Shout Outs:

Shout Outs:

I have some reccomnedations for you to check out some friends of mine who are inspiring to me, and I am sure you would all love as well.

[Justin Huey]

First is Justin Huey, whom you heard me speak of a lot when I was studio blogging.
Justin is a producer and sound engineer, a great one, and you can click here to see his page and contact for that. Justin runs the Bear Cave studios out of Matthews N.C. when he is not on tour.

[Steel Train]

Secondly, Justin is in the band Steel Train. Their music is available on itunes ( I recommend the song " I feel weird" , it plays on the background of this blog), and you can see them around the country all spring touring with Tegan and Sara. ( You might have also caught them on the Conan Obrien Show!!) They are a lot of fun to see live, and I've only ever seen them in a small venue so I can't wait until they come to the Warner Theatre in DC this spring. [ get your tickets soon ]



You might recognize Jack from Steel train as also being from [ fun. ] their music is truely intoxicating.




Coincidently, Justin's girlfriend the lovely Emily Anne Moore is also in fun. Emily's music is always charming. I recorded a song with her back when I was 15, and am very lucky to have her lend her voice to my recent album as well.

[Emily Anne]

If so far you've loved Justin and Emily... You will REALLY love their duet project "Seahorses" . Seahorses recently did a limited press edition of their EP, and the first time I played it in my car, I almost wrecked i was dancing so much.

Myspace M U S I C

Oh yah.. I finally did it. Hope Leigh on MYSPACE MUSIC: http://www.myspace.com/hopeleigh

I dropped off of myspace about 3 or 4 years ago when Facebook took over, but it seems as if though it is still quite hoppin for bands.

so if you're on, friend me! and if not, check it out ill post Mp3's as i get em back from the studio, till then, I'll just post covers n such


http://www.myspace.com/hopeleigh

Musical T H E A T R E ?

When I was little, I started to sing. When I was 3 my grandfather screamed to the other room " She's singing Jesus loves me!" ok? " No! You don't get it shes singing on key!" so what was next? Choirs, voice recitals, voice lessons, the usual for a little song bird.

When I got into middle school, people told me to dance. Pop music was taking over, and all the good singers could dance... I was going to be a Britney spears people...

When I got to high school people said "You can study this in College, if you learn how to act too" It's musical theatre... So I went to the Duke Ellington School of the arts to learn the last piece... acting. ( It's more than memorizing lines appearantly)

So I went to NYU for a summer semester, and then came to American University for a 4 year degree program in Musical Theatre.weird right? me.... broadway? I've never had the Broadway dream, but I've loved dancing, singing, and acting...all seperatly.Anyways, VERY FEW people see that side of my voice... but recently silly loveable adorable mike litch posted all of our recitals onto YouTube so here ya go kids:

That's me and Joani in the dressing room before a dress run of Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party
1930's flappers


Me backstage, with my dance partner Don mike, before my first College show, the World Premiere of " They Shoot Horses Don't they?" based on the Jane Fonda film. Again... 1920's /30's dancers. We toured this show to Russia.



Here's a fun one. I am the little boy on the right, in sword fight training.
I played Laertes in Shakespeare's Hamlet, thus took fencing on the set every night.



Or here, yes, I am a man. a 1930's man. [ defensivly] and I was a very pretty man.


Or finally.... in Hello, Dolly. Dancing with an umbrella with the amazing Kode Brown, in Charlotte, N.C.

That's me & some of my Duke girls with our director Ken Johnson at the Kennedy Center Awards.
Our performance of " The Laramie Project" was nominated for 8 awards including Best Play, Best Actor, best Actress etc.... the list goes on. The medal on my neck is for my personal nomination.

Just a whole 'nother side of Hope leigh...

First copy of the A L B U M

The very first burned [ very ROUGH ] copy of my album.



Justin writes:

" Hope Leigh Rollins and her band of merry men
play the songs of the generation including
such monster hits as 'The Catalina Wine Mixer'
'Man with Saggy Moobs' and of course the old
crowd pleaser 'Justin's trumpet solo' (Extended Version)
Oh yahhhhhh. Thats the jam"

fyi: Moobs = Man Boobs

Merry Christmas to A L L

My sister, Mariah in the snow

You know that time of year where you just feel like you become grounded again. You are surrounded by love and giving. There is 2 feet of snow outside your door and you are trapped inside to keep warm. And then ...You return home, so does every other family member who has strayed down the path of their own life... and you laugh over the same jokes, that no one without your last name would ever get? You all wear matching Pajamas even though you are all adults now ( maybe thats just our family...) You bake cookies shaped like gingerbread men, candycanes, and well, in our families case Mr.Hankey the Christmas Poo who actually is the tree-topper on our tree every year. ( 10 years running) ....



( I wish I was kidding) .... We really just are white trash with money.




As I was writing this post, the smoke alarm went off in the Kitchen, I hear my mother, egg nog in hang say " Dinner's ready" then begins laughing.. I guess I'm needed upstairs....

In conclusion, Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays, may your day be filled with joy.

The Mystery of: the C A P O monster

HAVE YOU SEEN MY CAPO?

If you play guitar, I can almost guarantee that this has been you... desperate to capo your guitar, and no capo to be found. while recording Justin said that in his studio, you either find 12 at a time, or none. Ica and me once lost ours on a mission trip and tried to use a rubber band and pen. I lost mine and Pedro the amazing gave me one. The girl I nanny lost hers for 3 weeks and we sang Taylor Swift 4 octaves too low...it was tradgedy. the fact that they cost $20.00 to replace is just blasphemy.

Fear not! I've solved the mystery!

WE CAUGHT HIM RED ( well blue) HANDED! THE CAPO MONSTER!!!!!!

please people, take this seriously. You never know when he could strike again. this is no joke..... please, watch over your precious capos. i will never take mine for granted again.

Don't say i didnt warn you people.


for the record: there is NO PHOTOSHOP involved in this picture. this is actually taken on justin's desk this week... very real.

Studio: P H O TO S

Made That Good Drive. Back up Ninety-Five ... Well 485-85--95-395....

I made it 30 minutes away before realizing I forgot my new winter coat, considering we have 2 feet of snow at home, it was a must that I turn around. Oh well, A second Good-bye. I was confused however, about how it took ONE full tank of gas to get from DC -> Charlotte but TWO full tanks of gas to get from Charlotte -> DC . Is the east coast one giant hill?

Anyways... I was able to listen to a rough bounce out of the full album in the car, it is still very unbalanced, and you can hear me laughing a lot, and Justin saying " Cool" when a song is over... oh charming. I must say, at this stage, Be your girl, Stay, Just be friends, and Pancake Song are my favorite... I also spent the ride pondering album titles, and I think I got a good one. ;)

Now that I made it home, I can upload studio photos, I wish I had taken more... And while i upload them and settle in, I swear my kitten is just sitting next to me, and will NOT STOP meowing... Is she asking me about my week? I wish I spoke cat talk.






...more fun pictures to ensue.