Singer-Songwriter May Erlewine Takes On Pandemic and Upcoming EL Concert with Love, Music, and Gratitude
After one quick glance at May Erlewine’s Instagram account, you are immediately immersed in love: her immense love for her daughter, her love of music, her love of nature, and her love of coffee. Starting her day with coffee is a must.
This Friday, Oct. 15, Erlewine – a Traverse City-based singer-songwriter – will perform a solo show at the University United Methodist Church (UUMC) as part of the Ten Pound Fiddle Concert and Dance Series.
For those who don’t often check out Instagram, Erlewine is well known for her early morning, quick-hit Instagram videos. In them, a sleepy-eyed Erlewine makes coffee through a slow drip coffee maker, dances around a bit, and greets everyone, accompanied by whatever her favorite new song is.
“I always say it’s not hard to feel happiness when you have music and coffee on the way,” Erlewine said. “I love the morning time, and even on my hardest days, I feel so much gratitude and abundance around me.”
Erlewine has a lot to be grateful for. She’s more than happy to be back onstage performing to a live audience once again after a year and a half of being sidelined due to the pandemic.
Online musician-supporting sites like Patreon, combined with donation-based live stream shows, kept the musician’s head above water, but performing live – a musician’s bread and butter – was out of the question.
Even if she can’t exactly see the smiling faces, she’s happy to be back.
“The shows have been so meaningful. To play music in a room for real humans, there’s nothing replacing that,” said Erlewine. “It has been emotional to be back in venues. Performing in a safe and responsible way right now takes a lot of extra effort from everyone involved, every step of the way. I’m grateful to the venues and attendees for supporting our precautions and for their support in creating a safe and meaningful experience for everyone.”
For the show at the Ten Pound Fiddle, proof of vaccination and a mask are required for entry.
The Ten Pound Fiddle’s Booking Agent Sally Potter is ready to hear May’s voice in a live setting once again.
“It has been a few years since May has played her annual Fiddle gig solo,” Potter said. “This show will be just May and her beautiful songs. People have been talking about this show ever since our schedule came out.”
While performing live was at a standstill, Erlewine’s music still kept her quite busy. She found herself writing new music, and she has her sights already set on 2022 for the release of her new album, a follow-up to her 2019 album, “Second Sight.”
She’s hoping 2022 will be an even better year for not only the artist, but also for the world as a whole.
“I’ll be 40 this year, which feels pretty badass,” Erlewine said. “I have some other creative projects on the horizon that I’m working on and will be excited to share when the time comes.”
“I hope we can be accountable and respectful,” Erlewine added, “I hope we can reach for connection and community and have conversations about our visions and dreams. Lots to do! Let’s get to work.”
More information on the Ten Pound Fiddle is available here.