2009 Vancouver Peace Summit with the Dalai Lama

BNC is incredibly honored to be invited to Connecting for Change, a three-day dialogue for corporate and social leaders and philanthropists that will focus on questions related to universal themes of compassion, community, and peace. This exciting dialogue is an integral part of the 2009 Vancouver Peace Summit with the Dalai Lama!

On Sunday, Sept. 27 at 9:00am pst/12:00pm CTV will live stream the Peace Summit  so you can take part! See the Dalai Lama in dialogue with Nobel Peace Laureates and distinguished guests including Eckhart Tolle, Matthieu Ricard, Maria Shriver, Steven Covey and others.

I truly believe that individuals can make a difference in society. Since periods of change such as the present one come so rarely in human history, it is up to each of us to make the best use of our time to help create a happier world.

- His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Honoring Archbishop Desmond Tutu

BNC to perform with Michael McDonald at a dinner honoring Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Sun, Sept. 27th as part of the 2009 Vancouver Peace Summit with the Dalai Lama!

*

For the first time this year we are offering Scholarships for a few lucky winners! If you would like to apply for a scholarship to this years Stargaze please send an mp3 of one song & written lyric to us at bncnews (at) me.com. We offer this at a rate of $45.00 per scholarship to cover some of the basic costs for materials.
The songs will be reviewed and then a drawing will be held for the top 20 entries. If you have already signed up for the Stargaze you are still eligible to apply for a scholarship!

NEW LIMITED EDITION EP FEATURING "SHADOWS" FROM THE UPCOMING BACK TO LOVE

Available now at bethnielsenchapman.com!

Something New For Stargaze 2009

Aromatherapy to Inspire the Muse
The use of essential oils to relax the mind and allow the inspired muse to come forward and play the strings of our heart, has been practiced for thousands of years. We will journey into the fragrances used to bring about inspired creativity and passionate expression.

This year at Stargaze while thinking of changing your perception and finding your center all at the same time, we're going to have a real treat with a presentation from a Master of Aromatherapy! Allison Stillman will be coming to illustrate for us the amazing connection creativity has to your aural senses! "What's that got to do with songwriting?" you may ask.

Well I have been thinking about this one for a while...it occurred to me that there were some "comfort patterns" I've developed over the years when I'm writing that, on a subliminal level, have played a part in my working through to the end of writing a song. I just didn't really pinpoint until recently how much "aroma" could affect my writing mood shifts. For instance, there's a certain essential oil candle I like to light when I sit down to work on a lyric. It's like my "lyric writing candle" and it has a certain fragrance that, for whatever reason, I associate with coming up with good lines. Now I can't prove anything by this....but it works for me! And since the whole creative process is magical anyway why not go with it?

Allison will actually be able to tell us in much more concrete and scientific terms, why that candle may have actually helped me to finish up some lyrics through the power of aromatherapy. She'll share with us her wealth of knowledge that combines the divine secrets with modern research in the study of essential oils for over 35 years, of this primordial art. She will also create a one of a kind blend for this workshop!

*

Sign Up For The 2009 Creativity Stargaze

This year's Stargaze will be a blast!
Not to mention the blast of fall color from the leaves! We are going to have some amazing deep exploration into the mystery of creativity using all of our senses.
Being in the setting of the Dyer Observatory, we'll have all of space to inspire us. You'll look through the telescope and check out Jupiter as well as traveling inward to connect with the endless resources of creativity within you. Each of us holds a unique point in the universe. The Creativity Stargaze is about stepping fully into the power of our own unique perspective and creating from the center that we hold. When doing that, one cannot help but be original!

I have been teaching workshops on creativity and songwriting for many years. My style of teaching is very similar to my style of writing. Often I look out on the faces of students waiting for me to show them "how" to write a song. Well the paradox is, that the very first part of stepping into the creative flow is to surrender into "not knowing". I want to guide the students into a place of "lift off" which allows the space and oxygen needed in the beginning to really have something to work with. Learning how to not judge and to play until there's this beautiful, although still not quite defined "lump of clay" that comes through--an idea, or a part of a melody. You can learn to distract the ever-opinionated "critic" or "editor" until it's needed later. There will be many tips and tools you can learn to help streamline the editing process and then re-invite the creative spirit back in- in the process of the second draft.

I will also be doing critiques of songs as well as working with the voice and presentation of the song...I'll weave in the principles of "singing with your speaking voice" which is an amazingly freeing way to sing! Doing this, a singer of any level will dramatically improve and find much more energy available when performing.

We are going to have some amazing guests starting with the legendary Paul Reisler!
Paul has been performing, composing, and teaching for over 30 years and is unquestionably one of the most popular songwriting teachers in North America.He provides a comprehensive and wonderfully digestible wealth of knowledge about songwriting and song structure. A teacher for many years and in high demand, Paul, songwriter, composer, songwriting teacher and founder of the musical group Trapezoid is also the founder and creator of "Kid Pan Alley" which was featured on NPR's "Morning Edition."

We'll have a few "Drive-by-Genius-Songwriters" popping in......this year we have a great poet and songwriter, Mary Gauthier coming by to share her secrets with us! There will also be a couple of other surprise Geniuses showing up....so stay tuned!


The "Rock" AKA Rocky Alvey, astronomer-genius and caretaker of the Observatory, will also be taking us on a few mind-widening voyages that will blast your intellectual boundaries with incredible concepts of space and time and forever shift your perception about your unique place in this world and how important you are and how what you have to say is fascinating. You owe it to the universe to wake up your inner writer!

You don't have to be a professional songwriter to love this workshop. Any form of creativity may apply!

This adventure includes tips, tools, song critiques, guitar-pulling, bonfires, and fantastic food! Friday evening will be a cookout/guitar pull and bring your own beverage kind of thing. And then get ready for bonfires, story swapping, and spontaneous "Drive-By-Hit-Songwriters" not to mention incredible home cooked organic lunch each day by Gabrielle Middlestadt!

Sign Up and I will see you there!! ☺BNC

Festival Of Homiletics 2009

Off to Atlanta for the Festival of Homiletics! I was in the midst of some really devastatingly loud low roaring in my left ear as we drove to Atlanta. I just had to keep telling myself that even if it sounded like a train was going through my head I was going to be there to sing before Bishop Tutu spoke! And just like a dream, about an hour before I had to sing my ears cleared up. Tutu was amazing as usual and I was just so deeply happy to be there. I kind of used that upcoming performance as something to set my sights on and look forward to. It inspired me to keep moving through those first weeks of recovery...and then to be there...wow!We had a great writers in-the-round-with-theologians show one night. It was fantastic. Darrell Scott, Adrienne Young and myself each played a song and then had comments from these wonderful theologians. It was so interesting...although they all complained that it's so challenging to theologically take a song apart in the wake of it's being performed. But I thought it was an incredible way to deeply explore the feeling in the songs from a spiritual aspect.

2009 Celebration of The Arts

*Top Photo Left to Right : Mabry Miller, Hugh Williams, Al Sella, BNC, Ward Swingle, and Dot Moore *

On May 13th I was honored to be the recipient of the "Distinguished Artist Award" at the "Celebration of the Arts", a black-tie event hosted by the Alabama State Council on the Arts at the Montgomery Arts Centre.

Ward Swingle, who received the "Govenor's Award", founded the "Swingle Singers" in the 1960's introducing the world to a new musical style of a capella performance which bears his name. Each of these award winners had an amazing story. I was so thrilled to be counted among them! And I was especially grateful that I was able to attend. Although I wasn't allowed to stay up and party afterward. I had to go straight to bed! But at least I got to be there.

Among the surprises was my dear friend Rodney Crowell who came to sing "Sand & Water" at the presentation. His version of it was so touching...as it was Rodney who was the first person who ever heard that song and who subsequently produced the record "Sand & Water".

It meant so much to me to see him waltz out on stage...my face hurt from smiling so hard!
And then that was followed with my son Ernest singing his version of "Say Goodnight Not Goodbye". That just did me in....you can see how miserable I look here!!:)

WOW. That Was Some Spring.

I'm happy to say that I've made a full recovery and it's an enormous relief to be on this side of the last two months!

Over the past weeks as I healed through my brain surgery, I was having all sorts of challenging hearing difficulties that have now miraculously lifted. There's no guarantee that it won't resume, but for the moment I've been able to get back to mixing my next record and finish songs that have been lined up for miles!
I guess out of all the concerns going into surgery, my greatest was that I would not recover the ability to write lyrics. However in fact, one of the first thoughts I had upon awakening in the ICU was this last line of a song that I'd been trying to finish... winding through the haze of anesthesia! So that went a long way towards reassuring me. That, along with having a great Doctor!

I also noticed a big improvement in the level of my ADD. Now it's like a program on the desktop of my brain that I can use or not, as opposed to something that is running all the time. My thinking is that there's just a lot more room between my ears now. It's kind of like cleaning out the silverware drawer so you can see what you've got in there!

♥

I just want to say a note of thanks to so many friends out there who've emailed and called throughout my recovery. I appreciate everyone thinking of me and sending prayers. My fans in the UK have told me that Aled Jones and Terry Wogan have both sent get well wishes...and I just wanted to send my message back that it worked!

♥

Xoxoxo BNC

Exclusive EP From UK Tour

My New EP is available while supplies last! I got so many requests for it to be available from my website we decided to do just that.

Please stay warm and for GREAT info on protecting your health and the health of your family, go to healthychild.org

xoxox BNC

Alabama Dance Theater

March 5th and 6th will find me in Montgomery Alabama with the Alabama Dance Theater performing to several of my songs from "Prism" while I perform live. I'm really excited about this...hope I can watch and sing at the same time!

2009 BNC Songwriting and Creativity Stargaze

This year has felt so hopeful so far...the inauguration was something to behold and it feels like America is on a great path.
I've been doing a lot of writing and working on a few different very cool projects. More about that later.

One thing I want to announce is that we are going to do the "BNC Creativity Stargaze" in October this year! Besides the fact that Rocky and I are working on a project of Astronomy songs and it's eating our spring, we also have decided that the drop dead beauty of the autumn leaves is a good reason for inspiration and that time of year is something not to miss at the Observatory. So the 2009 Stargaze will be in the fall. We don't have the specific dates yet but it will be hopefully at the height of the color explosion! We'll post soon!

Happy New Year!

Have a safe and happy New Year! I'm looking forward to doing some recording for a new record in 2009....as well as some special performances coming up such as a workshop and concert performance at the Washington National Cathedral on the weekend of Feb 14th and a performance in early March in Montgomery Alabama featuring the Alabama Dance Theater performing to my songs as I sing live. You can check out all the info on these and other upcoming stuff at bethnielsenchapman.com.

Xoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxo BNC

Scotland, Noerthern Ireland and England

2008 has been a really full year for me (when is it not?). I had such a great time touring Scotland, with a few dates in Northern Ireland and England. Here I am hanging out with "Nessie"...... Nessie lives in there......

And performing in Inverness with some of the finest musicians in all of Scotland sitting in! Duncan Chisholm and Phil Cunningham!! ;)


In December I flew to Aspen Colorado to perform with Hal Ketchum and actor Anthony Zerbe in a theater piece called "Lime Creek Christmas" based on readings from a novel by my friend Joe Henry. Joe and I wrote "Say Goodnight" together. He's pictured here in the photo below.

Pictured left to right: Arnette Zerbe (Anthony's beautiful wife), Ann Patrice Carrigan, Joe Henry, Anthony Zerbe, BNC, Hal Ketchum, and Renick Stevenson.

I am looking forward to a great 2009! Xoxoxo BNC

BNC Live SAND & WATER from DUBLIN, IRELAND.

Thank you, Vincent!

Novemember 2008 Mini Solo Tour of England and Scotland

Sunday 16th BELFAST
Grand Opera House 02890 241 919

Tuesday 18th BIRMINGHAM
Glee Club 0871 472 0400

Wednesday 19th BARNSLEY
Emmanuel Church 01226 321 511

Thursday 20th BUXTON
Opera House 0845 127 2190

Sunday 23rd LANGHOLM
Buccleuch Centre 01387 381 196

Monday 24th LATHONES
The Stable Inn 01334 840 494

Wednesday 26th INVERNESS
The Ironworks 0871 789 4173

Friday 28th BANCHORY
Woodend Barn 01330 825 431

For more information visit my Touring Page.

MORE October 2008

Hi folks!

Happy Halloween! October has flown by! I played shows in Austin Texas, Loveland Colorado, and Mesa Arizona on my October mini-tour. I brought my son Ernest Chapman on bass, Tripp Dudley, my nephew, on world percussion and drums and John Ragusa on flutes, vocals, harp and conch shell. Here the guys are hanging around the extraordinary beauty of Sedona. Thanks to Bob Zucker and his lovely wife Debbie we got to see some gorgeous countryside on our day off!





I'm looking forward to heading over the pond in a couple weeks to do a some shows and radio. Starting with the Belfast Grand Opera House (what a room!) followed by Birmingham, and the Buxton Opera House, etc. You can go to bethnielsenchapman.com for full details. We'll also be heading up through Scotland in some areas I've never seen. This time around I'll be playing solo with some accompaniment from the stellar Maart Allcock on bass, vocals etc.

The big news is that I'm releasing a super exclusive 5 song EP just for this little tour. It won't be available on my website or record stores, only at the gigs! The EP includes the original 4 track demos of "Sand & Water" and "No One Knows But You" and "Fair Enough". The collection also has a holiday song I wrote with Melissa Manchester and Matt Rollings called "There's Still My Joy" and a cover of "Love Me Tender". I just heard that they are already playing "There's Still My Joy" in Belfast!

Starting November 10th, "There's Still My Joy" and "Love Me Tender" will be available for download on itunes in the UK. But the EP will only be at the gigs. Here's the cover art...



More to come! ☺BNC

Vintage Video! "That's the Easy Part"

IMC Uses THE FLAME For A Worthy Cause

International Medical Corps - (kind of a Doctors Without Borders org.) Has been using "The Flame" in a series of videos to their story. They've been selected by Amex as part of Amex's Members Project where members direct dollars to causes - one of 25 with oppt to win 1.5 million in 17 days. It's one great cause among many I know but 1.5 million could save the lives of a lot of kids.

October 2008

Ok...I don't know where the summer went but I thought I'd better catch ya'll up on the last couple of months before the fall is here!

Late August found me doing a presentation workshop on the creative process at the Alabama State Council on the Arts Summer Retreat for Arts Professionals at the Cheaha State Park.



From there it was on to play in NY at the Cutting Room. What fun that was! The same night a hurricane happened to be rolling through Manhattan...but we still filled the place!



Mid September found me in LA at PeaceJam. Seven Nobels and a whole bunch of young peacemakers at Loyola Marymount. Check out peacejam.org!

Bob and I were so happy to see the Archbishop again!



Back in Nashville I had the pleasure of seeing my good friend, and the legendary Bob Harris during the week he was here for the Americana Awards. Bob also introduced me to one of his dear friends the very legendary (and incredibly down to earth) Robert Plant!

Here I am with Robert and the fabulous Buddy Miller in Buddy's studio. This is royalty on either side of me!



And Bob Harris and I wandered into the "Idle Hour" beer joint on Music Row in between interviews.



Then on September 20th the lovely Judy Collins came to perform at the Observatory. It was great to see her again, having done some shows with Judy a few years back. She sounded and looked amazing!



So coming up is ...well...lots more stuff!

This week I performed at the Bluebird on Thursday night with JD Souther, Gary Nicholson, and Radney Foster for a Obama-rama fundraiser.

Saturday afternoon (Oct 4th) BNC and band performed at the Celebration of Cultures.

Saturday night I also performed "Beautiful Fool" at the First Amendment Center Anniversary Show at the Bluebird. Whew!

Now it's off to do some dates in mid October (check the tour page on the website) and ending up in Carlsbad performing one night at Deepak Chopra's meditation retreat......then before you know it it's November!

I'm looking forward to going back over to the UK the last 2 weeks in November. I'm going to mostly be performing in Scotland with a few dates in England and a show at the Belfast Opera House as well!

I'm going to be offering an exclusive 5 song EP for sale only at my shows during the November mini-tour. More about that later!

Sorry it's so long between updates...I've been doing a lot of writing songs which means my typing time is greatly replaced by strumming!

Xoxox BNC

Ps...hey...I'm a very proud Mom...if you get a chance to go to itunes and do a search for "Team Illuminati" and you'll see my son Ernest's new CD. Write a review! I'm very excited for him...I think he made a great record!

MTV COVERS PEACEJAM GLOBAL CALL TO ACTION CONFERENCE!

MTV Shows