David LaMotte

Speaker • Author • Musician

Blog

Police Covers

Jun 25, 2009
On my most recent record, Change, I covered a song by the Police, Walking In Your Footsteps. I was just alerted to a cover song blog that featured that track in a collection of Police covers, and another that features Police and Sting covers by folk artists specifically (that site didn’t feature my track, but […]

Police Covers

by David LaMotte

On my most recent record, Change, I covered a song by the Police, Walking In Your Footsteps. I was just alerted to a cover song blog that featured that track in a collection of Police covers, and another that features Police and Sting covers by folk artists specifically (that site didn’t feature my track, but […]

The Real World

Jun 24, 2009
the Dubai airport, complete with indoor palm trees It’s five in the afternoon in Brisbane, and about 10 AM here on this airplane. According to the flight information on the little screen embedded in the seat in front of me, I’m flying over Damascus right now, on my way to England. I spent a few […]

The Real World

by David LaMotte

the Dubai airport, complete with indoor palm trees It’s five in the afternoon in Brisbane, and about 10 AM here on this airplane. According to the flight information on the little screen embedded in the seat in front of me, I’m flying over Damascus right now, on my way to England. I spent a few […]

Remembering Columbine

Apr 25, 2009
From random blog photos News stories about the ten year anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings seemed to jump out from every corner of the internet in the last week. The academic journal Psychological Review gave a whole issue to “Lessons of Columbine.” That experience is etched in our national memory, and though it’s […]

Remembering Columbine

by David LaMotte

From random blog photos News stories about the ten year anniversary of the Columbine High School shootings seemed to jump out from every corner of the internet in the last week. The academic journal Psychological Review gave a whole issue to “Lessons of Columbine.” That experience is etched in our national memory, and though it’s […]

New Faces of Peace at UQ

Apr 15, 2009
by Naomi Smith For some, the word peace conjures up images of hippies and free love. Not so for the new 2009 cohort of UQ Rotary World Peace Fellows. For the nine new scholars housed at UQ’s Rotary Centre for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution in the School of Political Science and International […]

New Faces of Peace at UQ

by David LaMotte

by Naomi Smith For some, the word peace conjures up images of hippies and free love. Not so for the new 2009 cohort of UQ Rotary World Peace Fellows. For the nine new scholars housed at UQ’s Rotary Centre for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution in the School of Political Science and International […]

New Header Picture

Apr 8, 2009
I took the picture above last weekend in a park in Brisbane. Kind of works here, I think.

New Header Picture

by David LaMotte

I took the picture above last weekend in a park in Brisbane. Kind of works here, I think.

My First Paper

Apr 8, 2009
From random blog photos I turned in my first paper of my post-grad career today. I’ve been deeply immersed in it for the last couple of weeks, and have learned a great deal. The education has come not only from wrestling with the content, though, but also from wrestling with writing an academic paper, which […]

My First Paper

by David LaMotte

From random blog photos I turned in my first paper of my post-grad career today. I’ve been deeply immersed in it for the last couple of weeks, and have learned a great deal. The education has come not only from wrestling with the content, though, but also from wrestling with writing an academic paper, which […]

A Taste of My Old Life

Mar 26, 2009
From random blog photos Let your voice ring back my memories 
Sing my songs to me – Jackson Browne It’s a strange thing to suddenly be a student. My life is filled with writing papers and reading articles and books, other people’s schedules and agendas. That’s very, very different from the last eighteen years of […]

A Taste of My Old Life

by David LaMotte

From random blog photos Let your voice ring back my memories 
Sing my songs to me – Jackson Browne It’s a strange thing to suddenly be a student. My life is filled with writing papers and reading articles and books, other people’s schedules and agendas. That’s very, very different from the last eighteen years of […]

A fascinating article

Mar 9, 2009
Joseph Hongo, my fellow Fellow from Kenya, handed this article to me a couple of days ago. It’s an interesting read, and outlines some of the great ideological and practical challenges faced by those who would work for peace. So what do you think?

A fascinating article

by David LaMotte

Joseph Hongo, my fellow Fellow from Kenya, handed this article to me a couple of days ago. It’s an interesting read, and outlines some of the great ideological and practical challenges faced by those who would work for peace. So what do you think?

First week of classes

Mar 7, 2009
From random blog photos It’s Saturday morning here in Fig Tree Pocket, our little corner of Brisbane. Deanna was up with a restless Mason through much of the night, so she’s getting some sleep while he is, and I’m watching the morning in a quiet house. I’ve finished my first week of classes at the […]

First week of classes

by David LaMotte

From random blog photos It’s Saturday morning here in Fig Tree Pocket, our little corner of Brisbane. Deanna was up with a restless Mason through much of the night, so she’s getting some sleep while he is, and I’m watching the morning in a quiet house. I’ve finished my first week of classes at the […]

How the World Changes

Mar 1, 2009
From random blog photos Deanna and Mason on the bus It’s Sunday in Brisbane, and yet another warm, clear day. The quick update is this: Mason turned four-months-old yesterday, we’ve been here for a month, all of the campus orientation events are through and classes start tomorrow. I’ve met all of the fellows, and they […]

How the World Changes

by David LaMotte

From random blog photos Deanna and Mason on the bus It’s Sunday in Brisbane, and yet another warm, clear day. The quick update is this: Mason turned four-months-old yesterday, we’ve been here for a month, all of the campus orientation events are through and classes start tomorrow. I’ve met all of the fellows, and they […]

Class VII Fellows

Feb 19, 2009
I’m going to meet up with a few of the Fellows with whom I’ll be studying at the University of Queensland. Some have yet to arrive and some are here and looking for places to live (we’re lucky to have figured that out already). It’s a fascinating looking group of people. Rotary has posted our […]

Class VII Fellows

by David LaMotte

I’m going to meet up with a few of the Fellows with whom I’ll be studying at the University of Queensland. Some have yet to arrive and some are here and looking for places to live (we’re lucky to have figured that out already). It’s a fascinating looking group of people. Rotary has posted our […]

22 New Mason Pictures

Feb 17, 2009
By popular demand from the folks back home, here’s the Bub… From latest Mason Pix More pix here.

22 New Mason Pictures

by David LaMotte

By popular demand from the folks back home, here’s the Bub… From latest Mason Pix More pix here.

Fig Tree Pocket

Feb 4, 2009
It’s 82 degrees (28 C) and sunny in Brisbane today. From first week I thought I’d better just get that out of the way. If you haven’t just turned off the computer in disgust and you’re still reading then you must love us a lot, so I’ll feel free to wax on about our Brisbane […]

Fig Tree Pocket

by David LaMotte

It’s 82 degrees (28 C) and sunny in Brisbane today. From first week I thought I’d better just get that out of the way. If you haven’t just turned off the computer in disgust and you’re still reading then you must love us a lot, so I’ll feel free to wax on about our Brisbane […]

Breakfast in Fiji, the adventure begins…

Jan 21, 2009
It’s 8:39AM in Black Mountain, 5:42AM in Los Angeles (where we were last), 12:43AM in Brisbane, where we’ll be in eleven hours, and 2:44AM in Fiji, where we’ll be having breakfast, watching the sunset and switching to our last airplane of the trip. I’m typing in the dark while most of the passengers are sleeping, […]

Breakfast in Fiji, the adventure begins…

by David LaMotte

It’s 8:39AM in Black Mountain, 5:42AM in Los Angeles (where we were last), 12:43AM in Brisbane, where we’ll be in eleven hours, and 2:44AM in Fiji, where we’ll be having breakfast, watching the sunset and switching to our last airplane of the trip. I’m typing in the dark while most of the passengers are sleeping, […]

Gaza

Jan 13, 2009
This is a long blog, and I apologize for that. I’ve been sitting with my sadness and frustration about current events in Gaza for over two weeks now, and I’m glad to have taken some time to distill some of my feelings. This is as short as I could go, and I’m sure it will […]

Gaza

by David LaMotte

This is a long blog, and I apologize for that. I’ve been sitting with my sadness and frustration about current events in Gaza for over two weeks now, and I’m glad to have taken some time to distill some of my feelings. This is as short as I could go, and I’m sure it will […]

Something I think is worth doing

Dec 18, 2008
This summer I spent two weeks in Israel and Palestine, mostly in the West Bank. The group I traveled with, Interfaith Peace Builders, met with people from all sides of the conflict there, and had first-hand experience of the way people are treating each other. It left me somewhat radicalized, but not necessarily in the […]

Something I think is worth doing

by David LaMotte

This summer I spent two weeks in Israel and Palestine, mostly in the West Bank. The group I traveled with, Interfaith Peace Builders, met with people from all sides of the conflict there, and had first-hand experience of the way people are treating each other. It left me somewhat radicalized, but not necessarily in the […]

My Baby Is All Grown Up

Dec 14, 2008
No, not that one. Mason is unquestionably still an infant, as proven by the fact that I’m sitting in the dark typing up a blog at 4:30 AM while the Squirmy Wormy sits beside me and the two of us try to leverage a bit of sleep for his mom. He had his six-week birthday […]

My Baby Is All Grown Up

by David LaMotte

No, not that one. Mason is unquestionably still an infant, as proven by the fact that I’m sitting in the dark typing up a blog at 4:30 AM while the Squirmy Wormy sits beside me and the two of us try to leverage a bit of sleep for his mom. He had his six-week birthday […]

Of Baby Bling and Basil

Dec 9, 2008
It is possible to buy some seriously ridiculous stuff for babies. A recent wander through Babies R Us led to the discovery of endless expensive entertainment options for newborns, including those roughly the age of ours, who is still working on vision at the six-inch range. Slightly more disturbingly, though, it also leads to the […]

Of Baby Bling and Basil

by David LaMotte

It is possible to buy some seriously ridiculous stuff for babies. A recent wander through Babies R Us led to the discovery of endless expensive entertainment options for newborns, including those roughly the age of ours, who is still working on vision at the six-inch range. Slightly more disturbingly, though, it also leads to the […]

The farewell show

Dec 2, 2008
…and suddenly it’s Sunday night. My last show is no longer something I’m getting ready for. It happened. And it was a wonderful time. People came from all over. People were there from many states, including Alaska, (though I don’t think the show was the only reason for their trip). But people came from Missouri, […]

The farewell show

by David LaMotte

…and suddenly it’s Sunday night. My last show is no longer something I’m getting ready for. It happened. And it was a wonderful time. People came from all over. People were there from many states, including Alaska, (though I don’t think the show was the only reason for their trip). But people came from Missouri, […]

Words and Music

Nov 28, 2008
A couple of things have popped up from unexpected sources that I thought folks might like to be aware of. The ‘words’ part has to do with a couple of articles; one is in the Mountain Xpress, Asheville’s indie newspaper. It’s written by Jason Bugg, who called to interview me a couple of weeks ago. […]

Words and Music

by David LaMotte

A couple of things have popped up from unexpected sources that I thought folks might like to be aware of. The ‘words’ part has to do with a couple of articles; one is in the Mountain Xpress, Asheville’s indie newspaper. It’s written by Jason Bugg, who called to interview me a couple of weeks ago. […]

A Change Is Going To Come

Nov 26, 2008
David LaMotte calls it a career Mountain Xpress by Jason Bugg in Vol. 15 / Iss. 18 on 11/26/2008 The word “change” has been thrown around a lot these days as a slogan, an idea, a mantra for some and even a source of derision for others. But for singer/songwriter David LaMotte, change isn’t just […]

A Change Is Going To Come

by David LaMotte

David LaMotte calls it a career Mountain Xpress by Jason Bugg in Vol. 15 / Iss. 18 on 11/26/2008 The word “change” has been thrown around a lot these days as a slogan, an idea, a mantra for some and even a source of derision for others. But for singer/songwriter David LaMotte, change isn’t just […]

A quick post-election blog

Nov 10, 2008
… in between all the baby photos (more soon, you can be sure). My sister Kathy, who is a first year law student at Cornell with a focus on working on our broken death penalty system, wrote a piece on her blog entitled “Now What? A Note to my Co-Liberals.” It’s a good read, whether […]

A quick post-election blog

by David LaMotte

… in between all the baby photos (more soon, you can be sure). My sister Kathy, who is a first year law student at Cornell with a focus on working on our broken death penalty system, wrote a piece on her blog entitled “Now What? A Note to my Co-Liberals.” It’s a good read, whether […]

It’s a boy!

Nov 4, 2008
Da More Mason I’m thrilled beyond the bounds of language to announce the birth of my son, Mason Bishop LaMotte. He was born at 11:42 AM on Halloween (that’s what we get for calling him ‘Punkin’).  He was nearly three weeks early, but healthy and plenty big enough to be born at six pounds and […]

It’s a boy!

by David LaMotte

Da More Mason I’m thrilled beyond the bounds of language to announce the birth of my son, Mason Bishop LaMotte. He was born at 11:42 AM on Halloween (that’s what we get for calling him ‘Punkin’).  He was nearly three weeks early, but healthy and plenty big enough to be born at six pounds and […]

In Light of Current Events

Oct 28, 2008
Sadly, it seems that my poem White Flour refuses to be outdated. There is more sad news on the topic from Tennessee yesterday. People at shows have been asking where they can get a copy, so I’ve decided to add a permanent page with the text.  Feel free to distribute as you see fit.

In Light of Current Events

by David LaMotte

Sadly, it seems that my poem White Flour refuses to be outdated. There is more sad news on the topic from Tennessee yesterday. People at shows have been asking where they can get a copy, so I’ve decided to add a permanent page with the text.  Feel free to distribute as you see fit.

Guate trip I

Oct 20, 2008
Da Guate It’s always good to be here, and renewing, even at a time like this when my heart is pulled strongly toward the US. With my dad in the hospital and my baby boy getting ready to make his grand appearance, there’s a lot to feel and think about these days. Hugs and songs […]

Guate trip I

by David LaMotte

Da Guate It’s always good to be here, and renewing, even at a time like this when my heart is pulled strongly toward the US. With my dad in the hospital and my baby boy getting ready to make his grand appearance, there’s a lot to feel and think about these days. Hugs and songs […]

Fathers and Sons and Guatemala

Oct 16, 2008
US Airways Flight 1831, Charlotte to Miami Da Guate 081016 Touching down in Miami It’s extraordinary to realize that I woke up in Missouri yesterday, in Black Mountain, North Carolina today, and will wake up in Santiago, Atitlan, Guatemala tomorrow, after spending brief moments in Asheville, Charlotte, Miami and Guatemala City. Even for me, that’s […]

Fathers and Sons and Guatemala

by David LaMotte

US Airways Flight 1831, Charlotte to Miami Da Guate 081016 Touching down in Miami It’s extraordinary to realize that I woke up in Missouri yesterday, in Black Mountain, North Carolina today, and will wake up in Santiago, Atitlan, Guatemala tomorrow, after spending brief moments in Asheville, Charlotte, Miami and Guatemala City. Even for me, that’s […]

An email I just got

Oct 9, 2008
I got an email from an old friend in Wyoming today. It disturbed me. I’ll include the text of the original email here and my response to it below that. I was writing primarily to a Christian friend of mine, and I write to her in that context, so forgive me if it’s a little […]

An email I just got

by David LaMotte

I got an email from an old friend in Wyoming today. It disturbed me. I’ll include the text of the original email here and my response to it below that. I was writing primarily to a Christian friend of mine, and I write to her in that context, so forgive me if it’s a little […]

An article about the Middle East trip

Sep 23, 2008
This article about my trip to Israel and Palestine came out in the Asheville Citizen-Times this past weekend. There are a few things I would change in it, but I’m really grateful to the reporter, Leslie Boyd, for her time and for giving attention to the issue. http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880919019 As for the things I would tweak, […]

An article about the Middle East trip

by David LaMotte

This article about my trip to Israel and Palestine came out in the Asheville Citizen-Times this past weekend. There are a few things I would change in it, but I’m really grateful to the reporter, Leslie Boyd, for her time and for giving attention to the issue. http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200880919019 As for the things I would tweak, […]

Spun

Sep 17, 2008
My long-time friend Kenny Legendre in Germany has been working for months on a CD of other folks doing my songs. It’s called “Spun,” in reference to my CD “Spin,” and has now been released in Europe. Most of the musicians are German and the songs include a German translation of my song Hard Earned […]

Spun

by David LaMotte

My long-time friend Kenny Legendre in Germany has been working for months on a CD of other folks doing my songs. It’s called “Spun,” in reference to my CD “Spin,” and has now been released in Europe. Most of the musicians are German and the songs include a German translation of my song Hard Earned […]

About the Fellowship

Sep 8, 2008
No, not the Fellowship of the Rings, though I was offered a spot as an extra in the movies while I was in New Zealand, back when they were shooting them… Anyway, that’s another story, but ask me some time! 😉 Lots of people have been asking about the Rotary World Peace Fellowship that’s calling […]

About the Fellowship

by David LaMotte

No, not the Fellowship of the Rings, though I was offered a spot as an extra in the movies while I was in New Zealand, back when they were shooting them… Anyway, that’s another story, but ask me some time! 😉 Lots of people have been asking about the Rotary World Peace Fellowship that’s calling […]

Well Put

Aug 18, 2008
This is an op-ed in the religious section of the Washington Post regarding the McCain/Obama/Warren ‘conversation’ at the Saddleback Church yesterday. If you’re looking at politics from a Christian perspective, or interested in that conversation, it’s well worth a read.

Well Put

by David LaMotte

This is an op-ed in the religious section of the Washington Post regarding the McCain/Obama/Warren ‘conversation’ at the Saddleback Church yesterday. If you’re looking at politics from a Christian perspective, or interested in that conversation, it’s well worth a read.

Who is my neighbor?

Aug 3, 2008
One of the most disturbing elements of the occupation of Palestine is the separation of Israeli Jews from Palestinians. Early in the trip we had an evening meeting with five students from Hebrew University who represented a broad spectrum of political views in Israeli society. The conversation was lively and there was plenty of respectful […]

Who is my neighbor?

by David LaMotte

One of the most disturbing elements of the occupation of Palestine is the separation of Israeli Jews from Palestinians. Early in the trip we had an evening meeting with five students from Hebrew University who represented a broad spectrum of political views in Israeli society. The conversation was lively and there was plenty of respectful […]

Nazareth

Aug 2, 2008
Nazareth This week has been astoundingly dense and deeply emotional.  Two days into the trip I already felt like my experience had been worth the effort and expense. I had no idea how each of the following days would multiply that impression. I’ve tried three times to start this update with a story from the […]

Nazareth

by David LaMotte

Nazareth This week has been astoundingly dense and deeply emotional.  Two days into the trip I already felt like my experience had been worth the effort and expense. I had no idea how each of the following days would multiply that impression. I’ve tried three times to start this update with a story from the […]

off to the Middle East

Jul 29, 2008
OK, so I do my share of travel. I admit this is a bit dense, though, even for a road dog like me. I flew to Washington, DC on Friday in order to be here in time for an orientation session that began on Saturday. The group seems strong, with a broad diversity of different […]

off to the Middle East

by David LaMotte

OK, so I do my share of travel. I admit this is a bit dense, though, even for a road dog like me. I flew to Washington, DC on Friday in order to be here in time for an orientation session that began on Saturday. The group seems strong, with a broad diversity of different […]

A movie recommendation

Jul 17, 2008
In preparation for my trip to Israel and Palestine next week, last night Deanna and I watched a movie called “Encounter Point.” I highly recommend it. It’s a documentary about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, and though it doesn’t flinch from portraying and engaging the depth and severity of the problem at any point, it’s a heartening […]

A movie recommendation

by David LaMotte

In preparation for my trip to Israel and Palestine next week, last night Deanna and I watched a movie called “Encounter Point.” I highly recommend it. It’s a documentary about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, and though it doesn’t flinch from portraying and engaging the depth and severity of the problem at any point, it’s a heartening […]