Tuesday, October 26, 2010

IN MY LIVING ROOM™

















Our next IN MY LIVING ROOM™ salon is being combined with our annual DAY AFTER THANKSGIVING party.....Jami will be home...she'll be the boss of the kitchen and it will be truly time to celebrate!!!

Quite an evening...Argentinian, Brasilian, Spanish, Barbershop Quartet, Classical, R&B, Pop Musicians, Composers, Writers, Story Tellers, Comedians, Artists, Actors, Triangle Players, people who want to eat, drink and be merry..people who like to cook...people who just want to chat, listen, sing along and have fun! In My Living Room Friday, November 26th, 4:00PM address given 2 weeks prior to event providing you RSVP

If you'd like to perform, please make sure it's LIVE unless you're singing to track.

If you're not on the invitation list, please ask if there's a space for you. This fills up very quickly.

©2010 Rebecca Dru All Rights Reserved

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Check out my guest blog contribution on FIVE SCRIBE: TAKE BACK YOUR POWER

I say it every day....”Take back your power!”. As artists, we give it up so easily. We bow down to authority. We think we’re not worthy and we allow others to disrespect us. So I’ll say it again....shouting it louder...”Take back your power”....find your sense of self....set boundaries and TELL people what you want.

It seems to me as artists, we have two different arenas in which to take back our power… the creative and the market place.

In terms of the creative arena, your instincts are your talent...they’re all you’ve got. Trust them.

As far as the business.... you can’t take things personally. Remember everyone’s brain is wired differently...people don’t necessarily think like you do. We have expectations that one can read our mind (or our novel or our screenplay) and that we all do things the same way. We don’t. It’s not just about men and women being from different planets....everyone is. You can say something 1000 different ways before the other person gets it...but eventually, if you stick with it, they will.

Find the humor... .don’t take things so seriously...take responsibility for that which is yours and put the rest back on the other person. Remember that when an editor or publisher doesn’t shower attention on you or show you respect, it may have nothing to do with you..and usually doesn’t...you just happened to be with them in an inopportune moment.

Think about the people on your creative and professional team. Do they enrich your creative process.... what is your purpose for pursuing them?

Why do you get upset when they’re not available to you...who are they to you? If they’re really someone worth keeping on your team, then start developing communication skills. It’s vital for a successful business partnership that you tell them what you want and expect from them. If they’re not someone that gives depth and meaning to your life; to your career; to your creative process - if the feeling isn’t mutual...let them go...clean house.

Speak up! Find a way to talk to your agent, manager, publisher or editor about what is okay and what is not. Don’t go in there and squirm....Take notes...create bullet points, take a deep breath and get oxygen into your brain, stand up strong and say what you need to say in an intelligent articulate emotionless manner. The people who take risks in life are the ones who get what they want.

Take Back Your Power.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Bucket List?

Today...I had a private lesson with the lovely and brilliant Wendy Hammers. As an opening exercise...she asked me to write a "bucket list". That was going to be a tough one for me.... I don’t have a bucket list...I don’t know that I believe in them....because I like to live my life that if today were my last day here on earth I am complete. Is there anything I feel missing in my life.... anything I haven't accomplished to make my life full? I love my life...I have everything I could ever want and should I leave....the only thing I can think of missing would be my heart....would be the people I carry in it... I would miss being able to wrap my arms around love....

I’ve traveled to the places in the world I wanted to see.....sure there are always more...but how many beaches.... how many cities... buildings... cultures ... food... can one experience before you realize you have everything that you want inside of you.

I used to dream of singing with a full orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl... I've stood on that stage over a dozen times and looked out at the audience..during one of my husband's rehearsals or before one of his concerts...and now....I don’t care anymore. There isn’t too much more that I want...because truthfully...what I wanted most in my life was love...and I have that...my heart is full.