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Upcoming appearances
April 17, 2026 and May 1, 2026 at Left Bank
May 7, 2026 at That’s Amore Woodfired Pizzajoin us for a beautifully festive evening: Le Rendez-Vous de Debra! Préparez-vous pour une soirée délicieusement Parisienne. Emmenez votres amies cheries pour une nuit spéciale. Vintage Jukebox Hot Club will whisk you straight to the twinkling cafés and cabarets of Montmartre with their irresistible Jazz Parisien. Featuring la chanteuse extraordinaire Debra Mugnani, whose voice sparkles like bubbly champagne and falling snow, and David Austin au piano, weaving elegant melodies in this intimate duo setting. Expect pure joie de vivre, toe-tapping swing, and that unmistakable French flair.
Yay Carlos Santana!
Yay Carlos Santana! Congratulations to Carlos Santana for a Lifetime Achievement award at the 2026 Grammy’s. Once asked what performing is to him he said, “Well, this is joy. Joy is not labor or anything like that or a job. It’s more like an offering. You know? And the more you get into it from your heart the less you feel gravity and time and mischief or grief or anything like that. You know? Those things disappear.”
I understand what Carlos is describing I’m not always there Even though I’ve been performing as a solo vocalist now for several years, I’m still learning. At every performance there are periods of time though when I tap into this feeling. It just happens naturally. The flow of the performance carries you along with it, opening the door to improvisation. It’s then when you really feel the magic and joy arrive.— with Dave Austin.
Here’s a link to his 2011 Montreux Jazz Festival performance of Oye Como Va.
A little known fact is that Carlos and his brother Jorge worked at my Dad’s restaurant Tic Tock Drive Ins for a very short stint in the 60’s before the band took off! That’s one degree of separation for me! I used to sell donuts in the bakery in the early mornings there when I was in high school and college..
A Heartwarming Holiday Highlight
Looking back at my recent December 26th performance at the Left Bank Brasserie in Menlo Park, my heart is still full. My brother, who currently resides in Hawaii with his wife, flew in specifically for the show! It was incredibly special to have him in the audience, and even rarer to spend both Christmas and the day after together just the two of us. The room was also filled with such a wonderful mix of “old and new” dear friends. It was a joy to see faces ranging from a 93-year-old French woman I had just met the week prior to a friend I’ve known since 8th grade. Having that kind of support across so many chapters of my life made the night truly unforgettable. Thanks to those who braved the rainy evening to make it there.
Wonderful Moment Captured During December 10, 2023 American Bites Show!
An Enchanting Evening in Tiburon
Thrilled to share this lively moment captured by friend, Laurent during an impromptu guest appearance at his show at the enchanting Le Petite Left Bank. Dive into the playful clip and let the magic unfold!
Summer fun and music for you!
Is your summer turning out the way you planned? Mine isn’t and contrary to what that sounds like, it’s turned out to be really wonderful! Our plans were to spend a week in June on a houseboat on Lake Shasta. That plan fizzled out when the boat’s motor died and sent the boat to drydock for most of the summer. So, we pivoted… we thought, “Why not keep with the boat theme and check out one of our bucket list destinations, Alaska? Through the magic of the internet, in one morning we were able to book a Princess Cruise to Alaska’s Inside Passage leaving from San Francisco for the same dates as our original plans. For locals, traveling by ship to Alaska from San Francisco offers two bonuses: being able to carry on two huge suitcases per person and the amazing experience of sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge on a giant cruise-ship.
Alaska is something else indeed! All the sights of natural beauty are super- sized. We saw whale, eagles, waterfalls, spectacular glaciers and icebergs.
Once aboard the ship, I learned about “The Voice of the Ocean,” a singing contest mimicking the TV show of the same name. Even though I was on vacation to relax and see new places, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to audition for the show. With the help of my Lola character, I ended up being one of the six finalists. I didn’t win the competition, but I enjoyed the experience and being being treated as a mini celebrity aboard the ship. What was surprisingly the most challenging part of the experience wasn’t the bright lights, performing for hundreds of people nor the pressure of competition, it was balancing on heels at the front of the ship during a very choppy stretch of ocean during my actual performance!
Highlights of Paris performances
10 Tips for quickly relieving stress
This article includes some musical ideas!
By Sonia Choquette
Let’s face it. Life is stressful. And when we are under stress we suffer. It’s bad for our health. It leaves us feeling drained and tired. It fogs our brains. It causes us to disconnect from others. It makes it difficult to concentrate and robs us of the ability to respond creatively in life. It’s not good for us, and when under stress, let’s face it, it’s not good for those around us either. So it’s helpful to have a few stress-busting techniques to reach for when it starts to creep up on you and take you hostage. Here are a few of my favorite busters. They are easy to do and work wonders when I need them most, like right before I give a public presentation, or when running late to catch a plane, or find myself stuck in traffic, or when talking to someone who is being very difficult, or when I find myself running behind schedule and am afraid I am going to get in big trouble for it. In other words, at least once a day, every day. Try them yourself and see if you find them as helpful for relieving stress as I do.
- Open your mouth wide enough to hear a click in your ears and inhale deeply, followed by an audible exhale releasing the sound “AHHH!” Repeat until relaxed. Three times should do it.
- Sing the song Do-Re-Mi from The Sound of Music. Each note corresponds with one of the seven chakras and calms the entire nervous system and lifts your mood.
- Breathe in deeply and slowly, and as you exhale, notice something you’ve not noticed before in your immediate environment and name it out loud. Such as “pattern in the rug.” Then breathe. “The scratch on the desk.” Breathe. “The different colors on the coffee cup.” Breathe. “The design on the base of the lamp.” Breathe. Keep noticing and saying out loud things in full view that you have never noticed before. Do this for at least 30 seconds to one minute. This stops your brain from racing forward and back in time and centers you in the present moment, thus relaxing you.
- Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth and right behind your front teeth. Next, purse your lips and exhale to the count of eight as though blowing out a birthday candle. Next, inhale to the count of seven, followed by holding your breath to the count of four. Then repeat. This easy breathing technique can calm your thoughts and refresh your body, inviting stress to flow out and relaxation to flow in.
- Anytime you feel overwhelmed by stress, bend your knees and wiggle them back and forth as fast as possible for 10 seconds, and then squeeze your buttocks cheeks together while letting out a very loud and resounding “AAAAHHHHHHH!” as though screaming all the stress right out of your body. Then relax. It not only relieves you of the stress consuming your every cell but also makes you and anyone around you laugh out loud.
- Start naming, out loud, one thing at a time, every single thing that you are or feel afraid of right now. Start by naming the thing you fear most in the moment, and then take in a deep breath. Next, name something you notice right in front of you. Then repeat. Again, name something you fear most right now. Breathe, and then again name something you see right in front of you. Do this until you can’t name any more fears.
- Do my favorite yoga pose. Pull the corners of your mouth to the ears, and hold it. Maintain this pose for at least 30 seconds. Then release.
- Thump your chest with your fist and let out the sound “HA! as loud as possible. Repeat. HA! HA! HA! Then laugh.
- Sing your favorite Broadway show tune at the top of your lungs.
- Put your thumb and forefinger together and close your eyes. Breathe in, while saying the words “I am,” and then exhale saying, “calm.” Feel the calm flowing from your heart, through your body, and out of your fingertips. Do this as many times as needed.
These are all simple, easy, silly, effective, and fun. Try them all and see which one works best for you. Most of all, just remember: this too shall pass, and with breath it will pass faster and leave you less stressed along the way.
Chopping wood and carrying water
I’m sipping a cup of candy-cane green tea and listening to Pandora’s holiday channel–a few moments of quiet time, which is quite a rare treat these days. Twinkling petals of early afternoon light dance around my room to the beat of the music. I’m feeling a delicious combination of sentimentality and gratitude. I think I must be having a holiday moment!
Why this overall positive outlook? I believe it’s the effect of two filters I’ve chosen to wear over my lenses this year; the “Stay Neutral” and the “Chop Wood Carry Water.” In other phases of my life, some of the events of this year would have had me spinning in panic and caused me immense anxiety.
Both of my parents took falls this year, Mom breaking a hip and Dad, a shoulder. I consistently reminded myself to continue to chop wood and carry water and not focus too strongly on either wanting positive outcomes or worrying too much about negative outcomes. In retrospect, although my parents’ injuries were extremely painful and caused them immense inconvenience, the gift of their having had them was that they created opportunities to look at how we children and grandchildren could better support them. I can see now that my parents are both stronger and healthier from the experience.
Singing has always been a wonderful refuge for me. Performing is also becoming one. Even though I often feel nervous the day of the performance, I’m always buoyed by the experience of being with all the other performers, interacting with our wonderful audience members and singing from my heart. Performing truly is good medicine!