Welcome to my personal diary..


Thank you for joining me here.. I am a music maker and love sharing the artists I work with and meet in my adventurous life. I make short movies while traveling festivals around the country. I'm also into cooking and making jewelry and Mosaic art... I hope you will enjoy what I share...

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Vblog #32 - Serenading the folks in the South



George Tortorelli and I have been a music duo since 1997. That's 13 years of full time music making. We have been all over the country, to many states playing at festivals and concerts. Here is just a sample of what it is like when we play. The music you hear was recorded live for our album titled "Love & Peace". There are no overdubs, George works with a looping delay system that allow him to create flute harmonies live on the spot. The harp is also delayed so I can play one passage over another. We have always been so grateful that we have a sound that people of all ages and walks of life enjoy and use for their life.

So here are some images of what its like when we play at a street festival. Its not as mellow or fancy as a concert. But I love this the most because you can really see the people. At a concert, its all dark and you can't see the faces, the front row is set back so far and the lights take away your sight to them.
People have paid $25.00 or more to see you, you hope and worry they are happy but you can't see them so you can't know. You feel pretty alone on the stage.

At a street festival, which is where I started and still enjoy doing, people don't have to be there, but they stay because they want to. From way back when I started on Venice Beach, that's how it was, I loved that they were free to come or go, to listen or not, and they always stay and they always listen, and that means so much. I would trade a fancy concert for a big ol street fair any day.

This slide show took place the recent two weekends where we visited North Carolina, and Georgia. On  Labor day the Henderson Apple Festival has their hometown parade and every darn time it makes me cry. Its silly but it always happens and ...I can't help it. Thousands come out and smile and wave to the happy families riding by in their collector cars, dressed up dogs and clowns, high school bands and fire engines, war Veterans from each war, all the way back to WWII, people stand and cheer and the very old men in their uniforms walking and holding American flags if they can. Police officers and council members, little miss Apple fest, candy throwing cub scouts and miscellaneous farm animals on homemade floats. All those people are truly happy and proud to be in the parade, or smiling and waving from their lawn chairs lined up. One of them was me. There truly is such goodness in the world.