January 2, 2012
I know my last post was back in 2009. It’s shameful and a little embarrassing. I will do better, this I promise.
Ok…. The New Year, well I will start with the old one. It was an interesting year. It felt like a whole lifetime passing in 12 months. Knowledge seemed to be the main theme. Lots and lots of ‘learning things’. On all planes, physical, mental, spiritual and whatever other planes I’ve left out. I know we learn all the time, but for some reason or another, there were very few repeat offenses. Is it age, that brings wisdom or have I viewed a particular episode in my life, so many times that I can mouth the words. As they say, time will tell.
On to the New Year. Lots of plans. I am excited about my new vocal workshop. In my conversations with the old schoolers in the industry about my workshop, the topic always came around to the state of ‘Jazz’. Some say ‘jazz’ is dead and that’s why there are fewer jazz clubs these days. Others say that people don’t play “real” jazz anymore and still others feel that it’s changing for the better, embracing hip hop, yadda, yadda, yadda? Everyone has an opinion. My opinion: to show my gratitude for all those that came before me and those great souls who were willing to share their knowledge, their talent, their life with me so that I could learn to enjoy and appreciate singing and performing. And not only that but at times, singing and performing is the most appropriate medicine for anything that ails me. To briefly sum it up, that’s why I’m excited about the series and also why I’m doing it in the first place. I want to share, what has been shared with me.
“Just as flowers open up and bear fruit, just as the moon appears and invariably grows full, just as a lamp becomes brighter when oil is added, and just as plants and trees flourish with rain, so will human beings never fail to prosper when they make good causes.” Nichiren Daishonin