Please welcome my new song that I’m so excited to share, Green Upon Green!

The story behind Green Upon Green

As a girl growing up in Manhattan, I would walk to school down cement sidewalks, a bandana on my head, dreaming of another land, a simpler land. I was also beginning to learn some Celtic tunes at school, which touched my heart because they sang of other times and places. The desire to sing beautiful Celtic folk music was planted in me like a seed, which would bloom years later as I took up singing in earnest, and found myself continually drawn to the music of Ireland where I had the opportunity to visit in 2010.

Green Upon Green was written and recorded in February 2019 when the world still held some semblance of normal outline. No longer to my eye! But this song helps me to reestablish the meeting of minds and hearts in one of the earth’s natural paradises, IRELAND.

I wrote the song with my producer Billy Smiley, and we recorded it with several of his amazing Nashville studio musicians. I hope it takes you there, where green meets green!

The song will also be released on two record compilations this month, through Bongo Boy Records, and also through Acoustic Rainbow which will take the song across the world!

I hope that you will enjoy the song and share it with friends as well. I’d love to hear what you think!

New Compliation Album

Four of Kate’s songs were today just released as part of a compilation album from Bongo Boy Records!  Here’s the link. 

Hoping you really like the music! So much thanks to Bongo Boy Records! 

The post Green Upon Green Is Here! appeared first on Kate Magdalena.

New Song: In September

Last month I released a wonderful new song called “In September.”  The song is an exploration of loss, and then of finding oneself again newly. This song really helped bind up that loss, and I’m hoping perhaps it might even help you! I’ve been enjoying the new vibe – jazzy, almost light rock! It’s a sound you can expect more of from me next year.

The Holly & the Ivy

But before we get to the new year, the Holidays are nearly upon us!  And I have a new carol, just released for this season. 

“The Holly & the Ivy” is a traditional English carol using the beautiful symbols of nature (the holly, the ivy) to illustrate the special attributes of the Christ Child that Christians celebrate in this season.  

HEAR THE SONG

In the Bleak Midwinter

Speaking of the season, I also have 6 other carols that I released last year “In the Bleak Midwinter.”  In this selection are the title carol, then It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, The Christmas Song, The Cherry Tree Carol, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, and Silent Night. 

You can stream or purchase the album right now on Youtube and wherever music is available!

LISTEN TO THE ALBUM

Whatever your faith, I pray that you cling to it and deepen it this season, and that my songs may be an inspiration and joy to you!

With all best wishes for the harmony and beauty of the season,

Kate Magdalena
 

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KATE MAGDALENA’S NEW SONG ‘CANYONLANDS” RECALLS MUSIC OF THE SIXTIES:
Bringing the Music and Message of the 1960s from Laurel Canyon to Contemporary Listeners

The Sixties made its imprint on almost every aspect of our lives, changing the world from one bound in some fundamental ways, to one that became aware of some of the bindings, if not freed from them. From models of beauty, and social mores that had held humanity in its grasp for generations, to political, economic, and spiritual openings, there was a sudden expansion of authentic expression which had seemed close to being snuffed out for lack of oxygen!

The likes of the beat movement and jazz made the perfect fertile ground for the explosion of the Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Beach Boys, Simon & Garfunkel, and out of Laurel Canyon, Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills & Nash and many others. It was the music that provided the fuel for so many changes that went worldwide and still affect our lives today.

Laurel Canyon is the inspiration for Kate Magdalena’s newest song “Canyonlands.”

LISTEN NOW

The song grew out of the very special confluence of influences that made Laurel Canyon a cultural birthplace of the 1960s. Jakob Dylan’s film Laurel Canyon evoked that unique combination of sixties elements that inspired Kate’s song.

Magdalena is aware of the unique privilege of having experienced the Sixties firsthand, been deeply shaped by that music, and having a voice to sing with, and the heart to bring something of those times to these through music. Canyonlands is also the title track for Magdalena’s upcoming album CANYONLANDS out this fall.

The chorus of the song calls out

“Canyonlands are calling us, can you hear the sounds, traveling the sands of time from eucalyptus grounds.”

Kate is aware of the poignant passage of the time from then until now, and how the lessons of those earlier times call for our listening
today. Lessons of peace, of the importance of love, and of living in harmony with nature.

You can hear the song on all digital platforms beginning Friday, July 16, and it is available for pre-order now!

PRE-ORDER THE SONG

The song was produced by Billy Smiley of Northern Shore Productions, Franklin, TN and features Jared Kneale on drums, Byron House on bass, Jonathan Crone on electric guitar, Blair Masters on keys, and Brennan Smiley on acoustic guitar.

Kate Magdalena feels a mission to bring her unique sounds and perspectives to music that enlivens, nourishes, and brings awareness. She has produced two albums with Billy Smiley, and one on her own, as well as a Christmas collection, In the Bleak MidWinter.

You can hear more music and receive a free download of Kate’s vocal sounds right here.

Stay in touch for more music to enrich your beautiful life!

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Dear Friends and Fans, 

Warm hello to you! 

I’ve been walking the line between “just can’t seem to move forward” and “let’s go!”  Have you ever felt that way?

My wonderful producer and mentor Billy Smiley came to see us in California last week, and we recorded 8 new songs!  Some of these will complete my upcoming album “CANYONLANDS”, and the others will fill out an upcoming EP of sacred songs. Expect more upcoming news and releases as we gear up for the new record.

We will be releasing the single “Canyonlands” later this month! The song is about the incredible musical genesis of the 1960s in Laurel Canyon with Joni Mitchell, Graham Nash, Steven Stills and more…..

Introducing “The Waking”

Today, I’d like to share with you the single release of my song “The Waking” with lyrics from the famous poem by Theodore Roethke, a poem I learned in college and carried all my life! 

I had placed the song as the opening track of my album “The Water Is Wide” but wanted to feature it also as a single, and am at work creating an “official” music video for the song out this summer! The song tells of that special courage we need right now, the courage to go wherever our lives lead us. “I learn by going where I have to go.” 

Listen to the track

Listen on Spotify

Listen on Apple Music

You can also read the original beautiful poem right here.

The Store is Open!

I’m also happy to share with you that my online store is now open!

We are part of a larger dance it seems, larger than we may have realized. My third album #TheWaterIsWide Is currently available as a CD to be ordered on Amazon. I do plan to print it possibly as a vinyl album one day. We are open for business at katemagdalena.com, here to serve you!

Finally, here’s a link to the music video for #ALargerDance, please enjoy.

Much aloha, courage, love, strength,

Kate Magdalena 

The post New Music: The Waking + Canyonlands appeared first on Kate Magdalena.

Dear Friends or Fans of my music,

I hope this finds you well! I wanted to bring you a little musical news…..

My song “Dry Land” you may have heard before; it was on my album “A Larger Dance.”  But I wanted to really feature the song, so I am releasing it now as a single. It captures something of the spirit of anticipation, that a time of loving might be coming after such a difficult passage as we have had this past year. The song was written by Joan Armatrading, and I have carried it with me for a long time! 

To be honest, it has been a challenging as well as a unique time to bring music into the world.  Just as “Covid” descended, I was promoting my first album with producer Billy Smiley, “A Larger Dance,” (about how everything happens just as it must according to a ‘higher’ plan).  Then in summer of 2020, we released a second album, “The Water Is Wide” which went on to win the W.A.M. Award for Best Album in Adult Contemporary Music worldwide!  It was a dream come true.  These releases are the culmination of a lifelong goal to bring my voice to the world!  If you haven’t yet heard them, here are the links! 

A Larger Dance

The Water Is Wide

“CANYONLANDS” Makes “Best Female Artist” Show!

My forthcoming song, Canyonlands, the title track for what I hope will be this year’s album,is being featured right now on WNIR’s ‘2021 Best Females Artists’ Radio Special. You can hear it at 7pm EST daily now through March 15th right here. I wrote the song inspired by the spirit of the music of the Sixties, the spirit of freedom. 

I would love to hear from you if any of these songs touch your life!  Please find my music pages on Facebook and Instagram. 

Sending you love and best wishes in these extraordinary times,

Kate Magdalena 

The post Let Me Sail to the Depths of Your Soul appeared first on Kate Magdalena.

I love the subtle process through which we gradually become aware of things, kind of like a seed opening, kind of like dawn breaking. 

I have a notion that we pick up things first in our bodies, through the skin, through the hair, (through the air), through the eyes, ears, fingers and toes, and of course, most directly through the heart.  I have read that the heart has an auric field that extends beyond the body by 6 feet!  It can sense things ahead of our conscious awareness, like the feeling in a room you are about to enter.  

I don’t know if I ever really thought of myself as rebellious, but looking back, I see my mind was rebellious. I kind of just “feel” if something isn’t ringing true, and that’s made me question things a lot, making me something of a rebel after all, challenging the status quo. So many of us are doing this now!

Have you ever had a sense that you were born for this time? I have, even though I’ve also felt like I would have been happier living in an earlier, more traditional time.  In the postmodern world, or today’s world, in which everything seems to be changing all at once, so many feel this sense of rebellion today.  

And so it is that Sinead O’Connor’s “This Is My Rebel Song” a political song set as a love song,  called out to me, a powerful, ringing call toward the living relationship to the world that we truly want.  Maybe we didn’t realize how much we needed that.  “Let glorious love be done!” 

It is time. 

You can purchase the song on iTunes today right here.

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Dear Friend,

I hope you found a way into a beautiful Thanksgiving even in 2020! . Funny how that beautiful spirit of thanksgiving leads like a portal into the Christmas season, and the season of Light, Hanukkah.  

My Christmas EP is here!  In this time in our world, it just felt right to share this music freely with you.  The album contains six Christmas holiday classics ready to warm your heart and hearth.  So c’mon….nestle up by the fire with your chestnuts, just as midnight is coming clear, even during the Bleak Midwinter of 2020, God Rests the Merry people to bring them peace.

Listen on Soundcloud

Listen on Spotify

Buy the album

Tracklisting: 

1. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear 

2. The Christmas Song, Chestnuts Roasting 

3. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

4.  In the Bleak Midwinter 

5. Cherry Tree Carol 

6. Silent Night

May this light join with all of your beautiful ways of celebrating in the bleak midwinter of 2020. Let the crystal sounds of beautiful holiday music fill you this season!

Yours Truly and Musically,

Kate Magdalena

The post A gift for you “In the Bleak Midwinter” EP appeared first on Kate Magdalena.

I don’t intend to be preachy, but it comes naturally to me. You see, I did go to seminary and actually have a Masters of Divinity. Now, in these times where many are disagreeing and at each other’s throats, Jesus tells us we should love our enemies and be good to those who hate us. There are many bruised and unhappy people around us right now. And it’s easy to be angry at what is unfair and unjust. But my question is, how can we put Jesus’s teachings into practice?

One way I think is by being calm, and spending some time in prayer and in meditation, to simply breathe and gain some composure so we can understand how best to respond.

Another way is through the power of music.  And these days particularly, I’d love to point you to some songs to speak to these times.

The Story Behind “Backstory”

First of all, my political song “Backstory” describes the corruption that has taken hold of America through a group of human beings that consider themselves our masters… My hope is that through becoming aware of this oligarchy at the center of our world, we the people can unite and forge a brighter path for the future.

Purchase the song

Stream the song

On “Streets of Any Town”

Next, my song “Streets of Any Town” centers around the larger story of men and women across America who now live on the streets. Few are there by choice, and many of them have been forced there for economic and social reasons which will only be deepening now. What is our responsibility to these souls? What is our government’s responsibility? And is it really okay in the United States of America to allow people to live on the street? The song also packs a religious punch with its refrain “the least of you”, recalling Jesus’ words from Matthew 25:45 —- ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

Purchase the song

Stream the song

Christmas is Almost Here

And finally, stay tuned for my upcoming Christmas EP, In The Bleak Midwinter which will be released November 27.  You will be able to pre-order the album in the prior week through iTunes. The EP will have six glorious carols for your holiday enjoyment.

And while you wait, here are 3 Christmas songs I have available for you to listen to right now.

In the Bleak Midwinter

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

Cherry Tree Carol 

The post Two Songs for a World Abuzz appeared first on Kate Magdalena.

It’s been a while since we’ve talked, and in that time, our world has continued to turn on its head.

What a great test we are under!  I’ve had opportunities to know myself in the past six months that I did not expect, but in a sense, I’ve craved the opportunity for solitude. I wish I had not wasted time on so many negative emotions, but I’m learning that we must find a way to have peace to survive and thrive, whatever current events or life situations we face.

Hope and Negative Emotions

Do you ever struggle with your emotions? Is there anyone that doesn’t?

I’ve been learning a technique from an amazing book called “Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender,” by Dr. David Hawkins. He describes a method of dealing with your emotions in which you simply feel them. And in doing so, they dissipate naturally, and you can then experience the emotion underneath them (like turtles they go all the way down…) 

So my message to myself to today, and to you, if it resonates, is to take responsibility for my own piece of the world to the best extent that I can. I decided it’s not okay to give in to despair! But rather, by allowing myself to FEEL the despair….every bit of it, I can then feel the next emotion, and the one after that, letting them go! 

So if that resonates with you, you might try doing two things:

1. Check out that book
2. Take a listen to my most recent album, The Water is Wide. It just might help!

Exciting Things Ahead…

May I be the first to wish you a Merry Christmas! I’m so excited to announce we’re putting out a Christmas EP called In the Bleak Midwinter. It will have six Christmas carols! I couldn’t get back to Nashville just now to complete the album, so I recorded the final tune right here in Sebastopol! On Friday, October 23, the title track will be available to download right here. The full EP will be available at the end of November. Here’s a sneak peek from behind the scenes…

We Won Best Album!

And last but certainly not least, I’m excited to share that The Water is Wide is now an award-winning album! This lovely poster was made for me by my friend Paula Vonderstein to celebrate the win of my album as BEST ALBUM at the W.A.M. Music Awards for independent artists. Thank you Paula, and thank you to BWH Music for this honor!

You can listen to The Water is Wide right here.

Exciting times indeed. Even though every one of our lives is touched by the difficulties that we face, there is a subtle peace that we can touch in the midst of it all.  I hope my music may help take you to it. 

Kate Magdalena 

The post Thoughts on Hope + A Christmas Sneak Peek! appeared first on Kate Magdalena.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, September 14, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/

Kate Magdalena, a folk singer/songwriter from the Bay Area, has released a new collection of moving songs, ‘The Water Is Wide‘. The album is available on all major music platforms and streaming services. Through this collection of songs, Magdalena hopes to inspire thoughts of beauty, grace, and truth for her listeners.

The album was recorded in Nashville, TN under the direction of famed producer, Billy Smiley. It features nine songs to soothe and lull, to surf and sun by, and beat the pavements of the city as well. Including some of Kate’s most recent releases including, ”I Know A Heartache When I See One,” “Downtown,” and “Shores of Avalon,” listeners will also hear five new unreleased songs of water and land.

The album opens with “The Waking,” written from the well-known poem by poet Theodore Roethke. The iconic “Downtown” will be beloved by any listener who grew up in the city, while “Backstory” takes a heavier tone, addressing the corruption of the elites who have infiltrated the U.S. government. Magdalena also covers “I Know a Heartache When I See One,” made famous by Jennifer Warren, and the beautiful ballad “Shores of Avalon” by Tina Malia will stay with listeners long after the album comes to a close.

Track List:

1. The Water is Wide
2. Maui
3. Downtown
4. Shores of Avalon
5. I Know a Heartache When I See One
6. The Water is Wide
7. Backstory
8. Sea Fever
9. Clothes of Heaven

In light of the recent worldwide events including the COVID-19 pandemic, a turbulent political climate, and civil unrest, Magdalena acknowledges the internal conflict she faced about releasing new music. She also struggled recently with chronic pain that kept her from many of her plans for 2020. But as the songs came together, Magdalena realized the theme of water throughout the album. Water is an agency of healing because of its softness, endurance, and ability to wear away and remove. And because of this realization, Magdalena decided there was no better time to release this music into the world.

“I want to encourage you, as I also encourage myself: this is not the end, and there is much unseen and unheard to look forward to.”

Kate Magdalena

Kate Magdalena has also released a handful of new music videos for the songs on her YouTube channel, including “The Water Is Wide,” “A Larger Dance,” and “Shores of Avalon.”

The songs from The Water Is Wide almost function as a promise to its listeners: This is not the end, and there is still much unseen and unheard to look forward to. And with each song playing one after another, Magdalena hopes listeners will find hope and a little joy to take with them.

You can stream or purchase The Water Is Wide right here

Album Credits:

Produced/Arranged: Billy Smiley for Northernshore Productions

Engineered and Mixed by: Billy Smiley and Billy Whittington

Vocals, Harp: Kate Magdalena

Drums: Jared Kneale

Bass: Byron House

Guitars: Brennan Smiley, Jonathan Crone

Keyboards: Blair Masters

Dobro: Josh Matheny

Fiddle: Andy Leftwich

BGVs: Troy Johnson

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