The show!

Unfortunately, I didn't manage to get any pictures of the opening reception myself as I was busy chatting it up with the good folks that were able to make it out, but my good friend Richard did and he gave me permission to use them on the blog!  Thanks Richard!

Shakti Project danced in the directions of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.  

Dancing with these ladies is pure bliss!

Jason did shoot a video of both performances, so if the other girls of Shakti are agreeable, then I will share it and Killick is patiently awaiting me getting the video of him uploaded to share.

 

As Above, So Below...

 Killick played some wild music and whether you like it or not, you can't help but to experience it.  Each piece he plays is original.  It's a wild ride!

A small group of folks checking things out.

There was a great turn out - better than I could have hoped for and SO many nice words about my quilts.  I even met a male quilter who makes his own wool fabric with lint.  Sounds so cool.  I hope he hunts me down and we can connect again since I didn't get his name!

The show is up through August.  You can drop by when the space is open or make an appointment to get in to see it OR you can go all out and take a class.  There is a lot of wonderful movement happening on that floor with some great teachers!

I am FINALLY ready to start starching my next background.  I've been stuck on colors, but I think I'm just going to jump in with both feet this weekend so stayed tuned! And hopefully, next week I will have a slide show of my latest quilt from beginning to end for you! 

Until tomorrow!

girls rock

Yes they do! This was the first year of Girls Rock Camp Athens which is an off shoot of Girls Rock. Most of the girls that were able to participate were there on scholarship. The idea is to give kids the opportunity to try something they may never have the opportunity to try otherwise. Instruments are provided and musicians donate their time to it. One of India's best friends got to go. She already rocks on guitar, but she hasn't had an opportunity to rock with other girls. For a week the girls just work on coming up with a song they write and learning how to perform it. After the week was over, they performed their songs at the 40 Watt. We of course went to support Grace. I was telling Grace last night when she got on the stage I had one of those choked up moments where if someone were to speak to you you might cry because you are just so proud and so happy that what is happening around you is happening. It reminds me of going to see the fireworks at Disney with my kids. I was just so happy to be there and experience something so great and to know and be so proud of Grace for getting up on that stage and performing like that. It's a really hard thing to do. Grace's band had her tell a story before they performed their song which really drew the crowd in. The crowd was sort of excited, but not super excited and then when Grace told her story people got up and cheered and when they were all done, they got a HUGE round of applause. I, of course, am biased, but I thought they did the best. They had a wonderful stage presence and really showed a lot of confidence. I'm really proud of Grace and all the kids for showing one another so much support and for just being who they are. India also knew the other two girls in the band which was an added bonus! We are really lucky to be surrounded by so many wonderful and interesting kids! Anyhow, here are some photos from the show.
Best friends waiting to watch their other best friend

abbey rd live

On Saturday afternoon Athens got a rare treat with Abbey Rd Live (a beatles cover band) played at the GA Theatre at 1:00 for kids! It was SO fun! We took a couple of friends and met some friends there! We have seen them a couple of times because who doesn't love the beatles? And they really sound like the beatles and it's just so fun to sing along and dance to the beatles. Our kids LOVE the Beatles, and though they have seen the band before it was a great treat to see them with their friends not really late at night where they were too tired to enjoy it. Not to mention that the GA Theatre is a good place to see live music when it is not jam packed with drunken students! We had such a great time. We did a lot of dancing, some of the kids got on stage, the kids got to order drinks at the bar (India told us it was cheaper to buy a coke than water)! They felt so grown up. When we were going in the guy who took our tickets told Jason and I if we wanted drinks, they would check our id's at the bar, so when India ask if she could have a drink I gave her money and she told me she didn't have an ID and I ask her was she planning on ordering a beer? If not, I felt sure she would be ok. Then, they walked up to the bar and ordered away! The sky was the limit as long as it didn't have alcohol. That was awesome for them. I really can't thank Micheal Wagner enough for putting us all on the guest list (it pays sometimes to have friends who are musicians). The kids really did have a great time and so did their parents! We can't wait to see them again... Maybe somewhere along the way we could talk Cosmic Charlie (the Grateful Dead Cover Band) to do an all ages show in the middle of the day! What fun that would be.



Anyhow, here are some pictures from the show! (they don't look like the Beatles by the way...for those of you who have never heard of them... they just play Beatles tunes)

dance practice

So, the Shakti Project is participating in a benefit on Friday November 14th at Little Kings for Bethlehem Ministries to help them raise money for a new medical center. I'm excited because I have never done any afro-hatian dancing before. I like it because it is grounded dancing and not as airy as bellydance. We are performing a dance called Yonvalou which is a snake dance. We had a dress rehersal last night with Moyuba! which is live Afro Haitian drumming. I've also never danced to live music that is choreographed. Check them out here! They are awesome!

So many new things happening in my world of dance. It is incredible and I'm alway thankful when I get to move my body in dance.

The highlight of the night for me was that India got to come along. It isn't often that she wants to come along, but the prospect of video taping our rehersal was enough for her. The video will be very helpful for us to get our timings right with one another and make sure our formations are good and that our movements look good, so thanks India!

Here's a video of Moryuba! at the Flagpole music awards. Notice how fast they are playing. It's really impressive... We don't dance that fast, but the other groups dancing might...

Friday Dance Party...

Jason and I were flying solo this weekend. India and Kalib went out of town with my folks, so we made some big plans. On Friday night, he and I went to the COUNTRY ROCK, yes folks, that is right, the COUNTRY ROCK. I even wore my boots. We went to dance because evidently that is about the only place left in town to dance at. We got there at 10 pm and stayed until 2 am when the doors closed. Jason and I both danced more than we have in years together. I can't believe I'm saying (and Holly would certainly be laughing and saying I told you so), but we had an incredible time. Dancing is such freedom and the mix of people there was just awesome. The music was... not so good... but it didn't matter. We were there to shake it up and we did. Jason was even doing splits by the end of the night and I did a line dance. That's right... I said it. A line dance and laughed through the whole thing. The whole night was just a well deserved blast. Of course, Saturday, we had to sleep all day to catch up on sleep, but it was still worth it. We are ready to go again.

We have lived up the street from this place for 11 years and we have never stepped foot in there, but now that we have, I feel sure we will go back. Talk about serious stereotyping... I spent all these years assuming it was not a place I could have fun being artsy fartsy as Tracey calls us, but I have been proven wrong and am thankful for it. Truth is, whatever you are doing can be fun if you have the right perspective... At least most things can be.

So, we slept most of the day on Saturday and hit the grocery and came home to snuggle up and watch movies. Another much needed night, and Sunday, we cleaned and culled through again and got the house back in almost tip top shape except my desk, which is just a lost cause.

All together, it was a great weekend full of snuggles and smooches and FUN!!!! We all need more fun in our lives!

Harry and the Potters

On Wednesday we went to the 40Watt to see Harry and the Potters, Uncle Monster Face, and Math the Band. Not necessarily kids music, but as the singer from Math the Band says Music Kids can listen to. It was a blast! The kids dressed up like characters from Harry Potter. Grace was Harriet Potter. I expected there to be just tons of kids there since it was Harry and the Potters, but we were pretty much it. There were a few more kids, but not many. The kids had so much fun. India told me it was more fun than her birthday, so that must be pretty fun! We enjoyed Uncle Monster Face the best, then Math the band. You can check them out on their myspace and math the band .

Here the kids are playing along with the song Dinosaur vs Dragon. This was too fun! Giant balloon figures battling girls vs boys!

Here are the kids watching and dancing. I tried to take a video of them, but it was too dark. Talk about worn out. We were all super tired when we got home, but we can't wait to see them again!

A night out...

So, Sarah Cook and I conspired to go hear our dearest Megan sing for the celebration of the New Mothers Center and to contribute money to it. Megan's voice is like honey to my soul - not only because I love this woman so much, but also because her voice is just incredible. When she has her eyes closed and she is giving it all she has you know it's coming from some source deep inside her and I always get chill bumps. She has a couple of songs on myspace www.myspace.com/meganbaermusic if you have never heard her, you should. She also has a cd available at wuxtry and school kids records downtown as well as Daily Grocery or you can order it from CD Baby http://cdbaby.com/cd/meganbaer

So, the night was not only filled with incredible music for the soul, but also wonderful friends and conversations over delicious wine (thanks Sarah C for having the taste you were having). Madrona's talking about getting a cow and I don't think it was the wine talking. Rachel and I shared some not so proud moments as mama's. We all talked about kid dynamics and watching our girls blossom into women and our desire for them to know and be filled with the gifts we have gained over the years and wanting to leave footprints and plant seeds in them that will help carry them and help mold them into strong proud women. The most beautiful thing that came out of the evening for me is something Madrona and I have talked about in the past, but the timing hasn't seemed right and the energy was not there, but now it is looking like the road that brought us all together to begin with is coming full circle with the possibility of us trying again to have a practice of deepening our clan roots together with the book the 13 clan mothers by Jamie Sams. Years ago when I was a new mother just setting out on this journey we began meeting as a group called the New Moon Earth Sisters because we met on the new moon to circle and celebrate and honor what is and as with most groups, it changed and morphed into different things and we spread our wings and took what we gained into our greater community and fortunately, we have picked up a few more amazing women along the way. The first time I ever met Madrona was under the new moon around a fire. She had simply the sweetest voice and I knew then in the dark that night that I would love her. Sarah C, Holly (not in the picture), Jenny and Catherine (who was there, but I don't know why she isn't in the picture) were also a part of that original circle and our friendships have grown over the years and I am excited about this possible new journey into more self discovery. Time with mothers honoring the gift of life we all share is an important part of growing in our motherhood and as women. We are forced to examine ourselves and look deeply to be strong women and hold our passions for life up. It is important that we come together to celebrate being women and mothers and all that we are and to know we have the support of a strong community (or clan). I am, as always filled with thanks for the amazing women in my life... now we will have to see if Madrona really gets a cow!

one of my favorite songs of all time

Since the first time I ever heard the Velvet Underground, I have loved them and I NEVER get sick of it. Their music moves at a pace I resonate with and though many people think Nicos singing is awful, it suits the music and completes it for me. This song is one of my favorites of all... Has always made me think of Cinderella in more modern terms. The video isn't of the Velvet Underground obviously, the versions I did find distorted the song. This video suits though with all these women in costumes... Anyhow, I love this song...

The most perfect piece of music

WAIT!!! Read what I wrote before you play this.

This is easily one of my favorite pieces of music that I have ever heard. The first time I heard it was a couple of years ago lying in bed listening to NPR a show called Jazz Beyond. Unfortunately, that show doesn't come on anymore. Anyhow, this piece was played in its entirety. This video is just the first 10 minutes. The first time I heard this music, it moved me to tears. I have seldom heard music that speaks so deeply to my soul and who I am. Every time I hear this music, something inside me wakes up and I feel alive and a part of everything even more than I already do. Last night, we were enjoying our new outdoor living room with wine and good books. I got up to put this on as the energy of the night felt suiting for it. As the music evolved the rain began and the harder he plays, the harder it rained. It was as though they were playing together. It was so wonderful, there are really not words to describe it. So, I want to share this amazing work of art with you all. It is only the first 10 minutes of the piece which is almost an hour long, it is Keith Jarrett, the Koln Concert. Don't watch the video -it's cheezball (it was the only way I knew to pass it on) - close your eyes, turn the volume up and just listen to the perfection of this wonderful composition...