Happy New Year!

It's almost New Years Eve...I'm looking forward to singing at Williamsburg's First Night & having breakfast with the crew @ I-Hop! (a tradition)

The last few weeks have been filled  with Christmas...we did in-stores for retail support at several of my vendors: Good Life Gourmet, Beach Bread Company, A Holistic Pet Shop, Salty Paws Biscuits, Chip's Wine & Beer Market, Bagels to Beef.  Great to see everyone, thanks for joining me & supporting our vendors! 

The title track from the Christmas CD, A Christmas to Remember,  was put into rotation on Mix 96, Orville & Wilbur.  I had 2 radio interviews: Mix 96  & The Sound 99.1 Acoustic Coffee Break (great job Sam & Jeff...thank you!) & of course press releases in the local papers (Coastland Times & Sentinel)...look for more coverage in papers & radio in 2008 as well as retail as several vendors are interested in working my other CDs during the summer!  Exciting marketing...now if I could just clone myself...

During the next 2 months I'll be doing some local appearances at some of the restaurants: Good Life Gourmet, Beach Bread Company & working on some others...check the calendar for scheduling or email me...

I'm rehearsing extensively with Leslie Erickson my violinist for weddings, private parties etc offering more of an instrumental selection: classical and contemporary...there are audio samples on my wedding page on this web site...check it out!

Here's to a healthy, prosperous, exciting new year filled with friends, family, and peace....let the doors swing wide!!

peace ~k

Blessings

It's 2 weeks before Thanksgiving & this blog is WAY over due...my apologies but blogs are not my thing...but it's Saturday, I was supposed to be at the church yard sale but woke up to rain...the dogs are fed and out and I've had my first cup of coffee so here goes...

This year has been one filled with God and blessings every turn I make...I began the year with recording sessions for, my debut Christian cd ...not only did we sell through the first 1000 ordered, but I'm now being referred to as a Christian artisit! The summer was 24/7 music: restaurants, weddings, festivals, churches, fund raisers and more recording sessions for the Christmas cd, which finally became A Christmas to Remember. My cat Nikki died during my sessions so a portion of the proceeds from that cd will go to Feline Hope, www.FelineHope.org, our local cat rescue organization here in the Outer Banks of NC...she does make herself known through spirit every now and then. The summer brought lots of old friends back to the venues I sang at and lots of new friends were made as well...I love singing outside during the summer on the gazebos watching the geese, turtles, dolphins, kids and of course the sunsets...it is just the most beautiful setting to sing in (other than the woods)...we had many dance competitions on the gazebos among our young visitors this season ...I'd love to bottle their energy! I went back to Nashville in September to finish recording A Christmas to Remember.

In conjunction with the Christmas cd, we published a recipe booklet of holiday desserts my sisters (wait till they see these photos!) and I grew up with...gathering the recipes and photos for this project from family was a blast...talk about memory lane! They really are great tasting treats and the photos are a trip! In the spirit of Thanksgiving we are donating the profits from the sale of this project to America's Second Harvest; a wonderful organization working with corporate America, mom & pop businesses, volunteers and schools to fight hunger here in the US. Check out their web site for more info: www.secondharvest.org.

I'm working on the 2008 schedule...if you'd like to suggest any venues, please email me kim@kimkalman.com ...I'd love to hear from you as well...I'm on the road through November and home for December (as of now). The sun is now out, it has stopped raining...time to take Winston (my dog) for his morning walk...see you on the road...thank you for your continued support and affirmation of my music...thank you for receiving it as my gift to you! May your blessings be abundant and may you be thankful for all that comes your way...

peace ~k

Christmas in May

Back from Nashville AGAIN... this time starting the christmas cd project... was great to be back in the studio with my guys: Pat McGrath on acoustic guitar, newlywed Dave Francis on bass (stand up & electric), Dennis Holt on percussion (all kinds!), Jim Hoke on saxophone & harmonica, John Catchings on cello, David Davidson on violin, Ray Herndon on electric guitar, & new comer (to me) Jeff Roach on keyboard... & of course my producer for more than 10 years Kenny Royster who has pulled more notes out of me then I knew I had!

I'll be back in Nashville in Sept after the National Quartet Convention in Kentucky to do more vocals & add my back up vocalists... ahh the makings of a cd! all just in time for the holiday season... stay tuned to the website for when it's ready...

peace ~k

3rd Annual Southern Gospel Fest

Oh what a night! Saturday I opened for the 3rd Annual Southern Gospel Fest in Waynesboro VA sponsored by Blue Ridge Talent Agency & promoter, Pam Barton (great job Pam!!) Not only have I never listened to southern gospel but needless to say I've never opened for a show of that caliber. We had 500+ in attendance & they were ALIVE in the spirit!!

The other acts included Greater Love Trio  (formally quartet but their bass was out on medical that night), Mark Bishop (singer/songwriter), Brian Free & Assurance, and  The Tabernacle Baptist Drama Team of Lumberton, NC. It was energizing, moving, electric & fun...I met some great people (see my photo gallery page) & opened my ears to some new sounds... got home @ 4am to sing mass at 11am @ Holy Trinity :) ...and I was awake (coffee is a wonderful thing!) Thank you to Waynesboro for welcoming me & to Pam for the invitation.

I'm currently working on material for the Christmas CD...I'll be in Nashville in May doing instrumental tracks & then go back in Sept to finish up vocals.

Most of my appearances this summer will be in the Outer Banks area, restaurants & church ...in Sept (before my studio time) I'll be show-casing @ the National Quartet Convention ...the convention invites solos, duo & trio along w/quartets ...this is exciting!

If your church is interested in booking me for a fund raiser, please have them contact me as soon as possible for scheduling.

peace ~k

I'm Not Alone

The production of I'm Not Alone has truly been an instrument in my life... divinely inspired. I heard a voice almost a year ago at mass telling me now was the time to step outside the box & share the most intimate part of me: my spiritual journey. I've been a church musician since I was 14 years old but I NEVER thought I would record a cd of Christian material. From the get-go divine intervention was obvious...researching material brought me to Sarah Hart who happened to be in FL singing on the same weekend I was doing a Hospice benefit just an an hour away from her workshop & show...once in the recording studio in Nashville, my musicians gave me goose bumps when they got the vision & translated it into music... over lunch in the studio, there was a sharing of personal journeys w/my backup singers on how God touched & graced our lives...the studio was filled w/little miracles daily while I was engulfed in song for 2 weeks on my own mini retreat. I sang, I cried, I danced... it was fun, grueling, invigorating & draining... my ears were fried after 12-14 hour days in the studio...the outside world was non-existent except for my bed & a hot shower... what we will do to feed our passion, to stir the soul, to be in total harmony with the why I am here, to set my prayers to music... to thank God I'm not alone.

peace ~k