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Showing posts from November 16, 2010

Magical Moment 291, "One Expected the Unexpected"

I surprised everyone by moving here to be near New York City with the intent of becoming a professional musician, performer, and songwriter. I look back now and I understand their shock. Leaving the financial security of our dual military income, a beautiful house, and comfortable life for the uncertainty of unemployment, a career change, and life in the big city must have seemed crazy to most people. After all, we had no family here, no friends, no prospects, and no idea what we were doing. Friends and family's first response was generally something like, "Do you know how much rent is there?!" or "It's so crowded!" As if we weren't aware of this already. But we did our best to explain our reasoning and I learned to appreciate my husband Eddie even more for helping me follow my crazy dreams. We considered several cities that had good music reputations from Austin, to Nashville, to Atlanta, even LA. But New York was always the ultimate to me, and set

Magical Moment 290, "Waiting for Snow"

It’s nearly Thanksgiving and I’m still waiting for snow. I’m a Nebraska girl and have always felt right at home with snow at my feet. Before my husband and I moved outside New York City a year ago to try out this crazy music business thing, we lived in North Carolina for 3 ½ years, where snow is a rarity. Stationed at the Army base of Fort Bragg, we decided that we didn’t want to live in the military town of Fayetteville, and instead bought a house in the next town over, Raeford. One of the best things about living in Raeford was the drive to and from work. Yes, we were forced to wake up earlier and it took longer to get home at the end of a long day, but the driving route was through some amazing scenery. Fort Bragg is geographically the largest Army post in the US because of the massive area of firing ranges and parachute drop zones. Our route to the Fort Bragg gate entrance took us right through these wide-open spaces. And while driving in the morning at sunrise, and the evening a

Magical Moment 289, "Murphy's Law Applies to Mustangs"

I had a harrowing experience the other day. It was a dramatic episode of continuous chaos and stress, in which I was left to my own devices to conquer. With no other choice but to use adrenaline-fueled presence of mind and unrelenting focus, I soon learned just what a true battle this would be. The task? I had to drive my husband’s stick shift to the Airport during rush hour. You laugh, you snicker, but it is no easy thing. First of all, I am no wuss, okay? I’ve jumped from a military aircraft with 90 pounds of combat equipment in the dead of night. I’ve rucked 12 miles at a time with 40 pounds on my back. I’ve gone without sleep for 36 hours and still executed my duties with thoroughness and alertness. But if I’m ever asked to drive a 5-speed mustang through northern New Jersey traffic again, I’ll go AWOL. In the Army, you can expect Murphy’s Law, which allows you to take it in stride when everything falls apart, but I was not prepared for this nightmare ride. I had to pick Eddie

Magical Moment 288, "A Gift of Song"

I’ve never been a huge fan of opera music. I’ve seen 2 operas in my entire life, O Pioneers (based off the book by Nebraskan author Willa Cather) on a 6 th grade field trip, and Phantom of the Opera , the movie (does that count?). But something happened recently that made me want to give it another chance and reminded me that music of any genre can be one of the most cherished and powerful gifts.  It was on a hospital visit with a charity called Sing for Hope , where I and two other volunteers prepared music to serenade the patients. One of the performers was an operatic soprano. The evening was filled with poignant and sentimental moments , as music often brings out emotion in the most unsuspecting people. And in a hospital setting, a place most dread to be, it was amazing to see the smiles and appreciation on the faces of those we sang to. We entered a room of two older ladies who had been placed together as roommates. From the very start, we could tell they would be characters.

Magical Moment 287, "A Grown Up's Lesson from a Children's Book"

I’m currently recording an album of original songs with Modern Vintage Recordings in New York City. Every step of the professional recording process in the studio is absolutely foreign to me, since the most state of the art equipment I’ve used before is Garage Band that came with my Mac. We’ve done the foundation instruments, drums , bass , guitar, even some strings . And we have much more to accomplish before I take my place behind the fiber glass wall and sing into a fancy, breakable-looking microphone to lay down the final vocals. This is something I dread. I’ve been wondering just how badly my pain-staking self-critique and neurotic perfectionism will hinder the process and drive me and everyone else totally crazy. Well, today I got a preview. We bought a recordable Christmas book for my nephews (sh, don’t tell them). You know, the one where you record your voice reading the story and it automatically plays when you turn the pages. We thought that would be a great way to stay

Magical Moment 286, "The Decision to Stay"

My Great-Grandma (top right) and 9 of her 10 children “It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man [or woman] stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, [s]he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope.” -Robert Francis Kennedy I watched a single rain droplet slide off an orange leaf, and into a giant puddle that formed on the sidewalk. The puddle flowed into a crevice in the pavement and created a stream of rainwater that made its way down a muddy hill and trickled into a creek below. I watched the waves and ripples spread like an outstretched hand until I lost track of which one came from where. I wonder if that first drop knew what it would become a part of. My maternal grandmother is the most patriotic person I’ve ever known. She is the human embodiment of yellow ribbons, American flags, military parades, and Ray Charles singing “America the Beautiful.” Though

Magical Moment 285, "Live Like Royalty"

I awoke to the gentle song of birds outside my window, like a cartoon Disney princess. After I laced up my tennis shoes and went outside, I found that golden leaves had been laid out at my feet, like a royal carpet lining my running route. At work, I found that the 5-year old ballet class had come to entertain me, like court jesters, and I smiled at their silliness all through class. And when I arrived back at home, I found that a grand meal had been prepared in my honor. What a majestic life I lead!