Monthly Archives: August 2011

School Days…

7 Replies

Somehow, here we all are at the end of summer. (Well technically, summer doesn’t end until September, but…just go with me here for a second…) I don’t have a clue as to how Memorial Day until now sped by so fast, but here we are, knocking on the doorsteps of fall. And with the beginning of fall comes a familiar new beginning– school. School supply lists have been combed to make sure kids have everything they need, new clothes have been purchased, and bedtimes have gone back to a decent hour.  Millions of kids all across the country either have already started school, or will be starting the school year within the next two weeks. It’s an exciting yet nerve-wracking time for students, parents, and educators alike.  Everyone is worried about what sort of challenges the year will bring, what progress will be made, and how students will fare come the end of the academic year. It’s nerve-wracking for me for different reasons.

It’s the time of year where I start to feel a pang in my chest, and start to wonder “what if…” I try not to play the “what if” game with things that go on in my life, because I believe everything happens for a reason, but this is one area where I can’t quite shake the feeling. Those of you that know me in real life, and have known me for a while, know that I started college with the intention of becoming an educator. I went to school intending to major in Secondary English Education, but life took me down a different path.  Life took me to major in Family Science, and to now be on the road to a Master’s in Human Resources Management. Far cry from the education world, right? I know that I’m setting myself up on a career path to be successful, and to have a decent career, but there’s a…personal touch missing from it for me.

There’s part of me that wants to get out and get involved in the world of education. Do what I have to do to get a degree in education, get certified to teach, and start to take over the world, changing one child’s life at a time. I’m not going to go into all of the statistics and all of the specifics, but the United States is in dire need of some improvement when it comes to education. We’re so far behind lesser developed countries, and it makes no sense! The achievement gap between African American and Caucasian students and between affluent and poor students is real. (If you need proof, go watch “Waiting for Superman.”) I really got inspired to start thinking about teaching again when I read my friend Gem’s take on how she would operate a charter school if she was ever in the position to run one. It’s really what got me to thinking on if I could go back to school after I’ve finished this Master’s, or if I should go into a program like Teach for America and go into the classroom that way. Of course I wonder if I’d be an effective teacher, if I could inspire my students, and if I’m cut out for a truly thankless job. I recognize what teachers have to go through every day, all year long, and I truly salute each of them.

This is just something that’s been on my heart for a while and that I needed to get out. To my readers, I ask…do you have any particular career change that you feel tugging at you? I know I can’t be alone out there…share with me in the comments.

Until next time, folks…

Feature Fridays – Picture Perfect

4 Replies

Hey ya’ll! I’m back again with another installment of Feature Fridays, and this time, it’s to talk about two of my favorite artists out right now. If you hadn’t noticed, I’m a bit of an Eric Roberson fan, and a bit of a Foreign Exchange fan. Who knew? Well, much to my enjoyment, the newest single off of Erro’s forthcoming album is called “Picture Perfect” and it features Phonte.  Now, I might be a little bit biased, but I actually don’t think that either one of them could ever make anything less than awesome music. I remember hearing the song for the first time when I was off from work, and Erro decided to do a ustream. Granted, we didn’t get to hear the whole song on the stream, but I knew from the little bit I heard that it would be a hit. Eric Roberson and Phonte on the same track? How could you go wrong with this?

To be honest, I’m a sucker for love songs. Maybe it’s the Libra in me, maybe it’s the hopeless romantic in me, or maybe it’s just that I’m generally a fan of songs about love. Either way, a good love song will have me in such a good mood, and just really introspective and really relaxed. This song definitely does not disappoint. Not only is it a great love song, it’s a song that can make a woman feel good about herself. I mean, how often do you hear that you’re picture perfect? Who wouldn’t swoon over that? I think I especially swoon over it because of my love of photography…let a man tell me I’m picture perfect, you’ll see this light skinned chick blush all over the place. ;-)

Eric Roberson feat. Phonte – Picture Perfect

One of the things I love most about the song is how smooth it is. From Eric’s singing down to when Phonte hops in with his verse and then starts singing, the entire vibe of the song is extremely smooth. It’s almost like I should be listening to this song while driving into the city for a date, or while sitting at a café table with a glass of wine and a plate of appetizers.  At the end of the song when Erro goes into what he’s jealous of, and why he’s jealous? *insert epic amount of swoonage here* It’s just such a sweet song, so smooth, so well-written, and just amazing all around.

Needless to say, I am too hype for his album to come out.  Whenever one of my favorite artists is gearing up for the release of their new project, I find myself extremely hype along with them. This fall is shaping up to be a great one music-wise! To my readers, what songs do you know that are just extremely smooth and sexy? This is definitely at the top of my list for now…

Until next time, folks…

Live and Direct…

1 Reply

Over the last year, I’ve been fortunate to be in some really great places at very apt times. There have been times where I’ve physically felt that I was in the exact place I was supposed to be in at the exact time I was supposed to be there. It may have something to do with the fact that I deliberately set myself up for moments such as those, or it just may be the universe working in my favor. One may never know…

Over the last year or so, I’ve started to consciously make decisions to do things that make me happy. Not just put a smile on my face for a couple of hours and then send me back to my melancholy ways, but to seriously make me smile in the depths of my soul.  (Having your soul smile is an extraordinary thing for those of you that may not have been able to experience this yet.) Of all of the things that I have done this year that have made me happy, the one constant thing that sticks out in my mind is the amount of live music that I have seen this year. Now that I sit and think about it, it truly boggles my mind that I’ve been able to see as much live music as I have. If you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, you’ll know that music has a special place in my little heart. I’ve loved it for as long as I can remember, but this year it was finally time for me to experience it firsthand. It started with Zo’s album release party at U Street Music Hall last summer, then to the Summer Spirit Festival, and then died down over the winter and early spring months. It was at Zo’s album release that I realized that there was no better way to experience a show but to be at the stage while someone is performing. The vibe that the performer gives off based on the vibe that the audience is giving him/her? Man, listen. It’s one of the most profound things I’ve ever seen. Starting with Eric Roberson and Vivian Green in April at Ram’s Head Live, I vowed that I would spare no expense in getting to see the music live that I have wanted to see for a very long time. That is how I have seen two Foreign Exchange shows, another Eric Roberson show, the Rebirth Brass Band, Sade and John Legend, Jill Scott/Anthony Hamilton/Mint Condition/Doug E. Fresh/DJ Jazzy Jeff, my friend Johnny Graham and his group, The Groove, and most recently, Zo and Sy Smith. I’ve been to some amazing venues, with both my friends and with my mom, and have gotten to experience songs that have grown to become the soundtrack of my life live. How many people can say that they’ve had the opportunity to do that? I’ve been blessed to be able to attend so many shows, and file the memories I have in the corner of my mind. This is a trend that may have started this year, but will definitely continue for years to come. There are too many artists out here that I love to not go out and support their music, especially when they make their way to the DC area. There is something about the vibe in a room when an artist is performing, no matter if it’s the back room of a restaurant, or an arena the size of the Verizon Center…if the person on stage is truly in love with what they do, and has fun with it, they will command your attention, and not let it drop until the house lights come back on. That, my dear friends, is what I live for. To you, I ask, what artists have you seen live, and how did their show leave you feeling once you left? I can tell you where I am right now after having seen Zo and Sy Smith perform last night…I’m on Cloud 10. Too good to be on Cloud 9…;-)

Until next time, folks…

Feature Fridays – Slow Jamz

6 Replies

Now I know you looked at the title and said, “Wait a minute…are we back in 2003?” I know, I know, it’s not a song one would think that I would feature on this here series of mine, but give me a minute, and I’ll explain why. Here’s a little known fact about me: I’m a musician. If you’ve ever seen me in person, and noticed the three musical tattoos I have, it should be a given, but…some people still don’t know that about me. Granted, I haven’t played as part of an ensemble in almost 7 years, but…I still have some skills somewhere down in the dark recesses of my soul. My instruments of choice: flute and piccolo. I’ve played the flute since 4th grade, and started playing piccolo in 10th grade, and it’s been something that I’ve let go since I graduated high school, but that I’ve wanted to pick back up for the last year or so, but have yet to find the time or the means to do so.

Now…that story may not make sense quite yet, but bear with me. Remember how a few weeks ago, I was in Toronto? Well, while I was there, I had the pleasure of meeting some pretty awesome people. And one of the people I met at my friend’s birthday picnic just so happened to be a professional flautist. Dear readers of mine, meet Jef Kearns. I had the pleasure of meeting Jef and finding out that he was a flautist since he was on my side of the table at the picnic. Needless to say, I knew I had to check him and his music out, because well…the flute is near and dear to my soul. Within a few days of being back, I found him on Facebook, he found me on Twitter, and I had access to one of his YouTube videos. Without further adieu, I present his rendition of Twista/Kanye/Jamie Foxx’s – Slow Jamz.

Jef Kearns – Slow Jamz (Cover of Twista/Kanye West/Jamie Foxx)

Now listen. I heard this video for the first time and FELL IN LOVE. Not only did he perform one of my favorite songs from my high school days, but he performed the HELL out of it! It’s been such a long time since I’ve heard a good flautist play, and he definitely knocked the wind out of me with his talent. He did what I could never seem to do when playing and that is add some soul to the music! I’ve never been good at improvisation, which is why I never performed solo, but Jef…Jef has this thing DOWNPACT! Off the strength of this song alone, I’ll be going to buy his album because I have to hear more music from him. As an appreciator of good music, and as a fellow flautist, how can I not support?

Folks, it’s my duty here on Feature Fridays to introduce you to music you otherwise may not have heard or to music that means something to me. I feel that this song/performance fits both of those categories. The instant connection I felt through an instrument we both share, coupled with an awesome song, made this a shoo-in to feature. I hope that you all take a look at his other videos and support his music. Do you have any songs that you’ve heard covered that have stuck with you? I’ve got a couple in mind, but I’d love to hear what you all think first! Until next time, folks…

 

P.S. Go follow Jef on Twitter! :-)

Feature Fridays – When I Wake Up

4 Replies

To say that this week has been a trying one would be an understatement. You know how they say, “when it rains, it pours”? Well…for me, it’s been a monsoon for a solid 7 days straight. I’ve found myself in parts of my brain that I never wanted to access again, and leaning on people at an unprecedented rate. Do I like getting there? No. Do I like all that extra leaning I’ve had to do and will probably need to continue to do until I figure some things out? Not in the least. It’s a necessary evil, though, and I’m extraordinarily blessed that I have people that I can lean on and that can handle me and everything that comes with me having to lean.

That brings me to my song for the week. As I’ve said before, one of the top reasons I love music is because it expresses what I need to say or how I feel when I can’t find the words to do it myself. It’s not always that I can’t find any words to express myself…it’s more in the fact that I sometimes pick the wrong words to get me through a situation or a mindset. Trying to be positive in the midst of a stream of negativity is something that I’m continuing to work on, and sometimes I don’t have the positive words to affirm things for myself. All that being said, some things just can’t be adequately expressed in my own words…so I had to turn to music.

Jill Scott – When I Wake Up (click the link to go listen — I promise you won’t regret it…)

She starts the song with “too much on my mind/here I am thinking again/all lost in my brain…” If that has not been my life for the last week, I don’t know what has been. It’s like she peeked into my life at this very point and decided to write a song just for me. The beginning of the song laments the fact that she is stuck inside of her own brain, but the affirmation that directly follows in the lines “but when I wake up/and one day I will do it, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah/I’ll have let you go/and everything I went through was beautiful” said all that I needed to hear about everything going on in my life. And starting at 1:55, when she says “Do you/know how it feels/to be lost…” and then there’s that pregnant pause…it directly spoke to how sometimes you don’t know what you’re going to do to get out of the nightmare that you’re living in, but you know the breakthrough is around the corner. Or at least that’s my interpretation. Jill expresses the uncertainty of the current climate she’s in at that point, but also makes the entire song about what happens when she wakes up. She makes it clear that she will and has to get up. I don’t know about you, but that spoke to me loud and clear.

Needless to say, I’ve had this song on repeat for the last week. The week started with me crying every time I heard it, to last night driving down the highway with the windows down, smiling with every note I sang. It’s like I’m starting to stir in the sleep that this nightmare has caused…and when I wake up…

My good people, what are some songs that you listen to to get you through tough times? Share them with me in the comments…

Until next time, folks…

 

Feature Fridays – Sometimes

2 Replies

*body rolls into the post*

Howdy, folks! I’m happy right now…you know why? It’s Friday — my 2nd favorite work day of the week (with the first being the Monday that I have off), and it’s also payday Friday, which makes today doubly awesome. I’m extra excited to get my weekend going because on Sunday night, I’m taking one of my best friends to see Jill Scott, Anthony Hamilton, Doug E Fresh, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and Mint Condition at the Verizon Center. Can we say hype? I’ve been waiting for this concert ever since I heard it announced, and I’m too excited to be club level for what is sure to be an amazing show.

Now, one would think that in order to get ready for the concert, I’d blog about a Jill Scott song. Well, I kinda already did that not too long ago. Instead of focusing on Miss Jill (even though I love her dearly), I’m going to focus on the group that I’ve loved since I was a kid, but have never seen live. That’s right — Mint Condition. Ever since the first time I heard them, I knew I would be a fan for life. From Pretty Brown Eyes to U Send Me Swingin to If You Love Me…they have hits for days, and I’m eager to here what they pull out on Sunday.

The song I’ve picked for this week’s Feature is a song that I’ve been obsessed with for 6 years now. My boyfriend at the time decided to play this for me one night riding around DC in his car, and since he was a percussionist, he was enamored with the song, but I fell in love with it for so many different reasons. From the relevance of the words to the instruments in the song to the breakdown near the end, I’ve literally broken this song down hundreds of times and have never gotten tired of it. The song I’m talking about is “Sometimes” off of their Definition of a Band CD.

Mint Condition – Sometimes (Live in Atlanta)

The video I’ve linked here is a live rendition of the song, which is of course different from their studio version, but it is epic nonetheless. I urge you, if you don’t have Definition of a Band, please go get it because it is a classic, and then you’ll be able to hear the studio rendition of the song, and get the full effect of why I fell in love with it so long ago.

To all of my readers, what is your favorite Mint Condition song? If you were going to see them live, what would you absolutely have to hear them play to be satisfied? Talk to me about it in the comments! Have a fantastic weekend!

Until next time, folks…

The Essence of the Takeover

15 Replies

*taps mic* Is this thing on?

Hello there folks…for those of you that follow me on Twitter, or know me personally, you know that this past weekend, I and a few of my closest e-friends descended on the city of Toronto for Caribana 2011. After I read Cheekie’s epic recap of the trip, I almost decided to leave well enough alone and just bask in the memories she put out there, but then I decided to just go on and put my 2 cents into the TO rememberance basket. So without further adieu, I give you my Top 7 T.O. Moments (in no particular order):

1.) Travelpalooza –  Let’s just say that I had a 13 hour travel day on Thursday to get to Toronto, and a 13 hour travel day on Monday to get back to my house just outside of Washington, DC. And I had to be to work on Tuesday morning. There was a delayed bus heading to Toronto, and two delayed flights leaving out of Buffalo to come home. In both directions, I was just ready to be there! What a way to start and end the trip…

2.) The Food – We all know I’m an unofficial foodie, so I was so hype to get some good eats in Toronto…and the city didn’t let me down. From the epic lasagna and red velvet cake on Thursday night to the awesome omelette and fried potatoes at The Counter and my grilled shrimp and watermelon salad, ribeye steak and shrimp, and cheesecake from Joe Mama’s on Friday to the beef patty that saved me from certain death on Saturday, to the epic picnic food on Sunday for Keisha Brown’s birthday cookout. Not to mention the dill pickle chips, all dressed chips, and red cream soda…I seriously need to get someone to ship me some snacks.

3.)  The Purple One – At Joe Mama’s on Friday, the ambience was really nice, really subdued, really well lit, and pretty cozy. That is, until they played Prince. When Doves Cry came on the sound system, and you would have thought the entire table was at karaoke. Especially BP, Lala, and Miss Bougie. When I tell ya’ll I was recording the entire thing cackling at the table at them? Good times…

4.)  City Life – It wasn’t a shock to me that our only method of transportation while in TO for the weekend was public transportation, but there were a couple of things that set it far apart from DC Transit. First of all, the price. $3 to do as many transfers as you need to do to get where you’re going. So if I needed to take the bus from the house to the train station, take the train down to the streetcar, and then get off the streetcar to get where I’m going, it only cost me $3 each way. Try that on Metro if you want. That, and Toronto’s subway system is so FAST. The longest I had to wait on a train no matter what time of day or night was 5 minutes. 5 minutes. That doesn’t happen around here! Oh, and they can eat and drink on the train, and they have recycling bins and trashcans at each station. Boss.

5.)  The Parade – One word can sum up the parade for me. Hot. It had to be at least 100 degrees with the humidity. In spite of the heat, there were some amazing costumes out there, everybody was having a good time, and it was sort of surreal to finally be there. I just wish I had eaten sooner so I wouldn’t have been so ready to go after only being there for four hours. Somehow the entire group was together one minute, and then the entire group split apart almost immediately, so it ended up being just me, BP, and Lala trudging our way through the crowd trying to get to the food vendors. Needless to say, by the time we got to the vendors, we just wanted to get our food and bounce. I got some great photos while I was there, and I’ll definitely have to go back to get some more Caribana parade experience.

6.)  Bonding – So it’s not really a trip if I don’t get a chance to bond with my girls. There’s one specific event of bonding that sticks out in my mind days later. After I almost got run over at the parade and was all sticky and sweaty, I ended up at Max’s house. And what did I get there? A bunch of awesome conversation with the girls in her house, and her EPIQUE (there’s my inner Canadian showing) breakfast! Her scrambled eggs and fried potatoes are OUT OF THIS WORLD! Seriously, people can show me how much they love me by the food they make me. And if that plate was any indication of Max’s love for me, then well…I’m REALLY loved! :-)

7.)  Party Rock is in the House Tonight… – While in TO, I had the chance to go to two parties. The first one was on Friday night, and it was fun, but the highlight of my partying experience happened on Sunday night. All the girls got all fancified at Keisha Brown’s house, then took some pictures, hopped in a friend’s truck, and headed for her other friends’ hotel room to pregame proper. How proper, you ask? Well…I had some vodka I had never even heard of before (Tag?) mixed with some cranberry juice, and some other random punch, and her friend had a karaoke machine. That’s right. A mobile karaoke machine. This man got on the mic and acted as the DJ for our pregame session, and me and Cheekie had to show our inner African-American and do the entire Cha Cha Slide and Cupid Shuffle in the hotel room. o_O. After getting slightly buzzed off of the drinks, we headed for Icon at Mansion and got there to a packed house. We had to go all the way down to the bottom floor, but it was SO worth it. Max looked gaw-juss in her dress and heels, and I literally partied from the time we walked in around 12:15 until we left close to 4. I came out of my heels real quick, but I ain’t even care. Some of the highlights of the party:

- A guy asking me and Cheekie if we were sisters after we both decided not to dance with him. -___-

- Me being told that I was “cute and dangerous.” What?

- Watching ALL of Keisha Brown’s Jamaican come out anytime reggae came on.

- Various sandwiches that happened with the guys and girls in the group.

- All the girls sharing 3 paper fans because it was hotter than Satan’s upper lip in there.

I literally could keep going on and on about this party, but just trust me when I say, it’s one of the best parties I have ever been to. Ever.

As you can see by this book I’ve written about my trip, I had an amazing time. This vacation came right on the edge of really stressful situations at work and somewhat introspective situations in my personal life, so it was good to get away from home for a minute to clear my head and to have some fun. To each of the ladies that I experienced this trip with: I love you all like sisters. Some of you I spent more time with, others I didn’t spend as much as I wanted to, but I am glad that I got to lay eyes on each of you this past weekend. It still amazes me that a conversation between strangers on UStream has evolved into something as interconnected as this. You are all amazing people, and I wouldn’t have traded experiencing this with you for anything. (Well, maybe except if some of the other e-ladies were there…) Here’s to all of the memories of Caribana 2011, and the ones that are soon to come!

Until next time, folks…