Being creative...

I've been to Toronto, and back, to NYC and Baltimore, and back, in the past several days. Toronto and NYC were fundraisers with SW, and I had a great time in both cities. The weather in Toronto was chilly, but gorgeous. I had a lovely meal late at night (thank GOD for restaurants that serve REAL food until midnight!), and otherwise, spent my time practicing in my hotel room (NERD!). And NYC? You do know that I love New York! The night before the show, I had the chance to see my friend Eisa perform at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and then hang out with her, meeting some new friends at the cast party. After stuffing myself silly with some delicious Italian food at Fornino Park Slope restaurant in Brooklyn, I headed back to Manhattan for a late night hang with my friends Amy, Marlene, Jonathan and Joel. No performing, but a heap of talent at the table. Good times!

The day of the show, I headed to Steinway Hall and had a triste with a Steinway Grand, and then headed back to hang out with my friends Michael and Elaine. Then off to the fundraiser, where I got to meet Hillary Hahn, Renée Zellweger, Bette Midler, John Mellencamp, Keb' Mo, Lyle Lovett. I didn't actually get to meet Meryl Streep, but she was there too. Unfortunately, my camera has died, and I'm too cheap to go buy a new one, since my phone contract expires in December - I mean, I'm going to get a new phone that has a camera built in it, so, why buy another camera??? Thankfully, my friend Katherine was there to take a photo of me with John Mellencamp.






I have no gigs scheduled (at the moment) in the next two weeks. This is a perfect opportunity for me to move past my habits, procrastinations, distractions, excuses, etc., and GET TO WORK ON MY PROJECT!! I set a goal back in late August of having a project finished by the end of December. I've done some writing, but have I finished anything? Nooooo! So, please send me your encouragement and support as I get focused, stop being distracted by EVERYTHING in life, and get this thing done! I will not be coming online in the next two weeks. After that, hopefully, I'll be able to get back to regular blogging (as I've been derelict since early spring). Until then, Blessings & Music, to you all!

xoxoxoxo

Victoria Theodore: October Performances

"Out of the night that covers me
Black as the pit from pole to pole
I thank whatever gods may be
for my unconquerable soul..."
– W. E. Henley

Hello Friends,

That poem ("Invictus") is as close to a Halloween poem as I dare venture. It's dark, yet empowering, intense, yet hopeful.

September has come and gone, and although my birthday has passed, I'm still celebrating. One the the highlights was having the opportunity to hear Dr. Cornel West speak in San Francisco. It was a blessing to be able to listen to someone with such a great mind speak of humility, service, freedom and love. Wow! What a way to celebrate my birthday!

A friend of mine recently told me that she taught her kids to celebrate their birthday by one extra day per year of life. So, ahem, I'll be celebrating a while longer yet! You can read about my celebratory adventures in the blog entry below.

You can read my latest blogs here:

Birthday girl!!

More birthday celebrating!

Remember Them: Champions for Humanity

OCTOBER 2010

Sat, Oct 2
8:30pm - 11:30pm
Marcello's Restaurant & Piano Bar
Open mic! Come sing! Bring your instrument! Play a song or two with me!
515 San Ramon Valley Boulevard Danville, CA 94526 | 925.838.8144 | map

Sun, Oct 10
9pm - 10pm
Keno Mapp & Heart Touch Rock / Funk
The 11th Annual SF Decompression HEAT THE STREET FAIRE

You gotta come see this! I don't get to rock out that often...
Victoria Theodore, Keys; Angelo Moore, Sax & Therimin; Bill Beninghof, Electric Violin; Uriah Duffy, Bass; Erik Bleyle, Bass; Uncle Funky, Guitar; Nicholas Massaro, Guitar; Zachary Krakov, Drums

Cafe Cocomo • 650 Indiana St. San Francisco, CA 94107 | 415.824.6910
Public Entrance: 19th St. & Minnesota St. San Francisco, CA 94612 | 510.547.8188 | map
$20

Sat, Oct 23
8:30pm - 11:30pm
Marcello's Restaurant & Piano Bar
Open mic! Come sing! Bring your instrument! Play a song or two with me!
515 San Ramon Valley Boulevard Danville, CA 94526 | 925.838.8144 | map

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!

More birthday celebrating!

Wednesday night, I was taken to San Francisco to hear Cornel West speak. Of course, I've been aware of Brother West for many years, but am embarrassed to admit I've never read his books and had never seen him speak in person. That egregious mistake has been righted. I must say that he is truly one of the most brilliant people I've ever encountered and one of the most masterful teachers I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing. His command of information and language and philosophy and history and music., etc., is astonishing. He has become my icon of erudition. He recited lines from poets and philosophers, from Socrates to Sly Stone; he imparted pithy observations about the nature of human choice in the context of fighting for freedom and basic rights (my favorite quote of the night: "Indifference to evil is more insidious than evil itself!" WOW! So I bought one of his books, "Living and Loving Out Loud". And will be buying more, I'm certain.

Following the conversation between moderator Belvie Rooks and Professor West, several poets graced us with their art, including Drew Dellinger, Scorpio Blue, Danielle Drake-Burnett, and Seasunz. I was truly blessed and inspired by these brilliant minds and am ever more fired up to further enhance my own education and artistic expression. Live long learning. Yes!

After the night's events, I was treated to dinner at a Persian restaurant. It was late when we arrived, so they had already run out of Tabuleh (one of my favorite salads), but the other food was delicious. I don't remember the name of the restaurant, sorry!

And the party continues! More details later... YAY!!!

Birthday girl!!

Friday, September 24, was my birthday. Yay!!! But I started celebrating on Wednesday night. Yay!!! A college friend was in town, and since his wife wasn't able to attend (2 month old and 2 year old in tow), he offered me a ticket to see the Black Eyed Peas! That was a fun show! Lots of great, danceable tunes, Fergie sang great, and the dancers were off the hook!

Thursday night, Brian McKnight in a musical, "It's Cheaper to Keep Her". Unbelievable voice, and funny script.

Friday night, I gathered with a large group of family and friends for dinner at a Nepalese restaurant (ever, the foodie, I love having new food experiences and am a big fan of ethnic cuisine) in Berkeley called Taste of the Himalayas. Delicious!

After dinner, we all went dancing. No, not the typical "go to the club, get a drink and groove to the latest Hot 100 hits" type of dancing: we went to learn to FOXTROT! As you know, I'm a professional dancer in my dreams, and I've been crazy for dance classes lately. In my search for the right school (read: cheap with convenient class times), I came across the Linden Dance School. They offer free (YES! FREE) dance classes and social dancing afterwards. So, I dragged my friends and family to the studio, and we all learned the dance. It was so much fun! Even the non-dancers (ahem...I mean novices) had a great time.

Next stop: my house for karaoke...or something like that. By the time everyone came to my house, it was getting late, people were still slightly full from dinner, and worn out by the foxtrot, hustle, salsa, merengue, and bachata (yes, we did all of that in the social dancing segment), and only a few had the energy to sing while I played. But we had cake and good conversation, which made up for the lack of musical inspiration.

On Saturday, I drove up to the Lake Tahoe area with a few family members. One of my friends has a cabin (really, a beautiful contemporary house, decorated in a rustic style) in the mountains. This was just what I needed: a few hours of solitude, serenity and nature. I actually did not do any work for 2 full days! Full confession...I actually did some poetry writing for about 3 hours, but come on! That's pretty good down time for me!

I watched a few movies: "Why Did I Get Married Too" - UGH! Awful; "The Departed" - Pretty good, but more violent than I prefer; and "Billy Elliot" - OMG!!! Now on my list of favorite movies!!! WOW! Of course, it's about a kid who's passionate about dance. I love movies about kids overcoming obstacles and I love dance. Perfect combo!

Tuesday night, I was treated to dinner at Bocanova in Oakland. Yummy!!! The highlights of the meals were the delicious quinoa salad with avocado and corn, and the seared scallops with green curry sauce. Both were rapturous and caused our eyes to roll back in our heads. But the big surprise of the night? The chocolate bread pudding. Scratching your head, thinking "well, of course that was good"? Here's the rub: I've never liked bread pudding, and despite being a girly-girl, am not all that great a chocolate fan. I enjoy a nice, dark chocolate from time to time, but a box of chocolates will last 6 months in my refrigerator - and no, I'm not exaggerating. But this was bread pudding made with a croissant (one of my favorite guilty pleasures) and Mexican dark chocolate. This dish should be on the list of mortal sins; right alongside lust and gluttony in the lexicon should be a photo of this dish. Deeevine!

And the party continues! More details later... YAY!!!

Victoria Theodore: September Performances

September....It's amazing how I can have the best of intentions, and still not do what I planned to do. Alas, still no blog update on the fabulous tour I just completed. I have so many stories to tell, so much joy to impart...but getting to it. Wow! I need a world where I only need 2 hours of sleep and have 30 hours in a day. But alas, I will have to find a way to make it work! Yes! Always positive and optimistic...

Here are a few upcoming gigs. I hope to see you!

Sat, Sept 11

8:30pm - 11:30pm

Marcello's Restaurant & Piano Bar

Open mic! Come sing! Bring your instrument! Play a song or two with me!

515 San Ramon Valley Boulevard Danville, CA 94526 | 925.838.8144 | map

Fri, Sept 17

7-9pm

E-22 Café

Come hear me play and sing!

It's also open mic! Sing with me! Bring your instrument! Play a song or two with me! Any style!

1366 Powell Street Emeryville, CA 94608-2506 | 510.428.9334 | map

Sun, Sep 12

2pm - 5pm

Pappa Gianni and the North Beach Band at Caffe Trieste

Open mic! Come sing! Bring your instrument! Play a song or two with me and the band!

2500 San Pablo Avenue Berkeley , CA 94702 | 510.548.5198 | map

Sat, Sept 18

8:30pm - 11:30pm

Marcello's Restaurant & Piano Bar

Open mic! Come sing! Bring your instrument! Play a song or two with me!

515 San Ramon Valley Boulevard Danville, CA 94526 | 925.838.8144 |

map

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!

Remember Them: Champions for Humanity

Last week, I was invited by my friends Sean and Stephanie at Good News in Oakland to meet local artist Mario Chiodo. Sean and Stephanie had been telling me about an art installation that Mario was creating, a monument to honor humanitarians that would be installed in Oakland. However, they insisted that I come to Mario's studio, because I needed to see it for myself to gain a sense of the scale of the project. After delaying several times (thanks to my hectic performance schedule and summer tour), I finally was able to make an appointment to visit Mario's studio, meet the artist and see his work in progress.

When I first arrived at the studio, Mario, some of the people who work in his studio and a representative from the Oakland Chamber of Commerce, greeted me and proceeded to share their enthusiasm and excitement about the project; with particular pride that it will inhabit an area in downtown Oakland. I watched a short video, which featured the always eloquent Maya Angelou expressing her impression of Mario's work (Ms. Angelou is one of the featured humanitarians in the monument).

After watching the video, I was lead to the back where all of the work was being done. The monument is massive; bronze, over 21 feet high, honoring 25 humanitarians from around the world. There is also a component for the visually impaired. Mario's own father lost his vision, and providing an opportunity for the visually impaired to experience his work was of great importance to Mario. I was able to touch the work with my hands, a tactile and infinitely detailed exploration of each of the people honored in the monument, simulating the experience that visually impaired people would have. Mario's work is beautiful: the massive size of the sculpted art structures nearly overwhelms; the faces, arms, hands and gestures that embody the essence of the honorees' spirits, are rendered in a form that, although static, has breath, movement and a powerful energy that was undeniable when I stood before them. I struggled to hold back the tears in my eyes.

The monument will be unveiled in Oakland on September 11, 2011. Read more about it on Mario's website:

Remember Them: Champions for Humanity

Music, She Wrote - Concert on Friday, July 30

Hello friends,

Please pardon my last minute notice! I have a concert on Friday and I'd love for you to attend! I'm on a short break from touring with Stevie (leaving next week for Japan!!), and am participating in this awesome concert for a worthy cause. Come support! : >

Music, She Wrote
A Concert Honoring Women Composers
A benefit concert for the Youth Programs at the Oakland Public Conservatory (OPC)
Friday, July 30, 2010
8pm
Piedmont Piano Company
1728 San Pablo Ave (at 18th
Oakland, CA 94612
featuring
India Cooke-violin
Karen Horner-bass
Branice McKenzie-vocal
Sandy Poindexter-violin
Jaz Sawyer-drums
Victoria Theodore-piano
Angela Wellman-trombone
Yehudit-violin
and
OPC's Frederick Douglass Youth Ensemble
Steven Turner-director
Tickets-$20

To purchase tickets, call: 510.836.4649
or purchase online

Stevie Wonder Soul Traveling Tour 2010: London, England

We returned to England with nearly a full day's worth of sight-seeing and shopping time in a major city. Excited, I set forth with my erudite shopping companions into the fashion meccas of Oxford and Regent streets, determined to find irresistible bargains, inspirational once-in-a-lifetime finds, and can't pass it up sales!

We stopped at Harrod’s and imagined being celebrities who can actually afford to shop there (YIKES at the prices!). Top Shop was particularly wallet friendly, in an environment that was highly averse to the American Dollar. Even parsimonious me found a couple of items that I loved too much and were priced low enough that I couldn’t pass them up.

Yet, Hélas!! Shopping is my Kryptonite. I am no shopper. After about 90 minutes of shopping, my shopping companions agreed that the spark had gone from my eyes and I'd entered a state of overwhelm. Despite my desire to partake in this activity which so many women the world over indulge in, bond through, and spend endless hours joyfully rummaging the racks and tables of shops from couture to consignment discovering items which elicit surges of euphoria, I came to this sad conclusion: I hate shopping. Can't stand it. Never have enjoyed it. I keep thinking “if I try, maybe I’ll like it”. Nope. Oh well!

The architecture in London is gorgeous. I love walking along the avenues, taking in the variety within the structures that still manage to have unique features among the cohesive facades. The hustle and bustle is nostalgic and familiar for any big city dweller (I lived in Harlem for years – once a New Yorker, always a New Yorker), with the rush of the taxis, the crowds of people with their destination (and not necessarily your personal space) in mind, shops, eateries, the ever present cacophony signaling urbanity – in both senses of the word! I love it!

Later that night, a group of us went out to dinner and sit in on a jam session. What fun! The band was hot, the crowd enthusiastic, the food delicious. That’s my kind of party!





The next day, we had our performance at the Hard Rock Calling concert in Hyde Park. The venue was not far from our hotel, but I suppose for security purposes, we were required to ride the bus together to get there. Unfortunately, our bus driver didn’t know where he was going (or wasn’t given explicit instructions), and we ended up being on that bus for 90 minutes!!! We had all hoped to arrive early enough to hear other artists perform (especially Corinne Bailey-Rae for me, as I’m a big fan), but that wasn’t to be. By the time we got back stage, we barely had enough time to grab a to-go box from catering, throw on our makeup and cloths, and hit the stage. The crowd was estimated to be around 80,000. Lovely. Good times!

Stevie Wonder Soul Traveling Tour 2010: Dublin, Ireland

All of my life, I'd heard that relatives on my maternal grandfather's side were from Ireland. I really don't know much about them, but the stereotypical ethnic markers of freckles and reddish hair greet me each morning (well, not so much the reddish hair anymore...though I occasionally still find a stray red strand that hasn't yet grayed). We flew from London to Dublin and were dispatched to small hotel on the waterfront, close to the venue. The day was cloudy and overcast, but not too cold.

Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time for me to investigate my genealogy, but I did manage a leisurely walk along the waterfront with some of my bandmates, taking in the scenery of bridges, boats and a memorial to the Irish Great Potato Famine. After our walk, Lanesha, Ryan and I went to dinner at an Italian restaurant (in Irelend!) that served delicious food. I had spied a sign offering a yoga class in the hotel later that evening, so I didn't eat much, saving my appetite for after the yoga class.

And what a lovely yoga class it was! Taught by Gillian, the class was exactly what my body needed. The class was full of regulars, myself and one of the crew guys. It was tough enough to make me feel like I had a good workout, yet focused enough on breathing and meditative centering that I felt peaceful and revitalized afterwards. Many thanks to Gillian for being an excellent teacher! Believe me, after class, I went back to the Italian restaurant and had a delicious, full meal!

The next day we had the show. The venue was huge (the O2 in Dublin), the show went well and the crowd was great. Much love to Dublin!

European Tour Rehearsals

Again, I’ve allowed weeks to pass without correspondence. Today, I’m in Monte Carlo, relaxing a few hours before show time. So far, the tour has been amazing (as if it could be anything less)! I will try to catch up over the next few days:

I arrived in England on June 19, in a little town best known for its being the location of the original British television show “The Office”. We settled into the hotel, and spent most of the next few days rehearsing on a movie set (likely the only space available for the expanded group of performers now touring with Stevie – including the usual 13 piece band, a group of guest percussionists from a variety of ethic musical traditions and a revolving gospel choir, a different one for each city). Rehearsals were long, but always musically fulfilling. The sound of the additional musicians is awesome!





In my down time, I went once with the rest of the band to try the requisite fish & chips (I’m famous for my tendency towards healthy food): the fish & chips were tasty if rather greasy.

I was also treated to a tour of nearby Windsor by my dear friend Marc. We went to lunch at the aptly named “House on the Bridge” and took photos in front of Windsor Castle (no time for touring, but the Queen was home – as indicated by the hoisted flag).



Next stop: flight to Dublin for the first concert!

Victoria Theodore June Performances

"summer, summer, summertime
time to sit back and unwind"
- Summertime, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

Ok, given, we Californians are a weather spoiled bunch, but is anyone else as tired of the rain as I am?? Enough already! Wow... Summer is approaching and this summer, like the past 3, will be filled with traveling the world with Stevie Wonder. I can't wait! Keep your eyes open for updates from the road : >

I have several great performances coming up. I hope to see you soon!

Sat, June 5
8:30pm - 11:30pm
Marcello's Restaurant & Piano Bar
Come hear me play and sing! Probably your last chance before I head off for a summer of touring with Stevie Wonder!
It's also open mic! Sing with me! Bring your instrument! Play a song or two with me! Any style!
515 San Ramon Valley Boulevard Danville, CA 94526 | 925.838.8144 | map

Sun, Jun 6
9am
Truevine Ministries
Grand Lake Theater
3200 Grand Ave. Oakland, CA 94610-2739 | 510-208-4565 | map

Sun, Jun 6
11am
Independant Holiness Church
605 South 16th Street Richmond, CA 94804-3716 | 510.235.8688 | map

Sat, Jun 12
8:30pm
Stevie Wonder
2010 Tour
Bonnaroo Music Festival 2010
700-acre farm, 60 miles southeast of Nashville & northwest of Chattanooga Manchester, TN | info@bonnaroo.com | map
Thu, Jun 24
6:30pm
Stevie Wonder
2010 Tour
O2
North Wall Quay, Dublin 1, Republic Of Ireland | map

Sat, Jun 26
8:00pm
Stevie Wonder
2010 Tour
Hard Rock Calling Festival
w/ Jamiroquai, James Morrison and Corinne Bailey Rae
Hyde Park, near Park Lane, London, England | map

Sun, Jun 27
8:00pm
Stevie Wonder
2010 Tour
Glastonbury Festival, Pyramid Stage
Worthy Farm, Pilton, England | map

Tue, Jun 29
8pm
Stevie Wonder
2010 Tour
M.E.N. Arena
Victoria Station Manchester, England M3 1AR | +44 (0)161 950 5000 | map

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Victoria Theodore Piano And Voice Lessons

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DC & Q!

Last week, I flew to Washington, DC, to perform with Stevie Wonder at a private concert event held in honor of the memory Abe Pollin, former owner of the Washington Wizards and the Verizon Center. The concert (held in the Verizon Center) was free to Pollin's employees as well as public sector workers in the Washington DC area. The arena was packed and the audience happily enthusiastic.

I arrived in DC Tuesday evening, thankfully, with plenty of time to relax and recuperate from the long flight. The next morning, I went for a lovely walk, cut to a shorter time than usual because we had to depart for sound check earlier than usual to accommodate for the terrible DC traffic. At sound check, we did the usual run through of tunes for the engineer’s sake, making sure everyone has proper levels in their ear monitors, but then had an extended wait for concert time. I usually fill this time with – no surprise – practicing! I practice virtually every spare moment when on tour, as I never know where the Maestro will go with the set list. The show on this night was no exception! The set list was all over the place, and required every morsel of my focus – but I love that intensity. It’s so gratifying to be presented with that level of challenge…and to meet the challenge!!

After the concert, a few band members and I joined our friends Frédéric and Carla Yonnet for a late dinner. Fred is an amazing harmonica player (known as the urban jazz harmonicist) who Stevie invites to sit in with the band whenever they're both in town. Stevie usually starts playing “Boogie On Raggae Woman” as the cue for Fred to join us on stage, which he did again for this show. At the harmonica solo, Fred and Stevie take turns in a harmonica “battle”. They both played with ferocity and tremendous energy! It was amazing! Stevie was having such a great time, he extended the song, and then went into a blues. It was a great moment in the show. Fred and Carla are incredibly gracious, beautiful people and it’s always a pleasure to see them.

After the show, we all returned to the hotel to deposit our belongings and then headed off to the restaurant to meet Fred and Carla. To my surprise, there was another face at the table that I instantly recognized: that of Mr. Quincy Jones. Wow. I was speechless. This man is a musical legend, icon, producer, composer, arranger and mentor to several of the most incredible musicians I’ve ever met. I was thrilled to have the chance to meet him. I was able to converse with him for about 20 minutes about music, language, travel and his new artist, Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodríguez. What an honor!

When I was a college student, DC was my favorite region to visit during Spring Break, for the temperate spring weather, the architecture and of course the endless museums. I was not disappointed on this visit, even though I didn't have time to explore museums. Meeting yet another musical icon is a fine substitute!

Back home, I experience my own musical intensity. I had happily agreed to substitute for two of my fabulous pianist friends this past Sunday. Both play keys for beautiful churches in the East Bay, performing mostly contemporary gospel music. If you don’t know this style of music, I’ll tell you: it’s not easy!!! Much of this music is similar to jazz fusion in terms of the chord structures and progressions, full of rhythmic variance and key changes. Of the 10 songs that I needed to learn, I had only heard and performed 2 before – but it had been a while, so I needed to review those as well. Essentially, I had only a day to learn all of this music to performance level. Given that I also had students, gigs and went to hear my friends perform late Saturday night (A Band Called Pain – a metal band that ROCKS!), I found myself in the position of staying up all night (literally) to learn the music. Sleep deprivation combined with my east coast induced jet lag, left me exhausted, but I was energized by the content of the lyrics (such beautiful words of praise to the Almighty), the talent of the band and the voices of the singers. Somehow, I made it through! Hallelujah!

Days later, I still find that I’m not 100% rejuvenated. Can anyone say V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N??? Maybe after the tour…but, I’m not complaining!

Another musical weekend

Wow! What a busy weekend! I performed at E-22 Café Friday night, and had fun playing with Robert Temple (performing some of his really nice original songs), my friend and student Chris and her friend Chris (both great singers), and a trio of enthusiastic teenagers with songs I didn't know, but learned quickly by listening briefly to an iPod. I love when kids have the courage to get up and sing what they love in front of a crowd.

Saturday night played for Signatures Salon's Anniversary party. Joi Gayles is the proprietor, and I tried out her services (hair, facial, aromatherapy, etc.) Friday morning. It was all amazing, and my hair is looking beautiful! Maybe that's why I had the energy to make it through the weekend! I was joined in the band at the party Saturday night by Kymberly Jackson, Arlington Houston and Alex Kamages. It's always fun to perform with Kymberly and Arlington, and Alex (usually a drummer for punk rock bands) did a fantastic job keeping up with the mostly jazz, R&B and pop/dance material!

This morning, I played at church with Tommie Bradford and Dan Parenti. As usual, the choir at Tommie's church and the band, of course, was on fire! It was a spirit filled morning! After service, I rushed home to change and head out to perform at the Bayview Festival with Adesha & Seven. Unfortunately, the wind was incredibly strong, and detritus, music stands, microphones, and especially, it seemed, my hair was flying EVERYWHERE. I was freezing, so my hands were stiff from cold, and my brain didn't function at full capacity because my body was too busy trying to retain heat. Nonetheless, I had fun playing with the excellent band: Adesha, band leader Aaron Baugh, Brian Braziel, Julian, Toya and Yolanda. Despite the adversity of the weather, the band sounded great. Thanks again to Ken for making me sound good! ; >

After the show, we shared a delicious Italian meal, and, as I'm sure you can tell from the degradation of my writing ability, now I'm sleepy and ready to pass out! It was a good weekend!

Music, billionaires and inspiration...

Whirlwind. That words sums up the past week of my life. I'll start at the beginning:

MUSIC
A few weeks ago, I was invited to perform as the featured artist for a local music series. I figured I should make this my opportunity to start performing some of my own music? So I spent a few days creating charts of my tunes (including 3 that I performed at Fisk University in April 2010) arranged for a quartet: piano, bass, drums and sax. I didn't sleep much, but was excited about finally (FINALLY) getting the ball rolling on being an artist in my own right. There were several technical issues with the performance, but I did it, and the audience was enthusiastic and appreciative. Now, I just have to figure out how to do my own show (not just the solo piano at a piano bar thing) more often. Hm...

A few days before my show, my phone rang with the special ring tone indicating that the Mr. Genius was requesting my presence. I was to fly to NYC the night after my show. Ah...who needs sleep? Given that I needed to practice as much as possible for my own gig, and now had to practice for SW's gig, I cancelled all of my students so that I could focus. Everything went as expected and I was on an airplane (after waiting for 2+ hours beyond the original flight time thanks to delays) heading to New York, at 1:30am.

BILLIONAIRES
I landed at JFK just before 10am, headed to the hotel for a short nap, then boarded the limo for the ride to the Jacob K. Javits Center, for sound check. Stevie had been booked as the entertainment after a massive fundraiser by the Robin Hood Foundation, and he (thankfully!) decided to bring along the entire band.

The Robin Hood Foundation, a charitable organization targeting poverty in New York City, held it's annual benefit dinner on Monday, May 10, 2010. Hosted by NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams, approximately 3,800 people, including Hollywood heavy-hitters (Harvey Weinstein, Uma Thurman, Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Gwyneth Paltrow), athletes (New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan), musicians (Sting and Stevie Wonder), comedians (Seth Meyers, Tracy Morgan and Jimmy Fallon), and financial superstars (JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, Lee Ainslie of Maverick Capital, Eric Schmidt of Google. and most demonstrably, George Soros - through a 1:1 challenge grant) gathered together to raise over $88 million dollars. Yes, in one night, they raised $88 million dollars.

The venue was stunningly beautiful. Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to mingle with the multi-millionaires and billionaires, but in watching them dance to Stevie's music, they didn't look all that different than we Americans without extraordinary financial wealth. It was sobering to be in a space with people who represent such extreme affluence. One the one hand, I was very impressed with the generosity and overall enthusiastic spirit of the crowd. I didn't perceive any blasé, bored, elitist energy from the crowd of dancers laid out before me. I did get plenty of smiles and waves, and watched the audience watching Stevie with adoration in their eyes. But I couldn't escape the question in the back of my mind: why is there this kind of disparity in the world? It's a beautiful thing to watch people give, and give BIG, but it's painful to think of the vast majority of people in the world who lack for basic shelter, healthy food, clean water, safe health care, etc. I don't know the answer, but I do use this event as a reminder that although I'm no billionaire (at least not yet!), I can do my part through sharing my art, teaching others about the beauty of life through music, make charitable donations and give my time whenever possible. But most of all, to respect the dignity of all people, and to offer kindness to everyone...because we never know what someone is dealing with...

Images from the event

INSPIRATION
I attended a concert by The Stanley Clarke Band featuring Hiromi on piano, Ruslan Sirota on keys and, Jr. Ronald Bruner on drums. I'm a super fan of all of these excellent musicians, and they did not leave me disappointed. The entire night (I stayed for both shows), I was dancing to the music, waving my arms in the air, nodding my head, and yelling out with immense musical satisfaction at amazing musical feast laid out by this killer band. They played several of the tunes I'd heard before, including Chick Corea's "No Mystery", "Paradigm Shift", "Black Narcissus", each taking solos that were hot like fire. Hiromi is consistently one of the most exciting pianists I've ever encountered. She plays with passion, musicality of the highest order, and pure fun. Ruslan, also an amazing pianist, is also extraordinarily versatile, bringing not only superlative jazz chops to the music, but also his experience as a gospel and R&B pianist. He plays with TONS of flavor and groove and gives flashes of technical prowess that create jaw-drops across the audience. Ronald is a wonder to watch. His hands are lightning, and his flow across various musical genres (straight ahead to swing to rock to funk, etc.) is seamless. It seemed like he was trying to steal the show...and at times he did! Stanley? What can I say. I merely genuflect. Beauty. Power. Vision. Music. That's Stanley. Inspiration. Plain and simple...

The Stanley Clarke Band is performing at Yoshi's SF May 13 and 14, 2010. GO TO THE SHOW!!! Buy your ticket today. Wow...











Speaking of inspiration, today is the 60th birthday of my friend, mentor, musical icon, teacher and band leader: Stevie Wonder!!!! Thank you for sharing your GENIUS with me and the world! I appreciate you and love you. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! : >

Victoria Theodore May Performances

"Now the bright morning Star, Dayes harbinger,
Comes dancing from the East, and leads with her
The Flowry May, who from her green lap throws
The yellow Cowslip, and the pale Primrose.
Hail bounteous May that dost inspire
Mirth and youth, and warm desire,
Woods and Groves, are of thy dressing,
Hill and Dale, doth boast thy blessing.
Thus we salute thee with our early Song,
And welcom thee, and wish thee long."
- Song On May Morning, John Milton

May! Bright sun, gentle breeze, coats and boots be gone! I'm definitely a tropical type: I adore beautiful, warm weather. Well, who doesn't, really?

April was a great month for me. I was the guest artist and composer for the Fisk University Jazz Ensemble Spring Concert. On the program were 3 of my works, 2 of which received their debut. It was an exciting day, despite it being Tax Day : >

I've finally decided that I need to take steps towards completing my own project. I've procrastinated for years, with one "valid" reason after the next. No more. I'll be keeping up with my journey here on my blog, so check in when you can!

I have several great performances coming up. I hope to see you soon!

Sat, May 1
8:30pm - 11:30pm
Marcello's Restaurant & Piano Bar
Come hear me play and sing!
It's also open mic! Sing with me! Bring your instrument! Play a song or two with me! Any style!
515 San Ramon Valley Boulevard Danville, CA 94526 | 925.838.8144 | map

Sun, May 2
Seating at 11am & 1pm
1300 On Fillmore
Gospel Brunch w/ Michael Cheadle
1300 Fillmore Street San Francisco, CA 94115 | 415.771.7100 | map

Sat, May 15
8:30pm - 11:30pm
Marcello's Restaurant & Piano Bar
Come hear me play and sing!
It's also open mic! Sing with me! Bring your instrument! Play a song or two with me! Any style!
515 San Ramon Valley Boulevard Danville, CA 94526 | 925.838.8144 | map

Fri, May 21
6:30pm - 8:30pm
E-22 Café
Come hear me play and sing!
It's also open mic! Sing with me! Bring your instrument! Play a song or two with me! Any style!
1366 Powell Street Emeryville, CA 94608-2506 | 510.428.9334 | map

Fisk University Concert

Back in 2007, I met Dr. Gary Nash (Professor of Music at Fisk University) on myspace.com. Our mutual friend, composer Arlene Sierra, was the connecting point. Dr. Nash is a renowned instructor and composer, and invited me to be a guest artist and composer for the annual Fisk Jazz Ensemble Spring Concert. Every year since 2003, Dr. Nash has invited various performing artists to participate in the concert, and he asked me to participate in the 2010 concert. Of course, I was honored and enthusiastically accepted Dr. Nash’s invitation! Over the following 2 years, I thought about composing for the ensemble, but made no actual effort to compose. I assumed that it would be best to wait until I knew the actual instrumentation of the ensemble and to throw myself into the act of composing for the specific instruments. In other words, I procrastinated…

January 2010 came and went faster than I could have imagined, and still, I had nothing to present to Dr. Nash. Dr. Nash had been gently nudging me to submit music, and I had every intention to do it…but procrastination is a strong and seductive excuse for insecurity. After all, I hadn’t composed instrumental music since high school! Could I actually do this, and do a good job on the orchestration? Gulp!!

February 2010…Ok, I better get to work on this! Back in March 2009, I performed in a concert of music performed and composed by a group of fantastic women musicians. I wrote a piece called “Alone” for this event. I based the tune on a pretty piano motif that happens to be in 7/4 (I had been playing music from Romania all week that was in 7/4, so that’s where my head was). I created the melody with the intention of singing the song, but never developed more than a hook lyric. So for this event, the piece was performed as mostly instrumental, but with lyrics in the hook. I decided that this piece would be one of the works I’d present to Dr. Nash, so I sent him the score and exhaled. Ok, one down!

In early March 2010, I knew that I could no longer delay sending more music to Dr. Nash. I sat at the piano one night after dinner (which, in my case, is around 1am, as I always eat very late at night) and played out my feelings. I was in a somewhat melancholy mood and the melody I created reflected this. The resulting tune is “Prelude + Resignation”. The "Prelude" is written in 3/4 time and the “Resignation” in 4/4 time, a nod to the 7/4 time of “Alone”. This piece has a dreamy quality to it, and is actually my favorite of the group. The melody is played by flute and piano, and eventually, I may add lyrics to this piece as well.

A week before the concert, I kept having a nagging feeling that my work was not complete, and that I should present 3, not 2, works of music for the concert. But the music had not yet revealed itself to me. One night, that week before the concert, I had been listening to Thelonious Monk and Sergei Prokofiev, and went to the piano with an idea: blending the angular rhythms and melodies of Monk with those of Prokofiev in a swinging, simple tune. And voila! A new tune was born. Imperturbable is my favorite word at the moment. How awesome (and mature) would it be to be imperturbable, no matter what? Cut off and stuck in traffic? No biggie. Financial woes? So what? Can’t think of anything to write as the final piece in a major concert that’s coming up soon?? Ahem…you get it.

So, I named my new piece "Imperturbable". I was thrilled! I now had 3 pieces to perform for the concert. I immediately emailed the new tune and updates to the previous tunes to Dr. Nash, crossing my fingers that he wouldn’t say “too late”. He didn’t…

Early Wednesday morning, I flew from San Francisco to Nashville, arriving mid afternoon to some of the most perfect weather I could have hoped for. After checking into my hotel, I accompanied Dr. Nash to the dress rehearsal with the ensemble, which included myself on piano, Dr. Nash on clarinet, Jon Lauterer on drums, Jonathan Hart Price on bass, Stuart Naylor on trumpet, and students Adrian on saxophone and Karis on flute. The rehearsal went relatively well, especially considering I had no idea whether or not my scores were adequate for the other instruments. No one complained, so I guess they were ok!

Thursday afternoon, I was the guest speaker for a music business class at Fisk. I spoke about my life as a musician, offered advice to the students, answered questions and played a couple of classical pieces and one of my songs, “Faith of a Child” for the gathered audience. The students seemed to enjoy my talk, and I had a great time talking about what it’s like to be a working musician.

Then came Thurdsay night! Concert time! The first half of the concert featured a variety of music, including songs by Michael Jackson. My works were after the intermission. We started with my piece “Imperturbable” (which means “ Unshakably calm and collected”, in case you were wondering), followed by "Prelude + Resignation" and then “Alone”. The audience was on their feet and cheering loudly after the performance. All I could do was smile. Thanks to Dr. Nash and everyone who played my music for a job well done!

Next on my agenda, figuring out the direction of and FINALLY completing my CD project. Here I go….

In the mean time, here's some of the video from the concert:

Disney World via Make-A-Wish

Last week I was given the opportunity to join my niece in receiving her wish from Make-A-Wish Foundation to visit Disney World! As many of you know, Naomi is a survivor of Leukemia, and as a survivor, it was suggested that she wait at least a year beyond being in remission before enjoying her wish so that she could have an optimal experience. My sister asked me to join her, our mother and the kids in Florida, and despite my hectic schedule, I couldn't imagine not taking part in Naomi's wish.

I flew to Florida two days before everyone else (the flights were cheaper leaving on a Thursday), and hoped to find a space to practice for my upcoming concert. I was happy to discover that the friend who graciously housed me for 2 days lives very close to a piano store! The owner, Teresa Foster, was friendly and kind, and didn't hesitate a bit when I asked if I could use one of her pianos to practice. Thank God for her generosity. I was so grateful for those practice hours to review my music. If you're in Jacksonville, FL, go see Teresa at Teresa's Piano Gallery and buy your piano from her!

I did manage some down time, visiting the Jacksonville Beach and taking a leisurely walk with friends on the rough sand. My feet got a de-facto pedicure...ouch! lol The little rocks digging into my feet didn't deter me from taking in the beauty of the ocean. After 2 days in Jacksonville, my friend, her daughters and I drove to Orlando to meet my family. We waited, and waited, and waited, and finally Naomi came skipping down the exit hallway at the airport with a huge grin,

ready to start her adventure.

We left the airport, drove a short distance and checked into the Give Kids the World Village, a magical resort built specifically for children who are or have been dealing with a debilitating disease or health condition. Everything about the village is stunning, from the playful colors on the Wonderland-esque buildings, to the genuine kindness, patience and love displayed by the staff and countless volunteers from around the world. The children were in awe, as were we adults. It's built so that the children who are too sick to enjoy the theme parks can still have a great time. Read all about GKTW on their website.

Photos from the village:

Saturday night was orientation for the parents, and a party for the kids: hula hoops, dancing to music kids like, bowling games, jump ropes, etc. My sister came back from orientation in a daze, utterly overwhelmed with amazement. We did our best to go to bed early despite the excitement, because the days ahead were going to be packed full of fun!

Sunday - Universal Studios. We arrived at the park just before noon (so much for trying to get there early - have you ever tried wrangling 8 people into being out the door early?? Sigh...) My mom had a couple of falls recently, and had to use a wheelchair, but thanks to our being escorted to the FRONT of every line for rides, shows, character photos, etc., she had a great time along with the rest of us. My nephew is a ride fanatic like me, so we were ride buddies. The faster, the more G-forces, the better! We managed to hit almost every ride in BOTH parks and wore ourselves fully out. However, the buzz was strong enough that we stayed up far too late Sunday night. Before falling asleep I noticed that Naomi's face was hot. Uh-oh...Yep. Fever. We gave her some tylenol to cut the fever and prayed for the best. By morning, Naomi said she felt better, so we went forward with our plans.

Monday - Disney Animal Kingdom. This particular Disney park didn't offer an escort to the front of the line, but we were allowed to enter the Fast Pass lanes, which made the wait significantly less than other folks standing in the regular lines, but slowed down our pace enough that we could only see this one park. But we had a blast! We did a safari, rode several rides, and the kids were invited to dance with the cast in the Lion King performance.

We had planned to head back to the village for dinner (3 meals per day per person are provided at the village - gratis), take a nap and then head back to the Magic Kingdom. I've always heard that it's amazing at night. But alas, Naomi was feeling terrible. Nina took her to the clinic and the diagnosis came back: strep throat! That meant that Naomi had to stay in bed all day on Tuesday. Since the fatigue had hit my mother particularly hard (the long flight, sitting all day in a wheel chair, etc.), it was decided that she'd stay at the villa with Naomi while my sister, nephew and I went to Disney Hollywood and Epcot. It was fun, but we missed Naomi and mom...

After lunch at Epcot, I had to go to the airport and fly home. I was only able to spend 3 days with the family because I had a concert on Wednesday at noon with soprano,

Dr. Candace Johnson, at UC Berkeley's Hertz Hall. Considering my lack of sleep, jet lag, and insufficient practice time (thanks to being a kid again in Orlando!), the performance went very well. I so love playing "Classical" music.

I'm so grateful for the opportunity to witness Naomi's joy in meeting her most beloved characters, being escorted to the front of every line for rides, participating in a theatrical presentation of the Lion King and just having a grand time. I'll never forget the smiles on the kids faces. Magical...