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All about Music and a Cross-Cultural Experience – Kate Müser and Her First Novel

April 23, 2023 by Cornelia 1 Comment

Welcome to a new XPAT Spotlight Interview! Today we have a very special guest with us. While she is not a German, Austrian, or Swiss living in California, she has a long connection with CaliforniaGermans!

Her stories on CaliforniaGermans.com gave us some insight into what it means to live as a Californian in Germany! Do you know who we are talking about?

Yes, Kate Müser! After some big changes, which involved moving back to the USA and living in Las Vegas with her young family, she now is back in Germany again and is promoting her first book The Girl with Twenty Fingers.

We are so excited to have her here with us today and can’t wait to catch up and have her introduce her new novel to our readers.

CG: Kate, your book, The Girl with Twenty Fingers, is about a failed concert pianist in Germany. You studied piano performance but didn’t become a concert pianist, and you’ve lived in Germany for many years. Is the book actually about you?

Kate: No! Well, maybe a tiny bit. But actually, no. Or, yes… I mean, of course, it was inspired by many of my experiences, but it is not a memoir or autobiography.

The initial inspiration for the story — the protagonist Sarah meets regularly with an elderly German to play Mozart’s works for piano four hands — was real. More than twenty years ago, shortly after I moved to Germany, I did meet a kind elderly couple with a lovely grand piano. He was a skilled and passionate player and we met every two weeks or so for about a year to play Mozart and other piano duets. He didn’t have a mysterious past, as Herr Steinmann does in my book — at least, not that I know of — but talking with him did teach me a great deal about German history, culture, and language.

Playing piano with my elderly friend also helped me learn that music can be a hobby. I had a degree in piano performance and for me, music had always been more about achieving artistic perfection and less about enjoying the moment. I also had a chip on my shoulder after the recent realization that my plans for a career in music weren’t going to materialize and I needed another perspective.

CG: Mozart is the central composer in the book. Why did you pick Mozart?

Kate: Mozart’s music often sounds easy, but is deceptively difficult. His music is childish at times, but it is very exposed so every mistake is audible! That made him a good composer for Sarah’s bombed degree performance. Plus, Mozart had a strong connection to Munich, which I was able to touch on in the book.

CG: Who should read your book? Why would California Germans readers be interested?

Kate: Anyone who loves music, Mozart, or Munich will hopefully enjoy The Girl with Twenty Fingers. On a bigger level, though, it’s a book about failing royally, dusting yourself off and trying again. I’d like to think that that’s a universal experience. How many of you have been forced to change course and forge a new path at some point in life? Another major theme in the book is cultural identity, and I think, whether you’re a German in California or anyone who’s intimately experienced more than one culture, you’ll be able to relate to the novel.

CG: You have three young children including twins. How did you manage to write a novel during this crazy phase of your life?

Kate: I started the book when my oldest son went from two naps to one predictable nap a day. When I got pregnant with twins shortly after that, I was so exhausted all the time that I had to be horizontal while my toddler was napping, so I continued writing on my phone. By the time they were born, I’d completed about 95% of the first draft. After that, I squeezed in the revisions wherever I could — mostly late at night and almost always on my phone. This novel admittedly cost me a tremendous amount of sleep and a hundred grey hairs — but my need for creative output is really strong and I am very passionate about this book project.

CG: Tell us a little bit about the publishing process.

Kate: It is my first novel and I rewrote the manuscript several times while trying to find my voice. Then I queried dozens of agents and publishers and was really lucky to connect with Blackwater Press. They’re a young, professional, and very motivated publishing house with a high level of expertise in music and strong transatlantic ties. We refined the manuscript together. They got a talented Scottish illustrator, Eilidh Muldoon, to take care of the cover, and publication was set for the anniversary of Mozart’s birth (January 27), which was about four years to the day after I’d typed the first word of the manuscript.

CG: What advice do you have for writers hoping to publish their own novel?

Kate: Read a lot! Even though I love to read and always have, this is hard for me, since I want to spend the little free time I have writing, but I find that every time I do read a novel, it informs my own style in some way. If you aim to publish, do your research. In addition to querying agents, consider a small publishing house that is aligned with your genre and taste. The advantage is that you will be a lot more involved in the publishing process than with a big-name publisher.

CG: You recently spent some time in Las Vegas and have moved back to Munich, where The Girl with Twenty Fingers is set. What do you like about Munich?

Kate: Our kids are now five, three, and three. For us, the decision was about where our kids should go to school and spend the bulk of their childhood. The Munich area offers an amazing combination of nature and world-class infrastructure. We want our kids to get muddy, throw pine cones and be able to go to museums or music lessons if they want to. I mean, Mozart must have jumped in a few puddles when he toured here as a child, right?

CG: What are you currently working on?

Kate: I am putting the finishing touches on the manuscript to my second novel, which is also about forging new paths in music but completely different from The Girl with Twenty Fingers.

CG: Thank you so much for giving us a glimpse into your new life as a novel writer, Kate. I am so excited to read your first book! We wish you all the best with your life back in Munich and we can’t wait to find out what your next novel is about.

.

READ THE GIRL WITH TWENTY FINGERS

Direct https://www.blackwaterpress.com/product/the-girl-with-twenty-fingers/

Amazon US https://a.co/d/3p8s15G

Amazon UK https://amzn.eu/d/bvzQAmA

Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-girl-with-twenty-fingers-kate-mueser/19038729

CONNECT WITH KATE

katemueser.com

ABOUT THE BOOK

Sarah’s hope of becoming a concert pianist was shattered when she bombed an important performance of a Mozart concerto. Now in Munich, she feels like an imposter in her job as a food magazine editor. A chance encounter in a music shop leads to a surprising friendship with an elderly widower with a unique grand piano. When they start meeting to play Mozart’s works for four hands, Sarah unravels the mysteries of his war-time past, uproots a musical secret in her own family — and finds the strength to redirect her own future.

Laced with melodies from Mozart and Schumann to Toto and Nena, The Girl with Twenty Fingers will delight readers, while asking the question: Can music change lives? Kate Mueser’s debut novel cracks open notions of failure and second chances, living to the fullest and dying without regrets, and cultural identity and privilege, making it both timeless and urgently relevant to our age.

ABOUT KATE

Kate Mueser was going to become a concert pianist, but instead became a bilingual storyteller with a penchant for music. She spent over a decade working for German broadcaster Deutsche Welle, where she reported and presented an award-winning documentary feature on the future of the book and hosted a TV show on German pop music, her own web video series, and a youth radio show. Kate holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance from Indiana University and a Masters Degree in Modern European Studies from Columbia University. A California native, she has spent nearly her entire adult life in Germany, with brief interruptions in New York City and Las Vegas. The Girl with Twenty Fingers is Kate’s debut novel.

Images: ©Kate Müser 1)Kate 2)The Girl with Twenty Fingers Book Cover 3)Nymphenburg Castle in Munich

Filed Under: Lese-Ecke, News, XPAT Spotlight Tagged With: Author, CaliforniaGermans, Kate Müser, novel writing, The Girl with the Twenty Fingers

GASA hosts Maifest at Old World HB

April 2, 2023 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

Come join a German May tradition: “The Maifest”

GASA and the German American League invite you to celebrate this tradition at Old World in Huntington Beach in SoCal on May 7th from 12pm – 5pm.

This celebration generally sees a variety of customs in Germany, from a Maypole decorated so that it shows the particular crafts and history of a region, to a traditional Maypole Dance, or even having the Maypole (Maibaum) stolen by the neighboring villages in an elaborate, sneaky manner. You can read more about this practice in this article from the Schliersee, a town in Southern Bavaria.

You won’t have to worry about any Maypole thefts here in SoCal, but can just enjoy the authentic German fair. Come listen to live music by the German American Brass Band, watch the traditional crowning of the May Queen and Princess, observe Mayfolk dances and have your children work on crafts, and much more.

Details:

What: Maifest/Kinderfest hosted by GASA (German American School Association) and German American League

When: May 7th from 12pm tp 5pm

Where: Old World Huntington Beach, 7561 Center Ave. , Huntington Beach, CA

Images: ©CaliforniaGermans

Filed Under: Attractions & Events, Culture, News Tagged With: CaliforniaGermans, German Traditions, Germans in California, Kinderfest, Maifest, Maypole, Southern California

German Christmas Carol Service in SoCal

December 3, 2022 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

Christmas Carol Service 2022

It’s become a California holiday tradition

Christmas Carol Service at St. Luke’s Lutheran

St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in La Mesa is holding a
German Christmas Carol Service on Sunday, 18 December 2022 at 7:00 pm. 
All are invited.

Address:

St. Luke’s Lutheran Church
5150 Wilson Street
La Mesa, CA 92942
www.st-lukes-la-mesa.org

Here is how to get there: Map

Weihnachtsmesse am 18. Dezember um 18:00 Uhr

St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in La Mesa hält am 18. Dezember 2022
(Sonntag) um 19.00 Uhr wieder einen deutschsprachigen
Weihnachtsgottesdienst. Wie in vorigen Jahren besteht die
Gottesdienstordnung hauptsächlich aus Lesungen und Liedern, die die
Weihnachtsgeschichte erzählen.  Nach dem Gottesdienst gibt es kleine
Erfrischungen.

Sie und Ihre Familie, Freunde, Gemeinde- und Vereinsmitglieder,
Studenten/innen, und Schüler/innen, usw. sind herzlich eingeladen.

Die Adresse der Kirche ist:

St. Luke’s Lutheran Church
5150 Wilson Street
La Mesa, CA 92942
www.st-lukes-la-mesa.org

Einen Fahrplan zur Kirche findet man per diesen Link:

http://www.st-lukes-la-mesa.org/maps.php

Filed Under: German Traditions in CA, Life in California, News Tagged With: California, CaliforniaGermans, Christmas, Christmas and holiday season, Christmas carols, German Christmas Carol Service in California, Germans in California, Holiday events, holiday season, Weihnachten

FREE Live Concert Celebrates Transatlantic Partnership & Solid Friendship During this Pandemic – April 30th

April 29, 2020 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

Bremerhaven – New York: “Voice Over Piano” plays in the ‘Grand Central Terminal’ 

Live – Online concert from the “Grand Central Terminal” at German Emigration Center Bremerhaven with Sara Dähn and Band on Thursday, April 30th, 2020, at 12 p.m. EST on Facebook and Instagram 

Something that seemed impossible these days suddenly becomes reality: The band Voice Over Piano with lead singer Sara Dähn and pianist and entertainer Thomas Blaeschke presents songs by Frank Sinatra, QUEEN, and their own original material. The concert takes place in ‘New York’s Grand Central Terminal’ at the German Emigration Center in Bremerhaven, which hosts the exact replica of NY Grand Central Terminal at their exhibition space.

The two musicians have been transmitting a concert once a week from various locations in Bremen, a city in Northern Germany, via their “Voice Over Piano” account on Facebook and Instagram reaching thousands of viewers – not only in Germany, where the Band is based in Hamburg and Berlin but also in the USA. 

“Be it rock, pop, funk & soul, chanson or musical, we blend together all of these genres in one performance on our world wide concerts bringing together people from all different backgrounds, colors, ethnicities, and belief, and even more so during the time of the CORONAVIRUS pandemic,” explain Thomas and Sara their mission and vision for these online concerts. 

The German Emigration Center in Bremerhaven

The German Emigration Center is situated on a historic site in the New Harbor, which opened in 1852 and was the departure point for approximately 1.2 million emigrants to the New World by 1890. 

Along with Bremerhaven’s Mayor Torsten Neuhoff and members of the City Council and Bremerhaven Tourism (BIS) it was decided that the world known Emigration Center would be the most perfect location for a unique concert celebrating Transatlantic partnership and solid friendship during this pandemic. “We are thinking very often of our dear friends and colleagues in New York, still the American epicenter of this pandemic, hoping the best for them and are very pleased that Governor Andrew Cuomo, is doing whatever is needed to overcome this terrible situation.”

“Ultimately, it’s about friendship across borders, encouragement to continue and stay healthy and above all to thank the first responders, the nurses, doctors, police officers, firemen and – women, everyone who puts her or his life on the line to help us survive. Thank you and we are proud to sing and play music to all of you,” says Thomas. 

The show can be followed live by everyone on Facebook and Instagram or viewed again on Facebook and YouTube sometime later. 

The broadcast will take place on Thursday, April 30, 2020, from 12 p.m. EST 

Live:
Facebook: “Voice Over Piano” – Instagram: “VoiceOverPiano” 

Media library:
Facebook: “Voice Over Piano” and “Thomas Blaeschke” YouTube: “Thomas Blaeschke / VoiceOverPiano” Instagram: IGTV “VoiceOverPiano” 

Information at http://www.VoiceOverPiano.com 

At Sommerfest Federal Chancellery Berlin

The Voice Over Piano contributors are: 

Sara Dähn – vocals and moderation, Thomas Blaeschke – piano, band leader and moderation, Stephan Werner – electric bass, Mark Wetjen – drums, Frederic Drobnjak -electric guitar

Text and Images: ©VoiceOverPiano

Filed Under: Attractions & Events, Life in California, News Tagged With: art, Bremerhaven, CaliforniaGermans, Covid-19, Emigration Center Bremerhaven, Expatlife, Germany, Live Concert, music, Pandemic, Transatlantic Partnership, Voice over Piano

“So Ein Theater!” – The latest production by the German Theatre Group of San Diego

March 15, 2019 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

Vorhang Auf! It’s time for another production by the German Theatre Group of San Diego: “So Ein Theater – Oh, What Drama!” plays April 13 & 14 only!

Be prepared for an evening of German Cabaret about the quirks of daily life! Funny and thought-provoking skits and musical numbers about work, kids & family and getting older.

Tickets: General Admission $14 – Student (with ID) $10 – At the door (limited availability) $16 – Get your Ticket here!

The German Theatre Group of San Diego started out with “Ein Abend mit Loriot” (famous German comedian), which premiered in 2017 to a packed house in San Diego. This was followed by “So Ist Das Leben! (That’s Life) – A German Cabaret” in April 2018.  The cabaret-style skits, poems, and musical numbers from well-known German authors took a humorous, sarcastic, and fresh look at modern life. Tickets to the two performances sold out weeks before the opening night, which means the productions resonate with the German community and beyond.

Founded in October 2016 by Astrid Ronke, the group is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and part of the German American Societies of San Diego.

Image: Pixabay

Filed Under: Culture, News Tagged With: Cabaret, CaliforniaGermans, German expats, German theatre, German Theatre Group of San Diego

Merry Christmas – Frohe Weihnachten

December 23, 2018 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

christmas-1869342_1920“Advent, Advent,
ein Lichtlein brennt.
Erst eins, dann zwei,
dann drei, dann vier,
dann steht das Christkind vor der Tür!”

… and tomorrow it’s finally here, the long awaited date, Christmas Eve!

We wish all our readers and patrons a peaceful and relaxing holiday. Enjoy this special time with your loved ones and dear friends. 

Thank you for being part of our CaliforniaGermans Family!

advent-2983696_1920

Images: Pixabay.com

Filed Under: News Tagged With: CaliforniaGermans, Christmas, Expat life, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, wishes

Following her Husband’s Love for California – Claudia Tichy, Writer & Therapist (Interview)

November 30, 2018 by Cornelia 4 Comments

Claudia Tichy, Martin, Hollywood

XPAT Spotlight – Interview with Claudia Tichy, a writer and therapist bringing European therapeutic techniques to Southern California

Claudia Tichy is originally from Steyr in Austria, a small town between Salzburg and Vienna. After deciding to move to California she settled first in Calabasas before finding her final home in Oak Park. She shares her life and home with her husband and their two cats from Austria: Funny and Fipsy. Fridolin, a Golden Retriever just recently joined them as well in the Agoura Hills Area and he instantly inspired Claudia to a new book that will be coming out soon: Fridolin, the Cuddlemonster.

What made you move to California? [Read more…] about Following her Husband’s Love for California – Claudia Tichy, Writer & Therapist (Interview)

Filed Under: News, XPAT Spotlight Tagged With: Austrians in California, Author, CaliforniaGermans, Claudia Tichy, Expats in California, Germans in California, Personality Training, Tesha entdeckt die Welt, Writer, Xpat Spotlight

The Rollercoaster of Life brought her to California – InnerWeaving Coach Silvia Schroeder (Interview)

October 26, 2018 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

TreeWeaving Silvia Schroeder InnerweavingXPAT Spotlight – Interview with Austrian Innerweaving Coach Silvia Schroeder

California was never on her list nor one of her dreams. Contrary to so many others, whose most inner wish is to one day make it in California, Silvia Schroeder was happy with her life and career in Vienna and enjoyed every minute of it. If anyone would have told her then that one day she will call California her home, she would have just laughed.

But, life had it all planned out for her. After eighteen successful years in her coaching and consulting business doing projects for clients like the European Union and the Cancer Association, for which she designed a therapy camp to help the siblings of cancer kids, she suddenly felt the whole world collapsing on her.

What happened?

Silvia, how did you end up in California? What was the trigger for you to consider moving here? [Read more…] about The Rollercoaster of Life brought her to California – InnerWeaving Coach Silvia Schroeder (Interview)

Filed Under: News, XPAT Spotlight Tagged With: Austrians in California, Business Coach, CaliforniaGermans, Expats in California, Germans in California, Innerweaving, Xpat Spotlight

A New Look For CaliforniaGermans.com

May 29, 2018 by Cornelia Leave a Comment

 

We are changing the look and feel of our website!

It was about time for CaliforniaGermans to finally get a ‘facelift’. Well, we are so excited to let you know that we finally did it!!  We will be changing to the new layout over the next few days.

Should you encounter any problems loading our site or not find what you are looking for, please let us know. Send us a quick note via our Contact Page!

With the new design, we hope to make it eventually easier for you to find what you are looking for. It’s a work in progress and even after the design-switch we will still continue making several updates to our site. Please have patience with us!

As always, we welcome your input and suggestions and would love to hear what you think of our new look. Let us know in the comments 🙂

Celebrate with us the new face of CaliforniaGermans!

.

Filed Under: Editorial, News Tagged With: CaliforniaGermans, new website, news, web design

FRED

October 1, 2017 by Merrill Lyew Emanuel Leave a Comment

Fred

( A Drabble* von Merrill Lyew Emanuel)
.

He was like the new kid on the block in downtown San Francisco. He wore his white suit, that did not have a single white spot any longer, it was sweaty and smelly. His sophisticated manners revealed his noble origin. Yet, striders avoided getting too close to him.

He roamed the streets as the displaced scrambling for food in the waste containers would haste away as he approached them. No one would dare defy his claims, though he struggled to get used to the unreceptive environment.

His hunting ground glided off the North Pole. He was Fred, a Polar Bear.

©Merrill Lyew 2017
Image: Pixabay.com
 .
* WHAT IS a Drabble?  – A drabble is a short work of fiction of around one hundred words.
 .
———————————————————————————————–——————–

Merrill Lyew EmanuelAs a recent retiree, Merrill Lyew Emanuel now has time for his old and new hobbies. Within his hobbies are writing fan fiction in German, solving chess puzzles, repairing things at home that are not broken, doing a little bit of social media, reading every and anything that looks like a book, traveling a little, and taking snapshots with his mirrorless camera.

Having lived in Germany, Costa Rica and the USA, he is fluent in the languages of these countries. As a professional geographer he traveled profusely throughout Latin America. He is living in Southern California for over thirty years. Find more of his work at http://www.merrillius.net

——————————————————————————————————————

 

Filed Under: Lese-Ecke Tagged With: CaliforniaGermans, Climate Change, drabble, Merrill Lyew Emanuel, polar bear, short story

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