Sunday, August 21, 2011

A Swiss Weekend with 6 shows! Goodness!

Greetings! This weekend has been busy, wonderful, relaxing and lots of hard work!  Joseph and I took the train 7 hours to Heiden, Switzerland and played in the evening. We then drove with the ever so thoughtful, Hans Duerr, to Lohn, Switzerland after the concert.  Hans organized a few shows for us-one Saturday morning and two Saturday evening. Then we played in a church service on Sunday morning and since the sermon was centered around Noah and the Ark, we sang "The Lord Told Noah to Build Him and Arky Arky".  That, my friends, is a funny children's song. It seemed fitting, though. 

Tonight we had a proper concert in Kirche Lohn with a beautiful audience. Here are two photos from tonight's show in Lohn.  We got the audience to sing along with us on a few tunes, too!

It has been a great weekend, thanks to Hans Duerr! 

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Tammy*



Thursday, August 18, 2011

How to Pick up a Guy at the Airport!

You ready?  This is how I picked up a man at the Frankfurt, Germany Airport today!

Little sun dress, red painted nails, a love note and a broken computer...yep.

Our date once he arrived? ...To the Mac/Apple Store...oh, yes, very romantic.  I know the way to this man's heart.  We got my computer fixed, had a nice lunch, headed back to Friedberg on the train and cooked up some good food.

Oh yes, my man, Joseph, came over to hang and play some music with me in Europe :o) ...and for that, I am really thankful!


We head to Switzerland in the morning to meet up with the fabulous Hans Duerr and to play a few songs in Heiden.

To all the swiss folks that would like to come and hear us play...
Friday-Heiden
Saturday-Lohn and in Schaffhausen
Sunday-Lohn

You can see the info and tour dates on my website http://www.tammyrochelle.com/tour

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Tammy*

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Out in the Country with Horses

Greetings!
Today I was out in the country near Friedberg with my friend Marion.  She takes care of a few horses and so she invited me to go along.  There was this sweet white pony named Ernie and several beautiful horses.  We hung out and I sang Swing Low, Sweet Chariot to them...and tried to talk with them.  If you pet their nose they smile. It is the cutest thing!  Here is Marion with her horse, too.

In the morning I will head to pick up my man from the airport! He's pretty awesome.  Yep, I am excited about that!

Love,

Tammy*





Tuesday, August 16, 2011

2 Love birds at train station

Yesterday I had breakfast and a radio interview with the lovely Anika Wiesbeck in Baden-Baden.  We rushed to the train, snapped this photo and said our goodbyes.

I took the train to Friedberg and waited for a friend.  I was there for a few hours so I bought an ice cream and soaked in a little sun outside in the front of the station.  After a while I got a little bored so I pulled out my guitar and started playing.

About 30 minutes later these two sweet folks (love birds) approached me and started listening to the tunes.  They were both blind but knew their way around the city.  They were so cute...so in love and exchanging sweet little kisses with each other the whole time.

They told me about how they love country music and would love to go to Nashville someday..maybe for their wedding when they "win the lottery", they said. They asked me to play a few tunes and I did.  The woman has such a love for music and such a soft heart that she started crying while I was singing. They were both so precious and encouraging.

At the end of it, they insisted on buying me a water, buying my new album and they even invited me to dinner with them. I let the guy play my guitar and he played "Country Road" and I sang a little harmony.

They want to come to my show in September :o)  It was a cool day! Such nice folks.  In traveling one can encounter all kinds of beautiful people.

Thanks for reading,

Tammy*


Monday, August 15, 2011

ERF Radio Interview auf Deutsch


 ERF's Ramona Eibach's Interview with Tammy Rochelle -Liberty Spoke to Me

I had the pleasure of sitting down and chatting with Ramona Eibach at ERF Radio in Wetzlar, Germany.  She asked such great questions during our interview.  Today ERF posted the German translation of the interview.  You can hear it here. http://bit.ly/qkZipA

For the extended version in English you can hear it here.
English Interview and here http://bit.ly/pQFSR6

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Tammy*

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Mental Massage? Yes please.

I think it would be amazing to get a mental massage on days where your head was full of tension, confusion and stress.  Is there such a thing? ... Where all of the peices would fit back into place and you would feel renewed? Ah! That would be lovely.

Maybe..therapists, counselors, social workers, or friends that are good listeners perform this...

Strange thoughts tonight.  All is well. 

Love,

Tammy*

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Busking on the streets of Baden-Baden...well, sort of...

After 3 1/2 days on my own at my friend's place (she is awesome to let me have her place, by the way :o) I was bored out of my mind and thought that I would take my guitar to the center of town and play a few tunes.  I ended up meeting a busker under a tree and we played some Johnny Cash tunes and gospel tunes together.  

He told me of his life and struggles in the past couple years and instead of playing lots of songs, we had a conversation about life, perspective and being right-brained.  You never know what you'll come across in traveling. 

Tomorrow I head out to Friedberg (Hessen), Germany to play a show at a girls home with my friend Tess. I will get to see my friend Marion again which makes me smile.  Next week starts the Swiss part of the tour and I am really looking forward to those shows. 

Many blessings to you!

Love,

Tammy*


Thursday, August 11, 2011

I should be sleeping...but...

I can't sleep tonight...

There are sometimes where there are just too many things on your mind and sleep doesn't come.  Tonight that is the way that it is going for me...actually, it is already the morning and I am just heading to sleep.

Tonight I worked on a new song and on a few unfinished ones from a few months ago.  I can't wait to have them in a listenable form so that you can hear them.  Sometimes I think that sleeplessness/restlessness is there because you need to get some things out...I am thankful for songwriting at that point...it preserves my sanity.

This weekend I am heading to Mannheim to see some long-time dear friends.  I've got some plans for the US in fall...so, let me know if you want me to play in your city :o)

Goodnight. Good Morning.

Love,

Tammy*
www.tammyrochelle.com
www.youtube.com/tammyrochelle
www.twitter.com/tammyrochelle

Thoughts from the 1st month of tour

I have been on tour in Europe now for one month.  My thoughts and things I've realized:

1.  Europe is beautiful and I love it
2.  I miss my friends, family and my love
3.  It is a fabulous thing to be paid for something you love to do
4.  It is difficult when you have a week and half with no shows and don't know what to do with yourself
5.  Enjoying where you are is good, and being reminded of those you love back home is also good.
6.  Meeting people and being surrounded by a new culture is good for the brain (it teaches/challenges)
7.  Learning new words in a language can make you feel very young, and that's not a bad thing
8.  God truly provides

Today I am working on the upcoming tour and also getting some inspiration for another video to make :o)

If you missed the German video, you can see it here http://youtu.be/V6sLUp0eZTA

Thanks for reading.

Love,

Tammy*

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Tuesday, August 9, 2011

This is possibly the most ridiculous video I've made...on tour in Germany


Happy Birthday Mom! I hope that this makes you smile!!

Thanks to Tine and Ela and family for your assistance!

Love,

Tammy*

Monday, August 8, 2011

College Booking and a House Concert Tour

Today was a little vacation hanging with friends, walking down train tracks, taking some photos and then having lunch and dinner with my friend, Anika.

I've been editing a video today to put online...almost finished.

So, tomorrow starts a working week of booking and finalizing some details for upcoming shows.  The plan is to start with fall shows at colleges/universities in the US and start booking a house concert tour in the US and then in Europe.  It will be quiet a big project and a lot of work, but so worth it.

More to come...

Love,

Tammy*


Sunday, August 7, 2011

A Palace, Rastatt, Friends and a Very German moment

Greetings to you! Here is proof that I was in Bad Urach...


Today two new friends took me around Rastatt! We had a homemade lunch with their parents, saw two palaces, had coffee, talked in crazy random accents and took silly pictures.  What a fabulous day! 


Here are a few photos

My First German Wedding!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attening and playing music for a friend's wedding here in Germany.  The reception was a massive barbeque.  Amazing food and lovely people.  I played a little concert in the end of the evening and got the folks up and out of their chairs to do the Hokey Pokey. Ha!

Today I am spending time with a fabulous family in Rastatt and we are about to go and see a beautiful castle! I will take some pictures!

Love,

Tammy

Friday, August 5, 2011

On top of a mountain with a few thousand Germans

For the last two days I have been on top of a mountain with about 5,000 Germans at the Zeltstadt (TentCity).  I played two concerts there and met some really warm-hearted people.  There wasn`t wireless internet or any mobile network service to speak of, but it was nice to be in this big community away from all of the stresses of life.

Today I spent some time editing a very special video that should make you smile :o) I will post it on Monday.

Tonight I had a late night drive to Rastatt and in the morning I will head to Gernsbach to play at a good friend of mine´s wedding :o)

Well, more photos and a silly video to come.

Love,

Tammy*

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Open Skys, A Glockenspiel, and Exhaustion

Today consisted of a meeting with Teenstreet, 3 trains, good friends, playing a set at the Open Skys festival in Neuffen (with a cool Glockenspiel player, I might add....Martin or "egee"sp?), and coming home with my good friends that always make me feel at home here in Bad Urach!  The night was ended with a delicious German beer-Ulrichsbier!

Today, I dropped my suitcase on my other foot...just a side note for those who read what happened yesterday...oh and I dropped a guitar stand on my toe, too....So, prayers for my feet and toes are much appreciated! Geez!

I am exhausted, but so thankful. I am thankful that I have a nice bed to sleep in tonight and that I am in the house of a family whose hearts are so warm and inviting!  I am thankful that my man is coming over to Europe to hang.  I am thankful that my parents will come over to Europe soon, too!

Tomorrow I have big plans, I tell ya....BIG...I am making a new video just for you. Seriously!  It's going to be wery special. Trust me. (wery is not an accident) :o)

Exhaustion is kicking in now.

Love,

Tammy*

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

OUCH!

Today was a long day and tomorrow will be, too...right now I am sitting in a hotel lobby in Offenburg, Germany catching up on email.  It's pretty late, but I just wanted to tell you a little about my day.

It started off great...breakfast, packing, emailing, working a little, lunch...then a sunny, but exhausting walk to the train station with all of my crazy heavy stuff.  While waiting for the train I changed my shirt right on the train platform...put one over the other and then somehow wiggled out of the original one. Skills, oh yeah. Everyone has to be good at something.

(Caution:Don't read the following paragraph if you are easily grossed out) I boarded the train and then pulled my extremely heavy suitcase up into the train.  Suddenly I felt an excruciating pain!!! OUCH! My second toenail had caught on my suitcase somehow and when I jerked the suitcase up and into the train, it ripped my toenail halfway off and took the top few layers of skin off!! I started bleeding like crazy.  I focused, put my bags away got to the nearest empty seat and tried to hold back my tears.  Yea, that didn't work so well. The trip was made better, though, since the ticket taker brought my a bandaid and my seat neighbor across the way offered me some water. Lesson learned...don't wear flipflops while managing heavy baggage. The doctors at the Teenstreet festival where I played today took great care of me.

Finally once the tears stopped and I could try to relax my neighbor, Jerome from Sri Lanka, started talking with me.  Small talk didn't last long...this guy has an AMAZING story.  He is 23 now and he works in Germany with a Christian organization.  When he was 16 he stopped talking and went completely blank mentally.  He was violent, wandered off and got lost a lot, slept on the streets where his parents couldn't find him and had severe depression.  There were local people involved in witchcraft that the family suspected had been praying curses over their family.  His parents tried to get him help locally and eventually sent him to India for intensive treatments.  This still didn't help and his parents thought about hospitalizing him, but his mother wouldn't have it.

One night as he was in bed at 4am, he woke up and felt what seemed like electric currents running through his body.  He felt like something was leaving him.  He sat up, sobered, and went to the room where his mother was crying and, as he discovered, praying for him.  He asked, "Mom, why are you crying?" At the sound of her son saying "Mom", after he had been mute for a year, she started sobbing and was thanking God for answering her prayers. From that moment on Jerome, was restored completely!  He is now 23.  I started sobbing while he told me his story. It was beautiful to see the freedom and light in his eyes giving full representation of God' healing power.

Tonight I played the Teenstreet festival and met lots of new folks.  I played on a stage high up from the ground and above a drink bar for the festival.  I climbed up an actual ladder to get onto the stage...with my bandaged toe.  I got the teens to do the Hokey Pokey and to echo some bluegrass tunes with me.  Alexander from South Africa joined me on his blues harmonica!

Well, I hope that your toe doesn't hurt (like mine) and that you are able to get a good night sleep.

Much love to you and thanks for reading!

Tammy*

Pics from the Marburg Show

The fabulous Melanie Raab took some cool photos at the Marbug house show.  Here are a few.  More to come.

Love,

Tammy*

 Tess Wiley with the warm golden lights.
 Ramona and Dirk, some new friends of mine came out for the evening!
Me wiping a tear away at the end of my set...I am not sure if it was because I was cold or happy.