The drive can be awfully long
when the windows are rolled up
and the radio can’t drown out the sound.

I shrink to the size of a fly,
listening to them argue about where to
turn and how fast to drive.

The abuse that spews from one’s
mouth to the other can cause even a fly
to shudder.

Doesn’t matter.

And they wonder why I cry and tell
them how much i can’t stand going
on that journey again.

Doesn’t matter.

They pack up the car. I’m in the back seat.
We set off on that journey back in
time, to that place where another journey
began in much the same way.

Doesn’t matter.

The long journey is always the same.
and the destination keeps slipping
away from memory. Even a fly has a very
small brain.

Through These Eyes

During this past Christmas season I had the good fortune of attending a meditation and music concert performed by Lucinda Drayton the lead singer of Blissful Music. The intimate setting was the inside of a converted chapel of a college campus, which comfortably sat 30 to 50 comfortable souls. Infused in this soft atmosphere was the angelic voice of Lucinda Drayton. Needless to say we were all captivated by her vocal prowess as she played a guitar singing some of her most popular songs. This appearance was not the usual performance that I was accustomed to of Lucinda’s but it was deeply touching and personal.

I’ve been a big fan of Blissful Music ever since I first saw them perform the title song “A Hundred Thousand Angels” from the album at a Vitality show in London nearly nine years ago. Little did I know then, that we would go on to buy every CD that Blissful Music has produced.

Blissful Music are Lucinda Drayton and Andrew Blissett, one of the most exciting and creative musical partnerships in the UK today. Both have been what you would call “practicing Yogis” and it is this way of life that gives their work authenticity and power. Blissful Music has been used by many to see them through stressful times; to help them in dealing with illnesses and to uplift them during times of grief or loss.”

I can’t write enough accolades about Blissful Music – all I can say is this: We have an extensive library of CDs & Mp3s from Classical to Rock n Roll, from Sacred Music to Jazz, and it is impossible to play all of this music in any given time. But Blissful Music has always been played in our home almost on a daily basis.

For information about Lucinda Drayton/Blissful Music and meditation events please visit her website at: www.blissfulmusic.co.uk Whilst you are at the website, make sure to purchase some of their unforgettable music. You will love it!

This past Thursday, a middle-age woman from Scotland, Ms. Susan Boyle, auditioned for the hit reality show Britain’s Got Talent, and blew the socks off the judges and everyone in the audience as well as all the viewers watching her performance. That same night, her performance was posted all over the web via You Tube et al. For the past few days, the world can’t get enough of Susan Boyle. The number of views of her audition on You Tube alone reaches into the millions and is steadily growing.

Why is this considered rude behavior? Well, I will tell you. From the moment she was interviewed by Ant and Dec to her walking on stage to audition for the show, she was set up as some kind of joke. But as she stood facing the judges she appeared to be completely unfazed by all the stares and snickers, and smirks from the bemused Simon Cowell, Piers Morgan as well as from some very rude spectators. The third judge, Amanda Holden, refrained from appearing rude and critical, as anyone should do. While Susan answered Simon’s questions she held her head high and projected a strength of character that few of us possess. Despite all the eyeball-rolling from Simon and Piers and from some of the bitchey looking females in the audience when she said that she wanted to be like Elaine Paige, she still remained in charge of the situtation. Ms. Boyle might have seemed like she didn’t have a clue as to what was going on, but nevertheless she maintained her integrity without having a bad attitude or cowering in embarassment. When she spoke, she spoke with certainty. And when she was given the cue to sing, she did so with an amazing grace. She sang as if her life depended on it. If she had a Sterling for every dumb-struck expression on the faces of the judges and the audience, she would have made a bucket of money that night.

As Susan’s performance unfolded she went on to woo and win over the judges and the spectators as well as the millions of viewers who watched her sing, I Dreamed A Dream from the hit musical, Les Miserables. I might add, she is still winning over hearts from all those who watch the many videos of her performance posted on the web.

Why are we so stunned or surprised when someone who looks like Susan Boyle and who is talented like she is, can actually deliver the goods? Why are we so utterly amazed or a better word “shocked” that someone like Susan has the audacity to prove us all wrong for being so judgemental?

Granted, Susan isn’t elegant like a swan. Nor is she physically endowed like a Playboy Centerfold. She certainly isn’t tall like an Amazonian, catwalk model. And, she isn’t a clone of some doe-eyed looking Revlon or Estee Lauder face. But neither am I, and most likely neither are you. She lives alone with her devoted cat called Pebbles and had recently lived with her mother until mum passed away. So what if she’s never been kissed before? Maybe she’ll finally pucker up for the right person. Who cares? The most important thing to remember is how comfortable she comes across to viewers. She fits very well in her own skin AND that is truly what beauty is all about. Being able to sing like an angel is part of the joy of just being yourself. So let’s stop being rude and pre-judgemental of someone who doesn’t fit the perceived norm of what society has labeled as “beautiful”, which in truth, is only skin deep.

I can only hope that Susan goes on to live out her dream of performing as a singer. I will be one of her fans for sure!

I am and will always be a great fan of Luciano Pavarotti. His demise has left a void in this world. The sheer power and majesty of his voice and his passion for music are just some of the qualities that I love about this great tenor. In tribute to the Maestro, I have been watching videos of his various performances and some interviews on You Tube. I can’t thank the fans enough for posting these treasures for our pleasure.

Pavarotti was 68 when he recorded his last solo album, Ti Adoro, and the Maestro still shows why he is and will always be the “emperor of tenors” quelling any rumors from some of the music critics that his career had come to a close. On the contrary, he sounds as magnificent and eloquent as ever, from note range, tonal quality, to the powerful strength of his voice, and one can only assume that he would have kept on singing just as his late father had done, well into his 80’s.

Il Gladiatore (The Gladiator) is my favorite on this CD and IMHO, is by far his most magnificent song ever, and is probably the best song I’ve ever heard (bar none). I’m comparing Il Gladiatore to all genres of music. This selection is adapted from Hans Zimmer’s film score to the movie “Gladiator.” Arranger is Gavin Greenaway. Pig Sound Studio, Forlì, Italy. But, I don’t think I could have focused too much on Crowe’s Maximus, if Pavarotti’s song had been used in the movie. Goose bumps appear on my arms whenever I listen to Il Gladiatore. The driving force of his energy through his vocal chords lifts you up into another realm, merging into a timeless space keeping you suspended there all throughout this great track.

Ti Adoro has 13 tracks with a mix of pop songs and songs especially written for Pavarotti and some that showcase his unique gift of reaching those “high C’s that he was so famous for, like Il Canto and Il Gladiatore. Throughout the CD you get a sense that Pav had tremendous fun recording it, especially the title track, Ti Adoro. If you haven’t heard Il Gladiatore or the entire Ti Adoro CD, then I encourage you to listen to it and be ready to buy it!

Luciano Pavarotti was a big man and he gave in such a big way – to his music, to his fans, to his family & friends and to all of humanity. He will always be “The Voice”!

The dynamic collaboration of composers David Giroand Steve Wood have created a musical odyssey depicting the richness of the indigenous peoples who live along the Nile using a unique combination of African and Middle Eastern sounds that include a wide variety of musicians, singers, and instrumentalists of the region, and adding to that the orchestral sound of the Philharmonic of Prague.

Each track seduces you into a “theater of the mind” with an impressive mixture of percussion, stringed, wind and strummed instruments from all over the world combined with a choir of voices and exotic chants. In tracks 1 & 2, The African Heart of the Blue Nile, and Fear and Courage, you feel the driving force of the percussions and vocals. In Lake Bela, track 4, you sense the sublime beauty of the Nile. In track 9, Mysteries of the Sudan, you are further seduced by the magic of African and Arabic sounds imagining the desert landscape of the Sudan (I felt as if I were a cobra being hypnotized by the flute player). In track 15, Vanishing Past, you feel the pull of the Nile by the powerful sound of symphonic strings and percussion. By the time you reach the end of the journey, The Mystery of the Nile will resonate in your heart and you will feel thankful for this musical escapade.

The Mystery of the Nile CD is film music at its best. I recommend that you add this CD to your top 5 list of CDs to buy.

The Mystery of the Nile is available for purchase at: www.cdbaby.com

In 1995, Anna gave her first American performance in a San Francisco Opera that won her critical acclaim. Her meteoric rise to “diva stardom” has claimed for her the much coveted title as one of the greatest “sopranos” since Maria Callas, also earning her a place in Time Magazine’s 2007 100 most influential people in the Arts and Entertainment Industry.

I think the reason why Anna Netrebko is so popular in the Classical music scene is because she is a complete package: strikingly beautiful, strong acting skills, great stage presence, powerful voice and note range, and a natural kind-of-girl appeal. IMHO (and probably others) I think that Anna Netrebko has changed the perception of opera’s antediluvian images of manly-looking women with Viking helmets on their heads holding a trident and singing about unrequited love into an appealing art form of first-class entertainment (I kid the opera). A voice of mesmerizing range and angelic purity, Anna Netrebko will elevate your soul and fill your heart with love for all things pristine and beautiful.

Russian Album
Opera Arias
	Sempre Libera
	Anna Netrebko & Rolando Villazón Duets

For more information about Anna Netrebko and to listen to some tracks from her CD’s please visit her website: www.annanetrebko.com

Born in Turin, Italy in 1955, as a young child, Einaudi was introduced to music by his mother who would play the piano for him. He then began his musical training at the Conservatorio Verdi in Milan, where he received a diploma in composition. Later, he studied piano and composition with Luciano Berio. He was awarded a scholarship to the Tanglewood Music Festival in 1982.

Several chamber and orchestral compositions of his were performed at prestigious international venues launching the beginning of his successful musical career. In the mid-1980’s, he broke away from the traditional classical genre and began exploring a wider and deeper range of musical language. Einaudi’s originality and freedom of expression has garnered him a successful series of dance and multi-media compositions. He went on to form his own musical group.

Ludovico Einaudi has made an amazing impact in music as a modern-day composer and as an accomplished pianist. Although we know that the music oficionado’s like to classify musicians and composers Einaudi would prefer not to be labeled as any particular type of genre, even though he is widely considered a Minimalist. In Einaudi’s own words, “In general I don’t like definitions, but ‘Minimalist’ is a term that means elegance and openness, so I would prefer to be called a Minimalist than something else.”

It matters not what genre of music Einaudi belongs to; his music’s far-reaching appeal can cross over any boundaries. His eclectic landscape of simple, yet, cutting-edge sound will lead you on an enchanting journey. You’re not just listening to piano music, you’re listening to a master speak through the sound-of-music.

Einaudi’s best-selling CD’s have topped the classical charts and remain in high demand. His piano performances have been a sell-out in all the major European concert halls.

The albums Divenire(2006) and Le Onde (1998) are just two of my favorites from a long list of Einaudi’s CD releases.

For more information about Ludovico Einaudi you may want to visit his official website: www.ludovicoeinaudi.com