Nancy Buchan

And may 2016 roll in gently and melodiously! There should be plenty of live music happening in our area, ‘cause whether you’re in the churches or the bars, the holiday season moves folks to sing and make music.  So, having spent way more time in bars than I have in

By Nancy Buchan This last decade or so there has been an odd—at least I find it odd—urge to bring back the bands and performers who were so important to the soundtrack of our lives. I’m talkin’ tours with rock and roll dinosaurs—the hair bands that now have lots of

By Nancy Buchan There’s nothing like a nice soft rain to lull one into indoor inactivity. A book and a hammock are my first choice, but for those of you with a higher metabolism you might want to find things to do besides gardening, or hiking or any of the

By Nancy Buchan One of my best girlfriends and someone who regularly de-railed my train of thought and my life in general, was my viola playing friend Kitty. She was a bit of a classical snob, and I totally understand that, ‘cause most classical players work really hard to master

By Nancy Buchan Some friends of mine who were visiting Costa Rica last March found themselves in the odd position of having to call their families with the news that they wouldn’t be catching their scheduled flight home.  Odd, not because they had missed a bus, or because their flight

By Nancy Buchan There’s just nothin’ like being somewhere remote and far away from human pollution and influences – and gazing up at a beautiful, clear night sky. After traveling all over and living in a variety of locations, I realize I’ve always managed to put myself in places where

By Nancy Buchan Throughout time we have learned our survival skills and our histories and how to make art and music from the older folks around us. The village elders. The tribal chiefs, the master craftsmen, the seasoned veterans. The verbal accounts from our forefathers that give us perspective. The

By Nancy Buchan We all know folks who fall into the category of ‘over achievers’. Those annoying people who can balance their checkbook, change the oil in their car, bathe the dog, jog a mile, mend a pair of pants, weed their garden, remember their aunt’s birthday and call her

By Nancy Buchan Here we are at the beginning of a new year, (2015 in case you really partied hard on New Year’s Eve), optimistic and full of well-meant resolutions. Or vows. Or promises. “I promise to be a kinder person.  I promise to quit smoking and to lose weight.

By Nancy Buchan There are probably more songs written about love gone bad because of those issues than there are sweet songs about perfect relationships and everlasting fidelity. Mainly ‘cause the messy stuff is way more interesting! Every style of music has their entries into this category, and frankly there

By Nancy Buchan To my amazement and delight I find myself living right next to a real jungle. Not in the dense thick of it, but it is nearby and there’s plenty of proof that the animals and insects and birds and plants share its edges with us town dwellers.

By Nancy Buchan If you’ve ever made a little bed at the base of an old and gnarly tree, and laid there daydreaming or napping under its comforting and ageless embrace, then you’ve had a glimpse of the profound importance of the humble tree. Trees are sanctuaries, and when we

By Nancy Buchan For the Ticos and for those of us lucky enough to live in or be visiting this beautiful country, watching the World Cup soccer games last month was a proud and exciting thing. The Costa Rican Sele team played great, and made it clear to all that

By Nancy Buchan That bat-biting old rocker, Ozzie Osborne, once said “I think entertainers should stay entertainers and politicians should stay liars.” He’s probably right, but the temptation to use the fame and influence you might have as a musician in the political realm does suck some people in. Rarely