Happy Holidays

to all my friends, fans, and family! As this year rapidly comes to a close, I am so grateful for all the wonderful opportunities I've had to make music in a variety of settings, and for your continued support in my work (which is thankfully always play!). One of my favorite venues is of course Jay's Bistro, where I get to make beautiful music with the love of my life, Mark Sloniker (and sometimes the rest of my family!). In fact, Emma Sloniker will join us this Saturday night, along with Braun Khan on bass for some festive frivolity, 8-11 pm. Myles Sloniker flies in from NYC on the 22nd to join us for a special Christmas Eve house concert and New Year's Eve at Jay's ( as well as numerous events in between) - so excited for that! All the details are below.

Thanks again for your gracious support and friendship!

Best, Colleen
www.colleencrosson.com
www.facebook.com/colleencrossonmusic

I am grateful....

for this past year of music making and merriment in and around Fort Collins and beyond. I am also thankful for you, my friends and supporters, who make it out to the gigs and share with me how my music affects your hearts and lives. I treasure our experiences together! If you are out and about this Saturday night and looking for some fun and fine music, I'll be singing at Jay's Bistro with Mark Sloniker on piano and Patrick Atwater on bass. Emma Sloniker will most likely join us throughout the night, as well! See schedule below and note that Jay's will be open on Thanksgiving this year, so we'll be making music that evening as well!

Thanks again for your gracious support and friendship, and Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Best, Colleen
www.colleencrosson.com
www.facebook.com/colleencrossonmusic

One last reminder.....

We haven't had a house concert over here in a while and the opportunity arose to host Minnesota performing songwriter, Dennis Warner, while he is in our area. Dennis blends humor, audience participation, and his original Folk/Americana songs into a memorable and fun concert experience! He has toured extensively throughout North America during his lengthy career and has made numerous TV and radio appearances. He was recognized for his contributions as a songwriter with a performance at Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

You can read more about Dennis and listen to his songs at www.warnersongs.com

We'll start the concert at 7:30 p.m. and there is a suggested donation to the artist of $15. I will probably do a short opening set. You're invited to bring a favorite beverage/finger food to share - we'll have an intermission for visiting with Dennis and one another while we nosh! Please RSVP by email colleencrosson@gmail.com or by phone 970-484-9600, so we know how many folks to plan for.

I've also added a Jazz@Jay's appearance for November 22nd - see details below.

Thanks for supporting live music wherever you are!

Best, Colleen
www.colleencrosson.com
www.facebook.com/colleencrossonmusic

Well, darn it....

I KNEW there was something I was forgetting to tell you about when I sent out my last MusicNews, and I apologize for another email in your inbox!

We haven't had a house concert over here in a while and the opportunity arose to host Minnesota performing songwriter, Dennis Warner, while he is in the area. Dennis blends humor, audience participation, and his original Folk/Americana songs into a memorable and fun concert experience! He has toured extensively throughout North America during his lengthy career and has made numerous TV and radio appearances. He was recognized for his contributions as a songwriter with a performance at Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

You can read more about Dennis and listen to his songs at www.warnersongs.com

We'll start the concert at 7:30 p.m. and there is a suggested donation to the artist of $15. I will probably do a short opening set. You're invited to bring a favorite beverage/finger food to share - we'll have an intermission for visiting with Dennis and one another while we nosh! Please RSVP by email colleencrosson@gmail.com or by phone 970-484-9600, so we know how many folks to plan for.

Thanks for supporting live music wherever you are!

Best, Colleen
www.colleencrosson.com
www.facebook.com/colleencrossonmusic

I am filled to the brim....

with joy, gratitude, love (and a couple extra pounds??) after our quick and fabulous trip to NYC to see bass man Myles Sloniker tear it up at his Harlem and Astoria gigs a couple weekends ago. "Papa Sloniker" (a new moniker!) got to sit in with his son - it all comes 'round full circle.... :-)

Other highlights were seeing/listening to Ron Carter (bass) and Ethan Iverson (piano) at Mezzrow, and enjoying all the eateries that NYC has to offer.

Now I get to incorporate all the subtleties I learned from those NY jazz cats this Saturday night at our own little jazz haven, Jay's Bistro, with Mark Sloniker on piano, Braun Khan on bass, and Emma Sloniker joining me on vocals! Mark starts the music at 6 pm and the rest of us will join in at 8 pm, till around 11 pm. Sure hope you can swing on by for some local family fun.

This Sunday evening I'm also looking forward to providing music for Rev. Scott Awbrey's new church in Loveland, CO - One Light Faith Community. I'll be filling in for Music Director, Mary Buirgy that night (also a full circle moment - I was Music Director for Scott's first church in Fort Collins, Whole Life Church, in the early 90's!). Life is surely an adventure! Details below.

Thanks for supporting live music wherever you are!

Best, Colleen
www.colleencrosson.com
www.facebook.com/colleencrossonmusic

Singin' with two of my favorite peeps at Jay's this Saturday night!

Does it get any better than this? (Well, yes, it does, when Myles can also join us!)....However, I am equally thrilled to be singing with our daughter, Emma Sloniker, with Mark Sloniker on piano and David Becher on bass! Mark starts the music at 6 pm and David and I will join in at 8 pm. Emma will saunter in around 8:30 and then we'll continue the tunes till around 11 pm. Sure hope you can swing on by for some family fun.

I'll have some other news to tell you about in a couple weeks or so, so stay tuned and thanks for supporting live music in downtown Fort Collins!

Best, Colleen
www.colleencrosson.com
www.facebook.com/colleencrossonmusic

Just a quick note that I'll be down at Jay's tonight.....

sitting in for a guest set with my husband, Mark Sloniker on piano and David Becher on bass. There are bound to be other talented players and singers that will join us for a tune or three as the night progresses. Mark starts the music at 6:30 and I'll join in around 8 pm. We'll continue the fun till around 10 pm.

Seems I've only been doing a gig or two each month these days (though I sure keep busy with God knows what!), so if you want to hear me crooning (and belting!), "Now's the Time"!

ALSO....I still have some available openings for new students in guitar and/or vocal instruction and performance coaching this fall. Let me know if you want to start a new venture or hone your skills!

Best, Colleen
www.colleencrosson.com
www.facebook.com/colleencrossonmusic

What a wild and wonderful trip we had.....

filled with unimaginable beauty, laughing and warmhearted people, plentiful toe-tapping music, and a few unexpected surprises. Life never fails to keep us guessing and keep us on our toes! Would we want it any other way?

When we left Colorado, it was very much summer - hot and dry. This morning, there was a chill in the air (felt like Ireland!) and it seems the summer is quickly waning. The outdoor concerts and festivals have come and gone and the kids are back in school. I better get cracking on booking some fall gigs! I do have one to tell you about this very Saturday night at Jay's Bistro, where I'll sing jazz and other favorite genres with Mark Sloniker on piano and Patrick Atwater on bass. We play from 8-11 pm and Mark plays a solo piano set starting at 6 pm.

Many of you may have already heard that Jay and Jacki have decided to sell Jay's Bistro! We wish them the best on the next leg of their adventurous lives, and look forward to working with the new owners as we continue to bring the best of live jazz to Jay's. Hope to see you this Saturday night - Jay and Jacki will be there to say their goodbyes to you all, and I'll show you some Ireland pictures and tell you some stories!

ONE MORE THING....With the new school year starting, I have some available openings for new students in guitar and/or vocal instruction and performance coaching. Let me know if you want to start a new venture or hone your skills!

Best, Colleen
www.colleencrosson.com
www.facebook.com/colleencrossonmusic

I know this is last minute......

but I wanted to let you know that we are hosting a house concert of Chamber Music TONIGHT, Sunday August 3rd, at 5 pm, and there are still some seats left, so if you are looking for something cool and different to do tonight, this might be it! The concert will feature violinist, Aimee' Niemann (now residing in NYC, but back in CO for only a few more weeks) and her "chamber mates", Amber Johnson on cello and Justin Larsen on viola. Sam Henline will also be joining in on piano, as well as special guest, Mark Sloniker. They will be playing the music of Mozart and Borodin, as well as solo works for violin and viola. The concert is free, though donations will be gratefully accepted.

Email colleencrosson@gmail.com or call us 970-484-9600 if you need directions.

Hope to see you!

Best, Colleen
www.colleencrosson.com

What a disappointment to have to relay this news

but here it is, direct "from the horse's mouth" (the organizers of the Lagoon Concert Series):

"Due to consistent rain and predicted thunderstorms throughout the day today, we have decided to call the concert now – there will be no concert tonight. We are always concerned about lightning, even more so after the incidents that happened at Rocky Mountain National Park recently, but we are so very concerned about the ground being too wet for heavy equipment and for hosting the concert."

Well darn it! We certainly understand the concerns and their decision, but we were SO looking forward to playing for you on that beautiful lawn under the trees! SO the next best thing is to just move the party to Jay's Bistro, don't you think? We'll play the regular music hours there (7-10 pm, so you get a bonus hour, over the concert!) AND it's HAPPY HOUR ALL NIGHT! So, let's make the best of this situation, shall we? Please meet us at Jay's and we promise to make it worthwhile! Remember, it's your last chance to hear Myles for awhile (he's back on a plane to NYC tomorrow), and Emma has some great tunes planned for you (as well as some harmonies with her mom!). See ya there!

The rest of my music week is as follows: Saturday features "double header" solo performances: I start out bright and early with a 10 a.m. start at the French Nest Outdoor Market in Civic Center Park, Fort Collins and then head out in the evening to 1933 Brewing Company (a new venue for me!).

Sunday afternoon I have my last Streetmosphere performance of the season.

I've added some more shows and there's been some time/location changes on others, so please check my detailed schedule below for the latest, and as always, thanks for your support of live music in Downtown Fort Collins. I hope summer continues to be a delight for you!

Best, Colleen
www.colleencrosson.com

What a week of cool music this will be!

First off, this Wednesday evening we'll be performing at one of our favorite concert series of the summer season. The Crosson/Sloniker Quartet, featuring Mark and Myles Sloniker, Mark Raynes, and myself (with several cameos by Emma Sloniker!) will be at the CSU Lagoon from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Incidentally, these 2 pictures were taken at last year's Lagoon Concert (thanks, Mike Barry of Fort Collins Photo Works!). I've been watching this week's weather reports diligently, and we do intend to skirt any predicted raindrops.....

We'll be playing a variety of genres and tunes for you; some new additions as well as old favorites.

Check out this article about the concert in Today@Colorado State: http://www.today.colostate.edu/story.aspx?id=10245

Myles flies back to NYC on Thursday, so catch this one last local performance of the summer with him!

Saturday features "double header" solo performances: I start out bright and early with a 10 a.m. start at the French Nest Outdoor Market in Civic Center Park, Fort Collins and then head out in the evening to 1933 Brewing Company (a new venue for me!).

Sunday afternoon I have my last Streetmosphere performance of the season.

I've added some more shows and there's been some time/location changes on others, so please check my detailed schedule below for the latest, and as always, thanks for your support of live music in Downtown Fort Collins. I hope summer continues to be a delight for you!

Best, Colleen
www.colleencrosson.com

Celebrate the summer with me

at my first Streetmosphere gig of the season this Friday night (tomorrow!) from 5:30-8:30 pm on the SW corner of Mountain and College Ave. in downtown Fort Collins (next to the patio of Ingredient Restaurant). I've been in vacation mode this past week as I spent the better part of it with my Dad on the Jersey Shore, and I'm glad I happened to glance at my calendar today or I might have missed it! Lazy days on the beach and a week of not knowing what day it is will do that to ya...But now that I know this is THEE weekend (and Summer Solstice weekend to boot), I am SO excited to be on the streets again as part of Beet Street's amazing program for the arts and music in our fair city! I hope you'll stop by for some tunes.

I've added some more shows (there's even a couple double headers in there) and there's been a time change on my French Nest Market gig, so check my schedule below for all the details and, as always, thanks for your support of live music in Downtown Fort Collins. I hope summer is off to a great start with you!

Best, Colleen
www.colleencrosson.com

Always love hangin' (and singing!) with my husband....

at Jay's Bistro, and this Saturday night is no exception! We'll be serving up some cool jazz, blues, and pop tunes with Mark Sloniker on the piano, and Drew Miller on bass. Remember, band hours are now 8-11 pm, with Mark starting off with a solo piano set at 6. There's a new Tapas and Cocktail menu (I've been taste-testing all month - YUM!) and Happy Hour is from 9-11 on the weekends on items from that menu. Hope you can join us!

My summer schedule is starting to shape up and the Streetmosphere schedule is set - see below for all the additions and details.

Thanks for your support of live music in Downtown Fort Collins! Colleen
www.colleencrosson.com

It's that time again....

to head on down to Jay's Bistro this Saturday night, where I'll be singing jazz, blues, and pop tunes with Mark Sloniker on the piano. Remember, band hours are now 8-11 pm, with Mark starting off with solo piano at 6. There's a new Tapas and Cocktail menu that you're gonna love (I taste-tested last night!) and Happy Hour is from 9-11 on the weekends on items from that menu. Hope you can join us!

See schedule below for other upcoming events.

Thanks for your support of live music in Downtown Fort Collins! Colleen
www.colleencrosson.com

A quick note....

to remind you that I switched last week's Jay's performance to this week - TONIGHT - and am feeling much better, thank you! I'll be singing jazz and pop tunes with Mark Sloniker on the piano and Erik Applegate on bass. Remember, band hours are now 8-11 pm. Hope you can join us!

See schedule below for other upcoming, fun events.

Thanks! Colleen
www.colleencrosson.com

Sorry all....

I knew it was wishful thinking when I sent out my newsletter earlier this week. I was feeling some kind of respiratory/cough thing coming on, and I did my best to nurse it away, but I'm still not quite up for a full night's gig at Jay's tonight. So, the soulful Billy Hundley has agreed to switch weeks with me - he'll be singing tonight and I'll sing next Sat. night. Thanks for your understanding!

In the last few days, I have also added one more gig to my schedule. In conjunction with Streetmosphere's 5% day at Whole Foods Market on Wed., April 9th (5% of all sales that day will support Streetmosphere!), I will be playing on their patio from 11 am - 2 pm. "Mighty fine artist" Chris Bates will also be painting during that time. Another shift of performers and artists will be there from 4-7. So, come on out to Whole Foods, support "Streetmosphere" and get a glimpse of what you'll see on the streets of downtown Fort Collins this summer!

Now, back to bed for me..... Colleen
www.colleencrosson.com

Bring it on......

It always amazes me when the crocuses start poking through, even as our late snows try to beat them down. I was hoping they would greet me when we returned from our NYC trip last week, as they hadn't yet appeared in our yard before we left. And there they were, greeting us along with the snow! Hope "springs" eternal as they say and the hope and joy of spring is what feeds my soul as the days lengthen, and brown magically turns to green. I am grateful for this new season and some new reasons to experience joy and growth, around me and within me.

I am looking for new opportunities to share my music, with recent changes in my schedule. If anyone knows of some cool venues that seem fitting, let me know. I'll be participating in "Streetmosphere" again this summer and look forward to seeing you stroll through Old Town Fort Collins to catch a few tunes. "The Taste" is coming right up and a Lagoon concert is on the books. I'm sure more summer concerts will be added in the coming months. You can always check my website for the latest info. Here's what I know so far, starting with this Saturday's monthly engagement at Jay's Bistro and Jazz Lounge....

In gratitude for your support of live and local music,
Colleen
www.colleencrosson.com

....since I sent out a music update!

I guess it's only been a month, though.... How can the months go by so fast and also seem like a lifetime?? I guess I'll have to ask my Quantum Physics "expert" husband that question.....

Anyway, here we are once again at my usual once-a-month Jay's gig, and I hope you can join us for some fine music! I am truly ecstatic to tell you that Erik Applegate (Myles' mentor at UNC) will be playing bass with us this Saturday night! I think it's been 2-3 years since we've gigged together, and I'm feeling really blessed with this opportunity. We've changed the start time for the band to 8 pm and will play till 11. See you at Jay's!

The sun has set......

on a beautiful chapter in Mark Sloniker's and my life , as we said goodbye to 13 amazing years as Music Directors at Unity of Fort Collins, CO. We will forever cherish the memories of our spiritual and personal journeys there, and thank everyone for the richness you added to our lives. We look forward to what the Universe has in store for us as we turn the page. It's kind of exciting, really, even as it is tinged with sadness. For now, we will take a true Sabbath for ourselves, resting up for the growing season that is surely ahead. With gratitude and love in my heart, Colleen

I hope to see you at my Jay's gig tomorrow night!

Best to you in this new year!

I'm not quite ready to let go of the holidays - the tree is still up, the lights are still twinkling inside and out and my mom's Santa collection smiles at me from every window sill and ledge. Maybe this weekend I will start the dismantling, but tonight I will sit and enjoy the stillness and beauty one last time. We took 2 weeks off from teaching and are now back to the regular schedule, and I am busy lining up some gigs. I hope to find a few new places to play this year. Stay tuned. For now, I've only got a couple of performances to tell you about.

This Sunday evening, January 12th, 7 pm we will host a "sloniker and dad" concert at Unity of Fort Collins, 1401 W. Vine Dr. The concert will feature Myles Sloniker (and dad, Mark) along with Brianna Carrisquillo and Joel Harris on saxophones and Shilo Stroman on drums. Besides playing some really great jazz, the musicians will be sharing some commentary on the art of improvisation. Emma Sloniker and I will be making a cameo appearance during the evening, making it a true family affair! Donations will be gratefully accepted, with all proceeds going to Unity of Fort Collins.

I'll also be singing at Jay's Bistro later this month. Details below: