with Tracy Howe (The Restoration Project), Aaron Strumpel, Nuc and April Vega and Posido Vega (Harp 46), Tim and Laurie Thornton (The Blackthorn Project), and engineer Dave Wilton on this project. Tracy has been our project leader: she’s an amazing producer, writer, artist, organizer, and performer – a joy for all of us to work with. Each musician added his or her own magic and character to the songs, and I hope you’ll be as thrilled with the results as I am. (brianmclaren.net).

Justice For Children International

Here's a brand new song for the podcast (you will only hear it if your subscribed to the podcast). In fact, this was only the second or third time I had ever played it and so I hit record in Garage Band, with my laptop sitting on top of the piano so I wouldn't forget it. The words come out of Psalm 10 which has been particularly meaningful for me these days as I have become an advocate for Justice for Children International. (www.jfci.org)

Summer Projects

I returned from South America and am working on several worship projects at the moment, including one in Portuguese. I am also very excited about the gathering in Minneapolis this summer and hope people are seriously considering joining us! PODCAST: Here is a version of "The Kingdom" recorded with my friend Kalyna from Fortaleza, Brazil in Portuguese.

Songs From Brazil

Hey all,

I'm sitting in an internet cafe in Puerto Varas, Chile. But I had the chance to edit some audio from Brazil...some spanish, som portuguese. I hope you enjoy.

Off to South America

Tracy will be in Curitiba, Brazil for two weeks and then traveling through Chile for two more weeks. She will be uploading live audio and updates on the International Worship Circle blogs so bookmark those too! Here's a song in Portuguese for those of you subscribed to the Podcast! It is "Put In Me," from Enter the Worship Circle, written by Ben Pasley, used by permission.

Colorado College Show Announced!

Tracy will be performing at The Colorado College at 9pm, Friday April 17th. Special guests, 100 Portraits will join her as well. Tracy will be flying to Curitiba, Brazil on Tuesday April 17th. Don't miss this opportunity to hear some of her latest work (including songs in Spanish and Portuguese) before she spends the rest of the Spring in South America!

National Teleconference Monday Mar 19th

Tracy will be the guest speaker for the monthly Greenhouse Arts Teleconference. Anyone can call in at 7pm Mountain Standard Time. Dial in: 1-641-297-5400 (your long distance fees will apply) Access Code: 63247# (remember to incl. the # key at the end). http://www.greenhousearts.org

New Song and a $2 Credit!

Friends, we are functional and asking for help working out the kinks! For an undetermined amount of time, we are offering a $2 credit for anyone who signs up for a clickandbuy account to use our digital store! It's easy and clickandbuy is used by many online merchants. Go to www.clickandby.us and then download away!

And, this weeks free download is "All Those Years" recorded live at Temple University in Philadelphia in 2003.

We're Redesigning the Site!

This is the streamlined website for The Restoration Project, Tracy Howe and Restoration Village. We are still working cleaning and connecting, but you can still take a look around and expect us to be fully functional again soon!