Deborah Crooks

One of the benefits of so many changed, stalled and cancelled plans and projects this year has been room for the new, different or random to emerge. In the music department around here, that’s meant for some new tunes and…

I can't believe its been nearly a year since I released The Department of the West. While I didn't play the songs out as much as I'd envisioned, I've released several videos for songs on the record. "What the Land…

Most holidays growing up were spent at my Nana's house in San Mateo. Nana and Papa came to the San Francisco in 1935 from a fishing village on the Adriatic, raised my mom and aunt while working at times in…

Quite a lineup for the virtual 2020 version of the annual  St. Nick's Of Niles Benefit Bash w/ McNevin & Friends for "Giving Hope"  Join the party by Zooming/FBing in Saturday, Nov. 21. I'll be doing a tune between 6pm…

This photo from a trip to India in 2010 came up from the memory bank yesterday. I think I was walking back from the chai stand to the place I was staying in Mysore. Some mornings I’d see a pack…

I spent an hour this morning, carefully peeling these pomegranates from our tree, to make two small glasses of juice. It felt just like yoga practice: slow down, breathe, carefully work through the pith, and then, gold! (or in this…

When the notification about Joe Biden finally being called as president-elect on Saturday morning we whooped and high-fived and danced around the house. The somatic experience of the day surprised me most as a heavy brick in my chest began…

I love this time of year, even if this week is ...nail biting. When I've traveled to India in the past, it's always been during the fall. And I was in Mysore for the 2008 US Presidential Election. That evening…

 Busking for votes: We were invited to play as part of an Election Defenders action today. Fun and encouraging to see lots of people voting early in Oakland. We also learned about, and I signed on with, Play for the…

“A flexible spine is a flexible mind," a yoga teacher told me long ago, and seeing how much I’ve been able to change my mind, and can change my mind each day, has kept me practicing for more than 22…

Time flies. It's been four years since I released Beauty Everywhere, a 7-song record I made with some of my favorite people.While I haven't played with a full band in, ahem, several months, I'm still taking in as much beauty…