The Way Home...

I am SO PSYCHED!

In one week, we will be releasing our first official music video!!! It's for the song "Only Way Home." All week, we'll be posting video snippets, photos and quotes having to do with the song, beginning with this short clip from a live show, talking about how the song / album concept was born...

This past week, as we've been preparing the promotional material, the song's concept has been at the forefront of my mind.

Home is referred to in the song as a place of peace, a place where we all strive to be. We don't always know how to get there, but with faith, if we keep pushing forward, we will find it.

So many things fit this theme over the last week. Whether it was friends traveling to their hometowns for family reunions, heartwarming conversations with loved ones, the sense of celebration and pride that filled so many hearts after the Supreme Court decision on Friday, the magic of sharing the stage with a special family of musicians, the glow in the eyes of a newly married couple, the young couple I know who purchased their first house together, or challenges overcome in the relentless pursuit of health and happiness; there seemed to be a feeling of "home" everywhere I looked. (How cool is THAT?)

The song says that the way to get home is by moving forward - as opposed to giving up or retreating into fear. It says that the way to get back home is by persevering in our dreams and hearts' desires, and pushing through in challenging or uncertain times. If we keep going, we will eventually get home to that sense of peace, that place where we truly belong, that place where happiness lives.

At "Home" on the gig - with Russ and Apollo Joe

As I post about "Only Way Home" this week, I'll continue to think about all the wonderful people, places and things that feel like home - and I'll be grateful for them.  :)

Namaste,
T

The Incredible Shrinking World

Russ and I met on stage at the World Trade Center, on the 107th floor of the North Tower. It was during a gig with a band he had played with for years, and I first came in that night as a guest vocalist.

Last night (Sunday), Russ was on stage in London playing with Nile Rodgers and Chic. He received a text message from New Jersey that included a picture of himself, there on stage in London, and the words "We see you."

Russ on stage with Nile Rodgers & Chic
at the British Summer Time festival in Hyde Park 

It was from the bandleader and entertainment company with whom he had worked for over a decade - the same band that first brought us together on stage years ago.

Someone who books that band in the UK and Europe was in the crowd at the London show, recognized Russ, and sent a picture to the bandleader in Jersey, who then forwarded it to Russ on stage in London. (Cool!)

Every week, I am pleased and honored to see that there are blog views from all over the world! I welcome all of the worldwide viewership and am so glad to be a part of this era in which we are more and more connected globally!

Nile Rodgers' We Are Family Foundation

Namaste global family!
xoxo
T

It's A Small World - Disneyland Paris

Turtle Talk

Last week, these pictures appeared on my phone:

Mom sent them. Apparently it is a snapper and over a foot long (that's a size 8 flip flop next to it). She found it crawling along the path near our house. She named it Pokey.

This week, I was driving from one gig to another when I got a phone call from some relatives who will be visiting me shortly and they were all excited about the possibility of seeing a turtle that size during their stay. About a half hour after that, I stopped at a roadside furniture store that looked interesting and a man with a chainsaw came running across the parking lot to tell me that they had four showrooms inside, and if I needed him, he was on the side of the building carving a turtle. When I conveyed the story to mom, she said she had seen another turtle just before I called.

Click here for article on chainsaw sculptor

So.... WHAT'S UP WITH THE TURTLES?

"IF A TURTLE HAS CROSSED YOUR PATH: 

He is usually giving you the message that ‘slow and steady wins the race.’ 

Pay attention to details in your current project and take your time with it. 

Don’t be tempted to skip steps or take shortcuts. You will get there! 

Just trust in the process and stay in the moment. 

Bigger, stronger, faster are not always the best way to reach your goals."

- Spirit-animals.com

(Alright then. Makes sense to me.)

It was a very busy weekend with a gig in Vermont...

L to R: Harvey, John, Me and Trevor

and then a gig in New Jersey...

L to R: Frank, Matt, Jim, Joey, Joe, Me, Eddy and Junior

Apollo Joe and Me

Instead of rushing back home in between gigs, I drove straight to Jersey from Vermont. I was glad to have enough time to be able to stop and take some pictures when I saw something interesting along the way. When my navigator declined to tell me where to go, I just asked the nice kid at the gas station to point me in the direction of the moose on the back of a truck... (true story). He said, "I know exactly where you mean." LOL! I had remembered that moose from the drive up and wanted to head back that same way.

Click here for BigMooseGifts.com

This week, I will remember the message of the turtle and not race around too much. There are so many cool things I might miss if I'm moving too fast. ;)

The Big Moose Deli and Country Store, Hoosick, NY

LaFlammes Inc, Bennington, VT

Outside the Bennington Museum, Bennington, VT

Carpenter's Touch LLC, Johnsonville, NY

Carpenter's Touch LLC, Johnsonville, NY

Carpenter's Touch LLC, Johnsonville, NY

Flower Bed - Creative Custom Woodcraft, Hoosick Falls, NY

Creative Custom Woodcraft, Hoosick Falls, NY

Who wouldn't stop and take a picture of THIS street sign?

Have a great week!

Namaste,

T

Flying High

It was an AWESOME week!

There was circus training...

Wall Running

Harness Bungee

Silks

OMG! AWESOME!!! If you're in the NYC area, you HAVE to go there and try it! #SoMuchFun

Click here for The Muse, Brooklyn, NY

The facility is fantastic, the instructors are amazing, everyone there is exceptionally friendly and the workout is outstanding. I knew these activities would not be easy, but WOW! People who have mastered these circus arts are incredible athletes. It was an absolute blast! One of the other students told me it was her "happy place." I can see why. :)

Then there was a super fun band rehearsal for upcoming shows later this month. I love these guys...

Front: Me and Junior (my friend Hune);
Back: Joey (my friend Hoey),
Alan (my new friend), and Frank (my friend Fronk)

Me and Frank (Fronk)

Then there was a fantastic gig with another group - a twenty piece orchestra and five vocalists! I love these guys too...

Eight piece string section 

Me and Neal (Trumpet)

Front: Me and Jay, Joe, and Prim (Vocals); Back: Robert (Guitar)

With Tony B. (Vocalist)

With Jay and Prim (Vocalists)

It was such a happy week! On Sunday, just as I was wondering how to hold on to that feeling of joy and keep it going this week too, the minister at church said we have to "somehow" plug into that space of love and stay connected. (I thought, "Yeah, but HOW?" because I had been thinking that gratitude would be the way.) She continued on to say that awareness was a good place to start and that we should start to recognize when we slip into a place of fear or worry. Then we can say a prayer, meditate, take a walk in nature or do something that might lift our spirits and get us back to the love space.

Something sounded familiar. My instructor at The Muse had me close my eyes and practice twisting my leg around the fabric to get the feel for it in Silks class. Eventually, the movement will become instinctual and I will be able to do it in the air, without looking. (THAT'S important because it's an essential part of how you support your body weight as you climb. If you lose your footing, you'll want to regain it quickly, without thinking.)

AHA! So the spiritual training mirrors the physical training! It's just like practicing a physical movement. You get to know the feeling of it in the body as you practice. You become aware of the motion. It's like rehearsing a song too! While practicing, you get to know how the notes feel in your instrument; in your voice as you sing or in your hands as you play. In a similar way, we can pay attention to how we feel spiritually in a more specific way - fine tune our awareness. By paying attention to ourselves, our emotions, our instincts, we can notice if we begin to shift from a place of love... and practice ways to recover. What an incredibly important skill to learn! As we soar higher and higher, this spiritual practice will become our safety net. We'll be able to return to the love space instinctually!

I love it when everything all ties together! Here's to flying high!

xoxo!

Namaste,

T

Let It Be

"So in this dream... my mother appeared, and there was her face, completely clear, particularly her eyes, and she said to me, very gently, very reassuringly: "Let it be."

It was lovely. I woke up with a great feeling. It was really like she had visited me at this very difficult point in my life and gave me this message: Be gentle, don't fight things, just try and go with the flow and it will all work out."

- Paul McCartney

Click here for MattAndJojang's Blog: "The Story Behind Paul McCartney's Song: Let It Be."

Early in the week I had an "idea" day. They just started coming to me, so I wrote them all down. I remember having a lot of work to do, but the ideas just kept rolling in and I thought, "Ok... So, this is going to be a creative day." I went with the flow. Every time an idea came, I stopped to write it down. New thoughts for videos, songs, sayings to put with pictures in photoshop and business plans kept popping into my head.

As the week progressed, I kept busy. I made a "to do" list based off of the list of ideas and plowed through the tasks one by one. It was a great week! There was a fantastic gig in the city, a LOT got accomplished, and I managed to get the ball rolling on some great new ideas!

Things seemed to fall right into place.

At church, the minister talked about the process of setting intentions and manifesting what we desire in our lives. She made a clear distinction between going after what we want with forceful purpose, as opposed to relaxing, letting go, and simply allowing. I was reminded of how the ideas seemed to flow so naturally this week, and the amazing number of things I accomplished without feeling frustrated.

When I got home and began writing this, I started singing "Let It Be," so I looked it up and found the great story of its origins (posted above). Staring at me from the coffee table was a book I bought a few weeks ago: "What Do You Do With An Idea" (Written by Kobi Yamada, Illustrated by Mae Besom). I finally picked it up and read it. It is perfectly wonderful!

Click here for "What Do You Do With An Idea" on Amazon.com

"This is the story of one brilliant idea and the child who helps bring it into the world. As the child's confidence grows, so does the idea itself. And then, one day, something amazing happens. This is a story for anyone, at any age, who's ever had an idea that seemed a little too big, too odd, too difficult. It's a story to inspire you to welcome that idea, to give it some space to grow, and to see what happens next. Because your idea isn't going anywhere. In fact, it's just getting started."

- What Do You Do With An Idea, inside jacket cover

This week, I will notice the ideas as they come. I will give them some attention and take positive action toward their growth. I will relax and allow them to flow. I will let it be - and it will be...

Namaste,

T