Month: April 2020

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Degrees of transformation

Saw this image on Facebook, accompanied by a friend’s post commenting on how we’re being divinely cleansed and prepared for a beautiful and more abundant future…but we must have faith.

And I find myself reflecting once again on the fact that we all have our own little moments of what–to us–feel almost like a crucifixion-resurrection experience; our own uniquely personal version of death-rebirth that we move through again and again throughout our lives.

I think on a very, very deep level we know we signed up for these experiences, but when the moment comes to face up to them it feels like a very bad idea that we would never have agreed to!

It’s like we each have our own itsy-bitsy, teeny tiny version of the Easter story helping us to build our faith muscle.

Hmmm… I’m not entirely sure this makes any sense, but it’s late so I’ll just leave it at that. 🙂

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Oratorio online

I would never have suspected that presenting an Oratorio online would feel almost as complicated (and stressful) as doing it live!

On the one hand, while there’s a lot less people-organizing this way, there’s way less actual music-making as well. Which is hard because that’s the part that really feeds my soul.

And rather than preparations being spread out through months of rehearsal, we just spent a fairly intense few days (less than a week at any rate), going from idea to concept to figuring out execution in this brave new world of putting it all on-the-line, online!

I’m looking forward to turning on the computer tomorrow (Good Friday) at 7:30 pm; closing my eyes; and focusing on the music and nothing but the music. Ahhh…I can feel the bliss already!

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Backsliding

Hmmm….I think “backslid” might be more accurate.

There have been more and more late nights and late mornings. And many of my recently-reinvigorated healthy routines have fallen by the wayside…again!

Yes, yes; it’s largely due to the inner and outer upheaval of these crazy times, but isn’t that exactly when one needs to dig deep and stand firm? Which I really am trying to do, although with mixed success.

And that’s okay, just as long as I don’t give up or give in. Right? 🙄

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Musical solidarity to the nth degree!

Just when I think I’ve seen the extent of what’s possible with the virtual choir technology, something else comes along that just completely blows my mind!

From the article in Classic FM:
Puccini’s aria, from his 1924 opera Turandot, takes on a whole new meaning as 700 young voices sing in an act of musical solidarity, accompanied by musicians in the virtual EICO-Europa InCanto Orchestra. Read more here…

This is so incredibly moving to me, on every level. I’m reminded of just how much I love Puccini, and — oh my! — what an experience for these children to have been a part of!

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Disoriented and adrift

There are moments when I ask myself (somewhat impatiently, I have to confess) why the heck is it taking so long to find my bearings, settle in, and get back to full productivity.

After all, it’s been almost a month…!

And, after all, it’s almost Easter and there’s so much to do…!

But the truth of the matter is that I could not believe we were already at Palm Sunday last week. And I’m having a hard time fully comprehending that Easter is in less than a week.

A big part of why I’m feeling so disoriented and cast adrift is because — for the music ministry — the Easter season is usually anchored by our Good Friday performance of the Oratorio, Christ Lives. But this year there’s no choir, no Oratorio performance, no live Sunday service music at all.

I’m still plenty busy, but with a wide variety of tasks, many of which continue to evolve day to day in response to the ongoing crisis. It feels scattered and piecemeal, and I can’t help reflecting on how different it would be if this were any other year.

If it were a “normal” year, our rehearsals would have been steadily intensifying over the past four weeks. We would have been meeting regularly with soloists; arranging instrumental rehearsals; meeting with our sound and production teams; figuring out choir formations and seating diagrams. Tomorrow night would have been our final run-through before Friday’s performance. At this point we would be having a hard time thinking about anything but the Oratorio, as we more fully immersed ourselves in Christ’s life with every practice and rehearsal.

So, yeah. As we get closer to Easter, I guess the reality of it all is starting to hit home. I really, really miss it.

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Unexpected inspiration

I recently found myself thinking about a very inspiring story from a couple of decades ago. I couldn’t remember details so did a quick Google search. Well, I found what I was looking for, ordered the book that so inspired me all those years ago, and will share more about it another time.

In the meantime, my Google search led me to another wonderful and completely unexpected story that I found deeply inspiring. I happened upon this paragraph in the book Legendary Locals of San Francisco’s Richmond, Sunset, and Golden Gate Park by Lorri Ungaretti:

I did a double-take as I was reading! He stopped playing for 60 years, starting up again at age eighty. Think about that! But that wasn’t enough. He also starts making violins! And giving them away. He’s still taking lessons and playing in an orchestra and performing with a string quartet.

Remo Del Tredici is my new hero!

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Ananda’s NEW online community

Perhaps you’re wondering how to access the “overwhelming abundance of online resources” referred to in yesterday’s blog post. That’s easy! All you need to do is get yourself signed up for Ananda’s recently launched NEW Online Community! 

Features include: a news feed based interaction tool (similar to Facebook); focus groups with discussion forums; places where individuals can interact and share inspiration; and — perhaps most important — listings of live events offered by Ananda communities and centers around the world.

Once you’re a member of the community there are several different groups you can join, including the Lift Your Hearts — Ananda Music group (hint, hint). 😉

Signing up doesn’t cost a thing, so what are you waiting for?!?

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First the good news…

The good news is the overwhelming abundance of online resources that Ananda is making available to devotees and truth-seekers around the world. Spiritual talks, meditations, yoga, kirtan, sing-alongs…you name it, we’ve got it…from the USA, Europe, New Zealand, India, South America, and points in-between.

So what’s the bad news? The overwhelming abundance of online resources that Ananda is making available to devotees and truth-seekers around the world! 🙂 I want to watch, listen to, and experience all of it, but it’s just not possible.

Of course, this isn’t really “bad” news; rather, it’s a wonderful “problem” to have!

(Want to learn more? Visit ananda.org/community to see what Ananda has to offer everywhere in the world.)

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A trip downtown!

No, I didn’t drive into Nevada City or Grass Valley, but it was almost as exciting: today was my first trip to downtown Ananda Village since March 14!

Of course, in the middle of March we had no idea how circumscribed our movements would be or just how much life was about to change. Looking back I can more fully appreciate how the (somewhat surprising) snowstorm that weekend helped get us started on the transition to our new “stay at home” reality.

Now we’re closing in on the end of our third week. Adjustments have been made and we’re handling it pretty well… for the most part.

Still, it’s pretty surreal that my current reality makes a trip to the dumpster count as a big adventure.

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Rinascerò, rinascerai

“I’ll be reborn, you’ll be reborn.”

I shared this on Facebook earlier today, but I can’t leave it alone just yet; I guess I need to share it also on my blog. Here’s what I wrote this morning, which still really speaks to me…

I am so deeply moved by this song and this video. I lived in Italy and the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland for four years and I love it deeply. I’m profoundly grateful to these songwriters for giving us a way to channel the intense emotion of these times to an uplifted vision of emerging from death and struggle into rebirth. 🙏

There’s something very reassuring to me about the fact that this song — which powerfully affirms rebirth and renewed faith — is making such an impact in the lead up to Easter. Coincidence? I don’t think so. 💗

I’ll Be Reborn, You’ll Be Reborn

I’ll be reborn, you’ll be reborn.
When all this ends,
we’ll see the stars again. 

I’ll be reborn, you’ll be reborn.
The storm that’s holding us in its grip
bends us, but it will not break us.
We were born to challenge fate,
but each time it was us who won.
These days will change our days,
but this time we’ll learn a bit more. 

I’ll be reborn, you’ll be reborn 

I’ll be reborn, you’ll be reborn.
Embraced by great skies,
we’ll have faith in God again.
In the silence there’s a breath of fresh air,
but I’m scared for this city of mine.
We were born to challenge fate,
but each time it was us who won. 

I’ll be reborn, you’ll be reborn.