Love and blessings, joy, mirth and cherished moments to you all…..whichever your faith, whatever your beliefs, whatever your traditions…xox

It has been a big year for Aaron and I. Where as, once our year was full of touring, this has been a year without stringmansassy but one of personal change and transformation for both of us. Aaron is now a father! He and partner Angie are the blessed parents of a beautiful, delightful and very present boy with a shockingly luxurious head of hair. As you can imagine…along his work at the Conservatorium in Bathurst, organising world music festivals, writing and composing new solo material, releasing a music book and recording a new CD…he has been a very busy man over the past year.

For myself, I have emerged beyond the stage of early parenthood. My beautiful and emotionally honest, creative and sometimes perplexing girls are a little more self sufficient, my tiredness has subsided and my drive and passion to create has well and truly revealed itself again. This has been a year of finding a voice for all my creative thoughts. The highlights: a brief and wonderful journey into the world of classical music for the performance of Tyalgum Dawn, and facilitating and directing a production of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ with 100 students from the Currumbin Valley State School. From the music, to the drama, to the costumes, to helping the kids bring it to the stage for their family, friends and community….I was in bliss!! The most marvellous part was witnessing the change and evolution of the students as they embraced the story, their characters and the excitement of being on the stage. Suffice to say, after 4 months of hard work, it was a magic performance and the kids completely ‘killed’ it!!!

To look at today’s date, I am completely overwhelmed by how quickly this year has passed. It has been an immensely full and rewarding one, but I enter this Christmas season with a great desire to expand time, to truly gain the most out of each moment, each friendship, each minute with my children, my husband and my family. If time continues to accelerate, as the Mayan calendar predicts, perhaps this is the perfect time to begin to breathe very deeply and prepare oneself for the year that is to follow. Next year….I know it will be a big one and one that will see Aaron and I regroup again to begin the next stage of the stringmansassy journey. We always said we had another album in us. Perhaps 2012 will be the year…?? I am certainly very excited to see where it will all lead.

To conclude…in the spirit of Christmas, we (I know I also speak for Aaron) wish you great joy, peace and fulfilment for the closing of this year and many blessings for the one that is to follow. May 2012 be a wonderful journey for you all!!

Kacey xox

BOND BY THE LAKE

Bond by the Lake showcases the vibrancy and energy of the Bond University campus, and celebrates creative talent from the Coast and beyond.

Imagine music performances, creative workshops, roving performers combined with the search for the Gold Coast’s best cupcake all in the beautiful landscaped gardens and stunning sandstone architecture of Bond’s lakeside campus.

Bond University is proud to present all this and more at Bond by the Lake, a free, signature event that celebrates and promotes creativity and the arts in our community.

This FREE day-long community event will feature performances from some of Australia’s most highly regarded musicians including stringmansassy, The View From Madeleine’s Couch, Nadia Sunde and Michael Fix as well as the Varsity College show band and Gold Coast City Wind Orchestra.

There will be endless creative workshops for children and adults include candle making, poetry and children’s arts and crafts including make your own Mad Hat, roving performers, food stalls, wine tasting, oversized games and more!
Community BBQ presented by Varsity Lakes Community Limited and Varsity Lakes Community Bank®.
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Free music showcase at the outdoor ADCO Amphitheatre:

1:15pm – 2pm Varsity College show band
2:15pm – 2:45pm Gold Coast City Wind Orchestra
3:00pm – 3:45pm Nadia Sunde & Michael Fix
4:00pm – 5:00pm Stringmansassy
5:30pm – 6:30pm The View from Madeleine’s Couch.
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The Mad Hatters Tea Party – A special “Tastes of Gold Coast” event!

Tip your hat to the white rabbit at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, a delectable afternoon tea of fine food and good company. This event is run in conjunction with the annual Tastes of Gold Coast food and wine festival and will be held at the Bond University ornamental lawns next to Lake Orr.

Join us at one of our two afternoon sittings:
- 1:30-2:30pm
- 2:30-3:30pm

Tickets are $25 each. Stay tuned for booking information!
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For more information on Bond by the Lake please visitwww.bond.edu.au/events.

To obtain a copy of the Bond University campus map please visitwww.bond.edu.au/campus-map.

Proudly supported by Gold Coast City Council.

What an inspiring city and an exceptional community Brisbane will become after an experience such as this!

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those effected by the deluge. May you rebuild your homes and lives and may your hearts and spirits soar again….xox

Saturday January 8th, 2011
stringmansassy performance from 12.15-1.00pm

Tickets are available online from Music By The Sea.

Woodford has evolved and changed since we last ventured onto its stages but it is and will always be a festival to cherish. A festival which showcases the heart and soul of music, the rich and vibrant multiculturalism that makes up our Australian and world communities and one that still manages to nurture the ‘sacred’ and the ritual in tangible form. I hope that this essence transcends all the musical and societal trends that are to come and that the ‘heart’ of this very special place continues on for the 500 year vision of this festival.

We thank the organisers and all involved in creating the living breathing entity that is ‘Woodfordia’.  You do a magnificent job!! Thank you for once again welcoming stringmansassy to your stages.  It is always a magical experience!  And my final thought to those who – with us – braved the rain, the mud and the slush…..how fortunate and blessed were we that, for a week we chose to live in tents and could escape the sometimes difficult surroundings and immerse ourselves in music.

So for me, the highlights of my week at Woodford…. Seeing complete unadulterated joy, illuminate the face of my five-year-old and she twirled to an Irish jig with myself and her godparents. Performing at 4.30am in the clouds, the mist and the rain – with Buku (Mongolian throat singer), Tenzin (Tibetan vocalist), another female Tibetan vocalist, a Shakuhachi player and Dig player – for the dawn of the New Year. And finally, our final stringmansassy song of our final show on the Concert Stage – ‘Red On Blue’…it took my breath away!!!

Love, wishes and blessings for the New Year to you all……xox

For those of you yet to experience the Woodford magic, the programme speaks for itself. One of the largest festivals in the southern hemisphere, it is a plethora of music, drama, cabaret, workshops, art, well-being, children’s festival, atmosphere, immersion and frivolity. Essentially, it is one of the greatest weeks you will ever experience!!! We are so excited and hope you can join us…xox

stringmansassy performances at Woodford Folk Festival 2010-11

Monday, December 27th at The Grand – 11.00am
Tuesday, December 28th at The Joyluck Club – 2.00pm
Wednesday, December 29th at The Folklorica – 9.30pm
in collaboration with Dva (Linsey Pollak and Tunji Beier)
Thursday, December 30th at The Concert Stage – 11.45am
Friday, December 31st at The Joyluck Club – 5.10pm
Friday, December 31st in The Amphitheatre for NYE – 11.15pm
Saturday, January 1st at The Concert Stage – 12.45pm