Okay, here’s something I missed while I was in Italy.

I was sorting through emails and stumbled across the link to this video that Mankwe sent me back in July.

Mankwe, Aimee and Libby were members of the cast of the show I did last May (and again at the end of July) — As the Rhythm Changes. In a recent email, Mankwe referred to us as the “Change Chorus.” (How delightful!)

The video contains excerpts from two improvised pieces and the Change Ladies talking a little about improv. I love what Mankwe has to say about improvisation and being fearless.

Enjoy!

According to my editorial schedule (which is a grandiose way of referrencing a list scratched on a Post-It®), I was supposed to write about how I became a blogger today. But, as you may recall, I sang at the Dakota this weekend as a member of my good friend Jay Young’s Lyric Factory. (That’s him and me in the photo.)

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Let me tell you, I had a blast! Being on stage with all those great players (and good-hearted people) was exhilarating.

(Fellow factory workers included Ian Young (bass and Jay’s son), Thom West (keys), Kevin Washington (percussion), Pete Whitman (brass and woodwinds), Sol Testimony (spoken word artist) and my sisters in song – Judi Donaghy and Michele Denise Michaels.)

It was a swinging, fun and cool night of music. Jay took the Wonder and Jackson tunes we all know and love and reworked them into fresh new treats to savor and enjoy. The new arrangements and integrating the spoken word worked so well it could have seemed easy (or obvious?) – but Jay told me he spent a year thinking about the concept and the tunes. (That’s genius.)

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Aces of Bass: Anthony Cox & Jay Young

Looking out and seeing so many friends and colleagues – Spices’ members, Lori Dokken, Ann Kay, Nancy Harms and Debbie Duncan and Anthony Cox (Debbie and Anthony have a show at the Dakota this coming weekend) – in the audience was great fun, too! One of the sweetest moments of the night was the woman washing hands next to me in the restroom who excitedly whispered “Wow, I’m standing next to the singer!” I responded “Wow, I’m standing next to a fan!” (Hey, it’s all about perspective.)

And, of course, I was happy that my dad was able to buzz up and catch the show. *smile*

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Well, all that good, clean fun took it’s toll. Not only did I abandon my posting plans for today, I meant to have more photos** to share with you … (You see I was busy being in the moment, so I didn’t do a great job of recording the moment.)

In other words, the Dakota ate my homework.

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For extra credit, I put together this medley of audio from Saturday night’s show. Enjoy! (No comments on my editing, please. *smile*)

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Thanks to everyone who came and supported me at my Dakota debut. I really appreciate it. (And, if you were at the show and took pics, I would love copies. *wink*)

Putting a piece together from bits and pieces that different people contribute, of course, fascinates me. So does this youtube video of Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir. Each person recorded his/her part and uploaded to youtube where Whitacre mixed them to create his “choir.”

It puts me in mind of what happens at Songtaneous. Different people with different voices, different ideas and different strengths come together and co-create. And I get to conduct — kind of. Most of the time the music takes us where we’re meant to go and unexpected, beautiful moments occur.