Brief Bio At just eight years of age, Melissa Axel was writing songs about the bittersweet journey of life, love, struggle, and inspiration—and not much has changed since. Axel studied at Boston's renowned Berklee College of Music and went on to earn her master's degree in Interdisciplinary Arts from Nova Southeastern University. In 2008 & 2009, she was awarded scholarships to participate in songwriting and world music workshops hosted in the UK by the WOMAD Foundation (World of Music Arts and Dance) created by Peter Gabriel in 1980.
Often accompanied on tuba by frequent collaborator James E. Jacoby, Axel has performed everywhere from the South Florida heat to the cool of Iceland, the frenzy of New York to the peaceful Swedish seaside, and award-winning Denver venues like Dazzle and Swallow Hill in Colorado, where she now makes her home. Through WOMAD, they have shared the stage with Gabriel collaborators N’Faly Kouyaté (Dunyakan, Afro Celt Sound System), Justin Adams & Juldeh Camara (Robert Plant, Festival in the Desert), and Andy White (ALT, Big Blue Ball), co-writing "Every Place Is Home" with White in summer 2009.
Described as "heartbreak, hope, and transformation distilled through gorgeous piano and a fearlessly intimate vocal," Axel's latest release Transition is a pensive 5-song EP featuring special guests Kailin Yong on violin and Ryan Drickey on cello. Centered on themes of love, humanity, and metamorphosis, Melissa Axel's melodic wordplay transforms life experience into songs that express the fear, joy, pain, and love that connect us all.
Hey Melissa. Good to see you! Looks like we got our building back for a bit. I get to move to the front. We've signed on another artist, all kinds of things are happening. It's a trip. I'm shooting for Gothic Chic. Whatcha Think?
I'm doing well... Just keeping busy with my students. I'm still teaching dance and having fun. I am really happy for u. I see you got it music on iTunes which is fabulous. Good luck and best wishes!!!
Regular Old Time Gig at The Laughing Goat
Hey Friends and Fans- I will be presenting old time music at the Laughing Goat in Boulder one sunday per month. The core will be myself and Ryan Drickey but we will regularly include special guests to keep it fresh.
We will focus on traditional and new music that draws from Appalachian fiddle music and rural blues. Here are the dates:
Feb 8th
March 22nd
April 5th
May 3rd
There is no cover and the Laughing Goat now serves beer. Please bring some like minded friends to dig the music and fill the tip jar!
Thanks
Aaron
melissa... thanks for your kindness! and your friend below is ab-soul-lutely right about the abraham-hicks material... I have been studying "Ask And It Is Given: Learning To Manifest Your Desires" myself, which, ultimately led me to denver and in contact with you! your music is lovely...
Dump every other spirit guide book you have been on and study the Abraham-Hicks material and practice it. It's all the things you ave always known but with much more practical guides to monitor and guide your thought.
It's not the fairy tales that get us upset, it's the time delay in manifestation - and we turn off our tracks before we arrive at our destination - and our destination is not a finish line, it's actually a new race we want to run that excites us even more than the last.
I'm Duncan, Juldeh's old friend, newish manager and occasional bass player! Juldeh has been in The Gambia, but he's coming back tomorrow so we can all go to Russia together . . .
He'll be very pleased to get your message. I know he enjoyed the WOMAD Summer School very much and loved meeting everbody there.
I very much enjoyed listening to your songs, and wish you every future success. Let's all keep working to preserve sensitivity, reflection and joy in this crazy century!
All the best, gan canny*
Duncan for Juldeh
*I'm from Newcastle upon Tyne, and this is what we often say to each other there . . . meaning go carefully, have a nice time . . .
