got Manitoba friends?

also, don't call me "busy"

Apr 30, 2025

Hi folks,

We had an excellent showing at our Darke Hall concert in Regina on Friday night. It went by in a blur for me – a factor of having many jobs the day of and not feeling grounded. But all the right emotions were there: gratitude and joy and excitement… it was just more like performances I did six or seven years ago when I was less devoted to awareness while on stage. I suppose it’s good to know that I still need to practice that.

I’m going out again on Friday for a pair of shows in Manitoba. If you have a friend in the Winnipeg area, would you recommend my show? It means a lot! It’s my last run out of town before my kid and I settle in at home while Blake is away seeding with his family. Having a good turnout would be wind in my sails for months. Here are the details:

May 2
Sidestage
700 Osbourne St
Winnipeg, MB
7PM doors | 8PM show
click for ticket link
May 3
Cooks Creek Revival Concert Series
30026 Zora Road
Cooks Creek, MB
6PM doors | 7PM show
w/ opener Little Miss Higgins
click for ticket link

I have Bryn and Jeff with me on this run, which is just a delight. I started calling them the Twins when we were recording in Saskatoon earlier this month. I love their friendship! It puts me at ease to know that they enjoy each other’s company so deeply and that I can relax into their hang. I love a band with a tight hang. It transfers to the stage and the recordings. The chemistry bubbles through the work on and off stage and keeps us pulling in the same direction. I was never one for team sports like volleyball, basketball or baseball. It’s because I was meant to be in a band.

Team photo at Darke Hall: Bryn Besse, Jeff Romanyk, me, Steve Leidal, Blake Berglund (L to R). image by Raphaele Frigon.

Going back to the idea of having a lot of jobs: I’ve made that choice for myself! This January when I committed to recording an album and set the release date for January 2026 I surprised myself with clarity after a long period of lacking it. Do you ever do that?! But that’s how it’s been. I’m confident I can do this. I’m confident I chose the right people to do this with. And it’s from this choice that the assortment of jobs originates: producer, grant writer, singer, art director, marketing strategist, performer, promoter, agent, song writer, and so on. Being GREAT at any one of these jobs is a whole career! You can sink into it; be absorbed in the nuance; get creative. I certainly do and then there comes a time when I have to shift focus because another job demands it! Sometimes it’s elegant and seamless. Sometimes the loose ends are frayed and so are my thoughts.

Also, there is being a parent. I’m writing this after midnight. My son just called to be comforted. I can’t turn off being a mom. Moms make the world go round! I have a spouse who is a great parent and I still feel like the one whose nervous system is always online with our kid. What’s with that? Also, if momming is a job, does that make my kid my boss?

I digress.

So with lots of jobs and activities inevitably enters the word busy. Does anyone else strive to avoid using it to describe themselves? I associate it with overwhelm and feeling swamped. When I’m doing things in service of a goal (or many goals) I prefer describing myself as focused or devoted or saying that life is brimming. Busy reads as negative to me. And I despise the saying, “if you want something done ask a busy person”. Is there a better example of taking advantage of someone who has difficulty saying no?

Busy body, busy print… even “busy as a beaver” gets my goat as I’ve read that beavers will build a dam if a recording of rushing water is played within earshot. Holy disconnection!

With all this said, it’s an ongoing practice to stay connected to pursuing a goal when I know there are things being left unattended. I’ve been putting my full trust into the process to keep anxious thoughts from robbing me of joy. So much of life is low stakes anyway.

Ok. I just wanted to say hello, and ask you to tell your friends about my Manitoba shows. I hope this love letter finds you well.

xo
Mel/Belle