We did it! Between: A Journey Through the Middle debuted last month to two very enthusiastic audiences. Thanks to my wonderful ensemble, my family, singer friends and students who helped with EVERYTHING and everyone who saw the shows. I could NOT have done this without each and every one of you!

The “Journey” was improvisational up to the final note sung. A few days before the shows, I was working on the program when Kenna called to tell me she was hurt and might not be able to dance the shows.

Okay. Deep breaths.

The important thing was if Kenna would be okay.

Fast forward about sixteen hours and we knew for sure that Kenna won’t be able to dance (but Kenna IS okay and she was definitely with us in spirit *smile*).

…

For me, the huge lesson (and work) of Between was in trusting the process. In trusting my process. In trusting that I even had a process to trust in.

I had to trust my vision, my ensemble and that I was meant to share this music with “the world.” That if I allowed and accepted obstacles I could learn something through how I responded to them. (Much the way I learn about a piece I’m improvising while I’m singing it.)

…

Upon getting the final word from Kenna, my instincts told me to call my friend and past collaborator Regina (Laroche) and ask her to dance.

I hesitated; Regina and I had met earlier in the week to talk about the show and listen to the some of the rehearsal recordings specifically because she wasn’t going to be able to attend the shows on the weekend.

I set the idea of calling her aside, but …

My instincts told me to call my friend and past collaborator Regina and ask her to dance. *smile*

…

As I composed Between, I strove to trust my artistic instincts. To know what to keep and develop and what to let “travel down the road.” I worked hard to avoid making decisions simply because they were practical or expedient. Again and again, I challenged myself to do what was right for the project artistically. (Even though there’s a part of me that still grapples with being artistic and make choices from that place.)

My artistic instincts told me I wanted a dancer on the stage to help interpret and present Between.

So I called Regina and left a message on her answering machine. (Have I talked about how singing makes me brave?)

…

About an hour later, Regina called me back.

She was on her way home from the Cities and saw she had missed my call.

I (very) sheepishly explained that I was calling to invite her to dance in my shows on the weekend. (You know, the shows she wasn’t going to be in town for? The ones in the Twin Cities, the cities from which she was just returning home?)

…

Long story short (and a lot of driving for Ms. Regina), she said yes. To Friday night.

From L to R: Regina M. Laroche, Aimee K. Bryant, sg, Bruce A. Henry, Libby Turner Opanga & Nathan J. Greer

And that was … perfect.

It truly made the shows what I wanted — improvised.

It allowed the two performances to be very different from each other and that let the work expand in ways I had only imagined.

It allowed the ensemble and the audience to explore the work as a piece with a dancer and as a “purely” musical work.

It let me put my trust in my ensemble (and let them generously put their trust in me).

And, it let one more artist take part in this Journey Through the Middle.

Wow, after nearly a year of planning and rehearsing, Between: A Journey Through the Middle is almost here. (Get tickets here)

This Friday and Saturday, my fantastic ensemble and I will take the stage at Mixed Blood Theatre to “journey through the middle.” I am giddy at the thought of this adventure.

(So while it feels a little pretentious to talk about my own project this way,) I have to tell you these shows are going to be special.

I can say that because of the collection and caliber of artists I have been lucky enough to work with to develop Between.

In addition to being fun and great to have around, each is a gifted performer. (I get chills when I listen to the rehearsal recordings!) And they all listen so deeply and are so generous and daring in their contributions that the music we make … well, you might not have heard anything like the music we make. *grin*

Inventing with Aimee, Bruce, Kenna, Libby and Nate is effortless, yet deep and satisfying. It’s joyous, spirited, soulful, fun, funny and different every time.

…

I invite you to come and experience Between for yourself. We will sing and dance and drum and we might even have some chances for you to join in. (How could I have an event and not let you sing, too? *smile* )

TWO SHOWS
Friday, February 7th – 8:00 pm (doors 7:30 pm)
Saturday, February 8th – 8:00 pm (doors 7:30 pm)
Mixed Blood Theatre
1501 South 4th Street
Minneapolis MN 55404

Click HERE to Get Tickets!

*This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

A new year means it is time for a new keyword.

One of the things I like about selecting a keyword each year is that it gives me an opportunity to look back on the previous year and my other keywords.

In 2009, I chose DISCIPLINE. I had graduated recently and was taking the first steps in building my music career. I had been blogging for about 6 months and was looking for footholds in teaching and gigging.

The next year, I selected NOURISH and it helped me banish burnout by remembering the importance self care. I also began to really understand and accommodate the energy cycles being self-supervised involves.

After that, I picked EMBODY.  I had just returned from Tenerife in the Canary Islands and I wanted “to spend the next year becoming what I glimpsed about music and improvisation in Africa.” (Three years later, I’m sharing some of those glimpses in Between: A Journey Through the Middle.)

2012’s word was CREATE. And it led to year of business-building activities like re-launching my workshops and private lesson studio.

And, that brings us to last year.

(With reluctance *smile*), I acknowledged that START needed to be my keyword.

I was beginning work on my grant-funded vocal work and had no clue where to begin. The energy of starting has rarely inspired me. I can go like gangbusters once I hit the home stretch, but corralling the myriad details and threads at a project’s beginning has always felt overwhelming.

Honestly, I don’t know how much spending the year starting has changed that, but in choosing START, I no longer let myself avoid starting. And, I noticed as I worked through the details of Between, that while the starting didn’t seem to get much easier, it did seem to take me less time to move through my resistance to it. Between’s schedule simply demanded (demands *smile*) that I keep moving. I couldn’t stay stuck at the start.

So even thought starting still isn’t simple, I seem to move through it more quickly.

…

That brings us to this year.

When I’m dreaming up my keyword for an upcoming year, the goal is to find a word that will work for the entire year.

With Between on the horizon, my attention kept being pulled toward words that applied well to the February shows — focus, calm (don’t panic!) — but it felt like these words wouldn’t have a lot of relevance after Feb 7 & 8. I needed a word with staying power, something to get me through my shows in February and then still work for the rest of the year.

So after picking up and discarding a number of words (and slogans), I chose PRESENT as my keyword for 2014.

“present adj. – being, existing, or occurring at this time or now; being with one or others or in the specified or understood place; mentally alert and calm.”

“present v. – to bring before or introduce to the public; offer for consideration; to furnish or endow with a gift or the like, especially by formal act”

“present n. – an item given as a gift”

…

My mom told me she wished the word “joy” for me this year. (Thanks, Mom *smile*) For me, PRESENT is part of that.

I want to be present enough to savor the experiences  — the good and even the more challenging ones — of creating my first large-scale work. I want to revel in the rehearsals and performances with “my” wonderful artists.

In short, I want to notice and enjoy all the parts of the first show that I conceived, produced and will perform.

…

And the last definition of present, a noun meaning gift. That seems really important, too.

I want to share this experience with others. I want to share it with you. *smile*

So, on that note, may I PRESENT …

Between: A Journey Through the Middle

A vocal journey exploring multiple meanings of being in the “between” spaces.

TWO SHOWS
Friday, February 7th – 8:00 pm
& Saturday February, 8th – 8:00 pm
Mixed Blood Theater
1501 S. 4th Street
Minneapolis
Tickets: http://between.bpt.me