It has been months since I last updated my blog. Well....here it is.....along with my promise to do better.

"First of all, servants of all, we shall transcend all."

This is the motto of my dear fraternity....to which I was first introduced as a young initiate nearly 15 years ago now.

At that time, I thought that in this context....the word "all" meant other people....other organizations....the "system"...and the other ills of our society.

Though some may rebuff.....15 years later....I believe I have come to grasp a more expansive definition of that word "all"....and thus....a deeper understanding of that later phrase...."we shall transcend all".

The word "shall" it is not a request.....it is an affirmational command.....it is a mandate! To "transcend" is to overstep...to surpass....to exceed....to go beyond the usual limits of a thing.





[My lil Brother Alan Crawford]

The word "all" means exactly that.....ALL.....it's meaning includes everything......everything that was....is...and is to be.

This includes our emotions....insecurities....and fears......it includes our shortcomings....moral failings and personal inconsistancies....it includes whatever situation.....circumstance or condition life throws our way.

Last but not least.....the word "we" means anyone and everyone who dares to enlist and include themselves in such an endeavor.

Over the past few years I have also come to realize that certain realms of transcendence become available to us only when we dare to "talk and tell " of the thing that would have us bound and tied.

In the Spirit of Transcendence
And so....now I talk....now I tell. In order for one to live modestly and comfortably in the city.....(and without roommates) one needs to make at least twice what I made in Michigan.

It has been a TOUGH road being here in NYC...I continue to live on cold-cut sandwiches and sleep on my fraternity brother's living room floor.

But....the situation makes me ever grateful for fraternity, the true spirit of brotherhood, and genuine friendship....and ever encouraged by the opportunity to pursue this dream...(being always mindful that....by some peoples standards I am already living it!)

And if not now.....when? When would one ever have had the opportunity to make such a memory...?...the opportunity to gain the "education of the experience"..?? You really cannot put a price-tag on a great memory...or experience gained through trail.

No money to go back to Michigan to be with my family....so I did my first "Christmas in New York". Let the record reflect, I ate a cold cut sandwich, chips, and kool-aid....watched television and dosed while reclining on the living room floor.






Naw....I wasn't mad or sad....what you see here is the look of.....determination.....lol.
yeah....I was determined to find the holiday spirit.






Pretending to dose while catching the subway somewhere.....I actually took the picture.....catch you tell?







New Year's Evening service with Bishop Alvernis Johnson and Kingdom Life Ministries, Flint-Saginaw


















Through the recommendation of a dear friend and colleague, I was granted an audition with Linda Twine, musical director for the Color Purple. It was a great meeting and a good audition. Just another priceless experience that would not have been possible if I had been still living in Michigan.


A beautiful day in Harlem. So why is am I frowning?












Model potential?...lol....eehh....maybe on a REALLY good day...or perhaps at 60lbs lighter and 4 inches taller....LOL.











Didn't think I would....but I actually found this to be a delightful opera and enjoyed performing in it.











Marlon Daniel, conductor at dress rehearsal for Ariadne auf Naxos by Strauss








This was at Merkin Hall back in December









Some of you may have looked at me and wondered, "what is that black and gold thing he is always wearing around his neck and wrist?" OK...let me explain...but first....how about a little Egyptology 101.

The Cartouche

In General

A cartouche is sort of like a nametag. Ancient Egyptians made cartouches for kings, queens, and other high-ranking people in the kingdom.

The cartouche, known in ancient Egypt as the shenu, is derived from the Egyptian verb, Sheni, which means to encircle; having no beginning or end. The cartouche is generally depicted as a knotted rope encircling the symbols of an important person.

The cartouche was also a symbol of protection, and as a hieroglyphic symbol in Egyptian art, it can have the meanings of both "eternity" and "protection"

Symbolism – the use of one thing to serve as a tangible representation for something abstract

Rope – Symbolic of rescues and safety…as in the term lifeline; binding together disparate objects; also symbolic of connection to something.

The number 2 – is symbolic of equals…as in a pair…it also signifies balance and agreement...two colors....two cords

Gold – The ancients commonly considered gold to be one of the noblest color. One of only two metals used in heraldry, (which is the art of making emblems…as in ' coat of arms') it exceeds all others in value, purity and finesse. Gold is also associated with excellence and achievement, and the bearer surpasses all others in valor.

Black - Originally a symbol of strength...the depth of ones soul...and symbol of everything good. Today it is appropriated to represent African American people, culture, history, and legacy

Knot - The knot is an ancient heraldic symbol of longevity, commitment, permanence and the joining of two things.

Circle – The circle is pre-Christian and its original symbolic meaning has been adopted by Christianity. It is universally known as the symbol of eternity and never-ending existence.

In Particular

Because I don’t wear jewelry, the cartouche holds a high value for me due to the symbolism I ascribed to it.

My AP....Sgt. Pascal J. Hall....due back home State-side in May from his SECOND tour in Iraq. We continue to pray for his safe return.











Coming Soon - "ISHONGO" A Day in the Life of a Slave"







Maestro Alvin Waddles, virtuoso accompanist; the divine Lori Celeste Hicks, soprano, and me after our joint recital for the 54th Annual E. Azalia Hackley Concert at the Detroit Public Library





Mikal at another one of his vintage stores.

Vintage means "used a long time ago with a highly inflated price tag today".






Went to New Brunswick for a visit and a voice lesson.

Recieved an invitation to apply to the DMA program.





Chartered in 1766, Rutgers University is the nations oldest and most prestigious insitution of higher learning. It is also the alma mater of the great Paul Robeson.





Scenes from the Douglass Campus....location of the Mason Gross School of Music








The Chapel.










Still at Rutgers.....such a GREAT campus setting!









Recently....a stage director said she had this vision of me "doing the role shirtless".....I thought it a funny notion but was too stunned to laugh. With little more than a glance......I was able to convince her that...I would SOUND much better with my clothes ON!

And then it hit me. What if this was a deal breaker for a big role at an A-level house....what would/should be my response? Well....let's just say I hereby pledge to spend a lot more quality time at Bally's. I will drop 35lbs by my birthday July 5th. (Yeah.....I know I could lose a lot more....but I aint tryin to be no twig....just fit.....fit for marketing...lol)

In any case....YOU can help by holding me accountable....tell me if it looks like I am gaining....tell me if I look like I am losing.....and by all means....don't be treating me to no desserts and no fried foods! LOL.

Hmmm??....perhaps I will even make this fitness goal a regular topic of these cyber chronicles. Sure....look for a weekly update.....perhaps one day I will even post the before and after pictures. LOL
Me rehearsing with my dear friend Jolie Rock Brown, soprano. We met several years ago doing Cosi fan tutte in Italy.







Me rehearsing with other members of the workshop cast.









Inside the Tenri Cultural Institute. This was the location of our workshop presentation.

With Lamar Willis rehearses at the piano before the show.





I understand that each piece of art on the walls there is valued at $20K.








Mark well my words here today...By the year 2012, this show will be doing Broadway.












My good friend Joe takes advantage of his 5 hour layover at JFK and decides to make his first official trip to New York City.

An avid business traveler, Joe knows to always pack light. My travel motto is..."only carry what YOU can carry."


Shoe shopping in the Fashion District.









On his first trip to Time Square, Joe has a brief altercation with a deranged fellow. But his advanced people skills allow him to swiftly recover.






On his way back home, Joe is already planning for the next family excursion.








Convent Avenue Baptist Church, located in Harlem, where I sometimes serve as a substitute musician/choir director.







Most Saturday's I attend 6pm services at Madison Square Garden with Dr. Creflo Dollar.








Honestly....as one with some background in church music.....it is a stretch for me to get into the music there...but the delivery of the WORD is absolutely on point.






People often ask me if I like it here in New York.

My answer is always the same thing.

"NO! I don't like it.....




.....I LOVE it!!!!"










A beautiful city.....a beautiful people...a beautiful life!









Can you name the following locations?






















Since coming here I have had the following opportunities:

Auditions

Opera Brooklyn

Chelsea Opera

Opera Vivenette

Santa Fe Opera

Martina Arroyo - Prelude to Performance 2007 Summer Program

Verdi Requiem - Richmond Choral Society

Color Purple, general auditions

Linda Twine, musical director for The Color Purple

Opera Carolina

Center City Opera

Cincinnati Opera

Opera in the Heights

Opera Memphis

Ashlawn Highland Opera

Atlantic Coast Opera

New York Harlem Productions

American Spirituals Ensemble

Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of Music

Performances

Opera Brooklyn La Divina by Paseteri

Martina Arroyo

Prelude to Performance Gala – Soloist New York, NY

Guest Soloist Grace Baptist Church, Mount Vernon, NY

Opera Noire Ariadne auf Naxos by Strauss

Chelsea Opera Amahl and the Night Visitors by Menotti

Harlem Opera Theater NY Historical Society – Soloist

Opera Noire Spirituals Concert – Soloist

COLORS: Brothers Beneath the Skin New York, NY

E. Azalia Hackley Concert Detroit, MI

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Bronx, NY

Convent Avenue Baptist Church Harlem, NY

Upcoming Appearances

Magic Flute Opera South - Jackson, MS

Messa da Requiem Richmond Chorale Society – New York, NY

Don Giovanni Chelsea Opera – New York, NY

Well, that is about it for now. Don't look so disappointed. I will be back with that fitness update....lol...so stay tuned.

In the words of the late Bishop S.C. Coles once said...."for every right desire...there is an answer" ...so...Be encouraged to follow your dreams........and be well.