Florida Baby!

Hello!

So I've been hibernating, can you tell? Writing music, learning about life, contemplating sunrises. I'm in St. Augustine, FL. It has been a glorious place for relaxation after the TSO tour, and I'm heading back to NYC very soon. I thought I'd share some pictures of paradise.
Sunrises on the East Coast.

On The Road Again

I love that song, and every time I say it or write it or type it I can be sure it will be stuck in my head for the rest of the day. So I thought I'd entitle this post 'On The Road Again' and share with you this song-stuck-in-your-head day that I'm about to have. And thank you, Willie Nelson, for writing such a pleasing song to have stuck in your head.

We're touring! Life is awesome. I am in my bunk on the bus at the moment and about to get up for a matinee. I apologize for the delay between posts. There was a LOT happening during rehearsals, and now we've been touring for a week already! I had forgotten how fast time flies on the road! Shows are going great. All I can say is SEE ONE if you can. It is a work of the greatest technology and skills available today in lighting, sound, lasers, pyro, and effects. It is thrilling to perform and, from what the audience tells us every night when we have the autograph line, thrilling to watch. Yeah!

Other than touring, what's been occupying my mindspace? Well, we had a pretty memorable election on Tuesday. And I look forward to catching every one of Obama's speeches because he delivers so well! And what a beautiful thing that we Americans have arrived at a place where we see more than the color of a person's skin. I am very hopeful for the future of our country.

Oh I wish I had more time to write today, but updates will follow soon, now that I'm back on track with this blog!
Love always!
Luci

Omaha

What a place on Earth, Omaha, Nebraska!



I have never been to Omaha before, and I'm here for 2 weeks for TSO rehearsals (Trans-Siberian Orchestra). On the very first night I was greeted with a very Omahaian experience. I haven't yet confirmed with the natives if these are usual proceedings, but here's the story. I was exhausted. It was Wednesday night, Oct. 15th, we'd been flying all day, we were tired, nervous meeting everyone for the first time, and after landing, the only thing I could think of was eating (which I did promptly upon hotel arrival) and going to sleep. That I did immediately after eating. By 10:30 I was out! During my dreams I heard all all kinds of banging and yelling, kind of like, 'police, open your door, this is the police', etc. At one moment I was blessed with a flash of consciousness and suddenly realized that I was in a hotel, not in a dream, and there were people out in the hallway banging on doors screaming, "POLICE, OPEN YOUR DOORS, THIS IS THE POLICE!!". Naturally I wasn't properly dressed, and assuming the hotel was on fire, I got up and put on more appropriate attire. I walked to the door and sure enough out of the peephole I saw police. I was slightly shaking at this point, and slowly eased open the door. I'm not sure if I uttered the words "is the hotel on fire" before I realized that I was standing in a place I had never ever EVER been before in my life. Police were surrounding me, and to my left a lady cop was pointing a gun at my head.

It wasn't probably a whole second that passed by the time I had delicately shrinked back into my room and lightly shut the door, but how many different thoughts can pass through a person's mind in the split second a gun is pointed at your head! I guess the first thought was, "oh, she's obviously got the wrong person"; and then the usual shock factor, "holy %$&* there's a woman pointing a gun at my head"; the more big-picture, "oh my what a great new experience to add to the experience bank, to actually know what it feels like to have a gun pointed at your head"; the more equal rights, "at least it's a lady pointing the gun at my head, go her"; and then there was the great physical feeling of a deep darkness on my left side, knowing that bold black barrel carried the capacity to conclude my . And the ladycop was in full-on CSI gun pointing mode. I don't watch enough TV to actually know if I'm citing the right TV show, but she had two hands on the gun, arms straight out, legs spread wide, one in front of the other, and she was about 3 meters or so from me. AOH BABY!

After slipping back into my room, I wasn't inside for more than a second before they all came banging on my door. I took a deep breath and prayed there would be no gun pointing at me when I opened the door - by this point I was mildly shaking and obviously stuttering. I tried to be friendly and ask if everything was ok as they barreled in, gun pointed down this time. They asked me if I had heard any gunshots, and I thankfully said "NO", because it may have been my last considering the barrel I had so recently been looking into was vividly imprinted on my mind. They circled the room and whizzed out, a male cop asking me again on his way out if I had heard any gunshots. And that was that. Whew. What a special greeting to the friendly city of Omaha!

I found out the next morning that it was a 'really bad' prank call - I quote the girl at the front desk. Someone called the police station and said he had just shot his wife and himself and was lying on the bathroom floor of the hotel room directly across from mine. It turned out not to be true. One of our riggers was in the room across from mine and wasn't opening his door because he had earplugs in, and when he finally heard all the noise he thought it was his buddies playing a joke on him. I think they may have actually broken the door down on him, poor guy! So nothing to worry about, and what fun we 7th floor-ers had sharing our stories at catering the next day!

Omaha looks like it's going to be an exciting place! The tour's off to a BANG of a start!
Love,
Luci

Music Has Power Awards, 2008

We had our annual Music Has Power fundraising event this week. It was absolutely gorgeous, and I participated in history by having the honor of sitting in the small audience of 150 while the one and only ODETTA performed. Who is Odetta?
Quoted from Wikipedia: "Odetta (born December 31, 1930) is an African-American singer, actress, guitarist, songwriter, and a human rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement." Her musical repertoire consists largely of American folk music, blues, jazz, and spirituals. An important figure in the American folk music revival of the 1950s and '60s, she was a formative influence on dozens of artists, including Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Janis Joplin."

She performed from her wheelchair, and when she cracked her mouth to sing the first note, the sound that followed nearly blew me away. Reverberating the room, this woman didn't need her pianist to keep the place mesmerized! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. It is so powerful when you meet someone who commands and captivates just with her presence of energy. This woman did that. And her singing was unforgettable. Her voice penetrated beyond our ears, our skin, our organs, to something deeper that we forget lies within us. I wish everyone could have heard this beautiful lady. Go get recordings!!

I am always so nervous to ask to take a picture with celebrities, but with strong encouragement here we are: me and living history, Odetta.


In addition to Odetta's breathtaking performance, we heard a speech delivered by a man named Harvey Alter who had a stroke and suffered from Aphasia, a disease (simply stated) where you know what you want to say but your brain and your mouth don't cooperate, preventing speaking almost completely. He found he could sing happy birthday after going two years without speaking, and learned to speak again through singing. He delivered one of the most eloquent speeches I have ever heard, closing with, "You may think I have been speaking to you tonight, but I have been singing the whole time." Click here to read an article about Harvey in the New York Times.

You can read more about the Awards and learn more about the organization with whom I work, The Institute for Music and Neurologic Function by checking out the website: www.musichaspower.org

Finally, a picture I took Thursday night.


Love,
Luci

Tickets On Sale!

Tickets just went on sale for Trans-Siberian Orchestra! Come to a show and have some FUN with me!!! I promise you'll love it!
Rock!
Luci

News of Past and Future

Hello!
Happy September!!

Ahh, although I'm sad to leave my favorite month of the year behind, it's definitely going to be an exciting fall. First, news of the past: August was amazing and we had a fantastic birthday celebration in Savannah. A few friends and I went to the barrier island just off the coast of Savannah, Daufuskie Island. It was paradise. We swam, drove around in golf carts, watched the full moon rise on the Atlantic, and partied with the natives! It was such a dream! Huge thank-yous to my family for putting such a great party together for me! :)

Keep the haints out.....


The view from Daufuskie


Partying with the natives



Now news of the future: I will be touring with Trans-Siberian Orchestra this fall. If you don't know anything about this band, it's a rock and roll over-the-top Christmas show, and I'll be playing keyboards and doing some back-up vocals. If you do know a little about this band, you know it's a really fun, high-energy, blow-your-mind with sound and lights and fire kind of show! I can promise you'll have a good time if you manage to catch us somewhere. This show is so big that it takes 2 bands to cover the whole US within the Christmas season, and I am in the band that stays more on the east side of the country. Below is the schedule for the tour that I will be playing in. Check it out, and come see us!

Click on the website to see the full tour schedule and more:
www.trans-siberian.com

2008 EAST SCHEDULE
Sat-Nov-01-08 2 Youngstown, Chevrolet Center
Sun-Nov-02-08 2 Hershey, Giant Center
Wed-Nov-05-08 2 Wilkes Barre, Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza
Thu-Nov-06-08 1 Baltimore, 1st Mariner Arena
Fri-Nov-07-08 1 Charleston WV, Charleston Civic Center
Sat-Nov-08-08 2 Richmond, Richmond Coliseum
Sun-Nov-09-08 2 Columbia, Colonial Center
Wed-Nov-12-08 1 Jacksonville, Veterans Memorial Arena
Thu-Nov-13-08 1 Sunrise, BankAtlantic Center
Fri-Nov-14-08 1 Tampa, St. Pete Times Forum
Sat-Nov-15-08 1 Orlando, UCF Arena
Sun-Nov-16-08 1 Atlanta, Phillips Arena
Mon-Nov-17-08 1 Talahasee, Talahasee-Leon County Civic Center
Wed-Nov-19-08 1 Charleston SC, North Charleston Coliseum
Thu-Nov-20-08 1 Charlotte, Time Warner Cable Arena (formerly Bobcat Arena)
Fri-Nov-21-08 1 Greensboro, Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Sat-Nov-22-08 2 Raliegh, RBC Center
Sun-Nov-23-08 2 Greenville, BI-LO Center
Wed-Nov-26-08 1 Manchester, Verizon Wireless Arena
Fri-Nov-28-08 1 Atlantic City, Boardwalk Hall
Sat-Nov-29-08 2 Philadelphia, Wachovia Center
Sun-Nov-30-08 2 Hartford, XL Center (formerly Hartford Civic Center)
Wed-Dec-03-08 1 Montreal, Bell Centre
Thu-Dec-04-08 1 Ottawa, Scotiabank Place
Fri-Dec-05-08 1 Hamilton, Copps Coliseum
Sat-Dec-06-08 2 Buffalo, HSBC Arena
Sun-Dec-07-08 2 Albany, Times Union
Wed-Dec-10-08 2 Providence, Dunkin Donuts Center
Thu-Dec-11-08 1 Worcester, DCU Center
Fri-Dec-12-08 1 Uniondale NYC, Nassau Coliseum
Sat-Dec-13-08 2 E Rutherford NYC (Meadowlands), Izod Arena
Sun-Dec-14-08 2 Washington DC, Verizon Center
Wed-Dec-17-08 2 Pittsburgh, Mellon Arena
Fri-Dec-19-08 1 Lexington, Rupp Arena
Sat-Dec-20-08 2 Columbus, Nationwide Arena
Sun-Dec-21-08 2 Detroit, The Palace of Auburn Hills
Mon-Dec-22-08 1 Indianapolis, Conseco Fiedhouse
Tue-Dec-23-08 2 Grand Rapids, Van Andel Arena
Fri-Dec-26-08 2 Toronto, Air Canada Centre
Sat-Dec-27-08 1 Rochester, Blue Cross Arena
Sun-Dec-28-08 1 Lansing, The Breslin Center
Mon-Dec-29-08 2 Cleveland, Quicken Loans Arena
Tue-Dec-30-08 2 Cleveland, Quicken Loans Arena
Fri-Jan-02-09 2 Cincinnatti, Both Buildings (US Bank Arena)
Sat-Jan-03-09 2 Chicago, Allstate Arena
Sun-Jan-04-09 2 Dayton, The Nutter Center

Look forward to some exciting posts!
Love!!
Luci

A Big Update (for a lot of lost time!)

WOW!
What a wild wonderful few weeks I've had – wait has it really been OVER a month?! What happened to JULY!!!

Well, here's an update that's slightly out of order. I just got back from a whirlwind trip around our great beautiful country. First to LA for a show with Moby, and then to Athens, GA for a spectacular cultural experience. Before this one of my best friends in the world was visiting me, Kyshona Armstrong.

The Moby show was for the LA radio station, KCRW. It was really cool concert in two parts, techno and live. KCRW actually recorded the show with cameras, and you can watch it if you'd like to. It is divided into 2 parts. Part one is the electronic techno portion, and part two is the live band portion. If you only have a little time, I think my favorite section was part 2.
Click here to see Part 1
Click here to see Part 2
It was really fun to play again and see some of the old gang. Also the performance was in Malibu, so seeing the Pacific ocean was absolutely a marvel for my eyes. GORGEOUS, and so very different from the Atlantic!

The Pacific


The show



The whirlwind trip to Athens was for my "family" and friend, Yelenia Joselin Casas. She turned 15 years old (when I met her she was 3, ahh!!!) and celebrated her quinceanos (spelled with a ~ over the "n") in the most grandiose birthday party I may have ever attended! A quinceanos is more than a sweet sixteen. It is, in the Mexican culture, when a girl becomes a woman. There was a formal dance, where Yelenia was escorted by her 11 male chambelanes (kind of like her chapperones or posse), and she took turns waltzing with each of them, dancing around them, being lifted into the air by them, yeah. Then 8 young girls dressed all in white with big green bows around their waists danced around Yelenia and the chambelanes, as Yelenia received her last doll, and her father put on her first pair of high heels. And boy those things were HIGH! I was impressed that she was able to weild a hoop skirt between 11 men while walking on pencil thin 5 inch heels and not tripping on the little half-pint princesses running around her legs… WOW!

Maria Reina Casas. The reason I was at this quinceanos.

I started teaching English to Maria when I was a freshman at the University of Georgia. It was a volunteer program organized through the Catholic social services, where once or twice a week I would go to Maria's and teach her English with the ultimate goal of her being able to obtain a good job. This was in 1996. Maria had recently immigrated to Athens, GA with her 2 children who were 8 (Irving) and 3 (Yelenia), to join her husband, Jose, who had already been working in the US for several years. They had followed all the immigration rules and Jose was months away from a candidacy for US citizenship when I met him. Oh I was delighted to learn that they were the very sweetest family! Always Maria would serve me some kind of Mexican delight as a thank-you for her English lesson. It was in her kitchen I first tasted gorditas, tamales, real Mexican-style guacamole, nopales, homemade salsa verde. Yum. She is a phenomenal cook and we still joke about her opening up her own authentic Mexican restaurant, because her food tastes better than any Mexican restaurant food I have ever tasted! Over the years we became very close, and it was absolutely thrilling for me to learn so intimately about another culture while sharing mine with them. So beautiful! Now I feel like they are my family, and even though I don't see them as often as I used to, I always try to make a visit for Christmas, and really special events - like this Quinceanos!!!

La familia


The Princess and her Princesslettes (I think Yelenia looks like a true princess! And her favorite color is green, so she had a totally green-themed party, how fun!)


The traditional dance


Presentation of Yelenia's last doll, while her dad puts on her first pair of high heels


Dancing around the last doll


After all the traditional festivities the room became a dance. An 8-piece Mexican band performed on a fully equipped stage, and everyone who had been sitting down during the formal dance rushed to the dance floor! Oh let me try to describe the HEELS these women were wearing! Absolutely amazing how they could move so quickly and gracefully in shoes so pointy and high. It was a true display, a feat of balance and posture. I spent most of my time with my mouth wide open staring in horror as I felt my own feet start to hurt inside my sandals - and I was sitting down!
Here is a zoomed-in shot of a few of the shoes I was astounded by:


Los padres de la princesa. Parents of Yelenia, Maria and Jose, during the dance.


A chat between dances.


Oh look how gorgeous she is! A true young lady!


And now for the final update, Kyshona Armstrong. She performed not one but 2 shows in NYC! She blew away the Bitter End -they were asking her why she doesn't live up here by the end of the night! And I had the pleasure and honor of performing a few songs with her at the Red Lion. She again had people walking out oo-ing and aah-ing, over her performance. Gooooo Kyshona! I am so proud of you! Check her out! And go to her myspace page and hear a sampling of some songs off her new album, Music.
myspace.com/kyshona

Soundchecking


In Action!


At the Red Lion


More to come, so much happening these days!
Love always,
Luci