Category Archives: Blog

Use Your Voice, Do Good

Posted on January 26, 2012 by sfrenes

Last week a group of authors, speakers, actors, and musicians who promote the work of World Vision met in Nashville to inspire one another by the words of this credo: Use Your Voice. Do Good If you know what I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Creativity, Cultivating a Creative Life | 1 Comment

Just One Guitar!

Posted on January 4, 2012 by sfrenes

When I was 16 years old and starting to discover songwriting, I was taking lessons on an old nylon stringed guitar that was constantly out of tune. My parents had bought it at a garage sale; it was painful to … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Creativity, Thoughts on Life | 4 Comments

A Few of My Favorite Things (2011)

Posted on December 10, 2011 by sfrenes

Here’s what I’m doing today on my flight to Boise from Oakland (via PHOENIX) instead of something productive. I’m putting together my annual list of A Few of My Favorite Things. Well, I made one two years ago, and then … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Creativity | 4 Comments

Making Room for Christmas

Posted on December 4, 2011 by sfrenes

There’s a line from a Jonatha Brooke song I love that comes to mind every December Once a year the holidays come swinging at your head (-from Secrets and Lies) Something about hearing that first Christmas carol, or seeing that … Continue reading →

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Guarding the Mystery

Posted on November 11, 2011 by sfrenes

I’m writing for a new album again….and this process is a joy unspeakable to me, if you don’t know that about me.  Nothing fuels my sense of purpose and excitement more than working on a new batch of songs to … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Creativity, Cultivating a Creative Life, Songwriting | 1 Comment

Back When We Knew Nothing

Posted on October 9, 2011 by sfrenes

I love this pic!  Their expressions say it all–a mixture of mischievous, self-conscious and flat out joyful. I’ve been thinking about what this Hemingway quote means for us both in our creative lives and just in our day-to-day existence. Who … Continue reading →

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The agony I’d rather know…Bon Iver and the art of heartbreak

Posted on September 27, 2011 by sfrenes

I should’ve known better than to listen to Bon Iver’s Blindsided this morning on my workout playlist. I was clipping along at a brisk pace, nothing crazy but definitely getting my heart rate going, to the sounds of Mat Kearny’s … Continue reading →

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Not a Bad Seat in the House

Posted on September 23, 2011 by sfrenes

Some of you have heard me talk about house concerts–I perform several each year, and also host artists in our own home when a good opportunity comes along. In past years we’ve hosted Jason Gray, Scott Riggan and most recently … Continue reading →

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One Enchanted Evening

Posted on August 21, 2011 by sfrenes

I got to spend an evening at a local vineyard owned by the Tamayo family–a winemaker here in the Nor Cal Brentwood area. The main house is an Italian-style villa located off of Hwy 4 at the end of a … Continue reading →

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What the Cornfields are Teaching Me

Posted on August 4, 2011 by sfrenes

There are cornfields near my house that run alongside a path where we walk our dog a few times a week. In the summertime those cornstalks shoot up fast–it’s the heat. Two days ago they were heavy with ripe corn, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Thoughts on Life | 2 Comments