Author: Dana McCoy

Dear friends, fans and family, 

Some good news and win/win seeds:

Grammy: Many of you know I was considered for a Grammy this year! I sang lead on a fantastic song by Albert Bouchard of Blue Oyster Cult. The song is called Sky on Albert’s solo album, Surrealists, Track 5. Click here if you’d like to hear it: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/albertbouchard2  I’ve also been asked to join Albert’s band, The Albert Bouchard Project, so I’ll be in upcoming videos, recordings and gigs!

Affordable Off-Broadway Theatre Rental – We probably all know someone ridiculously talented with a play, film, lecture, concert they’d love to showcase in one of NYC’s truest gems. If only the rents weren’t so out of reach. 🙂 🙂 🙂  I happen to have some time coming to me at just such a venue and am looking for self contained projects I believe in to put in at a discount. You can have a look at the theatre here: https://theatre80.wordpress.com

Unlicensed Original Songs and Music – Say you have a film or TV show that needs a great theme you can’t get out of your head, or affordable soundtrack songs, or scoring. You want Burt Bacharach but he’s booked up and pretty expensive. George Martin went and left us. Here I am. One stop shopping right here. Turns out girls can do it too. A few samples: http://danamccoy.com/?page_id=270

Wrinkles The Musical is gearing up its next developmental run, and this time I’m slated to have a song in the show, a lead role, and I’m playing, guess what? ….A ROCK STAR!!!! We’ll begin performances at Cape Cod Theatre Company this May, more about that here: https://www.wrinklesthemusical.com

Voice/Acting/Songwriting Coaching – I can’t tell you how much I love helping people find their voice. I am in negotiations to teach an intensive at Berklee College of Music called Acting for Musicians, will likely return to teach Acting is Reacting at Harwich Junior Theatre this Spring/Summer. Last summer I had a ball teaching Voice for Dancers at the Tides Dance Collaborative Musical Theatre Workshop with Adam in Chatham. I have a few slots opening soon for private students/coaching clients. So if you or others you know secretly want to sing outside the shower, write/sing/record a song for a loved one, get acting coaching for auditions etc, I’m accepting new students for in person and/or online sessions. To schedule a session or free consultation: http://danamccoy.com/?page_id=633  

Session Musician – hire this gun like some other Hall-Of-Famers have: hot chick of substance plays keyboards, piano, bass, percussion, dulcimer, uke, violin as prop, (maybe a note or two) and voice; back grounds (I love singing in harmony so so so much) and leads. Can work out a few steps too. Very expensive and worth it, passport and heels already packed.   🙂  Previous live gigs, TV appearances and recording sessions with GE Smith, Blue Coupe, Randy Jones of Village People, and on.

Any win/wins? Let me know my creative magical community. And don’t hesitate to send me all your news as well, I’d love to know how you all are.

Together we can do anything.

Love,

Dana

Sky by Albert Bouchard, Featuring Dana McCoy has been nominated for a Grammy. If you or anyone you know are a Grammy voter, please find the song in the for your consideration section of the Grammy Pro website, and if you like it, consider voting for the underdog.  If you’re a civilian, you could hear the song Sky HERE at CD Baby.

Albert founded classic rock band Blue Oyster Cult with his brother Joe, and the two now play in Blue Coupe with Alice Cooper Hall of Fame bassist, Dennis Dunaway. Dana has sung with them at dirty saloons as well as Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park.

Albert was asked by a friend to write a song in honor of his daughter, Skylar Neese, who was murdered by her friends in the woods. Albert sings the narration of the story, and McCoy sings the role of Skylar Neese during the evening of the horrific attack.

This is Skylar.

This project has been nominated out of many thousands of entries, but it’s up against opponents with massive power and machinery behind them. We believe the song to be incredibly worthy, and hope you will agree and support it’s seed of a chance. This would be amazing for, not only all of the musicians involved, but for the family and memory of Skylar, and to bring awareness to the need for prevention of adolescent violence.

Thank you for your time and support!

My father gave my mother a Favilla Baritone Ukulele on their wedding day. My mother sang me to sleep at night with it, her and my favorite song was “Dream A Little Dream.” She sang it like Marilyn Monroe’s voice in Jackie O’s body.

My parents got divorced about 6 years in, the uke was hung up on the wall as a decoration, it gathered dust till I turned 15. My mother sold my Steinway piano when we moved to North Carolina, so out of necessity I pulled the wall decoration down, Mum taught me a few chords. I began writing songs.

“Is that a violin?” people always wanted to know upon spotting the case. “No, a ukulele.” I’d squeek out, knowing what was to follow.

Laughter. Not laughing with, but laughing AT the notion. The ukulele was as distasteful as John travolta between his Saturday Night Fever and Pulp Fiction years. Ukulela Non Grata. Piew piuw peeeyooooh!.

The other half would cleverly (in their minds) mention that “Tiny Tim” guy.

But I just kept writing my songs. In 2005 or so, my then sweetheart spotted notice of…are you ready for this…the “New York Ukulele Festival” on a sandwich board outside Theatre for the New City. He walked me in, downstairs to the Cabaret Space, and I entered a new world. A world where people were colorful and odd and magical, and nobody laughed at the ukulele. In fact, (I still have to rub my eyes when I think about this to make sure it’s true) They ALL PLAYED Ukuleles. ALL Of them.

Tomorrow night I’ll be playing in that same community, part of it at least. We’ll be honoring Mary Martin’s Frank, and we will be playing and singing joyful Ukulele music to remember him by. It’s practically impossible to play sad music on a uke. I of course have managed it, being from the Kate Bush Joni Mitchell school. But I can pull off light and sweet these days too.

For Frank and Mary, I’ll see what I can do.

Dreaming. I must have been dreaming. My Aunt Wendie put it well, she said she’d be excited to stand on that stage and not do anything. I had that experience too, before anyone arrived, posting a set list on the stage I stood there, not a soul in sight, 6,000 empty white folding seats, an empty stage, silence. It was, in the true sense of the word, awesome.

Now paint that empty canvas of stage with a grand piano, an outstanding band filled with  Blue Oyster Cult’s Joe & Albert Bouchard, R&R Hall of Famer Dennis Dunaway from Alice Cooper Group, Music Director Chris Flynn, soul legend Tami Lynn, my favorite background singers ever Tish & Snooky, the lovely Sherryl Marshall, Artistic Director and Rock Star Joe Hurley, and, there in the middle.(Apple in throat.) Me.

Me.

Well, as the first lyric of the U2 song I was singing says: Oh my love, it’s a long way we’ve come.

Photos by Bill Desjardin

Recently a hurricane named Joe Hurley hit my life. I was flowing along fine watching Netflix and going about my work at Theatre 80. Now sleep, Pilades, food; all things of the past. Together, Joe who’s Artistic Director of the entire festival, Mojo (Jonathan Moorehead) and myself are producing an 8 hour outdoor event taking place at Lincoln Center less than two weeks from now on July 29th.

I came on board last, and hit the ground running. This photo was taken at the home of Noel and Hanora Kilkenny, The Consul General of Ireland and his wife. They were unbelievable lovely hosts, light, fun, grace personified. Alfie McCourt, Lianne Smith, Joe Hurley, and The legendary Tami Lynn all sang songs, fantastic.

Now we just have to figure out what exactly is going to happen on three stages outside at Lincoln Center from 2pm to 10pm, and then we have to figure out how it’s all going to happen. And how to pay for it to happen. Not a problem. everything’s fine. Is it hot in here?

I’m going to sing a song which holds sentimental value for me, Molly Malone. It was taught to me by a Jew. Richard Dienst. Richard was a cop defender though, so it’s not too hard to figure out where he learned that song. I sang it full force at his memorial, and he’ll be in my heart as I sing it to thousands on the 29th.

Life. You just never know.

Stef Seskin, Jane Keitel, Donna Jean Fogel, Bekka Lindstrom, and Dana McCoy

 Wow. What a rush. I can’t even begin to explain how proud I am to have sung and performed with these fine women. How many people get to do what they love with people they love? What could possibly be more like flying? It was a three week Off-Broadway run, a chance for producers and investors to see us, and many did. And we’ll see what happens next. The dust will have to settle and a plan will form. Right now I’m just enjoying the stardust (or is it just sleep) in my eyes. I stretched and reached and grew. It ached at times but my friends were there and I was there for them too. I know all of us are better for this experience.

For this I thank Richard Caliban for giving us all this chance, for writing this wonderful play with a cast of 5 women, not girls (rule his world). For assuming we could do things we couldn’t, but because he thought we could, we did. Stef was new to acting, I’d never played bass or drums before, very little acting either, Deej had never touched a drum kit and she’s our drummer, I don’t think Bekk had sung much harmony, and well Jane had done all of it and more, but with structure. This was less of a play, more of a Rock Band, and that was brand new for our Janey. So…we wrestled and itched and scratched and sang and acted and played together since 2009, and low and behold, we became a cohesive unit. I mean we learned to play our instruments and work together. Sometimes it wasn’t graceful at all! Often it was angelic. Because even though we were cast in these roles, well, I’ll speak for myself, I came to truly love these people. Yeah, there were times I wanted to slap them silly, and I know damn well they felt the same about me. But at the same time we are puzzle pieces that fit together. When the chips were down, we were all there. From moves to pneumonia to divorce to family illnesses/deaths, broken hearts to broken bones, substance issues, loony bins, paper cuts. We’ve been there. And we’re not telling you who had which going on, either. Love. That’s what I have for my flying team. Love, and respect and gratitude.

I know I’m standing taller than when we started.

xoxox

So, a couple of years ago now, August 2009 to be exact, I was part of a cast of a show called MoM, A Rock Concert Musicalwhich won Outstanding Musical at the New York International Fringe Festival. Out of 200 shows, we were one of ten brought into the Fringe Encore Series at the Actor’s Playhouse. The following year we were given a run at the Playwright’s Theatre of New Jersey, where we were extremely well reviewed, and the following Spring we were chosen as one of 15 favorites of the NYFringe’s entire 15 year existence, and asked to perform as part of their anniversary celebration at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. We’re the little show that could.

I am one of the 5 woman cast. The storyline is we’re bored house fraus who start a band to raise money for our kid’s high school. By a fluke, the band becomes a supernova. That’s really where the story starts. What do Superstar MoM’s do? How do they handle the pros and cons of uber success.

Of course there’s been a lot of controversy about whether the play’s feminist or misogynist or various other ists.

Mainly people seem to just have themselves a ball.

Promo Vid – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q4kWXX_Fh8&feature=email

Place:  The Barrow Group     312 W 36th St, 3rd Floor       New York, NY 10018   

Performance Dates: April 12th thru 28th

Tickets: http://www.smarttix.com/show.aspx?showcode=MOM8

Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/MoM-A-Rock-Concert-Musical/288372854552261

Hello readers, friends, and other fishes in the sea

My last post was September 27th. It’s now very nearly Christmas. Time warp. Keeps happening. So, here’s the deal since then. (well, the part I can tell.)

I’ve been working at Theatre 80, connected with some new investors for Cube Rat, producers of interest, I have worked closely with Silence the Musical, Howl Festival with Jane Friedman, The All For One Festival of solo shows during which I got to take workshops with Matt Hoverman, meet and learn from the heads of NY Fringe, NYMTF, Samuel French’s short play festival. I’ve met several potential directors for Cube Rat, and found one I’m crazy about. I co-wrote a power ballad as a favor to a friend for a wedding which seems to have made quite an impression on the bride and groom, so I’m told it may have a shot at being published.I got to go to my very first Broadway Opening Night  and Opening Night Party, I felt like Cinderella. I was part of a film by Jonathan Pillot where I got to read a poem that made me cry the first time I heard it:

What’s next? that’s the big question. I still have editing to do on the Edinburgh footage of Cube Rat. I thought I’d float right through that process the moment I returned to New York, but I’ve been mired in the quicksand of tech hell. I have a brand new baby Mac Book, but it’s not compatible with any of my older gear or software, so now I’m looking for tech help to reconnect everything so I can get back to music and film work.

I believe I’ll get to do this editing over the holidays as I’ll have a couple of weeks of quiet after Christmas. I’ll be on retreat in a quiet artist community. Will be working also on Cube Rat Script with the aforementioned outstanding writer/director.  I’m over the moon about how well our sessions are going.

I might even bring my uke and write a few songs, can you imagine? Who knows, maybe I’ll really aim high and bring along a book to read! Yeah right.

La Lucha Continua

Happy Holidays everyone. See you in 2012.

xo Your

Dana

How do you say thank you? As I typed this list of names of people who contributed to my campaign to go to the Edinburgh Fringe, I got chills.

I offer all of you my heartfelt thanks for your contributions. I will work tirelessly to see this project the rest of the way through in honor of all your faith in me.

Music and video in the works, to be posted/sent as soon as is humanly possible.

Much Love,

Dana

So weird. I’m in my apartment, curled up on my couch with laptop, take out food, pj’s, sleep in my eyes. How can this be. How can that fabulous adventure be over, and I, organizing the pictures from it? As usual, I’ve forgotten to budget time for rest. I thought I’d have a video of our show edited by now. I did not foresee that I would be flat out for a couple of weeks, just trying to refocus my eyes and sleep clock, let alone clean, pay bills, weed through the debris of months of prep and then months away. I am spun out.

As Richard Caliban, who’s taken the Edinburgh adventure pointed out, isn’t it frustrating when people ask, “How was it?” and you get through half a sentence before they say “Wow, that’s great, anyway, we’ve got…and they begin ticking off the New York paced list of 3 years worth of to do’s you have to accomplish by nightfall.

In a way, thank god they don’t really want to know, because where in the hell would you begin? Honestly?

But I’ll never be the same. NEVER.

I learned that in spite of how I didn’t want to hold the money bucket, when I did, people put money in it. I learned people packed the house when I flyered in costume, which I didn’t want to do because it goes against my pull toward invisibility, a ridiculous direction for a performer. I learned it works best when I’m myself, not trying to be anything else.

I learned when I ask for what I need it’s ok.

Really weird. really really weird.

I never witnessed an ounce of violence, not even on TV till I was on the plane on the way back to the good ole US. I realized I’m American. A fish doesn’t know it’s wet. I never really thought about being an American, because my only trips away were relatively short lived. 6 weeks was enough of a chunk to get it. We are the spoiled blond popular girl of the world, the one who has no idea what it’s like to have zits and divorced parents, and not to be able to afford a limo for prom. We’re very often a good force too, trying to give acne cream to the poor unwashed.

Meanwhile, In Brittain, they’re much more aware of the rest of the world’s difficulty, but they lead a very graceful, civilized life. Truly lovely.

I was surprised to be homesick, because I also didn’t want to leave.

Back at Theatre 80 my beautiful Kooks continue their rhythm same as before. And I fit fine.  Meeting with the Genie and the team about organizing the mayhem, following Lorcan around like a puppy on all his little tasks; try out some tapas at local restaurants, get paprika at the spice store on 1st Ave. I never knew existed, pick up cherry tomatoes for a new recipe. Life goes on unbroken. Like none of the magic ever happened. I guess because…this is magic too.

Amen.

I’m sure I’ll find center again soon and begin whirling with the next phase. I’ll get video of the show edited, begin plans for next shows. Tomorrow I have a gig for the 25th anniversary of the Playwright’s Theatre of New Jersey. They’ve invited “MoM, A Rock Concert Musical” to be part of their celebration. We’re actually closing the show! I’m very honored. Those guys took great care of us during our run with them last year at this time. The latest is we’ll be going on tour early in the new year! So, the adventure continues.

My life is fairly enchanted, I’d say. Great family, friends, community, health. Yeah. Life’s just fine.

More soon folks, a CD and Video of Cube Rat coming up.  Love to all who helped me rock Edinburgh. Like I said. I’ll Never NEVER be the same. 🙂