Sunday, May 27, 2012

Short and Sweet


Short and Sweet

I have made it to Los Angeles and rehearsal is underway!  Things are going very well thus far.  I, along with the other three men of “Cantare”, have finished our music rehearsals and moved onto learning our choreography and blocking.  The show “Cantare” is essentially a men’s quartet modeled after “Il Divo.”  Yes, complete with Italian vocals.  Prego!  It is such an honor to make beautiful music with such talented and generous men.  I am feeling blessed, y’all!

Sidenote:  I learned some very interesting trivia from one of our vocal directors that I would like to share with you.  The lyrics for “Unchained Melody” where taken from a letter that was found in the pocket of a fallen soldier in WWII.  It was addressed to his girlfriend back in the states and he was urging her to wait for him.  I thought that was beautiful, tragic, and share-worthy.

It is just the four of us for the next couple of days.  The four female dancers and leading lady of our cast arrive next, followed by the two male dancers and female singer/dancer.  I am greatly looking forward to meeting everyone and having our entire family here!

That is all I have to report for now.  I hope that you are feeling blessed and supported in whatever you may be going through.  I am sending lots of love to each and every one of you.  I realize that there may only be two of you reading this, so consider yourselves incredibly loved.

Until next time,

Joey

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Gettin' out of town

Does anyone actually look at this blog?  Does anyone read the posts?  Hmm.

In other news, I leave for Los Angeles tomorrow morning, bright and EARLY.  Who doesn't enjoy a 6am flight?  I am eternally grateful that I was not flown out of Newark or JFK.  I should get over it as I am sure that I will survive, and in the empowering words of Kelly Clarkson (or whomever said it before her):  "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."  Meh.

I will do my best to keep you (if there is a "you") updated as rehearsal progresses over the next seven weeks.  Until we meet again, take care and be kind to yourselves.

Blessings.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

The Invitation

I want to experience all the things that are stated in this piece... One day I will.

“It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it, or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty every day. And if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, ‘Yes.’

It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.”
-Oriah Mountain Dreamer