Pushing Limits
Why do I take on projects that seem insurmountable, and are going to push the limits of who I am as an artist and a person, and probably cause stress in my marriage and relationships? Because, I care deeply about the potential in people to be inspired. By stretching myself to the limits, I can reach that part of me I never knew was there, and share that with the world.
Memory of a Cosmic Heart started out as an intimate idea between Rob Jacobs and myself. Rob approached me about 12 years ago wanting to collaborate on creating some spiritual music together. Month after month we got together, for years. In fact if I was not staying true to the schedule he would contact me with stern reminders.
I would bring melodies (ditties) on a mini cassette player that we would review. Then Rob would pull out a pencil and start writing out the songs we were molding on sheet music. This process went on and off for ten years. We worked with Bill Brendle, then James Raymond who would disappear as they left to go on tour for months and years, or just got busy so we looked for other producers, without success.
Then Rob had a stroke and an urgency rose up in me to take the mantel and finish the record. When I met Montana Jose the DJ, producer and owner of Whack family Records, I was almost at my wits end, but his excitement and ambient remixes of the songs lit a fire under me. The realization kicked in that there was something larger going on here. While mixing the music together in GarageBand, the title of the project came to me as well as a story about about a daughter of the sun who is born as a human and her quest to return to home. Then in my mind’s eye I saw the live performance art piece on stage.
Rob was not happy when award winning, grammy nominated talent wanted to be a part of the music, because it was raising the budget, a lot! It made me nervous too, but I had a gut feeling this was the way to go. I felt spirit pushing me when I wanted to hold back.
In the 80’s I created a subway poster for the School of Visual Arts of an angel (her wings were made of paint palettes) painting a window on a cell wall. The tagline which was written by Dee, Marshall Arisman’s wife said, “A GREAT IDEA, IS JUST AN IDEA, UNTIL YOU MAKE IT REAL”
That’s me, over and over again.
The crowd funding campaign for Memory of a Cosmic Heart, begins, May 1.