Love for Whitney

In the middle of running my lines, notes and staging for Obeah Opera (the production I've been incessantly posting and talking about), my thoughts pulled me away from that place and onto the death of Whitney Houston.

Wow. It took a couple days, but her passing is actually just hitting me now.  When a celebrity dies young, particularly female musicians, I selfishly begin to think of myself because I endeavour to be on a similar path.  Of course, I'm referring to their upward paths, not their downard spirals. So many bright & successful talents suddenly lose focus and sanity for reasons us 'regular' folk never seem to understand. Why is that? What happens? How does it happen? As an artist who's getting deeper into her purpose and expending more energy into the performance industry, I often stop and wonder about these things. If I could talk to the ghosts of Whitney Houston or even Amy Winehouse... what would they tell me to look out for? What would they warn me to steer clear of? Do they have any regrets about their success, or even their demise? Why did they die so young?

I'm trying to stay balanced, but being an artist is like jumping off a cliff. Meaning, something a 'normal' person wouldn't do voluntarily. As an artist, you pretty much sign up for financial and emotional instability. But the hardship is endured in exchange for a life of PASSION and PURPOSE! Sharing my soul through a talent I've been blessed and entrusted with is incomparable to any other feeling I've had in this world. Trust me. The rewards are as great as the challenges are steep - this is why artists do what they do. And why they'll risk almost everything else to continue doing it.

I just pray that as I continue to do, I won't forget to be. I endeavour to BE healthy, present and whole in mind, body and spirit. The more we take care of ourselves first, the more we'll have to give.

Whitney... thank you for sharing your heart and your gift with us. You sacrificed much and we love you for it, even if we didn't always extend that love to you when you needed it most.

Rest In Peace,

xox

The image that always comes to my mind when people say
 "Whitney Houston".  So beautiful... regal & serene:

One of many rich, authentic performances by this Goddess:

If you have never performed on stage before, watch her closely in this clip... imagine how it would feel to hold and deliver all that power to so many people. Incredible! She's sitting down and she's still sweating for God's sake! Just giving, giving, giving of her soul! I live for this!

PEACE at Home

I just made a "Tweet" about doing laundry and feeling blessed. Simultaneously. A seemingly insignificant triumph, but still a triumph after all.

I'm grateful for any moment of positivity these days. Not because these days have been especially hard, but especially challenging. There's a difference. I see "hard" as being something immovable. Frozen and without life. But through challenge, comes movement... comes growth... comes change. The letters are even embedded inside. Challenges bring forth change and I can feel myself going through a significant one right now. And I know this change will be a triumphant one.

I'm being pulled and stretched in rehearsals for Obeah Opera, the first professional theatrical production I'm having the pleasure of being involved in (when you have a moment, do click on the link, this opera is worth singing about). Like other musicals I've been in, there's vocals, dance steps & staging to learn but this production has called for much more. Because the story is based on true historical events and because that history is mine, makes for a heavy and steep learning curve that's difficult to bend around at times. But what amazes me, is that I do! With every curve, I'm sharpening my sword... preparing for battle... getting firm and ready to conquer the next challenge ahead.

With legwarmers and a pashmina as my armour, ginger tea in my flask and a 200-page score in my arms, I am a storyteller. And with some pain, I'm getting better at it every day, with every rehearsal. Shit, I'm getting pretty damn good :-). And it's even more amazing to watch it happening with everyone else in the cast as well.

I could say so much more, but I really am doing laundry.  It's my one day off this week from play rehearsals  and I'm appreciating the peace at home. I love a good challenge, but today I'm also gratefully embracing the familiar pauses in between. This... I know how to do :-).

Who's with me?

I got home from rehearsal a few heartbeats ago and I can't tell you how badly I want you to be apart of what we're creating.  The energy, the vibe, the MUSIC was all there... and all of it was in preparation for Thursday night's performance at "RAW", a monthly showcase at The Piston, 937 Bloor St West (Toronto). That's tomorrow, so break out those smart phone calendars and squeeze me in, loves :-).

I'm especially excited to share the debut performances of THREE new singles at this event: Do You Believe, Give Me Something (set to be released next month!) & Cross My Mind  (released Nov '11).


This month's edition of RAW features Jeremy Panda, Melissa Cameron & me with the band Thank The Academy feat. Mike McNeil on keys. The night kicks off at 9, I'm on after 10pm. Come, come, COME with us tomorrow! Let us take you places we've only just begun to discover ourselves.

See you there xox,

 ~Lisa Michelle

http://www.thisislisamichelle.com/

Happy New Year! (Yeah, I said it...)

I'm one of those people who believes it's perfectly acceptable to wish someone Happy New Year right until January 31st. So Happy New Year to you and yours, I pray that you are on the verge or in the midst of creating new and beautiful beginnings for yourself. Big and small.

As for me, I've already dived head-first into 2012, setting the stage for big things to happen in the coming months! I have three shows lined up this month, starting TONIGHT (Wednesday, January 11th) at The Smiling Buddha, 961 College St. It's for an event called Spotlight: A Night of Toronto Soul, hosted by singer/songwriter (and friend) Chattrisse. I'll be doing an acoustic set around 9pm with Dave Stone on Guitar & Chris A (aka Skillz3) on percussion. The vibe has been soooo good in rehearsals, I promise to bring it to the stage this evening. So come check us out!
Next up, I'll be hitting the stage for M-Factor at The Old Nick, 123 Danforth Ave on Monday, January 16th. No cover, just a night of more acoustic soul beginning at 7:30pm with Elana Harte and my set sometime around 9pm.

On Thursday January 26th, I'll be performing at an event called RAW at The Piston, 937 Bloor St West, put on by the amazingly talented singer & songwriter Melissa Cameron, who'll also be playing that night. I'll be blessed with my  FULL BAND that night, and they go by the name of Thank The Academy, with special guest Mike McNeil on the keys. When I've got all these talented boys around me, I get loud! So if you've only ever seen me perform in an acoustic setting and want to hear me scream, this is the show to be at.

February, I'll be M.I.A. as a solo artist, as I'll be joining the cast of OBEAH OPERA, a musical by Nicole Brooks. I'm SUPER excited about this as it's my first professional theatre performance, the cast is amazing and the story is going to be out of this world. Details are in my previous blog post.

So get ready for me, as I get ready for you. I hope to see you tonight... or next week... or whenever we can make time for eachother.

Love, blessings and creativity to you!

~Lisa Michelle

OBEAH OPERA

SO! As mentioned in a previous post, I've recently been cast in my first professional musical theatre production! I'll be part of the chorus in Nicole Brooks' Obeah Opera, presented by b current and Theatre Archipelago.

I attended my first workshop/rehearsal this past weekend where Ms.Brooks (the play’s creator) introduced us to fellow cast & crew members, shared the story and inspiration behind Obeah Opera and even sang through the entire first act so we could hear the music we’ll eventually be performing ourselves. Oh, and they served split pea soup & hot apple cider during the break. All VEGAN! I am home, lol.

I’m so grateful to be a part of a show with such a generous theatre company, brilliant creators and a colourful, talented cast of women! This includes celebrated songstresses Joni NehRita & Saidah Baba Talibah in starring roles. I am a HUGE fan of both of these ladies… such an honour to be placed on stage with them and the other artists I have yet to meet but have already heard so much about.

So let’s go! The play opens at 918 Bathurst in February 2012, but EARLY BIRD TICKETS are already on sale! You can pick yours up or read up on the play itself by going here: http://www.obeahopera.com/ .

Much love, and hope to see you in those seats!

xox

~LM
http://www.thisislisamichelle.com/

I Just Wanna Be...

Successful.

Damn. Don't we all wanna be successful? But I think we all want it in different ways. Some keep the bar low, some know that they're greatness is real and the sky's the limit. Wherever you set the bar, the truth is the bar doesn't exist.  The sky ain't even the limit to what you're capable of. But I digress.

It's so easy to forget how free we really are, and so we hold back our own dreams with fear and doubt in ourselves. I still have many fears about being successful, but I'm no longer ignorant of them. I've seen them for what they are and so now I can conquer them one by one.

I'm inspired by artists who've accomplished much for themselves, in the name of success... the good old-fashioned way too. Hard work. Dedication. Perserverance. Belief in one's self. And all for the sake of:
"Money. Money and the Cars. Cars and the Clothes... I suppose." - Drizzy. AKA Successful-M*tha-F*c*a

I hadn't really heard of Aubrey Graham as a rapper until the release of his hit single "Successful" with Trey Songz. So in my mind, this is the song that made this actor/singer/rapper blow up.

There's something about the way this track speaks to everybody. At first listen, you might shrug it off as another MC talking about all the superficial crap he wants to get his hands on. But when Drake says it, you realize the song is about you! We all want something (and probably, a bunch of somethings), and that includes the things we 'shouldn't' want. Like Money. Cars... clothes... power... sex... success. Right or wrong, if there is even such a thing, we all can relate to that on some level. On Successful, Drake told us he wanted it all, and how much he strived for it. He craved the good. The bad. The unknown. Just like the rest of us. Except, he got it.

Which is why this is still my favourite song by the Young Money millionaire, so many years and hit singles later (this track was released in 2009). It has all the elements; tight vocals (by both Drake and Songz), the right hook, percussion you can feel... and a music video with a badass quote on the last frame.

"Making your mark on the world is hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. But it's not. It takes patience, it takes commitment, and it comes with plenty of failure along the way. The real test is not whether you avoid this failure, because you won't. It's whether you let it harden or shame you into inaction, or whether you learn from it; whether you choose to persevere." - Barack Obama

So in some way, even Obama is on side with Drake's sentiments ;-). "Making your mark" and "Having it all" are synonymous phrases, to me. Just different ways to measure success.

Take it in:

 xox
~LM

"Cross My Mind" music video!!!

Hey family!

For once, I'll keep it short & sweet and just let the music and the images speak for themselves.

A huge THANK YOU to the song's producer and co-writer Silver Roland, and of course, my first ever video director, Francisco Fuentes (http://www.birdoproductions.com/). Yet another sweet, talented professional I had the pleasure of working with. I love my job! :-)


Here it is, "Cross My Mind":