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August 25, 2010
Even though we don’t consciously think about it, all music is “transformational” which is why we use it to accompany so many aspects of our lives. At wedding ceremonies, for example, the music is romantic and emotive, which helps activate the tender places in our heart where we connect with love and longing. The music is also “stately” as we help to create a sense of purpose for the bridal party marching to the altar to witness and participate in the defining moment: the marriage ceremony. We are assisting in the energies of “transformation.”
At the party, the music is upbeat and happy, and is designed to move your soul and body in a harmonious dance of celebration and exuberance. The music, if done well, (prepared and led properly) is a catalyst for a different kind of transformation; a journey through a spectrum of energies and emotions; an evening where everyone is moved to some degree, and has participated in creating this harmonious experience together. This is not a concert or a show with a specific list of all songs to be played, but rather a moving “work in progress” that is facilitated by a trained and initiated Creative Maestro whose gift and goal is to INTUIT what the collective crowd needs for the co-creative experience of happiness, joy and transformation. Believe me, I know that most music providers for weddings are not aware of this, let alone studied and practiced in the art of “Intentional Music with Purpose,” the way we are at Starlight. But this is very real, and I use it as one example of how we may consciously use music for transformation.
Yet another example, and perhaps a more obvious one, is in the music that I am working with in my Vitamin V project. The first CD is called “Healing Music for Massage, Meditation and Transformation” and the goal is not only to uplift (which is really the goal of all of my musical endeavors) but also to help assist in the opening of a personal journey, unique to each person. Whether you are sitting in lotus position tapping into stillness, doing Tai Chi on the lawn, or lying quietly on a massage table, this music of transformation helps create a sense of calm and peace by using sounds and rhythms that affect the energy within and around us. The sound waves in the music can help us delve deeper, move higher, or perhaps even flow in a way we have not yet conceived of. Music of transformation.
So, a “Concert of Transformation,” back to my fantasy. I have been thinking about this for a long time, in one form or fashion. And I actually did a small version of this type of “musical gathering” in Sedona, Arizona earlier this year for my CD Release Concert. The concept is that the music is consciously geared toward creating a personal experience of transformation for everyone present, both individually and collectively. The energies embedded in the sounds are meant to have a transformative and, if you will, “healing” and uplifting affect on all present. And by using your own focus and intentions, any of your thoughts, desires and wishes can be strengthened and amplified by consciously “tuning into” and using the group energy being created in the environment. It might sound a little “woo-woo,” but believe me, this is the Art of the Future, and a viable modality of Holistic Healing Arts for health and wellness. Not to mention blissful and enjoyable!
I always pictured having concerts like these in beautiful outdoor venues, such as the Villa Rufolo in Ravello, Italy, which is perched high above the Amalfi coast overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
As we begin the event, we ring soft bells and create sounds with Crystal bowls, whose waves gently affect our minds, hearts and souls. Slowly we introduce rhythms and textures, adding melodies and layers of harmonies, and set the stage for people to go both deeper and higher, enjoying the peace, finding their own rhythm in the stillness. As we progress, more elements are added and the tempo and timbre escalates, weaving energetic and uplifting sounds with the Intentional Soundscapes. World beats, exotic instruments, and intuitive musicians guide us through the journey of sound and life. We find our way to a peak of good feeling, rockin’ fun music, joyful and uplifting. No two concerts are identical, no audience has the same experience, every event is a unique occurrence. The performers are all deeply creative masters, whose contribution is to blend their musicality with their intuition, bringing forth a new genre of sound-entertainment-experience, with an emphasis on feeling good! This is the world of Vitamin V, this is my concept of actively engaging in the “Music of Transformation.” Sounds good to me!
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August 25, 2010
The Starlight Theatre in Kansas City! I had never heard of this place until today. I was checking my Web Analytics and saw that if you “Google” a certain theatrical production in Kansas City, you find your way to my Starlight Experience website instead. I decided to check it out, and found that there is a beautiful building for c0ncerts as well as Broadway-style shows with the same as name as mine! The theatre was originally built in 1925 when the Queen of Rumania came to Kansas City, and the KC Federation of Music organized a showcase of local talent for the Queen that was also open to the public. The theatre was built and rebuilt over the years, with a large donation from Jerry Lewis in 1958. Today it houses such productions as “The Producers” and “Dream Girls” and concerts by Earth, Wind and Fire, Jackson Brown, Bob Dylan, and Pat Benatar this summer alone! Of course I had an immediate wild fantasy of doing a “Starlight on Starlight” evening; bringing my Starlight Experience to do a concert there, as well as to perform a set by my original band “Vitamin V!” While I am on my fantasy, I will say that the flip side to performing the uptempo rockin dance music that Starlight does, is the “Transformational Experiential” music that I do as “Vitamin V.” Well, this invites a brief explanation and look into my concept of “experiential (or transformational) music.” So….. scroll up for the next blog post , where I talk about “Transformational Music.” And meanwhile, if you’re ever in Kansas City, see a show at the Starlight Theatre.
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July 22, 2010
As I sat down this morning to write what I wanted to accomplish and create for myself, I was taken with how trivial some of these things seemed once I put them on paper. Of course I need to tend to these details of business and life, like finding the right office space for my company to thrive in, finding the resources to create new promotional tools and other things like that. I have taken the suggestion of Esther Hicks, as she speaks about “the Law of Attraction” and the practice of making two columns on a piece of paper, one called “Me To Take Care Of,” and the other “Universe to Take Care Of.” On the “me” side, I write everything that I need to do, and on the other side, I write all of the things that I would like to manifest, to unfold, to set forth my intentions and then let Life do its magic. With this practice, I try to be as specific as possible, yet to also leave room for possibilities that I cannot even imagine, and the belief that anything is possible. It has been said that “the universe recreates itself according to your picture of reality.” With that said, it is important to focus on positive things, on the dreams of how great life can be, and use that as a guiding image. It is definitely an exercise in positive thinking! So this morning as I wrote in my “universe column,” I was stuck how simple and small were the things I was asking for. As often winds up happening in this practice, I switch gears and begin writing how I want to feel in my life (happy, peaceful, exuberant) and the more abstract manifestations like joy, love, creative fulfillment and abundance. Not to mention lots of CD sales* and lots of great performances to play**!
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*In case you are new to the world of Vitamin V and don’t know about my new CD, I have recently released “Healing Music for Massage, Meditation and Transformation.” Visit my Facebook page to read comments about the CD
** In case you are new to the world of Starlight Orchestras, I produce and perform with a 15+-piece dance band called “The Starlight Experience.”
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July 10, 2010
Today I randomly found my way to the blog of someone in a friend-of-a friend’s network. The title caught my eye, so I clicked on the link and was delighted to find a most wonderful article written about giving gratitude. I had just recently written a blog post called “Giving Gratitude for Tonight’s Performance,” and the concept was on my mind. I was inspired to leave a rather long “response” to Michele Mattia’s article called Opening Doors by Giving & Receiving Gratitude, which I copied and pasted below.
“What a beautiful article and an important message… I have found that giving gratitude, both outwardly and also in a private personal way, is not only a great practice, but also helps to create MORE of what we are grateful for. I believe that the more we think about what we are happy with and thankful for, the more we attract that to ourselves. Sometimes when I am in between sleep and wakefulness, I lie with my eyes closed and put my attention on what I am grateful for. Kind of like a mental “thank you list.” As I think of each thing, it creates a new sense of joy, a burst of “goodness.” It is like reliving what feels good. I find that this is a wonderful meditation. When I get up, I will often reach out to the people who came to my mind, and share the gratitude that came up for me.
What a way to start the day. It is like remembering the best of yesterday, and using it as a platform to build upon on this new day.
Thanks again for the great words. I am glad I just happened upon Twitter this afternoon and saw the link to your blog post.”
October 15, 2009
I am a big believer in the “no right and wrong” philosophy. There is (usually) not just one way to do or look at something. It is important to determine what experience you want to have, and then make the choices that will lead you to that experience. So while a decision is not “wrong” in a general sense , it may be the wrong one if you are looking for a specific outcome. Let’s say, for example, that you were planning a dinner party at your home, and you wanted the evening to be very relaxed and casual. It would be the “wrong” choice to ask guests to come dressed in black tie. If you were a planning an elegant Saturday night wedding in a ballroom of a metropolitan hotel, however, it could be “right” to ask guests to wear black tie.
No right and wrong. Please know I am not talking about moral issues here, as I also believe in always being extremely kind and caring toward our fellow creatures. But with regard to choices, about the way things are “usually done,” about how we navigate through our lives, how we celebrate our milestones, how we throw our parties, I subscribe to a school of thought that encourages us to find what brings us the most joy, and continues to make the choices that lead us there. Determine what we want to accomplish, then set a course for it; previously chartered or not.
No right and wrong, although we can certainly benefit from guidelines and formulas that have been successfully used before, which can be modified to fit our unique perspective.
Let’s tie this into the “music for weddings and parties” theme, since this is the Starlight Orchestras Blog! While planning your events, I recommend doing your research on how things are commonly done, and then making your own decisions based on what makes sense to you and what would please you the most. It really does not have to be any particular way. If you find that you lean toward ideas that are not in the mainstream, then be sure to choose vendors who are flexible and open. (By “vendors” I refer to event planners, music providers, caterers, designers/florists, photographers etc.)
Remember, life is like a big buffet, with a huge variety of experiences to choose from. What makes life so indescribably delicious is that there is no end to the possibilities, no end to the choices we can make. As a matter of fact, we can continue to make the same choices and continue to have the same experiences, or we can choose new options and change our life experience. Every day, every moment is a new opportunity to create our selves and create our lives, and while we’re at it, why not create fabulous events as well?
October 3, 2009
Here is a very interesting quote that I want to share with you. It was posted this week by Esther and Jerry Hicks, who teach the principles of “The Law of Attraction” and have written several best-selling books. I am very inspired by their philosophies; their slant toward positive thinking and focusing our attention on our desires has helped me to create a rich and vibrant life.
“There is a big mix out there, and there’s lots of different things going on, and there is not one way that was intended to be the right way. Just like there’s not one color or one flower or one vegetable or one fingerprint. There is not one that is to be the right one over all others. The variety is what fosters the creativity. And so you say, ‘Okay, I accept that there’s lots of variety, but I don’t like to eat cucumbers.’ Don’t eat cucumbers. But don’t ask them to be eliminated and don’t condemn those who eat them. Don’t stand on corners waving signs trying to outlaw the things that you don’t like. Don’t ruin your life by pushing against.Instead, say, ‘I choose this instead. This does please me.’ “
Visit Esther and Jerry’s website at www.abraham-hicks.com
September 4, 2009
Trying to be objective is a lot of work: life is full of potential conflicts due to all the different points of view that we have. If an event occurs there are at last 3 ways to look at it; how you saw it, how I saw it, and what really happened. Every time you add another person into the mix, there is another viable and relevant point of view. Each can be completely different, none of them are wrong, and all have points of truth. Misunderstandings abound as people tend to focus on their own perspective and they compile as much “evidence” as they can In order to support their position. Imagine instead if we all assumed there would be value in uncovering the different perspectives of all concerned, and put ourselves for a moment in the shoes, minds and hearts of the others. Ask oneself, “if that were me, what would I be feeling?” In a certain frame of mind, this is not hard to do. But it does require that we put our own staunch posture on the side, if even for a brief few moments, and expand our horizon by exploring another person’s perspective. We are often unwilling to do this for any number of reasons; it wasn’t taught to us, we feel that it is not reciprocal, that no one will be thinking of us and advocating for our feelings, so why should we abandon our post and try to empathize with someone else. To that I say, big changes are made with small steps, one at a time. A river is formed by mere droplets. If we can see ourselves not only as the center of our own universe, but also as a system that orbits and intersects with others, we can begin to find the understanding, compassion, and objectivity that can create harmonious worlds.
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