Susan Voelz, violinist with Poi dog Pondering and Alejandro Escovedo, and author of The Musician’s Guide to the Road (Billboard Books/Random House), is about to release her third solo record The Monarchy Treasure - a collection of orchestrated original compositions and re-invented Prince songs.  It is a sonic mix of drum loops and drum kits, electric guitars and strings, with guest artists including Charlie Sexton, Abra Moore, and Frank Orrall.  Her first two records are 13 ribs (three star review in Rolling Stone) and Summer Crashing (mixed by Malcolm Burn; Trouser Press called it “mighty fine”). 

I was raised in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin - the name is Menomonee for "little firefly;"  you can find this in Longfellow's poem "Hiawatha's Childhood" - born into a family of French/Irish and German/Russian ancestry, big band jazz records, symphonies and operas.  (Think Stan Getz's "Girl from Ipanama", the Tommy Dorsey horn section, and Puccini's Madame Butterfly).  When I was nine years old my grandfather's violin appeared from somewhere up in the attic.  (I later had it converted to a five -string and still play it today).  The Christmas Band was formed:  my dad on jazz bass, my mom playing the pump organ, my brother transposing the trumpet, me on violin, my grandmother humming, later there were nieces on jingle bells.  It's a nice story but we sounded awful.

Summer camp:  The coolest thing was hearing a Buffalo Springfield record for the first time, consoling a 15-year-old Baptist violinist who was conflicted because she couldn't go to the dance, and seeing the Northern Lights over the lake.

High school:  Discovered the song "White Bird" (by the band It's a Beautiful Day, with violin as a rock instrument), wearing go-go boots, a short white skirt and red sparkly top while marching in the Pasadena Rose Bowl Parade, twirling fire baton at high school football games, buying a beat up Stella guitar for $25.

Higher Education:  Northern Wisconsin  (University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire).  Indiana University- Bloomington double major (English and Violin).  Fell in love with a songwriter who wanted me to play in his band.  Still managed to graduate.

Gypsy Life #1:  He and I moved to California and lived on Christmas Tree Lane in Alta Dena up next to the mountains.  Worked at RCA Records by day.  Boyfriend died.  Back to Bloomington (recovery) and on to New Orleans (recorded songs on an X-15 Fostex recorder at night).

Moved to "Slacker" era Austin:  Met and played with Alejandro Escovedo and British Rock Legend Ronnie Lane (Small Faces/Faces) in a brief and glorious outfit called the Seven Samurai.  The night of the first show, met members of the traveling Hawaiian band Poi dog Pondering who asked me to play some fiddle on their debut record.

Gypsy Life #2:  Touring the U.S., Europe and Japan all the while writing in a journal to sort out the unpredictable moods, ridiculous hours, extreme alcohol intake, and the love-hate social unit within the van or bus.  John Mellencamp called about now to have me play in support of his Big Daddy record. 

TV appearances with various bands include "Saturday Night Live," "Late Show with David Letterman," "The Tonight Show," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "Austin City Limits," and "The Today Show."

Solo Records:  13 ribs and Summer Crashing.  The Monarchy Treasure will be released this fall.. 

Alejandro Escovedo:  Much touring of the U.S., Canada, UK, France. Impressive stages:  Carnegie Hall, Austin City Limits Festival, TransMusicale Festival (Renne, France), the Democratic National Convention.

Tour Highlight:  Hearing Tammy Wynette sing "Stand by Your Man" in Nashville the night Conway Twitty died.

Charlie Sexton Sextet Tour Highlight:  Seeing a grizzly bear on its haunches out the bus window one morning near Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Theatre:   Cast in Frank McCourt's "The Irish & How They Got that Way" and "The Devil's Sonata" a play about Tartini's evil violin piece.  Robert Cornelius auditioning advice "Just show them who you are."

Composing:  Peabody Award winning Frontline "Children of Conyers County" and it's follow up "Merchants of Cool" which Rolling Stone called "well, kinda cool."  "In MyRoom," "Prince in the Projects," and two long-running PBS educational documentaries "Getting your GED,"  "Workplace Essential Skills."

In the studio:  Played on many recordings with producers Steve Albini (Nirvana In Utero) , John Cale (of the Velvet Underground), Joe Boyd (Nick Drake), John McIntyre (Tortoise). Tony Visconti (David Bowie).  Recorded for theatre sound designs, some short films (including arranging amd recording music for the 2006 Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject, A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin) and improvising music for the Jonathon Demme movie Jimmy Carter: Man from Plains.

Poi dog Pondering:  Seven studio albums to date.  Worldwide touring, (Roskilde, Montreaux Jazz Festival, Lollapalooza, Ravinia).  Symphonic collaborations:  "Poi in the Park" with the Grant Park Symphony, "Fantasy and Remix of Themes for Dvorak's New World Symphony" and "Carmen Re-Mixed" performed with the Chicago Sinfonietta at Orchestra Hall. Sound track:  composition and live performance for the 1932 Brazilian silent film Limite at Sonotech in Chicago.