Inga Swearingen: First Rain
Inga Swearingen always loved singing, whether it was with her elementary school choir in San Luis Obispo, California, or performing her own songs in high school, or during her years of voice lessons. But it may have been joining a jazz choir while pursuing her education at Cuesta College that sealed her decision to be a jazz singer. In 2003, after studying with Swiss artist Susanne Abbuehl, she won the Shure Jazz Voice competition at the world-renowned Montreux Jazz Festival. She earned a master’s degree in choral conducting from Florida State University, then returned to California, where she now performs, works on recording projects, and teaches at Cuesta College — her old alma mater. First Rain is her latest CD.
Tell us a bit about First Rain, your new cd? How did the album come about?
First Rain features music and song rooted in family, nature, love and human spirit. It’s a mix of homegrown folk, and soulful jazz, with guitar, stand up bass, violin, cello and vocal harmonies by my sister, Britta.
Last year my friend said, “It’s time for you to record again, lets have a party”. So we put on a couple of house concerts at the farm that helped to fundraise for the project. I was surprised and touched by people’s generosity. We made this together, and the music is filled with that gratitude and love.
What is your favorite track from the cd? Tell us a bit about the song.
“Brick by Brick” is a song I sing with my sister that compares my experience of living in a farm-house that was being remodeled for seventeen years — to a transitional place in life where one must rebuild from the ground up.
How did you go about choosing or writing songs for an album? How long is the process from start to finish?
When I arrange a song, I try to get to the essence of the lyric and find a musical way to communicate that. And when I write, I’m pulling from everything that inspires me, be it jazz, classical, folk, rock, anything good..
The actual recording goes down pretty quickly — it’s the gathering of songs that takes the most time for me. This project took about a year.
I have read that you described the album as “Swedish Farm Jazz”. How would you describe this type of music? What song on the album best represents Swedish Farm Jazz and why?
I view jazz as a big umbrella — a lot that can fit under there in my opinion. On this album, we incorporate jazz harmony and improvisation and the sense of exploration that jazz encourages, while using rhythms and feels other than straight ahead swing. I’ve found that European jazz draws heavily from the folk songs of particular regions. They have a very broad definition of jazz, which certainly resonates with me.
When creating, I try not to fence myself in with a particular genre. However, eventually you must describe your music to others. Having spent time in Sweden as a child I have a fondness for the language and the music. We cover a traditional Swedish tune “Visa Fran Jarna”, which is one of my favorites on the album.
How is this cd different than your previous recordings?
It feels like it’s my most personal work to date because I wrote 5 songs on the album about my home (a small farm in California), and my family mostly. Even the standards and traditional songs are rooted in themes of nature, love and human spirit. I’ve given myself the time to gather material, find the musicians and sit at the mixing board making decisions about how to best present the songs in an honest way. I think this has given the album cohesiveness and fluidity.
'Whatever' from the 30th Anniversary Special
How has appearing on the A Prairie Home Companion affected you or your audience? Have you noticed a new breed of fans showing up at your concerts?
The opportunity to perform on A Prairie Home Companion has not only provided me with lifetime musical memories, it has also expanded my audience to places that I have not yet been able to tour. I’m an independent artist who books my own shows and plans my own tours, so to receive an email from a PHC listener inviting me to their town is an incredible offer. I’m touched that people take the time to email, and I try to write everyone back.
You have appeared on A Prairie Home Companion as a featured guest many times over the past years. We have been taking a quick look back in honor of the 35th Anniversary of the program. Do you have any favorite memories from your guest performances or of the show? Are there any favorite guest performances that you recall hearing that stand out?
I remember singing a song by Rich Dworsky at Tanglewood a few years ago and the poem mentioned birds, just then birds began to chirp in the rafters and we all heard it. Even the radio listeners heard them! It was magical.
And yes, every time Jearlyn Steele is on the show I am moved by her passion and joyous spirit. She sings from her heart.
"Hush Little Baby'
Do you remember anything special about the 30th Anniversary concert?
I loved singing “Hush Little Baby” with 30th anniversary lyrics, a cappella with the audience. They sang their part with such confidence, and that allowed me to scat sing over the top.
How can fans keep in contact with your touring schedule/appearances?
My website has a full listing of tours and upcoming performances and also a way for folks to write to me. I do like hearing from you and staying in touch!
I made a costly mistake on Coinbase, sending $43,000 worth of Bitcoin to an incorrect address. The support team informed me that recovery was impossible. Desperate for a solution, I researched online and discovered Morphohack, a company with a proven track record in cryptocurrency recovery. I contacted them, providing transaction details and screenshots. To my surprise, Morphohack successfully tracked down my Bitcoin, which had been transferred to multiple micro wallets, and recovered approximately $39,800. If you’ve lost Bitcoins or other crypto due to a similar mistake, lost access to your crypto wallet, Morphohack Cyber Service may be able to assist you.
You can reach them through their website www . morphohackcyber . com or other contact channels below
Morphohack@cyberservices. com
Info@morphohackcyber. com
I will always recommend Mr. James and his team anytime, anywhere when it comes to Cryptocurrency recovery of any type, He saved me from a horrible mistake, I was manipulated in to investing 23.6 BTC on a fraudulent Investment company little did I know that I was being fooled and scammed online even after I made some reports to my banks and the cops but they could not help out, only then I got a connection with jamesmckaywizard, he came to my aid he helped me to recover all my money back from the Scam company and he gave me maximum online security that blocked all scammers and unverified companies from contacting me again. Why not Contact Mr. James/his team and explain your situation to him Via Email:jamesmckaywizard at gmail dot com or WhatsApp +31657446248..
Do you need help on how to recover lost or stolen crypto from a fake forex broker or investment platforms? Contact ghostchampionwizard[at]gmail,com for an outclass service. This team can help you recover your coins without being in a hurry for you to pay for the services and the work smart and genuinely i was involved in an online investment platforms where i invested over $399,541 via USDT and i was happy when i saw the profit imagined that i got in less than a month of investment i tried to withdraw the profit from my trading wallet but unluckily the request for $10,980 as withdrawal fee which i told them that i don’t have money to pay for that within a second the log me out from accessing my platform which lead me to in search of a hacker for help me recover my funds, Recovering lost Bitcoin or Usdt can require unique hacking skills and expertise that are possessed by only a handful of professional hackers. While there are many recovery websites out there, it’s important to be cautious as 99% of them are operated by scammers who try to appear legitimate. GHOST CHAMPION HACKING SERVICES Their team conducted a thorough investigation to trace the money and identify the perpetrators behind the Fake platform. They used advanced technology and cybersecurity expertise to track the stolen funds. They worked tirelessly to recover every cent that was taken from me. Their team kept me informed throughout the process and gave me regular updates on their progress. For those of you trying to get back your stolen money, WhatsApp : +44 7383450230 for inquiries.you can get in touch with GHOST CHAMPION HACKING SERVICES so they can help you.EMAIL ( ghostchampionwizard@gmail.com ) and TELEGRAM ID:https://t.me/WizardGhosthacker
Despite trying various methods and consulting numerous experts, none could provide a solution. Perry Mark’s recommendation of jamesmmckaywizard on her page proved to be a turning point. From the moment I contacted them, their team displayed unmatched professionalism and dedication. Recognizing the urgency, they promptly initiated work on my case, showcasing advanced technology and expertise in cryptocurrency recovery. The team went above and beyond, exploring every possible avenue and providing regular updates on the progress. To my delight, James successfully recovered my BTC wallet, turning my despair into joy and hope for the future. I express my deepest gratitude for their outstanding services and commend Perry for the invaluable recommendation. If you find yourself in a similar situation, I highly recommend reaching out to Email:jamesmckaywizard at gmail dot com or what’sapp +31657446248.
I was able to reclaim my lost Bitcoin assets worth of $480,99 which i had lost to the scam company known as Capitalix fx a scam company pretending to be an investment platform which alot of people including myself have lost their funds to, sadly not all would be fortunate enough to retrieve back their funds like I did but if you’re reading this today then you’re already a step closer towards regaining your lost digital assets, Mr. James successfully retrieved back my funds in less than of 48hours after I sought for their help to get back my funds. This experience has taught me the importance of carrying out my due diligence before embracing any financial opportunity presented to me and while risk taking may be a part of the journey, some risks are not worth taking and never again will I involve myself with any online financial investment. It’s only right that we seek for external intervention and support of a higher knowledge system when it comes to digital assets recovery, Get in contact today with the team to get started on Email: jamesmckaywizard at gmail dot com or what’sapp +31657446248.