Funny Business

In case, you were wondering, the ball in this shoe is Thatcher's Gobstopper which he temporarily put there so he could take a break and jump on the trampoline, then suck on it later.

Latest Funny Business:

1. During a recent funeral for Thatcher's pet mouse, Wheely, he stated in his eulogy, "He was like a brother to me."

2. Three more mice have been purchased and laid to rest since then.

3. Tripped on some steps on campus causing the contents of my backpack to scatter all over the ground, including feminine hygiene right at the feet of an innocent male passerby.

4. Had to return a bra to Target. The only clerk working was a 21 year old fumbling young man. "There's no price tag on this," he said, his voice cracking. "Could you go get me another one?" he asked as the bra trembled in his hands.

5. While using the bathroom, the phone rang. To my chagrin, Thatcher answered it. "My mom is on the potty. She can't talk to you right now." It happened to be the CEO of a major organization. Awesome.

TAXI!

I met singer-songwriter, Pitch, at the Taxi Road Rally

A week ago I came home digesting a multitude of thoughts from an educational feast at the TAXI Road Rally in Los Angeles. It took me nearly a week to get my groove back after which I attended yet another conference for women entrepreneurs (more on that soon!). If you are in the music industry, or are aspiring to be, I highly recommend the TAXI Road Rally. There were some great classes and some just so-so, but the real value lies in the networking. I met some fabulous people, and got invited to perform for some workshops by Ralph Murphy (VP of ASCAP).

I knew I needed to find a guitarist to play for me for Ralph's workshops, so I wandered on over to the open mic the first night there. After an hour of of scouting, I told myself I was going to bed if the next guitarist didn't knock my socks off. To my great fortune, the next guy was the Real McCoy and I nearly rushed the stage like a crazed teenager after he sang his song, "Skippin'."

Me and Pitch with VP of ASCAP, Ralph Murphy

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you "Pitch."

If I could bottle Pitch up and label the ingredients, it would say something like this:

23-year-old San Diego native, student at Berklee College of Music in Boston, 1/4 Japanese, fearless performer, big dreamer, creamy voice, follower of Christ, former Worship Leader for Presbyterian Church, "Christ the King," lives in the "Justice House of Prayer" in Boston, will always devote his life to Worship, mentor and advisor to students at Berklee, loves the women in his life (mom and grandmother).

Thanks for going out on a limb and collaborating with me at the rally, Pitch. Please enjoy this clip of Pitch singing "Skippin'" at the TAXI Road Rally 2009 (but please forgive my borderline offensive camera skills.)



Find Pitch on Twitter, Facebook and http://www.myspace.com/pitchmichael

Flexible

What's going on in this picture?

Looks sort of exciting, right?

This was a shoot I did back in March this year for KBYU television. The idea was to have children interview a professional about their career (that part was pre-taped) and then air it in between PBS Kids segments of Arthur, Word Girl, Angelina Ballerina, etc.

But, GUESS WHAT???

It never aired. It's not like I lost sleep over that, but I have scratched my head a few times, wondering what happened to that footage.

In fact, a flood of events come to mind of instances where I put my heart and soul into something much more emotional than the above scenario, only to later conclude that it just wasn't going anywhere. But now and again, I receive epiphanies from on high that make me realize that my efforts are not spent in vain. For example, this week I will be singing for the vice president of ASCAP. Over the last few years I've sung in the offices of record executives from labels like Columbia, Sony and Interscope. Those meetings eventually went nowhere. But the good news is, I'm not really that nervous to sing for the VP of ASCAP this week. I think I would be if I hadn't been put in those high pressure situations before.

My Aunt Rosemarie said to me a few months ago, "The key to happiness in life is flexibility." I could have kissed her when she said that. In fact, I think I did. Being flexible to whatever comes at you works wonders. So what kinds of things have you invested your whole self into, with little to no results? A relationship? A career path? A financial investment? I'm here to tell you: don't sweat it.

Your ability to be flexible with the outcome will always yield positive results in one form or another.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Love, The Gledhills

A Harvest of Good Times

Halloween is nigh and that means that Christmas will be here in a blink. We've been trying to make the moments last, but with every fluttering leaf, Fall fades from our view and will soon settle beneath the snow.

Here's how we've been celebrating the harvest:

Pumpkinfest!

Every year, my sister Jenny holds what we call the "Pumpkinfest" at her organic community garden in Sandy. I'm not sure if Marni (my oldest sister) got enough pumpkins.

Thatcher and I force a smile after spending over FOUR HOURS in the ER for stitches. That's what happens when I go to school and Thatcher attempts to carve a pumpkin with a butcher knife in secret. Nice.

Baby Emmit might get wheeled away and hucked in the back of Marni's FJ.


Goblin Valley!

What better way to start October than to go camping with all the boy cousins at Goblin Valley? The weather was perfect UNTIL it stormed and hailed that night and me and the boys piled in the back of the Jeep to wait it out until morning.

Once again, me and the Thatch Man force a smile. It was a long drive for a kid with stitches.


Scarecrow Extravaganza!

My mother-in-law loves Halloween more than life itself. Every year we craft scarecrows in our own likeness and plant them in the flower bed in her front yard. But wait, which of the scarecrows above are the Real McCoy?

C'est moi.

Happy Halloween!

Dreams Revisited

One of my dreams is learning how to record my own music. Learning how to work the console here with my friend Robby Sorensen.

A few weeks ago, I created a post about dreams and asked what things you have done to live out your dreams. The responses I got were so inspiring and I have been meaning to share them for a while.

Living out your dreams doesn't always feel like an amazing out of body experience. In fact, a lot of the process involves hard work and dedication. Hangups are part of the process and only exist to make us better. I think I've experienced a few of those recently. I have loved going back and reading your experiences. Enjoy:

Amber said...
I think the simple act of saying "yes" is often the hardest.
We said "yes" to moving overseas and now I get to live my dreams of learning intimately about other cultures, varied artwork from different influences and traveling. I get to ponder and absorb why things are the way they are for some people and not others. I get to learn new artforms I never imagined. I get to see the world, not through the eyes of someone else, but through my own. It really is a dream come true. All we simply had to do was say yes to begin with.
Initial commitments are always difficult, especially when you know that what is to follow is uncertain and unknown. Terra Incognita.

Stacey said...
I stepped into my dream 10 years ago with the birth of my first child. I know that sounds cliche, but my husband and I were not able to have children ( believe me we tried :) ) We accepted the simple fact that we would have to build our family differently than we thought. We said yes to adoption and yes to a young woman willing to place her child with us. Now after 5 children, all with loving birthmother's whom we accepted into our famiy, and 17 years of marriage, I am in the dream.
.
Gerb said...
As far as dreams go, I often live mine vicariously through others. I do not say this in a self-pitying sort of way. I truly enjoy seeing others step into their dreams. For now, I would agree with Stacey's comment and say that I AM living my dream - being a mother of many is something I have always dreamed of becoming and I have been more blessed than words can describe in that regard. I could go on and on but I will leave it at that.

liahonajourney said...
This summer, my mother shared a literal dream with me,that she had. She had a dream about a baby she miscarried before I was born. She shared with me that I was very close to this sister I never knew on earth. She discovered that I was watching in heaven as the doctor took the baby from my mother's womb.
Fast forward to now, and I discovered this very literal dream explains my strong desire to make birth peaceful and right, and sacred. I've always wondered just why I've been led to pursue birth work (at the expense of being misunderstood by a lot of people). I've wondered why God has led me along this path.
My mother's dream gave me a a little glimpse into the eternities, and helped me see that our lives, and dreams come from many sources. My mother's simple sharing, gave me a needed peace to continue living my dreams.

Bri said...
What has helped me realize my dreams is seeing others living theirs. You have been a huge influence with that. I remember before your last album came out that you were a little nervous stepping out of the box that others had put you in. And look at what came of it! Such beautiful and inspiring music. When I see others taking that kind of risk it energizes me and gives me the strength to jump out of my box!
So, last fall I did just that. I started writing. I never thought I would ever write a story because others told me that I wasn't capable. You know creative people can have their quirks and I am no exception. I see and experience and process the world a little differently than others. And some see that as a draw back, a challenge, but for us in the creative world it's a gift. It’s my gift and window to creation and expression. Well, here I am 120k words later and almost finished! And what motivated me was this realization: the only thing setting a published author apart from me was that they actually wrote something and finished it. They actually stepped up and out of their comfort zone and put themselves out there, literally. So I started one of the hardest and most rewarding journeys I have ever been on. I started typing and dreaming and typing some more.
Whether my writings get published or not isn't the point for me anymore (don't get me wrong, it would be wonderful). The point is that I did it. I jumped out of that box someone tried to cram me into and I have never been happier!

riamangum said...
My dream of overcoming the trials and adversity associated with bi-polar disorder is a courageous one. I am living that dream on a daily basis. With the assistance of a wonderful Dr. and useful medication I no longer condemn myself for being "different" but rather I am grateful for my unique challenge. I am creating the life I have imagined, constantly learning and growing as a result of the strength I have gained through my experiences.

Amanda Cooper said...
My dream has been to be a published author since age 14. Five years later, I'm getting closer by going to college and started my own blog about my writing. I took writing classes to improve my editing, and was glad to meet peole who loved the same thing as me. I'm writing almost everyday, and love the journey so far.

It Starts With a Song

Photo by Camilynne Photography

Last week, my friend Dan, who sits next to me in my Pro Tools class, pulled a CD out of his backpack. The CD, shiny and new, read It Starts With a Song.

"Hey, I think I'm on this CD," I said as he handed it over for me to review.

Sure enough, "You Don't Define Me" from my album Feather in the Wind was right there on the back cover. BYU decided to release a compilation CD of former students who have gone on to have "a career" in music. I left class that day somewhat amused as I asked myself, "What? What starts with a song? A seven year stint of local music that leads you right back to the classroom where you started? Ha."

As I stared into the bagel display case at the Twilight Zone on campus I pondered on my journey as a musician. Has it been worth it? Have I made much progress from where I first started? Just then, a familiar song came on over the loud speakers. It was "The Show" by one of my favorite artists, Lenka. In fact, I loved that song so much that several months earlier, I contacted the producer and asked him if he would work on my next album.

He said yes.

I took the synchronicity of hearing that song in that moment as a sign to rejoice in the fact that I have, in fact, made much progress since the first time I tried out for chamber choir in high school and did not make it. I didn't make the school musical either, nor Women's Chorus, nor Young Embassadors, nor the Music Dance Theater Program. Not even a fireside group called, "The Latter Day Sounds." (I am now somewhat relieved about that.) So I started to make my own music and write my own songs. Now I am on the cusp of working with several producers whom I really admire and no doubt this journey really did start with one little song.

Cool idea: This exercise comes from a book I love called, "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron. Think of five imaginary lives you would love to live and write them down. Choose a favorite and then start living it this week. What is one step you can take in that direction? It may be picking up your paintbrush, strumming your guitar, spending more meaningful time with your children, taking a dance class, or signing up with an intramural sports team. Don't wait to create a life you love living. Just that one step may lead to three or four more until you look back and realize a thousand steps later just how far you've come.