Chris Jeffries is a writer and composer.
Chris Jeffries is a writer and composer. Photo by Ed Hawkins

Good morning. It's Sunday, April 5, and it looks like it might be another beautiful day, despite the grim news around us.

Today's message comes from Chris Jeffries, the composer of many musicals. His face may be familiar to you from his longtime side gig as Dina Martina's tight-lipped accompanist and arranger.

"They said to try to keep it short, so I'm just going to cut to it," he says in his message today, a message from the heart. "Feed your spirit. Those of us whose lives are on pause in some way or in every way, take advantage. Read a really great book. And then another. Listen to some really great music. Log in some time with a really nourishing spiritual practice. Fill the well that most of the time we're too busy to fill up."

His advice continues:

"Let's not forget to laugh our heads off every chance we get," he adds. "So important. Laughter is relaxing, it's good for the immune system, it brings us together. One of my teachers said to me once: 'Honor the work, keep a sense of humor about it.'"

Then he sings an old Shaker song. "There's a lot of Shaker songs that are so beautiful."

Chris has written and composed scads of musicals, including The Fatty Arbuckle Spook House Revue and I See London, I See France (Annex and elsewhere), Vera Wilde (Empty Space and elsewhere), and Kaleidoscope Eyes: Songs for Busby Berkeley (NW Film Forum). Music/lyrics credits include Laura Comstock’s Bag-Punching Dog (Circle X, LA) and, most recently, Jane Austen’s Persuasion (Taproot and elsewhere).

Persuasion’s original cast recording is available here or on iTunes, Amazon Music, or Spotify. His music for Bunnicula (Seattle Children’s Theatre) has been heard in dozens of productions worldwide. He’s created music for films and web series, and is the longtime accompanist/arranger for internationally disclaimed chanteuse Dina Martina.

Chris won a Stranger Genius Award the first year we ever gave out Genius Awards.

Thank you so much for the message today, Chris.

And for the song.

Feed your spirit today, everyone.


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Previously in this series:


John Rodericks message to the city on April 3.
John Roderick's message to the city on April 3.

Bill Cartys message to the city on April 2.
Bill Carty's message to the city on April 2.

Price Suddarths message to the city on April 1.
Price Suddarth's message to the city on April 1.

Kary Waysons message to the city on March 31.
Kary Wayson's message to the city on March 31.

Ellen Forneys message to the city on March 30.
Ellen Forney's message to the city on March 30.

Major Scaless message to the city on March 29.
Major Scales's message to the city on March 29.

E. J. Kohs message to the city on March 28.
E. J. Koh's message to the city on March 28.

Ken Jenningss message to the city on March 27.
Ken Jennings's message to the city on March 27.

Demarre McGills message to the city on March 26.
Demarre McGill's message to the city on March 26.

Lynn Sheltons Message to the City on March 25th.
Lynn Shelton's Message to the City on March 25th.

Timothy White Eagles message to the city on March 24.
Timothy White Eagle's message to the city on March 24.

Cookie Coutures message to the city on March 23.
Cookie Couture's message to the city on March 23.

Sarah Rudinoffs message to the city on March 22.
Sarah Rudinoff's message to the city on March 22.

John Osebolds message to the city on March 21.
John Osebold's message to the city on March 21.


Ben Gibbards message to the city on March 21.
Ben Gibbard's message to the city on March 20.

Nathan Chans message to the city on March 19.
Nathan Chan's message to the city on March 19.