Friday, December 4, 2009

stop the bullying.......

Oh my  it's been a busy week, I have much to tell but because I have been so busy and I am way behind in sharing things,  I can't even post the most recent event  right yet, what I have to do is go back to a long overdue video. Considering my past week which included a car crash, some big stupid bills, a sick cat who needs medicine and dealing with the snarky receptionist at the vet as just some of the highlights, I think a revisit to the World Kindness Concert is very timely.  I could do with the energy of these amazing people right now so I am quite glad this was next on my list.

The World Kindness concert  was something I covered on a kind of special assignment for Kelly & Rach's All access pass. The concert was amazing, the video has been made and I can't wait to share it with you but not before I confess at how dissappointed in myself I am..... I actually LOST the footage of the finale!! Come ON Rach. My heart fell into my shoes when I figured that out because the finale featured my dear friend Tiffany Hambrook, who is the sweetest most soulful beautiful person ever and quite possibly feels the world deeper than I do in an 'everybody and everything' kind of way. I had been waiting to see Tiffany sing live for a long time, and I can't believe that when I finally got the chance to feature how fabulous she was is in a video of mine, I lost the footage. Sorry Tiff, I owe you one. xo



All is not lost however, because I can refer you to Thesa who was also filiming the event. THANK goodness someone else was there filming. I've not met her before but  I emailed her and asked her for footage to use and she very kindly offered to send me whatever I needed. Our formats are very incompatible however and it was too much for me to co-ordinate, so the next best thing I figure is to feature Thesa's video with her view of the  finale here on my blog,  let's just consider Thesa's video as part two....... and please do say hi to a new 'video kid' in town Thesa Pakarnyk (she's also a singer)!



So, what is the world kindness concert?  Basically  a group of INCREDIBLE singer/songwriters, musicians and performers who are brought together to put on a magnificent concert aimed at raising awareness about bullying. Brock Tully is the man behind the curtain and being a man of many talents, he is also up front and centre stage. Brock is a published author and travelled speaker and his story is quite incredible. He tours around the continent on his bike (a pedal bike) going into schools telling kids in a very engaging & moving manner, just how and why they need to be kind to one another. I don't know very many souls who are as gentle as Brock Tully yet still hold the passion and will  to move people and encourage change.

Brock assembled a group of like-minded individuals, all as talented as the sun is hot, and put on a show that I was quite excited to shoot. Some stand-outs for me, Shari Ulrich. Shari has always  just mezmerized me whenever I see her onstage,  I just adore watching multi-instrumentalists and especially people who can  improvise and play along to most anything, and be so good and natural at it. Watching her play is not only just pure musical joy, it's like going to school in a way. I am so pleased to see she has a brand new Cd out  (and just in time for Christmas) with a name that certainly speaks to me, it's called 'Find our Way'!

Then there was the legendary Susan Jacks, and the supremely gifted songwriter Ron Irving both of whom I wholly enjoy everytime I have the chance to see them live (I've blogged about Ron Irving and his songwriting before). I was also very delighted to see Cecile Larochelle when I got backstage, she is a lady whom I have only recently met but she was a standout from the first introduction. If you haven't met her already, Cecile is a dynamic performer, an accomplished singing coach and as I learned on that night, an inspirational presence to many as the leader of a choir of talented singers. Michael Vincent was also there singing songs from his recently released CD including one of my favorite's  of his which is his version of What's Goin On. (click on his name to hear the song)

There were a number of performers whom I had not met before and it was inspiring to listen to all of them, they each brought their own unique voice and energy to the night. Anna Beaumont, Ivan Boudreau, Denise Hagan , Veronica Iza, Aaron Junior Turner, and finally but possibly most noteably  Michaela Slinger a 13 year old dynamo of a singer whom I suspect we will hear a lot more of in the future. All I can say about her is, wow~!

The band should be noted as well because these fab singers could not do it without them.....Bill Sample ~ Brian Newcombe ~ Shawn Soucy ~ Eric Reed

It was a beauty of a night, I can't say enough great things about it. Do watch for the World Kindness Concert to come around next year and please,  and if bullying is a problem at your kids school, consider asking your principle to invite Brock Tully to bring his heartfelt message and program to your children and community.


Be kind people.........with love, Rach.   xoxo

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