- Over
the years, I've peformed in front of thousands - maybe
even millions if you include television and radio -
either in a band, a duo or as a solo act. Performing
is always enjoyable, even on "slow" nights. I feel as
though I give a little bit of myself away each time I
perform and at the same time, I receive a little from
those who come to listen.
-
- If
you have followed my career in music and have visited
this website often, you can speak with certainty that
my music is what has always defined me.
-
- That
may be changing.
-
- In
2005, I found myself becoming an integral part of
something far bigger than me.
-
- So,
what's happened?
-
- Peace.
Call it an awareness, an enlightenment, a discernment,
but bottom line, it's peace. I usually don't discuss
my personal life, but this year was a series of
revelations that has brought me to a point where I
feel the need to share this
"metamorphosis."
-
- Had
you known me in my early twenties, you would have
known me to be very firm, even rigid, in my thinking
about music. "There's the right way and the wrong way
to do things! Period." No "gray" areas. There was
certainly not much room for compromise when it came to
my musical career. As a band leader, I was not very
flexible. That lack of flexibility proved to be, for
the most part, very benificial because the end result
was a quality musical product that was the envy of
many other acts.
-
- But
not being flexible has its drawbacks. As I got older,
I started to realize that some of my early career
decisions did cause me, and others, some level of pain
that might have been prevented, had I known then
what I know now. Maybe being raised in a Greek
Orthodox / Republican household had something to do
with all this inflexibilty.
(Ya
think?)
-
- As
the years have gone by, I've started to realize that
those "gray" areas in life that I so firmly denied in
my twenties, is where most of life resides. Nothing is
cut and dry. Idealistic thinking does not include the
truth about how everyday life really
works. We need more than a great family, a good job, a
nice home and a great car, to make our lives complete.
I've learned that all of us are
born with what we need for the
completion, we need only to choose to
use this ability. We've even been shown how powerful
this completion can be. Though many of us are not
happy with where we are in our lives, we seem to be
satisfied to maintain the status quo, forgoing the
depth of thought necessary to grow and learn. My
desire to go beyond the stagnation of day to day life
is now as strong as my desire to create and perform
music.
-
- So,
why am I telling you all of this?
-
- Something
deep inside of me has finally surfaced: The desire to
serve, not just work, but really serve.
How do I define "serve?" For me, serving is using the
gifts you've been blessed with, to help those who are
in need of those gifts. Whether it's performing music,
working on computers, creating graphics for upcoming
events or simply being there to listen to someone who
needs an open ear and heart, serving has become a very
big part of my life. The more I help others, the more
I want to help. And amazingly, being of
service to others never creates stress.
Serving is both empowering and
humbling at the same time.
-
- Which
leads me to where I am now.
-
- As I
write this today, February 17, 2006, I've just
completed my fifth week as the full time
Administrative Assistant to the Senior Minister at
Unity
of
Columbus.
Now before your imagination goes wild with this tidbit
of information and you think that I've completely lost
it, joined some cult, or I've become another radical,
born-again Christian...
-
- RELAX!
Nothing
could be further from the truth.
-
- As
many of you know, I've been the Audio/Video Director
at my church for three years. I have also, on
occasion, performed some of my original music at the
Sunday Services, singing and playing the piano or
keyboards, as well as playing bass guitar or drums for
our Gospel Choir and Praise Team. Over the years, I've
met many of the people who attend the church services
and weekday classes and I've made some friends. I've
also been involved with a commitee or two, one of
which was the 2004 Ministerial Search Team that was
responsible for bringing our current minister to the
church.
-
- Long
story short, an opening was created for an
Administrative Assistant and I submitted my resume, as
did others. Because of my administrative, managerial,
computer and communication skills, along with my firm
belief in the principles and tenants of
Unity,
I was given the opportunity.
-
- So
why am I so excited about this?
-
- As
I've matured over the years, so has my need to work in
a mature environment. The hectic pace of forty years
in the music business - with the bar and pool room
business thrown in here and there - and then the three
years spent in the marketing and sales arena, taught
me a lot about life, but not about
living. Learning how to
live came from learning and applying the
teachings of Unity
over the last several years. The peace that I'm now
experiencing in my life is what prompted me to apply
for the position. I've been given an incredible
opportunity to be a part of "...something far
bigger than me."
-
- What
makes working here different than any other
"job?"
-
- In a
sentence: Being able to work in the same place
that you serve is very rewarding.
-
- Unity
Church of Christianity, Columbus, Ohio, was founded in
1911. In 1976, the church moved into this building.
The original structure was a mansion that belonged to
a judge back in the mid 1900s. The church enlarged the
structure by adding a sanctuary and fellowship hall,
complete with a large kitchen. The front of the
building is the mansion and the back of the building
is the addition which includes the entrance to the
sanctuary.
-
-
-
- I've
been given a large, beautiful office with excellent
furnishings to do my work. Everyone has been
incredibly supportive and helpful. Unlike working in
Corporate America, the environment is completely
relaxed. This is not to say that there isn't the
proverbial "sense of urgency" that accompanies running
any business. It's just handled very
differently. This position has allowed me to create
new systems for finances, including contributions and
accounting. I also maintain the calendar of events, as
well as creating much of the marketing tools used to
promote guest speakers and workshops. Also, I created
and maintain the new website, www.unityofcolumbus.org.
My hours are flexible, so if I need to leave the
church to take care of personal business, it is
never a problem. Other than all of the
pastoral needs, the day-to-day affairs of this
organization are my responsibility.
-
- Imagine:
A rock 'n' roller for 40 years has now been given an
opportunity to work in an environment where truth is
paramount, kindness is abundant, and diversity is its
greatest strength. Words can not describe how honored
I am.
-
-
-
- * * * * *
- FOG
is going through some changes. Our bass guitarist,
Buddy, wasn't happy with the band's "direction," and
decided to move on. These things happen. With all the
experience I've had in bands, this does not bother me.
I completely understand Buddy's decision and I wish
him the best in his future endeavors. This, of course,
means working in a new member. We may have found such
a person, but only time will tell if he is the right
person.
-
- * * * * *
-
- I had
an opportunity to visit my oldest son,
Adam,
in L.A., in early December. He was in the middle of a
terrible cold when I arrived so he wasn't feeling very
energetic the first few days. However, he did surprise
me with tickets to a Clippers v Cavs game at the
Staples Center in downtown L.A.
-
-
- Now I
have to admit I'm a Lebron James fan, since he
is from Ohio, but the Cavs lost
that night. Lebron still scored over 30 points, but
the team was flat. It was a great surprise and I once
again thank you, Adam, for a good time. BTW - Adam had
his camera confiscated by security so he didn't get
many shots. You can check them out at his
website.
-
- * * * * *
-
- The
recording studio got a bit of a workout this year. One
act in particular, STURBRIDGE,
really put my skills to the test. They are a
medium-to-heavy rock group that performs nearly all
originals. The lead guitarist / vocalist is Chad
Warren. He is also the primary song writer for the
band. I had the opportunity to hear them and I found
myself intrigued by their sound. The drummer, Matt
Gum, is steady and has some decent chops. He and Chad
had obviously been working together for some time.
They clicked. A few days later, I get a call from
Chad. He tells me he is interested in doing a three
song demo in the studio and has lots of questions,
which I'm eager to answer. His enthusiasm overshadows
his lack of studio experience and the whole project
ended up being lot of fun. It's always very gratifying
to be able to help young musicians. These guys were
very receptive to new ideas and they ended up with a
very good product. Here's a sample of a song called,
"Here
I Am."
-
- * * * * *
- So it
appears that the Band History section of
my site seems to be moving in a new direction. I will
continue to keep my fingers in music, working with
others, and hopefully, get back to writing and
recording a few of my own tunes. The ideas are
certainly flowing more now than in previous years.
There are also some new recording projects on the
horizon with others.
-
- Let's
see where all this takes me...
-
- Thanks
for your continued support throughout
years.
-
- Michael
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