My New Favorite Place

Last night I had dinner at The Harp & Fiddle in Bethesda.  Tuesday night they host "The Jam" from 9 pm - 12 am,  and any kind of musician can come and jam with the best musicians in town.  I heard country, classical, jazz, rock, blues, slow jams, and some intense rock.  This place is off the charts.  Everybody makes you feel welcomed. Benjie Porecki  rocked the keyboards playing every style form steel guitar, to jazz, to Stevie Wonder, you name it!  This guy is fantastic and every other musician who took the stage held their own.

The prerequisite to performing is a passion and maybe a few drinks under your belt.  Even when I took my turn at singing Nature Boy I could not help but think that the band would make anybody sound great.  I love the sense of community among musicians. There was a lot of love in the atmosphere.  Lessons learned:  Be fearless - its more fun that way!!! I've been singing with light finesse but I also need to work to sing with power and passion.  Consistently working out physically and vocally will really help to power up my instruments.  Always be prepared to sing.  You never know when the opportunity will arise.  Carry your keys, and your tunes with you the way you carry your purse.  A girl has got to be at the ready!!!

Yeah, we're giggin...

Yippiiee!!! I have a gig which Steve Killian and I obtained by God's grace.  His son works at the Occidental Grill at the Willard hotel and he was instrumental in snagging the gig!  Steve and I have been together 6 months and we are really starting to mesh with the material.  I am very grateful for this experience.  Nothing builds your confidence like being able to use your gifts.  If you are so inclined come hear me from 6:30 - 9:30 Sat evenings at the Occidental.

Commitment

Commitment is a word that I think that needs a lot of practice. Our church is preparing for Commitment Sunday. We recommit every year by renewing our membership. We believe that sometimes, depending on where you are in your personal journey that the level of commitment made to our church can change. So each year you can stay at the same level, recommit at a deeper level, or chose not to commit which is just as important as the other levels. The hope is to encourage a sense of authenticity to service to God and fellowship within this community of believers and to provide space for individuals to reflect on where they are at this time in life.

This exercise has prompted me to look at the commitment I make to myself regarding my love of singing.  I am a jazz singer.  I love to listen to the different styles of music and reproduce the sounds with my voice.  I want to learn new and unique types of chords and master a jazz vocabulary.  My struggle is with commitment.   Like many other musicians the business of life invades the times that I would practice my craft.  Today as I have often done, I re-commitment to the discipline of study and practice of crafting my voice.   I find that I am at my most authentic self when I am singing.