You Wouldn't Get This From Any Other Guy

It's been a while since I've been to a live concert.  But Ben Rector came to town again, and we were gifted a couple of primo tickets to the Magic tour! 

Once again we fell in love with the opening act, Josie Dunne - a funky pop artist with a variety of grooves.  A bright mix of Motown, a bit of hip hop, and an extra helping of sass.

Then we enjoyed some of our favorites from Ben's early albums, a nice mix of his latest album, and a few of BG's recent faves - classics Ben has been recreating.  He even mashed up with Rick Astley and legitimately Rick-rolled the entire audience at the Fillmore.  Do yourself a favor and check out Newy Lewis and the Hues.

It was a great evening - and we even parked next to an apropos neon sign in the window of a salon, ending the night on an extra magical note!

Let Us Float Down the River

Last week was one of the most amazing performance experiences I have ever had. Sound Circle was invited to offer two of the shows we have put together over the past four years (since the last GALA Festival in Miami), and we contributed to two other collaborative efforts. This past year has been a very long and sometimes arduous experience for me, because I had to independently learn repertoire that the group had been performing for years together. But every second of the time and energy expended was more than worth it! It was a week surrounded by so much love and acceptance and appreciation, that I literally had to re-integrate into the real world when my time there was over and I had to go back to work. One of the evenings we performed to a general admission audience at the Temple Buell Theater in the Denver Performing Arts Complex, and a half hour before the show, the Buell was full. They scrambled to put together a simulcast next door at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, which was full a half hour after the show started! That's definitely the largest audience I have ever performed in front of, and it was exhilarating. Music has always had a huge impact on my heart, and has profoundly influenced the way that I process the world around me. I very much enjoyed experiencing and sharing that with so many people who appreciate the same things, and have their own processes to share. Our Path of Beauty concert was very well received. Chris' Grand Canyon photographs were projected in hi-def against an enormous screen the entire length of the Buell stage, which was quite a feat to tech, but breathtaking from the balconies. The reactions from the audience were so moving, with one lady apologizing for her lack of articulation because she "Had not yet returned from the amazing place we took her to." After spending at least three days a week with the group over the past few months, it is going to be weird to not see them until the end of September. I need a break and will definitely enjoy having more free time, but I will look forward to the start of a fresh season in the fall.

Monday, Happy Days

Today I am grateful for the impact music has on the human condition. I am so fortunate to have been taught the fundamentals when I was young, and had ongoing chances to nurture my love of musical expression.

On this Monday I feel especially blessed to be able to spend three hours with Sound Circle, singing and creating and preparing for our upcoming Solstice concert. I was in a pretty dark place when I was invited to join them again last spring, and I can't overestimate the affect of being asked to genuinely contribute to something after months of being told my time was not valuable to anyone else. There is much to be said for finding other people who encourage you to stay true to yourself, but I will suffice this post to focus on the music!

We received some exciting news this afternoon. In conjunction with Think Humanity, we received a large grant to develop a sister ensemble at a refugee camp in Uganda. What an awesome opportunity to share the joy I find in music! Even though it might not happen until the summer of 2013, I am thrilled to embark on this adventure.