Category Archives: songwriting

Catching a Day, Catching a Moment

Posted on March 1, 2018 by Barbara McAfee

It is September 2, 2009 in the late afternoon on a tiny island in the northern waters of Minnesota. I am sitting at the piano with tears in my eyes, catching the last few lines of a song. It’s that … Continue reading →

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I Will Stay Awake With You – The Making of a Song

Posted on February 26, 2015 by Barbara McAfee

Sometimes making a song is like making a stew. Disparate stories, ideas, and phrases all go into the cook-pot of my imagination. Somehow with time and the heat of attention, those elements coalesce into something coherent and nourishing to the … Continue reading →

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Music as a mode of travel

Posted on October 28, 2012 by Barbara McAfee

September 2, 2009 was a perfect day. And by some miracle, I found a way to share it. That day I was on a songwriting retreat at a tiny, beloved island in the border waters of Minnesota and Ontario. The … Continue reading →

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The Spirit of Yes

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Barbara McAfee

I was taking an afternoon snooze one lovely afternoon in the summer of 2009.  In that delicate place between wakefulness and sleep, a song started unspooling into my mind. This rarely happens to me as a songwriter.  The inspiration for … Continue reading →

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My “Grammy Awards”

Posted on July 19, 2011 by Barbara McAfee

Though I’m open to the experience, I’ve yet to win a traditional Grammy Award. My Grammies emerge from the stories people tell about how they use my music in their everyday lives and work.  I’m deeply touched when something I’ve … Continue reading →

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