Welcome to my website. Lots of information here about my music, writing, and craft.
MUSIC
I'm in the middle of putting together a CD of songs I wrote up at Wildacres, as part of the SoLaTiDo Songwriting Workshop/Retreat I attend every year. Included will be 17 songs I wrote between 2005 and last year. Its title is Blue Ridge Mountain Time: Songs from Wildacres. It should be ready early summer. Here are a couple pictures taken by Donna Campbell from the patio of Wildacres. One, the beautiful view, the other some of the SoLaTiDoers. Richard Putnam, Big Feat Productions, has been helping me with this project. He recorded most of the songs while we were up on the mountain a day or two after they were written.
Megan & I, as The Travelin' Mercies, recorded 15 songs at Overdub Lane July 2025with Jason Richmond on the board. We were joined by Charlie Ebel on guitar, Lew Wardell on bass, and Jim Roberts on all sorts of percussion. The CD, “Songs for the Journey,” was released at a CD Release Concert at St. Matthew's on Thursday, September 25. We chose our favorite songs, mostly from our work of providing worship music these last three years at St. Joe's in Durham. Our definition of worship music is pretty broad. We cast a wide net for material pulling in contemporary songwriters (Iron & Wine, MaMuse), traditional mountain and African American spirituals, and originals mostly with the theme of journeying (hence our name!!). We're so excited about this CD. There is more information on the Travelin' Mercies page and the Music page.
Here's a link for the Pass the Hat Live Radio show we did on April 7, 2023: https://www.facebook.com/WHUPPassTheHat/videos/6030521717063780
Don't forget, you can always listen to my music on my Music Page. In fact, you can listen to every song from my CDs -- "Hallelujah! Amen." my all-gospel CD and the other four which are a romp around the seasons. "Sweet Mimosa" (summer), "Indian Summer" (autumn), "Deep December Dreams" (winter), and "Spring: The Wind's Story." It took me 15 years to complete this cycle: from 2002 to 2017!! There are also individual songs that I have recorded but are not on one of my CDs.
Here's a link for the Pass the Hat Live Radio show I did on April 26, 2024: Bing Videos.
WRITING
Big News!! I've got a memoir: 1104 Broad Street.
To order, you can email me: maryrocap@maryrocap.com or go directly to Lulu Publishing (link here). If you order through me, I'll mail you an autographed copy. Purple Crow Books in Hillsborough and The Regulator in Durham also carry it.
I spent time writing, during the shelter in place days, not so much songs, but non-fiction/memoir kind of stuff. I finished a second installment of chicken stories ("more Little Chicken Stories"), a retrospective of the St. Matthew's Faith & Arts Series which I coordinated for ten years, and the memoir about Somethyme, the restaurant I co-founded in 1973 entitled "1104 Broad Street." My books Little Chicken Stories, more Little Chicken Stories, Saving Time, and 1104 Broad Street are available from the publishing site lulu.com. Check them out!!!!!!!!!!!!!! here.
My children's poem & picture book Saving Time, a fable is very special as my mom painted the watercolor backgrounds that I used to create collages to go along with my poem. That is also available through Lulu.
CRAFT
Get in touch with me if you are interested in any of my crafts: embroidered baby blankets, napkins, quilted potholders, and more. I vend at the Chapel Hill Farmers Market and the Eno River Farmers Market during the holiday season. The Hillsborough Arts Council Gallery & Gift Shop also stocks my potholders and children's felt books. And, I have an Etsy page!! https://www.etsy.com/shop/maryrocap?ref=shop_sugg_market
If you are interested in purchasing any of my CDS or books or craft, send me an email at maryrocap@maryrocap.com.
Thanks for visiting. All the best,
Mary