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November 10, 2011
 REFLECTIONS: THE YOGIC JOURNEY OF LIFE (Music by Valerie Romanoff, Words by Tao Porchon-Lynch)
 When I was asked to compose the music to accompany Tao Porchon-Lynch’s yogic meditations and poems, I was honored and delighted. 93 year old Tao is a much celebrated yoga master, traveling throughout the world teaching yoga and touching lives. I produced a CD to accompany her new book Reflections: the Yogic Journey of Life which was released a few months ago. Our CD is included on the current Grammy ballot, where NARAS academy members will vote to determine the final Grammy nominations in each category!!! Tao has been a dear friend for many years, and we are both thrilled and excited about this project and our collaboration. The CD is available at www.valrockmusic.com, And the book at www.createspace.com/3585753
Read more about Tao
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May 21, 2011
 I recently wrote a “what’s new” post about Starlight Orchestras, and I also wanted to share what’s been going on in the world of my original music. Between Music for Yoga as well as the recent Meditation Music, and developing the concept of Vitamin V; my record company Valrock Music has some interesting projects..
-One of my songs “Rachel’s Knoll” was chosen to be in a feature film called “Sedona Movie” (with Frances Fisher) which aired at the Sedona Film Festival in February. What a thrill to be at the festival and to get another trip to Sedona.
-My album “Healing Music for Massage, Meditation and Transformation” is now being played on Sirius XM Radio, on the Spa channel! Listen to samples at www.valrockmusic.com
 -We are about to release a CD of guided meditations (with music, of course!) to accompany the new book by 92 year old Yoga Master Tao Porchon-Lynch, called Reflections: The Yogic Journey of Life. (Tao appeared with the Dalai Lama last week at the Newark Peace Summit and is currently producing a movie about the birth of Yoga.)
-On that note, Tao has asked me to perform my song “Jai Jaya Ram” in her new movie. We are filming this weekend! Also in the movie will be an 18 minute instrumental piece that I composed specifically for Tao’s Yoga classes, called “Music for Vinyasanas.”
All of the original music will be available for downloading at www.valrockmusic.com
-Just a quick mention of our newest concept VITAMIN V, which infuses a full spectrum of music to enhance the varying phases of our lives. I am excited to share more about that in the coming months. But for now, consider and remember be STILL, get CHILL, and have a THRILL!
These and lots of other new projects are in the works, and I look forward to sharing more as they unfold.
Click here for more recent news about Starlight Orchestras.
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November 8, 2010
My passion is music, using music to uplift and to affect change. With my company Starlight Orchestras the music is energetic and encourages celebration. With my Vitamin V project, the music is broadly oriented toward “transformation.” Here are some thoughts about this…
Transformational Music – the Music of Transformation
Intentional Music: using music to consciously modify your moods and energy patterns.
Music as Medicine: using music to affect whatever ails you. You can approach this as preventative medicine (using music and sound to maintain balance and wellness in your mind, body, spirit) OR as one tool in your collection of remedies* for whatever ails you.
(*vitamins, herbs, supplements, Chinese Medicine, nutritional therapy, psycho-spritual counseling, biofeedback, energy medicine, pharmaceuticals, acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy, massage and other bodywork, and now Music as Medicine – AKA “Transformational Music”)
Vitamin V-
Vitamin V is the growing collection of music by Valerie Romanoff, designed to affect and stimulate different types of moods and healing affects in your mind, body, spirit.
The spectrum of Vitamin V is divided into three usable categories: Still, Chill and Thrill.
“Get STILL” – These musical pieces and soundscapes are designed to accompany you on your inner journey; stillness on the surface yet approaching the magical depths within. This music might be used for massage, meditation, reiki, acupuncture and other healing modalities, and as an aid to sleep, rest and relaxation. Tibetan bells, crystal singing bowls affect our brainwaves and lay the groundwork for deep relaxation.
“Enjoy a CHILL” - The vibrations of harmony, melody and rhythm stimulate our energy centers (chakras), and creates a flow of “life-force” throughout our entire being. The musical selections in this category offer a flavorful pulse with which to activate our “chi” and carry us through the activities of our life. To use while doing yoga, as a backdrop while working, as a soundtrack in your home, whilst driving, during intimate gatherings, while being in nature, and to inspire creativity at any time, the “chill” segment offers vitality while simultaneously soothing the spirit.
“Find a THRILL” – Excitement, exuberance and energy are inspired when we rev up the beat! These selections accompany and carry us on the fast track. We have rested, journeyed inwards, walked in rhythm throughout our day, and now it is time to let loose and let go! Whether we celebrate life by dancing, singing, partying with friends, the “Thrill” music innervates and empowers the potential of who we truly are.
Sample the music on the valrockmusic website! www.valrockmusic.com
follow our Facebook page for “Healing Music for Massage, Meditation and Transformation” at www.facebook.com/HealingMusicCD
“Both of Valerie Romanoff’s CD’s have been getting steady ‘air play’ here at Soma Space in Larchmont for months now. The best part of this “Vitamin V” stuff is that the songs are like an energetic xylophone that I can use to help clients get STILL, enjoy a CHILL, or find a THRILL vibe while we work on the table. I smile when I think of people finally tossing out that tired Enya stuff and letting Valerie’s tracks dance on their nerves. So whether you’re jet lagged, henpecked or just another poor sap stuck commuting to and from NYC, play this stuff & get a positive push!”
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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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June 4, 2010
I was delighted to hear from one of the metaphysical book and music stores in Sedona, Arizona called the Golden Word, that they sold out of my CDs and wanted more to restock their shelves! Okay, so they didn’t really have all THAT many to begin with, but it was still a great phone call and prompted a much needed/wanted trip to Sedona!
 Valerie Romanoff re-stocking "Healing Music" CD at the Golden Word Books & Music in Sedona In addition to running a business all these years (Starlight Orchestras, of course!) it is so different to be marketing my new original music projects that go under the heading of “Vitamin V,” which is geared toward music of upliftment, wellness, healing and transformation. (My next blog post will print a review of the Vitamin V concept from a well respected “healer dude” who uses my music in his treatment sessions.)
Anyway, the trip to Sedona was partly R&R, and partly a thrust to get my CD placed in more stores and wellness centers. I am happy to report that a yoga instructor at Mii Amo spa used my CD in her class, and then the Spa agreed to carry it in their boutique. A massage therapist used my CD in her massage sessions, and the gift shop at Enchantment Resort took some CDs to sell. Plus, Mystical Bazaar and Golden Word (who play the CD in their “in-store” rotation) each took more CDs, and The Healing Garden treatment center asked for some as well.
I must say, I was honored to see my CD on the shelf next to music by Deva Premal, Krishna Das, Jai Uttal, Jaya Lakshmi, Manose, and the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo De Silos!
 Valerie Romanoff's Healing Music CD next to Jai Uttal, Jaya Lakshmi, Krishna Das, Deva Premal My dear friend Tao Porchon-Lynch, who has recently been called the “Grand Dame of Hatha Yoga” and uses my CD for her classes, just took a box of CDs on her recent trip to the Satchidananda Ashram “Yogaville” in Buckingham, Virginia. (Please feel free to visit www.valrockmusic.com to hear previews of the material, and to order CDs or downloads.)
Meanwhile, in Sedona, I went to hear pal Jesse Kalu perform his bamboo flute concert, and visited buddy Anthony Mazzella performing his virtuoso solo guitar at L’Auberge, both of whom played with me (with Vitamin V) at my CD Release Show in March!
 Valerie Romanoff and Anthony Mazzella at L'Auberge in Sedona
May 18, 2010
Isn’t it incredible to try new things, step out of your comfort zone, reinvent yourself, take chances? This past weekend I did something unusual for me. I arranged to perform live and acoustic music at an educational symposium for the TCM community (Traditional Oriental Medicine) at the Many Path One Medicine Conference in New York City. I asked my friend Tom Rossi to participate, as he worked with me on my “Healing Music CD,” and he was part of the band I took to Sedona in March for my CD Release show. Tom is also very involved with what he calls “Medicinal Music,” and does wonderful work playing for Hospice patients and their families. My idea was to bring an element of live music to the conference, to help set the space and create a peaceful environment, as well as to demonstrate how certain types of music and sounds can actually facilitate the healing process, the learning process, the opening, the balancing, the centering, and all of the ways in which healers work and patients participate. The first piece of music on my CD, “Healing Music for Meditation, Massage and Transformation” was originally conceived as a tool for the acupuncturists to help them tune into their higher guidance and to open the channels of intuition. As the rest of the album unfolded, my intention was to create music that would encourage and enhance one’s journey deep within. For the conference, Tom and I decided that we would collaborate and perform improvisational music that reflected the spirit of both of our solo albums. He played a very beautiful instrument called the Kora, a 26-string African harp. I played acoustic guitar and brought a small little amplifier. For anyone who knows me, this is quite a departure from my usual gig. No roadies, no truck full of gear, no backup singers, no 15 piece band, no electric guitar; just me and the acoustic and Tom and the Kora and 2 little amps. Wow! Liberating! Scary. Beautiful. Gentle. Something new.
After each set, we sat at our vendor table and sold our CDs to the attendees at the conference. Many massage therapists and healing practioners were happy to find new music to use for their sessions, and many other folks were enthusiastic to find new and peaceful music to add to their collections. The weekend was a wonderful experience.
My original music can be sampled and downloaded at www.valrockmusic.com
Please join the www.facebook.com/valrockmusic page for updates and tidbits.
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March 15, 2010
Valrock Music Presents: The Debut of Valerie Romanoff and Vitamin V, and the Release of the New CD, “Healing Music for Massage, Meditation and Transformation”
I am back in New York after spending 2 weeks in Sedona, Arizona both preparing for and then relaxing after my CD Release Show. I have been giving much thought to how I want to post and write about the experience; the evolution and preparation, the formation of a new band, the bonding and camaraderie of everyone involved during the entire weekend’s events, and or course, the performance itself. The more I think about it, the more I realize that there is enough material to write an entire book; which I might do someday, as I have been journaling throughout this whole process!
Today is Saturday March 13, 2010 and I am back home in New York, sitting in front of a beautiful fire and watching the rain falling and snow melting up in Northern Westchester. A good day to start my story.
I log onto Facebook and am delighted to see my bandmates posting photos of the trip, of the gig, tagging each other in performance shots, writing comments on each other’s walls and generally enjoying the connection of having made new and special friends. It was an amazing weekend and an amazing group of people; just being in Sedona is magical in itself. Life has a different quality out there in the red rocks; experiences are heightened, issues and feelings tend to come to the surface, and the connections (especially between ourselves and whatever we believe in) are felt more deeply.
People have asked me, “Why Sedona?”
I am not sure which question they are asking.
Why do a show in Sedona? Why have I been going out there, making pilgrimages for the past twenty years? Why do I bring people to Sedona; family, friends, my bandleaders, my collaborators and colleagues?
Sedona has been a magical place of inspiration for me, a place where I feel a strong connection to whatever I search for, a place to “charge” and strengthen my intentions and desires. In the past, I would go to Sedona to do my “inner work” and then come back to New York to implement and manifest the new ideas.
Over the years, and throughout my trips to Sedona, I co-founded Starlight Orchestras and Productions (1991), I created my own band (The Valerie Romanoff Starlight Orchestra- 1993), I found and trained new bandleaders in the Starlight brand, and I developed and co-produced a line of successful spin-off bands. In 2000 I completed a three-year training program in mind-body-spirit psychotherapy. In 2001 I took over sole ownership of Starlight, and re-branded as a “women owned and operated” business. I created “The Starlight Experience” in 2003 as an alternative to headline entertainment, and have enjoyed performing with this 17-piece ensemble all over the country at some of the nation’s most prestigious events.
In between the busy gigging seasons, I would visit Sedona to “recharge and rejuve” and call forth new energies to infuse in my work.
Somewhere during the past few years, I began getting ideas for my own original music, and what an eclectic mix it turned out to be! I started a music publishing company called Valrock Music Group, and at the end of 2009, I released my first CD called “Healing Music for Massage, Meditation and Transformation.” This was a bridge for the different interests and aspects of my life to come together; for in the past, my pursuits of self- transformation and the inner journey seemed quite separate from my music career. Now, in 2010, it seemed that the time had come for me to finally integrate the many different parts of myself into one! To bring the music and healing work together, to bring my music and performance to Sedona, to bring new York musicians with me, to perform my transformational music with a live ensemble, to present my new band, Vitamin V and play my original music: funky, rockin and always uplifting, all speak to a new beginning and an exciting journey ahead. To do a concert of this kind feels like a culmination of my life’s work, and the beginning of a new and exciting chapter of my life!
I have begun a series of articles here on my blog about the planning process of the CD Release Show which was in Sedona, Arizona on March 6, 2010, the evolution of Valrock Music and all the projects therein. For now, you can visit www.valrockmusic.com to listen to the music, and visit www.facebook.com/valrockmusic (please join) to read the latest posts and to write your own comments. As always, I invite you to enter remarks here as well.
I am having the best time with these new projects, I am so grateful for the involvement of such wonderful people (I will name them in the next post), and I can’t wait to perform more of this new music.
March 15, 2010
Valrock Music Presents: Part 2 The Debut of Valerie Romanoff and Vitamin V, and the Release of the New CD, “Healing Music for Massage, Meditation and Transformation”
Today I am getting to look at all of the photographs taken during the show weekend in Sedona. There were photos taken at the performance, at the rehearsals, at the video shoot, at the dinners and parties, and at the band’s jeep tour and hike in the red rocks. It is exciting to relive all the incredible events of the trip.
If you haven’t read the first article in this series, you can go to, “Valrock Music Presents- Part 1.”
Next I am going to name everyone who was involved in this project, and give a brief description of what they did. First, the Vitamin V band!
Tony Aiello- tenor sax, soprano sax, steel flute, piccolo, lead vocals, background vocals
Tony has been a dear friend and collaborator for over 25 years. He has been part of all of my musical endeavors, and we have performed together at hundreds of events. He has been an integral member of the Starlight Orchestras family, the Starlight Experience, and now Vitamin V! We have written and recorded songs together and are having fun as we continue new projects. Once I decided to have a live performance for my CD Release party, I asked Tony to join me in Sedona, and was thrilled when he said yes!
Tom Rossi- djembe, congas, percussion, guitar, bansuri flute, vocals
I have known Tom for over 10 years through the transformational music connection and the healing arts world, and have eagerly looked forward to working together. This opportunity came when I brought the “Healing Music for Massage, Meditation and Transformation” project to him for mixing. Not only did he mix and master the project, but he added percussion and flutes, and tutored me on advanced recording techniques using a Logic-based system. After the completion of the CD, I asked Tom to co-write my new song “Rachel’s Knoll,” which we recorded in his studio, and he added guitars, bass, percussion and background vocals. (You can hear the song on www.valrockmusic.com and soon we will be posting a music video.) I was delighted to ask Tom to help me recreate the “Healing Music” material with a live ensemble, and to join me in Sedona for the CD Release show. Tom’s talent is endless, as he composes, produces, plays all sorts of African percussion instruments, kora, kalimba, guitar, bass, flutes, clarinet.
Russell Graham- keyboard, synth, programming, guitar, vocals
Russell is such a multi-talented guy that I don’t even know where to begin listing what he did to help me execute the show. When I decided to have this type of performance, I did not stop to wonder how I would manage all of the technical elements; recreating the many intricate sounds and samples for keyboard and guitar, preparing and modifying the tracks, routing the signals for proper monitoring, concepts that most people are not even aware of. Russell excels at everything he does, he is the nicest guy around, and this weekend was a shining example of why he is such a sought-after musician/musical director/arranger/producer. I am still trying to figure out how to thank him!
Claire Finley- bass, vocals
Last year I went to a club in Boston where many Berklee students performed. From the moment she took the stage, Claire energized the room with her powerful groove and her magnetic stage presence. I was determined to find an opportunity to work with her, and soon contacted her with some gigs in New York. When I decided to create this Vitamin V project, I called Claire to ask if she would consider coming to Sedona with me, and her enthusiastic (and trademark) “Heck, Yeah!” said it all. In a very short time, Claire has become a valued member of the V family. We had such a great time together on the road, and we can’t wait to do it again!
David Thomas- drums, drums, drums!
Another great story! I was visiting friends in the British Virgin Islands a mere few weeks ago, and they took me to a club where a local band was playing. How rare that you really notice a musician at the sound check! But we were there early, and we were having a rum punch while the band was setting up, and I was really excited by the beats coming off the stage. I looked up, and there was this drummer, just grooving away up there, making all these great sounds. As I looked up, I had an image of us performing together, playing some very funked out number. (Actually, the image was of Prince’s music video for the song “Cream,” and I was picturing us doing a similar kind of groove and a similar kind of performance.) After an entire night of watching the band play, I was very taken with the whole rhythm section, and especially David, the drummer. Later in the night, I sat in with the band (Quito and the Edge), and played guitar on a Bob Marley tune. The next day I traveled back to New York, wondering how I would get in touch with that great drummer. When I got home, there was an email from him in my inbox. I guess it was meant to be. I told him about my CD Release show in Arizona, and he said he would come! One of my new songs “Let’s Choose Love” has a reggae beat, which, among all the other styles, is David’s specialty, and was written with him in mind.
Anthony Mazzella- guitar
I first heard the amazing sounds of virtuoso Anthony Mazzella at a performance with the Electric Harp Guitar Trio of William Eaton last year in Sedona. It is easy to be entranced by Anthony’s unusual musical ability, as well as his gentle countenance. A mutual friend introduced us, and we stayed in “Facebook contact” over the next year. We casually spoke about working together either in New York or Sedona, yet our performance schedules took us in different directions. When I first started entertaining the idea of doing a show in Sedona, Anthony was first to encourage me and offer his help. Plus, he agreed to perform with me as well.
Although, as you will read in later installments, my plans for the project changed and developed over the next month, Anthony was instrumental in connecting me with other local Sedona musicians as well as resources of all kinds. Anthony and I met for a pre-rehearsal in February, and then he worked with some of the local players familiarizing them with my music before my arrival the week of the show. It was great to perform with him, and I can’t wait for the next time!
Jesse Kalu- bamboo flute
Jesse and the sounds of his handmade bamboo flutes have become a part of the Sedona fabric and landscape. I met Jesse seventeen years ago during the Earth day weekend in Sedona when the peace poll was dedicated up on Rachel’s Knoll, and I have been enjoying his music ever since. Jesse plays the flutes and specializes in emulating the sounds and the spirit of the canyons. I called upon Jesse to play on my new song, “Rachel’s Knoll,” which we recorded in Alexander’s Sedona recording studio several weeks before my show, and I asked him to please be a part of my live performance as well. I knew that he and my dear friend Tao Porchon-Lynch would enjoy being reunited and performing together after all these years, a story that will be in the next section. Jesse adds heart and soul to everything he does, and I was honored to have him as part of my project.
Tao Porchon-Lynch- poetry reading
91 year old Yoga master Tao Porchon-Lynch grew up in India and France, and somehow wound up in White Plains where she would bring enlightenment and the spirit of Yoga to the New York suburban community. And how lucky I have been to know her all these years.
When I was first conceiving the idea of the concert, I was looking for ways to present the transformational music in a live format that would be entertaining as well as practical. I was concerned that the music would be too…mellow, too relaxing, too peaceful to make for an interesting evening. My friend Pat Krause suggested that I might have someone read poetry over one of the musical pieces. That sounded like a good idea, and then I thought that I might ask Tao to come do a Yoga demonstration, as I knew she has been enjoying playing my CD in her Yoga classes for the past few months. I asked Tao if she would consider coming with me to Sedona and doing a series of asanas to the music, to show how well the CD works as a backdrop to Yoga classes. To my delight, she said yes, and then asked if she could read some of her transformational poetry as well. Perfect! It turned out that there was not enough room for her to do the Yoga demonstration, but the poetry reading worked out beautifully! I asked Jesse Kalu if he would play a duet with Tao’s poetry over my piece “Moon, Stars, Om” which was a thrill for both of them, since they had been in Israel together twenty years ago on a group trip, “Yoga for Peace” and had not seen each other since.
It was wonderful to have Tao on the trip with me and as part of the performance, and her addition to the concert was a highlight. Tao and I are about to begin a CD project pairing her metaphysical poetry with my transformational music. A big hug to Joyce Pines who works with Tao and keeps things rolling!
Marty Birrattella- tabla
Marty added a most lovely dimension to the group with his tabla playing. For weeks I had been asking everyone in Sedona to recommend a tabla player, as I had engaged Daniel Paul (who tours with Jai Uttal) to play tabla on the album, and I wanted to add that element to the live show. Everyone I knew was on the look-out for someone in Sedona who could play tabla, and finally Anthony Mazzella came up with Marty, for which I was very grateful!
Gary Ehlenberger- didgeridoo
Up until last year, I had never seen or heard a live didgeridoo. My first encounter with the native Aboriginal instrument was in a “Sound Healing Session” (aka “intonation therapy”) with Annette Kearl in Sedona, where she plays a variety of instruments on and around the body to create overtones which transform and heal. If you have never experienced it, I highly recommend it! After a series of sessions with Annette in the spring of 2009, I began composing and recording what became my “Healing Music” CD. One of the pieces, “Shalmana’s Song” features the didgeridoo, and of course I would need a didg player, someone who was proficient in the technique of circular breathing, for the show in Sedona. Annette recommended Gary Ehlenberger who came with his didgeridoo, and led us in a ten minute version of my musical piece, and did an amazing job of keeping the drone going all that time!
Maira Ortiz is my favorite hair stylist and makeup artist, she has done all of Starlight’s photo and video shoots over the years, as well countless other friends’ and clients’ styling. Every time I recommend Maira, I am a hero, because she makes everyone look like a million!
The same is true of her husband.
Davitte Taveras is a wonderful videographer, video editor and technical wizard. They are both amazing photographers as well. When I approached them to come to Sedona with, I flipped when they said yes! Not only did they do an incredible job, but they were so much fun to be with.
Also “on duty” for show weekend-
Amy Hausman and Joy Whitney Guttenberg, my partner and my daughter, helped me manage the weekend’s events; they helped get the guys from here to there and then back again… renting and driving the cars, arranging the hospitality, making sure everyone was fed, helping me with sound check, selling merch at the show, and giving me overall moral support. I am so glad you were there with me and I love you both! To my son Doug, I know you would have been playing in the show if you weren’t in Israel for the year.
Pat Krause- my dear friend Pat helped me throughout the entire planning process. Based in Sedona, she opened her home to me and my “satellite office.” Between her printer, her network, her coffee maker and kitchen, her telephone, and her living room for our kick-off party, she was instrumental in helping me get rolling. She also did a beautiful introduction at the outset of the show.
Alexander McFee- Alexander shared his most prized guitars with me, as well as other valuable equipment used for my show. He opened his recording studio to me and we tracked Jesse’s flutes for “Rachel’s Knoll.” He has been a most supportive friend.
Annette Kearl- Thanks to Annette for lending us her djembe and arranging for the congas that Tom played. Also, I thank her for all of the Sound Healing sessions she gave my bandmates and friends during that weekend. We were all buzzing and resonating all over town.
Sedona Studio Live- I was so very lucky to have found this venue for my show. Sedona Studio Live is a new performance venue designed to support performing artists and help showcase our crafts. From my first phone-call to the last note of my show, the staff and crew were accommodating and supportive. Special thanks to Jennifer Reddington whose patience and good nature made my experience very special, and to Suzie Schomaker who led the technical crew through three days of rehearsals and technical run-throughs. Thanks to Chris Spheeris for lending a hand, and to Kent and Alex for manning the board. We missed Nathan at the show, but I was sure glad to catch his band’s performance at the Martini Bar on my last night in town.
Thanks to my friend Stephen Loftin who not only worked overtime helping me assemble the press kits for my CDs, but he built an extension to the stage at SSL to accommodate all the extra space needed for my peeps.
Thanks to Boone Dale of Flagstaff for the equipment rental, thanks to the staff at Sky Ranch, The Hampton Inn and Earth Wisdom Jeep Tour for taking such good care of my group, and to Mel Russell for spending so much time taking photographs during the three days we were at SSL. Also, a heartfelt thanks to Susan Lisak of the Enchantment Resort who always finds a way to make it work! I thank you for the peace and solitude I am able to experience while visiting Boynton Canyon.
While I’m on it, I want to acknowledge Alex Salzman, my lifelong friend and collaborator who co-wrote and produced some of the Vitamin V material and helped me prepare the tracks and stems for the show, and to my BFF Debra Barsha who co-wrote “Let’s Choose Love” with me and Tony Aiello. Debra is an amazingly talented composer and musician, and we currently have several projects in the works.
At the show, I met my eleven year old cousin Samantha Blank who lives in Phoenix- who brought my relatives Jane Ash, David and Dana Blank and her younger brother Jake. They, along with my nephew Nick Romanoff from New York, are the youngest fans of Vitamin V, and I thank them for spreading the word to their friends!
A special thank you to my friends who traveled all this way to be a part of the festivities… Lorinda, Bonnie, Debra, Kim, Janice and Lael, and once more the biggest thanks to my darling Joy for all of her love, and to my Amy for all the ways she supports me and how much fun we all have together!
After the show, we had an after-party at the hotel where we all hung out, had drinks, food, got to know each other better. A friend of a friend was giving me her thoughts and comments on the performance, and she said “it is obvious that you surround yourself with the most talented people.” That has a been a common thread throughout all of my endeavors, between the administrative staff at Starlight, the creative team and producers, the musicians, arrangers, and now everyone involved in this new project. I have been so incredibly lucky to work with the most talented, warm, capable, dependable, giving, innovative and creative people. The connection and collaboration between us is what has made this journey so joyful, and I am eternally grateful.
Who knows what’s next? That is the most exciting part!
Back to home page
If you want to read more about the players….
Tony Aiello
Tom Rossi
Russell Graham
Claire Finley
David Thomas
Anthony Mazzella
Tao Porchon-Lynch
Maira Ortiz
Davitte Taveras
Sedona Studio Live
Alex Salzman
Debra Barsha
March 14, 2010
Valrock Music Presents: The Debut of Valerie Romanoff and Vitamin V, and the Release of the New CD, “Healing Music for Massage, Meditation and Transformation”
 Valerie Romanoff and Vitamin V in Sedona David T- Vitamin V
March 15th, 2010 at 5:58 pm ·
Hi Val,
It’s been a week now and i’ve been sitting here reflecting on the great week/weekend that it was in Sedona and wondering how do i say thank you.
So……
Thanks for coming to Quito’s that friday nite in January and playing with us on stage …..
Thanks for writing/calling back………..
Thanks for having the trust and faith in me/us………
Thanks for assembling a great group of musicians for whom i am still greatful that i got to play with…………………
Thanks for being so determined and driven and cool under pressure…………….
Thanks for great laughs, food, lodgings, surroundings…………………..
And i can’t say it enough………………..THANKS VAL for just being Valerie!!!!!!
I had the greatest time in Sedona with all of us. All of the people that i met are great and i do hope that all of you that haven’t been here(BVI) get a chance to visit some day….concert on Tortola?! I do hope that we get to do Vitamin V again and soon. God bless all of you and do keep in touch.
Check out my website http://www.rudebwoyphotos.com will be posting more photos here in the coming weeks. Please sign the guestbook
So to my new family peace and blessing!!! Love you all…miss you lots….big ups!!!!
David out!!
Dear David,
Thank you so much for this beautiful letter. On one hand I wonder if I am posting too much about our Sedona show and the most magical weekend, yet on the other hand I can not find a way to fully express my joy and gratitude for such a remarkable experience. So I keep trying. I have entertained at and produced many amazing shows over the past years with incredible ensembles, yet this was the first time I performed my original music, and the first time I presented myself as the featured artist. You and the other musicians made my “coming out show” so special, so smooth, so musical, so exciting. Because we performed both the Vitamin V material (uptempo and funky) as well as the transformational music (mellow and exotic), everyone was called upon to bring much variety and sensitivity. Because we incorporated contemporary technology (computer generated tracks), everyone was called upon to work in ways that they might not all have been accustomed to. Your and everyone’s willingness to stretch and adapt and infuse new ideas is part of what made the show so successful. As usual, I was working with a very varied repertoire. At Starlight, I have built my career on presenting a wide variety of musical styles to appeal to many different people simultaneously. With my original material, the one common thread is that the music be uplifting, so once again there is a wide variety of styles. You and all of the musicians I have the honor to work with make this easy and fun.
This concert, although in a small venue, was monumental in terms of bringing together a lifetime of seemingly opposite interests; dance music vs meditation music, spiritual trek vs business ownership, New York City scene vs sacred mountain retreat, outward life vs inner life, on and on.
It will be so very interesting to see what unfolds as we continue on.
Thank you again to you and to everyone involved for bringing it!
With Love,
Valerie
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When I was asked to compose the music to accompany Tao Porchon-Lynch’s yogic meditations and poems, I was honored and delighted. 93 year old Tao is a much celebrated yoga master, traveling throughout the world teaching yoga and touching lives. I produced a CD to accompany her new book Reflections: the Yogic Journey of Life which was released a few months ago. Our CD is included on the current Grammy ballot, where NARAS academy members will vote to determine the final Grammy nominations in each category!!! Tao has been a dear friend for many years, and we are both thrilled and excited about this project and our collaboration. The CD is available at www.valrockmusic.com, And the book at www.createspace.com/3585753
