Meanwhile...

While I was packing and unpacking and repacking and traveling AGAIN, this was airing on WKBW:

Click here for: "Couple shares their passion for music working for American Idol" on WKBW.com

It's after 3am (technically Tuesday morning), but I just got in and so now is when I'm posting.

Here's to all the singers who auditioned and to those with upcoming auditions! Have a fantastic journey.  :)

Namaste,

T

Back to Basics

I have a cold. I hate to complain, but it's been a little bit miserable. Today, as the world seemed to have gone crazy on the news, I was exhausted and dehydrated so I turned everything off and lay down for a much needed nap.

I woke to find more depressing news coming from the television with hopelessness, anger and tragedy occurring all over the world. I had no idea what to blog about. I let the dogs out and ate dinner. Earlier in the week, I started to read a Charles Dickens book (a Collection of Christmas Stories) where I found some inspiration in the introduction and thought I might try revisiting that for some uplifting blog material. Then the phone rang.

It was a friend who was on a long road trip home for the holidays. She had been passing the time by trying to harmonize to a Simon & Garfunkel song, Bridge Over Troubled Water, and had gotten stuck near the 3 minute mark. It was driving her crazy and she wanted help figuring out the harmony. Alright.

I pulled up the version she had been listening to and was ready to dissect the harmony when I realized there wasn't any until the end. It turned out that she had been inventing her own harmony. I had to hear what she had been doing. She sang along and I listened. When we got to the end, we came up with a vocal part that was consistent with what she had been creating up to that point. When the harmony on the track came in, she wanted to invent a third note instead of singing along with what was already there. We had so much fun!

She is not a professional singer and it was not work. It was play. It was a nagging problem for her that we solved together. We had a riot trying out different notes, dealing with the cell phone delays and the humor of the situation. Soon after we finished, she reached her destination. So did I.

My focus had changed. I had turned off the news and worked on something creative. My cold didn't seem as miserable and I had a revived spirit. (Smile.) It was just what I needed. It was also in perfect alignment with the song's meaning.

Click here for "Bridge Over Troubled Water" on Songfacts.com

Things can get intense this time of of year. Carving out a little space for reading a book and singing a song proved to be the perfect thing for me. As we all go crazy getting ready for the holiday - cooking, cleaning, traveling, standing in line, spending too much money, getting colds and feeling worn out, here's wishing we can all find our own space for peace.

There are always those precious moments. There are those times when we see old friends, when we give or receive the perfect gift, when we smile at the joy of a child on Santa's lap, or that moment of gratitude when the tree seems perfectly magical. There's the humor in typical family squabbles and the warmth of laughter - plenty of good spirit to be found if we look for it. In addition to all of those things, there are those quiet moments in our own heart when it's just us with ourselves. Here's hoping we smile when we are there.

Wishing you all the peace and joy of a beautiful holiday... Merry Christmas. Happy Hanukkah.

Namaste,
T

I had the pleasure of singing background vocals for this version - behind Jacob on American Idol

Coming Out of the Blender...

Hi Everybody!  It’s so good to be back!  Whew – what a whirlwind I have been in…

Let’s see… we moved to L.A. with our two dogs, I became a vocal arranger for the number one show in America, worked as a vocal producer for the record company (one of the biggies) affiliated with the show, we lost both of our cars (one to a freak accident while it was parked overnight, one to a costly repair job that just wasn’t worth it), packed up our entire apartment in a day, said goodbye to all of the most wonderful people that we’ve worked and lived side by side with over the last four months who have become our family, shipped a pick-up truck full of boxes through FedEx, installed a trailer hitch on my new car and rented a trailer, hauled our butts back across the country in five days after twice having to stop for antibiotics because we both got sick, arrived back in New York in time for Russell’s rehearsal for the Apollo Theater’s Spring Benefit Gala, unpacked and returned the trailer, and went to the vet for the dog’s heartworm medication.

On the way to L.A.

Sadie and Bentley outside our apartment door in L.A.

Me and Russ at the studio

With Ray Chew of "Ray Chew Live"

With Napoleon and Tabitha of "Nappytabs"

With some of our favorite studio guys... Pete, Jose and Phil

Bye to our lovely little courtyard... and little doggie friends...

"Bye for now" to our GREAT neighbors... Robert and Dan

Sadie and Bentley trying to drive us home

Can I take a nap now?

:)

It was a strange sensation coming home.  After being gone so long, and working so hard in what felt like another life, home felt almost like a stranger.  I just stood and looked around the house, taking it all in for a few minutes thinking, “I remember this place.”  Maybe it’s time to move from here – our other place near Buffalo feels so much more like home for me.  Well, that’s another story.

Thank you for understanding my absence for a little while.  This sure is a crazy life.  There are times when I wish for a steady, predictable, safe and comfortable lifestyle where I can just rock on the front porch, drink lemonade and read a book.  Maybe I could go to the farm stand and buy some corn to cook up for dinner… Maybe I’ll hitch up the trailer and take that old snowblower in to Monte’s Small Engine Repair to get it all tuned up and purring like a kitten. 

In short, I can hardly wait to get “home” home again.  I’m watching “American Pickers” on the History Channel and dreaming of the “sometime soon” when I can get back to my Western New York, small town roots.

At "Panama Rocks" last year

Xoxo

Much Love,

T

Bentley's Letter: A Dog's "Thank You"

Hi All!  Happy Holidays!  Usually I write these blogs myself, but Bentley's letter was so cute (he asked me to check it for spelling mistakes),  I just wanted to share...  Bentley is the dog that ran out into the road and stopped directly in front of our car while we were en route to the finale of "American Idol" earlier this year.  We ultimately adopted him from the shelter in South L.A.
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Dear All the Nice People at the South L.A. Animal Shelter,

Hi.  My name is Bentley, but you wouldn’t know me by that name.  I myself didn’t even know it was my name until recently.  They call me other names too you see, and so it was a little confusing at first.  Even now I sometimes answer to “good boy,” “Bent,” “hi cutie,” and “puppy.”  I know now though, that the name is Bentley.  She has a mirror in the bedroom and I saw it printed on my nametag.   Anyway, you would have known me as “Lab/Shar Pei mix” followed by a bunch of numbers that I do not remember.

I wanted to drop you a line to let you know how things are going.  You all seemed so excited when they came and visited me.  I’ll never forget when you moved me to another room and rang a bell yelling, “Adoption!”  I didn’t really understand what it meant at the time.  It was scary at first.  After I went to that new room I traveled to a scary place that smelled like medicine and I got very tired.  I woke up groggy and wasn’t sure what was happening for a while, but eventually things settled down.  I thought I’d better write you before I forget.

I do forget things.  For example, I don’t remember a lot of my life before they came to get me.  I remember bits and pieces but… well, I’ll save all that for another time.  I mostly remember the important things, things like chicken and some of my Ninja moves, but that’s another story.  Maybe it’s not so much that I forget as much as it is that I just don’t think of those times very often.

What I really want to do is thank you.  I know you took good care of me and that you work hard taking care of a lot of us (I watch the “Animal Planet” channel when they leave me alone and I’ve learned a lot) and well, I thought you would appreciate knowing where I am now.  First of all, let me just clarify that they don’t leave that channel on when they leave.  They actually don’t often leave me alone, but when they do they like to let me watch Nickelodeon.  I’m sure they think the animal station is too depressing, but I have learned how to use the remote.  Anyway, they are very nice people and say they love me.  I believe them.  I can tell by the way they take care of me, try to teach me and by the way they pet me.  The girl’s name is Tan (pronounced TAHN and short for Tanya apparently) and the guy’s name is Russ (short for Russ Grammie).

When I first went with them, I didn’t feel very well.  I was very tired and didn’t feel much like myself.  We were in a place called a hotel for a number of days until I was well enough to fly.  When I first arrived in New York though, I still didn’t feel very well.  They took me to a place called “the vet” and it turned out I had an infection and another infection too.  I had surgery and took medicine for my cough.  I hated wearing that cone but when it finally came off I was very excited.  They took me to another house (it turns out that they have three houses – well, one is a place called “mom’s”) and I met my sister Sadie.  She’s a black and white Aussie and we get along great!  She loves to play and knows EVERYTHING!  I generally listen to her and do what she says.  I figure that she knows what’s best.  The only time I really don’t listen to her at all is if I see a squirrel or if I am running toward my food bowl.  I’m just too distracted to listen to ANYONE then.  Although the Tan and Russ are trying to get me to listen to them NO MATTER WHAT.

They brought me to a school and I met a lady named Dottie.  She is in charge of my lessons but Tan and Russ are the ones who hold my leash.  They all think I get overly excited when I see squirrels and other dogs so they have me taking private lessons before they let me participate in a “class.”  I don’t really know what that is, but I’m sure I’ll find out soon.  I like other dogs, I just can hardly wait to get over to them and say “hi.”  Sometimes they just don’t get it.  I mean, there is a certain sense of urgency in greeting other dogs – and I have to sniff them and pee on something right away.  I have been slowing down though – and they seem to like that so I guess I’ll keep doing it.

I’ve learned a lot of words in their language too.  I know how to “sit” and how to “down.”  I also know “wait,” “shake,” “stay” and “go for a walk outside.”  When it’s time for “do you want some food” I run into “your crate” and sometimes I get a “bone” or a “toy.”  I know how to “go get it,” but squirrels are sometimes more interesting than finding the “ball.”  I don’t mind confessing that sometimes I forget the words and cheat.  If that happens I can either try guessing or just look at Sadie and copy her.  Like I said, she knows everything.

It’s starting to get cold here in New York, so Tan bought me a coat.  I like it.  It’s warm.  OH, and GUESS WHAT!  It snows here.  White stuff comes down from the sky and rests on the ground.  You can eat it AND run in it.  It’s amazing all the different things there are.  I really like the deer too, but they won’t let me get too close to them. 

                          

They are nice people.  You would like them.  They are something called “musicians.”  They work on shows, play music, and go to the studio.  I’ve been there.  It’s ok.  I like the lake house better and the woods, but I meet nice people everywhere and the guys in the studio give me plenty of “treats.”  I have “Graham-parents.”  Those are Russ’s mom and dad.  Tan’s mom is just called “Mom.”  She lives with a Joe and an Angela too when she’s home from a place called college.  Sometimes we stay at her house.  That’s always fun because there’s another dog there named Lexi.  She’s an Aussie like Sadie but much bigger and somewhat older.  She doesn’t like to play much but still gets excited sometimes.  OH!  I forgot to tell you that my Graham-parents have a BIRD!  Have you ever heard of such a thing!?  It lives in a cage right in the house!  I don’t really understand why I can’t chase it, but fine.

Anyway, things are going well for me.  They let me nap on the couch even though I have my own bed and a crate.  I curl up with Sadie sometimes and that’s nice.  I guess it doesn’t really matter if I remember everything about my old life anyway.  Like I said, I do remember the important things and I am quite happy with the way things are now.

Thanks for making sure I went to go live with nice people.  I was down on my luck a little when you last saw me.  Things are definitely looking up now.  Tan always smiles when I wag my tail so I’ve been doing it more and more.

Thanks again – for everything.

Sincerely,

Bentley Graham


http://www.laanimalservices.com

http://www.humanesociety.org/
http://www.aspca.org/