Hair

I got my hair trimmed today. It is really interesting how good my hair feels after I get it cut. I don’t know the technical reason why, but it’s just nice. My hair is usually cut in long layers. It’s really curly, so that looks best. It’s wash and go hair. With some leave-in conditioner and a comb through I’m good to go after washing it.

I’m lucky I don’t have to spend time blowing my hair dry and ironing it to make it look good. My hair does look cool straight, but it’s just not worth my time to go through all that when people tell me how much they love my curly hair anyway. I love the look of straight hair and it’s nice when I see that on other people.

I think that God gives us the type of hair that people like to see on us and gives other people the kind of hair we think is beautiful. I don’t spend my day looking in a mirror at myself. I look at other people and they look at me. In a way that’s a mirror, just not a very obvious one. I’m fascinated with what I see when I look at people.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info on the home page at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

Heat

This week the temperatures have been in the 90s in LA. We’ve even had moments when the temperature was over 100 degrees. It’s hot out. It’s summer time. I love the summer. I like to feel deep warmth in my bones. I much prefer the heat to the cold. I lived so many years in cold winter climates that the summer heat is welcome to me.

I also eat more salt when it’s hot out and that keeps me from getting dehydrated. I have low blood pressure so eating salt is really good for me. I usually add salt to my food to make sure I get enough. I know there are people who say that eating a low salt diet is good. That doesn’t agree with me.

It’s hard to generalize about what’s “good” for people. Other than the basics of needing air to breathe, water to drink, food to eat and sleep it doesn’t make sense to say that one way of doing things is the way everyone should do things. People are wired differently and everyone is in their own process here. What works for me is what works for me.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info on the home page at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

Mistakes

I’m learning to be more forgiving of mistakes, mine and others. After all, there’s a lot to be learned from mistakes and they seem to set up a whole chain of events that turn out to be beneficial eventually. It’s that eventually moment that can be tough for me to get to sometimes. That’s when I have to get over thinking that I know how things should be.

It also feels better to me to be forgiving. I’m not really in a position to judge anyone else for doing what they feel is important to them. My friend, Sandy, and I were talking the other day and she mentioned that there is a lot of innocence behind what people are doing. I could see her point. Most people do what they were taught to do.

Usually when I make a mistake the first thing I do is pray to God and ask for my mistake to be made into a blessing. If what I did affected another person in a difficult way, I pray for them to receive miracles and love for having to put up with me in my process of whatever I thought I was doing. My intention is to be helpful even in my mistakes.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info on the home page at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

The Devil Wears Prada

I was at Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s screening of The Devil Wears Prada over at Fox Studios. It was followed by a Q&A with screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna. I love Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s screenings because of the Q&A after the film. I learn so much listening to writers talk about how things came together behind the scenes.

I didn’t read the book, but I had seen previews of this film and knew I would love it. Anything I’ve ever seen Meryl Streep in has been wonderful and her role in this film is precious. I’ve been taking some acting classes and I can really appreciate how good she is at playing just about any character someone can write. It’s mind boggling.

Aline’s discussion about the script and the characters also shed some light into what the story was intended to capture. And to me, they did a great job of accomplishing their goal. I also loved the artistic direction, the make-up and wardrobe used throughout the film. For any girl who loves fashion this is a must see film, just for the shopping ideas.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info on the home page at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

Gary's Garage

My friend, Gary, invited me down to his garage to be a guest on his new pod cast radio show. It was fun to hang out, record some talk and some music. It was cool to watch him be a DJ guy. Gary does sound for television and films. This pod cast radio show is a new creative adventure for him. I can tell that it means a lot for him to express himself.

One thing that fascinated me was hearing what Gary had to say about me as an artist. I don’t really understand how people perceive my work. I just know I have to do what I do. Gary said some really nice things and I got the impression that what I’m doing does mean something that has very little to do with me. It has to do with how I make people feel.

It was also helpful for me to record some of my songs live. I haven’t been in any kind of studio in some time. I also recorded a Neil Young song, “After the Gold Rush” that I’m going to submit for a tribute album due out at the end of the year. I don’t if the label will be interested in my version of the song, but at least I’m going to give it a try.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info on the home page at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

Time Alone

Not everyone likes time alone. For me it’s vital. It gives me a break to re-charge and integrate what’s been going on. I need down time so I don’t get burnt out. I need time alone to write, work on music, and focus on what’s in my heart. Most artists have to spend time alone so they can work. When I painted I spent a lot of time alone.

What’s interesting about my time alone is that I’m not lonely when I’m alone. I’m able to stay more connected in my heart when I’m alone than when I spend time with other people, depending on what’s going on. I love people a lot, but I find that I need a break from the mirror they reflect. Some times what people reflect is hard for me to translate.

I’m someone who needs to improve, grow and become more evolved in my life here. When I’m with people, the mirror shows me where I’m at, where I’m going, and how far I have yet to go in my goals. Collectively, some basic things seem like they are about to change. I think it’s a necessity in what we are about. Something inside of us has to grow.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info on the home page at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

Driving The 5 Freeway

I went to San Diego for the day and drove on the 5 freeway south from LA. I’m always impressed with how many cars there are driving on the freeways in LA and amazed at how well people drive together on the roads at fast speeds, for the most part. To me that’s a sign of a higher intelligence at work. How else would we be able to drive together?

It seems that people are all on their own path in their life and watching people drive is a great example of that. For some reason I’ve noticed that a person’s true personality shows up when they’re driving. Maybe it’s because they think they’re invisible driving or don’t care much about what people think about them when they’re behind the wheel of a car.

They have somewhere to go. After all, not many people think about where another driver on the road might show up in their life. I find that most people are very considerate and patient on a good day. Every so often there seems to be a funk in the air and people are just having a bad day. Even I can be one of those idiots on the road to someone else.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info on the home page at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

Support

The greatest gift I think a person can receive is support from the people around them. I am very blessed to have a tremendous amount of support in all my relationships with people in my life. I think that comes from caring about others and being genuinely happy to see other people succeed. I know I’m doing well when I’m around success.

It also gives me a great warmth in my heart to see people smile and relax when they are doing well and comfortable. It brings out the best in them and then I get to see what they were really created for. I’m a creature that loves to laugh, share hugs and enjoy the beauty of what God brought forth on this planet. There is so much love in that.

There have been times when I haven’t felt all that comfortable about anything and it’s been the kindness of others giving me support when I wasn’t feeling strong that helped me get through the day. I know that kindness is often under-rated or overlooked, but I can tell you from experience that it’s the most important thing I can show up in a room with.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info on the home page at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

2 Songs

Before my Universal Bar & Grill gig, I met with record producer, Mandi Martin. Aside from being incredibly talented as a producer, she also holds the Guiness Book of World Records for the most number of hours playing pinball. And she did it three times. She and I met when my percussionist, Voyce invited me to hear him play a gig over a year ago.

Mandi and Peter Barker produced Amy Kuney’s CD. Voyce was playing a show with Amy over at Kulak’s Woodshed. He told me to stop by so we could meet before we set up a rehearsal for our first show together. Mandi was there with a lot of amazing people. I, of course, had no idea who she was or what her resume looked like. She was just cool.

Mandi and I are going to record my songs, “Wakantanka” and “I Am” in the studio together. I wrote a press release about adding the Muslim name for God, Allah, in my song, “Wakantanka” in response to anti-Semitic and anti-Israel politics. The release also mentioned that I was planning to record the song to be released this summer. Good plan.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info on the home page at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

In Tiny Steps

It seems that my life is made up of a lot of little tiny insignificant moments that seem to add up. I don’t know what they add up to, but when I realize who I am because I’ve taken a lot of really tiny steps every day for a long period of time I do seem to have gotten somewhere . And that’s where the illusion kicks in. The only place I ever am is here.

Even when I think I’m moving around, going places, I’m still on the same planet everyday. I’m still in this body and I’m still walking around breathing air like everyone else who lives here. My little tiny steps of writing this blog everyday, sending out my email newsletter once a week and showing up to play gigs connects me to people.

And while in the grand scheme of my dream of making a living being an artist seems far off in the distance, I will say that the relationships I have in my life today as a result of my putting forth the effort it takes to write and show up at gigs has brought me incredibly precious moments with the most amazing people I could have ever hoped to know.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info on the home page at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

The Dirty Royals Rock Again!

The Dirty Royals graced the stage at BB King’s @ Universal City Walk and what a great show. The lead vocal and guitar player, Simon Williams, and his brother, rhythm guitar player and vocal guy, Matt Williams, do more jumping while playing guitars than any band I’ve seen in an LA club. They even flopped on their backs on stage to end the show.

The band plays large arenas in the UK, where they are from, and are used to stretching out a bit. I had only seen them on smaller stages before so it was a real treat to see them in action they way they like to play – all out. Jimmy Martin adds great harmonies while he keeps the groove going on bass with their LA drummer Keith Tenenbaum.

Their manager, Orrin Ezralow, told me that Keith started playing with the band last year when they were in the US and it turned out to be a good thing. He’s considered to be one of the best drummers in LA and is now a full band member of the Dirty Royals. If you haven’t heard them yet, do yourself a favor and go to www.thedirtyroyals.com.

Blessings!
Laura

Support live music!!! Get gig info at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

The Beach

I was given a beautiful framed print of a beach painting today. My friends are moving out of state and asked me if I would like to have it. They’re moving to Omaha. It was really a nice surprise and very special to me that they wanted me to have it. I love the ocean and how powerful it is. It amazes me how something so daunting can be so peaceful to me.

Even though I live in LA, I don’t find I get to the ocean all that much. I stay busy in the Valley. Ever since I lived in Telluride I find it pretty easy to generate enough activity within a 2 mile radius from where I live to keep my time occupied. Telluride is in a box canyon. The town is 2 ½ sq. miles long and the closest stop light was 65 miles away.

I could do more business walking to the post office and the bank in one day in Telluride than calling anyone on the phone. Now a lot of what I do gets taken care of via email and the internet. I still love talking on the phone. I like having a painting of a private beach to look at while I’m working at my desk. It’s peaceful and reminds me to breathe.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info at:
http://www.LaruaCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

Happy Father's Day!

My parents live out of town, so I called my dad to wish him a Happy Father’s Day. We had a nice talk. Last year my parents were in town for Father’s Day so we got to hang out. When I called my dad, he was watching the golf tournament and relaxing. He and my mom are going out to dinner later on. He said he was feeling good.

I’m not sure who came up with Father’s Day and Mother’s Day. Probably some people who were fed up with their teenagers and wanted to have a day where they would have to be acknowledged for all the sacrifices they had made for their kids. I’m not a parent, but it takes a lot of dedication and work. And there are no guarantees when it comes to kids.

My parents did what they thought was right for their children and they did it with love in their hearts. My brother, sister and I seem to have turned out okay. We’re very different from each other in how we live our lives. It’s amazing that we grew up in the same house. If it weren’t for my parents I don’t think I would have met my siblings in this life.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info on the home page at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

Every 4th Saturday @ CAP Theater

Last night I got a call at 8:50p from Alex over at CAP Theater asking me if I wanted to play a couple of songs for the show they were having and if I could be there around 9p that would be good. He had a degree of intensity in his voice that I don’t hear very often from him and I realized that my night “off” had just turned back on.

So I got off the other call I was on, changed out of my sweats, put the lamb chop I was cooking in the refrigerator, washed out the pan, grabbed my stuff and got to the theater at 9:10p. CAP Theater is close to where I live, which is one of the reasons I like playing there so much. Most of my gigs are within 10 minutes driving distance from my place.

After the show, Lonny told me he wanted to give me a regular monthly slot and it would be a night where I bring in whatever bands or artists that I want to. So starting in July, Every 4th Saturday is my new showcase night at CAP Theater. All the acts will get a cut of every ticket they sell and we’ll make it a great time for everybody at the show.

Blessings!
Laura

Want to play a show? Contact me at:
Laura@LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

Lithuanian Ice Cream

Most times if I’m writing about food it’s because I was shopping at Whole Foods and got to try something new that I wouldn’t know to buy. So that’s why I’m writing about Dadu All Natural Ice Cream. Trying Dadu ice cream also kind of gave me a cozy feeling inside because part of my lineage is from Lithuania. Something connected inside with me.

It also got a high cool factor rating with me, not because of temperature, but because the ice cream is packaged in a box with individual pre-made ice cream cones. The cones are like big cups that hold a perfect serving of ice cream. I liked the product even before I tried the ice cream. I don’t know if that helped me liked the ice cream more or not.

What I can tell you is that Dadu’s vanilla ice cream tasted better than any other store bought brand I’ve had and even better than some homemade ice cream I’ve had in fine restaurants. The chocolate didn’t do it for me as much, but I’m not a big fan of chocolate ice cream anyway. Given the choice, some version of vanilla is usually the way I go.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info on the home page at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

The Dirty Royals

I was at The Gig on Melrose in LA to see The Dirty Royals. They’re a very fun punk/pop band from the UK. Well not the drummer that played with them tonight, he’s from LA. It was lots of fun to see them perform. They are a high energy band, do beautiful 3 part harmonies, jump around a lot and have a great time playing their music.

When I first encountered them, they were called the Samurai Seven. They were playing at Universal Bar & Grill the same night I played. Only 3 of the 7 were in town. I met their manager and ever since he’s been getting my weekly newsletters. The “newsletters” are actually just emails with a fairly consistent format. Newsletter sounds cool I guess.

The Gig has an awesome lighting set up with smoke and everything. They have a black curtain around the stage that gets raised when a band starts to play. I like the effect. It gives the show a more theatrical vibe. I like dramatics in performances more so than in real life. Drama queens on stage are entertaining. In life they are draining.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info on the home page at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

Get A Director

For any Dudley Moore fans out there, I only share this story to illustrate a point. The man was an incredibly talented artist and the lesson I learned from him was one of the most valuable experiences ever given to me about performing on stage. Now that I have made my disclaimer, here is what I learned from Dudley Moore’s worst performance ever.

One New Year’s Eve, when I was living in Telluride, CO, I was invited to join a friend at a fancy celebrity party followed by a performance with Dudley Moore. Dudley was an amazing classical pianist aside from being a great actor. I got the invite because I had an angle for being there that made my friend laugh and he wanted to see me in action.

When we got to the theater I noticed there wasn’t a director listed in the program. The stage had 2 grand pianos on it. Dudley came out with a female pianist and proceeded to drone through the most horrendous use of talent that I think I’ve ever seen in my life. It was so bad, no one talked to him during the after party. My lesson: Work with a director.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info and more at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

Phone Calls

It is usually interesting that when the notion comes to me to make a call to someone they usually say something to the effect of “it’s so funny that you called because so and so was just asking about you” or “I was just thinking about you.” I consider that inner radar. It’s like getting dialed in to a vibe about needing to make contact.

I’ve learned to act on those things. Sometimes my direction is set out in front of me in tiny little steps. Make a phone call, send an email, check out a website, or go to the store kind of stuff. It’s remarkable how many of those little things add up over time and how showing up in places set things into motion.

Today I made a few calls, booked a few gigs, reconnected with some friends, and put some people in touch with each other, and I wasn’t feeling like I was having the most productive day. Then at the end of the day when I recapped what I had gotten done, I actually had done a lot. Hind sight can be very helpful to keep me motivated.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info and more at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

BB King's

I was playing at BB King’s at Universal City Walk tonight and what a great venue! The sound is great, (because they have a great sound guy named Rip!), there are cool stage lights, (Rip does lights, too!) and the stage has awesome monitors which were set up beautifully! I appreciate a club venue with show biz all over it.

It also helps to be in a venue that was designed to have live music instead of one where live music was an after thought to help get more business in a place. All venues with live music are cool venues to play, but it doesn’t come across as the real deal the way a club does. I can always tell the difference because of the feedback I get after a show.

It’s usually the sound person in a club that makes the show amazing. Rip has done sound for lots of big acts so he knows what works and how to give an artist what they need on stage. Not everyone can do that even if their intention is to do a good job. My friends who were at this show heard the difference and told me so.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info and more at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

Prowler Rocks

Prowler Rocks!

June 10th I was at the Whiskey A Go Go to see a rock band named Prowler. They are everything you want a rock band to be with all the distortion a room needs. They get a lot of sound for just having drums, one guitar player, a bass player and a lead singer. With Steve Lewis on guitar you don’t need much else. The dude can PLAY.

The fun thing about the Whiskey is the history and being on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. The whole vibe feels good. It’s filled with people wearing great outfits, and lots of gear. They don’t have any backline gear so every band that plays brings in their own rigs. It was like a music store with all the drum sets and amps stacked up.

If you want to find out more about Prowler, www.prowlerrocks.com is their website. They also are featured on www.ectradio.net. The station is very cool and is doing some innovative things. I’m glad I was lucky enough to come across this rock band on the internet and that they play in LA. Rock-n-roll is good for this artist’s soul.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info and more at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

June Press Release

Singer/Songwriter, Laura Cohn Adds The Name Allah To Her Spiritual Song “Wakantanka” In Response To Anti-Semitic And Anti-Israel Muslim Politics

Los Angeles based singer/songwriter Laura Cohn recently added the Muslim name of God, Allah, to her spiritual song “Wakantanka” after she read about Iran’s new law requiring Jews and Christians to wear identifying bands on their clothing reminiscent of Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany. “Religions are in the habit of separating people from each other and, historically, that trend has led to violence,” said Cohn.

(PRWEB) June 12, 2006 -- Cohn’s song “Wakantanka” was written as an individual’s prayer to God asking how to make sense of the world and how to be connected to God in it when she was performing her songs at Christ Church in Telluride, CO. Cohn explains, “The person in the song knows that God’s vision is inside of them and God’s essence is alive in them, but doesn’t know how to view history, have complete faith, or love God without having doubts.”

The song’s title, Wakantanka, is a Native American word used for God. In the song, God is addressed as Holy Father, Oh Great Spirit, Wakantanka, Adonai Echad, and now Allah. The Hebrew phrase Adonai Echad means “The Lord is One.” Cohn says she included Allah in her song in order to combine Muslim theology with Native American, Jewish, and Judeo-Christian theologies.

Cohn continues, “A Muslim friend was telling me about their Muslim relationship with God and I found it to be very similar to mine and very beautiful. I wanted to use the name Allah in my song so that people of the Muslim faith would have their relationship with God related to other people’s relationship with God in music, which is universal.” Laura Cohn plans to record the new version of “Wakantanka” for release this summer.

For information, visit www.LauraCohnMusic.com.

About Laura Cohn:
Laura Cohn is an advocate of new thinking and takes issue when unconscious behavior is being promoted in the news. She particularly seeks to infuse accepted beliefs with new ideas so that people will not automatically buy into what they are being “sold” as necessary in society that does not serve the greater good for all people living on the planet now and in future generations. She is currently performing around LA.

Contact:
Michael Levine
Levine Communications Office
310-300-0950 x230
www.lcoonline.com

American Tuna

Usually when I shop at Whole Foods, I buy the 99 cent cans of tuna. But when I was in the store yesterday one of the fisherman, Barry Diehl, from American Tuna, was there with his step daughter giving out samples of American Tuna. I never would’ve believed that I’d want to pay $5.99 for a can of albacore tuna before I talked with Barry.

American Tuna is a company of 6 families who believe that sustainable fishing is an important practice. That’s why they fish with poles, not nets, when they approach a school of fish. Barry told me they catch maybe 200-300 fish from a school of about 10,000 fish, which yields about a ton of fish a day during the fishing season.

American Tuna only cooks their tuna once and cans the fish in its natural oil, rich in Omega 3’s. The tuna is sashimi grade gourmet albacore which tastes great and takes awhile to break apart once you get it out of the can. It doesn’t even look like the same food as a 99 cent can of tuna when you open the can. Check out www.americantuna.com.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info and more at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

One Thing

A friend told me that if I do one thing everyday towards my goal then eventually I will achieve my goal. I’ve also seen quotes from people saying that success comes by taking a lot of small steps, doing a lot of little things. A musician and I were talking about this tonight and he put it in visual terms for me.

He said that with each little thing I do I’m putting a brick in place that builds the stairway I’m walking up to where I’m going. (I don’t know why the song “Stairway to Heaven” just popped into my head, but I love Led Zepplin so I don’t mind.) When he said that he used his hands to demonstrate the brick placement and then it seemed really cool.

Writing this blog everyday is sometimes the one thing I do each day to work towards my goal as an artist. I usually find myself doing more than one thing on any given day and that’s a good thing. I do know that when I do at least one thing everyday towards my goal, it keeps me from being neurotic, even if what I’m doing seems insignificant.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info and more at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

Listening

I was in a class today and I noticed something while I was being inundated with pertinent information. Listening is one of the most crucial elements I need to focus on while I’m learning anything. When I listen to what’s being said in a room, I actually do retain a significant amount of information and I also know what’s going on around me.

That may sound like an obvious “duh!” kind of thing to say, but I noticed that there were people in the class that weren’t paying attention to what the instructor was saying and they didn’t know the material as a result. I would bet that people could increase their intelligence by more than 50% if they learned how to listen to people talking to them.

Listening is a skill that I had to re-learn as an adult. My mind was very happy to go off into “never, never land” in self obsessed thoughts (about things that were probably not going to ever happen anyway) while I was supposedly listening to what someone was saying. I actually have a better time listening to other people than to my mind.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info and more at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

A&R w/NARIP

I was at a NARIP (National Assn. of Recording Industry Professionals) event with Joe Poindexter, who is an A&R guy at a record label. He’s a 6 year veteran in the music industry. Surprisingly enough, he might as well have had 40 years experience because he’s well versed in recording industry history and where things are heading today.

One of my favorite parts of the night was listening to demos of bands and rating them as if we were the president of a record label deciding who to sign. Listening to pretty bad demos of very successful bands and unknown groups, not knowing who any of them were, was eye opening. The value of a great producer is not to be under rated.

I personally could use a talented A&R guy to put me with a great producer so my potential could be realized with my music. What I learned from the experience is that my vision as a songwriter/artist provides the raw ingredients. Just how a great chef can make a masterpiece out of a turkey sandwich, a great producer can make a hit out of a song.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info and more at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

Project Angel Food

I got a recipe card in the mail with a donation request for Project Angel Food. They deliver meals to people with AIDS who aren’t able to provide meals for themselves. The recipe is for Beefy Chili Mac. I don’t eat Beefy Chili Mac, but what I love about the recipe card is that there are 2 versions, one for 1,200 servings and the other for 8.

It gave me a new understanding about quantities that I never had given much thought to before. I’m not in the food industry, so I didn’t have a reason to learn about these things. Here’s what struck me. To make 1,200 servings of Beefy Chili Mac you need 471 lbs. of ground beef, 44.6 lbs. of cooked elbow macaroni and gallons, lbs. and cups of other stuff.

For 8 servings you need 2 lbs. of ground beef and a 1 lb. box of cooked elbow macaroni. It made me realize that I’m used to thinking in small quantities for things, probably because I’m not responsible for taking care of a lot of people. It made me think of how amazing God is to provide for billions of people, plants, animals, stars and planets.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info and more at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

Purpose

I’ve heard people say that if you don’t have to be an actor, a musician, or an artist and you can find anything else to do in your life, than do anything else. I think they say that because it’s not easy to be talent in the entertainment industry. A lot of people are drawn to the idea of being famous and think it’s cool to perform.

In my case I’ve already tried to be anything else than an artist and I didn’t do very well with it. Whether or not I’m ever a well-known artist, marketed on any grand scale or reach significant financial success is not an issue for me in my work. Whether or not I think it’s cool to perform, (and there were times when it wasn’t), it’s what I need to do.

I’m not at peace if I’m not singing on a PA in public at least once a week, writing on a regular basis, and working on improving my craft. And while I know that’s not “normal”, it is a fact in my life these days. And as far as the business being tough, I don’t know of a business out there that isn’t. I just know that I am an artist and that is my purpose here.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info and more at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

An Inconvenient Truth

Yesterday, I saw the Al Gore film on Global Warming and it was impressive, informative and best of all based on scientific facts. Even if Al Gore doesn’t run for President again, I’m still going to vote for him in the upcoming Presidential election. I appreciate the amount of time and thoughtfulness that he’s put into educating people on this issue.

If you haven’t seen “An Inconvenient Truth” for whatever reason, then I would like to encourage you now to do so. Not for political reasons, but for moral reasons, for the sake of future generations and even our own ability to live on this planet. If you have children then see it for them and make changes in how you live for them.

The mindset that has been promoted to the American people through massive PR efforts, entertainment and advertising has been very effective in misinforming us about what we need, how things are, and what can or cannot be done in our lives here. It’s time for us to wake up and deal with the truth. We can do things differently and be better off for it.

Blessings!
Laura

For more information, please visit:
www.climatecrisis.net
We all need to care and learn what we can do now.

This Too Shall Pass

Energy is an interesting thing. Sometimes it makes a moment seem like an eternity and at other times another moment can fly by so quickly it makes me wonder if the moment even happened. But regardless of perception each moment leads to the next and that moment, too, shall pass. It’s such an amazing thing.

Knowing that helps me stay balanced. It also helps me from getting very attached to people, places, or things. I don’t always feel well with “excitement”. A friend of mine reminds me that after the highs you get the lows, like how a pendulum swings. The further you go out, that’s how far you’re going to come back the other way.

I also find that enthusiasm triggers my ego for some reason. When I just stay focused on the task and doing my best to be useful to others, I stay humble and serene. I do celebrate many things in my life and feel satisfied with my accomplishments. I call that gratitude and that feels better as my daily mindset than an outburst of energy related to an event.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info and more at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

Learning

I’ve heard people say that if you’re not growing you’re dying. I don’t know where that expression came from or how true it is. Maybe it’s another way of saying when you’re done doing what you came here to do, you’re done. I think that’s why people move to new places, change jobs, exit relationships and try new things.

I like learning new things, especially if what I’m learning makes my life easier. I am into comfort. It’s not that I’m not willing to work for things or put forth a great deal of effort when it’s required. I just prefer when things are relaxed, fun, and flowing in harmony with what ever is around. I find I’m more productive that way.

I also learn more when I’m in a relaxed state of being. I’m more alert in a relaxed state of being because I can focus on what’s really going on rather than reacting to things. My alertness in stress, fear or pressure equates more to panic behavior than seeing what the best solution is to take care of what is needed. Calm is more conducive to higher learning.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info an more at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry

Competition

I know that competition is big in sports and other arenas in life. Most businesses look at their competition to see what they need to do. A lot of people consider themselves to be in competition with one another, depending on what they’re involved in. There’s a lot of adrenaline and energy given towards winning in a competition.

I personally function better when I’m just being of service to God when I show up doing something. I’m not a religious person, but I am deeply spiritual. You see, God wakes me up in the morning and, being an artist, I’m very connected in my heart to what creates me, sustains me, and gets me through the day.

If I happen to do what someone would call “better” than someone else, than it’s probably just some purpose I am fulfilling. I’m a person who is involved with action not results. It takes daily work to build something of significance over time. It’s the little things I do everyday that turn into my success over time. It’s not being in competition with anyone.

Blessings!
Laura

Get gig info and more at:
http://www.LauraCohnMusic.com
Where Music Meets Artistry