Anna Gutmanis

I am wishing every one of you a very Happy Mother's Day! For those of you who don't live with a maternal figure, I know that it is difficult not to be able to visit Moms and Grandmas today and tell them how much you love them. The great thing about the digital age is that there are so many ways we can communicate our love and appreciation. My Mom passed away 10 years ago, but I still feel her presence. My Mother's Day posting on social media will be about the best advice my Mom ever gave me - which was "Practice your piano!" Even as a young girl, I came to love piano so much that Mom soon didn't need to sit beside me to ensure I practiced. She was constantly working, whether outside the home or upon returning from the workplace, always sewing or knitting something beautiful and practical for her kids. I know that she deeply appreciated my independent yearning to keep at my piano, as it was one less thing for her to have to supervise. She had a talent for supervision, having risen to middle management at her insurance company - no small feat for an immigrant woman decades ago. She was my role model in so many ways, and I am deeply grateful for the life lessons she gave me. Above all, she was a kind, music-loving person, and I hope that she is proud of the way that I try to carry on her legacy. Stay home, stay safe, and find a fun way to celebrate all the Moms in your life today!

Hi everyone!

I hope that each one of you is staying safe and healthy. I come from a family of artistic folks who are also in the medical field, so I recognize the importance of listening to the advice of doctors and public health officials. I know that it is very difficult for folks not to gather alongside extended family members for Passover, Easter and Ramadan. But it is by staying at home, and maintaining physical distancing when we absolutely need to go out, that we show our love - not only for our families, but for our whole society! There are SO many ways to connect with those we love in the digital age, and I am very grateful for that. Of course, listening to music is a tried-and-true stress reliever during difficult times. I am thankful for all of you, both new and ongoing music fans, for checking out my tunes. I've been writing lots and also connecting with the producer of my new song-in-progress. Again, because we live in the digital age, he has laid down some awesome tracks in his home studio, and we will record my vocals when it is safe to do so, not one moment before. There is nobody who loves being in the studio more than I do, but safety comes before all else. I look at it this way: when that studio day finally comes, it will be a day of greater joy than any other studio day I have previously known! Stay strong, stay in touch with loved ones, and keep letting music soothe your soul!

Hugs (from a physical distance),
Anna

Hi beautiful music lovers,

These are very challenging times for everyone around the world. A social media post this morning read in part: "Love will not be cancelled. Songs will not be cancelled." For some of us, love and songs have always been one and the same thing. Music has helped me get through tough times in my life, whether those challenges are for me alone or for the entire society around me. Thank you so very much for listening to the music I've put out into the world. If my songs help even one of you get through this global health challenge in a happier, more centered way, I've done my job. Stay strong and full of love!

Hugs (from a social distance!)
Anna

Happy Family Day Weekend, everyone! In Canada, we celebrate Family Day tomorrow. I am SO grateful that my extended music family is putting my eclectic music into the Top Ten of a bunch of N1M National Charts for Canada. This week, you have made In The Sun #6 for Pop; People (Got To Get It Together) #6 for Spiritual; Til Doomsday #6 for R & B; I Am Who I Am (2019 Dance Version) #9 for Dance; and Let It Slide #10 for Blues. As somebody who grew up admiring the genre-crossing songs of artists like Billy Joel and Laura Nyro, I couldn't be happier or more grateful. You GET what I'm doing musically, and I thank each and every one of you for listening! Have a beautiful weekend wherever you are and whatever you decide to do :)

Hi music lovers,

I hope everyone is withstanding all that 2020 has brought us so far. Never has it been more important to find ways to relax and to heal, which music can do for us. Over the past few months, I've had requests from several of you to add more songs, and now I have done that. Although I have not recorded nearly as much as I'd like - the cost of studio recording is still high when you're an independent artist - I hope you'll find a tune or two that you like among the additions here! They include a tune that I released on a radio-only CD compilation (Then Came You - 1992 remix), which is not available for sale. Then Came You was my first-ever single, released to Canadian radio 30 years ago. For the CD compilation version, which came out a couple of years later, I wrote another verse to make the song a bit longer. You can decide whether you like the original reggae version or the more pop radio-friendly later version better. I thank you again for taking the time to listen, and I hope that each one of us will find true happiness and peace this year!

Hugs and cheers,
Anna