Happy Thanksgiving

Hello friends!

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you enjoyed a most beautiful holiday.  My holiday had some challenges, but overall left me in a state of gratitude.  Therefore, it was a blessing!

It's been a while since I've sent a message or written a blog.  I've been quite busy and have experienced a few major life changes/challenges (personal and business), but I'm adjusting well to my new job, new city and new life.

For those who don't know (I'm sure a few of you exist), I started performing nightly on the Arsenio Hall Show as part of the Posse 2.0, beginning September 9, 2013.  In order to take the new job, I had to move to Los Angeles.  At first I was living with friends, and I've just recently moved into my own apartment, relatively close to work.  So close, that I don't have a commute!!  A simple miracle in Los Angeles!

I love the job, and the opportunity for further musical growth that it affords me.  I've been practicing, composing and singing more than ever, and having a great time!  Arsenio Hall is such an awesome person, as are all of the guys in the Posse 2.0 band (Music Director, Robin DiMaggio, Bassist Alex Al, Guitarist Rob "Fonksta" Bacon, Multi-Instrumentalist/Singer Sean Holt).  They all treat me with the utmost respect, and have created a very friendly, safe, close-knit environment.  I couldn't have asked for more.  Please keep watching the show!  And tell your friends!  I want to keep my job for as long as possible!

Of course, I do miss touring with Stevie (and all of my friends from his band), but after all of the amazing experiences I've had around the world playing the music of and sharing the stage with one of the greatest musical minds of all time, I can only smile and be grateful for every minute.  I will be grateful to Stevie Wonder for the rest of my life.  Truly.

As for composing, last year, I received an email message from Dr. Lynne Morrow, the Music Director of the Pacific Mozart Ensemble, seeking new arrangements of Spirituals for the group's tour of Cuba.  I immediately began arranging, but didn't finish in time for their trip.  When I eventually finished the arrangement (of the Spiritual "Over My Head"), I emailed it to Dr. Morrow, and she selected it for their 2013 Winter Concerts!  My first choral arrangement (since high school) will receive it's debut performance on the following dates:

Friday, December 13,  2013

7:30pm

First Unitarian Universalist Church

1187 Franklin Street

San Francisco
Buy Tickets

Saturday, December 14, 2013

7:00pm

St. John's Presbyterian Church

2727 College Ave. Berkeley

Buy Tickets

I hope you can make it to at least one of the concerts.  I'll be attending the show on December 14.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Blessings & Music,

Victoria

Victoria's website 

Victoria's BLOG

Social Networks:

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+

Music, art, education, prosperity, well-being, compassion, gratitude, peace, joy and love!

Count down to 9/9/13!

I have no idea how people manage this.  In my mind, I’d like to think I'm able to practice 5-6 hours per day, compose/arrange/produce my music 2-3 hours per day, practice yoga for 90 minutes, check email, write poetry and my blog, pay bills, catch up with friends (both real and virtual), play with my dogs, go to parties, go to concerts, watch my favorite TV show (SYTYCD for those who don’t already know), go hiking, grow a garden, be a great home chef, creating amazing healthy meals, take dance classes, study 6 different languages at once (Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Japanese, Mandarin), include weight lifting in my daily workout (to help stave off the effects of aging, bone loss and osteoporosis), meditate and eat healthy (to keep me looking super youthful and healthy), go to the movies, read books, attend the theater, opera, symphony, maintain a romantic relationship, be a good girlfriend, daughter, sister, niece, friend, mentor, etc., etc., etc.  Ok, am I crazy?

I know intellectually that it’s just NOT POSSIBLE to keep going like I have the past several years.  But in my heart, I want to do it ALL!! I genuinely care about people, I want to go to their shows, and read their blogs, and cheer them on in their personal and business pursuits, offering inspiration and an example of hard work and dedication.  But...um...I’ve finally starting to realize that I can’t do it all. Amazingly, I feel a little guilty about it.  That’s the perfectionist in me, the junior high school girl who wants everyone to like her (yes, junior high was tough for me too - glasses, acne, skinny little body, shy, but the piano saved me...).  Will people suddenly not “like” me if I stop responding to messages, and comments, don't log in, don't follow, and give myself the time and space that I need to do what I must do?  Can I disappoint people? Can I release the guilt and know that people support and love me regardless?

Ok, I’m rambling.  Yet another time suck...lol

Last week was intense.  Arsenio had 3 test shows with guests and live bands.  It was just like the real thing.  I won’t reveal any details, of course, but it was really exciting!  Next Monday is premiere day!  September 9, 2013!! I have no idea what’s in store, so don’t ask me!  If you wanna know, you gotta tune in to the show!  Tell your friends, family, colleagues!  I hope that you’re all on board to help make Arsenio’s return a television phenomenon!

I’ve been practicing 6-7 hours per day in the past week. I’m listening to lots of Prince, Rick James, Sly Stone and Chaka Khan, as well as masterful pianists such as George Duke (RIP), Billy Preston, Stevie Wonder and Patrice Rushen.  I'm listening to current music too, of course. I’m having so much fun, and am filling my brain with all kinds of musical inspiration.

I’m also ready to start getting my CD back on track.  I went to a friend’s BBQ with my BF, and met a new friend who inspired me to stop making excuses and get it done!  I know I’ve been promising my CD for a while now, and I got caught up AGAIN in my ridiculous perfectionism.  I have to get this CD out!  I have to stop being my biggest obstacle.

On that note, back to work for me.  I know I haven’t closed my personal Facebook page yet (I don’t want to spend the time to figure it out), but know that I appreciate all of the love from everyone.  I can’t comment like I used to anymore, but I appreciate you all just the same.  Let’s all make the world a better place!  Yay!!!

Carpe diem, my friends.  The clock is ticking....

Epiphany: time to curb social networking

Yesterday, my family experienced a near disaster that could have resulted in the loss of two of my beloved young relatives. Thankfully, my brilliant nephew was able to think clearly and take immediate action to prevent a horrible accident.

The incident made me think about how precious life is and how little time we all truly have.  I work really hard, but still find that I often don't have enough time to do everything I need to do. I am a really caring, empathetic person, genuinely interested in people's stories. However, I can't tell you how many hours I've spent online tracking other people's lives...as my own life ticks away...without a finished, full length, published CD. I can't do this anymore.

I am shutting down my personal Facebook page so that I can better focus on what I need to do.  Although I appreciate all the love that so many people send me in the form of email messages, comments, “likes”, etc., when I add up the time spent responding to everyone (as is my natural inclination), I could have completed my CD...maybe 2 CDs.

I have to retrain myself to not be so distracted by social networking.  I will continue to post on various sites about the Arsenio Hall Show, gigs with Stevie Wonder and my own gigs, but otherwise, at least for the next several months, I will be severely limited in responding to the many messages and posts that I receive.  I can only imagine how many more will be coming in once the show starts airing, so I better get ready now!  I have to practice time management at an entirely new level.

Please know that I'm not "going Hollywood" or "forgetting the little people". I'm just trying to do what I know I need to do to prepare myself for a huge change - because I KNOW that Arsenio's show will be a success!

Please join my fan page, come to my shows and send me your love. I will continue to pray for all of you, and encourage you all to pursue your highest dreams and make your visions reality. Find a way to be a blessing in the world. That's what I'm striving to do. Let's make this world a better place! Carpe diem, my friends!

Victoria Theodore Fan Page

Arsenio Hall Show rehearsals: week 2 nearly complete

It was another week of 12 hour days, brain and fingers working overtime to get the music right. You're gonna love the band! Last night was the final off-site rehearsal. Soon we'll be playing on set! I can't believe how quickly time is passing. September 9 is only days away now.  Count down!

Remember to check your local networks for when the show airs. It'll be in nearly every market, so look it up!

Me at my space station

My first weekend living in LA

As I left my house in the Bay Area, I suddenly started crying. No different from the day I was hired by Stevie Wonder: I was overcome by the emotions of gratitude, excitement and the release of the known as I stepped away from everything and everyone I love all for the sake of music.

We drove Highway 5 and miraculously didn't encounter any traffic.  My BF drove, with me in the passenger seat, my old car.  (And yes, I'm proud of myself for buying a used car that I will drive until I've budgeted and saved up for a new car!  I'm all about fiscal responsibility, friends!)  We took a break right before the Grapevine, had lunch, and then climbed back into the car for the long haul up and over the mountains.

We finally pulled up to my new home the afternoon of September 3, thus marking the beginning of my new journey.  Here we go...

I'm in Arsenio Hall's Posse!

Finally, the secret is out! I'm in Arsenio's Posse! Check out the links and the press release below:

http://ow.ly/nir6b
http://ow.ly/nir8v
http://ow.ly/nirbF
http://ow.ly/nkwfT
http://ow.ly/nkwgx
‪#‎ArsenioHall‬
@ArsenioHall

--------------------

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
‘THE ARSENIO HALL SHOW’ HIRES ‘THE POSSE’
FEATURING ALL NEW GROUP OF MUSICIANS
 
Hand-picked crew has toured with a Who’s Who of Music
 
LOS ANGELES, July 24, 2013 – THE ARSENIO HALL SHOW reintroduces one of the signature elements of the original late-night series, The Posse, with an all new hand-picked group of musicians who have collectively played with legends spanning pop, soul, funk, hip hop, rock and R&B.
 
The Posse will be led by Music Director Robin DiMaggio (drums), who will be joined by Alex Al (bass guitar); Rob "Fonksta" Bacon (lead guitar and vocals); Sean Holt (sax, keyboard and vocals); and Victoria Theodore (keyboards and vocals).
 
“These musicians are the go-to talent in the industry and I am ecstatic to share their incredible gifts with my audience,” said Host and Executive Producer Arsenio Hall. “Music has always been and will always be center stage at THE ARSENIO HALL SHOW, and with my new Posse we’re raising the bar.”
 
THE ARSENIO HALL SHOW, a daily one-hour, nationally syndicated late-night talk show, debuts on September 9, 2013.
 
Prior to joining THE ARSENIO HALL SHOW, DiMaggio toured and recorded with music veterans including Paul Simon, David Bowie, Dianna Ross, Dr. Dre, Luther Vandross and Johnny Cash. Alex Al’s talent on the bass guitar spans all genres of music and captured the attention of the late King of Pop Michael Jackson, who worked with the bassist for over a decade until his untimely passing. Guitarist Rob "Fonksta" Bacon traces his musical roots to his hometown of Detroit, where he immersed himself in the rich sounds of Motown and built a talent sought after by funk and hip-hop icons like George Clinton and D.J. Quik. Saxophonist Sean Holt has performed with artists including John Legend, Mary J. Blige and Bruno Mars and is a faculty member at the famed USC Thorton School of Music. Theodore is a classically trained pianist and vocalist who honed her multi-genre keyboard skills touring the world with the legendary singer-songwriter, Stevie Wonder.
 
 
THE ARSENIO HALL SHOW is shot in Hollywood at the Sunset Bronson studios. It is produced by Eye Productions Inc., in association with Arsenio Hall Communications Ltd. and Octagon Entertainment Productions, and distributed by CBS Television Distribution. Arsenio Hall, Neal Kendall and John Ferriter are executive producers.
 
Photos available at www.cbspressexpress.com
 
Web site: http://www.arseniohall.com
 
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ArsenioHall
 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/arseniohall
 
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/arsenio
 
###
 
 
Press Contacts: 
Nick Jones                                                      Karlyn Nelson
MPRM Communications                                MPRM Communications
njones@mprm.com                                        knelson@mprm.com
323.933.3399 x4265                                       323.933.3399 x4240

Arsenio Hall and his Posse

Yoshi's last night, July 11 - Thank you Bay Area!!

Last night was so much fun!  Not only did I share the stage with some great musical friends, but some 200+ people came out and supported my music and expressed their enjoyment of my music.  Yay!

I arrived at 4:30pm and Joi was already set up and ready to whip my hair into shape.  The musicians all arrived early and set up for sound check.  I had invited several musicians to perform with me, so it was a logistical challenge, but we managed.

After sound check, Tiffany worked her makeup magic on my face, even managing to disguise the two (yes 2!!) crazy mosquito bite on my forehead.  I mean, who gets mosquito bites on their face????  Me...before a show...that's who...lol

Finally, Joe from Yoshi's came back stage and gave me the 5 minute warning.  Tiffany finished the makeup, and everyone took their places waiting for the cue.

As I walked onto the stage, my heart filled with joy upon seeing the faces of so many of my family, friends, colleagues and apparently even the Governor! Governor Brown was having dinner at Yoshi's and some of the audience members told me that he stood in the door and listened to my performance.  I have no idea for how long, but I hope he enjoyed what he heard!

Overall, I had a great time sharing my music with everyone.  The band played my music wonderfully, the crowd was enthusiastic.  My only complaint is that I wish that I'd been aware of the positioning of the piano before the show.  I need to be sure that I sit in a way that allows me to see more of the audience.  I love making a connection with the listener, looking people directly in the eye, and that's really hard to do at the angle I was in last night.  Live and learn!

I performed a wide range of music last night: some classical-tinged, some jazz, some pop.  I actually enjoy the diversity, and the feedback I've received has been extremely positive, so I have no reason to assume it's a bad thing to offer a range of musical styles in a single show.  I debuted 2 new compositions last night, Nexus and Paris Rain; vastly different but I love them both!

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the band, Daniel Parenti, Tommie Bradford, Cam Perridge, Sundra Manning, Amy Levine, Kevin Wong, Luq Frank, Angelo Tomandl, Kymberly Jackson.  You brought my arrangements to life, and made the stage rock!  Thanks to Joi, Tiffany, Rodney, Nina and Toi for taking care of the behind the scenes work (make up, hair, errands, photos etc.).  Thanks to the staff and management at Yoshi's for providing the venue and food!  I look forward to the next show!

And thank you to the audience members for supporting my music!  A few of the faces I remember seeing: Dad, Lita, Nina, Jermaine, Eric, Roz, Norma, Ricky, Mary Ann, Monica, Mariah, Regina, Mr. Bill Bell!!, Dan, Laura, J.R., Bob, Lenny, Rockhaya, Sade, Milly, Zaza, Jaeda, Janelle, Jane, Daniel, Linda, Mary, Colin, Candace, Savannah, Roland, Wandah, Lujana, Zack, Chelsea, Jennifer, Paul, Clarence, Victor, Aaron, Dale, Kevin, Tommy, Hyim, Cynathia, Paisley, Gerald, Baron, Jen, Cava, Caprice, Alexis, Timothy, Jeffrey, Tyra, Emily, Amy, Stabe, Barbara, Bryan, Jim, Darian, James and many others I can't name at the moment - forgive my memory.  Thank you all!!  I love you!

Upcoming July shows

Hello beautiful people!  I have a show coming up in July and I hope to see you there!

Thursday, July 11

8pm

Victoria Theodore

Yoshi's Oakland

www.yoshis.com/oakland

510 Embarcadero W.

Oakland,  CA 94607

(510) 238-9200

$19
Buy tickets

Featuring

Victoria Theodore, piano / vocals

Daniel "D-Lucca" Parenti, bass

Tommie Bradford, drums

Plus special guests!

For updates on the concert, visit

www.VictoriaTheodore.com

twitter.com/VictoriaTheo

July 11 at Yoshi's Oakland, 8pm

I'll also be performing with Stevie Wonder at a music festival in Canada on July 14.  It's sure to be amazing!

Festival D'Été de Québec
Sunday - July 14, 2013
9:15 PM
Bell Stage
Plains of Abraham

June 2013

Hello friends!  Alas, I have no sweet poem for you today.  I just want to share some information and get back to work.

I had a fun rehearsal yesterday for a show at Yoshi's Oakland this coming Monday, June 10.  Brilliant bassist, Daniel Parenti, has put together a group of incredible Bay Area musicians for his show (including me!) and you won't want to miss it.  Get your tickets today!  See you at the show!

D-Lucca's
Jazz and Jokes
Hosted by J-Red

Monday, June 10
8pm $20

Victoria Theodore - keys
Cedricke Dennis - guitar
Dann Zinn - saxophone
Rich Armstrong - trumpet
Joe Hebert - cello
Tommie Bradford - drums

and a host of other amazing musicians!

BUY TICKETS!

April Gigs = Awesome!

Thank you to everyone who came and supported my local shows this month.  It was seriously fun to organize and get back to performing on a regular basis.  More to come soon!

Now that the month is nearly over, and the final show was last night, it's time for me to spend a day doing NOTHING.  Maybe even the rest of the weekend.  The day started out busy: I had several students, went to serve as a judge for the NAACP ACT-SO Competition (at Acts Full Baptist Church), ran several errands, and am about to sit down with my late lunch and do NOTHING.  Maybe I'll watch something on TV (90 minutes is about the extent of my TV watching tolerance), read a book, write a poem, write a song, take a nap, or just sit outside in my yard taking in the beautiful sunshine we have today.

Tomorrow, I'm going to a yoga retreat with one of my BFFs, and then...who knows?  I'm going to leave the day open and not schedule anything.  What a gift to have that kind of freedom.

Back to work on Monday though.  I do have a CD to finish.

Love to you all!

xoxo

One more April show: Fundraise for OPC

Hello friends,

I have one more performance this month.  I'll be performing with my trio (Daniel Parenti - bass, Tommie Bradford - drums), and have a few very special guests (Amy Levine - keys, Kymberly Jackson - flue, Kevin Wong - sax, Nelly Ake - vocals) joining me for this event.  There will also be a performance by students who attend OPC - so you'll get to meet the students who will benefit from your generosity.

I'll be performing all of the songs from my Grateful EP (available for purchase at the show!) as well as some new original compositions.  If you purchase a copy of my Grateful EP and make a donation to the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music, I'll give you a FREE download card of my Grateful EP.  Let's raise a large sum for this worthy organization!

Friday, April 26

8pm Music SHE Wrote: Featuring Victoria Theodore

Fundraiser for OPC - proceeds to support OPC's youth programs

Oakland Public Conservatory of Music

1616 Franklin Street

Oakland, CA 94602

510.836.4649

$15 advance tickets, $20 at the door

Please check out my web site to see a full, up-to-date listing of when and where I'm performing. I'd love to see you at one of my performances. Please come say hello!  Also, if you feel so inspired, please take a moment and leave a *positive* review for me on YELP:

Victoria Theodore Piano And Voice Lessons

And on Facebook:

Victoria Theodore Facebook Fan Page

And on Reverb Nation:

Victoria Theodore Fan Page

I hope to see you soon!

Victoria Theodore

Pianist / Vocalist

WEBSITE

BLOG

Reverb Nation

Music, art, education, prosperity, well-being, compassion, gratitude, peace, joy and love!

My TEDxBerkeley Experience

I woke up yesterday morning at 5:50am...but didn't get out bed until 6:20am, which meant I had about an hour to shower, get dressed, packed my performance outfit, makeup, shoes, etc., feed the dogs, have breakfast and get in the car to go to the UC Berkeley campus.  I drove past Zellerbach Hall, happened to turn left onto the first accessible street so that I could pull over and find the email message with parking instructions.  Turns out, I'd pulled up directly across from the designated parking lot - on the opposite side of the street, but in the minutes before making that realization, a long line of cars had queued to the end of the block, trying to get into the same lot.  As I maneuvered to get myself into the line, I saw the parking attendant waving people away, saying "this lot is full".  Undaunted, I drove up and told him that I was one of the performers for TEDx.  He looked back at his fellow parking attendant and she yelled back "there's one more space".  How's that for serendipity?  And thus began my first TEDx day.

The piano

My badge

I've been a fan of TED Talks for many years.  My first experience was watching the beautiful and highly emotional 2007 talk by Randy Pausch about achieving your childhood dreams (if you haven't seen it, you MUST watch: Randy Pausch).  This wasn't technically a TED Talk, but I saw it on TED.com and was hooked from that point forward.  I've since watched dozens (if not 100) TED Talks and was absolutely honored when I received an email message inviting me to participate in the TEDxBerkeley 2013 event.

The TEDxBerkeley 2013 topic was Catalyzing Change.  I decided to allow the invitation to perform to serve as the catalyst to change my experience from writer's block into inspired composition.  I created a new solo piano work as a reaction to being invited to perform!  The new piece is entitled "Catalyst" as a result.

I was asked to be at Zellerbach at 8am for sound check, although my performance wasn't until 3:30pm. Knowing this, I'd been going to bed super early (read: 10-11pm) all week, and was not worried about fatigue.  Thanks to being there pretty much all day, I was able to meet, listen to and enjoy the camaraderie with most of my fellow speakers.  I was utterly impressed by everyone involved, and their topics: the $60 tablet computer (Kim Polese), the sun saluter (Eden Full), the Beyonce tribute (Golden Overtones), Foodiness (Erica Wides), the underground economy (Robert Neuwirth), Flamenco dance (Yaelisa), the brain and gender (Louann Brizendine), dark matter (Alex Filippenko), following one's heart (Cecily Sommers), Drone robotics (Chris Anderson) and glove lightshow dancing (Ambience)!  I'm sure I would have enjoyed Curt Tofteland, Mallika Chopra, Karen Sokal-Gutierrez, Dan Millman (the Oberlin connection!) and Ananya Roy, but I wasn't able to see their talks.  I even enjoyed my own performance!

At 2:30pm, I left the auditorium to prepare myself for going onstage.  Once dressed, I went to the piano room (located in the basement) to warm up.  At 3:20, I was told that the schedule was running 10 minutes late.  So, I sat and waited.  And waited.  And waited.

Finally, I was given the cue to walk onstage.  I looked at the crowd of 1,500 people, bowed and sat at the piano.  It always amazes me how at ease I feel in front of a crowd.  As a recovering perfectionist, I always want to perform with perfect accuracy, technical brilliance and flawless memory.  But, I also want to create an intimate connection with the listener.  In order to do that, I find that I must release any attachment to being perfect.  If I play a wrong note, if my voice cracks, so be it, but make sure that I feel every note and mean every word; have eye contact whenever possible; convey the spirit in which I composed the work.  Somehow, these intentions obviate any fear or doubt.  I felt that my performance was good - not perfect, but good.  So be it.  I'll only get better...  I'll provide a link once I have one.

After the talks, I went to the reception, spoke to dozens of people, including the fellow speakers, met some really interesting people and experienced the kind of euphoria that comes when interacting with exceptionally intelligent, thoughtful people.  Definitely my kind of party!  The feeling continued at dinner after the reception.  The speakers and team all gathered for dinner at the Bancroft Hotel.  I sat at a table with several of the TEDxBerkeley organizers, Dan Millman and our personal guests.  I left that evening feeling inspired, not only by my fellow speakers, but also by the brilliant young students who curated, organized and successfully pulled off this year's event.  The students are all brilliant, thoughtful, aware, kind, etc.  I can't praise them all highly enough.  I understand why the adult co-curators repeatedly donate their time and energy to work with young adults like these.

Thank you again, to everyone involved with TEDxBerkeley, for an AWESOME day!

@kmgong,@rjenbarr,@magicsaucemedia, @weblogtheworld, @eringroberts33, @GoldenOvertones, @edenfull, @letsgetrealshow, @RobertNeuwirth, @yaelisa1111, @drlouann, @mallikachopra, @pwdan, @AnanyaRoy_Cal, @Alex_Filippenko, @cecilysommer, @chr1sa