My First 'Gig'.

So....tomorrow night I have a 'gig' at Teddy's Bar and Grill in Brooklyn. I'm going to be singing 4 jazz standards with a band that I randomly sang with when E, B, and I went to see D on Halloween weekend. D got up and sang "What A Wonderful World" and then talked with the guys to get me in on the action. So I sang "At Last," and it wasn't half bad. Another reason why I love E so much: he talked to those guys for at least 20 minutes or so and managed to convince them that they were going to call me to do some more stuff. And they did! So I met with the band leader last week to try to figure out some songs we could do, and we came up with "At Last" again, "Unforgettable," "My Romance," and "They Can't Take That Away From Me." So that's what I'll be singing tomorrow night. I'm so nervous! I don't really have much experience singing with a jazz band, so I just don't want to mess up too bad. I want to be good, because I could really see myself trying to get into this live singing at different places thing. Maybe even turn it into a cabaret. I guess if anything, I feel like I'm getting these little signs here and there that are pointing me towards this. I saw a friend of E's family, Avery Summers, do her caberet a month or so ago, and she sang all the songs I loved, and I kept thinking that I should be up there doing what she was doing. And then I meet this band, and then E's parents send me a book on Lena Horne's life, and it was just an eye opener. Also, I've been doing a little catering around the city, and at all the major events, there is usually a live band, and I just can't help but spend most of my work time tuned into what the band is doing, and how the singer sounds, and again, it's like I hear a call....that yeah, maybe I can DO that! Who knows where it would lead. I'm not giving up on the theatre world, once I get my new headshots, and get my financial situation figured out, I WILL be auditioning again.

I just keep looking at facebook, and I see where a lot of people my age are at, and I feel like so many people have settled into where they want to be career wise in their life, and I definitely don't think I'm there yet.. I just feel like I'm on the brink of accomplishing so many things that I wanted, and now that I'm here in New York, I've really got to take advantage of it. I am so blessed to be working, and to have a roof over my head, and someone who loves me just for who I am, and who believes in me with his whole heart. I am lucky my parents are still supportive of my dreams, and haven't told me that I need to rethink ANYTHING. I'm just feeling like I need to start doing all the things that I've been dreaming of for so long.

So I'm going to need all the positivity and good thoughts coming my way tomorrow night. I'm excited by all the possibility!

Miss Lena Horne, an inspiration

another year older....

This past Wednesday was my 26th birthday. I can't believe I've been on this planet 26 years! Instead of feeling like, wow I'm getting older, getting close to 30, old, etc, etc...I'm trying to feel blessed that I'm able to have another year of my life to live. It's an open book. Everything I do is new and something that I haven't done before. This time last year, I was living a routine that I was completely familiar with, and now, I am creating a new one from scratch. 

It goes along with the birthday present that E gave to me. It's a charm representing my 3rd chakra, which is the one that I find I need to balance the most in my life. Here's some 'info' about our 3rd chakras:

"Your third chakra handles the energy of your personal power, self-esteem and personality. Your third chakra is the place where you learn to create boundaries for yourself. Issues such as trust, fear of rejection, self image are all part of this chakra. This is the center for action, energy and power.

"In opening your third chakra, you may reach deep into your own sense of self and find your balance or boundary point. This point is the use of personal power as a weaver of inner and outer power. You have the power to create and accomplish, rather than the power over something or someone. In other words, you have the ability to manifest in the physical world"

Looking back on some of the issues I've dealt with in my life, a lot of them seem to relate to my 3rd chakra being blocked. When I can focus on trusting myself and allowing myself to be free to try things and create, I feel much better, more in touch with my own inner power.

Knowing that E actually has listened to me when I've talked about this stuff with him and mentioned that I liked the necklace in passing almost 2 years ago means a lot to me...

I keep thinking to myself that these next few months are a transitioning time fore me. And I shouldn't be afraid of anything that's to come in my life, or worry that I won't make it to where I want to be. I just have to allow myself to be.

I want 26 to be a revelation for me. I want to get to a new level of being in my life. It's very exciting to think about what I can accomplish or be when I can allow myself to just be.

Some birthday photos!!

Daron and Anthony

Birthday Boy and Birthday Girl <3

My bestie Jnelly and I.

Harlem Lanes Bowling Alley for the party!

My moo, Lorelei!

Birthday love!

Jnelly and Daronika starting a girl group.

Birthday Boy having a good time!

The ladies!

warming up to city life.

Today will mark the 2nd week E and I have been living in our place in Harlem, and I can't believe it's been 2 weeks already! It's been a little crazy for the both of us, especially E, because he started a waiter job at a place called Bar30 in Rockefeller Center literally 6 days after we moved in, and he's been working 12 hour shifts everyday since he started. I started working at Bar30 this past Wednesday, and it's the first job I've had waiting tables ever in my life. I was very very nervous about it, and I have always been nervous about waiting tables, which is why I never tried to do it. But- if I didn't take advantage of this opportunity I would be crazy because the money is AWESOME, and I really need the money. The bar is only going to be open until the end of August, and then E and I may have the opportunity to get hired in the restaurant that is affiliated with this one, called AJ Maxwell's. So hopefully that will work out- especially for E, I know he wants to keep having steady work.

I have to admit, waiting tables hasn't been as bad as I thought it was going to be, BUT- yesterday was my first day spending my whole shift (7 hours or so) with a section of tables. And I made some mistakes, and I got really scared, and then I felt stupid at some points for making stupid errors, but what can you do? I guess that's how I learn. Our manager (who is good friends with one of E's friends, which is how we got the job) is so much fun to work for. He's laid back, but still professional, and he's very supportive. We get to listen to people's iPod's on the speakers in the restaurants, and everyone I've met so far has been really nice. It's pooled tips so we are like a team. I'm glad that this will be my first waiting experience!

Since I haven't been working everyday, and E has, I've taken on some projects in the apartment that I'd never thought I'd do! I put our bed together using wrenches and I painted the bathroom all by myself! :-p It looks nice, and these things definitely had to be done, whether E was here to help me or not. But I am proud of myself for doing them.

And you know what? I'm proud of myself for taking on this new job even though it scared the crap out of me. I'm also happy that I went on a random audition last Monday, and now I'm going to be singing in the ensemble for a recording of the Lion King with Stage Stars Records! The album will be sold on iTunes and at Colony Music Center in Times Square. It's like a karaoke version that people can buy the album and practice with the accompaniment, or with the vocal tracks, to learn the music for the show. That's pretty cool. I'm excited to be working on new music, and I'm happy that I can add something new to my resume'!

I guess that's city life so far...I've been fortunate enough to be hanging out with my best friend DR a lot, and he's been so great with helping E and I move stuff in and move stuff around in the apartment, and just being a good friend to me through everything. I'm also happy because today I will get to hang with  my other best friend whom I haven't seen in over a year now, L. She was my roommate the first 2 years of the JCS tour, and we also lived together in Astoria for a year, and I've been very sad that we haven't really been keeping in touch, or seeing each other, but hopefully today will be great for us to catch up and have some fun!

I've definitely missed this city, and I'm glad to call it my home again.

welcome to harlem...

Moving isn't easy, but that's okay, because I am absolutely in LOVE with our new apartment. I am thankful for Y for giving us the opportunity to have this wonderful space for not a lot of money. It's definitely a work in progress, but we are making changes little by little, and it's starting to feel more like Ours....