Yarn dolls and paper planes ( Read more... )

Normally during this time of year, I’m prepping for early spring concerts with a two or more groups in the greater Los Angeles community. The musical season is fairly jam-packed between August and June. If it’s not sacred works, it’s new works getting their due premiere. Or we’re working on annual fundraisers, because the arts simply cannot ( Read more... )

I can still hear echoes from my childhood. Standing in the basement of the old church, my grandfather and I are next to each other, my grandmother seated at the piano to my right. The baby blue walls take in what little sunshine peeks through the small windows at the opposite wall. They match the key Grandma is improvising in. G major ( Read more... )

I’m running away from everything next week to throw myself at the mercy of a man I’ve never met somewhere in Germany. I’m sure it will be a roller coaster ride I’ll never forget, especially since this is a unique situation ( Read more... )

It was Her birthday, the very first of hopefully many more to come. I felt sad that I was not there to celebrate with Her, but a mother has to help keep the lights on. So to work, I went. I chose to take solace in the fact that I would be the one to present Her very first cupcake at the big party just two days later.

( Continue reading beneath the cut. )

What happens when you have a brush with fame? If you see a star walk down the street, do you applaud them? Ask for an autograph? Heckle them? Act like nothing is out of the ordinary? You’re supposed to act like nothing is out of the ordinary, but most people never do ( Read more... )

During the summer of 1997, I had two beliefs in mind. Being fresh out of college gave me this air of idealism about life and people. The first belief was that as a twenty-two year old college graduate, I needed to build up a networking base for my budding business as a wedding musician and private teacher. Even now, this is not an unreasonable ( Read more... )

It always happened in the dead of night, nor was this the first time. It woke me from deep sleep that early November night. The pain so intense; I could not remember how I ended up on the floor prostrate next to the bed. Nor could I put into words the desperation of the situation, only that the pain would not subside ( Read more... )

A few weeks ago, I was treated to a very rude awakening with regards to an author that greatly influenced me as a teenager. ( Cut for TW: child abuse, rape, genocide. )