Videos for February

Here are some songs that I am finding inspiring lately:


I love Nina's version of this song.


I had no idea what this song was about until I saw this video! I'm young, I know...


Ahhhh. Can we just play this song over and over again for a few hours?
Give us something to think about.


The Times They Are Changing INDEED!


Legend has it that this song helped free the slaves!

Yoga, Peace Songs, Rock Concert

Today has been busy, protective, and very fulfilling. I started the day off with Mia Haber at The Raven Spa in the always interesting, hipster L.A. neighborhood of Silverlake. Mia taught a fabulous Kundalini Yoga class on creativity and overcoming creative blocks. At the end I led the class in singing "Long Time Sun" and then sang an original peace prayer. 

That's Darling Mia in the Beautiful Yoga Studio

After that, I was off to Santa Ana, to visit a new Vietnamese Temple I had never been too. The kids at this temple were so full of life, and got comfortable enough to request a Jason Mraz tune (that luckily I knew!) and ask me questions about how I became a singer and how long I have played the guitar. It was a lot of fun conversing with these little buddhas. 

Taking a Break From Singing to Chat

For the final chapter of the day, I am heading off to Hollywood to see Jose Gonzalez. Yay! I love a full day of music. I don't want to keep it all to myself. So here is a video of my favorite Jose Gonzalez song, "Killing For Love."

Peace and Music, Everyone!
Michelle

Peace Song List

A reader of the blog just sent me an awesome list of peace songs. Check it out here: http://www.anothervoice.ca/music.html

My Savior

Do you remember any moments when you were so distraught over something, and the perfect song came on, giving you the wisdom and support you really needed at that very moment? That is what John Lennon has done for me. I had one of the most challenging weekends of my life recently, and the only thing that helped me to feel peaceful through all of it was the wisdom and music of John Lennon. I haven't heard anyone else sing so many songs that get right to my core, encouraging me to stay centered and peaceful, no matter what the circumstances. I wasn't always perfect, but neither was John. 

I was recently in a conversation about John Lennon's first son, Julien. Anyone interested in Beatles history knows that if you need a moment to negatively judge John, his treatment of Julien is a perfect opportunity. According to my friend's understanding, John's treatment of Julien was unfair and questionable. But here is why I don't let that ruin all the peace lessons that I can find in John's music and activism: 

According to my former Religious Studies professor, Dr. John Young, Martin Luther King, Jr was a "womanizer." Gandhi was an absentee father. Two of my greatest heroes were NOT perfect, and neither was John. Humans make mistakes, and it's unfortunate that often the greatest minds will show their ugly side to their families. Luckily, John was not a relative of mine, so I can listen to his music objectively. Just like I can read the great wisdom of Gandhi and MLK and learn from that wisdom alone, with no personal betrayal clouding my vision.  No one is perfect. 

For the past two weeks I have been faced with more challenging social interactions than I have had to deal with over the past two years.  The amazing thing about these last two weeks, is that 95% of the time I was proud of myself for dealing with the challenges calmly and peacefully. A lot of that wisdom and peace was taught to me through the music of John Lennon. 

Now that the challenging two weeks are over, I can listen to John with gratitude, as opposed to having a need for guidance. Music is so powerful. The songs that speak to us do so because we need their wisdom right at the moment. I am so grateful to John Lennon for the music he gave us, and for daring to share his wisdom and insights through his lyrics. Lyrics from the 70's that are SO relevant to us now, and always will be. That is what people mean when they say that certain songs are timeless. That is what John brought us. Timeless wisdom and universal truth. 

90 Year Old WWII Vet Created Peace with Music

Our Generation: John Legend Speaks For Us

It's taken 2 wars, a financial collapse, 8 years of Bush, and a breakdown of Religious tolerance, but the hard times have finally gotten an answer from someone who can speak to the younger generations. John Legend and The Roots new album "Wake Up!" was just playing full blast in my car after making the impulse buy at Starbucks, and I almost cried with happiness as each song went by. The opening song is called "Hard Times." Perfect beginning. These are hard times. Everything we have been taught about American prosperity is being challenged by our current reality.

The second track, "Compared to What" is a 60's anti-war song that can easily be applied to our current situation. The third track, the most moving and inspirational, is called "Wake Up Everybody" a remake of the tune by Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes has a verse that touches my heart especially: "Wake up all the teachers, time to teach a new way. Maybe then they'll listen to what you have to say. Cause they're the ones who are comin' up and the world is in their hands. So when you teach the children, teach them the very best you can."

I won't go through the whole album, but let me just mention the 4th track, "Our Generation (The Hope of the World)"  This song demands that the young people who grew up after the passing of the Civil Rights era (that means YOU Generations X, Y, and Millenials) wake up and do something about this situation we are in! As the songs says,"Our Generation, it's all left up to us. Let's straighten it out!"

I just can't express how excited I am to see an empowering, world-changing album put out by a famous, relevant and current musician who young generations will listen to. Please go out and buy this album. Or burn a copy. Or listen here. Maybe this will be the chance to get another musical revolution going. Let's change the world.

Be Here Now

Every year, I ignore this day. I've always had a hard time re-vistiting tragic memories. I don't like thinking about what happened in NYC 9 years ago. Life changed dramatically here. Our culture freaked out and started blaming each other for anything we could think of. The political parties divided even further than before, and religious Americans seemed to take on a new enemy: Muslims. We don't have a time machine, so we cannot change the past. I personally cannot change the fact that my country invaded another country after being lied to by our own president. Things that my country participated in after the attacks made me sad. The fact that we are still trying to make this war justified makes me sad. The word "sad" almost feels like a totally irreverent adjective to use. Shocked, devastated, scared. I suppose those are better, but I guess you don't need words to describe it, because anyone who can read this and comprehend it was most likely there watching it on TV just like the rest of us. When this date comes up annually, I have to remind myself that the past cannot be changed, and all we have is this moment.

Today, in my yoga class, my teacher, Robyn Bennett read an inspiring quote by the wise Buddha:

 "The secret of health for both mind and body 

is not to mourn for the past, nor to worry about the future, 

but to live the present moment 

wisely and earnestly."

You and I cannot ignore any uncomfortable feelings that may have risen today. We have to sit with it and then move on. I am grateful that in this present moment, life is beautiful. 

Which Side Will You Be On?

Saturday is the 9th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks. I was 20 when that happened. A brand new adult. I had just voted in my first presidential election, and my first lesson was that democracy was a big fat joke that my history teachers played on me and my generation. Then 9-11. The era of terror. The Bush era. Living in a constant state of paranoia for the first year, until I realized that our fear was fueling the Bush agenda. With fear, you can control anyone. If someone is scared, they will do anything to make the torture stop.

What does a Koran book burning in the buckle of the Bible belt tell me? All of what I mentioned above happened when I lived just 70 miles north of the city where the infamous book burning will take place tomorrow to show the world that "Islam is of the Devil."

Let me tell you all a story about growing up in the Bible Belt. It is overwhelmingly run by the Baptist church. If you can't picture this, just imagine Salt Lake City, UT replaced by evangelical preachers or Vatican City run by snake handling Pentacostles. It's a little like that, but much more visually subtle. Extremists costume themselves in business attire, attend college, and appear to be neutral on political issues when in public.  When one enters an Evangelical or Charismatic church, however, you get a glimpse into a whole different perspective. The evangelical Christian community has never been tolerant of any belief outside of their own for as long as I remember. When I was in Middle School, I would often attend church with some of my Baptist friends after Saturday night sleepovers, and the things I heard horrified me. One time I sat through an hour long sermon on the evils of Gay people. Another Sunday, I had to bite my tongue as a Youth Minister "schooled" the kids on the evils of other "Christian" religions outside of their own.

I moved to Jacksonville, FL from Danbury, CT when I was just 6 years old. The culture shock was so intense and traumatic that I STILL remember being asked about my devilish Catholic beliefs and my "funny" New England accent. There were kids in the neighborhood who were actually told by their parents that I could not be their playmate because I was not a "real Christian."

This is the mentality that flows through the South. Keep in mind, that this is not EVERYONE. In fact, after years of working, playing, and socializing with the Liberal Minority in the South, I learned that those in the South who are against hatred and intolerance are the most passionately outspoken, and are often willing to put their reputation and livelihood on the line in the name of social justice and equality.

When I heard about the organized Koran burning by a Pastor in Gainesville, FL scheduled for the 9th anniversary of the day we all became collectively terrified, my first thought was, "Well, that's not surprising."

I remember when I was still in Jacksonville, and those of us in College at the time of this attack were struggling with our feelings. I felt betrayed by my government, and so many of my friends felt the same way. I also felt helpless. People in Hollywood were being blacklisted for speaking out against the war. All of a sudden, our beloved Freedom of Speech was not being honored at all. To say I was saddened by that is a gross understatement.

Now, 10 years later, we have had PLENTY of time to process this. It's time to wake up! Whether you think Islam is "of the devil" or not, we still have the Freedom to practice Religion in this country. Besides that, burning the Koran in such a public manner will only cause an even further divide between us and the Middle Eastern community we have spent 9 years trying to convince that we are supposedly only trying to "liberate."

If you live in the South, I hope you will drive down on Saturday and stand up to this incredibly depressing and ignorant form of "protest." They certainly have the freedom to spit out hatred, but we also have the freedom to speak out AGAINST it. 

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.2

Wake Up Everybody

Wake up everybody no more sleepin in bed

No more backward thinkin time for thinkin ahead

The world has changed so very much

From what it used to be 

there is so much hatred war an' poverty

Wake up all the teachers time to teach a new way

Maybe then they'll listen to whatcha have to say

Cause they're the ones who's coming up and the world is in their hands

when you teach the children teach em the very best you can.

Chorus:

The world won't get no better if we just let it be

The world won't get no better we gotta change it yeah, just you and me.

Wake up all the doctors make the ol' people well

They're the ones who suffer an' who catch all the hell

But they don't have so very long before the Judgement Day

So won'tcha make them happy before they pass away.

Wake up all the builders time to build a new land

I know we can do it if we all lend a hand

The only thing we have to do is put it in our mind

Surely things will work out they do it every time.

Repeat Chorus


It's the god hour
The morning I wake up
Just for the breath of life I thank my maker
My mom say I come from hustlers and shakers
My mom built it on skyscrapers and acres
He said take us back to where we belong
I try to write a song
As sweet as these arms the one the type to bare arms
And wear my heart on my sleeve
Even when I fell in God I believe
Read the days that weave through the maze
The seasons so amazing
Feed them and raised them
Seasons are aging
Earthquakes, wars, and rumors
I want us to get by but
We're more than consumers
We more than shooters, more than looters
Created in this image so God live through us
And even in this generation, living through computers
Only love love love can reboot u

John Lennon's Message

I was born in 1980, just 6 months before John Lennon was shot and killed. My parents named me after a Beatles song, and the song that made me really want to play the piano was "Imagine" by John Lennon. Something about the slightly far-away sound of that old upright piano grabbed me. Then the idealistic lyrics come in with that sincere voice of his. When he sang

Imagine There's No Country, 

It isn't hard to do, 

Nothing to Kill or Die for, 

And No Religion, too

I knew what he meant by the sound of his voice. He had this sad sincerity whenever he sang about suffering, and "Imagine" spoke to every one's suffering. Even though I was a religious Catholic kid living in the Bible Belt the first time I heard that, I knew what he meant. Wouldn't it be so wonderful if we were just people. 

I just saw "The U.S. vs. John Lennon" for the first time, and John Lennon is on my mind a lot now. As a member of Generation Y who was denied the privilege of living in this world with John, I watched those clips of John leading masses of people in singing "All we are saying is give peace a chance" I couldn't help but wonder, where did all those people go? I certainly didn't see them when I was growing up. Why is that? Did so much really change in 1980 when John Lennon died? 

It just doesn't make sense to me. I wonder if the peace activists were just scared. I think I would be too if I had been part of a generation that saw John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr. and John Lennon die over beliefs that so many people held close to their conscience. 

John Lennon was very brave. He did something that very few people in the public eye ever did. He spoke out for peace, even though it was not really "cool" yet. He saw something wrong, and he stood up. He realized his life was public whether he liked it or not. Why not do something really productive and helpful with that fame? Why not encourage people to just be peaceful? Conservatives laughed at their children for loving such a ridiculous character. They were ridiculed for following John's urgent plea to just be yourself.

 

The stubborn Baby Boomers continued to carry out this behavior until the 80's. Then... time to grow up. What would a psychologist say about this? From a compassionate perspective, I would guess it had to do with fear. Just like one abused child will grow up and (statistically) will marry into an abusive relationship, have kids, and repeat the cycle of violence. 

Are generations the same way? The Baby Boomers were revolutionary. So what happened?

Well, it's all in the past now. Time has gone by, and perhaps there will be a resurrection of John Lennon's philosophy. Everywhere I go, I see all kinds of beautiful people wearing peace signs, and T-shirts with musical instruments on them with phrases like "Peace Rocks!" In the 80's I felt like a total dork for wearing a peace sign. Maybe John Lennon's style is ready for a flashback. Wouldn't it be so nice if everyone thought peace was cool? Imagine that.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.2