I'm excited to be collaborating with Brian Gore,
the renowned fingerstyle guitarist best known for his critically acclaimed series International Guitar Night. This fall, we'll be performing a series of house concerts, club dates and theater shows, including a few dates with legendary
Bay Area guitarist Nina Gerber.

For dates and locations, be sure to visit my Shows Page.

I also have a new CD of Children's Music,
Songs for Little Hands TWO! You can get a copy of
this new record for only $5 at any of my upcoming shows.

Great news on my first CD of children's music, "Songs For Little Hands"... The kit, "Sign, Sing and Play", just sold out of its first pressing. That's 15,990 copies! Thank you to everyone who purchased a kit, and to all the mommies and daddies who bring their kids to my LIVE music groups. You've made this the most rewarding turn of events in my life. A second pressing will be available, and I do have a few left.

If you'd like a copy, just email me and I'll send you one by mail.

Take care and I hope to see you at a show soon!
Best, z

Still deep in the trenches of motherhood, I am starting to get the hang of having two kids. My littlest, Rachel, is going to be one next month. A year? Already?! It didn't go this fast with Ruby, who is now three. Anyway, the moments are precious, to say the least. Ruby loves princesses, it's in her DNA, and Daddy is teaching her to "pull my finger". Thanks, Dad! Rachel is "cruising". That's somewhere between crawling and walking. They actually have shoes called cruisers. Ah, marketing.

OK, OK! Enough about the kids. The music is going great. I'm still gigging with Casino Royale. We have a gig next week in Toronto. That makes me an official International Superstar. Ha! I'm also gigging with a band called, Double Funk Crunch, on May 26th, in Sacramento at the Powerhouse Pub. I'm really looking forward to the club scene... a total change of pace.

My children's CD, Songs for Little Hands, is now at Hay House Publishing where the art work is being created. The CD will be in a kit called, "Sign, Sing and Play", by Monta Z. Briant. She also has a book called "Baby Sign Language Basics", sold at Target, Borders, amazon.com, etc... After the success of her first book, she asked me to write some songs for her kit. I'm thrilled to be partnering with her in this endeavor. Did I mention she's my sister? We've both done sign language with our babies and had amazing results. (Babies want to communicate before they have the ability to talk. Sign language helps cut down on tantrums and frustration, for both parents and babies!) The kit will be available in January, 2007, but if you'd like an advanced copy of just the CD, please email me or come to one of my classes. Read on...

If you are interested in hearing my kids songs, come and check out one of my sing-a-longs. After a successful series of classes at "Tu Photography Studio", (Lisa & Sasha's), we are moving to a new location. Starting May 16th, I'll be at ART START in San Rafael, at 9:45 AM, every Tuesday. (1407 4th St. @ D St., free parking in the rear). I'll be adding more classes in the coming weeks. Currently I also perform at the Bay Club in Corte Madera, Wednesday mornings, 9:45, in the "Play Club". You must be a Bay Club member to attend this group.

Well, it's taco night over here, so I'm going to chop lettuce and tomato.

Much love, and thanks for your support,
Susan

(Click Here for WW&S event update)

I couldn't pass on the opportunity to share my recent road trip with...well, everyone. I went to visit my mother for her birthday. My dad was going to come with me but my grandmother has been ill so he stayed in SF. I took the long trip by myself. The journey down was pretty uneventful, except for a road-rager who tried to run me off the highway.
But the trip HOME was hysterical:

I got up at 4:00 AM.
I drove from San Diego to San Francisco.
I heard Ruby say for the first time:
"Rachel, stop looking at me!!!"
That lasted about ten miles.
I put my hand in poop three different times:
Rachel’s twice, Ruby’s once.
I peed on my shoes.
I spilled gasoline all over my shoes.
I threw away my shoes.
I pulled off the freeway, in the middle of nowhere,
to change a poopy diaper and have a quick pee, but was interrupted by a CHP officer.
Fortunately he didn’t see me behind the car door. I stood up quickly and went back to sticking my hand in Rachel’s poopy diaper.
I got a crank sex phone call from someone named Jason: something about “sweet strawberries”.
And I started my period.

The funny thing is, life couldn't be better. :o)
Hee hee.
Love, Susan

Ok, fine. So I haven't been the best at keeping this site updated with news & notes. But I have been pretty good at making a baby over the last 9 months. Rachel was born on June 9th and she's doing great. My other daughter, Ruby, is adjusting well. We all are. Being a mother is amazing. I'm demented about my kids. They are so incredible. Motherhood isn't for everyone, and it wasn't for me until...well, until it WAS for me. I'm glad I waited until now to raise a family. See photos to view my cubs.

As for music, I am preparing for a performance on Sept 9th in the "Music That Cooks" series in Oakland. Check calendar for details. And I'm gearing up for the annual Wine, Women & Song ® production on Sept. 25th in Mill Valley. Eileen Grady and I are bringing theater goers another production of "The Breast of Broadway" at the Throckmorton Theatre. Again, check calendar for details.

The acting part of my world is on hold for a bit longer. I just don't feel like waking up in the morning and plucking my eyebrows and making sure my hair looks right for an audition, whether it be "soccer mom" or "secretary". And with two kids in tow it makes arriving on time with a clean shirt a joke. I may audition for a play in the near future. Of course I'll keep you posted. No really. I will.

And finally, just before Rachel was born, I finished more songs for the upcoming Karaoke Revolution IV. I don't know the release date, but you can do a Google search for Konami and get some info.

Happy Summer to you! Enjoy the rest of it.
Love, Susan

Hi There! Just got some lovely news I'd like to share...

" The Mountain Play gets three nominations from the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle! Congratulations to My Fair Lady director Jim Dunn, set designer Ken Rowland, and actress Susan Zelinsky (Eliza). Susan is nominated for Best Principal Female in a Musical. The winners will be posted by March 4th at the following website:
http://www.theatrebayarea.org."

I'm thrilled to be nominated again. I hope I'll be able to do more shows after this summer. My new baby is due June 9th, so I'm out of commission when it comes to doing plays right now. I do have a gig coming up with She's Out There on March 24th, Cafe Amsterdam. Hope to see you there!

Love, z

The month of October is my favorite month.  Fall is my favorite time of year.  I love the cooler weather and the changing of the leaves.  I get the overwhelming urge to hunker down, stock up on cinnamon and nutmeg and get cozy.  And I love pumpkins.  This year I get to introduce Ruby to them.  She saw them last year, but she was too young to get it.  But ever since we drove by a pumpkin patch the other day, she has become obsessed.  Well, we both are really.  I get all excited every time I see one, and I scream, "Look at the pumpkin patch, Ruby!  Pumpkin Patch!"  She squeals and repeats, "Punkin' Patch!"

October is breast cancer awareness month.  Today I read that Melissa Ethridge has been diagnosed with breast cancer.  I wish her all the best.  Early detection is the key and I hope that is her case.  In about a week from this entry I will be participating in the 6th annual Wine, Women & Songâ„¢ event.  Each year we raise money for local breast cancer charities.  In the past we have done these events in small night clubs with local bands.  This year we're trying something a little different.  It's called, "The Breast of Broadway".  Several of my singer/songwriter and musical theater pals are joining together to sing some classic hits from our favorite shows.  Check out the WW&S link to find out more.  And please come to the show on October 17th at the 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley.  You don't want to miss the chance to see some of your favorite local artists doing something they don't usually do: Broadway showtunes!

I don't have much else to say right now except...I love October sunsets.  Nothing beats them.  A warm, Indian Summer night, on top of Mt. Tam, with a view of the Pacific swallowing the sun.  And behind you, over the East Bay hills, looms a full moon.  That's the ultimate pleasure.  Well, mine at least.  I can't wait till Ruby understands them.

All the best, z

Hey There.  I just got back from 6 full days in beautiful, SUNNY Seattle.  No kidding.  It was gorgeous weather.  Everytime I go there it is lovely.  Here's a litle break down of our trip:

We played on Friday at somethine called "OUT TO LUNCH" in a downtown square from noon to 1pm.  It was only a few blocks from our hotel so I walked there.

Then Saturday we played south of Seattle in a town called Renton.  They were showing a FREE, Outdoor Movie in a plaza downtown. We played first and got all the little kids dancing.  It was so cute.

Then Sunday we didn't have a gig, but we did go down to the Jimi Hendrix museum, called EXPERIENCE MUSIC PROJECT or EMP.  They were hosting an open mic so all of us in the band sat in and did various numbers. After that we walked a few blocks to a piano bar called Mirabou (?), where a 70 year old man was playing piano and anyone could get up and sing.  A few old timers got up and sand songs from musicals, so of course I had to get up and sing something from My Fair Lady.  I got a great response.  He let me do 3 songs instead of 2.  It was so cool.

Monday we had our BIG important gig for the Ntl. Governor's Conference, which happened to be at EMP.  The gov. of Pennsylvania and his wife are officially the coolest in the nation...they danced before any other governors.  :o)

Tuesday night I had a Susan Z gig.  The guys in Casino Royale backed me up.  They did a great job.  The club was really cool...The TRACTOR TAVERN.  I'd like to play there again.  I was lucky enough to play with Kellee Bradley and Susan Robkin.  Kellee set up the whole show and she sounded AWESOME.  Susan R was great, too.  It was nice to play with some other "pop" gals for a change.

Wednesday was our last day in Seattle.  At 6pm we were playing at Univeristy Village, a really great shopping mall.  We played one LONG set until 8:15pm, and then jumped into an awaiting car that rushed us to the airport on the other side of town where we caught our 9:30pm flight home.

On the plane, the flight attendant asked if we were in a band and if we were famous.  We laughed and told her we were in Casino Royale.  Then Jamison, our sax player, said "With Cheese."  As in, Casino Royale with Cheese.  We all groaned.  So then as the plane was taxiing downt he runway, the other flight attendant said, "We'd like to welcome aboard QUARTER POUNDER WITH CHEESE!"  We laughed so hard!  Our first gal had forgotten our name, but remembered the "wrong" part.  HA!

We had a great flight, thanks to Al and Ward, our Captains in the air, and everyone made it home safely.

Now I'm trying to adjust to my normal life again, being Ruby's mommy.  And other stuff.  Love, Z

Happy Birthday Grandma Z!  Happy Birthday Grandma Z!  Happy Birthday Grandma Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz!  Happy Birthday Grandma Z!

Ok.  Now that the fun is out of the way I need to get serious.  I have an apology to make.  Friends and fans, I am sorry for lying to you.  I told you my new CD would be out over a year ago.  Then I told you it would be out in October.  I really tried to make it happen, but things kept happening so that that couldn't happen.  But I can say, in all honesty, that the CD is being duplicated right now, this very moment, somewhere in New Jersey. The first time they will go on sale is opening day of MY FAIR LADY, Sunday, May 23rd, at the Mountain Theater on top of Mount Tamalpais.  Then they will be available at www.cdbaby.com a week or so after that.  We'll get some soundbytes here for you to check out, too.  Thanks for being so understanding!

I'm about to go to rehearsal for the play.  I am "Eliza Doolittle" in MY FAIR LADY.  It's a wonderful role and a great musical.  I hope you'll come to see it.  Opening day is supposed to be a lot of fun.  Check out www.mountainplay.org to find out why!

Ruby is walking and talking and signing.  Not singing, but SIGNING!  She isn't deaf, but I am a believer in the benefits of teaching hearing babies to sign.  Ruby knows about 100 signs, but she can barely say 10 words.  She can strike up a conversation with me.  She can tell me when she's hungry and exactly what she wants to eat.  She'll even let me know when she needs a diaper change, if I couldn't tell already!  My sister turned me onto baby signing and I am hooked.  Infact, my sister was so knowledgeable on the subject, a publishing company asked her to write a book about it for them.  So she did!  It's called "BABY SIGN LANGUAGE BASICS" by Monta Z. Briant.  You can get it at www.amazon.com or at your local Borders store.  It makes a great gift for new mommies, (and will go nicely with "Cautionary Tales" by Susan Z)!

Did anyone happen to catch me singing "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" for the GIANTS on Monday, April 19th?  It was a rainy night in San Francisco, so I was bundled up in my warmest Orange and Black clothes.  Ruby came out with me behind home plate and I held her as I led the crowd in the usual 7th inning stretch number.  We had a BALL!

Hope to see you at the play this summer, and at a gig soon after!  Byeeee!!!

I did it. Her name is Ruby. She is the cutest little baby ever. Well, she isn't so little anymore. She's already 7 months old. She is crawling forward, she has two teeth, and she pulls herself to standing. She'll be walking before we know it.
Motherhood is great. It's also exhausting, emotional, and stressful. These are all things I can handle. Infact, I'm already out there working and gigging again. But it sure is nice to have a supportive husband, grandparents who want to babysit, and an extremely happy baby! I couldn't "handle" it without them.
Work-wise, I've gotten a few great VO, (Voice Over), gigs lately. One is for a new SIMS game called Bustin' Out, and the other is for a new video game by Konami . I got to sing on that one. That's all I can say about it right now. Hush, hush...
The new cd will be ready for release in just a few more weeks. I'll probably have some at the Oct. 25th gig at Sweetwater. Please gig it a listen. I loved making it and working with Jimi Fischer and Taylor Cutcomb. (You guys are HIGH!)
I'm off to "zzzzzzzz" land. Ruby is sleeping and I should get some sleep while she does. Oh, and it's midnight.
Love,
z

Waiting. Still waiting. More waiting.
Baby was due on January 31st. Since the due date Baby decided to turn around to feet first position. That is no good, especially after the due date. My doctor suggested turning Baby around at the hospital, which we did today. It hurt like hell, but it was successful. Baby is no longer breech. Now we can wait a few more days and see if I go into labor naturally. However, Baby is still pretty high and I'm not having any contractions. Ugh! If this baby doesn't decide to make a break for it by the 10th then I'm probably going to have to have a C section. SCARY! But the outcome will be worth it. I can't wait to meet Baby and be a mom.

As for my music, I've been selling quite a few BELIEVE cds at cdbaby.com lately. Thanks everyone for your support! My new cd is finished and I'm getting the art work rounded up. (Great timing, eh?) I won't release the new cd for at least a month after Baby is born. Priorities, go figure.

Next time you hear from me I hope to be "delivering" the good news about my new born, and maybe some good news about the cd, too.

Love,
Susan

Throwing up sucks!  It's bad for your teeth, your throat, and even your back.  It tastes like you're eating some crap that just came out of your stomach, which you are of course.  I don't recommend it.

Why, you may be asking yourself, is she talking about barf?  Well, let me tell you.  I've been doing my share lately and I thought I'd share it with you, lucky reader.  It's time to let everyone know my little secret.  The cat is finally out of the bag and I am willing to admit...I am pregnant.  :o)  Ha!

Now, I am very serious about the bile bathing of my tonsils being rotten, but pregnancy is the best thing I've ever done.  (Not by myself of course...right, Mike?)  So now it is here: the bloating, the burping, the farting, (well, that stuff ain't so new...right, Mike?), and the morning sickness.  I've lost 10 lbs. and I had to cancel two of my gigs at Cafe Amsterdam.  (Thanks for understanding, Tara.)  My main focus is to rest, between heaves.

Let me say, now that the moment is finally here I am more terrified than I was before.  The fear of having a baby with two heads has suddenly entered my imagination.  Then there are the realistic fears like, will my baby be smart, healthy, happy, and look like his father, unless it's a girl, then will she look like my father?  My only fears about pregnancy used to be, "I hope I'm not!"  After all the years of panic, pills and pullouts I was finally hoping and praying for the little plus sign to appear on the fancy stir stick.  It did, obviously, and we are so happy, with a dash of fear.

I plan to sing as much as possible during this amazing time.  My first order of music business is to finish mixing my CD, Cautionary Tales.  Jimi Fischer and Taylor Cutcomb are working their asses off at the studio while I'm sitting on my soon-to-be-two-asses.  Thanks guys!  My next gig is with the She's Out There women at the Sausalito Art & Wine Festival in September.  Check the "show dates" page often.  I'll be adding stuff as it comes my way.

Happy summer!  Ga ga goo goo. Oh yeah, due date is January 30 or 31.  Let's start a pool!  luv,  ~z

The annual Easter Backpacking Snowcamping Trip was awesome as usual.
We started out sipping some beers at the Iron Door in GROVELAND, then stayed at the tee-pees. On Saturday we went to Hetch Hetchy and hiked to Smith Meadow, 5.5 miles, and spent the night. It was relatively easy, not too steep, and we didn't need snow shoes until the higher elevation. The snow in the meadow was just in patches, and it was melting fast under the hot sun. This was bringing many beautiful birds to our campsite and the beginnings of wild flowers.

Sunday we hiked another 1.5 miles, this time straight UP, and reached Smith Peak elevation 7,835 ft. in about 3 hours. We had lost the path completely because of the snow. We spent the night up there, setting up tents on the snow and building a bit of a shelter to protect us from the wind. However the wind shifted and came fromt he other direction about an hour after we finished. Fortunately it died down when we went to bed.

The sky was clear and blue the whole time. I wore shorts and a tank top every day. At night I put on every piece of clothing I had with me and brought a hot rock to bed. (I need a warmer sleeping bag...birthday 8/28.) hee hee. We hid some plastic Easter Eggs filled with candy in everyone's gear. As the hike down went on, people kept finding them. Seven miles downhill in 4.5 hours with 2 short breaks for cliff bars and water. The water tasted SO good! We pumped it right from the snow melt. I wore my sun screen like a good girl, 30 SPF. No sunburn on me or Mike this year. But I did hit my knee on a broken tree limb while climbing over a giant fallen tree. The bruise is as big as an orange. Yuck.

We used our snow shoes in the higher elevations, along the north face of the peak. The southern side was pretty well melted. We saw lots of bear tracks and what we thought were coyote tracks or some other wild dog. Fortunately we never actually saw a bear. However we were attacked by a stampede of Fur Trout on Sunday night. There were many casualties.

The trip was inspirational as usual. Can't wait till next year! Glad to be home and gigging at the Last Day Saloon on Wed., April 10th, at 11pm with the band. First gig in a long time and I hope you'll be there. luv, z

"On the day I was born a storm grew
and grew and grew.
And I said to myself
in a small little voice, 'bye bye.'"

I wrote that when I was 5 years old. My teachers thought I was remembering my travels through the birth canal. Who knows? But lately I've been feeling it all over again. The changes in my life have been so immense, so unbelievable to me. Recently I feel like I'm not just turning a new page in my life, or starting a new chapter, but that I'm at the beginning of a whole new book. The massive empty slate in front of me is waiting to be filled with a new life history. One that starts after reaching a goal I never thought tangible. Love. Ok, that does sound corny after I read it back, but I can't use another word. I can't. It's true. It's love, unconditional, amazing, and it's mine...ALL MINE!!! (Insert mad scientist cackle here.) Hey, even a mad scientist deserves it, craves it, and gets it if the desire is there. Anyway, as I was saying, I've been let loose on a healthy green hillside, ready to roam, to discover, reinvent, and bare my soul. What an opportunity! The only problem I seem to be having is that, although I'm poised before a blank canvass, the colors are all the same ones I've used before. I have to take those colors from my past and put them to use in the present, in the future, to create the new me, the new "book", my new look. Some colors are fine, the colors that created me happy and proud. But some of them I'd rather put away: the color of embarressment, the color of animosity, the color of shame, the color of criticism, and my own worst enemy - the color of PMS. My palate is not for lack of variety and I guess that's good. Now I just need to choose my colors wisely, remember if some of them clashed in the last book. Blend. Life is color, so I can't very well deny myself my colorful makeup. Be prepared for anything. Once upon a time....

I'm writing this from "the road."  The SHE'S OUT THERE TOUR (Liz Pisco, Christie McCarthy, Julie Zielinksi & me), is almost over and has been one helluva trip.  Our gigs have been well received and we've had a good run.

The Knitting Factory in Hollywood is where we met our new friends from Playboy, Sal, Steve and G.G..  They came back to our show at The Mint in LA the next week and we all hung out at Swingers after the show, playing an impromptu gig for the customers and passersby.

In Joshua Tree we were lucky to play at the now defunct LDK BEATNIK CAFE.  We befriended a couple of guys who got a flat tire and had to come to our show by default.  One of them, Aaron, was a photographer from LA and he came to our show at The Mint as well, where he snapped away all night long, even at Swingers.

Back up the coast we stayed at Farris Manor near San Luis Obispo, and played a mellow gig at LINNEA'S.   Our hosts turned up the hot tub so we could relax after our intense evening of headbanging-folk tunes, and the next morning they made us breakfast.  Bob, our knight in a shining Lexus, came down all the way from the Bay Area to see us, and his friend Mike came all the way up from LA!  (Well, we were staying at Mike's folk's house.)

Then we found ourselves another impromptu gig in my home town of Carpinteria, just south of Santa Barbara, at THE PALMS.  We were graciously invited to perform and fed a delicious steak and lobster dinner.  I ran into a few old friends from the good ol' days when I was apparently known to one girl as the "greasy bitch."  "You remember me," I exclaimed!  She gave us a huge tip and lots of praise for our performance.  That night Liz and I slept on the floor at our friend Josh's house.  We met him on our last tour through SB when he wrote a very favorable article about us in the SB Independent.

Then we headed back to LA for the show at The Mint which was our best show of the trip.  Great sound.  Great environment.  Great audience.

We had a day off in San Diego and relaxed by my mother's pool in her gated community in La Jolla.  The next morning we were up at 5:30 AM for our television appearance on KUSI Ch. 9, San Diego.  The program director let us play 3 songs instead of 2, and the news anchor's gave us a hat.  They were hysterical and way cool.  Then we played the next night at CLAIR DE LUNE in North Park, and the following day at DIZZY'S in downtown San Diego.  Our friend "on review," Tess, took us out to dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory, and then we headed to Christie's mom's in Glendale.

Tonight is our last gig.  It's at the Fremont Theater in Pasadena.  We are ready to come home and finish our current recording projects and start new ones and write new tunes and get married and do stuff behind closed doors with our significant others.  See you on the next tour.

August 27th, 2001

Oh My God!  I can't beieve I'm so frickin' busy.  After I got engaged back in June, the wheels really started rolling fast.

The very next night I produced the 12th Wine, Women & Song event.  Boy, was my head still in a cloud!

Then I did a short Seattle tour with Casino Royale, and a Susan Z acoustic gig with Kellee Bradley at the Saffron Cow, (a great place for travelling singer/songwriters, by the way.)  

Upon my return I started recording the new CD, "Cautionary Tales".  It's still in the works and I expect it to be ready for release just before Christmas.  The band and I are recording at Sy Klopps Studio in San Francisco, and I'm working closely with producer, Jimi Fischer and engineer, L. Henry Sarmiento, III.

The commercial business has been extremely slow due to the scare of a strike earlier this Summer.  (Hopefully my "holiday" Pillsbury ad will run again this year.)  So in my downtime I've been planning the wedding.  It's actually like planning a Wine, Women & Song event, only a billion times more detailed. But I admit, I love the problem solving, and I know there's gonna be a song when it's done.

Wow.  I just looked out my window and there is the most beautiful crescent moon descending towards the indigo horizon.  Great way to end a very productive day.  On that note, I'll say goodnight.