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Home , Different Drum, Linda Ronstadt

october 13

Simple Dreams Intro by Janna Lopez IDWIFE SERVICES FOR WOMEN Reduce the noise IN EVERY STAGE OF LIFE In Oregon, certified nurse midwives are licensed, independent in your life healthcare practitioners, much like physicians, but providing more interaction and time with their patients. They have hos- Katie Farnsworth, CNM, advises that a reduction in “screen time” can pital admitting privileges, are licensed to prescribe medication Kate Farnsworth reduce anxiety and even help people sleep better. That means less televi- and consult with many types of physicians. Certified nurse mid- Linda Ronstadt sion, smart phones, emails, Facebook and surfing the net. wives provide a range of obstetrics services such as: • Pre-pregnancy counseling “Not having any screen time an hour before bed is a good prescription • Prenatal care for a better night’s sleep,” Farnsworth said. “I’m like anyone else — I get and her • Pregnancy group prenatal care tempted to check my phone before going to sleep. Instead, just listen to • Childbirth planning some music and read a book.” • Labor support and delivery Jesse Kerstetter She said that pregnant women often are affected even more by the elec- • Breastfeeding support tronic assault on our waking lives. “The hormones during pregnancy can • Postpartum care Simple make it more difficult to sleep.” • Referrals for ultrasound and fetal monitoring For Farnsworth, it’s especially important to get enough sleep to perform • Women’s Healthcare Associates provides referrals to a physician partner for medical or surgical problems at her best. “As midwives, we’re often awake at night doing deliveries,” she said. “So getting adequate sleep and exercise and eating whole foods Women don’t have to be pregnant to benefit from midwives’ services. They provide gynecology and well-woman services is what I need to do. Also, heading outside to the mountain and into na- Dreams such as: Liz Labby ture is really critical for me. I get a lot of energy from that.” • Family planning Guiding patients toward better living is an important part of what mid- • Annual pelvic and breast examinations, including referral for mammograms wives do. hen I was a young • Gynecologic care, including PMS therapies girl growing up during “I like working with women and men who are starting a family, and help- • Pap tests, screening and treatment for infections the , I always ing them work through the various transitions in their lives,” Jesse Ker- • Menopause management stetter revealed. “This is a very intimate profession. We get to be with our thought the records my • Evaluation and treatment of menstrual irregularities mom listened to were Lauren MacKenzie patients through the good times and the hard times, too.” • Referral to a physician partner for medical/surgical problems Photos © Keene Studio so cool. On any given www.keenestudio.com Deston Nokes is a travel and business writer living in Portland. destonnokes.com Saturday morning, I could expect that the gorgeous sounds of Judy Collins, Barbara Streisand, Fleetwood Mac or would be emanating from the record player. And, of course, Linda Ronstadt. Ingrained into use promo code: FAMILY my childhood psyche, her silky smooth voice OCTOBER 12-19, 2013 was always a sound of warmth and familiarity. KELLER AUDITORIUM Seems like the 1970s POR VOS MUERO BUY TICKETS were the most amazing (Company Premiere) www.obt.org time for strong, sexy Nacho Duato / Jordi Savall and independent 503.222.5538 female vocalists. Ticketmaster Linda lead A MIDSUMMER *Areas 1-4. Limit 4 per household. Subject the pack. NIGHT’S DREAM to availability. Not valid on previously Christopher Stowell / purchased tickets. May not be combined Felix Mendelssohn with any other offers. Photo: Alison Roper. Photo by Joni Kabana. Photo: Alison Roper.

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20 | PORTLANDFAMILY.COM Simon & Schuster by All photography provided Q: What prompted you to write a “” on the radio from way myself as much of a writer. I identified Q: You retired from perform- LR: I’m really interested in a group Over 30 years later, here I am, listen- memoir at this point in your life? in the back of the gas station. I remem- more as an interpreter – that gave me ing in 2009, was that a difficult called in California. ber thinking, “Now we have a hit record, such a wide range of choices. decision to make? They teach kids the deep traditions of ing to “You’re No Good” on You- LR: Throughout my career, a lot of Simplebut we don’t have a car!” It was probably Q:Dreams You were part of a com- LR: It wasn’t a choice. Parkinson’s Mexican music. They give instruction Tube, thinking about all Linda has other people have written about me – what after I had three hits in a row that I disease, makes it impossible to sing. on how to play guitar, violin, vihuela they think about me, what I’ve said, the things munity of musicians who were contributed to the music world. I’m knew I wasn’t just a flash in the pan. And So much of the execution of singing and jarana, and also teach the kids I’ve done. Oftentimes, my words were distort- borrowing from each other and grateful for her talent and saddened meeting made a big depends on muscles, and now the the dances and etiquette of Mexican ed or things were taken out of context. So creating a new sound – why was by her latest admission; due to a di- difference in my life – here was someone muscles won’t perform the task. culture. They’re showing these kids how I thought I might as well have my own turn to that so important? who wasn’t focused on what was trendy. to use music in a social context as well agnosis of Parkinson’s disease, Linda say what I really think and feel. And I wanted LR: Music is inherently a social thing, Q: Of all the musical genres She just wanted to tell her story clearly, as a way to process their feelings and will never be able to sing again. to explain why I made some of the choices and it’s always been a huge part of my your music has touched on, and I felt I had found a partner in crime emotions. And they’re having terrific I did, especially regarding my music. There social life. My friends and I would get what was your favorite? for recording more obscure music. We success with their participants finish- Fans around the world will still be are many other talented artists who made together and listen to or play music for LR: I loved singing Mexican music were like Hansel and Gretel wandering ing high school, going to college and important contributions to , but hours on end. It’d usually be in some- and I felt completely, authentically able to listen to her voice via her through the enchanted musical forest. staying out of gangs. I’ve been involved what I did do that was different was to sing a one’s living room or in the hotel if we myself. I also loved singing the stan- latest contribution, her just-released with the organization for over twenty lot of wildly different types of music. Those Q: Were you aware that you were on the road. As a musician, a huge dards, where I got to use the full range book, “: A Musical years, and I love that it’s a way for me choices were not arbitrary, and were based on were present at the creation of part of your music is never performed on of my voice. Opera wasn’t my favorite, Memoir” (Simon & Schuster). In this to keep my hand in music. my family background and the kinds of music the California rock scene and a stage – it’s either social or it’s a part of since I wasn’t trained for it. I absolutely candid memoir, Linda traces the time- I grew up hearing. that something unusual was in your day, humming along in the shower loved the role and I really identified Q: What is the most useful line of her remarkable life, wide-rang- the air? or while driving your car. I think the best with Mimi in La Boheme, but I didn’t advice a young singer might Q: Did your upbringing At the time, we just knew that we musicians borrow styles and ideas from have the formal training to be an opera derive from reading your ing career and hard-won education as foster your deep and lifelong love LR: were trying to do something we thought each other, and you see that all the time. singer, so I could only approximate it. book? a singer. In her own voice – as genu- of music? was cool and different. We got plenty of I think it’s important for artists ine, heartfelt, and distinctive in print I came from a musical family to begin Q: What songs in your reper- Q: Which artist(s) do you LR: LR: resistance, but also some encouragement. to know that everyone borrows from as on her recordings – Linda weaves with. My grandfather, whose photo is in my toire have been the most mean- wish you’d had the chance to I kept thinking I’d like to take R & B each other. And don’t try to sing book, was both a musician and a rancher. He ingful to you? record with? together a captivating account of her songs and put a country twist on them. something unless you understand it started a band which included both brass and LR: There’s not really one that stands LR:There are plenty! I wish I’d had rise to fame in the Southern Califor- Or take a country song and give it a rock and it’s authentic to your own experi- woodwinds – he taught people how to play out above the rest – they were all mean- the chance to record with Sinatra in nia music scene of the 1960s and ’70s. ’n’ roll feel. There was plenty of material ence. Listeners can tell when there’s their instruments, conducted the band, com- ingful to me at the time I sang them. If his middle years. Also Smokey Rob- She’s coming to Powell’s in Beaverton to work with, so you could take a song a real connection. Throughout my posed and arranged, and played the flute. Mu- I recorded something, it’s because I was inson. I sang with him on the Motown and just start experimenting with it. The career, I stayed with music styles I was this month to promote her book and sic was always present in my home growing just dying to sing it. There was always an 20th Anniversary Show and it was key was finding musicians who had a already familiar with by the age of ten. we’re pleased to share with Portland up. Everyone sang or played an instrument, urgent reason to choose a song; it had thrilling. shared sensibility. Also, read as much as you can, listen Family readers some of Linda’s and it was always included at social occasions. to evoke a strong emotion in me at the Q: Who are some singers you to lots of music, and go to museums. We heard all kinds of music in our home – Q: In the 1970s, when you were moment. thoughts on her life, music hear today that stand out as Everything you read, hear and see will I listened to a lot of classical music, opera, first becoming a well-known and making it big … Q: Is there a song of yours that unique voices? influence your music. pop music and Mexican music – the same artist, how was your music influ- you felt was misunderstood? , Duffy and enced by the political and social LR: genres I eventually performed. LR: There was a song I recorded called , of course, who is so fantastic. I Thank you to Simon & change going on at the time? Q: At what point in your career “Mohammed’s Radio” which made a lot also love Alicia Keys. The singer I lis- Schuster for providing the LR: I believe that music has always been interview. did you realize you had “arrived”? of people scratch their heads. It was writ- ten to most is a flamenco singer from an catalyst for social change. There was ten by . I interpreted it as a Spain called Estrella Morente. LR: The first time I heard myself on the so much going on back then and a lot of radio, our car had just broken down and tribute to radio, this wonderful electron- Q: What are your biggest pas- people were commenting. I think Buffalo ic medium that has circled the globe and we were stopped at a gas station. I heard sions today, aside from music? Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” is a let us all share the same music. The radio great example. But I never thought of is my favorite of the electronic media.

Linda Ronstadt, whose 45-year career has encom- passed an array of musical styles, weaves together a captivating story of her origins and rise to stardom in the music scene of the 1960s and ‘70s. In Simple Dreams (Simon & Schuster), Ronstadt reveals the fascinating journey that led to her long-lasting suc- cess, including stories behind many of her beloved songs. Tuesday October 1st,7 p.m. at Powell’s, Cedar Hills Crossing.

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