Gratitiude Journal Days 5 & 6

Today, my gratitude goes towards my faith based Community. I have been very lucky to have been given the gift of music and granted the opportunity to share the gift God gave me with a Congregation who is loving, appreciative and understanding when my delivery is not perfect. I have been blessed with talented musicians who make me sound even better than I would alone and who have been accommodating in many ways.

I am also grateful that I have been fed spiritually through song when I can feel the message of God pressing onto me in my own life when I am proclaiming the psalm or singing a hymn. It is revealing to feel as if the song is speaking to me in my own life while I am reaching out to others.

I am also grateful for the patience of my Husband and Family as I am continually leaning on them for free time to go and work within the church at Masses, Funerals, Weddings and such. It is a blessing to be able to provide for the family and feed my soul at the same time.
I am grateful for my friends and those relatives close enough to me to call friends. These are women who I can lean on in times of trouble and call on many of them for advice. I appreciate their wisdom and their listening ears.

I am also grateful for the Community in which I live and for all the things that are done to help us all get together and do fun things. Like tonight, we will be lighting the tree together, singing and sharing hot chocolate. I am grateful it is not too, too cold out, so I will not freeze to death out there!

Lastly, I am grateful for the ability to juggle my crazy, crazy life!  I have been running around a lot lately, trying to maintain my current job and my 2nd job all in one. It gets hard at times. but are both fulfilling in many ways.  Both help people and many are very happy when they are done meeting with me. I love my jobs! :)
Loudly yours.
Alicia
ps- I have to share my interview with a beautiful young lady who I know is going to be a famous illustrator one day.  She was so sweet and I have fun interviewing her and getting to know her better.

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl...

Today is actually my Birthday, but I did not have time to write about my 1st baby Girl on her Birthday, so I am going to dedicate this blog entry to her.

My eldest Daughter was born to 3 older Brothers who fell in love with her and to parents who were very happy to have a girl. (Especially Mommy)

It was so much fun to dress her up and dream of shopping days and makeup sessions.  She was a good baby, but a screamer, since she did not speak until about 16 months old (in our immediate family, that is late, since we are mostly all loud)  Her first words?

"MINE!!!"  As my family members can attest, this little girl was a screamer! 

Funny thing is, she is on the quiet side now...and, oddly enough,
when she went to Pre-School, she did not speak to any adults, except the beloved Mrs. Burger. ;)

Now she is a growing, talented teenager with a beautiful voice and a very creative, lefty who has the world as her oyster.  We are proud of you!

Happy Birthday, you make us proud!

Loudly yours,

Alicia

Truthful Tuesday 5/8/12

I am excited, as 3 of my kids are gearing up to their opening night of Fiddler on the Roof at their school. The younger two are in the chorus, but my eldest Daughter is playing the role of Hodel, the daughter who moves to Siberia to be with the one she loves.

I am going to be in the front row with the camera and probably crying. Why?  I just love everything to do with the stage and the telling of a story.




To tell the truth, it is my opinion that there is something so magical about music and the portrayal of a story.


I have written on many occasion regarding my greatest desire to be on the Broadway Stage.  

Why, exactly? It is just to be in the spotlight?  

No, not exactly. 

I am lucky to have that honor as a Church Cantor in the Catholic Church. (I know singing at Mass is not about me, but I am highly visible, thus in the "spotlight")

Week after week, it is my goal to offer the story of how God loves you and how He is there for us always.  It is an honor and I swear there are many times I feel as if the songs I am singing are speaking directly to my own heart. 

There is just something so magical about how the telling of a story just takes you away.  It whisks you off to somewhere else, other than where you life has led you at the moment.  Not to say that you always want to be away from your current situation, but it can serve as a delicious form of distraction from any stresses or concerns, just for a little while.

When you have the right chemistry between a singer and music or an actor and their lines, it is just the right amount of energy to propel a person from where they are to where the actor or the singer wants you to be.  

THAT is what I want to be a part of on the Broadway stage.  To have the pleasure of taking people away, out of their current life, to a place the spirit can soar, united in the story. 

Any good entertainer can take people away with their mic and their voice for that matter.  There is just something in the energy of their song that just takes you away.


Music is an amazing tool to unite people everywhere.  Its language is understood by all.  Just like a smile has a way to connect to one another, the same can be said for the power of music.


Take for instance, Playing for A Change.  They search countries all over the world for choice musicians and unite them in song.  Just beautiful!  I especially love their latest collaboration, done all in Mexico.  It's amazing to watch.  I loved it.


[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/41400522 w=400&h=300]

Thru a friend on my Facebook page, I was treated to a song from Next to Normal which was performed at at Broadway Rocks, a concert held on this past May 6th.

It just amazed me how their performance transformed me to the Next to Normal Stage with no props, no backdrops, nothing but them and the musicians.  Only their voices were needed to transport me up and away into their story.  What a gift for both the performers and those who are lucky enough to listen. 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150904601111043
Loudly yours,

Alicia