Products Welcome to The Nightbird's Aerie. Come on in. It's not too scary. Here's where faeries come to dance and passion rises with a single glance. Feel free here to dream and sigh, to raise your wings and take the sky. (By Susan Cypher, The Nightbird).
We, The Nightbird and my partner, The Owl (also my husband and companion), seek to bring forth "Chocolate for the Soul" (guaranteed to be calorie-free). Both my partner and I are artists. In addition to being a singer/songwriter, I am also a storyteller/writer, painter, and photographer. My partner, The Owl , also does amazing photography work, and I hope to get him to share some of his poetry in the future, as well. It is our goal to mesh all this into Susan Cypher, The Nightbird, with an eye to bringing a sense of magic (perhaps magick) into the world. We believe that in a world that is so serious, industrial, and mundane, we need some fantasy to let our souls soar on wings of imagination by bringing to life music that is shaped by we humans storytelling heritage, while creating our own stories and myths that flow from the past to the present. We also will be providing links to other favorite performers that have joined us in the past, and I hope I will be able to incorporate into future shows. At this point, we are retooling everything, as I have just come off f forced rest, due to a wrist injury and a fight with worker's compensation that has taken more than one year to resolve. I have undergone carpal tunnel surgery on my right hand and am just returning to being able to type for short periods of time. I am still recovering strength and agility in that hand.
I will be selling antiques and collectibles, as well as my own jewelry designs, to help support future artistic endeavors, and there will be a link to the websites where those will be available on my products' page.
To contact us at The Aerie see below. We really do want to hear from you and will reply, as soon as possible. We promise, cross our hearts. All sales of CDs are done through CDbaby.com from links provided on the products page (or you can buy in person at performances).
Telephone 970-245=9699
FAX 970-245-9699 Postal address 316 27- 3/8 Road, Grand Junction, CO 81503 Electronic mail General Information: Silkwmn@aol.com
We will be setting up to sell more merchandise for The Nightbird and the Owl in the future. Keep checking back as we put that together. For those waiting for my book "Sweet Revenge" or the children's story "The Moon Garden," do not despair, as I get my wrist back, I will be finishing both of those (as well as several others that are waiting my attention) and looking for avenues of publishing them, or perhaps putting some of the story forms out in an audio or video form (wish me luck). As mentioned above, my parter, The Owl , also does amazing photography work, and it is our goal to mesh all this into The Nightbird. I am learning as I go how to do this all, so keep me in your respective prayers.
What We Do
About The Nightbird, The Owl, and their music
The Nightbird, Susan Cypher, is a musician and storyteller hailing from Grand Junction, Colorado, creating a new sound emerging out of the roots of celtic music and the traditions of the bardic storytellers who combined music, poetry, and stories. Her sound merges Latin and world rhythms, with a folk feel and poetic style that is fresh and uplifting. As in celtic style, the words drive the music and are always to the fore. From her first song, "Imaging," on the album "Songs of the Dark" comes the haunting words--"The wind blows through me. It soars fierce and free. It sings in my soul, and roars in the trees..." This song rings you round with thunder and the flavor of the storm lifts you out of your mortal body to ride above the clouds. The first song on the website is a sample of "Imaging." More samples of her music are available at CDBaby, on the samples' page and other places in the website, and on Soundclick.com. Downloads are available to buy through Applemusic, CDBaby, and several other places. Just look for Susan Cypher, The Nightbird. Thanks!! (There will be more links provided as we further update the site).
The Nightbird, Susan Cypher, (with her partner, Dave Cypher, The Owl) is a modern-day bard, performs original and classic songs and stories, drawing on magical folk stories, legends, and myths from all over the world, as well as her own real-life experience. She hails from Grand Junction, Colorado, where she has given private vocal lessons for many years and has worked as a vocal coach for several bands, as well as private individuals. In addition, she has taught guitar and piano, as well as accompanying choirs, bands, and individual students for competition. She has seen her goal as a shaper of the musical soul, seeking to give others the power to stand up and sing, or play, and has oftentimes found her role to be that of an encourager or counselor, more than just teacher.
In much the same way, her stories often serve as a motivational vehicle, finding them a gentler way of sharing truths and dealing with personal pain. In the past, she had the privilege of speaking for the Colorado Community Action Association on Tolerance, a subject near and dear to her heart, using a story she wrote called "Not so Different" to press home the beauty that exists in others who may not act or look the same, something we still are coming to grips with today, as evidenced in our political arena here in America. She has a special love for those that find themselves outside of life looking in, as she has suffered from this at times, especially when she was young, finding that sometimes it was only through music and poetry she found acceptance, since she found herself to be a plus-size model in a twiggy-sized world. Through her music, she hopes to be a positive role model, showing what can be done if you just keep dreaming and never stop trying, sometimes having to ignore the anchor others may accidentally, and perhaps even in misdirected kindness, tie around your dreams.
Concerning her songs, they are written in a storytelling style with a mixture of rhythms from all over the world, with Latin beats being the most prevalent. As in the music of the Celts, the music is written with a darker, or minor, feel but often floats freely between major (light, happy) and minor (dark and haunting). The music is driven by the poetry of the songs, poetry even leading the rhythm. She feels that, as in her song "Imaging" that "The wind blows through me. It soars fierce and free," so too does her music and her poetry of mind, soul, and spirit.
She also writes her own stories, presenting both together, such as the story of "Sweet Revenge" which she wrote as a tale dedicated to women (or men) who find themselves in abusive, controlling relationships, seeking the ability and strength of empowerment to get out of a place, or away from the individual, that is destroying them. The character in this song does so through the use of magick and ingenuity. Such is the kind of power it takes to break free of bonds. With her songs and writing, she seeks to uplift and enlighten the soul, as well as entertain, as in "Children of the Dawn," one of her songs from "In the Moments Between Dreaming. In it, she speaks of watching birds fly in the morning light, making beautiful patterns in the sky. To her, it looked like they were worshipping the new day, the sun, and says, "and who's to say that theirs is not the truest form of worshipping. Theirs is filled with light and life and the sound of joyous wings. They don't think of who is right. They just see that all alive are Children of the Dawn." And indeed this is her belief, that we are "Children of the Dawn," seeking a way to express our feelings of awe in the presence of the beauty and mystery of nature, in which we truly see the face of the "I Am."
Along with the metaphysical side of her music, there is a passion and earthiness. This shows in such songs as "Nighttime In My Garden."
As to the second half of the team, Dave Cypher/The Owl, he has only recently added his rhythmic energy to the music of The Nightbird. Although these two people have been a couple for many years, his entry into the music scene has been very new. However, his rhythms and subtle touch on the hand drums have added a depth to the music that Susan has been looking for, for years. He truly understands the complex rhythms of her music, and, more important, supports the endeavor that is her life's dream as no-one else. He has been her photographer, as well, and the pair want to put out products based on their artistic talents, with the both of them being photographers, music-makers, and poets. As they move forward with their love of music, birthing the next CD, they seek to share the passion they share both for each other and for the music they create. Recently, they have been speaking of adding in a bass player, and occasionally have experimented with the addition of a flute player, as well. They next CDs will add French horn and Native American flute to the music, as well, since French Horn and Flute are also instruments The Nightbird loves to play, the sound taking away away all earthly worry and replacing it with music and peace.
I will be looking to keep the site updated with places we have been and are going to be. Right now, we are in a retooling effort, partly due to my bout with carpal tunnel syndrome, resulting from my more mundane job (now history, since the job was not there when my recovery was complete--a good thing, but a scary thing, although it means I have to now work my art like never before :) It is in thank to "Dragon Naturally Speaking" that I could even begin to redo this website. Please keep this Nightbird and The Owl in your thoughts and prayers.
When done, my plans are to finally get the next CD done. Although I can do music fairly well with my wrist, the damage done has slowed me down, but I am looking forward to getting completely back to my life, back to my fans. It has been a long year plus, waiting for my lawsuit (I never thought I would have to sue for something so, to me anyway, obvious). Anyway, I am trying to figure if I need to write a song about this, but first, I must finish getting well.
I am also looking forward to putting a blog on the website, so I can more effectively communicate with all of you. In these hard times I really want to know what the people I care for are going through, so I can keep you inn my thoughts and prayers, as you all are always, but I have lost track of many of you, as I have been going through my own sorrow, illness, and pain, building up to this culmination of CTS.
Check out my Rogue's Gallery . There are also recent pictures of things that caught my eye. One of my goals in the future is to work all my various loves into a stage show combining visual arts (photos, paintings, and so on), other dancers, along with my music, with future products to be purchased online and at our shows, in order to support the music. Speaking of other dancers, I started belly-dancing (tribal style) and have been enjoying it immensely. The group I am with is Red Sand Tribal, and, of course, these ladies of my tribe are people I want to work into my show, as well. My teacher, Heidi, is much younger, amazingingly beautiful, and kind as all get out. I encourage any of my fans to watch her and her partner in Bella Rouge (the paid group:)
Our next performance, at this point, will be at Planet Earth and the 4 Directions Gallery May 1, 2009, along with Red Sand Tribal, Bella Rouge, and many other performers here in Grand Junction. Please come out and support us.
