Category Archives: September

Yesterday Once More

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“People never think of entertainers as being human.
When you walk out on stage, the audience think,
‘Nothing can go wrong with them.’ We get sick and
we have headaches just like they do.
When we are cut, we bleed.”
Karen Carpenter

One of my fellow bloggers, Erika Kind posted The Carpenters song Yesterday Once More, which reminded me how much I enjoyed this song back in the 1970s.

So, after spending all day at the Ukulele festival yesterday, I was inspired to learn how to play some of my favorite songs.

Here’s a beautiful ukulele rendition I hope to learn of Yesterday Once More.

Shine On

Ukulele Festival

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“Everything’s gonna be okay. The ukulele player is here.”
Unknown


LA Ukulele Festival

The beginning of this month I started taking ukulele lessons. It turns out my ukulele instructor, Mitch Chang is an accomplished ukulele player. Mitch graduated from the University of Hawaii music program and has been teaching ukulele since 1994. He studied with the legendary jazz ukulele musician Bill Tapia. Mitch is also a long-time promoter for the ukulele and helped put together The Los Angeles International Ukulele Festival.

The festival is a full day of continuous performances by today’s hottest ukulele fingerpickers, virtuosos and singer/songwriters. There are also unlimited workshops for all levels, children & adults alike, beginner to advanced: introduction to ukulele, chord melodies, strumming techniques, & more. I also heard through the grape-vine that a celebrity from the popular television series Seinfeld will be at the festival.

I’m looking forward to spending all day with fellow ukuelites Saturday, September 26th. So, whether you are a complete beginner, a casual observer or a seasoned player, if you love the ukulele and would like to spend a fun day in the sun in beautiful Torrance, come on out to the ukulele festival.

Shine On

Global Citizen Festival

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“A peaceful world is a world without war, inequalities and bitter disputes.”
Global Citizen

The Global Citizen Festival

There’s an event this Saturday, September 26th taking place on the Great Lawn in New York City’s Central Park. It’s The Global Citizen Festival created by the Global Poverty Project in 2012. It’s an innovative campaign that works toward a world where every child can survive and thrive. A world where every child has a chance to go to school, a world where women and girls are protected from violence, and where preventable diseases aren’t holding people back.

Global Citizen is a community of people like you. People who want to learn about and take action on the world’s biggest challenges—and use their power to get other people involved too. Global Citizen helps fight extreme poverty and inequality around the world, and support approaches that will make life more sustainable for people and the planet.

The Global Citizen Festival is a free-ticketed event and is timed to coincide with the launch of the United Nations’ new Global Goals designed to fight inequality, protect our planet and end extreme poverty by 2030. The festival will channel the power of hundreds of thousands of global citizens lending their voices to achieve policy and financial commitments that will shape the success of these Goals.

If you live in or near New York City, it’s a great way to spend a day with family and friends, and to help make a difference in someone’s life through Global Citizen.

Shine On

Power and Grace

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“I think dancing is a man’s game and if he does it well
he does it better than a woman.”
Gene Kelly

Power and Grace

Alek Skarlatos with pro partner Lindsay Arnold on DWTS.

If you follow my blog you know how I love dance and enjoy watching Dancing With The Stars. This season the show has Alek Skarlatos as a contestant. For those of you who don’t watch DWTS, Alek Skarlatos is an Army National Guardsman and happens to be one of three Americans who overpowered a gunman on a European train in August 2015.

Skarlatos and the other two men received the Soldier’s Medal and Airman’s Medal awards for their bravery. These are the highest awards given to service members who perform heroic acts in non-combat situations. France also honored all three men with its Legion of Honor Award.

If you haven’t had a chance to see this years DWTS show, check it out. What I like most about Mr. Skarlatos dancing isn’t so much his style, but his pure strength when he dances. He might not be the most seasoned dancer, but what he lacks in professional skill he makes up in power and grace.

Shine On