i want to be free of want - to be able to breathe completely to see that love is the evidence that we need all the questions, only one remains

Sonicbids CDBABY copyright 2008 inner door music bmi copyright 2008 sts productions llc

vocal, keyboard, guitar, bass, tinkshas - carolyn guitar, programming, vibes, tambourine - dainius guitar, hi-hat - scott dailey violin, tambourine,castenets - erin zindle electric violin - eimas eigmintas viola - john madison vocal - toko shiiki , kathleen ivanoff, karla richardson upright bass - perry grace tablas, acadian spoons - randall moore throat & grunt - jamyang

Biography

Carolyn Striho www.myspace.com/striho is a Detroit performance artist respected in the international music community as a songwriter, singer, poet, artist, and musician, whose energy explodes on stages all over the world!  Her riveting live shows are a blast of rock, pop, folk, anti-folk, cabaret and gypsy punk. Carolyn skirts the line between high-energy and dreamy electro-acoustic rock, her music is a vibrant and bewitching mélange - bold, yet hypnotic, smart and modern. She's a chanteuse, pensively performing on a Steinway grand, pouring heart and soul into the song. Blink and -poof- she's Jerry Lee Lewis, black leather boot on keys.  Look away - a bright red keyboard appears and Striho is playing clavinet and accordion timbres, with tribal dance and twisting melodies.  Look again and she is holding her trusty acoustic guitar singing and dancing to a tribal beat that hypnotizes audiences into jumping up and stomping their feet.

Performance   Live from Detroit

• London, U.K. – Patti Smith’s Meltdown Festival, June 2005 with Sinead O’Connor, Ed Harcourt, Tori Amos, Yoko Ono, Kristen Hersh, Steve Earle and Patti Smith; Carolyn performed original songs on the set, opening for Steve Earle. Carolyn also performed as a member of Patti’s Smith band on guitar and vocals with Patti, backing all the performers.
• Frascati (Rome) Italy in November 2006 Carolyn and Scott Dailey played in Frascati (Rome), Italy for the Cultural Ministry. Invited by Mrs. Patricia Adkins Chiti for the organization Donne In Musica, a festival celebrating Women Composers throughout the world. Carolyn performed to a full house in beautiful Scuderie Aldobrandini cathedral the following day, conducting workshops for young students, featuring performance, songwriting and poetry
• Shows at the Detroit Festival of the Arts, Detroit's Wayne State University and live broadcasts at radio station 101.9 WDET-FM, Detroit on Martin Bandyke and Ralph Valdez’ music shows. Ms. Striho has been featured on various radio shows throughout Michigan and Windsor, Ontario, including the popular 89X FM radio station.
• Frequent art gallery shows and artist events, including past shows with Patti Smith, Jewel Heart and Allen Ginsberg, M.L. Lielber and the Creative Arts/Poetry Collective, including Music Hall Jazz Café; John Lamb’s Writers Workshops at Memphis Smoke and various venues; shows with infamous artists and photographers such Patty Izzo, Patt Slack, Mark Arminski, Carl Lundgren, Gary Grimshaw, and Niagara.

Press

Thom Jurek, Ann Arbor News and Detroit Metro Times: “Emerging in her late teens from the high-energy music scene spearheaded by late Fred "Sonic" Smith, Carolyn has taken her deeply felt reverence for Detroit rock tradition which gave her a musical life, and extended it by weaving it's finest elements - direct emotional connection, unwavering energy, top-notch playing that doesn't get in the way of a song, urgent commitment to getting something across by whatever means necessary - together with her own passionate voice, lyrically expansive and hook-laden songwriting style, and energy-first guitar playing and spit out an unnamable, unfettered monster all her own." "Is it rock & roll? Yes, and it's also bad-ass, sidewinding, erotic music that isn't afraid to use a soft hand before cracking the whip!."

Gary Blackwell, Motor City Rocks.com: “Kudos to everyone involved in staging the Fred “Sonic” Smith memorial show at Detroit’s Magic Stick, which celebrated Smith’s life and music via the 10 year anniversary of his passing. The biggest crowd-pleasing performance of the evening was Carolyn Striho’s acoustic take on Fred and Patti Smith’s “People Have the Power”, performed with Patti’s son, Jackson Smith, on guitar.”

Ralph Valdez, WDET-FM Detroit: “The music that she’s been doing throughout the years has always had a great Detroit feel to it. Now something more is happening, there’s more hooks and it’s becoming this blend of hard Detroit sounds with more pop elements…”

Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press: “Soul and spirits have been our city’s strengths,” say the liner notes to this collaboration by three of Detroit’s most creative modern musicians, and the same could be said of the music on what is accurately billed as an “original soundtrack of transition. Secrets and Space has vocalist-songwriter Carolyn Striho, once of art rockers the Cubes, saxophonist David McMurray (of Kem and Kid Rock) and his former partner in Was (Not Was), Keyboardist Luis Resto (now with Eminem), on a 12-track, thematic tour of the spot where R&B, art rock, free jazz and funk intersect. Resto’s mysterious, masculine “Bravo” is followed by Striho’s insinuating and evocative “Necklace.” Both are complemented by McMurray’s fire-and-ice instrumental “Vision/Vision.”

All Music Guide/Internet: “Striho writes gorgeous, psychedelic pop songs that come from the silver edge of midnight. Check her poetic “Necklace” where keyboards and guitars twine the lyric and its impressionist portrait that is as drenched in musical metaphor as it is lyrical. “Breathing Space” is an aching anthem of poetry and longing…”

Jim McFarlin, Metro Times: “Striho has been an irrepressible attraction on Detroit’s musical landscape, noted for her impassioned live sets. And Striho is exhibiting an accessibility, maturity and controlled confidence –she is refusing to live in the past, in memories. She’s living for today, which makes her future look extraordinarily bright. After years of experimenting, and eclectic shows in Detroit, Toronto and many shows in Osaka, Japan, Carolyn Striho has finally got it right. Her songs reveal the budding awareness of personal evolution."

MotorCity Rocks.com:  “Getting away from the D for a second, Carolyn Striho will be joining Patti Smith, playing at the Meltdown festival, in June 2005, held at the Royal Festival Hall in London, England. The first night, Striho will be part of Smith’s backing band on a bill that also includes Sinead O’Connor, Beth Orton, Tori Amos and long time favorite, Kristen Hersh . The second night, Striho will perform as the opening act for Steve Earle as well as being part of Patti Smith’s band, which Striho has done before. Before all that globe-crossing mayhem, Carolyn Striho can be found throwing down some tunes at the Town Pump Tavern here in Detroit, this Thursday, June 2, 2005.”

Rome, Italy, Donne in Musica; Nov. 2006:  “La Luna in la Minore from Donne In Musica, Review in Rome Press: translated from the Italian -  Considered an energetic singer with a strong and free spirit, with a natural energy and interest in experimentation and improvisation, Carolyn was born in Detroit. and composes on piano and guitar, Carolyn mixes jazz, soul and avant garde compositions in her writing.”

Tim Perlich, Now: Toronto: “For Patti Smith, the free-form celebration, highlighted by the world premiere of her newest songs, “…the warmth and camaraderie of Carolyn Striho and her band, Detroit Energy Asylum, have helped me get back on my feet again. She has invited me to do shows around Detroit, and has a whole thing of her own, but it helped me so much. ”

Strut Magazine, Detroit 2007:  “After underage stints in punk bands with awesome one-word names like Prong and Cube, Carolyn Striho exploded onto the scene as frontwoman for the Detroit Energy Asylum. Now, after years of hard work, including recording with Eminem producers Steve King and Luis Resto, and sharing the stage with everyone from Patti Smith to Tori Amos, the Detroit native is still at it. In November, she toured Italy and the United Kingdom with her guitarist, Scott Dailey, and in 2008, she will release her fourth album. “My music has changed a lot,” Striho says. “It’s still quite experimental, but it’s also direct and pop and rock and punk. … It kind of blends into what an electric-acoustic mélange of bewitching melodies and hot little pop numbers, with the odd movie soundtrack-type song. ” Recent shows have seen Striho strumming electric and acoustic guitar, singing pretty love songs alternating with eerie circus-punk ditties, and playing keyboards – with her fingers, yes, but also with one heel of her black boot. She’s authentic, that’s for sure.   You can just imagine, then, when Striho flings her leg up onto the keyboard and whisper-sings a blend of Iggy Pop and Judy Garland – well, let’s just say you’re in for quite a ride!”

Ann Arbor News:  “Gallery 212 has been Kit Eagel's project for many years and he chose The Vitosha Guest Haus in Ann Arbor to host Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh’s Beautiful Mutants show. A castle stone chalet house, pipe organ and baby grand piano, neo-gothic parsonage, and coach house tearoom, The Beautiful Mutants looked right at home. The reception featured a performance by Carolyn Striho, best-known for fronting the trail-blazing music collective known as the Detroit Energy Asylum or possibly for her work with punk priestess Patti Smith, or musician Don Was of Was, Not Was. A fantastic show!”

FROM MTV:VH1: Correspondent Ben Edmonds:  “Patti Smith was singing. Her longtime collaborator Lenny Kaye stood to her left, bent over his guitar. A rapt audience was hanging on every syllable sung or spoken. But this was no club. She was standing in front of the altar of the Old Mariners Church on the banks of the Detroit River in the heart of the Motor City's perennially comebacking downtown. And this was no show, but a church service. On Thursday (Nov. 2), the evening of All Soul's Day, Patti Smith, 200 friends, family, and members of the local rock and roll community gathered in memory of her late husband, Fred "Sonic" Smith, of Sonic’s Rendezvous and MC5.”

“Musician and Poet Carolyn Striho performed an acoustic set that included "So Sincerely Yours," a Fred Smith song from the set list of his mid-70s Sonic Rendezvous Band, on which she was accompanied by SRB bassist Gary Rassmussen. Striho's band Detroit Energy Asylum backed Patti for her track on the new Ain't Nothing But A She Thing benefit compilation. The video for the song premiers as part of a two hour MTV special this weekend.  Some of the writers and musicians who performing places--Striho is in the process of negotiating a major label release, and singer/songwriter Stuart Francke has seen two songs from his local CD featured prominently on recent episodes of "Melrose Place." For others, this benefit might turn out to be as good as it ever gets. But they had all come together in the belief that their art could do somebody else some good if their energies were combined. Faith and community. Fred "Sonic" Smith would have liked that.”

ADULT WORKSHOP - CREATIVE WRITING
     Carolyn focuses on how to write from "stream of consciousness" creating a method that keeps the participant's left brain, logical side out of the way of the right brain, creative side.  
Part 1 - Grabbing themes and throwing out subjects, participants will begin to write without reserve, and Striho will mirror their work.  Carolyn will have them write as she reads various examples.  This involves real-time creative writing - using theme, subject, and mood to create the piece. 
Part 2 - Carolyn will provide copies of a selected short story to the participants. Striho will ask the participants to cross out sections and words as she models the exercise for them. After completing this assignment in the workshop they will create and share their own story from the collage of the original story.  This is an interesting key to creating and exhilarating!

 ADULT WORKSHOP - POETRY
     Carolyn performs poetry aloud, and then participants write their own poetry.  How?  Striho will create an outline on a whiteboard using various words, themes and subjects.   Playing music in the background, closing our eyes, or jumping up and down - crazy youthful ideas - Carolyn will shake the poetry out!  Run, dance, jump and write!  Participants will collaborate in pairs, combining their separate poems into one piece.  Upon completion they will perform their poem aloud - poetry is meant to be heard, not just read.  This workshop enables participants to merge their creative ideas and increase their creativity in a group environment.

AGES 10 to 16 - YOUNG TEEN WORKSHOP - CREATIVE WRITING
     Participants will do a creative writing drama workshop.  Carolyn will take a book such as "The Bell Jar" or "Catcher in the Rye", or as an alternative - a recent teen book. Then the participants will dissect parts of the book to re-write the endings of the original chapters.  Striho will model the exercise as well. Next, we will have students use their new writings to actually see how creative writing works when applied to drama and skits. This will provide an example of how television and movie scripts are born - from creative writing and short stories.  Carolyn will have students re-write these endings, showing them an example of how she would do the same task – afterwards the participants will have a great time presenting their new story endings.  Since we are all natural actors, kids will spontaneously get up and act when presented with the opportunity. A key component of creative writing is performing and having lots of fun doing it!

AGES 10 to 16 - YOUNG TEEN WORKSHOP - POETRY
     Why not show young teens that popular music can have as much artistic content as contemporary poetry?  Carolyn will have participants compare a poem and a popular lyric/song.  The assignment will be to create something similar using the same theme, but showing originality via music, a drawing, a poem, a collage, etc. Poetry and Lyrics – Rhyme, alliteration, symbolism, irony, satire, Imagery, all types of various poetic devices can be checked, discussed and compared. Theme – Carolyn and the participants will explore meaning in the themes presented, do their own poetry together, and find other songs or poems with the same theme. As they progress, they will start to elaborate and discuss, write and discover community within this lesson. Project – The participants write and perform a short poetry slam. The workshop will provide musical accompaniment to show how poems can be set to music. All participants  are encouraged to "work" on the assignment as if they were professional songwriters!  Carolyn will review the poems in a group environment and provide constructive critiques in a safe environment. Again a fun time for all!

CAROLYN’S ACADEMIC CREDITS:

Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature: Wayne State University, 1997 3.5 GPA Concentration in 20th Century British Literature and 20th Century American Literature.

Master's of Arts in Teaching English and Speech in Secondary Schools: Wayne State University, 2006 3.95 GPA Concentration in Creative Writing; Michigan Teaching Certification in both English and Speech for Secondary Schools, Grades 7-12.

Master's Thesis, Published Thesis; "Using Modern Music to Teach Poetry and Creative Writing." Wayne State University, 2006; Professor Robert Livernois; Thesis centered on using Rock, Rap and Folk for furthering understanding of poetry - applying modern music to classics, i.e., teaching T.S. Elliot's 'The Wasteland' by using Grandmaster Flash's “The Message” and other poetry and modern music studies and examples.

Master's of Arts in Teaching Special Education - LD and EI (Learning Disabled and Emotionally Impaired) Students, Pending, Wayne State University, 2008 expected; Concentration on Teaching LD Students, Grades K-12, with English and Music, encompassing all subjects and grades. Current GPA: 4.0 - 3 classes pending.

CAROLYN’S TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
 Frascati (Rome) Italy shows in November 2006 with Detroit songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Scott Dailey Carolyn and Scott played in Frascati (Rome), Italy for the Cultural Ministry of Italy, through a funded program and organization called Donne In Musica. Contacted by the Organization in Rome and Mrs. Patricia Adkins Chiti, who invited Carolyn to perform for Donne In Musica, the festival celebrates Women In Music and Women Composers throughout the world. Carolyn’s performanced one evening to a full house in the beautiful Scuderie Aldobrandini cathedral. The following day featured songs, poetry, and a songwriting workshop for young Italian students. The students were able to ask questions about lyrics, mood and music that Ms. Striho performed, and where she came up with the inspiration for her songs. Q&A followed, through Adkins-Chiti as the interpreter, of background for piano and lyrics, as well as song selections, themes and minor versus major chords.

Detroit Public Schools - University Public School, 2001 - 16 weeks - Taught Language Arts to 7th Graders - both Regular Education and Special Education. Stressed creative writing, grammar/rough drafts to final; speeches, history assignments through novels; workshops, field trips and one-on-one tutoring and teaching English.

Cranbrook Academy, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, 2002 - 14 weeks - Full time Teaching Students Grades 9 and 10 Creative Writing English Classes; created assignments and curriculum as sole teacher in classroom. Horizons Upward Bound Program for gifted inner city students. Stressed the novel and poetry, diverse literature, assignments of drama, speeches, poetry, creative journals and drafting of creative writing; quizzes on novels; discussion and poetry writing workshops. Involved music and songwriting as poetry in the classroom.

Head Start Program, 2003 - Hamtramck Michigan - teaching reading to children, and working with very young children in writing and reading programs.

Published Musician, Songwriter and Journalist,
Writer, Wright Stuff newspaper.