Walk Journal ~ October 22 & 23

Yesterday's blue skies were a clear invitation to get out.  Just before the 2-mile mark, I posted the day's walk photo on Facebook, saying something like "The lake is drained ... I'm sure that's a metaphor for something."  It's probably more accurate to say the lake is lowered.  It's lowered every few years to give homeowners the opportunity to fix their lakewalls and docks.  It's had me thinking about being drained though.  

Drained is often how I felt all the years I spent being unhealthy.  It started before divorce during the lonely married years and continued afterwards.  I don't know how women cope after divorce if they have no family or no family nearby.  Raising kids alone isn't easy.  Making every decision, not having a ready sounding board, second guessing actions you've taken--it's all draining.  I was so fortunate to have my parents to help me.  But there were days I'd get home from work and running young kids to and from activities and stand in the kitchen completely unable to figure out what to make for dinner.  Although it should have been a simple one, it was just one decision too many.

I'd walked from the lake over to the river.  It, too, is looking drained.  I can't think when we last had a good rain.  I can't remember the river ever being this low.  I walked to the center on the dry, rocky riverbed to take a couple of pictures.  It was a strange feeling to be in that spot.  I've want to get into the river for over a year.  I always say I'm going to do it on August 28.  I supposed I should be happy that the river is so low heading into winter and snow season.  It will greatly reduce the chance of flooding during spring rains and runoffs.  If you've visited this space previously, you'll remember that this river, now my friend and confidant, invaded my home on August 28, 2011, overflowing her banks because of Tropical Storm Irene.  Losing so much in a few short hours, the subsequent cleaning, demolition, renovation and refurnishing was a draining process.  Come to think of it, the drains on the lower level of the house flowed in reverse that day due to pressure on the sewer system.  Drains.

It was such a pretty day and I'd started out early so was able to visit the pond too.  We must have hit peak leaf season this week.  There are still leaves above, clinging to their branches but lots of leaves are below too, providing a soft, mottled carpet for guests.  I'd left under brilliant blue skies but when I emerged from the woods, it was dusk.  I walked the rest of the way home under lamplight.  It was a 7-mile day.

A mailbox is all that's left of this address.

Today's skies are less clear and the temperature has dropped substantially but I talk myself into a quick hour of my walking workout.  Today I choose Riverside Drive to lead me out of the neighborhood.  They've begun taking down the houses.  Houses that were devastated during Irene--much more so than was mine.   It's sad to see them go.  I'm struck by how small the parcels of land appear now without their homes centered in them.  There are more slated to come down.  It seems to be taking a long time but I suppose, like all things involving government, buying unwanted properties takes some time.  I find myself wondering about these families again.  Where have they gone?  Have they made out all right?  There are no plans to replaces these houses.  These places will become catch basins, rain gardens and other man-made "natural" drainage aids. They're designed to drain the excess water away or absorb it, I suppose.  This is supposed to help the rest of us when the river is knocking at our doorsteps.  Irene wasn't the first time the river had flowed into my house.  It was just the deepest visit.  So better drainage around the neighborhood should help.  That's the theory.  Draining can be helpful, I suppose.

I'd intended to only walk around downtown but the drizzle had stopped so I headed off toward the pond again.  It's such a peaceful place.  The geese are here almost year 'round now.  A lot of people don't like them but I think they're beautiful.  They're very clannish and look after one another so well.  In the spring the young families are really something to watch.  The parent geese are so patient with their offspring, waiting for them to catch up and nudging them into the water.  I circle quickly around and head for home.  It's a 4-mile day today.

It's good to be back on track.  The last month of excuses and inattention to healthy habits was draining.  Making good food choices and journaling, planning ahead for healthy meals and exercise:  It's a lot of work--but it's far less draining.

~~~

Playlist for these walks:

Todd Carey Nintendo

and my lifeline:  Gavin DeGraw.  The new album may be some of his best work.  Here's one:  Finest Hour

95.5 WPLJ streaming John Fox and Ralphie Aversa

Walk Journals ~ Mid October

It's been an astoundingly beautiful autumn week on the East Coast.  Clear and warm, nearly cloudless skies and barely a breeze.  Perfect weather for walking!  

On this particular day I head west but take a minute to veer off into the park just before I hit the one mile mark.  A boy is fishing with his grandfather although the river is so low, I can't imagine there are any fish near the river's edge where he's dangling his line.  Climbing down the bank, I find myself standing on the rocky riverbed, usually a foot or two under water.  It's a different perspective and feels odd knowing the water would ordinarily be over my knees here.  It's almost like a beach and I think I'd like to return with a book and a chair and just relax in this quiet, hidden place that not very many people take the time to notice.  I almost never venture into this part of the park although it's very pretty here.  It's not on the way to anywhere ... and I guess that's a kind of metaphor ... mostly we stay on a path to somewhere.  But sometimes it's good to just pause for a moment in a spot that isn't anywhere in particular--a spot where we can just acknowledge knowing that it's there, there to be enjoyed and appreciated.

But the point of these walks is to keep going and to keep a pretty fast pace at that.  So I get back on the road and head over to Cedar Lake.  I've started out early enough on this day and there's still plenty of sunlight and the sky is a brilliant blue.  The leaves have not yet reached their peak although there are plenty that have already fallen, crunching beneath my feet.  Cedar Lake is a natural lake whereas the other lake, Indian Lake, where I also put in a lot of miles is man-made.  You can't tell this difference unless Indian Lake has been lowered which it is at this time.  Lowered purposely so that homeowners can repair their lakewalls and docks.  The lowered lake reveals well rotted tree stumps that were cleared when the lake was created for the enjoyment and recreation of the City folks who summered "out in the country" once upon a time.  The vivid red maple reflected in the glass-like waters of Cedar Lake really held my attention as I walked alongside the small sandy beach on this day.

Emerging from the Cedar Lake community I turn south on the road toward town again but as almost always, head into the nature reserve to spend a few quiet minutes in the woods.  The setting sun is always brilliant back here where the pond flows into a natural wetland.  Back in the spring, I'd seen a beaver swimming toward me in the water.  I've looked for him almost every day that I've walked here since, but he's not surfaced again for me and it's possible he was just passing through; another creature on his way to somewhere else.  But there are red-wing blackbirds, turtles and frogs, dragonflies galore, and my heron spent a lot of time back here in the summer.  The swans haven't returned yet so I know that there is plenty of warm weather to be savored in the weeks ahead.  They'll be back for a week or two just ahead of the cold on their way south.  We must be the halfway point on their journey south.  There are paths in the woods back here that very few people know about.  I'm always alone while I make my way on footbridges and pick my way between roots and rocky outcroppings.  It's still so green ... with sage-colored ferns and chartreuse mossy places that seem to invite you to sit quietly for a while.  That's when I turn off the walking apps to rest and enjoy the stillness for five or ten minutes.

The edges of the pond were decorated with water lilies all summer long.  They were the run-of-the-mill native species with smallish white flowers but were lovely nonetheless and provided resting places for dragonflies and frogs. My living Monet ... that's how I've always thought of this watery landscape.  They've disappeared now for the season. Without the quilt of lily leaves, I'm able to notice the less showy yet delicate spikes of wetland grasses that border the shore of the pond and provide a frame for the ever-changing reflection.  The rosy brick walls of the middle school across the street from the park always have a softer glow in the water than the hard angles and jutting wings of the building actually reveal once you reach street level again.

And it's at street level that I find myself once again with nearly four miles behind me at this point.  The light is getting dimmer and the rush-hour traffic heavier as I make my way into town.  My troublesome knee is feeling fantastic on this day and I'm actually picking up speed with each succeeding mile so I head over to McCarter Park to visit with the river some more.  This is my favorite place, maybe in the world.  My thinking place ... although I'm generally thinking my way through all these miles.

To finish off this day's workout before heading for home, I do a loop of downtown, down Bloomfield Avenue and then up Broadway.  I resist window shopping so as not to slow my good time down.  I never bring any cash on these walks, thank goodness, otherwise I'd be tempted to duck into that new beignet shop which I've been dying to try or into Sweet Expressions for a couple chocolate covered strawberries.   The drama of the final streaks of setting sun make the point at Broadway and Bloomfield is enough of a treat.

One last pass up Broadway to the point at Bloomfield from the opposite direction.  An almost-full moon is rising in the twilight sky.  It's been nearly two hours.  I'm still well off the times I was posting during the spring and summer.  There's still no running.  I've tried.  But I can tell it would be completely foolish to allow that much pressure just now.  I'm content to be out here, moving at the speed I'm able.  Being forced to slow down is not such a bad thing.  How else could I have seen the cenotaph pointing to the moon with the silvery showers of the tulip fountain shining in the foreground.  It's a painting.  It's a poem.

~~~

Playlist for Tuesday, October 15:

It's release day.  At 12 AM this morning I was downloading the new Gavin DeGraw record, Make A Move, along with 75 or so of my twitter friends.  We've been listening all day in between our working hours and other chores of the day.  But I've had this luxurious 2-hour walk--enough time to hear the music nearly four times through.  

Charity Miles for this walk:  Walking for the Wounded Warrior Project at least through Veteran's Day.  A 7-mile day (Map My Walk)

 

Concert Diaries ~ Chapter 17: Tyler Hilton

I've written in the past how finding one musician you like can lead to finding another one and then another.  Sometimes your favorite musician tells you who he's listening to and you check out that artist (how I heard Hiliary Williams) and sometimes someone you've met because of the music shares his or her favorites with you (how I first heard Tyler Hilton--thanks JM!)

Tyler Hilton in the role of Chris Keller, One Tree Hill

Do you know Tyler Hilton?  Maybe you were a fan of One Tree Hill, the television show, and enjoyed his performances in the role of Chris Keller.  Or maybe you're a Johnny Cash fan so you saw his portrayal of Elvis Presley in the biopic, Walk the Line.  He played Murphy Bivens in Charlie Bartlett.  He's an actor.  And a singer.  And a songwriter.

One of the things that these singer/songwriters who capture my attention have in common is that they're all generous and have espoused certain causes and/or charities.  Gavin DeGraw does a lot of outreach in the Veteran community and has championed the reduction of malaria in sub-Sahara Africa (a favorite cause of mine from 'way back).  Michael Franti started the Do It For the Love Foundation which brings the joy of live music to terminally ill patients.  Tyler Hilton has taken on the cause of literacy in areas that lack for funding.  He visited a school in New York this year that had been hard hit by Hurricane Sandy and brought books that had been donated through his foundation.  This attribute of generosity and the propensity for giving back and involving fans in these worthy causes make these folks even more attractive to me.

This was my second Tyler Hilton show.  I'd seen him back on a cold and windy night in January at the Gramercy Park Theater.  He shared the bill with Teddy Geiger and Ryan Cabrera that night and Rebecca Perl opened (I hope to hear her again live some day).  Tyler's warmth and energy were impressive that night.  I'd already found his music and lyrics irristable and I came away from that night an even bigger fan.

This time around I signed on for a VIP meet and greet as well as the concert.  It's an opportunity to hear the music up close and personal and meet the artist.  I like having the opportunity to tell musicians who really mean a lot to me how much their music has enhanced my life.  Tyler Hilton falls into that category.  He, or more accurately, his music, accompanied me on a lot of my walks last year, helped me dance again in the living room and encouraged me to get my health back on track.

The concert was at a restaurant in Teaneck, Mexicali Live, and the meet and greet was to have been there as well.  But the day before the show, I received an email that the private preshow location had been changed and was being kept a secret until just before the performance.  I'd receive another email in the morning with instructions as to where to meet Tyler.  Strange.  I started feeling a little nervous about this concert adventure.

Sure enough, Sunday morning I received a second email instructing me to go to the Starbucks in Englewood.  Starbucks?  Just a regular old, one-on-every-corner Starbucks?  I assumed they'd rented the whole place out for us.  But no, when I finally arrived (after a tense 30 minutes of being lost because I failed to trust the GPS) I could see that it was like every other Starbucks you've ever been to with people attached to their laptops and iPads, couples and little groups scattered about.  Over in the corner was a group of young women--teenagers and 20-somethings.  One of them, an older one, was "taking attendance."  I gave her my name and stood apart from the little crowd, thinking I am so out of my demographic and wondering what in the world I had been thinking, wishing for the umteenth time that I had a concert buddy nearby.

Tyler called in.  Oddly enough, he and Dion Roy, were lost too.  In Newark.  His street team put him on speaker and we listened to him tell us to sit tight and he'd be there soon.  And he was.  He strode into the Starbucks with his guitar, Dion with him, unpacked quickly while chatting with about 15 or so young women and one middle-aged one (and one or two mom-drivers of the very young groups of girls).  

He could play at my Starbucks sometime ...

Tyler has a strong, beautiful voice and played a couple of new songs for us.  Lots of people don't like new music.  They want old, familiar tunes that they can sing along to.  I do too but I also love it when an artist shares new material.  I think it's a privilege to be among the first to hear a new creation.  These new songs were really beautiful--ballads, the type of thing I could listen to all night.  I hope he's working on a new album and that these songs will be on it.

The crowd that happened to be in Starbucks that night really got lucky.  Although curiously, some never even looked up and I wondered if recording artists dropping by and playing were a regular thing.  After all, a recording artist happens to be seen around my town quite a lot.  But he lives here.  And we try to give him his privacy when he's out.  (Like Monday afternoon, when I saw him emerge from Subway.)  But back to Sunday night...  Tyler chatted some more and then played a cover of a song from Keith Urban's new album.  Cop Car was written by a friend of his, Sam Hunt, and he performed it so well.  I think he wanted to play more but because of the late arrival, it was almost time to move to the next venue.  Tyler signed CD's (Live from Atlanta) for everyone, took his time chatting with each person and patiently posed for pictures.  Then it was off to the restaurant.

Just a short drive away, I found Mexicali Live with no problem.  It's a restaurant with a decent size stage.  There are tables upstairs and down and a small bar.  I took a table downstairs, feeling guilty for taking a 4-top but the 2-tops were all taken and, of course, experienced my usual "table-for-one" problems.  No, I'm not waiting for anyone.  Yes, I'm here by myself.  When the waitstaff finally realized I was there, though, they couldn't have been nicer.  Eventually, I ordered dinner (steak salad was really good) and a beer.  Looking around, I was relieved to see I wasn't the oldest one in the room anymore but the over 40's were still clearly the minority.  I didn't catch the name of the young woman singing on the stage--she'd already started when I came in.  She was okay and did a number of Ed Sheeran covers and some original songs.  Dion Roy came out and sang a few songs from his album including my favorite, Daughter--just a gorgeous piece of music and the lyric is what every parent wishes they'd written for his or her own child.  I wished his set had been longer.

My table for one.

Tyler's hour-long set included all my favorites, a couple of songs I didn't know, the Keith Urban cover again, his outstanding cover of Rihanna's Stay (which I swear he does better than she).  He gave us Kicking My Heels, Jenny--my very favorite, When the Stars Go Blue (from One Tree Hill) and California.  Someone asked him if the guitar he was playing was Hayley James (that's an inside One Tree Hill reference) and he replied with a funny story about that guitar.  He talked about writing in Nashville and how much he loved being there to write.  There's that Nashville thing again ... I will see (and hear) for myself in May ...

There was more singing, more of my favorites like Prince of Nothing Charming until he finally ended with Loaded Gun.  That's a loaded song.  It always makes me run a little faster when it shuffles its way into my workout.  It was the perfect ending for this intimate show.

Mingling with fans buying CD's, posters and more (yes, I have another new shirt), he was generous with autographs and kind, appreciative words for everyone.  It was such a fun night; both Tyler and Dion Roy are wonderful entertainers and I hope they get back this way again soon.  Watch for them both in your town and then go ... you won't be disappointed.

~~~

Favorite Tyler Hilton songs:

Jenny - from Scala in London (the second night at Scala, my brother had attended the performance the evening before)

Leave Him - live at the Rockwood in New York, small intimate and red (it's really red there, I always get distracted by that when I'm there)

Loaded Gun - This is taken from the finale of One Tree Hill.  Tyler's character on OTH was sort of obnoxious, nothing like him.  There was no crowd surfing Sunday night! And if you watch that last episode of OTH, you'll also see performances by Gavin DeGraw.

Stay - cover of Rihanna hit.  I like his interpretation so much better.

Tyler Hilton Books for Kids

Dion Roy's Daughter is such a beautiful, emotional song. I hope my own daughter will want it played at her wedding some day.

Original Influences ~ Make A Move

Although this much-anticipated record from my favorite singer-songwriter, Gavin DeGraw, isn't quite out yet (Tuesday is the official "drop" day), thanks to VH1 we've been treated to the full album streaming on the web.  Watching the twitter discussions, reading blog posts and reviews, I've had a few thoughts of my own and I've decided to share them here.  140 characters isn't getting it done this week.

I love this album.  Yes, I suppose it's somewhat of a departure for him but I hear his voice--his unique, original voice--all through it.  Here are my brief gut responses to the new songs:

Best I Ever Had ~ Since this has been out since early summer, it's well-known to us already.  This has definitely been my 2013 summer jam and the live performances of it were amazing.  Makes me smile every time.

Make a Move ~ Also performed throughout the summer tour this feels, to me, like a light-hearted sexy invitation with only one possible response.

Finest Hour ~ Since I'm on the older end of Gavin's demographic, this song evokes memory for me.  College nights.  Summer nights.  Crazy youthful exuberance in the driving beat and telling lyric. "They say the best stories come from the worst nights baby."

I'm Gonna Try ~ Vintage Gavin with a new edginess.  

Who's Gonna Save Us ~ Gavin has been singing this out on the road since the summer too.  I heard it first in Virginia Beach.  It takes my breath away every time with the sweeping arc of the melody and the raw emotion of the lyric.

Everything Will Change ~ An anthem.  Love the production.  But I've always loved big, romantic sounds (I'm more Brahams than Bach, more Rachmaninoff than Ravel).  This is a big song.

Need ~ Truthful.

Heartbreak ~ Percussive, driving, highly danceable.

Every Little Bit ~ Soulful.  That thing he does at the end of certain phrases ... you know what I mean.

Different for Girls ~ Honest insights, great arrangement.

Leading Man ~ Rocking, new Gavin rooted solidly in soulful, bluesy Gavin.

This is what I'm trying to say:  You can tell me you hear Maroon 5 or Train or The Script or whomever.  All I hear is Gavin DeGraw.  All I hear is a songwriter who's been at this a fairly long time, who's met lots of folks along the way, who by his own admission likes many (if not most) genres of music and loads of musicians.  He's toured with lots of people over the years.  There are bound to be influences.  This is not a negative thing.  This does not make one unoriginal which is what I seem to be hearing from some writers out there in the cyber community.

What artist isn't influenced by something or someone?  It's what you do with that influence that really counts--how it flows through you to your final product.  

Who are we to place an unreal expectation of stagnancy on an artist, a writer, a composer, a dancer?  I believe truly creative people have a need within to keep moving forward, to keep evolving.  Very few ever completely totally evolve away from their roots; you can always find their essence at the core of the work.  I can't imagine not changing a little with each major work--that would be like never learning.  I look back in my own life, at the things I've done--even the really successful things--and I think "I may have tweaked that a little differently if I was doing that today."  We grow.  We grow up.  We're influenced by the people who pass through our lives, the places we visit, by our own evolving visions. 

I know that each of the songs on the new album are co-writes.  I know some will make the argument that since they are co-writes, they can't truly be reflective of the Gavin we all came to love through the earlier records.  But I'm pretty sure he wouldn't put anything on a record that he didn't believe in 100 percent, that he didn't feel represented him truly.  I think all artists go through periods in their lives.  It's kind of obvious with painters, right?  Because you can see the "blue period" or whatever.  I have this feeling that Gavin is not co-writing every song for the rest of his career.  There's a lot of music bottled up in that man.  It's going to find its way out through a variety of paths.  But I can't even think about future projects right now because I haven't fully appreciated this current one.  Lots more listening to do ... many more hours of singing and dancing, of pure enjoyment.  With an emphasis on joy.

Here's another thing:  One of the best things about this particular artist is how he balances knowing that his long-time fans adore his original music with keeping current and satisfying his own artistic urges.  This he accomplishes perfectly in live performances where you can always count on a mix of old songs with new ones and a nod at current influences with the covers he chooses to occasionally do.  

There.  That's been building in me all week and if you're still reading this, I thank you for indulging my opinion which is solely my own.  You are free to disagree, but I kind of hope you don't, because I have this weird need to have everyone fall as hard for this singer as I have, as unrealistic as that sounds.  He's an enormously gifted song-writer and storyteller, an amazing singer with a voice that will melt your heart and most importantly, a humble, gracious, generous human being. 

Go.  Listen.  Make a Move.

~~

Stream Gavin DeGraw, Make A Move here. 

Buy it here.

The first time I heard Make A Move with thanks to my dear friend for uploading this recording.

Walk Journals ~ October 3

The seventh season begins.

It feels as though a new path is beginning.  It's the seventh season of walking.  According to my Map My Walk app, I've walked 1,375.74 in total.  Really?  Excuse me for a second; I'm taking a minute to marvel at myself.  And actually, that doesn't count the times the app malfunctioned and didn't add my miles.  Since April 2012 there's been 3 pairs of sneakers, several sizes of t-shirts and other workout wear, 4 sets of earbuds and 2 iPhone apps to help me stay motivated.

Lately, it's been a huge struggle.  First there was maybe some (self-diagnosed) sciatica and now there is some serious knee pain.  And maybe it was all tied up in my knee from the beginning.  I'm sure I should be seeing someone with an actual medical background and getting some professional diagnoses.  But I'm really afraid and reverting to doing what I used to be so good at:  avoidance behavior.  Because, if I don't find out what's really going on or wrong here, maybe it will just go away.

And there's the intellectual struggle:  I know I need to find out what's up.  For my own good and to get back on track.  So that I can get back to 7-10 miles a day as opposed to 3-5 miles once or twice a week which is all I've managed in the last month or so.  But there might be some down time when I find out ... physical therapy (which I don't have much faith in, based on absolutely no first-hand experience), scary injections or something more involved.  I've never so much as broken a bone; being "laid up" would be a totally foreign experience.  So I keep putting off calling the doctor, any doctor.

These walks have meant so much to me.  They helped me regain my health in so many ways  Physically, I'm more fit than I ever dreamed I'd ever be again and although I'm not as flexible or sculpted as when I taught aerobics (many, many moons ago), I feel great.  At least until my knee gave out, I did.  Mentally, I think I have more control of my emotions, almost never have "down" days and see most of life through a pretty positive lens now.  

I've seen bits and pieces of my town up close and have discovered a lot about what a special place it is.  The tiny lakes (there are at least five of them) and the river, the ponds and wooded trails, the spring and the old canal ... they provide an ever changing backdrop that help me think, that cause me to wonder at their natural beauty and help quiet my busy mind so I can organize my thoughts.  

I've listened to hours and hours, probably days and days, of music.  I've developed a new taste for pop music that really feeds me and fills a place that was empty for a lot of years. The walking coupled with the music (and particularly the music of Gavin DeGraw, who coincidentally dropped into my life around the same time as the walking) probably saved my life.  

My last walk was on Thursday.  It was the first time in over a week that I left work in daylight and my knee felt pretty good so I  hit the road and put in 4.5 pretty slow miles, up to the pond, around the back of the park, over the wood bridge where two folks were fishing and back into town to visit with my river.  By the time I reached home again, it was pretty apparent that I'd gone a couple miles too many.  And I paid on Friday with a lovely limp and swelling that lasted through Sunday.  Stairs were a challenge all weekend long.

Late afternoon light on an early fall afternoon.

I miss it.  I miss being out there on a daily basis, sometimes even twice a day.  I miss the energy that came from being in sunlight--whether a lot or barely a glimmer--for a couple of hours a day.   I miss how I could hop out of bed in the morning.  Lately, I've gone back to dragging myself to wakefulness.  I miss being strong enough to resist my boss's bottomless bowl of chocolate.  I'm self-medicating with chocolate several times a day these last couple of weeks.  I miss being able to say "I never have fries" with that.  I got dinner from that cute little Wendy girl tonight.  Walking increased my strength in every area of my life.  And while I have plenty of resolve first thing in the morning, it rarely lasts beyond mid-morning.

The master of excuses has resurfaced and inhabits my frame and my brain once again.  Too many deadlines by day, too many evening commitments by night.  Weekends filled with events of my own choosing (some for fun, some for community service--which is also my fun, truth to be told).  Every day crammed with "things to do" and no time left over for calling doctors, shopping for  healthy food, finding alternate ways to burn calories while figuring out the knee ailment.  

There.  I know what to do.  I just have to get out and do it. 

My river with tinges of autumn beginning.

~~

Walking "apps" I love:

Map My Walk:  Measures distance, time, pace, split time, calories burned, announces your progress at each mile, can be paused, allows you to team up with friends, save routes, gives you weekly and monthly reports.

Charity Miles:  Measures distance, time and pace, can be paused.  Unique in that miles are sponsored by generous corporate and private donors.  Before walking, choose a charity from their list and watch how your miles add up.  $.25 for each mile walked goes to the charity you've chosen.  Walk for a different worthy cause each time or stick with one and support it every time.  You're walking anyway--why not walk for good?

Playlist for a Thursday afternoon:

WPLJ 95.5 radio and ...

New music from Gavin DeGraw from the album due out next week (October 15 ... Make A Move):

Best I Ever Had

Who's Gonna Save Us (video from a performance I was at, taken by my friend; my view of the stage that night)

Concert Diaries Chapter Sixteen ~ Advocacy Meets Music

I've written about Global Citizen before.  I think it's where all the good and potential of the internet and social media shines clearly.  It's where information, actions and people are united in an effort to make the world a better place.  At Global Citizen we can learn about the problems that keep people locked in poverty and we can also learn about the amazing individuals and groups who have decided to tackle these issues and help eradicate extreme poverty all over the world.

Those of us that frequent the site have the opportunity to participate by watching videos and reading articles, we can sign petitions to convince corporations and government leaders to follow through on promises they've made or support we know they could give.  We can share articles and other media on our social media accounts and try to expose our friends and followers to the issues that keep people from being all they could be.

Global Citizen wants to empower people right where they live.  By empowering those who live in conditions that we can only begin to imagine, by infusing their communities with training, information and the resources that are necessary to really change circumstances, we can change the world.  We empower. We eradicate poverty.

Global Citizen partners with NGO's, the United Nations, corporations, public figures and actors and musicians too.  Musicians lend their voices to the issues and problems that resonate with them most.  At this past Saturday's Global Citizen Festival, some generous musicians with deeply-rooted social consciences entertained over 60,000 people on the Great Lawn in Central Park.  They came to draw attention to the problems plaguing the poorest of the poor--those subsisting on less than $1.25 a day.  They came to ask us, those who'd won tickets by accumulating "points" on the website by reading, watching and sharing information (what GC refers to as "taking action"), to ask us to keep on learning and sharing, getting directly involved when possible and supporting those who are working to make poverty a thing of the past.

Saturday was an impossibly beautiful day.  75 degrees, bright blue sky, what clouds there were were shiny white and fluffy.  The grass of the Great Lawn is a deep green and thick like a carpet.  We were on the west side of the park, near the Museum of Natural History, the Dakota and Strawberry Fields.  The organizers were beyond organized.  The stage that had been built for the event was itself a work of art and was used to great effect all afternoon and night.

We got in line on Central Park West near 70th around 11:30 although gates were not to open until 2:00 but when you have a general admission ticket for a concert for 60,000 even 11:30 is late.  Around 1:30 we moved into the park to wait a little more and shortly after 2:00 we passed through the bag search and walked the rest of the way to the Great Lawn which had been organized into sections, each with it's own set of port-a-johns, concessions and merch booths.  We were in Pen #2.  I'm still enjoying the bovine experience of having inhabited Pen #2 with several thousand others.

For me, the blend of inspiration through thoughtful, passionate people dedicated to eliminating the many various root causes of poverty as well as musical inspiration was perfection.  The day opened with Soledad O'Brien introducing Nelson Mandela's grandsons who spoke about grassroots efforts to solve some of the major problems plaguing sub saharan Africa.  We heard from Global Citizen partner HP about entrepreneurship in Africa and they presented an award to Bano Fatima of Weavers' Hut, a small business in Utter Pradesh (India) that seeks to market weavings of local women to buyers in major cities.  She is helping these women gain skills in their art, literacy and more so that they will be able to raise the level of living for their families and get their children into school.  I've learned on the Global Citizen website that it is women like Bano Fatima who will lead their communities into a better life.  Women who succeed are more likely to invest in their own families and communities and make long-term commitments to do so.

More discussions about Food Aid Reform (Care, Inc.), United for Good (connecting non profits to communities through social networking and introduced by Katie Holmes) and a few words from the President of the World Bank about the global movement to end extreme poverty followed.  A donation of units of aggregated media was award to Somaly Mam Foundation for its efforts to empower survivors and end sex slavery.  I'd voted for the organization earlier in the week.

Gerard Butler appeared on stage and then it was time for some music.  The Kings of Leon started us off with a wonderful set of their most popular songs and a couple from their new album.  They were high energy and a great way to get everyone up, dancing and rocking.  While their crew broke down their equipment, Bridget Moynahan (Blue Bloods) came onto the stage to introduce Elvis Costello.  He sang only one song but I was riveted both by his choice (What's so funny 'bout Peace, Love and Understanding) and the soul with which he delivered it.

Model Erin Heatherton introduced the President of Naked Condums, a corporation that has pledged 20% of profits to reproductive health issues in poor countries.  The Crown Princess of Denmark also spoke about reproductive health and women's empowerment.  She was followed by the President of Malawi Joyce Banda and then the Hungaran Ambassador to the United Nations who both spoke about the next iteration of the Millenium Development Goals and how they will raise women's issues to the forefront of the war on global poverty.  Bono arrived on stage to introduce Liberia's President Ellen Johson Sirleaf who spoke about the necessity of education and adequate water, power and sanitation and their interconnectedness--concepts we take for granted here.

Alicia Keyes was introduced by Russell Simmons.  She was powerful and in perfect voice.  But I was totally taken aback by her skill at the piano.  Her lush and romantic approach and the way she lost herself in her solo caused my fingers to start to itch for my own sorely-out-of-tune instrument at home which suffers from lack of use.  When she came around to one of my favorites, the incomparable This Girl is on Fire, I didn't want the song to end.  I hope the Global Citizen movement is able to set fire to the imaginations and education of many girls worldwide.

During the next set change, Janelle Monae sang "Smile."  I don't know a lot about Janelle other than she's a Grammy-nominated R&B singer but I'm thinking that the song was a bit of a departure for her.  I don't automatically connect her to old standards but she sang the song well.

The PS 22 Chorus from Staten Island took the stage next.  This world famous children's choir with a highly energetic and endlessly talented music teacher entertained us with a song called "I Am Full of Wonder."  It showed us all that all children are filled with wonder and deserve to be able to learn about those things that they see and hear about, that cause us to wonder.

There were more speakers ... some, on behalf of UNICEF, spoke about increasing the numbers of community health workers in outlying areas of Africa and giving them tools like cell phones to connect them with medical experts in metropolitan areas.  We learned about the simple power of vaccination and what progress has been made reducing deaths from malaria.  We learned once again how a simple $10 bed net can save children from needlessly dying from this preventable disease.

And then it was time for John Mayer.  I have several friends who are huge John Mayer fans and the man I was standing next to in the crowd had come to hear him specifically.  I know how revered he is by so many and how excited everyone is that his vocal health is restored and he can sing again.  But I will confess that the only music of his I know is what is played on the radio.  He was wonderful.  His voice was strong and he played for a while.  His guitar solos were long and amazing--really pretty genius--and he could have played like that all night.  People would have been thrilled.

After John's set, Hugh Evans, the CEO of Global Citizen introduced the President of the Festival's main sponsor, Cotton On, an Australian clothing company (good stuff!) who talked about his company's efforts in building schools in Uganda (which are very impressive).  Alice Albright CEO of the Global Partnership for Education spoke about the need for enrolling every child in primary school and getting more and more into secondary school.  There were some more awards too.

Bono came back out on stage and rapped a long introduction for the legendary Stevie Wonder who sang for 45 minutes.  He gave us many of his hit songs to the excitement of all--the crowd had sort of surged forward when he took the stage, everyone wanting to be as close as possible.  At one point he spoke about the need for better gun laws and then began to sing John Lennon's Imagine.  As we were only steps away from The Dakota, the moment was not lost on anyone.  He improvised a song with the enormous crowd too and had us all singing "We Are Global Citizens."  In the middle of his set, he introduced the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, and they talked about the MDG's.  It was a complete thrill to hear this musical fixture in my life from a very young age do his thing live and in such a special setting.

Gorgeous Night Lights against the Manhattan skyline.

All too soon the event was over.  Our feet were numb from standing for hours and hours and we still had to ask them to carry us out of the park.  It would be hours and hours before I regained any semblance of normal feeling in them.  But between the inspired examples of lives dedicated to bettering the world and music that uplifted the soul, I think I hardly noticed if my feet were on the ground or if I was being carried on waves of love and hope.

You can be a Global Citizen too.  I bet you won't regret doing it and you could do a world of good.

~~~

Read more about the music and the Festival from Rolling Stone and Billboard.

Evermore played for Global Citizen in Australia at the same time as the Festival in Central Park.  Watch the video for their song, One Love and then head over to iTunes and download it.  All the proceeds from the sale of the song are going to charity.  In the video you'll see lots of global citizens and projects currently underway.