(not necessarily in that order)
“Sure, we can do a virtual choir for a hybrid in-person / live-streamed wedding!” (It’s “only” six songs.)
(What was I thinking?!? 6 songs x 16 singers = 96 video and audio tracks to edit!)
And so we find that we have — yet again — bitten off way more than we can chew, but our bridal couple is depending on us, so we’re just chewing away like mad and having faith that it will all come together in the end (probably at the absolute last minute, in the nick of time)!😂
My brain feels like mush and I don’t think I can spend even five more minutes looking at a computer screen. Sorry.
…and facing deadlines, so I’m working later than I have in quite a while!
Just hope it doesn’t creep back into becoming a habit! Signing off now, so I’m off the computer at least before the witching hour of midnight!
Just a fun thought to end my day. 😄
It’s time to go on the record and admit that a part of me still believes anything wrong with my body will fix itself.
I guess it’s the downside of having been an extremely healthy person most of my life. That plus the fact that — as a freelance musician — I hardly ever had insurance, so I got in the habit of doing what I could and then trusting that things would resolve themselves. Which they mostly did.
But the truth is that I’m reaching the point in life where past actions are having some painful present-time consequences. Not to mention that some body parts are simply wearing out.
A concept that never occurred to me even once before age sixty or so.
I’m writing this as part of my process in facing up to the fact that my shoulder — which has gradually been hurting more and more for a few years now — is not going to magically revert to normal. I have to actually deal with it. Bummer.
I happened to stumble upon an article in blog post about creativity in advertising (no idea how I got there! 😄). It was about a Nike video and had this to say:
“The astonishing editing work is a great way to deliver the message—about the unifying power of sport, at a time when the specter of Covid still hangs heavily over all professional sports leagues’ best-laid plans; and about the pursuit of an equal playing field by athletes looking to create change.”
Needless to say, I was intrigued and promptly watched the video. Which is, indeed, awesome.
So then I explored further and watched another Nike ad that I found deeply inspiring. This quote is a statement by the video’s narrator, basketball star LaBron James:
“The whole world, we’re fighting for something bigger than a championship right now. People are struggling, and this continues to be an incredibly difficult time. For me, thinking forward to a time when we’ll be able to play again, it keeps me going. Even if basketball looks different for a while, I’m excited about the possibility of getting back in the game because I know how inspiring and powerful sports can be. I think the lessons we learn from sport can inspire us all.”
So, then the article referenced a Nike ad that was described as:
“this stark meditation on racism and the Black Lives Matter movement.”
And I was blown away by the simple power of its message.
My takeaway? It takes impressive amounts of talent and resources to create such incredibly potent combinations of visual imagery, music, and words. I’m just grateful that the powerful messages conveyed are ones of positivity, inclusiveness, and compassion.
Nothing to add really; simply wanted to share something beautiful in honor of the full moon.
Are these not the most beautiful cookies you’ve ever seen?!?
For starters, shortbread is probably my favorite kind of cookie (although oatmeal raisin with walnuts comes close). But then you press colorful edible flowers on top and they’re so magnetic that I almost want to pull out the mixing bowl and preheat the oven.
Almost, but not quite.
I’m not entirely sure, but I think the last cookies I made might have been for my flute teacher at conservatory (I forget why). And that was a really, really long time ago. Yep, I’m definitely not a baker.
But it got me to thinking. As beautiful and magnetic as those cookies are, their appeal isn’t even strong enough to get me to read the recipe.
Contrast that with the uncountable hours I’ve spent on music: practicing, listening, rehearsing, studying, thinking about, talking about, planning, dreaming…
I find it fascinating how for me it’s music, but for somebody else it’s Edible Flower Pressed Shortbread Cookies.
By the way, if there are any bakers out there who want to make these cookies, I’ll gladly buy a few dozen from you. 😄
What a great example of how one person can make a difference. Even during a pandemic. Even while socially isolated. Despite infirmities. At any age!
If you want to be really inspired, read more about how this great soul raised £32 million for the National Health Service and lifted the spirits of his country during a very challenging time.
Bravo, Captain Sir Thomas Moore!
I immediately resonated with this quote, but then found myself having to step back and really think about it, seeking to understand exactly why I felt it to be true.
It’s not easy to put into words, but I think it has something to do with bringing awareness to the sound or the movement, of being present with your mind or your life. And the more fully aware or present one is, the more mastery one can achieve in music, dance, or meditation…I’m still a little hazy on the celebration aspect (which makes me think maybe I need to be more present with my life).
But as much as it resonated, I didn’t see this as a topic for my blog; sharing it on Facebook seemed enough. But then my friend Sharmila, from India, wrote a comment that took it to a whole other level for me: “Heart when stretched is love.”
In her comment, Sharmila followed the word stretched with the word opened, which, for me at least, led quite naturally to the concept of expanded. And certainly, an ever-more open and expanded sound has been a fundamental part of what I’ve always sought to achieve as a musician.
So…now I’m more clearly seeing stretching as becoming more–by making maximum use of our talents and abilities; by extending and expanding through time and space (way beyond our comfort zones); and by opening ever more fully to all the infinite possibilities of life.