What is a concert

What is a concert? Is it based on the venue? What validates a musicians’ skill? Is it playing in a large auditorium on a college campus? Is it performing in a popular performance space in a particular town? What of the singers who hold concerts in churches? Is that not a valid medium?

I went to a concert at church one evening and the next day at work, when my co-worker asked what I had done, I said I went to a concert.

Oh, yeah?, he said, Who’d you see?

I replied, A popular singer in the new thought movement, she performed at my church.

That’s not a concert, he said, and he walked away.

That’s not a concert? I thought to myself. Is the popular perception is that a church is not a ‘valid’ performance space? Although there are many major churches with sanctuaries the size of small stadiums, and outdoor events attended by more individuals than any concert in a neighboring City Arts Center, do people not consider these ‘real concerts’?

Our society has established yet another exclusionary group. It’s a different kind of prejudice. This judgment is not based on the color of their skin, or their sexual orientation, this is prejudice against their ‘spiritual’ orientation.

How do we dispel the myth that any major gathering of individuals for the purpose of sharing nothing but fun and music is a concert? What was Woodstock, I ask you, if not a gathering of individuals for the purpose of nothing but fun and music? And what about ‘Live-AID’ – a concert for a cause? Having worked their way up through the ‘music school of hard knocks’, do New Thought musicians now have to fight for their ‘validity’ in popular culture?

These musicians, singers, and songwriters are all ‘valid’ musicians in their own right and can hold their own standing on the line next to Bonnie Raitt, Katy Perry, Phil Collins, George Benson, Patti Labelle, or Stevie Wonder. How is their music considered ‘less than’ by their choice of venue? I am certain that their peers would not feel that way.

Gospel singers have a special place in the music world because they are supported by a community rooted in religious tradition. And Gospel Music has made a significant impact on mainstream music. Many popular singers, particularly the Black Divas, have their roots singing in churches and church choirs. Well, conversely, popular music has had a major influence on New Thought music, and it is well worth the result.

I had an idea. Perhaps these singers can hook up with current popular artists and be the opening act in a variety of venues. Certainly these individuals have the right to pick for whom they’ll open; but hitching their star to an already popular singer is a start.

But a better idea came to me. A venue, perhaps already popular for hosting small theater or dance companies, open it’s doors to these New Thought / Spiritual singers. Places with season ticket holders and audiences sophisticated enough to enjoy whatever popular culture comes their way. Here would be an opportunity for these singers to get their names out there; earning their fame for their musical talent rather than their ‘spiritual’ orientation. Just a thought.

And beyond what others may say, the concert was outstanding, entertaining and 100% valid.

They Booed Last Night

When I was in high school, the drama club put on the play ‘The Children’s Hour.’ If you’re not familiar, it’s a play about a little girl who was a real BRAT.  She killed people and was generally a real demon. The play was outstanding. The girl who played the lead was excellent. However, when it was time to take bows, she was booed off the stage! Now, I understood at that moment, that they were not booing her performance, they were booing the character that she played. She ran off the stage in tears.

I was reminded of this last night when I went to see the play ‘Waitress.’ The guy that plays her husband was a real jerk. He mistreated her and had a real misogynist view of the world. When the play was over and he took his bow, several people in the audience booed. Again, not because of his acting, but because of his character.

I don’t know if this is written anywhere…and I don’t know if this is just an example of folks who don’t know how theater works. When an actor does an outstanding job of the character her or she plays, it is normal to give an ovation, a powerful, positive ovation. When an actor gets booed, at their level of sensitivity, it often might not be a good sign. Tell them later. Stay after and tell them that you booed the character they played, not them as an actor.

I hope that the actor on stage last night, as well as that young girl from my high school, appreciate that what they did then and what they do now is outstanding and that they are being booed for all the right reasons.

Paris Poem

I alit from the train, bright sunlight in my eyes
In the dark, on the plane, on the bus, on the train
I have been sitting in the dark, for hours now
I walk along the city streets, foreign language in my ears
See the shops, city cars, festive vendors on the way
I have been walking, for hours now
Breakfast at a Patisserie, with Café au lait, salade at a sidewalk
café, Dinner in an African restaurant, fine aromas in my nose
France is ripe with Africans – they are everywhere
I have been moving, for hours now
The Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, Invalides, and the Champs Elysees,
Pictures with new found friends
I have been touring, for hours now
On the train, on the bus, on the plane, in the dark
I have been sitting, for hours now
I am home.

My Birthday Cometh

Did you know that there are places in the world where women are allowed to age naturally and gracefully without any regard for their age or weight?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to live in an environment where time is measured only in celebrations and milestones without regard to dates or time? Where women are allowed to age naturally without the scrutiny of an age-obsessed society where the goal is to always look and be the epitome of youth rather than the wisdom of agelessness?

Unfortunately, I have not discarded numbers entirely. I still celebrate the decades. Beyond that, however, my life is one exciting, eventful marvel after another. My first time in an airplane. My first love. My first kiss. My first trip to Europe. Class Mascot. The passing of a parent. Moving across country. Dancing on stage. The birth of my twins. An adventure filled trip across the country by car with kids in tow. A sold out dance performance. A trip to Hong Kong. Another baby is born. My first cruise. Managing. Directing. Producing. Presenting. These are the measure and the memories.

I have the pleasure of watching myself grow, watching my children grow and watching their children grow and on and on without regard to a NUMBER OF YEARS. For what is age anyway except a recording of the times the sun has revolved around the earth - sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly? Age is only a number. How is that number relevant? It is only society that gives it relevance…Oh, you’re only how old? Oh, you’re really THAT old? Unnecessary observations. Forget about it. Keeping track isn’t really necessary.

My life is a miracle every time I wake up and open my eyes, therefore my life is a celebration every day. One good time becomes one good day becomes one good week…and so it goes. Good times, good friends, family, and adventures. Milestones, discoveries, spiritual awakenings, revelations. Time is an illusion. We have no control. Time passes. Keep track of the good stuff, the great stuff, the important stuff. Celebrate the arrival and the departure of our bodies here on earth, and all the magnificence in between.

  The Dash by Linda Ellis, Copyright Inspire Kindness, LLC 1996, www.thedashpoem.com

I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on the tombstone from the beginning…to the end. He noted that first came the date of birth and spoke of the following date with tears, but he said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years. For that dash represents all the time that they spent alive on earth. And now only those who loved them know what that little line is worth. For it matters not, how much we own, the cars…the house…the cash.  What matters is how we live and love and how we spend our dash. So, think about this long and hard. Are there things you’d like to change? For you never know how much time is left that can still be rearranged. If we could just slow down enough to consider what’s true and real and always try to understand the way other people feel. And be less quick to anger and show appreciation more and love the people in our lives like we’ve never loved before. If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile, remembering that this special dash might only last a little while. So, when your eulogy is being read, with your life’s actions to rehash… would you be proud of the things they say about how you spent your dash?   © 1996-2018, Inspire Kindness, LLC

 

Forward

Do we ever stop getting tears in our eyes when we stub a toe?

Do we ever stop missing our parents when they are dead? I read a quote once that said, “No matter how your parents treated you, you’ll miss them when they are gone.” 

Do we ever stop pining for our first true love?

Do we ever stop feeling so overwhelmed with joy that sometimes it, too, drips out of our eyes?

Emotions are like children, often allowed to run wild and rampant and free. As long as no one gets hurt, all is well.

It is great to be happy, to keep a smile on our face, especially when there is so much going on that is out of our control. Have faith that it will work itself out.

It usually does.

When you are sad, be sad. Sometimes overnight. Sometimes for days. Weeks can be dangerous. If it stretches into weeks, seek consolation in a friend, partner or therapist.

In the passing of friends, remember the good times.

In the debilitation of health, be grateful for what you can still do.

In the loss of a relationship, remember that your heart won’t really break.

If you are grieving, get a hug from somebody. Anybody.

If you are just feeling a little out of sorts, often a smile or a laugh can make it better.

When you don’t feel like smiling, take a nap.

Or go to the park and sit on a bench and watch the children play.

Or go to the beach and sit on the sand and watch the waves.

Or go to the mountains and bask in their majesty.

Or just take a walk around your neighborhood. Movement is good for the soul. 

Any movement. All movement.

And remember, as long as you wake up, get up; 

and as long as you can get up, keep moving. 

It’s forward from here.