Martha Colby

Hello friends,

I wish I could say that Boo and I have retaken our post at the Old Faithful Inn, but unfortunately I am still hiding out in our employee dorms trying to keep the quality of life up for me and my fellow employees. If you miss the music in Yellowstone, I ask you to speak up to the area managers, front desk, tripadvisor.. whoever else seems appropriate.  I know I'm having a rough time without music, but there is nothing I can do to bring it back, other than playing for myself.  I thank you all for everything, and hope that we may meet again SOON!   xoxo

Hello Friends!

Time has been such an odd thing this season..  It seems like it keeps dragging on, yet it's already the end of September and now I need to start packing! Xanterra has opted to hold off on the music for this coming winter season so this will be my first season out of the park in a long time. Anyone know of any venues who might want a resident musician??  I would love any leads anyone might have... especially around New England so that I can help out my folks. It looks like  I need to work on my video chops as well as recording, mixing, mastering, cello, piano and vocals. I'll be busy, even if unemployed.  This too, shall pass. I wish you all love,  peace, ease, happiness and good fortune! 

Greetings and salutations from Yellowstone! 

I'm still here! Hurrah!! This is definitely not a year like any other and hopefully not like any to come. If you are planning on visiting the park, just know that it is not like the park you may be used to. Face masks are required inside of all buildings for your protection and for the protection of others. A lot of places are closed (like my beloved Inn!!! :( ), and there are limited numbers of people allowed inside buildings, so there are lines. Those of us who work here understand and share your frustration – please don't take your anger out on us! Worst of all – there is no music! I encourage you to write to Xanterra or post on Tripadvisor how much you miss the music and maybe add just how healing and soothing it would be for guests and employees alike (hint hint). I'd love to be employed this winter.... 

I am proud and astounded to say that we who work here have so far kept the COVID cases to two in the entire park. If you have ever experienced a Snow Lodge winter as an employee, or even as a guest, then you well know that what comes around goes around – to pretty much everyone. Some of us suspect that we may have had early exposure to COVID this past winter... But who knows? Anyhoo... I continue to wear my name tag and sanitize door knobs and am grateful that it seems to be helping. 

In my off time I have been working slowly but steadily on a new CD. I am getting ready to publish “Flying Daffodils” as a single, with a “B” side of a new song called “With Me, With You”. I was inspired to write the latter song by some dear friends of mine who lost one of their parents while in lockdown in nursing homes. My heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones and have not been able to be with them or to give them proper goodbyes. “With Me, With You” is meant to be a song for closure and for finding peace with an incredibly difficult situation. I am very close to being finished with the mix and it will be released soon. 

Recently I have been given permission to practice on my lovely friend, the Kawai piano, in the Inn. This is top secret, so don't tell anyone and I can't let you inside. I must say, the Inn gets really spooky without any lights on after dark...I've been playing by headlamp. 

Again, if you have any requests for the new album, let me know! So far I have at least partially in the cans my two new songs as well as Hallelujah and Purple Rain. I think I'll be working next on Both Sides Now and Cannon in D, as well as Last of the Mohicans. The Lake Quartet has also been starting in on some remote recording. This is all new territory for us, but we tried a Scott Joplin rag for our first distance recording, and it seems to have come out well. I have to get permission before I can post it, otherwise I'd include it in this post. 

In other excitement, Giantess geyser erupted for the first time since 2014 (so I've heard, and it clicks with my memory) and just last week the smoke from a wildfire started billowing from the Lone Star area – about 3 miles from the Old Faithful Village. Yeeks! Fortunately the wind has been blowing it away from us and we got a good soaking of rain a couple of nights ago, so it is holding steady at 850 acres and we are expecting to get some nighttime temps in the 20's soon, so I think we won't have to evacuate. To all those who have had to evacuate while remaining socially distanced and wearing masks, I send you my heartfelt prayers and wishes for well being. Well, that goes for all of you. 

May you be well. 

May you be free of suffering. 

May you be peaceful and at ease. 

May you be happy.

xox

Martha

Hello again from the Old Faithful Twilight Zone! It's a hot one today (at least for us - nearly 80 today in Old Faithful).  I have been faithfully sanitizing our employee living quarters so that no one spreads disease. Keeping my fingers crossed that I might be able to sit in my music corner again sometime. 

There have been a lot of bluebirds around this year, as well as the usual gangs of pocket gophers, marmots, coyotes and our resident bear with cub - and, let me not forget - our community of bison milling and grunting around.  They always put a smile on my face. 

During the elongated break I wrote a song called "Flying Daffodils", which is how my mom refers to goldfinches. Indeed, they do look like bright, happy, flying daffodils, so I was inspired to write something cheerful when everything continues to be rather messed up here on Planet Earth.  I also have been taking an online home recording and mixing course. Excellent course! Thanks to the Recording Revolution, my latest mix of this song is world's better than the first. I am giving you, dear friends and listeners, a sneak peek of my latest mix.  Let me know what you think! 

Greetings! Salutations! Happy Memorial Day.  I have just made a new season's resolution of posting and visiting my site much more often! For the past 10 years I have been blessed with performing regularly and barely having to lift a finger to promote my music. Some of you may have guessed that promotion is not my strong point... I'm attempting to turn over a new leaf. It can often be challenging with the slowest internet on earth, but I am optimistic about this summer since our staff is about 1/3 of normal, and visitation will be lower due to lack of lodging. 

Back when I was a child, one of my favorite books was "Fortunately, Unfortunately".  Here is the Martha C version as of May 25fth. 

Fortunately our winter season went on as scheduled and I enjoyed playing music. Perhaps you were there at some point?

Unfortunately the world caught an extreme virus and everything changed almost overnight. 

Fortunately I was able to stay with my parents for an extended period of time to help out and watch spring spring in CT. 

Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, Yellowstone is not having any live music this year. 

Fortunately I was offered a job at Old Faithful for the season anyhow.

Unfortunately I won't be playing music or giving body work. 

Fortunately i am back in the park that I love oh so dearly. 

I shall pause it here. I have had multiple requests for a new CD including a lot of the looping tunes that I play in the Inn and at the Snow Lodge.  My goal over this summer is to get that recorded! Over the break I signed up for a bunch of various online classes -- one of which being a home recording and mixing course, so we'll see how I do on my own.  Let me know if there is a particular song you would like to hear on the recording. 

Sending you all warm wishes. 

The Old Faithful Inn is back in full swing for the summer season of 2019. It hasn't felt like summer, as I think it has snowed more days than not since I've been back. But the sun has returned, bluebirds and bears are out and it's lovely to be back with my friend the Kawai on the 2nd floor of the Inn. 

On another note, I'm very very sorry that I was unable to connect with my Zero Balancing family who were gathered for a benefit and for the celebration of the 90th birthday of Dr Fritz Smith, the creator of ZB and nothing less than a true and dear inspiration and mentor.  I'm so very grateful that i have become part of this incredible community.  I was honored with the invitation to play for this gathering, but alas! I couldn't make it.  I did play this improvisation in honor of Fritz instead. 

Today there are finally lovely snow flakes finding their way from air to earth. This is winter number eight for me here at Snow Lodge, and I can't tell you how grateful I am to Xanterra that I am currently still employed during this government shutdown, and that we are continuing to operate somewhat normally (at a huge cost to the company). I wish I could say the same for all of my friends here who work for Park Service.  The shut down has laid a very grave instability in our groundwork, and has been the source of a lot of anger and concern for the future. Good friends of mine are either not working at all, or being required to work and not getting paid for it. Those of us who work for the park generally don't make a lot of money in the first place, so when Trump claims that we can just adjust -- well, no... actually we can't.  And those who are in  essential positions and working for free are not eligible for unemployment benefits because they are working. In the name of "protection", our government seems to be waging war on those of us who work for the good of the country. It's disturbing and frankly infuriating.  Here in Yellowstone we generally step back from the day to day goings on in the political arena. We concern ourselves with our community - both human and wild - and our weather.  This winter has been low on snow and high on temps, as well as uncertainty.  We as human beings need to retract our walls between each other. it is time for us to start communicating with open hearts and open minds, before it is too late. I have been blessed to be able to do what I love best in my favorite place on earth. I cherish each day here and I love the people I work with and the visitors I have the good fortune to become acquainted with - from all over the globe.  We all fundamentally want the same thing - we all want to be happy. I don't believe we can make ourselves happy by making others miserable.   I ask everyone to do one thing to help improve someone else's day each day. Maybe little gestures like that could move mountains. Much love to you. 

Heading back to the park after an awesome journey to visit friends and family, an amazing course in a healing modality called Zero Balancing  (www.zerobalancing.com), and a really nice recording sojourn in Austin Texas with David Lauterstein. We will have a new CD out at some point - this one is geared especially toward massage therapists. The idea is for it to be very soothing. If you have enjoyed my layered cello improvisations in Yellowstone, then you will probably like this CD, whether or not you are using it for massage therapy music. 

So who will I get to see in Yellowstone this summer?? Show hands!   I will be starting the new season with the opening of the Old Faithful Inn this friday, May 4th. Can't believe the opening of my 19th season is coming up so quickly!!!  I look forward to seeing you!  Much love. 

Greetings from the Northeast!

Hanging out with my folks for a bit after a really fun road trip visiting 3 National Parks and several friends. Winding up in an amazing community of Zero Balancers for a 4 day class (www.zerobalancing.com). 

Today I pulled out the computer and spent a couple hours on the phone with Dell Tech Support getting my headphone jack to respond once again. so that I could share this track with you.  It was an improvisation from March 2nd, 2018. I've decided to call it "Open Field".  Hope you enjoy it. 

Here we are, halfway through our winter season in Yellowstone, and I am only writing to you now.  It has been a really fun winter over here so far. We have a great winter staff, and we are feeling fortunately not very affected by the government shutdown. Snow is falling,(could always use more) snow coaches are making their way to Old Faithful, and I am performing every night except for Mondays and Tuesdays. What else is there to say other than I hope you're on one of the approaching snow coaches.