Finding Your Inner Voice

As with many friends and colleagues, I have been very carefully trying to find clarity in my thoughts as of late. And for me, I have learned that scratching thoughts on a piece of paper in B&W gives them focus. This can be a shopping list for the grocery store or my patter for a cabaret set. It starts with a basic concept and then with editing becomes clearer to me, as I add more and scrap what does not sound authentic or true.

I use several outlets in my life and have found the value in What goes Where. I wouldn't write my shopping list on the back of a resume draft. Or my Google Playlist in a column beside my Christmas list... I will never be a novelist or a poet. But I do think that I certainly have a "unique voice." I was made aware of that from old cards and letters sent to family and friends. And this was further pointed out to me in early travelogues that were sent via emails from abroad. Others let me know they got a keen sense of the journey I had taken and felt it was shared personally with them. Fast Forward 10+ years.

I now have a Blog and have become a Twitter fanatic. But today I was mindful of how each is a different channel and how I have used them each to further a cause. I think there are plenty of misconceptions in the concept of Social Media and what is literally "thrown out to the world." Just like Music - one needs to find the right outlet for that Voice. Are you going to be a Pop Star and invest in American Idol or the Voice? Are you going to be a classical diva and study for a degree in Vocal Performance? Maybe the acoustic world is your milieu where you can share political beliefs by raising your voice in song. But the realization needs to be that each is a different voice nonetheless. Find Your Audience!

I believe that Facebook has become the ground zero for voices. From the miles of diatribe there, one can easily descend down that rabbit hole into a void that only infuses but does not usually pacify or even unify. For me, my Blog is a glimpse into my very personal life. It can be a small token of baking, a fascination with a current trend or like this, something that is profound to me. It is an opinion that is mine alone to share. Although not by invitation only, it is a choice to share in those thoughts. Facebook to me is a broadcast network. Mine is huge - high school friends, distant cousins, acquaintances from years back from every career I have pursued. It is a varied pool and allows me a glimpse into their lives and them into mine - with a photo or a keepsake. I don't pretend to use it as a platform to convert or vent. It is not therapy. Twitter has become my most recent outlet. And to me this is where I make myself heard. Often a political statement or a product endorsement. Occasionally a witty comment. But I feel like these short outbursts are meant to connect only with the few that choose to listen or hit directly to those I am trying to oppose. I do not kid myself that this is a platform to carry out a conversation. I have no real connection to these people I converge with. That is the wonder of 140 characters - I need to be concise and accurate. This has been a great lesson in editing for me. I am not the kind who appreciates long chains of Text Messages or even email threads. If I have something that important to share, let's talk at the table over a cup of coffee.

So give this a read - if you are one of those who chooses to peruse a bit deeper into who I am and what I'm trying to say. But please! Decide what it is you truly want to say and then think about who is your audience and get your message out. Otherwise we are merely howling at the moon to people who have no intention of truly listening to us.

Dogs in the House

In trying to find some joy in the frenzy of the election outcome, I am drawn to seemingly trivial things like baking, yoga & meditation, remaining flowers in the garden or of course animals. Things that bring me joy instead of stress.

#SidewalkDog always manages to send me feeds that are a distraction and a joy on their Twitter page. This recent article looked back over a century of pets in the White House while their families served in the Presidency. Not only is it the wonder of the animals, but it also gives a glimpse into the person that makes them just a bit more human as well. Bill Clinton with his adorable chocolate lab Buddy.

A normally stoic Lyndon Johnson howling with his Yuki.

Herbert Hoover with his handsome shepherd King Tut.

And of course the Kennedy clan with an entourage of misfits and mutts at hand. I wonder if Donald Trump has had dogs in his life....? Howard Taft even had a pet cow named Pauline! For a sweet diversion check out the entire link to the library.
Sidewalk Dogs: Presidential Pups 

Moving Forward

I am always being forwarded "inspiration" pieces from friends of mine. Most notably Mike Andrle. I tend to be a do-it-yourself kind of guy, so self-help books rarely hold my interest. I'll admit that it is my own arrogance that figures "I can do this all by myself!" But this is not to say that there aren't both peers and genius that continue to inspire me.

One was a review of a conversation between both Martha Graham and Agnes deMille. Both were true visionaries, miles ahead of their era who burst more than enough glass ceilings. The story goes that deMille had opened doors of opportunity with her landmark staging of Oklahoma! - which redefined American Musical Theater. All this despite a legacy of such works as Rodeo that had failed to find approval. She found the instant fame "unexpected, flamboyant and bewildering." This sent her into a cycle of doubt - "I had a burning desire to be excellent, but no faith that I could be."

Graham responded back with this profound statement. “There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open.”

Because of both my Virgo tendencies and my perfection nature as an artist, I find myself with some of these very same conflicts. Granted on a much smaller scale than these two! But often torn between reinventing myself, staying true to myself; and knowing the fine line between the two. Moving forward to new work at this point in my age - some of the same old demons will naturally resurface. But I must remind myself to rely on my gut feeling and instinct which are genuine and have gotten me to where I am today. It's just a matter of trust with determination.

Taking a Time Out from Non Profit work

Most have heard by now that tomorrow is my last day working at YPC. Many mixed feelings and the type of "change" that breeds trepidation but will likely yield some freedom and new possibilities. I have been to numerous conferences and panels about the downward spiral of the nonprofit world and I have to say I feel the pain of it mightily. All these great arts organizations that planted seeds in the 70s and 80s are now hitting their mid-life crises and the path to success has been far less frequent than hoped.

This excellent article in the Atlantic by Jonathan Timm sums it up far better than I am able. It is called the Plight of the Overworked Nonprofit Employee. Just as in the 1%, there is a huge disparity gap between the arts organizations that have become "institutions" and the other 90% who run on grunt work, will power and a worker bee hive of employees. It also alludes to an ironic gap between the core values of these groups vs. the way their own staffs are treated. It then points to how this leads to bizarre and unproductive decisions. This will be my 2nd job that has left me with mixed feelings. It becomes about treading water than actually moving forward. And it is ALWAYS at the sacrifice of the very manpower that is at the front of said organization. One conference last year called it the Hunger Games of Non Profits.

Atlantic article 

Give the article a read if you so desire. For me it is nothing that surprises or enlightens. Just that once you get OFF the merry-go-round and acclimate from the dizziness, your vision becomes a bit clearer with hindsight. I'm going to think very wisely before I jump back on board that ride.

the Rio Olympic Torch

Summer is always a time of both full days and nights. Much planned and even more that will be missed. The Olympics are on my radar but I have not given them much thought as they loom upon us. I do know they are being hosted in Brazil. And I am also aware of some of the chaos that is precluding them. Political impeachments. Building and transit infrastructures that are not complete or on track to be finished in time.

As I see each Olympic event dazzle and impress more than the last, I wonder if maybe we have set the bar so high that it becomes impossible to achieve. I am not sure if this is just the result of technology and culture. Or an unnecessary competition from one country to the next to out-do the former host. I know Minneapolis is gearing up for a Super Bowl in 2 years and already the buzz of hotel and event construction is at a fever pitch. And this for a single Day event. So I have no idea how Rio 2016 will stack up.

BUT, I have seen plans for the Torch and what they are calling the Solar City Tower. It is built on an island overlooking the city and is a beacon much like the Statue of Liberty in the harbor. 

• It is over 100 meters tall.
• It is a waterfall.
• It is an observation tower.
• It is solar powered and will generate electricity for the entire Olympic Village.
• It is a bungee jumping tower.
• It has an amphitheater and an auditorium.

It is also beyond amazing. Just the views itself practically make it the next world wonder. Look at the pictures yourself.

Mystery Boxes

Evryone should be well aware that I am person intrigued by problem solving. of course the usual crossword, but even more so geocaching, treasure hunts, jigsaw puzzles and anything inquisitive. The mystery becomes almost an addiction to solve.

So I was tipped off to this new crowdfunding for a new item called Mystery Cases by a company called Armchair Detective. I myself like something that is physical. But this is for those that like to sit and ponder a solver. It is kind of like a Russian doll with a box inside a box inside a box. And you keep using clues and riddles that will eventually take you further into the Pandora's Box. No idea how much they would cost, but sounds like they could be a winter diversion.

 

 

Drum Corps teaser trailer

This is the time of year when us loyal drum corps fans of all ages anxiously await the start of the current season. All winter we are fed both crumbs and rumors. Who has jumped ship re: staff. New mergers. Year of hiatus. New uniforms. Winter camp videos. But it is not until right around now that the buzz really leaks and we get a glimpse of how summer will unfold; Both DCA & DCI - World & Open. I continue to get excited about Soundsport and the cycle of new influx that seems to be taking wave.

Just like in a new relationship; this is the period of "limerance" where the shows are revealed, your heart tugs and you start to choose your wild cards.... Until scores start coming in or a disappointing viewing on the FanNetwork and you realize it sounded good on paper but somehow did not make the translation to the field.

I'm sort intrigued by bizarre tangents like the Academy's Corpse Bride or Boston Crusader's Quixotic based on La Mancha. Scout's Judas is garnering a lot of hype. I would also buy into Blue Devil's version of the Tempest with As Dreams Are Made On, SCV's Force of Nature or Carolina Crown's take on a spaghetti Westerns with Relentless. I'm even curious about Pioneer with Joan of Arc or Genesis Hell Hath No Fury. Then there are the esoteric one's like Blue Knights the Great Event or Cadet's the Awakening that sound pretty generic in print. Some will surprise I'm sure. I'm waiting for more of the All-ages to represent as well.

From the Junior Corps circle - here is the update list of 2016 Programs.
DCI Corps Programs 
From corpsreps - others that have been announced.
http://www.corpsreps.com/corpsreps.cfm?view=currentyear