Hi Everyone... I hope your summer is going well:) I have been busy, putting a lot of km's on my little FIT... Lots of time spent driving to venues... I need to tell you about a new artist that a musician friend introduced me too... He's new to me at least, although I still use a cassette player to record my songs so proceed with caution;) The artist: David Mead... I have no idea where he is from but I have been listening to his music on the road for the past two weeks... I am the type of person who listens to a song over and over again until I kill it but I can actually listen to his CD the entire way through without skipping one song... This impresses me.. I hope I get to meet him at some point in the future... Maybe open for him... who knows these days:) So this is my summer guilty pleasure #1... check him out... I have been indulging in guilty pleasure #2: Strawberries... I could live off these berries all year long if my body would allow me... I have a little bit of time off (thank god) for the next few days I will spend writing.. trying to anyway... sometimes it comes easy and sometimes I get easily distracted.. I have been working on one for the last few days which is growing on me.. I am never quite sure about a song at first.. usually I need time to sit with it... I usually go to the track, and walk listening to a recording of it... Helps to keep me focused... So far, I still like it so that's a good sign... I can't wait for the next CD.. I am performing a lot of the new stuff lately.. I think I like the variety b/c I have been performing the CD songs for so long now, well before the release of the CD...I like the change... I am planning on going to Nashville in October for awhile to write and get the lay of the land.. that will be exciting... I am a gypsy at heart and I find that lately I can't sit still for too long... I like to be on the move... One of my best friends recently got engaged which is fantastic news... Congrats Nate and Julie.... They are such a lovely couple... Nothing better than seeing someone you care about so much so happy... A few trips in Sept are planned too for those of you in AB and New England... I am finally coming to your area so make sure you come and say hello, I would love to meet you:) Time for guilty pleasure #3... A Tim's run.. I am obsessed with their tea... Talk to you soon... xoxoSteph

For Brandi

I forgot to mention this awhile ago... A young girl named Brandi emailed me about a school project she was doing on my song Waiting For The Tide. I was completely flattered and intended to write her back..... "but for some reason Brandi, the email was put in my junk folder and was deleted automatically without me knowing it would be. I had no address to write you back. I wanted to Thank You for the kind words and I hope you got an A on your project. You did a wonderful job singing at the fundraiser we both performed in... Perhaps I will be opening up for you one day... Keep singing:)

Lont Time Coming:)

It's been awhile since the last blog and lots of things are happening:) I have been busy setting up my summer schedule:) I am all over the place this year... I will be travelling to Ontario, Quebec and NB in June and I am currently working on some dates out West with singer/songwriter and labelmate Timothy Chaisson in September which is exciting. I will also be performing in New England at the end of September so keep posted to my calendar.. I went to the Dominican in April and performed at a venue called the Checkpoint Pub in Sosua. The owners raise money for a charity that this lovely lady who I had the pleasure of meeting began about 7 years ago. The charity raises money for children in the Dominican Republic making it possible to attend school and have access to basic needs. As someone who works for a children's charity, it was so wonderful to meet this woman... for only $70 American, this will send a child to school for an entire year which provides uniforms and supplies. Such a small amount yet so many children lack this opportunity:(The trip was wonderful, the weather was great and the company even better:) So much talent associated with Offshore Gael Music:) One of my little songs was chosen to receive an honor award at the International Songwriting Contest in the performance category (Winter)... Each song is like a child to me so I was very proud to see the judges think that highly of Winter. I am getting ready to go to Halifax this weekend for the Saltscapes Expo which should be a great time... If you are in Halifax, come down and enjoy the music and say hello... Jason MacDonald and I are hosting a "Kitchen Party" several times throughout the weekend. We are also at the Mersey House in Liverpool on Sat night... I will be testing out some of my new material... I can't wait to start recording my next CD... I hope all of you are doing well and thanks for visiting my site and caring about my music... I am living my dream b/c you are allowing me too... I hope to see you on the road this summer...xoSteph

Sorry for taking so long to write... It's been a busy couple of weeks but things have been going really well. Firstly, ECMA's was fabulous. I was so honored to be included in the circle showcase. It was a wonderful show. The concert on Feb 18 was another highlight of my ECMA weekend. A big Thank You to Jimmie Inch for including me in the show. The level of talent was incredible and it was great for me to hear some of the artists that I haven't had a chance to see before but often hear their names. Thank you to all of you who sent me such wonderful compliments... I perform to entertain and move you so it's nice to hear from you that I am achieving my goals:) Lots of shows planned for the upcoming season and I am branching out into new territory as well so keep posted to my calendar for updates. I will be travelling through Quebec and Ontario in June so for those of you who have been asking me to come, wait no longer (well actually just 4 months, that's it I promise:) I have been doing a lot of writing lately. It's funny b/c it seems to come in waves for me... this is a big one. I have lots of new material I will be testing out on the road so you can let me know what you think. I had a big night in my career this past Monday. I opened for Chantal Kreviazuk. First let me say I have met many artists but she was one of the most gracious and kind people I have ever met. She was actually late going onstage b/c she was talking to me about my career and songs and how she loved my set. That was a moment, a beautiful full circle moment for me. I had been at a concert in Halifax of hers several years ago, right before the time I made the decision to move home and pursue my music. I watched her from my seat and started to seriously consider trying this music gig out. So to open for her, meet her and have her be so lovely was a great moment I won't soon forget. And lastly, I am going to D. Republic in April and I can not wait. I will be joined by the Offshore Gael folk and I am looking forward to a week without a computer or telephone. Sometimes you need to just get away?!!! I will let you know when news arrives. Thank you again for taking the time to write on my guestbook and to me personally. It means a tremendous amount:) xo Steph

ECMA's Next Week

Well... we are on the cusp of ECMA week. Very exciting:) I am looking forward to seeing everyone and of course performing. I will be playing at several places during the event so if you are interested you can check out my dates here on myspace and come and say hello... I'd love to meet those of you who are visiting my page and enjoying my music. I went to see the Rankin Family in concert last night and have to say it was fabulous. the amount of hit songs Jimmy has written is really incredible when you sit back and tally them up... I have performed so many of their songs working with Tourism so they are very close to my heart. I danced and sang the night away. It was money well spent. I also rented an Inconvenient Truth today... Really amazing documentary. I will be visiting the www.climatecrisis.net site to see what I can do to help. Global warming is such an important issue and more attention needs to be paid to it and more needs to be done to avoid the disastrous path we are on... ok enough ranting... forgive me but I finished watching it about 10 minutes ago so it is still fresh on the brain:) Touring season will be starting up again... few dates in Ontario planned this summer so for those of you who have been waiting for these dates, I will announce them on my site as soon as they are confirmed.. I am really excited to hit the road. I was in Quebec city last weekend for only one day but I had a chance to see a bit of the city. A beautiful place... can't wait to go back and spend more time. Thank you Sylvain for carting me around:) I hope I did not set you back in your quest to learn English:) My next radio release will be ready soon and available across Canada.... I shall keep you all informed. Gordie Sampson is up for some Grammy's this weekend... So amazing to see a hometown boy reaching such heights in this industry. You can feel the whole Island rooting for him... just one of the many reasons why it is so good to be a Caper.... Talk to you soon everyone and keep in touch xo Steph

Happy New Year

So.... it's pretty hard to believe 2006 is officially over. That year was so kind to me and I was a little sad to see it end:( Thanks to everyone who took the time to send comments on the Christmas Show... I was so pleased with how it turned out and I can't wait to record a full length Christmas album next year. Everyone involved with the production from the fellow artists to production staff and crew were so wonderful... I can only hope my future experiences with the industry are half as good.... Thanks Charlie for making me one of your angels!! So Brian was in the studio today laying down the drum tracks for my next single Sweet Sorrow... This turned out to be one of my favorite songs on the album... We all search for that one person who accepts us with all of our faults and I found him in the song (still looking in real life;)... My goals for this year are to write more, sing more, perform more and enjoy time with my family and friends... Sometimes things become so hectic, it is easy to forget what is really important... I am also in piano lessons and would love by the end of this year to perform onstage somewhere Sweet Sorrow with just me and a grand.... I hope everyone has a great 2007... Best wishes and lots of love xoxoSteph

Christmas Singles

Hello Everyone. It's been awhile. I am pleased to announce that the Christmas Singles are ready and sitting at the radio stations waiting for you to call and request them:) CBC Mainstreet has played The Baby King (Thank You)- an original Christmas song co-written with Fred Lavery. The second single is the classic (and one of my favorites) "What Child Is This?". The musicians, Fred and Mike once again did a fantastic job. The songs will be available to purchase on the site and in select stores. I also found out today that the singles will be added to the holiday rotation on CJFX. Thank you Dwayne! Cape Breton Christmas Daddies Telethon is on December 3 from 12pm-6pm AST on CTV and nationally on ASN so make sure you tune in... I am performing the Christmas songs and in fantastic company...It will be a great show so tune in and if you can, pledge to the charity.... xoSteph

Morgan has arrived!!

Well my new Morgan Concert Model guitar has just arrived. Actually, it arrived several hours ago but this is the first chance I have been able to pry myself away and make contact with all of you. I love it! The sound is very different from my Gibson. It's a beauty... I have been trying to take some time in the last few weeks to work on some songs I started this summer and didn't have a chance to finish. It's nice to have a bit of downtime after the crazy and exciting summer. Between performing for the Dixie Chicks, with George Canyon, signing to a booking agency and all of the festivals and shows in between my little Honda Fit needs a break too. I bought this car back in May and it has served me well. Great on the highway, and I tend to have a heavy foot. I had such a great time meeting everyone... thank you for coming to my shows and for those of you who have the album I hope you are enjoying it and for those of you who don't what are you waiting for!!! Check out my site for show dates... I always love to meet new people and catch up with old friends so come on out!! I thought I would try something different with this blog... A few "Top 5" lists so you can get to know me more... email me yours!!!Thanks everyone for checking in...talk to you soon...xoStephTop 5 Places I Want to Visit:1. Egypt2. Hawaii3. France4. Jamaica5. Mexico (again and again)Top 5 favorite songs today1. How To Save a Life (The Fray)2. Flame Turns Blue (Anything by David Gray)3. Push (Sarah)4. Everybody's Changing (Keane)5. **Sexyback - Justin (guilty pleasure)Top 5 TV Shows1. Grey's Anatomy2. Law and Order CI3. Law and Order SVU4. Desperate Housewives5. Dancing w/Stars (I want to be a contestant)Top 5 Movies1. Shawshank Redemption2. To Kill A Mockingbird3. Indescent Proposal4. Pride and Prejudice (w/Colin Firth)5. Bridget Jones