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Much love, Rhon
Wow I didn't think things could get crazier than they had been, it's all good though. Well, let's see...the band is growing along quite grand. Over the last two weeks we found a new guitar player (Dave Willocks), had our first gig (at the Beer Garden in Staten Island), and found a new keyboard player (Paul Odeh). Whew I need to take a break after just realizing what was accomplished over such a short time. First the exciting news of finding new players then I'll tell you about the gig and what's to come as a result.
Dave walked into the audition on a Thursday night and just did his thing. At 21 he's seriously a force to be reckoned with and will take the world by storm (his primary instrument is guitar, but he also plays keys, bass, and drums in addition to singing back-up vocals...you go boy)! We knew immediately that we wanted him to be a part of the project. John wanted him ready for our first gig, which meant he had to have 27 covers and 8 original songs prepared for the next rehearsal 3 days later and performance ready for the gig 6 days after that. To say he pulled it off with astounding results may not be fair enough, but this humble soul wouldn't have had it any other way.
Paul...I'm still recovering from his introduction last night. It took us a few tries to have an audition time that worked for our schedules but last night it finally fell into place. He's going to fit in just great...more to come on him once we learn more. All I need to know right now is that the planets lined up and the blessings flowed.
Our first gig was a phenomenal success and we've found a regular home for the band. We played 35 songs over a period of 4 hours with 2 breaks in between sets. This was the first time I've been the only vocalist for basically 3 1/2 hours as there were no instrumental songs for the night. What a work out! We had a great turn out and were able to pull in people who told friends to come over between sets...which was great for the bar owners. At the end of the night (or shall I say morning, we played from 11PM to 3AM), the owner asked to schedule dates for the rest of the year for 2 or 3 times a month. AWESOME! Now we're gearing up for our gigs on August 13th and 19th as well as looking at more spots in Staten Island and Brooklyn. We have other stuff in the works as well so visit the DeLaFeel "What's Going On" page for updates.
In addition to all the band stuff, I've finally been able to work on a few new designs for Woven Paper Wonders. Yeah it's been awhile and I've had to put it on the back burner but hopefully with the Fall will come time to complete the new designs and load them to the website as well as selling some stuff on e-Bay. I have one supporter who constantly reminds me not to close the book on that creative outlet because it shows great promise. That's the kind of support that's always needed to keep going.
With all of that I've had brief moments to enjoy life (we mustn't forget to do that) and those opportunities have been shared with the wonderful beings that fill my heart with joy and purpose. Happiness is a great place to be!
A parting inspiration:
Work like you don't need the money.
Love as though you have never been hurt.
Dance as though no one is watching you.
Sing as though no one can hear you.
Till next time, stay encouraged...
Rhonda
Keeping up with a monthly newsletter has proven to be quite a challenge as of late so I figured I'd add a general page where I could just throw up random thoughts and let everyone in on the journey as it continues. Updates will be posted whenever I'm moved to so check back often.
Since the last newsletter, I decided to leave the wedding band, Time Machine, and have been focusing all of my attention on the DeLaFeel project. Quite a few of you have visited the DeLaFeel site and I am happy you've enjoyed our music so far. We're currently going through some personnel changes, however we are still on target to be performing before the end of the summer. We're also writing on a regular basis so more original stuff is on the way.
What else is going on? Life! This whole process of creating an environment for my dreams to become reality has been such an eye opener. At the beginning I made a mental promise that my foundation in the journey would be living more authentically and being happy regardless of any circumstance. That promise has definitely been put to the test over the last 6 months. Right now I am diligently working on establishing balance while juggling a ton of things.
Most recently I've been piecing together several part-time jobs and working day and night to still come up short financially (which can be quite draining on the creative spirit, let me tell you). It's been a great challenge to remind myself why I chose this path when the bill collectors call (sometimes 20 times a day)...then I make the weekly trip out to our rehearsal spot in Staten Island -- or visit our website, or talk to John (sometimes 5 times a day), or put the finishing touches on a new lyric, or listen a rehearsal recording -- and it all comes rushing back. I AM DOING THIS! I'm not imagining that I haven't been this happy in a long time and I wouldn't trade this smile for any amount of financial gain (no I'm not crazy, I have found a better understanding of true happiness and its relativity to the material world -- at least as in relation to my life). I am growing each day with the knowledge that my fears are only what I make of them...and I make a pledge to face, and conquer, them all! Here's to continuing the journey!
Til next time...stay encouraged! --Rhonda
