“When I speak of the gifted listener, I am thinking of the non-musician primarily, of the listener who intends to retain his amateur status. It is the thought of just such a listener that excites the composer in me.” – Aaron Copland

And to think he figured that out way back in the early 20th century. Hmmmm…

Why is listening so ever loving difficult?! I have to remind myself often to shut up and take in what people are saying, because I might just learn something. Don’t get me wrong. There are many people on this planet who HEAR things. However, it is a much smaller segment of the population who LISTEN. Are you sensing a theme?

HEAR what people say, but LISTEN to what they do:

I feel like I re-learn this lesson annually. How about you? There are many people who can spin words and make them sound so good. Some people even get paid for those words. It feels amazing to hear verbal affirmations…promises made…sweet nothings (note “nothings”) whispered. However, they are just words. These words are only valuable when followed up by action. Period. Don’t forget that. Actions don’t lie and unfortunately sometimes words do.

HEAR the words, but LISTEN for the humor:

Justin Timberlake…Dear, sweet, hilarious Justin Timberlake. He was the host of the final Saturday Night Live episode of the season. This was JT’s fourth time hosting and he is NEVER a let down. The timing is impeccable and he is unafraid to look stupid in the name of comedy. That is why he is such a wonderful SNL host. It really should be illegal for one human being to be that talented. So in the name of humor I shall guide you in the direction of some of my favorite skits of the evening (respect goes out to Lady Gaga who was also unexpectedly funny). Monologue: “I’m Not Gonna Sing,” My Favorite: “Liquorville” and (the always popular) Digital Short: “Three-way.”

HEAR the spoilers, but LISTEN for the meaning in Season Finales:

As a TV and pop culture fan, I love the month of May. This is because the culmination of a year’s worth of storytelling comes to a close and you get to see what the writers of your favorite shows are made of…as well as the competitors in some of your favorite reality shows. I’m sure there are many shows you watch, but I’m only gonna discuss a few. Are you with me?!

“One Tree Hill”…If it ended today, they wrapped everything up in a perfect, little bow. No complaints. These writer’s have surprised me (happily) for seven seasons. The show has always been a perfect mix of suspense, romantic tension and audience gratification. PLUS, they brought Gavin DeGraw’s version of the theme song back for the end of the year. Amen. Twice.

“American Idol”…Gotta be honest. I didn’t see it. America eliminated James Durbin and I was done. True story. He, my friends, is an artist…whether or not you like his kind of music. Congrats to whoever wins though. They seem like two great kids!

“Dancing with the Stars”…What a fun season! I changed my mind multiple times on who I wanted to win. There were many great competitors. However, my full support ended up going to Hines Ward. He is AMAZING on the dance floor and when he was truly worried about his dance partner…let’s just say, “He had me at *tears.*” Awwww…

“Bones”…I don’t like to be mean, but I am so disappointed. First of all, we’ve waited six seasons for Bones and Booth to find their way to each other. When they finally do, we (the audience) aren’t even sure it happened. THEN out of nowhere she’s pregnant with Booth’s baby?! Didn’t they sleep together like two weeks ago? EPT must have really upped the technology on their pregnancy tests. Wow. I just feel like we got cheated out of watching them finally figure it out. Dang it “Bones”! That’s two season finale let downs in a row!

“CSI: Miami”…Will Horatio die?! Will Natalia drown?! Is it realistic that the sweet guy from “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Can’t Hardly Wait” turned murderous?! And (most importantly) did Horatio’s sunglasses break?!

“Grey’s Anatomy”…Despite a misstep or two this season (musical episode anyone?), “Grey’s” has been good to me. I love it for McDreamy, McSteamy and Avery…and other stuff too! The writers do an excellent job of making the viewer feel like he or she knows every character. That is why I was surprised by Derek’s reaction to Meredith’s huge ethics violation. The McDreamy I have grown to love would NEVER have reacted that way. He said the one thing that would hurt her the most. McDreamys don’t do that. It was surprisingly unbelievable and a let down. However, what “Grey’s” is excellent about is tying up every episode with an epic dialogue about human emotion to which each of us can relate. It was no different with this season’s finale. (cue dialogue and sad music):

“There’s a reason I said I’d be happy alone. It wasn’t cause I thought I’d be happy alone. It was because I thought if I loved someone and then it fell apart, I might not make it. It’s easier to be alone because what if you learn that you need love and then you don’t have it? What if you like it and lean on it? What if you shape your life around it and then it falls apart? Can you even survive that kind of pain? Losing love is like organ damage. It’s like dying. The only difference is death ends. This…it can go on forever.” -Meredith Grey

HEAR the singer, but LISTEN to “The Voice”:

So how about that?! Our very own Jared Blake (a.k.a. “That Guy with the Tattoos”) is in the Top 16. YEAH! I might be slightly biased (I’m not), but Mr. Blake kicked some ass on last week’s episode. Check it out HERE.

Do you know what the Top 16 means? In approximately two weeks you had better be ready to vote…often. In the mean time, you can become a fan of Jared’s Facebook Page HERE. And/or you can follow him on Twitter HERE.

That should about do it. Hey Jared, GOOD LUCK!

HEAR the diagnosis, but LISTEN to the class of the man diagnosed:

I really have no idea how to go about putting into words my admiration for the person I am preparing to tell you about next.

Last week, I heard something that knocked the breath out of me. Royals announcer Paul Splittorff was admitted to the hospital with both oral cancer and melanoma. To be honest, I flinch any time “cancer” is mentioned. It might be the worst word in the dictionary.

It was a battle he apparently fought silently for a while. Splitt would be mad that I am taking time to even talk about it. He was the guy who never discussed himself or wanted the attention placed on him. However, I will be damned if I don’t give credit to not only an amazing pitcher and broadcaster, but also a great person. Paul Splittorff was classy, funny, down-to-earth and always ready to talk to or help anyone in need.

In my career, I have come across a few select athletes, musicians and celebrities who are selfish, arrogant and just plain mean. Splitt was the absolute opposite of all that. He was a career example you wanted to follow, because it would be an amazing career to have. Did you know Paul Splittorff had more career wins than Sandy Koufax? True story. He was the guy who would help someone who could do nothing for him in return. He was the man with a quick smile and an even quicker wit. He was the person willing to sit down and teach someone who wanted to learn…even some baseball definitions she should have known in the first place.

If anyone was a fighter, it was Paul Splittorff. If anyone deserved the support he got from family, friends and Royals Nation alike, it was Paul Splittorff. He not only led a career worthy of emulating, but also a life.

The world lost a great person on Wednesday. Splitt, thank you. I am one of many who will miss you.

HEAR other talk show hosts, but LISTEN to Oprah:

Love her, hate her or fall somewhere in between, one thing is a fact. Oprah has been a cultural phenomenon for 25 years. She is more powerful than all the Presidents, celebrities and businesspeople combined. Who else can be sued by an entire industry because that industry actually took a sales hit for her just mentioning something negative about beef on a talk show?! Who else has celebrities coming to HER to be interviewed. Who else can make an unknown author a Best Seller the second his or her book hits the “Oprah’s Book Club” list?! Who else can help people face their demons and try to better their lives? Who else can make millions of people believe they are listening to a friend give them advice every day?

Oprah didn’t just cross race, class and gender lines that had never been crossed before…she tore them completely down. People don’t classify Oprah as anything other than a friend. She is the person you count on in the world of celebrity. Oprah doesn’t just expose and coach people on their shortcomings. She also exposes her own shortcomings and shares with everyone her struggles and triumphs in life. Oprah became the one thing that no other talk show host could manage to be…relatable.

I am and will always be a fan. Afternoons will never be the same without Oprah.

HEAR the notes, but LISTEN to the feeling:

And it’s time for your “Songs of the Week.” Here. We. Go.

1. “Goodbye Says It All” by Blackhawk. Only in Nashville can you sit in Jiffy Lube and chat with a member of one of the coolest groups ever. This song just happens to be one of their best…and my favorites. “She left me no chance at redemption. No further exemption. Just a big, red goodbye in lipstick on the wall. Goodbye says it all. No long explanation. No reconciliation. No let’s talk it over number I can call. Goodbye says it all.” True story.

2. “More Than Words” by Extreme. I forget how incredible this song is until it pops up on the iPod. Wow…twice. Ohhhh…80′s big, hair bands how I miss you! *sigh* “Sayin’ I love you is not the words I want to hear from you. It’s not that I want you not to say it, but if you only knew how easy it would be to show me how you feel. More than words is all you have to do to make it real. Then you wouldn’t have to say that you love me, ’cause I’d already know.”

3. “That’s the Truth” by Paul Brandt. It’s a little song that made a quick stop on the charts in the summer of 1999. I completely adore this tune. It is catchy and fun and romantic all wrapped into one. “I’m comin’ home to see you Baby. You’re the one thing that I know for sure. In a world that’s goin’ crazy. You’re a matter of survival. My heart and soul revival. Swear on a stack of Bibles. Cross my heart that I will be here for you. And that’s the truth.”

4. “I’ll Be Seeing You” by Frank Sinatra. Although I’ve loved this one for most of my life, I was reminded of it’s romantic power when they used it in “The Notebook” a few years ago. Frank has just got a way with a song. “I’ll be seeing you in all the old familiar places that this heart and mind embraces all day through.”

5. “1999″ by Prince. There are no words for the awesomeness of Prince…just ask my friend Aaron Austin. This one takes me back to way before 1999. At that time, everyone was talking like the year 2000 was it. Done. It’s kind of entertaining now. This tune makes you move. “Yeah, they say two thousand zero zero party over. Oops out of time. So tonight I’m gonna party like it’s 1999.”

6. “Someone to Watch Over Me” by Ella Fitzgerald. It’s a classic and it is so incredibly smooth. No one sings it like Ella. “Looking everywhere. Haven’t found him yet. He’s the big affair I cannot forget. Only man I ever think of with regret. I’d like to add his initial to my monogram. Tell me where is the shepherd for this lost lamb? There’s a somebody I’m longing to see. I hope that he turns out to be someone to watch over me.”

7. “Not Ready to Make Nice” by Jared Blake. Where have I heard this song before?! Buy it. You know you want to. “Forgive. sounds good. Forget. I’m not sure I could. They say time heals everything, but I’m still waiting. And I’m through with doubt. There’s nothin’ left for me to figure out. I’ve paid a price and I’ll keep payin’. I’m not ready to make nice. I’m not ready to back down. I’m still mad as Hell and I don’t have time to go round and round and round. It’s too late to make it right. I probably wouldn’t if I could. ‘Cause I’m mad as Hell. Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should.”

8. “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield. It’s the way of life. Once you think you have it figured out, you learn how wrong you are. That’s why the pages to the future are waiting for you to write on them. AAAAAND GO! “Staring at the blank page before you. Open up the dirty window. Let the sun illuminate the words that you cannot find reaching for something in the distance. So close you can almost taste it. Release your inhibitions. Feel the rain on your skin. No one else can feel it for you. Only you can let it in. No one else. No one else can speak the words on your lips. Treat yourself in words unspoken. Live your life with arms wide open. Today is where your book begins. The rest is still unwritten.”

9. “Evidence” by Marilyn Manson. I know what you’re thinking. How in the heck did we get from Frank Sinatra to Marilyn Manson?! Welcome to “Rock On Together” my friends. There is good music everywhere. This tune is H.O.T. Dark, but hot. “You have eyes that lead me on and a body that shows me death. Your lips look like they were made for something else. So they just suck my breath. I want your pain to taste why you’re ashamed. And I know you’re not just what you say to me and I’m not the only moment you’re made of.”

10. “Hold On” by Wilson Phillips. Who knew you could find solace in a cheesy 80′s tune. Oh wait. I did. I will love this song until the day that I die and I’m not ashamed to admit it. The message is solid. They are singing on the top of a mountain as well as on the beach…in the SAME SONG! “Someday somebody’s gonna make you wanna turn around and say goodbye. Until then Baby are you gonna let ‘em hold you down and make you cry? Don’t you know. Don’t you know. Things could change. Things’ll go your way. If you hold on for one more day. Can you hold on for one more day? Things’ll go your way. Hold on for one more day.”

11. “So What” by Tammy Cochran. I know you’ve been there. At the time, it seems like the biggest heartbreak and there is no way you’ll ever recover. Years later, you look back and go…Seriously?! Then you wipe your brow and thank the Lord that the one thing you wanted most at the time didn’t happen. Sometimes it feels REALLY good to be wrong. “If it hadn’t been for losing you, I’d still be back in Jackson. Settlin’ for settlin’ and gettin’ what I got. But where I am and who I am is well worth every lesson. Guess you could say I’ve learned a lot. Yeah, you broke my heart. So what.” BOOM!

12. “Don’t You Remember” by Adele. I have been obsessed with the Adele album as of late. Her voice is soulful, heartbreaking and pleading all at the same time. She completely takes over a song and this one breaks my heart every time I hear it. “But I know I have a fickle heart and a bitterness and a wandering eye and a heaviness in my head. But don’t you remember? Don’t you remember the reason you loved me before? Baby, please remember me once more. I gave you the space, so you could breathe. I kept my distance so you’d be free. And hoped that you’d find that missing piece to bring you back to me. Why don’t you remember?”

13. “Pretty Girls” by Nicolle Galyon. Sometimes I go looking for brand new music from singer/songwriters around Nashville just to remind myself that there are so many. That’s when I go webpage to webpage and wait for a song to grab me. This tune not only grabbed me, it beat me up. That is a good thing in case you were wondering. The emotion and relatable content in the song is awesome. I fairly sure most females can attach to this one. Nicolle does an amazing job singing it. Added bonus: She’s a Kansan! Shout out to my peeps! “Pretty girls get lost. Pretty girls get scared. They wonder if real love is really out there. I don’t know what you think of me, but we are all only as pretty as we believe. I’m a wreck. I’m a mess in a little black dress in the corner of this room. I’m a heart on a sleeve that you never see. Don’t tell me that you do. I know you put me on like a string of pearls, but I am not just a pretty girl.”

14. “Lost In You” by Garth Brooks. He is the man, the myth, the legend for a reason. As Chris Gaines, Garth took this song and sounded so completely different. He never had a problem with singing a slow, gripping tune. However, he takes this one to a whole, new level. That’s why I laugh in the face of anyone who calls the Chris Gaines project a “failure.” If this is failure, sign me up. “Heaven knows. I’m head over heels and it shows. I’ve played every field I suppose. But there’s something about you. When you’re around, Baby I have found I get lost in you.”

15. “Undo It” by Carrie Underwood. When Mark Bright and Carrie Underwood are involved in a projects, I am almost ALWAYS a fan. This one makes me very, very happy. If I had a nickel for every time I felt this way…I’d have at least 25 cents. “I should have known by the way you passed me by. There was something in your eyes and it wasn’t right. I should have walked, but I never had the chance. Everything got out of hand and I let it slide. Now I only have myself to blame for fallin’ for your stupid games. I wish my life could be the way it was before I saw your face. You stole my happy. You made me cry. Took the lonely and took me for a ride. And I wanna uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-undo it. You had my heart, now I want it back. I’m starting to see everything you lack. Boy, you blew it. You put me through it. I wanna uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-undo it.”

16. “Not Over You” by Gavin DeGraw. He never lets me down. Love the voice. Love the song. “If you asked me how I’m doin’, I would say I’m doin’ just fine. I would lie and say that you’re not on my mind. But I go out and I sit down at a table set for two. And finally I’m forced to face the truth. No matter what I say, I’m not over you.”

HEAR other people’s voices, but don’t forget to LISTEN to your own:

How often do we get caught up in what other people think? What do they think about how we look, act, talk, live, dance, laugh, etc.? How crazy is that?! Do you know why? Rarely do they care about what we’re doing, because they are too worried thinking about what we think of them. What a waste of time.

The people I respect the most have always been the ones who have an overwhelming sense of self. No one changes who they are. For better or worse, they listen to that inner voice. They stand for what they believe in on a daily basis. Some of my closest friends and family are this way. Guess what?! We don’t always agree. However, it doesn’t change their stance. I adore that fact. Your inner voice is the only thing that makes you different from everyone else. It is what should guide you, because anyone else’s voice will get you lost.

Take advice. Hear what others have to say. Learn from it. However, don’t EVER ignore the voice that is yours. That would be devastating. If you think I’m being over dramatic, talk to someone who suffered life laryngitis.

HEAR the music, but LISTEN to the people who create and sing it:

The month of May brought me first to The Listening Room and it was full of amazing musical talent.

There was the deep, gravelly, warm and Johnny Cash-like voice of Mark Stephen Jones. He is such a talent on the microphone and even more so with his songwriting. There was the tune about appreciating what we have called “Hey God.” “I Hate Love” was about watching an ex be happy with someone new. Finally, he finished with the song “Church of the Cold, Hard Truth” which explains difficulties in life. This is a man whose voice ropes you in and won’t let go.

Michael Peterson has always been a singer I respect. He has a way with a ballad that brings a smile to your face and a happy tear to your eye. That night at The Listening Room was no different. However, Mr. Peterson sang a song that left me breathless. It reminded me of why love is so amazing and necessary, while at the same time showing love’s ability to break us. The tune takes you through the lives of two people who fall in love and build a world together. She ends up developing Alzheimer’s. The last part of the song “She Can’t Remember and He Can’t Forget” states “She can’t remember havin’ so much fun. She can’t remember when she felt this close to someone she just met. She can’t remember, but he can’t forget.” Wow.

Joie Scott was the lone woman in the round and she more than held her own. It took just a second for me to recognize a song that had become a friend of mine many years ago. It was #3 for Collin Raye on the charts in 1995. “Not That Different” is a piece of art in musical form. “I laugh. I love. I hope. I try. I hurt. I need. I fear. I cry. And I know you do the same things too. So we’re really not that different…me and you.”

Billy Dawson rounded out the night with the extremely hot tune “Shadow Dress” and the song named one of “Rock On Together’s” Best Songs of 2010, “What I Miss About Me.” His voice gets better and better every time I hear him in front of a microphone. “I used to love with a heart wide open. I used to have such fragile skin, but hearts get tougher every time they’re broken. Leavin’ scars on your innocence til you’re nothin’ like the way you used to be. And that’s what I miss about me.”

What a great way to kick of May!

“It is the province of knowledge to speak, and it is the privilege of wisdom to listen.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes

I attach to any music Marcus Hummon plays a part in writing. Somehow his songs always find me. I feel like I am privileged to be able to listen to the tunes he creates because I gain wisdom in his words. A few weeks ago, I got to hear a couple of other singer/songwriters who are wonderful in which to listen alongside Marcus.

Chris Roberts and Johnny Bulford (with the help of Marcus Hummon) sang song after song of awesomeness. There was a smile stretched across my face for every, single minute I stood in The Basement. Let me give you a few examples.

They sang about heartbreak in “If He Loves Her Like I Did” with “If he loves her like I did, he’s gonna miss her like I do. And he’ll spend his whole life holdin’ onto a woman he can’t replace or forget. If he loves her like I did.”

They sang about romantic love in “Still Feels Like Home” with “There ain’t no light on the front porch. That white rockin’ chair is gone. Next door the weeds are takin’ over. I guess that old Mr. Mitchell passed on. Can’t hear those church bells ringin’. Oh but I’ve seen enough now to know that you are the only place that still feels like home.”

Finally, it only took one line in the hot tune “What Do You Say” to sell it. “What good is is love if it’s never made?” Very. Good. Question.

It is fun and familiar for me to be surrounded by Keith Anderson music. I think that is true for many people who love his songs. The best part of last week was that I got to not only hear the older tunes, but also some new songs by Keith. Hearing new music from artists I adore is like getting presents on my birthday. Love it. First was the overwhelmingly catchy “Tight, White, Wife-Beater.” It details how the shirt encompasses the feelings a man has for a woman. Yep. Those feelings. “That tight, white, wife-beater on her. I gotta be honest. It’s the first thing I noticed. Tight, white, wife-beater on her pretty little figure. It’s all that I remember.” Then Keith broke into a summer love song called “Makin’ Love.” It was the song that I couldn’t shake out of my head for the rest of the week. “Makin’ love. Makin’ love. Knees and elbows tangled up. Lately I can’t get enough of me and Baby makin’ love.” These two songs made me happily anticipate a new Keith Anderson album.

Chad Warrix (Halfway to Hazard) also sang a few which included one I fell in love with immediately. The song was called “Die By My Own Hand.” It was powerful and heartbreaking with “You changed me Baby. Given enough time girl, you might have saved me. Then again you might have just gone crazy tryin’ to love this music man. Don’t worry Honey. I understand why you went running from me. Guess I really should have seen it comin’. I’ll always die by my own hand.”

Make sure you take some time to get to 3rd and Lindsley every once in a while for a Keith Anderson and Friends show. It is always enjoyable and includes music that embraces you.

Thursday nights should be spent at The Blue Bar and Rack Room if you are in Nashville. That is where Ramsey plays. They are incredible. Front man Matt Ramsey has that spectacular voice that makes you want to be a better person in “You Ain’t Doin’ It Right,” (my personal favorite) drive down a dirt road with the windows down in “That’s How We Do Summertime” and embrace the right kind of love in “Wake Up Lovin’ You.”

Then the band almost made me break down with two new songs. Both tunes deal with heartbreak on a gut level. The notes roll through the verses like tears flow down the cheeks of the brokenhearted. The music smoothly moves and builds until the answer is discovered. “Day One” teaches you the logistics of moving on with “I can’t skip the pain. I can’t stop my mind. So I’ll just take one at a time. It might even be a year…maybe three…before the damage comes undone. But I’ll get over you if I can get through day one.” The song “Take My Breath Away” details the pain of losing someone you thought you never would. “If you’re gonna leave me by myself. If you’re gonna love somebody else, you might as well drug my drink and burn my bed. Stop my heart and take my breath away.”

Yet again, Ramsey delivers. How about you check them out for yourself on Thursday nights.

The last show of the month happened this past Sunday and it was full of amazing songwriters. I got to hear quite a few people who make singing look easy, but prove just how difficult it is. Let’s just say if I was ever told to sing after any of them, I would refuse to spare myself the humiliation. They are incredible.

Bo Bice of “American Idol” fame was up first and always sings with an immense amount of feeling. I believe that he believes in the words that come out of his mouth. There is a warm gruffness to his delivery that makes each song more heartfelt. That night he sang two of my favorites. You should check out “You Take Yourself with You” and “Different Shades of Blue.” Incredible.

Then there’s that guy who goes by the name Jason Sellers. He is sitting on two recent number ones in the form of Rascal Flatts’ “I Won’t Let Go” and Jason Aldean’s (Featuring Kelly Clarkson) “Don’t You Wanna Stay.” However, it doesn’t stop there. He also sang Keith Anderson’s #2 hit “I Still Miss You” and Montgomery Gentry’s Top 10 tune “Some People Change.” As much as I love every, single one of those songs. I have the best time getting lost in the voice of Jason Sellers. Not many singers in this town can top him. That voice is showcased on the Aaron Lines’ song “You Can’t Hide Beautiful.” It’s really unfortunate that Jason has such a difficult time writing hits. That would be sarcasm ladies and gentlemen.

Speaking of hit makers, we also got to hear the awesomeness of Greg Barnhill that evening. He is from New Orleans and you can tell when he sings. There is pure soul in every note. It is extremely fun to hear his versions of hit songs he wrote for others. One of my favorite albums of all time contains this beautiful song on it. I never put two and two together until I heard Greg start singing it. The song is on Tim McGraw’s “A Place in the Sun” album and it’s called “You Don’t Love Me Anymore.” Holy Mother of Pearl that is a great tune. Greg also wrote mega hits “Walkaway Joe” by Trisha Yearwood (Featuring Don Henley) and “House of Love” by Amy Grant and Vince Gill. Greg also threw in a tune that night that is a future hit in the making. It’s called “It Ain’t the Whiskey” with “It ain’t the whiskey. It ain’t the cigarettes. It ain’t the stuff I smoke. It’s all these things I can’t forget. It ain’t the hard life. It ain’t the all nights. It ain’t that easy, cause it ain’t the whiskey that’s killin’ me.” This man is unbelievable…in all the great musical ways. Wow.

Host Stephen Salyers is a vocal wonder and has plenty of fun with music. He draws a crowd in and gets every drop of power out of the notes. He also has this infectious smile and spirit both onstage and offstage. You can’t help but smile when you’re around Stephen. That night he sang “I Won’t Be,” “Boots Keep Knockin’,” “Pass Them On” and a Wynonna cut called “Screen Door Slammin’.” Stephen also impressed the crowd by bringing up Bekka Bramlett (If you haven’t had the opportunity to hear her sing live, you are cheating yourself) and singing Prince’s “Purple Rain.” The performance brought the house down.

It was quite an amazing night…and month of music. That kind of music is what makes me so happy to live in this city. There is no place like it.

HEAR with your ears, but LISTEN with your heart:

I am constantly in music debates with my artist friends about one thing or another. However, we can usually agree on the fact that you find songs with your heart. Something about the music moves you. That is also the best way to live life. Always…ALWAYS follow your heart. Sometimes it will get broken, but it’s never wrong. You learn every step of the way. The only times I have ever regretted anything was when I ignored what my heart was telling me. Sometimes love defies logic. Those are the simple facts. I’m glad that’s the case. With logic alone, wouldn’t it be a boring life?

“Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. The friends who listen to us are the ones we move toward. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold and expand.” – Karl A. Menninger

HEAR things on Facebook, but LISTEN to Tweets of the Month:

This one comes from Zooey Deschanel…

“In an ideal world, no one would talk before 10am. People would just hug, because waking up is really hard.”

Until Next Time…

No Reins!

K