Wednesday, February 22 from 9:15-10pm: I’m very excited to be making my debut performance at The Ale and The Witch in downtown St. Pete!! Jayne Kelli is the host, and John Holt III is the featured artist of the evening. Music starts at 8:30. Look forward to hearing all original tunes from me for once!! 
Friday, February 24 from 8-11pm: The Tilted Kilt
Sunday, February 26 from 1-5pm: Cha Cha Coconuts
Humans have done a lot of amazing things to improve quality of life. On the long list of important accomplishments, technology now helps us avoid excessive physical activity. Because we are no longer required to exert physical energy to survive, we elect to do so. Thus was born the exercise video. Jane Fonda, of course, became the queen of exercise videos. My personal favorite was Disney’s ‘Mousercise.’ I’m not kidding. Anyway, there were many who tried to emulate Jane Fonda’s success (including, apparently, Mickey Mouse). Few saw such success. Cracked.com highlights the best of the worst exercise videos that have been released, and it made me laugh so hard that I wanted to share. If you are easily offended, please do not click over to Cracked.com.
So, when I went to New York City right out of high school, I did a lot of things wrong. I can say with certainty, however, that I did one thing right. I took vocal instruction for a time with Steve Sweetland. Looking back, I didn’t fully appreciate how valuable the instruction would prove to be. I believe that Steve taught me how to use my voice in such a way as to be able to sing 10 nights in a row with a band at varying nightclubs, to sing with a cold or bad allergies, and (years later without realizing it would be a benefit) to use my voice wisely when giving instruction in group fitness classes, all without losing my voice. Ever. In the last eight years, I cannot recall a time when I had to cancel a gig or class because I had no voice, and I credit that to Steve.
Recently, I was listening to NPR as I usually do (and on a separate note, I really need to start donating to NPR), and Fresh Air with Terry Gross was doing a piece on Seth MacFarlane, of Family Guy fame. I caught a part of the broadcast, enough to hear him mention a vocal coach with the last name “Sweetland.” Thinking it would be far-fetched that I would have had the same coach, I investigated further, only to discover that the same instructor I had the fortune of working with was in fact working with Seth MacFarlane, creator of one of my favorite television shows. Seth (Mr. MacFarlane?) was working with Lee and Sally Sweetland, Steve’s parents, who had the privilege to work with the likes of Frank Sinatra and Barbara Streisand. He also began working with their son, Steve. Here’s a link mentioning Steve specifically, and here’s a link about the Sweetland family.
Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who was able to come out to The Independent last night! I had an ABSOLUTE BLAST and it was so nice to see you all!! Let’s do that again soon 
More pictures, courtesy of After the Hours, after the jump… Continue reading
Here is a video shot November, 2010 at the Art Arbor Festival. Click the link for the video…
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