Miriam Stockley, as Interviewed by Maya Luna Christobel Being both a fan and acquaintance of Miriam Stockley, I'm always excited to share news updates about her music. And, while her voice is beloved around the world, she tends to be a very humble and private person, which made this interview all the more fun for me to read! Click here to learn more about this admirable vocalist and member of the new age/world music group AOMusic!
Recently, in need of a fast-yet-fun eatery for a casual meeting, I recalled that a new restaurant called Lemonade had opened up in Studio City, CA. We popped in after 8 pm, delighted to find the bright and welcoming space comfortably busy, smelling wonderful and the cafeteria-style line still brimming with fresh food. My guest and I were amazed by the array of fresh salads, delicious appetizers, stews, breads and desserts, complemented by the fresh lemonade of your choosing (my fave: cucumber mint!). Lemonade is restaurateurs/entrepreneurs Alan Jackson and Ian Olsen's 14-location mission to redefine fast casual dining in So Cal, and they certainly seem to be succeeding. Guests surrounding us in the indoor/outdoor seating space ranged from a mother/son duo to hip couples and most notably, several tables of young guys raving about how much they love the simple/healthy menu, and, actually eat there every day. It's not surprising, as the flavorful yet simple food is served up without the usual "you're eating alone" stigma, and the seasonally-evolving menu is vast enough to make daily dining attractive. Check out your local Lemonademenu. Our dinner, enthusiastically-shared, included six salad servings from quinoa to beets to kale to curried cauliflower and a peanut-based slaw; main servings of a Meditteranean-style chicken stew and a Basque chicken dish, herbed brown rice; and lemonade choices of Cucumber/Mint and Guava. There were lots of leftovers, and takeout is encouraged with handy little containers available. The total cost: $39. Lemonade is creating a stir. It's hard to know if the clever restaurateurs planned it this way, but the well-lit decor and beautifully-designed food have Lemonade blowing up on social media. It's "old meets new" as the Paleo-leaning dishes become the colorful subjects of cellphone images shared to their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages...a most relevant sign of success in our 2.0 world, reinforced by the impending opening of a space in Dubai. Rating (crawl/walk/run): Run!
I unexpectedly fell in love during my rush to watch all the new movies before Oscar night. The movie was The Book Thief, which I expected to be good - but depressing - yet I came out of it feeling like I'd found a gem. I fell in love with the characters, the cast, and the story, but mostly with the lyricism of the narration. I will buy this one on DVD - a rare act these days - but I want an old-school physical copy to live on my shelf, among my other favorites: Out of Africa, A River Runs Through It, Ordinary People, and about 25 more which, I just realized, are mostly book adaptations.
I never thought about having a movie "type," but there it is...it turns out I love movies adapted from books when the movie really uses choice quotes and artfully conveys the beauty of the words. There are a lot that don't make it. I hope that the author, Markus Zusak, and the screenplay adaptor Michael Petroni, know that they've succeeded together in this challenge, despite the few Oscar nominations (which says more about the tastes of the Academy than about the quality of this film) and some snarky reviews on RogerEbert.com.
I also love movies with metaphysical themes, so there is also a match there to some degree. The Book Thief is based on the international bestselling novel of the same name, about a girl brought from Russia by her mother to be fostered by a German couple. The author chooses Death himself to narrate the story, but turns the concept of death upside down, making it ruthless yet curious, bewildered, and somewhat afraid of humans, especially brave ones like Liesel, our heroine. Through her life's challenges during WWII and beyond, Liesel learns to embrace the beauty and power of words as a way to survive, soothe, heal and ultimately, live well into old age before Death can meet her.
I haven't yet received my copy of the book (yes, I also buy "real books", not downloads) but I can't wait to look up one of the voiceovers toward the end that beautifully captured Liesel's perspective and writing. It paints a vivid and apropos picture of the sweet musical father and harsh mother who'd adopted her, and goes something like this (in my mind, anyway):
"On a street called Heaven, there was a man with the heart of an accordion, and a woman cloaked in thunder...."
A few other favorites:
"Trust me, though, the words were on their way, and when they arrived, Liesel would hold them in her hands like the clouds, and she would wring them out like rain.”
"It's always been the same. The excitement and rush to war. I met so many young men over the years who have thought they were running at their enemy, when the truth was, they were running to me." -Narrator/Death
“If only she could be so oblivious again, to feel such love without knowing it, mistaking it for laughter. ”
"I am haunted by humans."
(Death, the last line of the novel, p. 550)
The Book Thief released this week on DVD and Blue Ray. See clips, reviews, and enter to win a free copy of the DVD from the talented young blogger Kimmy West on her excellent Page to Premiere blog!
Oh, and for those of you who did find this subject matter just too bleak for words, you will find sympathy and hilarity in this "reading" by Mark on his blog Mark Reads, which starts out Part 10,
Emerging indie artist Kristin Amarie is a global citizen: born in Norway, she grew up in various countries including India, incorporating the music of various cultures into her own vocal style along the way. Upon hearing the piano music of David Lanz, she was compelled to cross the globe for one of his Seattle workshops. Over time, a love story emerged, and both artists began channeling this new energy into their recent solo works as well as a few collaborations, including lyric writing by Lanz, a rarity. This casual chat on THE BUZZ explores their love, life and new music on Notes from a Journey (Amarie) and Movements of the Heart (Lanz)...
When there just are no words, people are finding that Danny Wright is there to put their emotions into song.
Over the last decade, and from all over the world, people have reached out to Danny Wright, the composer and pianist also referred to by his loyal fans as The Healer of Hearts, hoping he can capture their love story in song. Word-of-mouth has spread of Wright’s unique gift for capturing a life or love story with his piano, and, to date, the artist estimates he has composed about 175 songs for loved ones here on earth or "already in heaven" as the soft-spoken artist would say. The pieces written for these are shared on Danny's albums such as Full of Love, Gifts from the Heart, Reflections and even on his new reissue of the classic Real Romance.
A serene space for composing in Danny Wright's home.
Danny describes how he goes about gathering inspiration for each personal love song, saying “Once someone sends me a paragraph about their loved one’s personal story or their love story, I take some time to live with it. When it feels ready, I set aside time to meditate on the piece just before recording it in a very relaxed studio atmosphere. At that point, I feel that God takes over and the music simply flows through me until it seems peaceful and, somehow, complete. Some pieces are longer than others, and they vary quite a bit within the solo piano style. I feel really blessed and honored when people hear their song for the first time and call me, often in tears, saying that I truly captured the essence of their love story or beloved family member. On some occasions, they even order sheet music of the song to learn to play it for themselves.”
Danny recalls an example of a moving experience when a fan connected with Danny to create a song for his wife who had passed away. Sharing his feedback on the song creation experience showed Danny the importance a song can have in the healing process.
“Words are very difficult to describe how I feel about the song ‘My Guiding Light (Barb).’ The best I can come up with is WOW," the fan wrote in an email to Danny. "It’s absolutely stunningly beautiful - somehow capturing the many beautiful, varied traits of her, a simply wonderful wife, Mom and friend to many. There is something very, very magical about this song...the way you have captured her many different traits and woven them into a tapestry of her as a person, sends a very warm shiver up my spine. Every time I listen to the piece, I feel different facets of her, which add to the picture you have painted with the song. I often take a blank piece of paper and write down different words/things that came to mind as I listen to the song. It's fascinating! I feel very blessed to have met you and have this wonderful keepsake made in memory of my wife, Barb.”
The composer and pianist, who is also a Steinway artist, can be reached for requests and more information via the contact page of his website at: http://www.dannywright.com.
