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Showing posts from July 5, 2010

Magical Moment 157, "The Boys I Love"

What I love most about this short video is not the fact that my two nephews, who I love more than life, are adorably banging on the piano with no rhyme or reason, although that is super cute. I watched it over and over and saw the same thing clearer each time. Zach can scarcely contain the pure, exuberant joy and happiness that uncontrollably overflows from his tiny, butterball body. He’s happy because he’s sitting next to his big brother who he loves and wants to be just like. He’s happy because his big brother is smiling and playing with him. He’s happy because he is in his Papaw and Granny’s house, a safe and comfortable place in his small world. And I believe he is happy because he is creating the funny sound that’s coming from that big, brown box. All is right in his world right now. And although I am not there in person to applaud after the boys’ musical masterpiece is complete, I'm happy to at least witness those moments of total joy in the lives of the 2 little boys I l

Magical Moment 156, "My Debut in Time Square"

The first time I saw the lights of Times Square in the heart of Manhattan, my jaw dropped in disbelief. My eyes wandered to the sky as I searched for the top of buildings that seemed to go on and on forever. I was surrounded by theaters, restaurants, music, cars, and people. There is almost no use in attempting to describe what I saw, because there is nothing I could say that would do it justice. I felt like an insignificant ant, swarming in the midst of hundreds of other ants, with skyscrapers for blades of grass that sprang up from the ground, and pavement for dirt. I was so pleased to see that 2 pianos had been placed in Times Square for the Play Me, I'm Yours project. As I sat down to play, I remember thinking how absolutely surreal it was that I was there. In the Big Apple. Doing what I love. I hope in my future, there are many more moments of that feeling. To see more photos from Play Me, I'm Yours, click here . To see more videos, click here .

Magical Moment 155, "Gaga for Erica"

Today I woke up at 4 am, walked for blocks, and stood in line for 5 hours to watch a concert in the pouring rain. My little sister, Erica, and I were squished like sardines in a crowd of over 18,000 hoping to catch a glimpse of the fabulous Lady Gaga. And on top of everything, we wore blue and purple wigs all over Manhattan just for the occasion. I told Erica months ago that Lady Gaga would be playing Rockefeller Center the Friday she was in town and to my surprise, she was hell bent on going. When all was said and done, we ended up behind the stage, across the street, and around the corner for the duration of the performance. I snapped one very fuzzy picture of the entertainer from a half-mile away. And even the enormous Today Show sound system and speakers didn’t have enough juice to pump adequate volume as far back as we were. Yet, we stayed for hours. And when it rained, no, down poured, we still stayed. Through pushy rude crowds, cranky children, and stuffy humid weather, we

Magical Moment 154, "Jackson Heights"

There were so many wonderful moments during the " Play Me, I'm Yours " project throughout New York City. I just have to post a few of my favorites. This was in Queens at the Jackson Heights Post Office. The song, "You Want Me," is not one of my favorite songs that I've written, yet I always get positive feedback and I do love to play it. I only got the courage to sing at the pianos a few times and this was one of them. Enjoy the video. To see more photos from Play Me, I'm Yours, click here . To see more videos, click here .

Magical moment 153, "A Day of Critters"

Today, two things happened to me that never before, and probably never will happen again. First, I hand fed a group of baby swans, and second, I was kissed on the cheek by a sea lion. As my family and I drove through Long Island, we decided to stop at a beautiful, old cemetery to read some of the dates on the tombstones, which went all the way back to the 1600s. As we took in the history and scenery, I noticed a small, picturesque pond with a mother swan and her 6 babies swimming peacefully through the reflective water. I immediately reached for the Ritz crackers that were shoved in the back of the car and raced to the pond in hopes that a few crumbs would reach the babies. I tossed a few handfuls out and soon their interest sparked. Before I knew it, the small, fuzzy birds inched closer and closer to me. Soon they were on the grass a few feet in front of me. I decided to see just how brave they would get and lured them in close enough to take a cracker from my hand. I was thrilled to

Magical Moment 152, "Summertime"

Sing for Hope's ' Play Me, I'm Yours ' project is officially over. I watched the movers roll away a brown, upright piano from Stone Street and thought about the 2 weeks it had spent outdoors in the elements with only a plastic tarp for shelter. I thought about the endless hours we spent walking through the 5 boroughs, searching for each of the 60 pianos as we baked in the heat, yet the pianos never got relief from the sun. One thing I know for certain as I tend to my sunburn and wipe the dripping sweat from my forehead, it is summertime! And this was a great way to kick off the season. Enjoy this clip, "Summertime," from one of the Central Park pianos. To see my photos from our piano hunt, click here . To see more videos, click here .

Magical moment 151, "Sweet Secret Moment"

Some of the best moments are the ones accidentally seen. I was the only person in the world to witness this one. A mother was trying desperately to entertain her young toddler and distract him from the heat as they waited outside for the fireworks show to begin. She sang to him, played games, and did everything in her power to get him to interact with her, and distract him from the excruciating boredom and fatigue. The little boy was only about a year old, with wide, brown eyes, and black eyelashes that reached up to his thick eyebrows. He didn’t speak. He only stared at his mother with a questioning look on his small, round face. “Donde esta Ricardo?” His mother asked in a high pitched, playful voice. “Where is he? Donde esta Ricardo?” Still, the boy showed no sign of interest in the game. She persisted however, coaxing him to play along. “Donde esta Ricardo?” Eventually, the mother gave up on the one-sided game and with a shrug of her shoulders, she turned around to tend to her ol