If you’ve been here a while, then you know all about Joy , Ethan ,  Zachary , Jack , Evie , Gabby , Zoey , and Trace .  You know that Taylor is a bear and Kevin was a hero. You’ve read about triumphs and heartaches and you’ve gone gaga for Erica . You’ve run across all manner of creatures and critters like jellyfish , sparrows , texas chicks , frogs and owls , and even a Goose . You’ve seen photographs that have caught your breath and read poetry that just makes you smile, despite the world. At times you could literally smell the lilacs . Oh, and the music ! Such lovely music there’s been. Through a blizzard in Virginia , the heat of the Summertime , and even in the rain , a new song has never been far away. But it has rained a lot. In fact, it’s poured . Just the same, though, with a little help and a lot of friends , the Sun’s always come back out, bursting with new life and new inspiration. No goodbye is ever forever and each goodnight proceeds a unique sunr...

On the Hudson Parkway on the west side of Manhattan, I saw this beautiful sunset. Immediately, I wished I could share it with you all. The way the golden light shimmered across the Hudson river, the black silhouette of the New Jersey shoreline, the dark planks of an old dock rising from the water, and giant wispy clouds that surrounded the the powerful rays of sunshine.  I realized all I could do, was my best to capture it in a photo and maybe you could imagine how beautiful it was in person.  And then I thought, maybe after you read this post, you could pop outside for a second or look out your window. Because although it may be a slightly different setting, it's the same sun. ~

This video was taken at the Little Red Square in lower Manhattan. I watched this video for the first time in several months and couldn't stop smiling when I saw the women on the bench singing and tapping along.  Enjoy the video! Witchcraft To see more videos from the Play Me, I'm Yours project, click here . A couple of my favorites: Bye Bye Blackbird, Hello Baby Peacocks! My Student Cold Cold Heart in Brooklyn

I count myself fortunate every single day that I'm able to do what I love, make music. Playing for ballet rehearsals has made me a more professional, well-rounded pianist. Performing my original music at local venues has made me a better, more confident entertainer. But what I LOVE doing the most, is playing for a small, intimate audiences at nursing homes, retirement homes, or hospitals. I began playing in local nursing homes in college and discovered that I felt the most comfortable and inspired in this setting. My taste and style in music seemed to be a perfect fit for the crowd and I never felt more fulfilled at the end of a performance than when I played in these places.  Since becoming involved with a charity organization called  Sing For Hope , I've been fortunate enough to contribute my music in bedside performances in New York City hospitals. With my voice, guitar, and an audience of one, I have the opportunity to uplift a sick patient, and the magic never fails to ...

My mother is a smart, capable woman in all areas of life, but technology. Her feelings won't even be hurt when she reads this, because she is a self proclaimed technology-illiterate. I know you probably hear a lot of people make that joke about themselves. I've even said it on occasion when I can't figure out why the HTML code messes up the spacing on my blog. But truly. My mom doesn't know what "cut and paste" means. To this day, she doesn't have a cell phone. It took her 3 months to learn how to change her profile picture on her facebook page. It took her 6 months to figure out how to transfer photos from her digital camera onto her computer. She has no idea what a thumb drive is. My 2 grandmothers are facebook masters, while my mother has 10 friends and called me to ask how to "like" someone's status. (It's the button that says "like," mom.) Learning to use a computer is one of those things my mother has procrastinated sinc...

"It was just her and her mom for a long time when we met, and naturally she was a little protective of her mom when we began dating. I tried to plan activities that the 3 of us could do together and over time, we became good friends. Three years went by and I asked her one day after I picked her up from school, 'How would you feel about me and your mom getting married? Would that be okay with you?' She looked down shyly, but I could see that she was smiling. I knew it would be okay. Our relationship shifted after the wedding as I took on a more paternal role. I was involved in her school decisions, her daily life, and her discipline. I always loved her, but now I loved her like my very own daughter. She still called me by my first name and I didn’t blame her. I knew I could never fathom the feelings and emotions of a preteen girl and I just wanted her to be comfortable with our family situation, though I secretly longed to hear her call me Dad. One day she got home from ...

Do you ever get frustrated with where you are? Do you ever feel jealous of the people who live near mountains, or ocean, or lush, vibrant pastures? A few days ago, I spent some time in Thomas Edison's Greenhouse, taking pictures of the  stunning flowers . I went back today and I found even  more  beauty to inspire me. This time, it had very little to do with the blooms of the prize winning orchids.  I discovered that a single drop of water, contains as much beauty as an entire ocean. I noticed that this tiny, little orange had fallen from its tree branch into this watering can. I couldn't imagine an orchard being much lovelier. One petal fell. And it rested lightly above the earth, casting its gentle shadow.  I wouldn't have thought a New Jersey Sunset could look so stunning behind the smoky, steamy window panes of an old greenhouse. It takes slightly more effort to notice this kind of unobvious beauty, but it makes m...