Much of singing is mindset, and finding strength inside of yourself when you are feeling least strong. As we cultivate our own path in music, we learn to become our own nurturer. We learn to create the space we need to succeed.

Auditions inevitably come along the musical way, especially if you’re doing any ensemble work.

Here are 3 tips for you to take with you as you head into that audition room.

Tip 1 – Envision you are made of a swirling, big vine – the pretty kind with shimmery leaves and strong roots and pretty little flowers that respond to positive affirmation and coos -  and it plunges right down into the Earth where it finds friends down there to be with. Right before your audition, reconnect with this grounding element.

Tip 2 – take a deeeeeeep breath before going in the audition room. Way easier said than done, especially if you have a lot of hope or expectation on this. If you can, block out 10 minutes to simply focus on your breath. Or focus on your nose, while you breathe. Feel your ribs moving in and out, find that cord going down into the Earth, and come back to the breath.

Tip 3 – Release expectation. SO HARD TO DO. But if you can step back for a second today, tomorrow and Friday and just remember that whatever happens with this ensemble really doesn’t have to affect your musical future, as long as you keep taking steps to move forward and grow as a musician, then you will find that you will 1. sing better in the audition 2. have more fun 3. get the most from the experience.

And in case you’re feeling the need to get any jitters out pre-show time, I feel like Morales said it best. Sing along to her and get your confidence boost then go in there and rock it.

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Carly performing her recital, after 6 months of working together. A woman of action!

“It all started with my need for music in my life, again. In the end, I rejuvenated my love affair with singing and gained more confidence in my abilities than I could have imagined. In high school, I was constantly rejected from a cappella groups, musicals, etc. I thought I was talentless. Heather taught me that talent is subjective; that music can revive the soul, and that there is more than one way to train yourself as a musician. I went on to find my voice (literally and metaphorically), and even perform a recital to benefit the Haven (a center benefiting the homeless in Downtown Charlottesville). My artistic confidence has even brought me to pursue choreographing for UVA and begin cantoring for a Catholic church. Heather helped me cut loose, shake my anxieties and become a fuller version of myself.” – Carly Donnelly

Love this.

I tend to attract a musically predisposed crowd – meaning that you love music, you value music, and you have a desire to have more music in your life so that you can feel more open and free within your body. And you are totally on board with having more fun in your day to day life!

Do you notice a theme here? The same peeps who love to have me sing FOR them are the same personality types who seek me out for vocal coaching. Love it when that happens. You know, that theme thing.

If you’re reading this and are like, “well, yeah, I kind of do love to sing.”

Then read on. I’m a talkin’ to you.

One of the ways I work with people in addition to providing solo vocal music is that I have a small vocal coaching studio that I run out of my home – in person and remotely with Skype. I work with committed clients only, and we work 1:1 to get your music out into the world.

What I love about Carly is that she got out there and did it. She started it all by showing up.

This week on Facebook I’ve been posting a bunch of tips on how to get your music out into the world, so I thought I’d share them here with you, too.

If you know I’m talking to you, contact me by Monday, January 7th.

And tell me this:

• Your Age
• Your voice part (if you know it)
• What is motivating you to start singing now?
• How important is it to you to make these changes now?

All who contact me by then will receive a special addition to your vocal coaching package. It’s my New Year’s “way to take action” offer.

Oh, but in case you’re wondering “Is she talking to me?” consider this:

If you’re…

• Wanting to feel the power of you, flowing through you, across a room when the moment counts
• You are ready to develop a more conscious relationship with your voice – that amazing, never seen instrument inside of your body
• You want to feel more confidence andeasein sharing your music

Then I’m talking to you. Yeah, you.

Tip #1: How to Open into Your Most Beautiful Sound in the morning

Tip #2: How to Overcome Stage Fright and Take Advantage of the Spotlight Moment

Tip #3: The biggest thing standing in the way of you and your musical dream

And, here’s the invitation I sent you the other day about letting your voice out.

And, if you think that you might need to see a Venn Diagram on the subject…I’ve got you covered.

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Singing in Voices of Light on Tuesday December 18th, 2012

Since returning a week ago, I’ve found myself excitedly telling my friends all about Voices of Light, which happened just a week and a half ago. Every time I talk about it, it’s like being back in Guatemala. Ahhhhh. Minus all the yummy street food.

Of course a blog post can’t capture all the same nuance and detail, but I’ll try to bring you into the magic as best as I can for today.

The kids from Antigua’s Central Park who joined me on stage to sing a song.

For one song in the program, we included children who work in Antigua’s central park helping to put food on their families’ tables by shining shoes and selling candies. This group of about 15 children practiced and then waited (cold and I think more than a little hungry) to join us on stage. They are the voices of the future. They were a wonderful addition, and in the days following I got to give more than a few congratulatory hugs to them.

Greeting the group of children who work in Antigua’s Central Park.

When I went out to greet them I gave them each a kiss – which, as you can see by the time we got to the older boys, caused a little fanfare. hee hee. Thank you to Emilio Bianchi of Shoe Shine Kids for organizing their participation with rehearsal, attendance, and rides home.

The completely full house in this beautiful old church of the convent of Las Capuchinas warmed. my. heart. This was an incredible audience. Also – look up in that back side altar – that is where Guatemalan artist Lisset Lopez sat, perched all evening. She created a beautiful piece of art, capturing the energy of the night.

The church of the Convent of Las Capuchinas had 200 seats set up – all full. Standing room only – full. Some crafty thinkers spilled into the choir loft up above and had perhaps the best view of the house. Add in the 20 person choir, and I’m pretty sure we had close to 300 people in attendance. And that was a Tuesday night!

They were an amazing audience, too – attentive, quiet, kind. I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful group of people to sing to. The crowd was quite mixed between foreigners (expats – tourists and residents) and local families. The concert was free and open to the public, which I know made a difference for a number of young families.

None of this could have been possible without the support of the Consejo Nacional para la Proteccion de Antigua Guatemala (the protection board governing the use of all the historical buildings – which is a lot, given that Antigua is the colonial capital of the country, and the buildings are really, really old. And lovely.)

I am so pleased that with them we could offer the city of Antigua a gorgeous evening.

People stopped me on the streets in the days following to say things like, “Are you the singer? You make people SO HAPPY with your voice. Keep doing what you’re doing.” The point was to create a space for others to feel uplifted and inspired, so it’s wonderful affirmation to know that we accomplished that.

(See some of the inspiration that was left behind by audience members.)

I enjoy being both the girl in the jeans and tee-shirt on a dusty bus ride to the diva in the white dress in a sacred space.

When I’d hand the kids in the park this publicity flier to take home to their parents:

This was the small invite that I passed out to everyone and left in restaurants.

I was – every time – met with their squeals of, “But this does not LOOK LIKE YOU!” (and I had a few adults say that, too…which, after giving me the opportunity to practice just observing their reactions, just kind of made me chuckle. No, it wasn’t photoshopped. Yes, I did have professional makeup on. And an amazing photographer who happens to be the bomb in bringing out your big energy.)

When I saw the kids outside waiting to come in, and I was all dressed up in the same white dress, I had to smile when I saw their adorable little faces light up like, “whoa!”

In the end, I like to think of it as chameleon capability. Jeans and tee? Sure. Diva in a white dress? Can do.

Me, singing. With pretty, sparkly earrings on.

Lisset Lopez is a Guatemalan artist with beautiful energy.

Lisset Lopez and I met in 2011 when we came together to support a talk on the Mayan Calendar. She has an amazing ability to feel what lies beyond, and an ineffable spirit, so I asked her to paint something inspired based on the energy of the evening. I felt comforted knowing she was out there, even though most of the time I could not see or focus on her. I could feel her support, and that felt so warming.

One of the miracles of Voices of Light: Guatemala 2012 was the choir.

In the weeks before the performance, I asked my pianist, Heber Morales, if he *happened* to have a choir who could sing “Glory to God” from Handel’s Messiah, since I planned on singing “Rejoice Greatly,” the aria that directly follows it. I pretty much expected him to say no. In fact, when I arrived in Guate I found out that indeed, he had a choir of 20 people who had volunteered to participate!

These members of the Union Church Community Choir in Guatemala City took their own time to rehearse, get to Antigua on a workday (a difficult feat with traffic as it is), take time out of their holiday schedules, and on top of all of it sang beautifully, adding their energy, professionalism and spirit to the evening. My heart felt so full with them on stage with me.

The fact that this choir came together is yet another symptom of a magical energy that surrounded “Voices of Light.”

Oh yeah, did I mention that there was a line around the block to get into Las Capuchinas?

When a very talented artist friend of mine said to me, “Heather, this *never* happens around here,” I couldn’t help but beam a little brighter. On a personal level, the event felt like a personal musical success – my university advisor always emphasizes how first and foremost making excellent music must be the number one priority in any musical endeavor. So I had spent months preparing my music, as you do with any recital.

But it just makes me feel even more honored and pleased that the creation resonated so wonderfully with the community that evening.

There are a lot of little magical secrets that go into aligning an event like this, to get the energy just so, and it’s so satisfying when you get to experience the fruits of it. You hope that it will happen, and you do your best to make it happen, but there’s a level of support that I’ve found you have to *open into* to experience and behold a night like this…but that’s a blog post for another day.

Heber Morales from Guatemala City was a fantastic musical partner for Voices of Light: Guatemala 2012.

Heber was everything I could have wanted in a pianist. Sensitive, intuitive, responsive, intelligent, hilarious. He was so fun to work with, and that kind of energy is so important to making beautiful music. It leaves me feeling held, musically, emotionally, when I’m in the middle of letting go. Guatemala is lucky to have him!

And, speaking of piano, this gorgeous grand piano was made possible by the generous sponsorship of Casa Santo Domingo in Antigua, Guatemala. The event would not have been the same without it, and I can’t express enough gratitude for their generosity. This piano is another miracle in the series of miracles surrounding this event. We feel so fortunate to have had access to it. Thank you!

We did have 3 cameras recording the event!

Almost everyone has expressed a great interest in experiencing the event anew – so, I did make sure that we had a video crew in place. Two fixed angle cameras and one floater. I will be very excited to share that final product with you when it becomes available. It’s always nice when the fellow artists make you feel seen – in the Avatar kind of way, when they acknowledge you for your way of being. I felt this wonderful support from the film crew.

And get this, as I’m typing this blog post, I start chatting with Lisset (the artist) on Facebook.

After the event, this was the painting she left had created:

This is the painting Lisset Lopez created during Voices of Light: Guatemala 2012

I love it, it feels so light, so exploding with energy. So ethereal – which is really an energy that I felt – I think many people felt – that evening.

Just now she let me know she’s made some additions.

Get this:

The evolved painting, with additions. WOW!

I mean…FWOOM! That’s the energy I feel with how its evolved in the last week and a half.

That “FWOOM” energy is what I felt the flyer was all about. Hands in the air, big energy on…FWOOM!

And FWOOM, it appears that was the energy we brought to the evening. Because it’s been immortalized in painting!

Seeing this at first made me pause breathing for a second…that figure is me. Or something I represent. Or something brought forward through me and the whole affair.

And there was something safer, something more removed about the first one – like, hey, we’d created this light bubble (one of the intentions of the evening), and it’s kind of safely disconnected from me.

And this second version is like, yep, hey, here we are, I AM IN THIS.

Very powerful. I love it!!

And so, I leave you with this:

YOU have something that YOU are creating. That YOU are in – that you MUST BE IN – for it to come true, for it to happen.

As you step into 2013, what is that thing that is calling you forward? How can you step into it one baby step more today? Tomorrow?

Oh and one last thing. Talking about taking one step. Here’s a great example of doing just that.

Ronaldo Andres is the first college graduate of his small village called TiacTac, far, far away from Antigua, Guatemala. He was the evening’s photographer.

I first met Ronaldo when he was a bright, shiny high school student in the Seeds of Wisdom school – the Chuj speaking region’s very first high school, back in 2006. Ronaldo had put himself through middle school BY RADIO. His village was waterless until 2007, and it was 2 hours by foot to get to the high school, so he’d go home only on the weekends to see his family.

Ronaldo managed to get a very small scholarship that helped him go to the University del Valle in Guatemala City. This was no easy feat. When he was one of 20 students from ALL of Mexico and Guatemala selected to enjoy an English immersion experience here in the states, somebody gave him a camera.

On that trip, I got to see him here in Virginia. He admitted to me that his university time had not been easy – having the  money to feed himself was not always a sure thing.

As of last month, Ronaldo graduated. Making him the first college graduate from his village nestled in the Cuchumatanes, 12 hours from Antigua. And, he graduated a semester early.

So of all the people I could have asked to be my photographer, I felt it most fitting to include Ronaldo. He is a wonderful embodiment of what happens when you take things one step at a time.

Voices of Light: Guatemala 2012 was about so much more than beautiful music – it was about potential, creation, and stepping up to listen to and honor your dreams.

So, I’ll just tickle you one more time – what is that thing that keeps nudging you at night? What is that inspiration that touches your heart?

Would now be a good time to entertain it as a reality for your life?

I say yes, yes it is.

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After the concert, a young teenage boy approached me on stage and handed me this beautiful drawing. If I am translating correctly, I believe it reads,
“A gift, polished until it shines and spreads its light
Angel that came down to Earth
God Bless You.”
Love this beautiful, sweet note.

Voices of Light: Guatemala 2012 was a space dedicated to creating beauty through music. It was already 8 days ago!

Beauty is a high vibration. Music is the weaver of the universe, the universal language, a sophisticated, clean tool for opening new possibilities within each of our hearts. I spoke a fair amount about listening to the whispers of your heart, giving yourself the benefit of entertaining the inspirations that might seem a little “out there” but that are, in fact, quite guided or on target for your life. When we come together in a clean space in the spirit of music, it is easier to listen to the pure messages of our hearts – it’s like the clutter of our minds and acquired ways of being kind of just melt away. It’s a great opportunity to get a new level of clarity for yourself.

But what good is talking about inspiration without taking the opportunity to ground it into your life?

A few songs before the end of Voices of Light: Guatemala 2012, I invited audience members to pass out index cards and crayons. During the song, “In the Bleak Midwinter,” I invited each person to take the few minutes of sacred time to ground the energy they’d felt bubble up by writing out their dream for their life, or perhaps 2013. If someone felt like drawing, they could draw instead.

Fittingly, I made a couple of errors in “In the Bleak Midwinter.” Weirdly enough, I began a half step too high (yes, I admit it…the arrangement was a funky, modern series of chords that kind of sounded like snow falling…I messed up!). And then 3/4 of the way to the end, my sheet music, which I held only for the Christmas portion and which I had taped together proceeded to stick together, preventing me from seeing the final two pages. Awkward pause ensued, as did uncertain but forgiving applause, as did my brief apology, a glance to my amazing pianist, before we closed out the song properly.

It proved to be the perfect teachable moment, however!

Afterwards I said, “How often do we make an error, and we see that as reason enough to stop following our dreams? Keeping moving forward!” We had a good laugh, and a few days later someone remarked that that was one of their favorite moments of the evening.

Most people took their slips of paper full of dreams with them, but a few left theirs behind. Here are some of my favorites!

“Very beautiful your voice. Your concert very admirable. We want you to continue, and I admire you. What a voice! Return.”

One of the beautiful sentiments of the evening, expressed by an audience member.

“Be Light”

Letting the heart flow onto paper….

Not sure if this is Antigua, Guatemala with Cerro La Cruz overlooking, but I love it!

A beautiful flower. Apparently the children had found the baskets with cards and crayons early on in the service – and they amused themselves! Not sure if this is a result of drawing earlier on before the “draw/write your dreams” portion of the program, but I love how this person obviously had to share crayons with someone else. And, if I do say so myself, having crayons and coloring available to the children was inadvertently genius! From the stage, I heard very few peeps from the little ones in the audience, which is very impressive considering it was about bed time for most of them.

This note touched my heart – if I translate ok, I believe it says, “There are souls and souls, superior, that search for the elevated – to give – to transmit light, to arrive at the soul – and you achieve that. Congratulations, for such a sweet voice.”

“Eden” – could it be what one person was feeling in our 2 hours together? Sensing? Experiencing?

Someone’s wish for themselves, or perhaps with the world: “To strengthen and sustain a compassionate, mindful presence to help others gain humility within their own lives.” What an elevated audience! Love this visual souvenir of the higher consciousness level that was present last week for the evening of music and coming together.

Could this be a visual of what the person was experiencing? Vibration…hearts…notes…clouds of vibration….?

Radiating light?

A beautiful lotus flower

Not sure what this is, but it is dated 12/21/2012, the end of the 13 Baktun, 3 days after the concert.

The sun, brightly shining…or a swirl of golden energy….

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Here are some iPhone shots of the scene. It will be wonderful to get the video back. I had a wonderful production team capturing the energy of the evening. I got a bunch of hugs of thanks afterwards that just made me feel so good about everything.

The entrance to where Voices of Light: Guatemala 2012 was held last night. There was a line around the block last night, waiting to get in.

The Christmas portion of the concert, joined on stage by the Union Church Community Choir, accompanied by the amazing Heber Morales on piano

The packed hall. Over 200 seats, full. Standing room only, full. Choir loft taking spillover!

The painting that Lisset Lopez created during the event, to represent and capture the energy of the evening. Sooooooooooo beautiful! I love it!

Me, after it all. ha.

One woman said to me with tears in her eyes, “This was the best night of my entire year. Thank you so much.”

Another said, “You transported me to Heaven. Now, if I can just stay there…!” I said, “You will!”

Another said, “I never expected to have an event like THIS in Antigua, Guatemala. Thank you!”

Little girls had their photos taken with me, and I got to encourage more than a few young singers to “keep singing.”

When I get my phone charger back from the bag I accidentally left at the convent, I will take pictures of some of the notes and inspired drawings people left me – towards the end, I invited everyone to take the opportunity to ground their dreams and inspirations that they were able to see and hear and feel within their hearts in the sacred space we created. Most took theirs home with them, but it was so lovely to see what was left behind. One little boy drew this fantastic photo of me with angel wings and called me an “angel on earth.” ! Talk about feeling love.

Overall, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. It felt so good to do, and I’m so pleased to have been able to create something beautiful for the world – if just in Antigua in person, I do feel like it’s the kind of event that sends shooting strings of energy into other parts of the world, through the people who were there from all over and who they’ll take it back to back home.

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Including today, there are 5 days until Voices of Light: Guatemala 2012.

One of the things that makes Voices of Light a different musical offering is the inclusion of local touches – local musicians, local production team, local photographer from a not-so-formerly waterless village on the exact opposite side of the country in the northern regions of Huehuetenango (who just graduated university in the city, by the way, making him the first ever college graduate from his village).

Accordingly, amidst organizing final details, it´s been very important to me to make time to settle into the energy here. That means street food, taxis, tuk tuks, long cobblestone street walks, standing up on the public bus for over an hour and a half smooshed in between a hot dutch backpacker, three tiny children and two mothers. Visiting the market, talking to new friends, and reconnecting with old friends are all an integral part to weaving a fabric of energy that when I open up my mouth on Tuesday, my vibration is resonant with the dominant vibration here. And then I can add my own magic here.

Very thrilled that today come two international musicans and I´ll be rehearsing the children from the Antigua park who shine shoes and sell candy to help put food on their parents table.

I have to go run get the rental house opened up, so until we meet again…

Here are a few glimpses of my week of preparation since arriving last week:

Panajachel, Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Making music for a beautiful wedding in Panajachel, on the waterfront of Lake Atitlan

Union Church of Guatemala, where we rehearse and I´ll be singing on Sunday with the choir

Soup.

Chuchitos – best street food ever.

Changing a tire on the side of the highway.

Wonderful sauna and massage treatment with Tzules Sunan in Santa Ana, who also has a wonderful command of the Mayan Calendar daily teaching. Voices of Light is on Tuesday, December 18, 2012 which is 1 Noj – apparently a day supporting mental energy, also the day that the elders used to come together to make decisions for the future.

The magic of Lake Atitlan does not escape me…the volcanoes greeted me by morning.

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Here are some glimpses of the adventure so far:

Flying into Guatemala City the other day was magical. I was too entranced by the mountain views to take out my camera. Here´s a glimpse of the city – but imagine sparsely populated, ancient, rough moutains and adobe homes.

Me hanging out in the choir loft of the space in which I´ll be performing as well as accompanied by a crew of talented other musicians. I learned that day that the nuns of this ancient convent, once committed, would never be seen by an outsider again. They would sing in the choir loft for mass, but separated by a black cloth hung in front of them. I had a deep feeling of liberating a sacred feminine energy around the offering Voices of Light.

More of the convent of las Capuchinas

This event could not be executed without the support of the Consejo Nacional para la Proteccion de Antigua Guatemala – the historical governing board for this ancient city. This is Anayansy, who greeted us as we assessed the space.

The guys who will be making a totally rad video from this event and keeping the sound tight. Pedro from PMR Production and Juan Garcia from UO Productions.

Time to dream up what kind of additional lighting I want. Colors on the back wall possibly – need to meditate on this to strike just the right supportive balance for the music and overall offering.

My favorite form of transportation in Guatemala. The Camioneta. Fast, dangerous, inexpensive, and full of the life beyond tourism. Took this into the city for rehearsal the other day.

Best flier, ever. “Take what you need” with tear offs that say “peace” “understanding” “beauty” “health”

Volcan de Agua

Now, I think my dad has taken to reading my blog. Hi, Daddy. I love you.

If you´d like to hear from me DIRECTLY through video, I have been uploading some brief YouTube videos giving you glimpses into the process each day. Internet is not the best here so I´ve been uploading them through a sparse wifi connection at my hotel at night and posting to Facebook which is about as techie as I can be under the circumtances. So I haven´t been able to send you guys regular email updates very easily. Find all of the YouTube videos  HERE . You´ll be able to watch the process as it unfolds and come along for the journey, inbetween me getting to a decent internet cafe to write a blog post and email you.

Coming here to do this feels like coming home in a certain way – some part of me is inextricably tied to Guatemala. It´s like a first love.

Along the way I have had many senses that this is bigger than me. Like when our guide told us about the nuns never being seen and having a visceral sense that part of what I am creating is a liberated sacred feminine energy.

One of the interesting opportunites as a “diva” is the conundrum of “divaness.” Meaning, I feel like there´s something undeniably diva-ish required to get on stage in a strapless gown, open up your heart and soul and sing to the best of your ability and command the space.

(And…since I´m slathering THIS poster all over Guatemala, I´ve had the fun opportunity to practice just standing a little taller as I hand it to people and they do a doubletake from the flier to me to the flier and back and ask, “Is that YOU?” hee hee)

The event poster!

There have been stretches of time in my life where I felt like commanding energy through music and through my own image was somehow not…acceptable. Like that there was something about embracing this kind of embodiment that maybe I “shouldn´t do.”  Like somehow it would detract from the bigger purpose. Like somehow I should be removed from the equation and still able to achieve the result I desired.

However, my experience has shown me that the exact opposite is true – when you step up from that space within yourself that is deepest, it requires a certain level of confidence and composure. “Diva-ish” if you will. And when you´re in this centered space around who you are, miraculous things happen.

Let me give you a great example:

I came here with some details that I had TRIED to sort out before getting here that just wouldn´t seem to click (I´ve been at this for months). One of them was how to get children on stage with me part way through the program for one song – they are the voices of the future. This is their stage, too.

I get off the plane and one hour after getting Antigua I run into my friend, Emilio. He starts telling me about a new non-profit called Shoe Shine Kids he has started. Their inaugural event is the 15th, 3 days before mine. Kids start swarming around us as we´re talking. They´re the shoe shining little boys and the little girls selling candies in the park to help put food on their families´tables.

All of a sudden, my question of where I could find kids who might not otherwise have the opportunity to ever experience like this and get them involved is answered.

Emilio pulls one of the moms aside and we set it in motion.

We will rehearse in the park next week.

The voices of the future will have a bright light to step into and expand their sense of possibility, and this makes my heart incredibly full and glad. Emilio has a wonderful way with the kids, and I feel so honored and lucky to partner up with him to do something of service.

When I was a child, my most formative musical moments happened as a result of somebody else who had vision and now we get to pass that on to perhaps some of the most in need

Kids on stage? Check. With absolutely no struggle.

And that´s how a lot of this event has come together – people from parts of my life who have stepped in to magically connect and contribute. I feel like this is only happening because I´m showing up to do something that felt bigger than me, that felt like it HAD to be done.

You, too, have something that is touching at your heart saying, “Ok! It´s TIME! Time to get moving in this new direction!” and I hope for you that you say yes to it. Because really, it all feels so much better.

But to slightly contradict myself, beyond anything being “bigger than me”…it´s just fun. It´s fun to get together with people and do something beautiful and in the spirit of expression, inclusion and creativity. And isn´t it so much better to be creating from a sense of joy in your life? Rather than “obligation”? From my experience, yes, it is.

Maybe it´s not a contradiction – maybe it´s that that sense of something “bigger than me” is really just me catching up with me on the bigger scale – that that sense of stepping into something beyond myself is really about letting the shell of your old self drop away and disintegrate, and the new space is not bigger, just more attuned. More resonant. Less constricted.

So, that´s my update so far.

Oh, and my pianist is INCREDIBLE. I can´t wait to share him. We had our first rehearsal the other day.

I´ve been at the computer too long, so I´m going to leave it there, fragmented thoughts and all.

Huge thanks to the computer staff at Mono Loco for printing up a bunch of new fliers!

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Save time booking your music for your ceremony

Just last week I was chatting with a bride, a couple of months after her wedding. This woman had planned out everything and the day was absolutely stunning. It was an honor to be a part of it.

She said something important:

“Of all the gazillion details to plan for, the ceremony was just about the last thing on my mind. And now, looking back, I realize…that was the whole wedding. That was the most important piece of it all.”

There’s a huge push for booking your venue and your photographer first. Your music, your readings, the things that comprise the actual union, are often after-thoughts or things left to the creative last second.

In previous posts, I’ve given you some reasons on why you want to care about the music in your ceremony and how to get started planning your music.

I know it can be overwhelming to deal with vendors, paperwork, and even discovering how many things you need to think about on your day! Heck, depending on the day, it can take a gargantuan effort for me to even clear off my desk, let alone plan a major event. Receipts? Contracts? I don’t want to deal with them.

I feel you.

Wedding planning can be a looming burden, even when it’s fun, especially if you’re in school, have a job, or are otherwise disinclined to fall madly, deeply in love with the process of making a gazillion executive decisions.

So let’s make it painless for you.

Here are 3 quick & easy steps make booking your ceremony music absolutely painless, and fast.

1. Discover the deal-breakers from your partner before we speak. As a ceremony musician, it is extremely important to me for both the bride and the groom to feel supported by the music woven into the day. Some brides are absolutely crystal clear on the music they want in their ceremony. If you’re not, I’m going to be helping you get there. At some point, I’ll ask you if you know how your partner might feel about our tentative vision. Why? Because if string quartets are his idea of a slow death, I certainly don’t want to take you there. Finding out from him the deal-breakers before we speak saves potentially weeks of phone tag time.

2. Get clearance to make an executive decision on the music. In order to reserve the date for you, we’ll need to put a contract in motion. Let your ceremony musician know that you’re in control so that we can feel great that you have the support of the other most important person in your day. Given enough lead time, we can always make tweaks to your musical plan going forward.

3. Decide if you have a song you’re attached to. If you want to save time in the booking process, just make a little quiet time for yourself, take a deep breath, and see if a song bubbles up that has you shouting, YES! I want THIS SONG in my wedding! Just knowing this one detail can help speed along your booking process because if you can tell me the song title, or the song genre, I can tell you with less back and forth time how to make that song a musical success – what instrumentation, where in the ceremony it should go, etc. Again, this is not a requirement, but it does make it faster for you once we start talking.

And finally, it’s that time to be booking for spring 2013 weddings. With holidays around the corner, a quick email to me can put your wedding ceremony music in motion with way less stress than it will feel come January.  You will seriously feel so much better knowing that it’s checked off your list, and with music in motion, you have just stated to the universe that you will INDEED have a glorious, unique ceremony, from start to finish.

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Rich Litvin, one of the world’s most exclusive coaches, challenges you to live by what he calls the “HELL YEAH” principle.

Today was our ALMOST-LAST call on the Feisty & Fierce telesummit.

DEFINITELY do not let the energy stop with you.

Share your comments, opinions, questions and insights in the comments section below about today’s inspiring call, or the whole summit in general.

What is the biggest thing you will take with you from this?

Rich Litvin. Now one of the world’s most exclusive coaches, Rich’s gift is in working with men and women who have forgotten how powerful they are or who need to tap deeper into their power than ever before, for what is coming next.

His clients have included CEOs, millionaires, Olympic Athletes, celebrities, best-selling authors, soldiers, mothers, entrepreneurs, consultants and coaches – and their lives have changed beyond recognition. Working with Rich requires courage and heart. He helps you to see your world differently. And when you see your world differently, YOUR WORLD CHANGES. Rich lives his life by a single principle: Hell Yeah! Or No. www.thatconfidenceguy.com

Today’s call covered:

Mastering the Art of Enrolling Clients

• Adding the Hell Yeah! Principle to your business
• How to enroll clients without email or internet marketing
• Busting the myth of “unnecessary evils”

Next week you’ll get the encore: An Unorthodox Guide to Deep, Inner Confidence

• The Secret to Making Extraordinary Requests
• Cultivating Deep, Inner Confidence
• Adding the Hell Yeah! Principle to your life

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“Oh, Edith, don’t be so defeatist. It’s so middle class!” the countess admonished in Season 1 of Downton Abbey.

I want to deeply express two simple words: “thank you.” Thank you for being a part of my life. “Thank you” doesn’t need a reason, but I feel like it’s deserving of a little back story.

First – a question. When was the last time you had one of those temporary wondering-if-there-should-be-regret-about-anything moments?

The other day I watched a beautifully edited 10 minute video clip about the power of sharing your story effectively by including your vulnerabilities in your message. At one point he said, “I realized I used to tell my story like I was the hero all the time.”

This got me thinking. About me. About you. About a lot of things.

“Have I been playing the hero too much?” I wondered.”Have I been  too open, or not open enough?”

I started to stew.

But then I remembered Maggie Smith’s character, the Dowager Countess and the Earl’s mother in last year’s series, “Downton Abbey” and her admonishment to her granddaughter:

“Oh Edith, don’t be so defeatist. It’s so middle class!”

I laughed when I heard that line on Masterpiece Theater because – while I have no interest in old school class structures – I realized I was not immune to my own buried tendencies to wave my silent defeatist flag when things got a little rough.

Many people do. And that’s ok to feel a little defeated, but the key is in how you handle it.

My business coach, Christine Kane, recommends not writing about it until you’ve figured it out – to not “air your stuff.” As she points out, Oprah wouldn’t air her dirty laundry. Instead, she advocates really speaking the language of your peeps, directly to them, consistently. That is why I began sending a regular ezine 4 months ago, and have sent it every Saturday since then. I hadn’t been consistent before, and I wanted to communicate with you regularly because I want to be that kind of presence in your life.

Another coach and mentor of mine (and my photographer from this fall), Christina Morassi, advocates “living on brand” and bringing people along on your journey through transmission. And I totally love this, which is why I started posting YouTube clips bringing you along on my adventures, but sometimes that can feel overwhelming.

And an exclusive coach I respect and admire tremendously, Rich Litvin, advocates that if it’s not a ridiculously, enthusiastic “YES!”, then you shouldn’t be spending your precious life energy doing whatever that thing is. Which is why I don’t blog all the time, why I don’t spend the time to make fancy videos, and why I don’t micromanage my blog to the point of trying to “get you” to sign up for my updates – it’s not a great use of my life-force energy.

But beyond their advice, between these three people, and the many others I follow on Facebook, Twitter, and by email, there is an incredibly growing trend of living authentically and openly.

Which is great for people like you and me. Because we love being open!

But sometimes …it’s really scary.

Especially if you’ve been taught to be extremely cautious with what you share.

I decided Maggie Smith’s character’s advice is pretty darn good.

And what happens if you over-share a little bit? You worry about it because you are fearful of the permanent ramifications.

So sometimes, you start to withdraw, because sometimes, your openness scares even you. 

(It’s ok. You’re not over.)

So The little voice that says, “Well, what if all those people are right, that it’s not safe to be open? That it’s not safe to be me?” can threaten to take over.

(That would be you listening to them, and not you.)

And sometimes, because it can feel so soft and tender being open and emotionally raw that you begin to listen to the doubts that come from that place of fear, which doesn’t really feel like yours, but has clenched tightly to certain parts of your brain.

(Really, don’t be so defeatist!)

And the destruction of listening to this voice is that you decide it’s good enough reason to pull your gift off the shelf. 

(No no! Not that!)

And the ramification of that is that the people who so desperately need and want your gift, that only you can offer, are now left without.

(This is bad, very bad.)

And so I feel like there is only one choice:

Listen to the words of Maggie Smith’s character. Don’t be so defeatist. Process your feelings and move forward in a way that works for you, and know that you can’t get it wrong and you’ll never get it done (as good-ol’ Abraham-Hicks always says).

And then consider the words of Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift, music celebrity, is 22 and one focused, inspiring young woman.

In a recent interview with NPR, Taylor Swift said:

“My confidence is easy to shake. I am very well aware of all of my flaws. I am aware of all the insecurities that I have. I have a lot of voices in my head constantly telling me I can’t do it. I’ve dealt with that my whole life. And getting up there on stage thousands of times, you’re going to have off nights. And when you have an off night in front of that many people, and it’s pointed out in such a public way, yeah, that gets to you. I feel like, as a songwriter, I can’t develop thick skin. I cannot put up protective walls, because it’s my job to feel things.”

So I say to you, when things get a little scary, keep being you.

We cannot afford to develop thick skins, we cannot put up protective walls, because it is our job to feel things. And to keep going.

Keep breathing, and as my friend and colleague, Olga Aura says, “Thank you for all that you do.”

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