Recording is so much fun. Sure, it’s tiring, and thinking of all the money being spent can be, well, anxiety-provoking. But it’s the best. There’s nothing I’d rather be spending summer hours doing — it even beats the beach.

Spent last weekend up in Woodstock recording basic guitar and piano tracks at Mark Dann’s beautiful studio. The other day, Cheryl Prashker came up from Philly to Mark’s Tribeca NYC studio to lay down drums while Mark plucked away on the bass. I’m getting ready to do some serious vocal work next week, while Thad Debrock is preparing to do some tasteful multi-instrument overdubs in his Williamsburg home studio and Pat Wictor is going to show up the last week of July and two a couple of slide guitar tracks. Finally, I’ll be adding my own harmonies to a few tunes and inviting good friends Carolann Solebello and Meg Braun to add their lovely voices to a couple of songs.

After that, some final mixing and off to the printer! I hope to have CDs in hand sometime in September. Then, I’ll already be dreaming about the next time I get to record…ahh…that’s how it goes…

I’m excited about an acoustic singer-songwriter showcase I’m hosting on Thursday, July 15, at my local coffee haunt, Brewed Awakening (get it?) at 417 Main Street in Metuchen — just a block from the train station! I’ve helmed many singer-songwriter events over the years — I used to help host a weekly open mic in the East Village with my good buddy Meg Braun; I ran a monthly singer-songwriter showcase for about a year at an Upper East Side coffeehouse (ah, the lovely, now defunct D.T.U.T.); and I’ve participated in showcases through the Manhattan Songwriters Circle and our own Chicks with Dip (otherwise known as Maggie’s Music Salon!).

So I’m trying to get something going in my new adopted hometown of Metuchen, NJ — and next Thursday, July 15, from 7:30 – 9 p.m., I’ll be performing and hosting an original music evening. I’ve invited two great New Jersey songwriters to join me — the lovely, funky, Princeton-based  Sarah Donner and the awesome, laidback, Rahway-based  Tom Picard. I’ll get the evening started by playing a few tunes; then Sarah and Tom will each get a 1/2 hour set, then I’ll close the evening with a few more of my own songs. Combine it with an espresso or iced tea and you’ve got a terrific evening in store!

I also have a second evening planned, on Thursday, August 19 — also 7:30-9 p.m. — and Brooklyn’s Meg Braun and Bellefonte, PA’s Jim Colbert will join me.

Hope to see you in Central Joysey!

I’m so excited to report that I’ll be recording a brand-spankin’-new solo CD this summer, produced by the amazing Mark Dann, who has produced CDs for folk artists and singer-songwriters from John Gorka and David Massengill to Richard Shindell and David Roth. Also on board: drummer Cheryl Prashker, slide guitarist Pat Wictor, multi-instrumentalist Thad Debrock and singers Carolann Solebello, Meg Braun and Nina Schmir (the Bitter to my Sweet!)

I’m tremendously thrilled…it’s going to be an eight-song album, so short and sweet, with six originals and two cover tunes. I plan to have the files at the printer by the end of August, by hook or by crook. I’ll keep you updated!

I’m so excited to be performing as part of two house concerts in May….if you don’t know what house concerts are, you must find out! Basically, it’s as simple as someone opening their home to friends and inviting them to watch a performer…with some snacks and drinks on hand. Often, all of the proceeds go to the performer and it’s one of the coziest, most intimate ways to see a performance! There are some terrific house concert series around the U.S. — if you’d like to find out more, I recommend checking out www.concertsinyourhome.com. Then, give me a call and I’ll come perform!

First, on May Day — that is, May 1 — I’m so excited to be the opening act for the amazing Sloan Wainwright at my good friend Chris’s house concert series in Montclair, NJ. Then, on May 22 I’ll be the opener at my other good friend Tom Boyd’s “Music Over Manhattan” series for the lovely Penny Nichols, a fabulous singer-songwriter who is also the founder of SummerSongs, and her sometime-duo-partner Glen Roethel, who is also one-third of the harmony-folk trio Gathering Time.

If you’re interested in attending either event, just give me a holler and I’ll make sure you get put on the list…

I’m psyched to turn my clocks forward this weekend…spring is just about here, thank goodness. I’m excited for spring…I’ll be playing my first local NJ show in a couple of weeks on April 2, at my local coffee place here in Metuchen…Brewed Awakening. And on May 22 I’ll be appearing as the opening act at Tom Boyd’s wonderful Music Over Manhattan series — opening for the amazing Penny Nichols at Greg Roethel (of Gathering Time)! Looking forward to all music-related spring events…hope to see you around!

Getting ready to reunite tonight with my duo Sweet Bitters for a show in Portland, Maine at the lovely North Star Music Cafe! Writing this from a hotel room overlooking the bay…already had a lobster roll last nite in town and plan to have more before I leave tomorrow afternoon…

I’m excited! Two fun shows coming up over the next two weeks: First, I’ll be tra-la-la-ing with my duo, Sweet Bitters, at a lovely bookshop called Books & Co. in Nina’s hometown of Hamden, CT, on January 29. The series is called “Songs from the Sofa” and seriously, we can sit on a real sofa and sing in front of an attentive, quiet, smiling audience. And, I think we’re going to have some percussion from a lovely gal named Lydia!

Next, I’m thrilled to hook up with my good friends, Meg Braun and Carolann Solebello, for a Song Swap on Tuesday, February 2 at Googie’s (Above the Living Room) at 154 Ludlow in NYC, 7:30 p.m. — basically, we sing in-the-round…I sing a tune, then Meg, than Carolann, and round and round. We sing some harmonies on each other’s tunes when we can and sometimes Carolann throws in a guitar lick. I love singing with my friends, especially these two — and Meg is super-busy with booking and touring these days in support of her terrific CD, Tomboy Princess, and Carolann spends most of her time as one-third of the wonderful Americana trio Red Molly, so I feel lucky to get them for this show!

On February 24, I will be the emcee for an amazing benefit concert to support my dear friend Victoria Lavington, who is fighting Stage 3 breast cancer — featuring the terrificly talented trio Red Molly and the totally awesome Natalia Zukerman, as well as singer-songwriter friends (including me) who will be performing some of Victoria’s beautiful songs. This will be an evening to remember…I hope you’ll check out this link and hope to see you there! www.victorialavington.com

Welcome to the new sharongoldmanmusic.com site — I appreciate you stopping by to check it out! You can find out all about me and my music here…listen to some songs, buy a CD, learn about upcoming shows, check out some pics. Stay in touch!