The Thrill of the Chase

Erica Chase, the talented young singer-songwriter (“We Can Fly”) was an English major at Pitzer College in Claremont, California when she met multiplatinum producer, Dana Strum (Slaughter bassist) . Through connections her father’s business partner made in Las Vegas, Erica met Dana on February 1, 2006. That date will forever burn in her memory, not only because of the amazingness of the moment, but because of what happened the very next day. Riding on her bicycle on the way to meet a friend for lunch, she was slammed up against a truck windshield, flying through the air and onto the ground. She awoke in a helicopter with a mask over her face.

“I will never forget that day for as long as I live,” she told me in a recent phone interview. While she had dabbled in songwriting as a high school jock growing up sandwiched between two brothers, she hadn’t realized how much her dream to become a rock star outweighed her upper-middle class upbringing of doing the smart thing such as becoming an educator. “I was on my way to Seattle to become a teacher,” she revealed. But after her accident, from which she miraculously walked away with minor injuries, she realized how short life could be. It was time to take the bull by the horns and live out the secret dream she truly harbored.

What fascinated me most about our conversation was the feeling she had when she met Dana Strum. “I knew something big was about to happen,” Erica said. She didn’t know what that was, but she knew she was on the edge of something indescribable. It was a heavy energy that can be equated to the onset of depression, a significant weightiness that one simply cannot ignore. The very next day, as she was flown to the hospital, she knew she couldn’t live without music. “It was my wake-up call.”

The life of a rock star is an irregular one, not necessarily what one thinks of when one thinks of slow living. But late nights and loads of travel don’t phase this twenty-something artist. One of her big dreams now is to do a multiple city tour via bus.

When I asked whether she was worried she might burn out, she revealed an inner truth that I share. Like myself, who simply cannot live without writing, she cannot live without music. It is so deeply entrenched in her soul that to live any other way would mean certain death. In true power of slow style, she is living her life on purpose. It took a severe knock-down to put her on the right track, but luckily she chose to listen to the message right away. As a result, we get to profit from her stellar Sheryl Crowe-meets-Beatles sound. Now that’s a track we like to hear!

 

Celebrating the Hallelujah of Life

Because magic lives everywhere…

 

Slow train to here that’s gone

Happy Thanksgiving, my Gratitude Friends!

A special treat from the Goo Goo Dolls brought to you by The Power of Slow.

May all your holiday wishes come true! And remember here is gone the moment you utter it.

Peace!

The soul-soothing quality of music

If you don’t know TED, drop what you’re doing and run, do not walk, to this site. An actor friend of mine got me turned on to this organization that hosts conferences on the most diverse subjects.

TED stands for Technology Entertainment Design. It was originally created to foster discussion about these areas by professionals in those fields. But it quickly went viral as countries around the world wished to partake in the conversation. In 2009 TEDx was born. It stands for independently organized TED event. On Friday, I attended one in Salzburg, birthplace of Mozart with a town center so quaint that it almost hurts.

My new friend, Albert Frantz, held the first talk of the day. He discussed the meaning of music and how to embrace dissonance because that is the very thing that makes the music interesting. Later he played a piece by Beethoven that gave me chills. In that moment I realized how healing music can be.

One of my favorite inspirational quotes about music is

Music is what feelings sound like.

I couldn’t agree more.

In the spirit of the mind-body connection, SANOSON is an example of a therapeutic approach to healing through music. It has been scientifically proven that you can regulate your heartbeat, blood pressure and more through its process. From a subjective standpoint, music has a centering and calming effect like nothing else.

So how can music help you bring more slow to your life?

Listen to a recording of African drumming or some other rhythmic beat. Dance to it. Let yourself really go for it as you become one with the instruments. We did this technique in my acting class yesterday. It was incredible how everyone in the room was transformed when they let the music flow through them. We were more concentrated, productive and, ultimately, happier for it.

I bet you will be, too.

Because the Performing Arts matter

Take 12 minutes to hear Ben Cameron speak on the healing properties of the arts. Happy Sunday!



How to Step out of Time

In our time-crunched existence, we often feel the weight of the world on our shoulders as we hurry to and fro, up and down and all around. It seems on those occasions when we ‘just can’t take it anymore’, we feel a particular sharp-edged crush of the rush. In large part, it has to do with our state of mind.

Zen masters would argue it has everything to do with our thinking.

Stepping out of time is a practical method of relieving the crush we place ourselves in. But how can we step out of the time construct into which we are all born?

By listening to music.

Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter, Rosanne Cash and I had a lovely

Photo Courtesy of Abby Ross

chat yesterday, which will be airing on August 14th at 5 pm ET on this NPR station. She rightly pointed out that sound can pull you outside of linear time at any given moment. It uplifts and rewards. Sound informs. And when we hear its call, we are set free.

What I came to know through my conversation with Rosanne is that art has a soul-nourishing timelessness. Whether painting, dancing, acting, writing or singing, living art in that most profound way creates a space outside of time. We can dwell there whenever we like, calling forth that spiritual energy that enriches our lives. As Deepak Chopra recently said to me, parts of ourselves live in eternity. There is grace in knowing we are connected to that Source at all times. But I wonder how often do we realize all that we are looking for is already here?

So today’s question to you is how will you step out of time today?

Music – Balm for the Slow Soul

For the life of me, I cannot figure out how to add this to the sidebar. It might get annoying after a while anyway, so here it is as a one-shot post. For your listening pleasure, I present you a few songs that sing of slow or are slow. Click on the pop-out player button in the middle.  If you don’t like rock or blues, forgettaboutit!

Product Review: Audéo Perfect Fit Earphones

Music can soothe the soul, especially when the noise of our lives encases us. I recently tried out Audéo Perfect Fit Earphones by the Swiss hearing aide manufacturer Phonak. While the quality sounded a little tinny for my taste, I enjoyed relaxing with the sound-silencing feature of the earphones themselves. I couldn’t hear the peep of my children’s voices (which might not always be a good thing) or my husband’s call to help him recycle the bottles. In a moment of relaxation, I liked how I could shut out the world for a song or two. It helped me regain my equilibrium. Most definitely a good time-out!