This weekend I spent time with a group of friends studying a course about how to help build spiritually-empowered communities.  Among many other concepts, we discussed two things that are very close to my heart as a songwriter: story-telling and music.

We talked about the art of story-telling and how crucial it is in sharing history, sharing learning, and building unity in a community.  We also talked about how stories can actually help children gain experience in their imaginations, and this “experience” can actually help them learn important things for their lives. For example, when a child learns a fable about being generous, they insert themselves into the story and it is as if they have lived the experience described in the story.  Teachers and parents can often immediately see changes in behavior after children hear stories. 

As a songwriter, this is fascinating to me because a huge part of my work is telling stories.  I think that people of all ages insert themselves into the stories in their favorite songs.  In doing so, we have emotional experiences that help us to learn about ourselves and the world around us.  It really makes you think about how important the kinds of stories we choose to tell are.

We also talked about the power of music and how it can evoke emotions, help people feel inspired, and motivate people into action.  Often we think of music as just “entertainment”, but that really cuts us off from the many ways music can be a part of our lives.  Music can help us learn, help us connect with other people (especially when we sing together!), and even help our brains develop (did you know that when you sing, you use more of your brain than virtually any other activity?!). 

I resonate with this in a major way, since I’ve chosen to devote so much of my time to making music.  The reminder of how powerful it can be in all aspects of life re-motivates me to keep writing and sharing. 

This discussion came at a great time for me, since I’ve been actively working to make more time to write music in my daily schedule.  So far, I’ve written two songs in the last couple of weeks and started a third!   It is so great to be writing more again.

What are your thoughts about the way music affects you, your relationships, your life?

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This is a photo of a plaque I keep in my office:  

I’ve had it since I was a little girl.  I remember gazing at it in my childhood bedroom many times and thinking about the many implications such a simple phrase (but complex concept) had for my life.

I’m still trying to honor this idea every day.  Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about detachment---not detachment in the way that I don’t care about things, but detachment in the way that I try not to be too attached to any outcome.  One metaphor for this concept is a ship sailing upon the sea, letting the wind and the waves carry and guide me, rather than struggling against them.

Having this attitude enables me to not get mired in the stressful things of life, and to instead be more present and effective in each thing I undertake.  It makes living a challenging life sustainable, rather than overwhelming. 

In order to maintain this attitude, I need to be very aware of trying to stay in this mode.  It is definitely a work-in-progress, and I imagine it will be for my whole life.

 

So, where do you need to detach in your life?

What helps you maintain this approach in your life?

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Recently I finished a new song.  Writing it was an exhilarating experience!  After I write a song that I feel really excited about, I often enter into a state I refer to as "Post-Songwriting Bliss" (PSB).  

I'm sure that other artists experience something similar.  My particular PSB is characterized by the following symptoms:

-Feeling giddy one moment (i.e. jumping up and down with excitement that this song is mine!), and then feeling moved to tears the next moment at the beauty of the experience of writing it.  (Note to self: since this behavior may appear crazy to others, it's best to be alone at this point.)

-Not being able to stop playing the song over and over (during which I may injure my fingers from playing so much, lose track of time, and miss previous engagements).

-Feeling like anything and everything is possible.

-Feeling overwhelmingly grateful for having been a part of this songwriting experience.

-Having the song run through my head non-stop, even during interactions with other people, and sometimes keeping me up at night (but instead of being annoying, this actually makes me happy).

-Catching myself daydreaming about the song and smiling at times when I should be concentrating on something/ someone else.

-Exhibiting paranoid behaviors having to do with never wanting to forget or lose the song.  For example, I will often record the song on my computer, back up my computer, and then ALSO call my voicemail and play it into the message in case something happens to my computer AND my back-up.

So, when you are creative, do you experience something similar?  Or I am alone in this wonderful kind of craziness? 

I look forward to sharing new music with you all soon!

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I love the early morning hours around sunrise.  Here in Minnesota, the cold winter mornings make for some beautiful sights as the early light plays on the snow.  I love to look out at it as I sip some hot tea and do my morning prayers and meditation.  

This morning I walked out of my room and saw the pink sunrise light shining on the wall before my piano:





Then I went to the window and saw the sun peek over the horizon:





Then I made tea in the kitchen where the light was warm and bright:





And then I sat by the window thinking, praying, meditating before having to dive into the work of the day.  Lucky me, this is my view looking out over the Mississippi River (you can see the Minneapolis skyline in the distance):




I often find I am most creative in the morning.  In the early morning I can often hear my intuition most strongly and connect with what is most important.  It is a delicate, gentle, beautiful time of day.  Not all mornings can be experienced like this one, but whenever I get the chance, I try to build my schedule to protect and be present at this time.


What is your favorite time of day?

When are you most creative?

How can you protect and be present in that time?




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This weekend I was in Chicago for some meetings.  On Saturday night, I had the precious opportunity to go to the Baha'i House of Worship.  If you've never been there, I highly recommend going.  It is a beautiful place to go and pray or meditate.  It is open to anyone and everyone, of all backgrounds.  Symbols from all the major world's religions are inlaid on the structure itself, and the result is a building that looks both delicate and strong, and an environment that feels peaceful and welcoming to all.

I hadn't been there at night in a long time, and it was very beautiful.  It was a foggy, rainy night and the House of Worship looked like a jewel rising from the mist:



When I stepped inside, it felt so peaceful and calming-----quite a contrast from the stress I've been feeling lately.  I had the chance to pray and meditate for several minutes there, and it was exactly what I needed.   I was able to just pour my heart out in those prayers, asking for help with the challenges I'm facing, and praying for healing, peace, and strength for friends, family, and those suffering all around the world.   

Almost immediately I felt stronger and more calm.  What a gift that visit was!  

What is your experience of meditation, prayer, or other spiritual practice?

What effect does it have on you?

Lately everywhere I turn, music is calling me back to it.  I haven’t been writing as much as I’d like to for the past several months because of some big transitions in my life and lots of things that I felt I needed to prioritize. 

When I don’t write for a while, I miss it terribly.  I miss it like you miss the freedom of being a child---with a wistful sort of longing, and an emotional memory that lingers for days.  Sometimes, when life gets really tough and really busy, I feel like I’ll never get the time to write again. 

But then I have to remind myself that although there are times that my other responsibilities need to be addressed first, writing music is also my responsibility.  I’ve been given the ability to write, and it allows me to be of service in the world, so I need to make time for it.  And, of course, it is only me that can make that time.

Sometimes people who listen to my music email me with thoughts about my music, questions about my writing process, and questions about when I’m going to release something next.   As I was writing back to someone recently, I realized that just the process of writing ABOUT my songwriting felt therapeutic and compelling.  It was a reminder that I need to get back to it, for my own growth and health, and to be of service in the world.

I’ve been thinking lately about the kinds of creative projects I want to work on next, and it is an exciting process to contemplate these next steps.  

I'll share more news soon, including a never-before-heard song I'll be making available as a free download!
 

What is calling out to you in your life lately?

What do you need to get back to?

What are you longing for?

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For my birthday this week, my husband took me out to a very fancy dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, La Belle Vie in Minneapolis.  It is very luxurious and we only go there once in a blue moon, but afterwards I am inspired for years.

I really, really enjoy food and I have a deep appreciation for beautiful presentation of food, so La Belle Vie is a like a fairy princess land of wondrousness for me. 

Each course is crafted with so much attention and love that it is a true pleasure to experience it.  Every scent, flavor, and color is created with great care, and the servers bring it to you with their own deep reverence for the food that makes you appreciate it all the more. 

Savoring a meal at La Belle Vie is a lot like listening to one of my favorite songs.  As a songwriter, I know what goes into making a song, and so I deeply appreciate every note, every lyric, every layer of sound in a song.  A great producer or songwriter will even include sounds in a song that are too low in the mix to really be heard, but add to the listener’s feeling and the experience of the song. 

Similarly, I know that when the chef made the dishes we had this week, there were ingredients in them that I will never know about, and probably many careful attempts to get the recipe just right before adding them to the menu.

This level of loving attention to detail creates truly beautiful experiences, and reminds me of one of my favorite concepts in the Baha’i writings: work done in the spirit of service is the same as worshipping in a temple.  Truly committed artists can help us experience all the beauty that life has to offer.  It all inspires me to write more music! 

In closing, here are a few highlights from my birthday menu for those of you who enjoy food:

--I started with a non-alcoholic version of one of their cocktails: A Petit Parlez-Vous with raspberry and pineapple flavors, topped off with orange-passionfruit foam.  It looked and tasted like a sunset over the ocean in a martini glass.  Bliss!

--My main course was King crab with artichokes in a saffron reduction between layers of delicate pasta.  Accented with buttery roasted pine nuts.  Each bite was rich and heavenly.  It felt like warming next to a fire after coming in from the cold.

--For dessert, there was an item on the menu that blended all of my favorite dessert tastes into one (I could hardly believe my luck).  It was…...wait for it………peanut butter bread budding with chocolate toffee and chocolate ice cream.  Ahhhhhhh!  Crazily delicious, buttery, and warm.  I guarantee that I will catch myself daydreaming about that bread pudding for months to come. 

What an awesome birthday gift!

 

So, what works of art inspire you the most?

What artist makes you want to create?

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Because I help people reach their goals in my work as a coach, people often ask me what I think about New Year's resolutions. Generally, I think that anything that makes us feel inspired and motivated towards positive change is a great thing and should be encouraged and acted upon.

But, I think that too often what starts as an exciting and inspiring desire to change turns into self-criticism.  I think of the desire to change as a small spark that can build into a beautiful fire, but only if it is protected and nurtured.  

Have you ever tried to build a fire outside? The slightest wind can blow out the first sparks, and prevent the flames from growing.  But, if you protect the spark from the winds and keep adding to the first small flames that build, you'll soon have a roaring fire.

The same is true for our goals and desires.  It helps to watch out for people who may not support the changes we want to make, so that their own issues can't extinguish our motivation.  The same is true for the way we treat ourselves.  It is very easy to become overly critical and harsh with ourselves, beating ourselves up if we don't reach our goals in a certain way or on a certain timetable, or if we have a temporary setback.

If you practice being kind to yourself and cheering yourself on, you will feel much happier and reach your goals much more effectively.  I work with people on this in coaching on a one-on-one basis every day. For some people, just getting aware of how harsh they've been with themselves is enough to help them change their internal dialogue.  For others, it is a long process of working consistently to make changes and have more compassion with themselves. 

I've written songs about this subject that are meant to help you feel encouraged as you strive to reach your goals and live the life you're meant to live.   Listening to them can help you in your path towards your goals.  Some of these songs include "Sing Out Loud" and "Champion" from my first solo album, and "Little By Little" from This One Chance.  

I hope that you feel supported and encouraged as you work towards the goals in your life, and I wish you lots of self-compassion as you do!






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If you follow me on Twitter, you know that I often post links to articles about the healing power of music.  I am fascinated by the way music can change our emotions and have such powerful effects in our lives.  Learning about this also keeps me motivated to keep making music, and sharing it.

Recently I experienced the healing power of music myself.  In my last post I shared my recent surgery experience.  Well, after my surgery when I was waking up in the recovery room, there was a CD of beautiful piano music being played. 

Waking up after surgery was kind of a scary experience because I felt so disoriented and was having trouble breathing fully.  But as I started becoming more alert, I became aware of the music in the room and it felt like the most beautiful thing I’d ever heard.  I listened to the music, holding on to each note. It felt like each ringing piano tone was another rung on a ladder that would lift me into health and comfort. 

After the experience of the cold operating room and the trauma and discomfort of a medical procedure, those notes reminded me of the beauty in the world, and the many good things to come.  I felt so grateful to have that music with me.  Emotionally, I felt as if the music itself helped me to breathe again.  Even in my haze of anesthesia, I thought to myself that I should always remember that moment, and how important music is for healing. 

As a songwriter and singer, there are many times that writing or performing music has helped me work through emotions or develop capacities.  And of course, listening to music often helps me feel stronger or more inspired.  There are so many ways that music can help us.

How does music help you in your life?

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Well, I’m definitely feeling lighter these days…literally.  I recently had to have surgery to have my gall bladder removed.  I was having some painful episodes as a result of gall stones, and so I needed to have the ol’ GB removed to prevent further attacks and other possible problems.

As surgeries go, it is a pretty routine one and I am so thankful that everything went smoothly.  But, it is still surgery and it was kind of a scary experience…..especially for me because I am an absolute medical wimp.  I mean, a total and complete fraidy-cat.

I’m one of those people who dreads going to the doctor, gets faint when I have blood taken, and can’t even watch Grey’s Anatomy because it makes me feel panic-y to be exposed to medical stuff.  Knowing this about myself, I was rather worried about how I would handle this situation.

But, strangely, from the moment I learned I’d have to have the surgery I found myself feeling quite calm.   I definitely had moments of worry, but it was like something inside took over and said, “OK, you have to have this done.  It will be hard at times, but it will be ok.  Just take it one moment at a time.”

Isn’t it interesting how we find strength and courage when we need it most? I really think that the things we do to try to cultivate spiritual qualities (things like prayer, meditation, striving to serve others), help us prepare for the tough things in life.    

I also feel like the connection we each strive to create with our Creator serves us tremendously in frightening times. I found that the prayers and readings I came across right before the surgery were exactly what I needed to hear.  Even the timing and content of messages from friends who didn’t even know I was going to have surgery were exactly what I needed to hear.  I think all of these things were like a comforting gift from above.

I am feeling so thankful for my life and the people in it.  And I am feeling more appreciation and compassion for people struggling with health challenges that are much more difficult than what I experienced.  I’ve  already learned so much from this experience. 

I guess that’s always how it is…challenges lead to growth, and so it’s good to be thankful for everything that crosses our path…..even surgery!

So...

What challenges are you facing in your life right now?

What are they teaching you?

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