The Healing Sounds of Music

When I was about 6, my mom enrolled me in piano lessons. At the time, I hated them. Mostly because I didn't like practicing. But with practice, I became okay (not great, but okay) and I stopped disliking my lessons. I think I took piano lessons until the end of 8th grade. I also sang in the church choir from 3rd grade through the end of 8th grade. I enjoyed that a lot. Finally, I took up playing the flute in 5th grade and continued until mid-way through sophomore year of high school. I enjoyed that a lot too.

Looking back, I think my enjoyment of choir and playing the flute came in part from the fact that I had a music foundation because of playing the piano. I knew how to read music - once you know all the notes, they are the same across all instruments. I understood what being "in tune" meant. I understood harmony and melody. I could keep time. The only thing I had to master was singing or actually playing the flute because I knew the theory.

Musicians have always fascinated me. I have a great deal of respect for people who have the discipline I lacked and have fully developed their musical talents. In fact, I melt for a man who plays the guitar and will sing to me. Humming works too.

Since our earliest ages, we respond to music. Most of us drifted off to sleep as babies to the soothing sounds of our parents' songs. It didn't matter if they were good or could even carry a tune. We learned our ABC's thanks to the Alphabet Song. We learned to spell thanks to music - B-I-N-G-O anyone? And where would we be without School House Rock, Sesame Street, or Mr. Rodgers? Today's kids know Barney and the Teletubbies. Yes, music was at the core of our early education and most of us not only look back fondly on these lessons, but still have the tunes stuck in our brains.

Not only is music educational, it's also therapeutic. According to the American Music Therapy Association, music therapy can promote wellness, manage stress, alleviate pain, express feelings, enhance memory, improve communication, and promote physical rehabilitation.

Without question, music is fundamental.

The Music Room in Palatine is helping promote wellness and development by refurbishing and donating instruments for the developmentally disabled clients of Clearbrook in Arlington Heights. These instruments will help with improving behavior, socialization, and reducing aggression.

So if you've got some instruments in your closet gathering dust from another lifetime, give them new life by donating them to The Music Room. Your gift may just open new doors for people with few doors open to them and change their lives.

 

Friday Favorites: Favorite Concerts

I love music. I listen to music in the shower in the morning. I am addicted to Pandora and my iPod. I listen to music in the car. And I sing LOUDLY, when I'm alone. Music truly speaks to my soul.

One of my favorite things to do is hear live music, so for today's Friday Favorites, I'm sharing my favorite concerts.

1. Prince's "Musicology Tour" in the summer of 2004. I remember walking in with my friend, just as Prince took the stage, arriving at our seats, and turning to my friend saying "I dated the guy sitting next to us in college. I'm SURE that's him and his wife. I haven't seen him since college." She spent the whole night staring at them, while I tried not to look again. A few years later, I learned it wasn't him. But I digress. What made this concert such a memorable one was the 18 song acoustic guitar set that Prince did alone on stage, just him and his guitar. It started with Little Red Corvette and ended with Purple Rain. Wow.

2. Bon Jovi in 1987 and then again in 2008. In 1987, they played the Rosemont Horizon and we had 12th row. In 2008, I sat in the nosebleed seats at the United Center. Both amazing nights with no hint that Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora had aged at all during those 21 years.

3. Rick Springfield in the fall of 1984 at Poplar Creek. This was the first concert I attended without my parents and I remember singing and dancing to him all night. As I've said before, I learned about lust from Rick Springfield in 1984 and then gave me refresher courses in 2007 and 2008.

4. Brooks & Dunn's Neon Circus Tour in 2001 and 2002. If you want a Southern Rockin' good time, you must see Brooks and Dunn's Neon Circus Tour. Unfortunately, they just broke up, but I got lucky enough to see this tour twice. Both nights, I went home with a very sore throat from singing at the top of my lungs. Boot scootin' fun at its finest.

5. Jimmy Buffett. I've seen Jimmy Buffett so many times I've lost count. I started seeing him as a kid with my mom and kept seeing him well into adulthood on my own with friends. I've celebrated quite a few birthdays at Buffett concerts and consider myself a Parrothead through to my core.

6. Handel's Messiah in the National Cathedral in 1993 and 1994. The first two years I lived in Washington, D.C., I made it my business to get tickets to Handel's Messiah at the National Cathedral. You have not heard it done until you've heard it done there.

What are your favorite concerts?

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year . . .

Chicago radio station WLIT 93.9 on the FM dial changes from its typical "lite" fare to all-Christmas, all-the-time starting in just about 2 hours and will continue to play nothing but Christmas music through Christmas! That's 39 days!

Now I know that some of you will remove The Lite from your preset stations on the radio dial in your car, but not me. I love it.

I love Christmas music. Even the cheesy stuff. Maybe especially the cheesy stuff. Christmas music, by its very nature, is happy, uplifting music. I don't think I've ever heard depressing Christmas music and if you have, please do not tell me about it. I don't want to know.

Go ahead. Give it a listen. You know you want to. Just click the picture.

Mix Tapes

As I was driving home tonight, I heard a song on the radio and thought “that song would be perfect for a mix tape.” That thought was immediately followed by “I haven’t made or listened to a mix tape in almost 20 years.”

You remember the mix tape. You made one for your girlfriend or boyfriend. Maybe you made one for your best friends that recalled your last summer together before you all went to separate colleges. People made them for you. They were party souvenirs.

Back in the day, I had a gazillion cassettes, but the ones that have stood the test of time and a dozen moves since high school are my mix tapes. I don’t have any of my Pet Shop Boys or Outfield or even Bon Jovi cassettes anymore, but I still have almost two dozen mix tapes. They span a full decade of my life, from 1984 through 1994, and represent long lost loves, forever friend, parties, vacations, my favorite workout music, and much more.

The first mix tape I ever received was from my high school boyfriend. He gave it to me just before I left for Watervale and I’m sure I spent all 6 hours in the car listening to it on my cassette Walkman. It was full of the music we loved, and listening to it, I knew without a doubt exactly how he felt about me. Unfortunately, that tape died a merciless death at the controls of my tape deck. I listened to it until it wore out.

My favorite mix tape was a surprise from my friend Kirsten in the Fall of 1991. She was studying in Hong Kong and I was back at Lake Forest College, after having spent the summer at Watervale. The tape, called "Jess's Hong Kong Express," was a mix of songs, quotes, poems, and stories of her adventures overseas and the day it appeared in my mailbox, I ran all the way back to Deerpath Hall to listen to it before even cracking a page of homework.

A couple of years ago, I was packing for a romantic getaway and I wanted a soundtrack of music to help set the mood and say the things I couldn’t. I spent a couple of hours putting together a playlist on my iPod, but then when we reached our destination, we realized we didn’t have a docking station. So much for technology. I'm not sure that playlist survived moving to a new laptop and resetting my iPod.

Getting back to my drive home tonight, I began to wonder, how do people in love express their emotions through music in the day of digital downloads? Pandora sort of creates playlists, but they're not fully customizable because Pandora chooses the music for you. Do you “borrow” your lover’s iPod or iPhone and download a custom playlist? That’s sort of romantic, but playlists can easily get deleted. And you can’t exactly create custom artwork on the cover of a playlist the way you can on a cassette. Sure, tapes wear out, melt in your car (assuming you have a cassette player), and get lost, plus the sound quality is no where near as good as today's digital downloads, but there's something really wonderful about holding a tape and knowing the hours of effort that went into making it.

I miss mix tapes and can't help but wonder if, in spite of all the wonderful technological innovations we've had in the last twenty years, maybe we haven't lost one of life's great joys. What do you think?

Lust

I'd never been to a concert before, when my friend Jan invited me to join her and her older brother at a Rick Springfield & Corey Hart concert that Friday night in 1984 at Poplar Creek Music Theater. Certain my mom would never let me go, I was 13 after all, I asked anyway. Rick Springfield's music was my music back then. He was my first celebrity crush. Like every other teen-age girl, I had his picture in my locker and I swooned over his every music video, not unlike the way our mother's swooned over Elvis' hip-grinding on Merv Griffin. But, by some great miracle, my mom said yes, and we were off.

We sang and danced the night away in our pavillion seats, and the whole night I had strange feelings running through my body. Feelings, that as a 13 year old, I'd never experienced before. I didn't have a word for the tingles that ran through my spine, I just knew the urges were strong. I now know that word is "lust."

I grew up. Rick Springfield faded from the covers of 16 Magazine and Tiger Beat. I never became Mrs. Rick Springfield or Mrs. Dr. Noah Drake. But every time I hear an old Rick Springfield song in the car, I turn it up and sing just a little louder. I've often wondered if my lust for Rick at 13 is why every significant man in my life has had that Rick Springfield look - dark wavy hair, dark eyes, olive skin.

Until last night . . . when I was a lusty teen-ager all over again.

For the first time in eight years, Rick headlined at Frontier Days (his only free concert of the year!) and my girlfriends and I planned a "Night of Rick" to relive our youth. Cheryl and I met at Rec Park at 5:45am to save our front row spots on the lawn for his 8:00pm show. Much to our dismay, we were not the first to arrive. Many women had spent the night, camped out on the ground.

By the time Rick took the stage 14 hours later, the park was full with screaming fans. And Cheryl, Shannon, Diana, Sheelagh, Lynn, and I were in the front row. Pressed up against the fence that separated the stage from over 8,000 lustful women. We could feel his sweat. When he sang "I've Done Everything For You," "Affair of the Heart," "Don't Talk to Strangers," and "Jessie's Girl," I thought he was singing only to me. His eyes were still piercing. We screamed, danced, swooned, fantastized, and sang for the entire 1 1/2 hour show. By the time he came into the audience to sing "Human Touch," Sheelagh had moved from the fence and happened to be standing in the exact spot he stopped in. As he sang, she grabbed his ass. Telling me about it later, I took her hand and touched it to my face fully believing I now had a little bit of Rick on me. It was a moment straight out of the Brady Bunch when Davy Jones kissed Marcia and she swore she'd never wash her face again.

At the end of the night, Rick answered every woman's prayer when he returned for his encore . . . SHIRTLESS. WOW. I thought I'd died and gone to Heaven. In spite of his 57 years, his body was better than that of most 30-year-old men. Not only did he have 6-pack abs, but I think they may have been an actual 12-pack. Cheryl, Lynn, and I were still pressed against the fence just feet from Rick, and I'm certain I went home covered in the sweat from his naked body.

Yes, Rick Springfield taught me about lust at age 13 and gave me a 90-minute refresher course last night. I may never be the same.

Long Awaited Answers

I know you've been eagerly awaiting the correct answers to last week's meme about me. And finally, you can sleep in peace knowing you know all there is to know about me (hahaha - if only I was really this simple!).

While it appears that only Gourmet Goddess took interest in this meme and actually had the courage to answer on my blog, a few of you emailed me and you know who you are.

1. Where did we meet?
Yeah! Everyone got this correct.

2. Take a stab at my middle name.
No one even tried this and I'm disappointed. I was looking forward to your creativity. It's Lynn. Jessica Lynn Gardner. For those of you who don't know, I was named for my maternal grandfather, Jesse Paulk, who died suddenly on my mom's 13th birthday, and my mom's college roommate, Lynn Ming. UPDATE: I was wrong. One person attempted my middle name and did get it right. I apologize for my mistake.

3. Do I smoke?
The short answer is no. Although I've been known to grab a cigarette (but never pot) in a bar and did so far more in college and through my 20s, than I have in my 30s. I don't think I've done it in 3 or 4 years, partly do to the smoking bans, but more because I always hated it anyway. It was just something to do. Ya, I know. That's a dumb reason.

4. What color are my eyes?
When I was younger, my eyes were bright blue. I've aged (and I'm dealing with that) and my eyes now are more of a blue-green hazel, depending on what I'm wearing.

5. Do I have any siblings.
Seriously, if anyone had gotten this wrong, you'd need to go back to the beginning. I have a brother. Dave. He's the greatest. We are 3 years and 3 1/2 months apart, but I'm older. He's one of my best friends.

6. What is one of my favorite things to do?
The list is long: Garden (this frankly surprises me), follow and debate politics, write, listen to music, read, cook. I could go on. Everyone guessed one of these. Really, I write about all of this stuff, so how could you have gone wrong here?

7. What is my favorite kind of music?
Hint: Read the "About Me" section of my blog. Don't feel bad, no one got this correct. It's country. I also listen to lots of other things, which is why this may have been tough. Here's a list of music that speaks to my soul.

8. Am I shy or outgoing?
Truly this is complicated. The part of me you know best is the outgoing part. It's the part that allows me to work in sales. It's the part that allows me to get heavily involved in my community, my alumni association, and politics. But at the end of the day, I need quiet and alone time. When I hit overwhelm, I have to go be alone. It's why I live for my time at Watervale.

I always thought I was extroverted because I don't have any challenges speaking in public and usually can talk to anyone. But in a work program I was involved in probably 15 years ago, I learned that being introverted vs. extroverted has really more to do with where you get your energy or get renewed, rather than shy vs. outgoing. According to the speaker we had, extroverts get more energy and more renewed from others, while introverts go inward. I go inward. I am always exhausted after I've had to be "on" for too long.

9. Am I a rebel or do I follow the rules?
Truthfully, I've never been great at following the rules, especially if I think they're stupid. I don't kiss ass for the sake of it or to move ahead, which has sometimes been detrimental. That said, I do think rules like speed limits are important.

10. Do I have any special talents?
Yep. I do. ;)

11. How many children do I have?
Just two cat children, much to the chagrin of my parents. I think they'd like some grandkids and neither Dave nor I have given them any.

12. If you and I were stranded on a desert island, what's the one thing I'd bring?
No one is going to like this, but I'd bring my iPod so I could have some alone time.

Joyful Joyful

I don't believe anything just happens. I believe that, especially with the people we are most intimately connected, we bring into each other's lives exactly what the other needs, exactly when it is needed most. The best part of that, in my opinion, is that we often don't realize when we're doing something that will profoundly impact the other person. But the universe knows and guides us to take action.

Take, for example, an email I received the other day from someone who knows me better than almost anyone else. He doesn't usually send me emails and when he does, they never just have video links in them, so I thought this might be some sort of nefarious email I shouldn't open that was sent without his knowledge. So I asked him and without telling me what the video contained, he just said, "yep, I sent it."

Fast forward to this morning when I finally watched the video. Imagine my surprise when I discovered my all-time favorite piece of music and how much it made me smile.

Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 is the first Choral Symphony ever composed. Some say it's the greatest piece of music ever written and is widely held as Beethoven's greatest work.

I can't put my finger on exactly what I love so much about this piece of music, but it just moves me. It touches every part of my being each time I hear it. I not only hear it, but I can feel it, taste it, see it, and yes, smell it. My soul feels happier when I hear even just a few bars.

Ode to Joy, which is sung in the final movement of the symphony, is inspiring. My personal preference, however, is Joyful Joyful, which I grew up singing in church. Now I'm not typically a loud singer in church, but when Joyful, Joyful is part of the service, I stand and belt it out. I love it so much, I want Joyful, Joyful sung at my funeral.

Watch the videos below and just try not to end up in a better mood. Oh, my favorite part is watching the little girl who climbs the light pole "directing."

Som Sabadell Flash Mob

Joyful Joyful

It's the Little Things That Make Me Happy

I woke up this morning thinking about all the things that make me happy, which I have to say was a delightful way to wake up and immediately put me in a lovely mood.

Here, in no particular order, is a partial list of what I came up with as I laid in bed:

• A heated mattress pad. I don't know who invented this, but whomever it is deserves a Nobel Prize in something, maybe humanitarianism or something like that. This creates a wonderful little cocoon that I never want to leave in the morning and has given me better, deeper sleep since I got it in December. Best money I spent in ages.
  
• A made bed and a clean bedroom. There's just something incredibly calming about walking down the hall and seeing my room, my oasis, clean and waiting for me. Sometimes when I need an escape in the middle of the day, I just walk into my bedroom and inhale and exhale deeply and I feel calm again. Plus, when I make my bed first thing in the morning, I feel accomplished before I've even brushed my teeth.
  
• A full tank of gas. This is especially happiness-inducing in the winter when it's cold and the winter elements are likely to develop at any moment without notice.
• A purring kitty. Nothing puts a smile on my face faster than when Betsey or Ross are purring so loudly that I can hear it across the room or when they unexpectedly hop onto my lap and just start purring. Pure bliss.
  
• Clean and folded laundry. I love the fresh crisp scent of clean laundry.
• The scents of lavender and vanilla. Together or separately.
  
• Dinner on nice dishes. Because I tend to cook a lot and then divide it up into single serving containers that I freeze, I usually just heat that up and eat out of the container. It's more efficient and means I don't have many wash to dishes. But at least one night a week, I make myself set the table, even if it's just for me and eat dinner properly off nice dishes.
• Seeing the sun any day between November and April. I live in Chicago. Nothing more needs to be said.
• Reading the newspaper cover-to-cover. The actual newspaper. Not the online version. I don't do this very often, so when I really take the time to hold the real paper in my hands and savor the ink bleeding on my fingers as I read all the stories (and the comics), I just love it.
• Books. I love to read. I'm currently reading four books. I have books all over my house. My dream is to have a house with a library where I can just retire to browse through my books and write letters.
• Letters. I love to write letters and receive letters. Good old-fashioned handwritten letters. Emails, text messages, sky writing, smoke signals, etc. are all fine, but nothing quite compares to being able to hold a handwritten letter in my hand. That said, I'm embarrassingly behind with writing letters (mostly thank you notes) at the moment and it's causing me all kinds of stress. I will tackle this this week for certain and then I'll feel better. My favorite letters are saved in a "love notes" file that I visit every now and again. That file is one of about 5 things I'd grab if my house burned down again.
• Music. I often like to start my day with uplifting music. I lifts my spirit and fills my soul like nothing else. I often use music to energize me when I have to do something I'm not excited about doing.
• Surprise phone calls for no reason whatsoever from people I love.
• Long, hot bubble baths with candles.
• Lazy weekend mornings. Today was not one of them. I was up fairly early because I had things I wanted to accomplish.
  

There are obviously many things in life that make me happy, but those are the things I thought of first thing this morning.

What simple pleasures in life make you happy?

Music That Speaks To My Soul

Music moves me in a way nothing else ever has. I can feel it in my bones and deep into my soul.

I remember in December 1999, a guy friend of mine called me up from Florida and told me he had something for me to hear. The next thing I knew, he was playing the guitar and singing Southern Cross to me. He had learned it simply by listening to Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, a live CD by Jimmy Buffett that I'd bought him for his birthday. Knowing it was my favorite song (and I have a strong preference for the Buffett cover over the original by Crosby, Stills, & Nash), he listened to the CD over and over until he'd mastered it. I was so moved, I cried. That was the first time I realized I was in love with him. Things didn't work out, but to this day, I still think of him everytime I hear Southern Cross - either version.

Many other songs move me the same way. They are tied to events or specific times of my life or friends.

What speaks to my soul the most? Here's my favorite iPod playlist:

Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson
Hands by Jewel
Life Uncommon by Jewel

Time Of My Life by Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes
All Fired Up by Pat Benatar
Born to Fly by Sara Evans
Change Your Mind by Sister Hazel
Circle of Life by Elton John

Don't Stop by Fleetwood Mac
Hero by Enrique Iglesias
Hooked On A Feeling by Vonda Shepard
I Could Not Ask For More by Sara Evans
I Hope You Dance by Lee Ann Womack
I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor
It's My Life by Bon Jovi
Standing Outside the Fire by Garth Brooks
Strong Enough by Des'ree
That's The Way It Is by Celine Dion
The Best by Tina Turner
The Greatest by Kenny Rogers
The River by Garth Brooks
These Are The Days by 10,000 Maniacs
This Year by Chantal Kreviazuk
Unanswered Prayers by Garth Brooks
When You Know by Shawn Colvin
Ready to Run by Dixie Chicks
Landslide by Dixie Chicks
Wide Open Spaces by Dixie Chicks
Man! I Feel Like A Woman by Shania Twain
Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield
Fame by Irene Cara
Flashdance What A Feeling by Irene Cara
Eye of the Tiger by Survivor
Searchin' My Soul by Vonda Shepard

Testify to Love by Wynonna
In My Daughter's Eyes by Martina McBride
This One's For The Girls by Martina McBride

Live Like You Were Dying by Tim McGraw
What a Beautiful Day by Chris Cagle

Amazing Grace by Elvis Presley

Hallelujah by Bon Jovi

O Holy Nightby Celine Dion
Anyway by Martina McBride
(Women Should Be) A Priority by Sweet Honey In The Rock

Life Is A Highway by Rascal Flatts

Updated 12/23/2007: I can't believe I forgot this song! It's really on my "Music that Speaks to My Soul" iPod playlist! Karen introduced me to Des'ree when we were both still at Hogan. I still remember how she was so insistent that I hear this song and one night when we worked until the wee hours of the morning, we snuck into the parking garage probably about 10:00ish and cranked this on her car CD player. Then we were able to get through the next few hours at work. She was right. You Gotta Be is one of the greatest songs ever!


You Gotta Be by Des'ree

This One Time . . . At Band Camp . . .

I am a former Band Geek^TM. I say that with great pride. Moreover, I am a former member of the Marching Huskies, which again, I say with great pride. I played the flute and was okay at it. I didn't practice as much as I should have, but I did memorize all my music.

My days with the Marching Huskies were limited to my freshman year and the first semester of my sophomore year of high school. I quit because I had the good fortune of being able to take drivers' ed early, which meant I'd be able to pick up my license on my 16th birthday. When I weighed the pros and cons, I decided that knowing how to drive was a more important life skills than anything I might accomplish with a flute.

In all honesty, when I was a Marching Huskie, we weren't that good. In fact, I don't recall ever winning any marching band competition. Prospect High School (our rival in everything) was the band to beat. They went everywhere including the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. They won the Governor's Trophy at the Illini Marching Band Festival 25 times.

But that ended on Saturday when the Marching Huskies captured the Governor's Cup for the first time in 26 years. Congratulations Huskies!

Hersey Band Captures Governor's Trophy
by Eileen O. Daday, Daily Herald, October 22, 2009

The John Hersey High School Marching Huskies.

For the first time in 26 years, the University of Illinois' School of Music will etch a new name onto to its Governor's Cup: Hersey High School.

The Marching Huskies from the Arlington Heights school won the overall championship at the Illini Marching Band Festival Saturday, ending a streak held by its Northwest Suburban High School District 214 peer, Prospect High School in Mount Prospect.

The Governor's Cup trophy reflects the best score of the day, combined from field and parade show competitions.

"We're really excited and feeling really proud to know that everything we worked on finally came together," said senior trombonist and section leader Andrew Birschbach of Arlington Heights.

It was battle right down to the last performance of the night, with Hersey, under the direction of Scott Casagrande, taking the field at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, followed by the final show of the night, Prospect.

In the end, Prospect's Marching Knights won the field show portion of the competition with their performance of "Rhapsody in Red, White and Blue," while Hersey finished second in the field but won the parade show, and ultimately the grand championship, with a total score that eclipsed Prospect.

Among the top five field show scores were Waubonsie Valley High School in third and Neuqua Valley High School in fifth, while Mundelein High School placed fourth in parade show competition.

"I think it's great that two District 214 schools are that strong," said Chris Barnum, Prospect director of bands. "I think it's cool to look around the district and see all these great things happening."

Hersey's field show performance was designed around the music of Aaron Copland, opening and closing with the famous "Fanfare for the Common Man." A middle section, called "Hoe-Down," from Copland's Rodeo ballet, featured musicians line dancing and the 25-piece percussion section driving its rhythm.

"All week long, we stressed striking a balance between passion and execution," said senior trumpet soloist Mike Ozga of Arlington Heights, "and that's what we did between our marching and musical ability."

Winning the Governor's Cup means the Marching Huskies end their competition season on a high note. They will perform their show one final time during halftime of Friday's home football game against Wheeling High School. The game begins at 7:30 p.m. in Hersey's Goins Stadium.

The Marching Band is led by drum majors Catherine O'Donnell and Ilona Widomska, both seniors, and junior Michael Plankey; senior soloists Birschbach and Ozga; drum captain Nick Jarosz, a senior; and guard captains Katie Rheingruber and Heather Swanke, both seniors, and junior Juliette Makara.

Prospect competes again Saturday at the State of Illinois Marching Band Championship in Hancock Stadium at the Illinois State University in Normal.

100 Experiences: Items 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 (aka Nashville 2013) - Part 1

Two weeks ago, I did something I've never done. I vacationed all alone. This vacation had nothing to do with my family. I did not have to take care of anyone or anything. It was all about me. Just me. (Experience #2)

And it left me asking one thing: Why the heck didn't I do this sooner?

Let's take a step back for a second . . . I agonized over this trip. I went back and forth on whether I should spend the money (I worried I was being wasteful), whether I should take the time off work, whether I was safe traveling alone, whether I would be seen as selfish by my family, and a whole host of other ridiculous worries.

I debated between going to Nashville and Sanibel Island. Nashville had the distinction that I'd only been there once about seven years ago for a Mary Kay retreat and only left the hotel long enough for a quick concert at the original home of the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium. I love country music and each time I drove through it on my way to Crystal Beach last year, I kept thinking I should go back for a weekend. Sanibel Island had the beach as its big "pro." We lived in Ft. Myers when I was little and my Gardner Grandparents lived on Sanibel Island until I was in college. I'd been there a million times, but not in almost 20 years. I remember loving Sanibel, but I've spent far too much time on the Gulf side of Florida over the past 13 years and I swore I'd never go back. It's going to take some time to be able to love Florida again.

Nashville won out. (Experience #3)

Immediately, I started planning every moment I'd be in town. I had a little over three days to spend in Nashville and I was going to make the most of every single second. Let's just say I had an itinerary any professional travel agent or tour operator would be proud of.

Thursday Night

My first night in town, I had dinner with my dear friend Kalee at Chuy's at Opry Mills. If you go, get the Steak Burrito with the chorizo sauce. Trust me. The food was amazing. The only thing better than the food was hanging out with Kalee. Kalee was my first boss after college, when I interned at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Washington, D.C., and she quickly became my friend because we're the same age, we have similar backgrounds, and we both love politics. As an intern, I worked in her office. I remember we had the best conversations that sometimes had nothing to do with work. Now Kalee lives in Nashville with her wonderful husband Jack.

Until my first night in Nashville, we hadn't seen each other in almost 15 years. And trust me, after just a couple of seconds, it was like time had stood still. You know how there are times in life when you don't realize how much you missed something until you have the opportunity to experience it again and then suddenly you can't imagine it being gone from your life again? That's how hanging out with Kalee was. Fortunately, we were able to make plans to get together again on Sunday for brunch.

Kalee and Me. 

I'm not going to wait another 15 years before hanging out with Kalee again.

Friday

Friday morning, I got up early and headed into downtown Nashville for a tour of the Country Music Hall of Fame and RCA Studio B, known as the Home of 1000 Hits. Studio B was built for Elvis and he recorded over 200 of his songs there. Many legends recorded at Studio B, including The Everly Brothers, Dottie West, Dolly Parton, Elvis, Roy Orbison, and many more. Elvis was famous for recording late at night and into the wee hours of the morning.

The best part of the Studio B tour was being able to sit at and play the piano Elvis loved and played. He once tried to buy the piano he loved so much, but was told by Chet Atkins he didn't have enough money to buy it. I haven't played the piano in many years, but sitting at that piano and playing just a few keys was magical. I could feel Elvis in the room.

Me tickling the ivories of Elvis's favorite piano. (Experience #6)

One interesting note about Studio B is that it closed on August 17, 1977. If that date sounds sort of familiar, it's the day after Elvis died. That's just a coincidence though. The closure of Studio B had been planned for awhile.

After an inspirational tour of the Country Music Hall of Fame and RCA Studio B, I stumbled into the Dukes of Hazzard Museum, run by Cooter, of course, which it turned out, was around the corner from my hotel. If you're a child of the 80s, you may have had a crush on one of the Duke brothers or Daisy Duke. I liked Bo Duke. If you're too young to remember the Dukes of Hazzard, you may be impressed to know that Daisy Duke was the inspiration for Daisy Dukes.

Who's sitting in the General Lee? ME!

Friday night found me at the Grand Ole Opry for a taping of the 88-year-old radio show and post-show backstage tour. I had 5th row seats for one of the best shows I've ever seen. It opened with the Queen of Country Comedy, Minnie Pearl (well, an impersonator). Bill Anderson (member since 1961), Kristen Kelly, Riders in the Sky (members since 1982), Jesse McReynolds (member since 1964), Shelley Skidmore, Jim Ed Brown (member since 1963), Mike Snider (member since 1990), Chuck Wicks, Crystal Gayle, surprise appearances by Lone Star and Little Jimmy Dickens (member since 1948), The Whites (members since 1984), and The Isaacs.

One of the great things about the Opry is that they encourage you to come up close to the stage to take pictures of your favorite artists. When I took the picture of Crystal Gayle below, I was kneeling just in front of the stage.

If you're going to attend the Grand Ole Opry, you must take the backstage tour. You can take this tour in the afternoon, which I guess is fine, but if you have any desire to meet the stars, do it after the show. As we were on our tour, Crystal Gayle walked up, signed autographs for everyone, and took some pictures. She signed my show poster, listing her as one of the performers, and I got the picture below showing her famous floor-length hair.

Crystal Gayle and her famous floor-length locks.

At the end of the tour, I was able to stand in the center of the Grand Ole Opry stage where 1000s of performers have stood before me. What I loved about the center of the stage was that when the Opry moved to the new location in 1974 from the Ryman Auditorium, they cut a circle of the flooring from the entrance of the Ryman stage and placed it in the center of the new stage. The thinking was that  every artist to ever perform at the Ryman had walked across that piece of Ryman flooring, so they'd all now be part of the new Opry stage as well.

6-foot circle of oak from the Ryman Auditorium. I stood there. (Experience #5)

When I finally crawled into bed on Friday night, I slept better than I've slept in ages. I was exhausted, but happy and filled with wonderful memories.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Nashville adventure, including exploring the honky tonks, a tour of the Ryman Auditorium, more Kalee time, the rest of my pictures, and much more. Coming later this week.

Chicago Freebies!

Do you love to be a tourist in your own town? Are you planning a trip to Chicago and wanting to take in some of the most popular destinations, but shocked by the ticket prices?

Not to worry, all the museums and other hot spots offer free days and Little Merry Sunshine has the list (just like we did in 2008). Mark your calendar now and make sure you take advantage of these freebies. If you live in the area, this is a great way to take advantage of what some of our high taxes pay for.

From The Local Tourist:

Adler Planetarium:

• January 5, 11-15, 19, & 26
• February 2, 8-12, 16 & 23
• March 2, 9, 16 & 23
• April 20 & 27
• May 4, 11, 12, 18 & 25
• June 7-11
• September 7, 13 - 17, 21 & 28
• October 5, 12, 19 & 26
• November 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30
• December 7, 14 & 21

Art Institute of Chicago:

• Free Thursdays 5 to 8pm until Memorial Day and after Labor Day
• Free in February

Chicago Children's Museum:

• 1st Sunday of every month free admission for children 15 and under
• Free Thursdays 5 to 8pm for everyone

Chicago History Museum:

• Free every Monday

Field Museum of Natural History:

• 2nd Monday of every month
• January 13, 14, 19, 20, 26, 27
• February 2, 3, 10, 11, 16, 17, 23, 24
• March 2, 3
• June 2, 3
• August 24
• September 15, 16, 21, 22
• October 5, 6, 13, 14, 19, 20
• November 2, 3, 10, 16, 17, 30
• December 1, 7, 8, 15, 16

International Museum of Surgical Science:

• Free on Tuesdays

Jane Addam's Hull House Museum:

• Always Free

Loyola University Museum of Art:

• Free on Tuesdays

Museum of Contemporary Art:

• Free on Tuesdays

Museum of Contemporary Photography:

• Always Free

Museum of Science & Industry:

• January 4 - 8, 11 - 15, 18 - 22, 25 - 29
• February 8, 14
• March 18
• April 19 - 23
• May 3
• June 7 - 11
• August 30
• September 7 - 14, 20, 21, 27, 28
• October 4 - 6
• November 11
• December 6

National Museum of Mexican Art

• Always free (donations accepted)

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum:

• Free on Thursdays (donations suggested)

Shedd Aquarium:

• January 4, 5, 11, 12, 16 - 21, 25, 26
• February 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 - 19, 22, 23
• June 14 - 18
• September 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28
• October 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26
• November 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30

Smith Museum of Stained Glass Windows

• Always free

Swedish American Museum

• Free on second Tuesday of every month

Ukrainian National Museum

• Always free, suggested donation of $5

From the Chicago Symphony Orchestra:
The Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s training orchestra for young, preprofessional musicians, has announced its 2009-2010 season of free orchestral and chamber music performances at Symphony Center and in neighborhoods throughout Chicago.

Concerts at Symphony Hall

Music director of the Toronto Symphony and principal guest conductor of the Detroit Symphony, Peter Oundjian leads Civic for the first time on Monday, Feb. 8, 2010, at 8 p.m., in Mahler’s Seventh Symphony. The Civic Orchestra has performed this symphony only once previously, in 1991.



On Monday, March 8, 2010, at 8 p.m., Leo McFall conducts “Lullaby for Hans” by CSO Mead Composer-in-Residence Mark-Anthony Turnage—a tribute to his mentor Hans Werner Henze—and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5. McFall, who has studied with and assisted CSO Principal Conductor Bernard Haitink, made his Civic debut in April 2009.



Colnot returns to the podium on Monday, April 5, 2010, at 8 p.m., for a program of enchanting works, featuring Mendelssohn’s Overture to “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Ravel’s “Gaspard de la nuit” and Stravinsky’s “Le chant du rossignol” (Song of the Nightingale).



Civic’s 2009-2010 season closes Monday, May 24, 2010, at 8 p.m., with a virtuosic program led by Larry Rachleff and featuring CSO Concertmaster Robert Chen in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto—heralding the CSO’s Beethoven Festival, which begins the following week. An integral part of the Civic training program is the opportunity for young musicians to collaborate with and learn from their professional mentors in the CSO. This concert concludes with Bartók’s great Concerto for Orchestra.



Preconcert Conversations are given before all Civic Orchestra concerts at Symphony Center, beginning 90 minutes before the performance, in Grainger Ballroom. Tickets for all Civic Orchestra concerts at Symphony Center are free but required. Seating is general admission, and there is a non-refundable $1 per-ticket service fee. Tickets for these concerts can be reserved by calling 312-294-3000.

Performances in the Community

The Civic Orchestra’s 2009-2010 season features dozens of free performances throughout the city. On Sunday, May 2, 2010, at 3 p.m., the orchestra and conductor Edwin Outwater present a free, all-Beethoven concert at South Shore Cultural Center in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood, in anticipation of the CSO’s June 2009 Beethoven Festival. This concert also introduces pianist Adam Kim, winner of the 2009 CSO Youth Auditions, as soloist. Part of the Institute’s continuum of opportunities for active participation in music, the annual Youth Auditions identify one talented 14-to-17-year-old musician to perform with the CSO as well as with Civic and through other avenues.



Chamber ensembles from the Civic Orchestra present many free educational concerts in neighborhoods across Chicago, as part of the MusiCorps community-engagement program. MusiCorps’ “In the Park with Civic” series—free, interactive chamber concerts for families with children ages 5 and up—take place in Chicago Park District locations, including Gage, Harrison, Indian Boundary, Kosciuszko, North and Washington parks, and at the National Museum of Mexican Art.

Chamber ensembles and repertoire will be announced at a later date. 

All Civic Orchestra chamber performances are free, and tickets are not required. For more information about MusiCorps’ “In the Park with Civic” concerts, please visit civicorchestra.org or call 312-294-3803.



MusiCorps is generously sponsored by United Airlines. “In the Park with Civic” is presented through a partnership with the Chicago Park District.

Weeding the Garden - Metaphor for Life?

Today was "weed the garden Sunday." Truthfully, it was not a task I was eagerly anticipating and I did not fly from my slumber early this morning singing "Oh what a glorious day! I get to weed the garden!" But since I'd procrastinated this job for a few weeks and, in a few cases, the weeds were taller than my plants, today was the day. Oh, and of course, there's the added benefit that tomorrow is yard waste day, so I'd pull the weeds and then they'd be gone from my life forever. Well, at least until new weeds grow.

Out I went, my iPod in my pocket, in my grungiest clothes and gardening gloves. Listening to my favorite playlist of motivational music, I stood there bent over pulling the weeds one by one. And slowly but surely, the ground started to reappear. And what was important - the beautiful flowering garden - suddenly came back into focus. The plants had space to breath, spread out, and flower even more.

As I stopped to admire my work, I started to wonder if pulling weeds from the garden was really just a metaphor for life. In life, sometimes I have struggles. I have challenges. I guess everyone does. "Weeds" start to clutter up my life and I lose focus on what's important. Sometimes those weeds come in the forms of negative thinking, too much stress from not taking care to keep balance in my life, or simply procrastinating tasks I don't enjoy doing. But sometimes, those "weeds" are from watching, reading, or listening to too much negative news, carrying a grudge, not letting go of something painful, or being around people who simply bring me down.

When I take the time to clear my life of its weeds by being proactive, finishing those tasks I'd rather procrastinate, listening to music that speaks to my soul, being positive, remembering what I'm grateful for, surrounding myself with uplifting friends, and clearing out the clutter regularly, my life is pretty weed-free and what's important is clear and easily accessible, just like my garden. Keeping my life weed free allows abundance to take its place, and abundance always begets abundance, just like in my garden.

Why Kids Need Music

Check out this chorus from PS22 in New York. I just saw them on Nightline singing Eye of the Tiger then I found their blog and watched them sing the best version of Landslide I've ever heard. I loved watching the expressions on their faces as the kids sang. You can feel their passion.





These kids will inspire you. We owe it to them to keep music alive for them.

I'm Gonna Install A Stripper Pole!

My dad will be so proud. His daughter, the pole dancer!

But if CNN says I can lose 50 pounds by pole dancing, I might just do it!

Pole dancing helps strip off pounds

By Judy Fortin CNN Medical Correspondent

August 11, 2008

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The lights were turned down low and the music was pulsing as Kimberly Wright made her way toward a 16-foot tall dance pole to do some tricks.

Wright is not an exotic dancer in a strip club. She's a 38-year-old mother of two from Atlanta, Georgia, looking to get in a decent workout.

"It works the abs, oh my goodness, muscles I didn't even know I had," Wright chuckled.
On this night, Wright is among more than a dozen women of all shapes and sizes -- no men allowed -- attending a beginner class at PoleLaTeaz, an Atlanta dance studio owned by Angela Edwards.

"We get preachers' wives, teachers, nurses, accountants, lawyers, anyone between the age of 18 and 70," Edwards said. "It's not boring...you get to wear fun clothes, listen to good music...and release your inner sexpot."

If online listings across the country are an indication, the popularity of pole dancing is spreading across the country from Southern California to Chicago to the Bible Belt.

A former labor and delivery nurse, Edwards opened her own studio two years ago and now has 400 students. She plans to add another location in the fall.

Edwards demonstrated a few moves during an advanced class later in the evening.

She climbed to the top a pole and, clenching her inner thighs, hung upside down. Watch Edwards demonstrate pole dancing

"The dancing part is where you get the cardiovascular benefits," she said. Then there's "pole-tricking," or doing specific movements balancing your body weight against the pole, such as the "fireman spin."

"That's where you get the weight lifting and weight training," Edwards said.

She mentioned that there is a risk of injury so regardless of their experience, all students start the class with a half-hour warmup using Pilates-like stretches.

Thick mats are placed near the poles as students practice new "tricks," and Edwards encouraged dancers to modify their moves depending on their abilities.

"You see good results," Edwards said. "We have women who come in here 40 to 50 pounds overweight and they drop it in about six to eight months and they get great, nice, hourglass curves."

Cicely Rogers is one of those women who have seen results. "I started last August and I've gone down two dress sizes. I've lost 20 pounds and I feel awesome," she said.

The critical care nurse at an Atlanta hospital admitted that she hurt all over after the first few sessions of pole dancing.

There's another benefit, Rogers said. "This made me feel better about my body. I used to be nervous about my body and try to hide it. Now I'm a lot more open and confident. I stand up straight and feel good about myself."

Rogers is one of the few women wearing shorts and a tank top. Many other students are scantily dressed in lingerie-like outfits.

Almost everyone strapped on stilettos when the dancing got under way. Some of the women said it added to the atmosphere of the class.

"It makes you feel sensual. It makes you feel sexy," said Antigone Locklear, 42, of Atlanta.
Wright said feeling sexy is part of the reason she attended class. Now she's waiting for her husband to install her own dance pole at home.

She smiled. "You know what? I am sexy and yes, pole dancing does put you in the mood."

The End of the World

Okay, I know that just 24 hours ago I said I was taking a break, but then I made that half-hearted comment about the possibility of the world ending on Saturday and made plans with a friend for Sushi Sunday with the disclaimer about the having to cancel if the world ends. For the record, I'm really craving sushi, so I hope the world doesn't end on Saturday.

Also, for the record, I don't actually believe that the world will end on Saturday, but just in case the Judgment Day is upon us, I thought it was important to help my readers through it in style - that is to say cocktails and a soundtrack.

Disclaimer: LMS always recommends you drink responsibly, but I suppose that if the world is truly collapsing around you in the most literal sense, then you can do whatever you please. But unless you personally see the Four Horseman, I'd really suggest you double check that world ending thing.

End of the World Cocktail (from 1001 Cocktails.com)
1/2 oz. high proof rum
1/2 oz. whiskey
1/2 oz. vodka

Serve warm in a shot glass. No garnish necessary.

LMS recommends using only top-shelf liquor here. If ever there were an excuse to avoid the cheap stuff, the apocalypse is it.

Now onto the music...

The End by The Doors


Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley


Closing Time by Semisonic


Don't Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult


We'll All Go Together When We Go by Tom Lehrer


The End by The Beatles


It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) by REM


Goodbye Stranger by Supertramp


We Didn't Start the Fire by Billy Joel


So Long, Farewell from The Sound of Music


If the end really is upon us in the next 24 to 48 hours, then I can honestly say I've enjoyed the ride for almost 40 years, I've been blessed to have a life full of people I love and who love me in return, and I have much to be grateful for, including each of my Little Merry Sunshine readers.

If the world isn't ending, I'll be back over the weekend.

Soundtrack for 2009

Music defines my life. In fact, there's a soundtrack for every part of my life. I can hear a song and immediately be transported to a random chapter in my life. It sustains me in hard times and lifts me up to keep going and be better. In the good times, I celebrate to music.

If 2008 is any predictor, 2009 will present us with many opportunities (aka challenges) and we will need a soundtrack to keep us going. The songs below are my selection for the 2009 soundtrack. What would you add?

Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield


Beautiful by Christina Aguilera
This is the live performance from her appearance on the CNN Heroes special on Thanksgiving.


Superwoman by Alicia Keys


Yes We Can by will.i.am


Amazing Grace by Leann Rimes


Somewhere Over The Rainbow by Eva Cassidy


Life Uncommon by Jewel


World by Five for Fighting (tribute to Obama)
I love that someone turned this video into a tribute to Obama. It really sums up how I felt standing in Grant Park on Election Night.


I would also include Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson. The first time I really heard the words of Breakaway I was in Davenport's Piano Bar in Chicago with my brother. He'd just moved to Wicker Park and we were roaming around one night. We walked into this little bar with the cool front and about an hour later the waiter grabbed the mike and belted out this song. I was mesmerized. Click on the link above to watch the video. I couldn't include it here because it mucked up all the other videos and didn't work properly itself.