A string of back-to-back, family medical crises has stymied my artistic goals for over two years now, but that’s life for most of us. 

I am hopeful the days ahead will offer more space-time to get back into the groove.

Artistic enterprise requires just that…and a whole lot of energy, especially if you’re doing the work and care deeply about “quality of product”.

You need quiet time away from the day-to-day rush — the usual noise, the sudden thunder, and the flood of new responsibilities that often follows.

The past few years have been practically challenging in that regard.

Nevertheless, I intend to re-release Grace Fury later this spring with an opening statement and additional footage.

If Amazon doesn’t follow through on its latest promise to provide a platform, then she goes to others, perhaps even YouTube in multiple installments.

A Voice with Legs on YouTube is also in the works and soon to be launched to complement this site – 

our salty-sweet spot here, where we grow the character and mission of Grace Fury over time

…unpack thoughts and experiences, air the occasional critique – the casual objection or complete smackdown – but otherwise praise meaningful and inspirational projects, inside and outside my bailiwick. 

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On that note, I would like to share this article that I found on The Washington Post about the amazing pianist, Ruth Slenczynska, still going — and playing at 99. 

Rachmaninoff’s last living piano student

I was moved to comment:

Finally a story about an authentic artist with such depth of skill and incredible background/experience, who still projects extraordinary beauty in performance and in life.

No hi-tech back-up or distraction, assistance from the sound booth, excessive media hype, or mass pathologies and manipulation needed to prop this one up. 

She’s the real deal.

Though “a natural” – gifted from the start – she reminds us that great artistic performance fundamentally comes from great love and humility and patience and so many hours, days, years of practice — from a devotion within that never stops.

That’s what makes her so fascinating to watch and the music from her fingertips so moving to hear…her performance so worthwhile…her life so truly successful.

You can really feel what drives her – still, even at 99. We get the sublime opportunity to experience and to share her genuine, lifelong relationship with music… and perhaps powers beyond us.

Thank you, Ruth Slenczynska, for the inspiration.

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Stay tuned and hopeful the coming months bring a much needed break for all of us!

… And yes, I’m still dancing.

UPDATE (June 30, 2024)

Alas, I have encountered more delays…

I am making good progress but will have to settle for releasing this project sometime before 2025, one way or another.

On a different subject of overwhelming, ultimately overriding importance to me, I’m moved to wish the following:

May clear reason and decency prevail in the coming months, here in the United States and elsewhere, and may the side of sanity put its truly best foot forward.

I am a skeptic (not a cynic) and have legitimate doubts. But I must remain hopeful and helpful to the general campaign for this Constitutional republic and against the criminal demagogue…in order to function (to avoid a supremely debilitating depression) and for the sake of good people, a beautiful planet, and my own goals in life.

Perhaps some of you can relate?

 

Good luck, everyone.