The tracks for the I am Galvanized Song of the Week come to you from Michael Zampelli who has been influential force in the Southern California music scene for more than 40 years and is the former owner of a well known import store called Zed Records of Long Beach. He continues to maintain a working knowledge of new music coming out of the U.K.
Zampelli is the official webmaster for the Los Angeles Kings hockey club and maintains the on-line community for Kings fans worldwide at www.letsgokings.com .
Several years ago I wrote a blog titled “Consequences of a Music-Less Life“. It was about what happened to my life when I stopped listening to music and spent all of my mental energy on getting through college.
Since that time I’ve read articles and listened to podcasts from people all around the world who are discussing the healing power of music. This week I came across a video titled “Alive Inside”, it’s about the transformation elderly, seemingly comatose hospital patients made simply as a result of listening to their favorite songs on an iPod. Check it out, it’s pretty inspiring.
On Sunday I ran a 5k for the first time in my life. I didn’t train for it specifically outside of my usual warrior workouts with Signal Hill Personal Trainer, Jaiya Figueras, yet I finished #8 in my age category and #116th overall at an event with 948 registrants.
I believe the reason I can run the way I do with no prior experience or inclination toward athletics is because of the hard and heavy music I listen to. I literally lock into the beat and run as if I’m dancing and quite frankly, I have fun.
Since fitness is a way to attain physical and mental health, I’m all for finding ways to make it fun and enjoyable. Not everyone will like the music on this mix while sitting at their computer working, but try listening when you drive, walk or run and see what happens to your feet..and your hips.
If you like any of the tracks on this mix you can buy them on iTunes. Click below to listen to samples.
This mix is heavily influenced by Chase and Status and UK Dubstep.
P.S. The 5k event raised a total of $68,350.64 for BeTheMatch. Woo Hoo!
Last week I wrote about how I was “in the flow” and I guess this week I’d have to say I’m dancing with life. It is incredible to me how much music and dance stuff is literally coming to me with no effort whatsoever.
Music and dance have always been vital passions for me but I never pursued either in any serious manner. I didn’t even consider it because my own fears and personal limitations prohibited me from doing so. These fears and irrationalities were fueled by the restrictive, cult-ish Jehovah’s Witness beliefs instilled in me from age 5-16.
As the fear and limitation are lifted, music and dance automatically return to me and lately with increasing strength and frequency. With the return of dance and music is the return of love and freedom. A reconnection with the real me.
I give partial credit for this reconnection to Native-American ballet dancer, Jock Soto. I ordered his book Every Step You Take from Amazon because I thought it would be fun to read a story about a dancer for a change.
It’s a marked difference from the volumes of self-help, spiritual and psychological texts I’ve read over the last couple of decades. But I’ll be damned if Jock Soto’s book wasn’t filled with as many personal epiphanies for me as reading A Course in Miracles. In fact, I think there is a fishy conspiracy going on to make sure I reconnect with my Self even when I’m trying not to.
P.S. It is a lot easier to read now that I have my glasses. Couldn't resist showing off the new look.
The book is a fun read and Soto’s writing style is so personal that it’s impossible to peruse without also reliving memories like hula-hooping, roller skating, living on an Indian Reservation and having mixed feelings and thoughts about my family.
I wonder how is it possible to feel such a strong connection to a gay, male, Native-American ballet dancer? How is it that since I picked up this book a whirlwind of events have happened that are all somehow tied to dance? Why is it that Soto spent more time writing about his relationship with his parents and breaking tradition with culture than he did about dance? How is it that my seemingly random decision to get a book about a dancer is so personally relevant to nearly every aspect of what is going on in my life lately? I don’t know but I’m just going to keep paying attention and flowing with life.
What I do know is that part of dancing with life is acknowledging the people who have floated in and out over the past few years. For example, Ty (former lead ‘dancer’ in Ty and the Savvy Soul Sisters). If it wasn’t for him I never would have learned about things like Paul Mooney, Richard Pryor and Whoopi Goldberg. I never would have gone to see Joan Rivers A Piece of Work at the Art Theatre then to coffee at Hot Java afterwards to talk about Puleza and Galvanized.
It was then that Ty planted the seed that Puleza is the “funny one” and I should develop her character. I was resistant then but after playing Lucy a couple of weeks ago I see exactly what he’s talking about. If it wasn’t for Ty I wouldn’t have performed during open mic night at Agua y Viento. Ty drove from the valley to Long Beach to support me and it was then that I began to break the ice that kept me frozen for more years than I can count.
Since Ty is the one who said Puleza is funny and since he has a great sense of humor and great taste, (okay, okay…since he’s gay!) I called and asked for advice as to how I can best portray Puleza. By the time we got off the phone, he had loaded up his flash drive with 500 songs to send me via FedEx and he was ordering videos on Amazon that I MUST watch.
I believe Harlem Nights is on the list and I just got Boomerang with Eddie Murphy in my mailbox yesterday. As I type this, I’m hearing the smooth yet powerful sounds of Leela James for the first time in my life. Thank God for friends who have an ear and an eye out for me. This video really captures the way I feel and have felt about music since I was a little girl.
So, I’m dancing with life. I appreciate it. I embrace it. I smile about it and then:
**I get an e-mail from Rick Jones. He wanted to tell me about a George Benson concert he went to and a quote he saw in the liner notes of the CD by keyboard player David Garfield
“Music connects all of us on our Spiritual Journey. It nourishes our souls and joins our spirits with Love.”
Music= Peace= Love= Spirit=Soul I thought that was deep!!! Best Wishes
**I get a message from Kennetha Morris, a friend I met at Agape Toastmasters who currently dances for K.C. and the Sunshine Band but is also in the process of finding her voice as an artist in her own right
**My friend Pauline invites me to see Hairspray, the musical comedy
**My friend Ahman has an “ah-ha” moment and wants me to correograph a dance about love for Jr. Church
**I get home from church and I hear Live at the Apollo (Remastered 1962) – James Brown for the first time in my life. I am floored.
**Someone refers a client to me and they are a dancer
and the list goes on and on.
That’s just this week.
Who knows what will happen next.
But here’s what happened on Saturday. Cynthia Lamb and I jumped on the MetroRail and went to Staples Center for the Los Angeles Kings game. It was a TON of fun. And yes, when they turned on the “dance cam” Cynthia Lamb and I shook our booties and waved our flags the entire time. Unfortunately, we didn’t capture that on video, but here is a view from our seats so you can get a feel of the grandior and buzz of a hockey game.
This is a calm moment, as soon as something exciting happens like a goal or a hip check, the entire crowd ruptures into oohs and ahhs, grunts, groans and formal complaints. It’s one of my favorite highs in life.
(Listen to bits of James Brown at the Apollo live in iTunes by clicking on the tiny play buttons below)
By the way, the Puleza Payne performance that I mentioned in last week’s post has been rescheduled but once I do it there will be video and I’ll let you know how it goes. If you’re out there reading, let me know by leaving a comment, clicking “like” or sharing with friends.
I can see clearly now the rain has gone. I can see all obstacles in my way. Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind. It’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright) Sun-Shiny day
This week I went to the optometrist, got an eye test and ordered new glasses. The Dr. said that just about everyone ends up in his office by their mid-40′s so I guess I’m right on schedule.
After the appointment I was talking with my husband about how in your mid-40′s is also when you begin to see clearly. I clearly see that most of the stuff I made important in life up to this point was utter nonsense. From here forward, it’s all about the love.
This week I had some incredible conversations with family members and its obvious that we all have a few things in common. We’ve all had periods of life where we distanced ourselves from family and periods where we were close. We’ve had times when we disliked and disowned one another and we’ve all realized that we can’t change the past and holding on to it is a big waste of time.
I, for one am done.
I am especially “done” with people pleasing. Whoa, what a prison sentence that was. All I can say is “free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty I’m free at last.” So free in fact that I was able to sit down and create a music mix that I originally conceptualized several years ago. I think part of the reason I was not able to do it prior to now is fear but the fear is gone. Which makes me think of The Thrill is Gone by BB King. Music like this will make your cares and worries seem like distant memories.
The mix I’m creating is called Mystics on the Loose. I’m not ready to reveal it yet but it is my attempt at a sort of symphony/soundtrack of love, unity, spoken word and being powered from within. As I listen, and create I am reminded and I am inspired to live a life that is powered from within. It seems like a minute to minute process that is well worth the awkwardness and unfamiliarity because it is seeped in adventure.
Last week, I had the adventure of singing with kids in the youth ministry and there will be some more music and dance related fun coming out of that soon. Tomorrow I have the adventure of being Lucy in the I Love Lucy speech contest. I’ll be in wig and costume and playing alongside my friend Cynthia Lamb who will take on the role of Ethel. I’ll share any photos or video in next weeks blog.
Peace One Day will take place this coming Thursday, September 21 so I watched the video about it twice this week while I showed to students in my classes at Long Beach City College.
Some of these students and I are going to choose peace by finding peace within ourselves and choosing not to engage in fear-based thinking and behavior such as jealousy, pettiness, envy, criticism, sarcasm, put-downs, etc. For extra credit they can write a paper about what it was like to “keep the peace” all day long and then present their story to the class.
Music seems to be the driving force behind many non-violent writers and poets. Yesterday, my Savvy Soul Sister, Victoria Reynolds sent me this video about Hip Hop and Rap music as a way to spread unity and a non-violent lifestyle.
Below is an interesting glimpse at the underground lifestyle that has driven an International movement to use Hip Hop as a vehicle for change for more than 35 years.
I have believed for many years that music can be a powerful way to unite people. I’ve been to over 1,000 live music shows and there’s something magical that happens when you get a crowd of people together to listen and dance to live music.
I continue to find myself drawn to music as a form of stress relief, creativity and self-expression. This week I made a mix of songs that I’ll call “Settling the Debt” Celebration Mix. If you want to have fun, blow off steam or listen to tunes that will inspire you while you workout, check out this mix. You can also buy any of the songs on the list by going to the iTunes playlist below and clicking on the song you like. The songs with an * next to them are not available on iTunes.
Tracklist:
“Settling the Debt” Celebration Mix
U Don’t Know Me by Basement Jaxx
The Melee off The Mix-Up by the Beastie Boys
*Tokyo Dawn by Doc Scott
*Ohtone zukiyo by Club Nisei off Japanese Music of Hawaii
Don’t Let The Man Get You Down by Fatboy Slim
Licking Stick by James Brown
Assasinator by Meat Beat Manifesto
Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin
Hands Off She’s Mine by The English Beat
I Don’t Know (Live) by Naked Raygun
New Rose by The Damned
Sex Beat by Gun Club
Shake Your Groove Thing by Peaches and Herb
Come On In Out Of the Rain by 12 Rounds
Heavy (Chase and Status vs. Dizzee Rascal)
On My Radio by The Selecter
Galvanize your mind with this Don’t Hold Back music mix. This music will take you on a journey from hope to despair and from realization to inspiration. You’ll dance, you’ll sing and you’ll start thinking about things you haven’t thought of for a long time. You’ll think of them in a new way and it will be fun! So pick a time when you are free to let your cares and worries go and let the music do the talking.
Sorry for any inconvenience, but the first 1:30 is dead air. You can fast forward by clicking on the progress bar then enjoy 70 minutes of musical chairs for the mind.
The I am Galvanized song of the week comes to you from Michael Zampelli. Zampelli has been influential force in the Southern California music scene for more than 40 years and is the former owner of Zed Records of Long Beach. He continues to maintain an interest in new music coming out of the U.K.
