Spring has sprung, and I'm down with that!

Have you ever wondered (as Jerry Seinfeld would say) about the expression, “I’m down with that?” It means “I’m excited about that,” or, “I support that,” or “thumbs up!”

So why isn’t it, “I’m up with that?”

Either way…I am all over spring!

There is no greater feeling than getting a chance to start again, to re- commit to one’s goals, get re-inspired and feel a new surge of energy.  Spring also reminds us that we are here for a reason, that we have a purpose greater than our own.

While we chug along day after day working diligently to reach our goals, sometimes it is hard to stay true to the passion that drives our dreams, much less connect the dots from passion to higher purpose.

I enjoy the downtime that winter offers, and find myself somewhat grumpy when the newfound light brought to us by daylight savings first signals the start of spring. I like hibernation, and don’t let go of it easily.

But before long I am taking lengthy walks with Captain, cleaning out closets, digging in the garden and feeling the exhilaration that only spring can engender in the whole world at once. Tony patiently endures an avalanche of new ideas, “we should’s” and “honey-do’s.”  Out with the old…I am ready to take on the world!  Maybe it’s the Christian metaphor of the crucifixion / resurrection, because I certainly feel resurrected!

Tuillerie Gardens in spring.

So how can we harness this powerful energy, and use it when we doubt ourselves, when things seem impossible? How can we connect the dots on a daily basis?

A Course in Miracles tells us, “Nothing real can be threatened; nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God.”  

Here is what is real for me: I was put here to spread the joy and healing that music has given me. I am here to share the gift of music, to touch as many souls as I possibly can and to act as a facilitator for the power of Love.

Here is what’s un-real for me:  Fear, self-doubt, insecurity, negative and paralyzing beliefs.

So, I am down ….and up with spring! Out with the un-real! It does not exist!

Sounds simple maybe, but this mantra is what keeps me going when it all seems impossible.

“Nothing real can be threatened; nothing unreal exists.  Herein lies the peace of God.”

Happy Easter, everyone!

(For more information about A Course In Miracles, please visit: http://acim.org/)

Courage

I have three close friends with painful, debilitating and potentially fatal diseases.  One has suffered for many years; the two others were recently afflicted.

We all get together several times a year.  They usually exhaust me.

This is a group that gets up slowly and eases into the day.  Meds need to kick in.  Rooms stay dark and the house is quiet.  But just for a while.

I consider myself a go-ahead girl - pretty brave when things are tough and willing to work through the challenges that face me.

I am truly a light-weight in the company of these remarkable friends.

We have never come to visit when there has not been a houseful of guests: college roommates, widows, friends down on their luck, and other fortunate freeloaders there for a good time.

Once the day gets rolling, our hosts work-out, attend charity board meetings, help friends during the day, take in stray pets.  We shop and cook together and have an army for dinner every night.  We screech with laughter, stay up late, reminisce, and celebrate life together with unbridled joy.

The atmosphere is filled with light and love.  We carry on with jubilation for days at a time.  And there is never a mention of pain, or illness . . . or fear.  No complaints.  No limitations.

It’s just in those early morning hours when the house is still that one can sense the silent suffering.  A few hours at the start of the day when disease is in charge.  I feel so helpless.  There is nothing I can do to make it better.

Other than pick up some strawberries and the fish for diner and call the neighbors to see how many will join us this evening.  Send Tony out for some nice red wine.  And be there to share the laughter.

I get to go home pain free.  They don’t.  They just keep on keepin’ on.

That is courage.

God bless you, my dears.

EASTERN SHORE RESIDENT WINS 2012 INDIVIDUAL ARTIST AWARD FROM MARYLAND STATE ARTS COUNCIL

Easton, MD (February 21, 2012) – The Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC), an agency of the Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development, has recognized jazz vocalist Erin Dickins from Talbot County for creating work of exceptional quality. Ms. Dickins has been awarded the 2012 Individual Artist Award for Non-Classical Music Solo Performance for her CD, Nice Girls (Champagne Records) recorded in New York and Los Angeles and produced by Jesse Frederick.  Ms. Dickins is a longtime resident of Easton and a founding member of the jazz vocal group, Manhattan Transfer.

“Artists of this high caliber are the core of Maryland's modern creative economy,” said Hannah Byron, Assistant Secretary, Department of Tourism, Film and the Arts, “their work is essential to the arts, which generate a billion dollars a year in Maryland and improve our quality of life across the board.”

Administered by the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the MSAC's highly competitive Individual Artists Award (IAA) Program recognizes the unique contribution made by artists to the cultural vitality of Maryland. An out-of-state jury reviews submissions anonymously and recommends awards for Maryland artists.

The IAA Program reviews 18 artistic disciplines, which are separated into 3 competition groups that are awarded on a triennial basis. 2012 award categories include playwriting, crafts, photography, non-classical music composition, and non-classical music solo performance. Approximately one-third of the awards were made in the photography category, which also received the most submissions this year.

“I an extremely honored to have been selected among this year’s winners,” said Dickins. “It is a great source of encouragement to receive such recognition.”

Dickins will begin a European tour in April, and is planning concert dates in Asia later this year. For more information visit: www.ErinDickins.com

Do You Know Who Your Friends Are?

For me writing a blog is about learning. Writing brings to light the things that are of my essense, things that make me tick. And writing also helps me to understand what it is that I can do to best contribute to the good of the order, so to speak. I wish I'd started writing earlier.


In recent years, a source of great delight for me has been that I now can clearly see brilliance in my friends. Thanks to FaceBook and the internet in general, I have had the good fortune to re-connect with many extraordinary old friends from early childhood, school and college and in the music biz. And witnessing them as fully self-realized adults (sorry I missed so many years of the process) is a revelation.

My years in New York, when I was young and impressionable, were a hell of a lot of fun.  As studio musicians, we were at the center of the music industry universe. We worked hard to be the best.  As personalities, we filled the spectrum. Some of us paralyzed by self-doubt. A few self-destructive.  Some confused by having such power at an early age.  Many just grooving along on the wonderful journey. We were surrounded by great genius and madness. Love and competitiveness. And fantastic creativity.

Imagine. I worked on a daily basis with the likes of players like Will Lee, Gordon Edwards, Steve Gadd, Chris Parker, Marvin Stamm, Jon Faddis, Randy Becker, Sid McGinnis, Steve Khan, Rob Mounsey, Tom Malone and a zillion others. Really?

And singers like Patti Austin, Valerie Simpson, Luther Vandross, Daryl Hall, Gordon Grody, Irene Cara, Melissa Manchester.

These were all well-known names in the business and their extraordinary level of excellence was taken for granted. As was the fact that this was a bunch of bright, well-educated, articulate and funny 20-somethings, experiencing success at a level most cannot hope to achieve in a lifetime. And I am only considering a handful of the musicians. There were literally hundreds of writers, producers, arrangers, engineers and assistants who were just as talented. And nobody outside the industry even knew their names.

So what are they like now? Even better. Powerful, centered, wise and still funny. 

There was a young assistant engineer in the 70’s of whom we were all quite fond. A kid named Glenn Berger, with a shock of red hair and super dedication to his work. I found him a couple of years ago on FaceBook He is now a psycho-therapist and author, and still a super cool, wonderful person. Glenn’s most recent blog post is just about the best thing I have ever read.

I have attached a link for you to enjoy his work. It’s about recording with Mick Jagger, babies and life. Bravo, Glenn. You ROCK!

 http://www.glennberger.net/2012/01/22/to-be-on-the-wire-is-life-my-days-with-mick-jagger/

Boy, it’s really fun to be a grown-up.

It doesn't get any better than this...

Well, I had a hell of a year in 2011. It was exciting and busy and filled with dreams and plans for my musical future. I am filled with anticipation for all that lies ahead.

But right before Christmas, I got a powerful message. For a week or so, everyone I met reminded me that the most important thing in my life is the present moment. It is not the outcome that brings the joy; it is the process. It is not looking at or listening to my new CD, rather, it is the creative process that matters – that’s where the rush is.

Now, this is not really news to me, it is a universal lesson that I have heard a million times, but somehow, I needed to hear it again....and again. It is a primary theme in Alexander Technique, of which I have become an ardent student.

I spoke recently (for the first time in 30 years) to my first manager from MT years, David Yeager, an absolutely delightful person with whom I’d lost contact. The first thing he said to me is, “Erin, are you enjoying the ride? I hope you are not focusing on the outcome.” In the thirty years’ time that had passed, I was wondering about his health, kids, business.....but he instinctively knew that I needed to hear that message, and so that’s where he went. Old friends are great in that way – they just know you so deeply.

It is very hard to not get excited about the future with so many opportunities coming my way. But last week I was rehearsing with Stef (Scaggiari) and I realized that none of it will be any more delicious, or better musically, or more interesting or closer to my heart than making music together and laughing about politics and sharing coffee in his living room. It’s the now. So I let myself sink into the moment and drink in every precious nuance of that sweet time with my friend. And it was vibrant.

Our lives reflect only as much abundance as we allow ourselves to experience. So if we are constantly living in the dreams we hold for our future, we close a door on receiving the gifts that are waiting for us in every single instant we live.

And, while I am jazzed ( in more ways than one) about all the things to come this year and beyond, my New Year resolution is to focus on the moment and not worry so much about the future. There is just no need to wait any longer... I’ll take my cake now, and whatever comes my way in the future will be the icing.

The King and I...

Bear with me, there is a point to all of this.

H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on December 5, 1927. He is the youngest son of H.R.H. Prince Mahidol and Mom Sangwalya, and is the longest reigning monarch in the world.

Here’s what I find interesting about this king: he is an ardent lover of jazz – especially American jazz music. He is an accomplished saxophonist and composer, and has his own palace jazz band. Kinda like the Bill Clinton of Siam, but classier and better chops.

His Majesty has played his saxophone with jazz legends like Benny Goodman, Stan Getz, Lionel Hampton and Benny Carter. He also jams with local musicians in Thailand, and has composed his own music.

"He is simply the coolest king in the land," the late Hampton said in a 1987 article in the Thai magazine Sawasdee. Here he is with Benny Goodman.

The king’s Birthday in December - sometimes called Father’s Day - is a national holiday and is celebrated nationwide with great enthusiasm. Yellow flags and lights decorate buildings and homes all over Thailand. Bangkok, is decorated with exuberant flower arrangements, religious ceremonies are held countrywide with people praying for the king’s well-being. During the evening there are elaborate fireworks displays in the skies of Bangkok while thousands of people fill the streets wearing yellow t-shits to celebrate the king’s birthday. People travel from all cities around Thailand to catch a glimpse of the monarch. And, of course, there is music, lots of music, including the king’s favorite - American Jazz.

Why a blog on the King of Thailand, you ask? Well, Stef Scaggiari and I were invited to play for him during the weeklong royal birthday festivities next month. To top it off, we were sponsored by the American Embassy in Bangkok to conduct an outreach program in American jazz for disabled children in Bangkok. What an unbelievable honor.

It has been weeks of preparation...new arrangements, rehearsals, some pre-tour voice coaching and a new gown for the occasion. During this time, we were full of excitement and anticipation.

All the while, the Thai people have been enduring terrible floods – the worst in 60 years. Floods of a magnitude that bring Hurricane Katrina to mind. Floods that last week caused the palace and Ministry of Culture cancel all festivities. It is a most appropriate choice as more than 2.5 million people are displaced, and Thailand is suffering terribly during this tragedy.

I am so honored to have been chosen to play for the King’s celebration and so sad to see this nation devastated. Still, I feel very disappointed about the cancellation and also embarassed that I can form such a selfish thought when so many are in need.

My dear cousin, Jim Davis, is living in Bangkok. Thankfully, he is safe. Here are some of his thoughts about this unimagineable disaster.

 

10/18/11 Dear Erin,
It is a disaster of major proportions. Over 400 people have died, hundreds of thousands are homeless, the area flooded is huge. The rice growing fields have been washed away, along with the soil. 300,000 factory workers, in an industrial park, in BKK, had to be evacuated, yesterday. So far, the flood walls are holding back the flood from the main shopping, office, tourism, financial districts, and high rent districts, where I live, but there are sandbags and temporary concrete walls in front of most businesses. It rains hard every day, for hours. I have emergency supplies of some water and food and the supermarkets are bare, in that category, now.

Cities not far from BKK are suffering the most; it looks like Venice. The water is 15-20 feet high in the middle of the cities. People there have lost everything. The army has opened their bases for them. The Thai Army is working feverishly building dykes and helping people. They are really dedicated heros.

Hundreds of thousands of chickens and ducks have been drowned in the poultry facilities. Some of the chain restaurants in BKK that have comisaries outside the perimeter have closed.

I had planned to go to China and other places but I'm not leaving for fear the airport may be swamped and I would be stuck outside Thailand.

In terms of flooding, it is worse than Katrina and Irene combined. But life within most of BKK goes on as usual. I go to the gym, shop and hang out with my friends, as usual. It pisses people off, outside of BKK, that the water is shifted to protect the upscale neighborhoods in BKK.

Every business is losing big money and it will be a long time to recoup it. The biggest concert venue, Impact, where I've seen the Eagles and Rod Stewart is in the flood zone. They say it will be months for the water to go down. There won't be much left. I think the celebrations of the King's birthday will be cancelled. The country and all major businesses have lost countless millions.

On the other hand, Thai people are very resilient and resourceful. I've seen news coverage of them and it's heartbreaking but they are coping quite well. I've seen people, on TV news, up to their necks in water with smiles on their faces. They have courage and strength I've never seen. The Thai people have been incredibly strong during this ordeal. Thais are the greatest. They've been put to the test now.

BKK is still in danger of being flooded. My apartment building has a generator. I have bought big flashlights and knee high rubber boots, just in case. There is no end in sight.

By the way, staging, lighting, sound and musicians are first rate. Better than USA. Thirteen year old kids play guitar better than Clapton and Hendrix, at their prime. Little kids play guitar like Dick Dale, who's the best there is. Their fingering technique is quite unusual. I love to watch them play. Love, Jim
 
10/19/11 Good Morning Erin,
Yesterday was a rain free day but it looks like rain today, unfortunately. The Army and volunteers are still feverishly piling up sandbags. I'm located in one of the safest areas of Bangkok, my building is built as solid as a bunker and, around here, life goes on as usual. I feel perfectly safe and I'm going for my morning swim. Not in the street but in the pool. Love, Jim

10/31/11 Dear Erin,
I learned today that my district in Bangkok won't be flooded. Things are pretty normal around here. It's been called a holiday, because of the flooding, so people who are dry are going to the movies, the malls and eating ice cream sundaes. The folks in the 7 out of the 50 BKK wet districts are suffering a lot. They are so screwed - much worse than Katrina. They have 50,000 Thai Army troops working 24/7 helping people with shelter, transportation and building dykes. Love you, Jim

This is my cousin Jim when he last visited us at "Horses End." I will spare you a photo of my new gown. Please pray for the people of Thailand.

Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks

I think that, as our dogs grow older, we don’t teach them new tricks because we, not our dogs, have tired of the game. My kid Captain learned “roll over” and “gimme five” in a few days’ time at the ripe old age of five.  I chose to teach him at that time because we had just lost my beloved dog Rascal, Captain’s best friend, and I thought the instruction and lessons would help him (and me) through the loss.  He came through with flying colors. Now when I say, “sit”, he does all three tricks with great delight.

Rascal  and Captain "sit."

I am a middle-aged dog and I am still learning new tricks. I used to joke with my friend Eric the computer genius that I am “done learning” and I want to be on a “need to know” basis when it comes to computers. But that is impossible for anyone with even the slightest inkling of intellectual curiosity.  In order to live vibrantly and stay in the game, you need to keep learning new tricks.

Now the problem, as I see it, for us older dogs is basically one of storage. I sometimes feel as if I may have reached critical density, and it is not only my attic that is stuffed to the gills with clutter. I came in equipped with a 30-gig cerebral hard drive, and right now I’ve got about a terabyte of data to store, and more on the way.  It feels like every new lyric I learn has the potential to bounce an old one out. So new endeavors need to be carefully screened and evaluated lest I risk a blue screen crash.

I first took piano lessons at age six, and begged my mother to let me quit when the nun who taught me kept rapping my knuckles with a ruler every time I made a mistake. Guitar was a good solution for the short term, and my dad taught me all the chords I needed to play folk songs.

Early on in my professional music career, I took theory lessons from a wonderful jazz pianist who was very kind and patient with me (especially when I didn’t do my homework). I took sight singing from Helen Jordan and voice lessons from Myron Earnheart, Anne Countryman and David Sorin Collyer. I was working with the best in the business. That was New York, the center of my (hell, everybody’s) artistic world – and studying was a part of life. I can’t remember when I stopped taking lessons in music, but it’s been a long while.

Since then I’ve explored many other disciplines, groups and treatments, both physical and spiritual – A Course in Miracles, The Way of Sufi, Buddhist chanting, and also The New York Restaurant School, Les Amis du Vin, Chinese cooking lessons, tennis lessons, golf lessons, yoga, acupuncture, chiropractic, personal trainers, Feng Shui, vitamins and herbal remedies, meditation, and most recently, jewelry making (look out – you may get a bracelet for Christmas).

All good. All interesting, challenging and enriching.  All part of my personal growth.  But now I as am once again starting down a new path of learning, I must ask myself, “Which of these data and/or skill sets might I be willing to jettison in order to accommodate my new tricks?”  I do not have an answer yet, but sounds like a de-frag is in order.

So, I set out to find a new singing teacher and received a wonderful recommendation from a friend in Amsterdam.  My new teacher’s name is Nancy Marano and she is brilliant. I drive up to New York to see her. This seems reasonable and manageable (barely) and the perfect way to get in shape for my 2012 concert season. Only, guess what?  Nancy also insists that I learn to play the piano well enough to accompany myself properly, not like the hunt-and-peck hacker that I have become.

Nancy is really talented, cool and inspirational and she does not rap my knuckles.  But, she also wants me to brush up on my sight singing and solfege.  This has become a gigantic commitment, but that’s O.K.  I’ll find a way to deal with the one and a half hours of daily practice this will require.  I’ll cut back on my workouts and not clean the cottage. I am on it.

And here’s the corker: During the first lesson, Nancy says to me, “Have you ever heard of the Alexander Technique? You should take some Alexander lessons if you can.” So off I go, down yet another yellow brick road.

They say that the Alexander Technique is very beneficial for musicians and singers for balance, coordination and posture. I am told it will improve my singing and piano playing and all kinds of other things.

I have found a wonderful music professor at West Chester University - only 20 minutes from my house  - and Dr. Bedford has taken me on as his student. I have had four lessons so far and… OMG the work is brilliant! And it’s perfect for me. It requires stillness, a concept that is totally foreign to me. My husband Tony laughed out loud at the thought of seeing me still. I am completely fascinated and already see great improvement in my posture and awareness. Don’t worry; it will only require about 30 minutes daily practice. I’ll cut out watching the morning news and that’ll do it. It’s all good.

Alexander Technique is seriously heady stuff. I am pretty sure my next transformation is in the making and I am down with that. If I forget some lyrics as a result, so be it. Maybe I’ll get a bigger brain for Christmas.

Uh, oh.  “The way you wear your head… the way you sip your…uhm…brie?”

Nope. That’s not it.  Wait, I think I have that lyric on my iPad!