Hi, Kickstarter friends -

I am thrilled to let you know that "The Blue Dress" will be in your mailboxes in less than two weeks. I am delighted with the way the music and artwork has come together, and I look forward to sharing with you this CD that we all built!

Thanks again for your support of and belief in my project. If you play tunes and like learning new ones, I hope you will stay in touch via my monthly podcast. Free "lesson" every month to anybody who can use it: http://tuneofthemonth.posterous.com/rss.xml

And if you should have any questions about Irish music, or "The Blue Dress" or other things I might know about (like Thai language/culture/where to visit when in the Kingdom!), please feel free to be directly in touch with me: Shannon@MattandShannonHeaton.com

With thanks and very best wishes,
Shannon ... www.MattandShannonHeaton.com

Oh, wow! This worked. We did it. Thanks everybody!

What a great boost in every way--the financial support, the encouragement, the fun of it... and the nail-biting drama during these last hours.

I am listening to mixes at the moment and look forward to sharing this CD with all of you in August. (I will be in touch directly to confirm mailing addresses, etc.) Thanks again, folks, for taking the time, heart, and commitment to support this project.

With my best wishes,
Shannon

Wow, I am so moved by all the support I've received for "The Blue Dress." Donations both modest and generous have all given me--and this project--a big boost. I am so grateful!

Whether I reach my fundraising goal or not (only 69 hours to go...), I am delighted to have reached out. Thank you so much, team, for reaching back. I can't wait to share this CD with you in August.

My very best wishes,
Shannon

I had a lovely day of recording with Maeve Gilchrist, Paddy League, and Liz Simmons! It was great to make music with my friends, knowing that there are so many Kickstarter Friends behind us.

Highlights: we dug into one set of reels, starting with a cool harp (Maeve) and high hat (Paddy) groove. Not an obvious ensemble, but it sounds perfect for the "Aunt Jane's Trip" set. And Liz came up with a great break for a set that goes from jigs to reels. Super funky, groovy, and still deliciously trad.

Just a couple more days of tracking. Looking forward to sharing this record with everybody in mid August! Thanks again for the support.

Hi, friends -

Just a quick note to let you know how proud and happy I am to be doing my "Blue Dress" project independently. Of course, that means without a major label... but not without the support of friends far and wide.

I have no idea if I'll reach my fundraising goal in time; but just going through this Kickstarter process has been an incredibly lovely process of reaching out and connecting with fellow music lovers.

Thank you for your support, and wishing you all a joyous and restorative weekend.
-Shannon

Well, the support is coming in for my Blue Dress CD! Thanks to friends new and old for offering a boost. I am grateful... and so excited about this album.

So, I do a free monthly Podcast in which I teach a different tune each month: http://tuneofthemonth.posterous.com/ . And this month I taught the "Blue Dress Waltz." Very exciting. Small and large steps every day toward my August release.

Onward...
cheers from Shannon

Our friend Walt asked us today if the album will feature both original tunes and standards. So I thought I'd keep everybody posted about the thrust of "The Blue Dress."

Indeed, I've got some really sweet old gems paired with a few new Shannon compositions. My goal is to bring a freshness and individuality to some common Irish traditional repertoire, and add a few tunes of my own that sit well alongside traditional tunes... Make the old new, and try to make the new timeless?

Thanks for your interest and support, Walt!

I took the last few days off to spend time with family visiting from out of town. It was a lovely, restorative weekend. Checking in with my Kickstarter page now, I note that new backers have pledged during my rest. How wonderful to feel support coming in for my Irish flute project. I am proud to represent Irish traditional music here on Kickstarter and am grateful for any and all shows of encouragement. Hurray!