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Showing posts from August 31, 2010

Magical Moment 214, "An Ocean Haiku"

One ray on one wave. Countless ripples ocean wide. The ray turns to stars.

Magical Moment 213, "New York New York"

This is a video Eddie took at Gantry Plaza State Park in Queens when I toured 60 pianos throughout the city's 5 boroughs for the Play Me, I'm Yours project. This park was right on the water with an amazing view of Manhattan. I felt inspired to play New York New York. The song says, "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere," but I often find myself thinking, "If I can make it anywhere, I'll be happy. " I'm laughing, but it's so true. Enjoy the video. Forgot to mention it's a duet with random heavy machinery and vehicles driving around and making beeping sounds. Makes it sound very New York New York. To see photos from the project, click here . To see more videos, click here .

Magical Moment 212, "Fifteen Down"

Eddie and I set a goal 3½ years ago on our very first date. We had an unusual romance and by the time we went on our first date, we knew we would be spending the rest of our lives together. It was a typical evening – dinner, movie, dancing – but we had to travel to another state to do it. See, we were in hiding because of our forbidden love. Okay, insert looong story here if you’re interested. We kept the ticket stubs from our first date, as is the sentimental thing to do. We saw  Night at the Museum with Ben Stiller at a South Carolina movie theatre. Then Eddie had a brilliant idea. We should see a movie in every state, and keep the ticket stubs as a memento. And without hardly trying, we soon had 15 ticket stubs under our belt, thanks to the Army Soldier Show. I toured across the country with the show and Eddie would travel to visit me every chance possible. We would steal away when time allowed and go see a movie. Visiting family made it easy too, with me from Nebraska and Ed

Magical Moment 211, "The Subway Preacher"

I’ve become pretty familiar with the subway system in New York City. I no longer need my laminated, color-coded map to live permanently in my purse like a security blanket when I venture to places in the city. I’ve seen, heard, and experienced a smorgasbord of cultures, music, and customs in those underground, cement tunnels. Chilly in the winter and stagnantly suffocating in the summer, the subway system is truly a unique city below the city. Once I saw an old man who had dragged his enormous heavy wooden harp two stories below ground to play on the platform for spare change. His talent astounded me and I thought, I would pay to hear this man on a stage . Other times, the sights are heart breaking. The homeless trying to keep warm in the winter or just looking for a dry spot to sit, hoping a passerby will feel compassion and drop in some change. There are the “regulars” – like the man when I switch from the 7 to the 6, who plays hymns on his Native American flute. And there are some

Magical Moment 210, "My Story"

Today was a great production meeting. First thing, my producer asked me if I had any concerns so far. I told him that I was very concerned that maybe we hadn’t chosen the right 5 songs for my EP with Modern Vintage Recordings . As much as I love the ones on the list right now, they are going to be my only 5 until I can afford to finish the album and I want them to be just right. He completely understood and together, we went back through and re-listened to all of my songs. For the first time, I showed him my blog. I told him stories of where and how I grew up, about my nephews, about my husband. I showed him online pictures from my Army days. I showed him the 82 nd Airborne Memorial with Kevin’s name on it. After a time of honest and easy flowing conversation, he told me with conviction that I have a unique story to tell, and the songs I choose for this EP should express that story. I don’t want an EP that says, “Here are 5 really nice songs.” I want it to say, “Here is who I am a

Magical Moment 209, "Applications"

A few months ago, I took the LSAT (Law School Admissions Test) thinking I might want to become a lawyer some day. It had actually been at the back of my mind for several years and four months ago, I decided to take the first step and sign up for the LSAT exam. Despite what Legally Blond would have you believe, there is much more to the application process than making a cute home video. First I attended a demanding preparation course which entailed about a month of excruciating studying. In the end, my score was average, nothing to brag about, but enough for me to continue on with the next step of actually applying to some law schools. After scrounging up my five year old college transcripts and hunting down three different people to write me letters of recommendation (thank you, sirs!), today was the first day that I could submit applications for the fall 2011 semester.  One important part of the application process is submitting a personal statement. Of course, I had no idea how t

Magical Moment 208, "Dance"

"When you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance."  -LeeAnn Womack I am not a parent, but I can imagine the burden of responsibility, concern, and even guilt that comes along with parenthood. My mother, for example, will forever bear the guilt knowing that she didn’t put me in tap dancing lessons as a child. It will be my lifelong sorrow, and one I never let her forget, that I’m not shuffle-ball-changing my way through “Tea for Two and Two for Tea” on some grand stage. As a child, I sat on our living room floor, 6 inches from the television as Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire clicked their way through “Cheek to Cheek” in one of my all time favorites, Top Hat . I scrubbed black scuffmarks off the linoleum kitchen floor after I performed a musical number in my Sunday school shoes, the only ones that made a tap sound with the heel.  To this day, my mother rolls her eyes and lowers her head in defeat when I casually mention my “dream that got away.” I fear h