Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Returning Again

Tonight is the beginning of the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. All throughout the month of Elul, we are asked to undergo a process of self-reflection, of asking forgiveness of those we may have harmed in the previous year, and returning to the true essence of who we are at our core.

Whether or not you are Jewish, I believe that a process like this is useful at least once a year. It is so easy to get sucked into what others around us want or expect from us... our jobs, our spouses, our children, our friends, our society. Every now and then it's helpful to go inside of ourselves - to recall that innate light that dwells in each one of us.

This is our birthright as human beings. In order to be able to fully share our light with the world around us, we need to find it again within ourselves. There is a saying in Judaism, "Or zarua latzadik ul’yishrei leiv simchah" which roughly translates to: Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.

My wish for all of us is for us to live in a way that brings light to our souls and joy to our hearts... may each of you (even if you're not celebrating Rosh Hashanah) have a sweet New Year and fulfilling days ahead.

L'shana tova,
Todd

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Life As I Knew It... or it it just lack of sleep?

Thank you all for your support on the new album, "A Shelter Of Peace." The emails and personal feedback I have received from many of you has been overwhelmingly positive and soul-nourishing for me. You remind me why I began creating music in the first place. If you have been enjoying the music, I encourage you to share your thoughts with others and post a review of the album on iTunes, Amazon, or CD Baby. These reviews help a great deal in establishing credibility with folks who have not yet heard my music.


Since last we spoke, our baby Sander has also grown... A LOT! He's almost 4 months old now and is over 17lbs. I'm not sure exactly who the father is, but I'm sure he was very tall... (just kidding) He's keeping us very busy and awake for many hours each day and night. I have to credit my wife Karen for being the one to get up to feed him frequently... ie about every hour or two depending on the night. Here's a recent photo of the little guy:




Maybe it's being a father, or maybe this lack of sleep just lends itself to an altered state of consciousness... but life as I knew it has definitely changed. It's no longer just about me. There's this other little being that depends on me to protect him and take care of him. It is a huge responsibility, but also an amazing opportunity to pass the things that I love about life onto someone else. And in the process, I learn to appreciate them again. I can't wait to see the things he is passionate about and the person he becomes. I can already tell that he is a joyful soul, and his laughter fills our sleep-deprived home...

Some other good news to share... I was recently chosen to participate in the Start Me Up AZ Fellowship. This is a group of young professionals in the Phoenix area who are committed to making a difference in the Jewish community. The group is led by Rabbi Darren Kleinberg, founder of Valley Beit Midrash. This promises to be an exciting opportunity to create some very real engagement in our community and beyond.

I am grateful for your support. I will keep you posted on new musical offerings as soon as they become available...

In somnia,
Todd