Thanks and hopes

May this Thanksgiving be filled with folks we enjoy having in our lives and food we enjoy having in our mouths.

As we gather, may we be slow to speak and quick to listen.

May our lives be a blessing to those in need.

May we never take our family and friends for granted. 

May we be thankful for our many blessings, even in the midst of mind-blowing changes and devastating losses.

May we remember those who are missing from our tables.

May we practice making space, holding space, giving space.

May we be good to ourselves and to each other.

And may we remember to carry our good will with us throughout this holiday season.

November 25, 2019 Zanaida 0

Singers are athletes (and gamers)!

I live with a family of gamers. Therefore, I too am a gamer. Video games don’t come naturally to me, but I can get by and have fun. I also like watching my family members play video games from time to time because I love to see the excitement and joy it brings them. I play and watch video games with my family to show them that I appreciate the value and meaning in the games they play. But recently, my husband got me into a game I love to play myself. 

I love Doom!
I mean, I love playing the XBox oneX version of the 2016 reboot of Doom. The first time I ripped off a demon’s arm from it’s socket and used it to pulverize that same demon’s skull into a million bloody pieces, thereby increasing my health meter, I was hooked! The music is epic and the graphics are incredible. Here are all the lessons I’m learning from Doom that are applicable to my life as a parent, musician, and teacher:

  1. Chores and projects are like demons coming to reduce your health meter.
  2. Slaying demons increases your health meter.
  3. Sometimes you don’t have enough energy in your health meter to slay the big demons.
  4. Sometimes you have to slay a few lesser demons to build up your health meter so you can take on the bigger demons with full health.
  5. When the demons are upon you, keep moving! Never stop moving!
  6. You can’t jump to a higher ledge if you’re not looking up!
  7. When the pace slows down and the demons are at bay, take time to reorient yourself and enjoy the beauty of the martian surface around you.
  8. Take time to search for hidden pathways and find secret treasures like keys and weapons upgrades that can help you slay demons more efficiently.
  9. As you advance, the demons get, bigger, uglier, and harder to slay.
  10. Sometimes you just want to shoot some random inanimate objects. It doesn’t advance your mission, but it’s entertaining and enables you to practice your aim.
  11. As the demons get harder to slay, your weapons become more potent and your health meter lasts longer.
  12. When the game ends and the credits roll, you won’t remember all times you died. You’ll think back on the good ol’ times you had slaying all those demons with your mad skills and cool weapons. 

Many thanks to my husband for enabling my discovery of the art of video games. It’s amazing how well concepts and skills used in video games can translate to our everyday life and work. I’m glad my kids get to play so much – they’re learning a lot!

October 25, 2019 Zanaida 0

A scheduled life

I’ve struggled this month to think of what to share with you. Honestly, I’m just working a lot. My work as choral director at Harvard-Westlake School and as director of music at Neighborhood Church is very fulfilling. But it’s hard. I wake up early and come home tired. My commute is long, and there always seems to be some extra problem I have to solve or some difficult circumstance I have to deal with. Plus, I have occasional performances, film sessions, composition projects, choral clinics, festivals, meetings, and all sorts of professional activities that can quickly fill up my calendar and drive me into the ground if I’m not careful. So to avoid wearing myself out, I’m practicing keeping my priorities in order, setting clear boundaries, saying “no” to that which causes undue grief, and saying “yes” to that which feeds my soul. (And saying “sorry” when I mess up!)

My family is my #1 priority, so Saturday, Sunday, and Monday evenings are for family. Unless there’s an important appointment or a special performance or something, we usually do chores, play video games, go shopping, and watch TV (football, if I have my way!). I do not schedule meetings, rehearsals, or work-related events during family time. This time that I spend with my family is the most sacred time of my week and is critical to my health and well-being. Tuesdays are Bell Choir days – I get to have fun making music at Neighborhood Church without having to be in charge of anything! (Our Bell Choir director, F. Thomas Simpson, is phenomenal!).

Wednesday is date night. Thursday is church choir night (or a marathon day, because I work at least 14 hours on Thursdays). Friday evenings are for “me time” (I can do whatever the _ I want! (But I usually choose to be home with my family).

Sure, there’s room for flexibility here and there, but not much. And yes, there are times when I screw up and double-book myself or overschedule my calendar to the point where I have no time to rest. It’s hard to be disciplined and stick to the plan. But by prioritizing my activities the way I described above, I have a better shot at getting the exercise, nutrition, rest, and renewal I need in order to maintain a healthy existence. 

Maybe I just needed to write this out to remind myself of how I’m supposed to operate. I suspect lots of performers struggle with this sort of thing, and hopefully it will be helpful.  Thanks for reading.

September 25, 2019 Zanaida 0

Collaborative fundraiser — now through Sept 29

Tonality + Planned Parenthood LA Music Video Collaboration Crowdfunder

Now through Sunday, Sept 29 — Online

This week, I donated to Tonality’s crowdfunder to support their partnership with Planned Parenthood. The video at the heart of this project features my composition, Lady in Blue.

Our goal is $5,000.

Please join me and help carry Tonality’s social justice message into the minds, ears, and hearts of all who would listen. Click here to donate. Thank you so much for your continued support.

Learn more

September 23, 2019 Zanaida 0

Need a home for a critter?

With the start of the new school year/church year, we’re trying to declutter our home. Time for a fresh start!

If anyone needs a large pet cage on wheels, we have one we’re trying to sell. We kept pet rats for almost 2 years, and they were the best little pets we ever had. Now, this could serve as new digs for one of your little friends…

Contact me for more information.

Mini-memorial
Here’s a song I wrote when our pet rat, Pip, died. It’s called “Pip, You’re Alright”:

Click to listen

August 25, 2019 Zanaida 0