What an amazing two days. I am on my way to Disney Hall, but for now here is a picture of the press conference from yesterday. Sarah MacLachlan, EmmyLou Harris, Miranda Lambert and co. 
Posted July 11, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Posted July 7, 2010 at 7:33 am
rainy day poem II
these water-words are made of rain;
elsewhere, of snow and ice your scent.
Our hurt is real but never meant
within confines of love's domain.
Beoynd a million crumbling walls
until the planets meet again
I may discover your abode
between the drops of morning rain
As if I was an astronaut,
I'll navigate the secret path;
I'll be a sparkling fish in flight
A hawk, a dolphin or a kite.
I sing to you because I know:
Truth lives within my heart's delight
The fear of living falls away
I feel the moment ebb and flow
These water-words are made of rain
I breathe them in – then let them go
They paint my window, speak my name
I wait. Until we meet again.
well I finally finished – or at least wrote more of it – the poem I started when it rained last. One simply can't write rain poems or songs when it's all sunshine outside.
I missed Neil Gaiman's appearance at the Royce Hall last night, which is sad. But I made a new friend – actually, two – and gave an impromptu concert. Then, as they walked me to the car, we ended up singing Monty Python songs, which, of course, was a moment to cherish *almost* as much as going to hear Neil Gaiman read. Actually, I have watched videos of him reading his work. A most excellent example of how silences are even more important than words – when telling a story or, mind you, singing a song. There is something to the thought that because so much of today's music is relentlessly enslaved to a beat of some sort, that it ends up losing some of its.. soul? Humanity? What is the word I am looking for?
We, as humans are physical, finite, and even our hearts beat at various rates at all times. I sometimes think that because by nature one is attracted to the opposite of oneself, we crave infinity, perfection, a beat that goes on and on and on. A reality we can control: cue in video games. A world that is alienly perfect, and a body that can fly through the air between huge trunks of exotic trees: Avatar. Pandora.
But can you truly love perfection? You can aspire to it, wish to possess it, admire it. But love?
I have to be careful in that sense, because I always seek to be better, make my music that much more perfect. Before I release it to the world. Mind you, there is nothing inherently wrong with perfection that comes from practice: the effortlessness. No, what I mean is: dressing up your truth to the point where it becomes unrecognizable, because you are afraid that otherwise you are not enough.. Not pefect.
I am coming to realize that I will be spending more time in the UK in the coming months. The rain doesn't bother me at all. If anything, I really think I will write my best songs there yet. Rain makes me go within, and it's then that I gain my best insights and stop looking outwards.
Posted July 1, 2010 at 6:42 am
tedxhollywood and random encounters of the ex kind.
I had a ball yesterday, participating in the event. The presentations were informative and amazing, as well. I also got to meet Curt Smith (of tears of fears, among other things) and it sounds like we will collaborate on a song. He was extremely gracious towards me.
I was also inspired and blown away by the photography presentation by Jay Mark Johnson. What he does is something called timeline – or spacetime – photography. I can't really – and probably shouldn't try to explain what it really is on here, but I do recommend his website and checking out the concept: it will make your mind spin, and in a good way. I love being exposed to things like this: areas where philosophy, art, poetry, science and technology are fused into one, without trying to negate one another.
When you go to the Artworks section of his site, you find yourself with a brilliant quote by William Blake:
“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things through the narrow chinks of his cavern.
– William Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
This photo below is one of his, and it is a shot of a dancer in motion. Simply amazing.
http://www.jaymarkjohnson.com/artworks/
Then, we were treated to a presentation by Rob Schwartz, who is the creative CFO for Chiat/Day, and the mastermind behind the recent Pepsi Refresh Campaign, which invests $$ into grants for community-oriented ideas around America. It reminded me of my friend and fan Geoff Cottrill, who has singlehandedly reinvented the Converse brand (I am very partial to it, especially because I got to do a music video for them last year and now own a gazillion multi-coloured converse kicks, hooray!), and it is also all branding centered around giving back, community, art and connection between people.
If you have a brilliant idea, go to the Pepsi website and submit it! You never know. My designer Missy (http://www.i102fly.com) and I were thinking of trying it out to raise some funds for a Cambodian orphanage she has been involved with for a while.
Curt Smith spoke about how his career and interactions with fans have been dramatically changed by the use of social media and played us a couple of collaborations that came from it, including one with an amazing cellist Zoe Keating. I'd love to meet her! Maybe now I will!!
All in all, it was a blast. I got to meet lots of new people and make fans. I also overdosed on free cupcakes. Sue me.
At the end, as we were leaving, there was someone walking down the parking lot alongside us, who complimented me on my performance. He looked familiar, but I could not place him. And all of a sudden it struck me: he was the neighbour to my ex's power boat where the two of us lived for a year or so, before we broke up and I moved out! When I pointed it out to him, he looked flabbergasted and said: oh wow. But you look so different now. (it was a positive). and your music is so much more… uh….
What a difference two years make. I drove away, whistling. Hello, new life. I am SO on top of it now:)
Tito Melega who organized the event and graciously invited me to perform, Melissa Washington (who styled me, equally graciously), and myself.
Posted June 28, 2010 at 4:30 am
nostalgia
I was told by an astrologer friend that this past weekend was a Lunar Eclipse in Capricorn
.
I am a Capricorn, by the way.
She was adamant that it would bring up insights, nostalgia, endings, new beginnings, tumult, tiredness, brilliant and/or painful realizations, potential pitfalls in status quo situations.
Well, I don't know. Maybe. Tiredness: check, some insights I am still trying to remember and write down, and a bit of nostalgia for a loud, red motorcycle I sold last year. Brought up by a friend's recent purchase, which was proudly shown off. Which was also red and loud. But not as Red and Loud as my former bike, of course, because it is impossible for a German to outshine an Italian when it comes to flash. (BMW vs. Docati). Of course reliability is a whole other matter..
I miss you!
highly coveted. A 1972.
Posted June 27, 2010 at 10:11 am
sunday night poems and ladybugs
I am home, writing down little and big insights of the past few days. I have to, otherwise I'll have to look for them, since they tend to scatter. There have been so many, recently. I may want to continue tomorrow moning, though, because I am rather sleepy.
Today, as I walked into a grocery store, I felt something behind my ear lobe. It felt like an earring nestling there. I put my hand there and it came away with a ladybug on it, which promptly flew away to the ceiling to sit there, and probably continue its nap.
It felt like a wonderful sign, somehow.
I am not afraid
Ok, maybe a little bit
but even if I am
it's just a temporary place.
Ok, maybe a little bit
but even if I am
it's just a temporary place.
This much I do know:
The straight lines and corners;
illusions that we make
and clothes we wear
to separate ourselves:
they are not us.
Now and then I get
this aching desire to let go
of everything I have ever learned
about who I am
where I am going
what I believe I want to sing.
There is something here
I keep seeing out the corner of my eye.
Perhaps, if I move sideways
instead of forward, or backwards
or stand still like a Witness Stone,
I will know what it is.
Regardless of the outcome
I still get weak at the knees
from the love
from the love
I feel for this world.
Tonight they are within me:
the knowing, the fear, the raw pleasure
of being human, alive,
steeped in magic, but fumbling:
Tonight they are within me:
the knowing, the fear, the raw pleasure
of being human, alive,
steeped in magic, but fumbling:
An apprentice.
(eik, 2010)
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