Is This Thing Still On?

*tapping on the virtual microphone* Check, check. One two, one two. Check, check.

Oh, hello! Guess who’s back? Guess who’s feeling “the need to express, to communicate” and reference musical theatre?

It is I, Allison! Yes, I am back on the blog that I started back in my college days, and I am ready to share stories from my life in written, visual, and audio form. You read that correctly! I want to share in ways I haven’t done before, and I reserve the right to try them once and abandon them or stick with them as I see fit. I give myself permission to be me. And my life has been full of trial and error. My life is about being creative, trying new experiences, and rebirth.

Before I talk about what I’ve been up to lately, let’s do a little rewind. The last time I posted on this blog was five years ago. Crazy! To put that into perspective, Hamilton: An American Musical hadn’t yet become a worldwide phenomenon because its theatrical debut at the Public Theater and subsequent Broadway debut occurred in 2015. My youngest niece has never been featured on this blog because she wasn’t born yet!

Between now and the then that was 2014, I had a website, allisoncabellon.com. I started it when I was learning more about business and entrepreneurship. There’s no use hyperlinking to my website because as of May 1, 2019, I stopped the website hosting. Why? First, it was not financially viable. Second, I want to redo the website.  Third, I need some time to re-focus my efforts as I'll explain further...

I did have a few blog entries on allisoncabellon.com, which I saved to a Google doc, and time will tell if I add those here or not.

So five years have passed since my last blog post on this thankfully-still-free platform, and I developed a variety of passions. Some lasted (Hamilton and Waitress on Broadway, I’m looking at you and want to return again & again). Some did not (watercolor painting, we'll always have the summer of 2017!). Some have resurfaced in recent months and weeks. And now I want to talk about them because the time feels right.

A handful of people know about this, and now you, dear reader, will know that last month I sustained an injury to the left side of my body when someone walked into me while transferring to a train across the subway platform. I didn’t see them coming; otherwise, I absolutely would have done my best to get out of their way. My extraordinary primary care doctor has done a series of osteopathic manipulation treatments (OMT) to help realign my rib cage and back.

Okay, let me pause here and apologize if this is too much information. When I was little, I used to cringe at hearing stories of broken bones and and such. I currently work at a doctor’s office, so now I hear about a variety of health issues and have learned to hold space while hearing them. If you are reading this right now and cringing because you are empathic and can feel others’ pain, I’m sending you love because I know how you feel.

Back to the story of my healing, I am feeling much better. Nothing was/is broken, I felt sharp pain and discomfort at times.  Now I can exercise and sleep perfectly fine.

Why did I even share this story about my personal health? I was telling a patient just the other day that any time I am going through something health-wise, I ask myself, “What can I learn from this?  What's the lesson here?”

And the answer is my body has been teaching me about alignment. How can I realign myself with what lights me up? Because, while I do have a day job to support me financially, I also have a deep desire to serve the world in some way that involves the talents and gifts I was given by sheer virtue of being a soul incarnated as a human being on earth at this time.

There is a part of me that is afraid to own that. For sure. And then there is a part of me that is yearning to break free of any and all conditioning that is holding me back from sharing my gifts with the world.

What do I mean by “serving the world”?  I often think of what one of my friends has told me over the years: “You’ve done your job if you’ve reached one person.” If you can reach one person, that may have a ripple effect that you may never get to know about. But it still has an effect.  And it matters.

A question was posed to me last week: “Does your [day] job have to be your passion?” My mind immediately answered yes, but my gut said no. For those of you that know Human Design, I’m a Manifesting Generator with sacral authority. So it’s not surprising that my mind would chip in with its opinion, but the surprise is that my authority (my decision-making process) said no.

Would I love to be making money doing what I love? Absolutely!

Am I there yet? No, not yet.

Am I working toward that? Oh yes, oh yes.

And that’s where alignment comes into play. A day or two after the question about my job being my passion was asked of me, I got this e-mail from SoundCloud that someone had liked a song I had posted. I was deeply moved because, with my website down, I had changed the link in my Instagram profile to my SoundCloud page. Granted, I don’t know how this person arrived at my SoundCloud page, but I was really touched that people are still listening to my music, whether or not I’m consciously thinking about it. On that day, I reached one person, and that song has the potential for healing and forgiveness. And that song was put out into the world for free.

So let this blog post and let the events of the past week reaffirm that I want to serve the world with my gifts, whether it be music, sound healing, energy healing, a penchant for learning & sharing what I’ve learned, or something completely new & different that I don’t even know about yet.

In related news, I’m re-aligning with my desire to create and share more music. This past Friday, I got accepted into NYU’s new online program about the music industry. I can’t wait to get started!

With a heart full of gratitude,
Allison

P.S. Here are some links if you’d like to connect with me!

SoundCloud
Instagram
Facebook
Twitter
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Pop-Up Pianos: Days 1 and 2 in Pictures

Piano #1: George Washington Bridge bus station -- one of four baby grands in Manhattan.  I played "Arithmetic" and "Nightminds"... hello, old friends.

Close-up of Piano #1

The piano at Highbridge Park

After a park staff member saw me take a picture of the covered piano, he asked if I wanted to play, and I said yes.  He took off the tarp for me but didn't know the lock combination, so I couldn't play.  This is the Ray Charles themed piano.

Piano #2: Tribeca Park... before I played, I listened to a father and daughter play at the piano.  They were improvising, but it was sweet to watch.  Happy Father's Day!  The highlight for me was playing "Gravity" by Sara Bareilles.  If you are my next-door neighbor, the last few weeks, you've heard me play/sing the bridge over and over again.  I can't get enough of it.

Piano #3: Washington Market Park.  I should've closed the lid before taking this picture!  Also, there's my binder o' sheet music.  As I mentioned on Twitter/Facebook, I got a couple sprays from a water gun from the other side of the bush.  Luckily it was while I was playing "Arithmetic", the one song I have memorized.  Funny though... I accidentally switched the second and third verses.  Maybe the kid with the water gun was "booing" me. Oh well.  I took the risk of getting my sheet music wet and played "Awake" by Josh Groban.  Happy to report there were no more sprays, thank you very much.

Piano #4: City Hall Park!  Had to wait a while before I could play, but when I did, I was quite pleased with the quality of the piano -- the sound projection, tuning, keyboard, pedals, you name it.  A woman said, "Bravo!" after I performed Missy Higgins' "The Sound of White," which I dedicate to O.

Piano #4

Piano #5: 9th Avenue and W. 14th Street. I felt a little rushed taking this picture because a  man was asking me about the pianos.  Turns out he could play, so I told him about the 88 Pop-Up Pianos.  I'm kind of fascinated by the decoration when I look at this picture.  While I was playing, I couldn't help but look around at the cars passing by, the people across the street, just outside the Apple Store, and the people sitting in the chairs behind me.  The piano was a little out of tune, but I performed "The Sound of White" and "Gravity" again.  

Piano #6: Fort Tryon Park.  This is the "improv" piano, but I heard  familiar songs (e.g., Fur Elise) from  those who played before me, so I was a little hesitant to improvise.  I sandwiched a bit of improvisation between "Arithmetic" and "Nightminds."  Wasn't completely content with improv, but hey, I tried.

Another shot of Piano #6

A November to Remember

I don't know if I will ever find the time to fully capture my music memories of November 2010. All I can say is if I could re-live these fleeting moments without having to resort to YouTube and pictures and even incomplete descriptions, I would. But this will have to do -- a blog to remember what happened.

Little Anchor
November 2, 2010
Rockwood Music Hall - Stage 1

Lovely as always to see Little Anchor. This was the second time I saw them performing at Rockwood Music Hall. I've said it before, but I'll say it again, the final song gets to me every single time. It's totally meant for a live performance, so I hope you all get to experience it sometime.

Josh Groban
November 15, 2010
N/A

No, I did not see Josh Groban perform live in the month of November, although I had some missed opportunities. I won't dwell on that, since I saw other wonderful performances in place of Josh. With his new album, Illuminations, a lot of promotions and pre-tour concerts have been going on, and I officially can't keep up with him like I used to. Anyway, when I'm not listening to Brooke Fraser's Flags, I'm listening to Illuminations. With the early listens of Illuminations, it took a while for a couple of the songs to grow on me, but I can honestly say, this is my favorite album that Josh has done. There's so much of his own artistic vision in this album that you can just hear and feel. And I love that his love songs are about the gray areas of love. I'm not going to single out any one song to discuss because then I'd feel bad for not blogging about the others. Just do yourself a favor and listen to Illuminations.

Brooke Fraser
November 19, 2010
Highline Ballroom

This was my first time seeing Brooke Fraser in concert. If you've read my "Play Me, I'm Yours" piano blogs, then you'll know the story behind getting into the music of this particular artist, so I won't re-tell it here. Janice was in town, and I got us both tickets back in the summer. I knew there would be table seating, but I wasn't interested in spending an additional 2-3 hours before the concert began just to get a good seat. Janice and I spent the day shopping, getting doughnuts at Doughnut Plant, eating dinner at Lan Cafe, and resting/snacking on said doughnuts at Chelsea Market. A little before 7:30, we made our way to Highline Ballroom, and the usher at the door said, "Standing room only." I was prepared for SRO, but we got there in time to secure the best standing viewpoint in the venue: dead center, right behind the very last row of tables. Perfect!

No offense to the opening act, Sam Bradley, but I really couldn't wait for Brooke to begin her show! Before it began, a woman made an announcement for no flash photography and no video recording. I knew other people in the audience were filming, so I decided to just enjoy the concert. Sometimes, when you hold up a camera, you lose your sense of actually being at the concert and focus more about camera work so you see the concert through a tiny little screen instead of being there in the moment of seeing the artist onstage. And by "you," I mean me. I was able to soak it all in.  Brooke and her band were phenomenal. While I didn't film the concert, I of course took some pictures!

Pretty sure this is "C.S. Lewis Song" by the placement of the capo and the fact that I made a point to take a picture at this particular moment, considering how much I love the song.

Brooke Fraser on her new keyboard, Angelo

I don't remember the exact set list, nor did I write it down, but Brooke performed all songs from her latest album, Flags, with the exception of "Who Are We Fooling?", "Jack Kerouac" and "Here's To You." She also performed four songs from her second album, Albertine: "Deciphering Me", "Shadowfeet", "C.S. Lewis Song" and the title track. And from her first album, What To Do With Daylight, she performed "Better" and "Arithmetic" (as the first encore).

A couple highlights for me were when she invited us to sing along to "Deciphering Me" and "Shadowfeet." What an honor. (As a concertgoer, I won't sing along unless we are specifically asked to. I find it rude when others sing when they aren't asked to, but I never have the guts to shush someone because they are probably having a good time singing along to their favorite artist.)

The final number (aka the second encore) was "Coachella."  Janice and I discussed beforehand that if Brooke didn't sing it, Janice would yell out the song title to request it. Alas, she didn't have to! And based on the little story before Brooke performed the song, I will now think of "Cold Shower" as the honorary title. (Oh no you didn't!)

"Coachella"

I hope Brooke Fraser returns often to NYC to perform. Don't think that I didn't look at her tour schedule to find out if I could see her in concert again elsewhere in the world. ;)

Anna Nalick
November 30, 2010
Rockwood Music Hall - Stage 2

Where do I even begin? Let's just say that it thrilled me to no end when Anna Nalick revived her Facebook and joined Twitter in August 2010 to let her fans know she was back. And when she released "The Lullaby Singer" on her website, it was all I would listen to while working because, well, the website looped the song. :) There's no other female American singer-songwriter of my generation who can craft amazing melody and creative, unique lyrics as well as Anna Nalick. It's a lofty statement, but hear me out.  Or, read me out.  She can turn something so personal into something identifiable for all her listeners. Her lyrics are never trite.  Her music got me through a transitional period in my life -- my post-college job search and my first post-college job commute. Her second album that never came out also had music -- one song, specifically -- that I needed a couple years ago. So her return this summer was most welcome.

Anna's free concert at Rockwood Music Hall was simply amazing. OK, it was just too short, but for an industry showcase, I'm so glad it was also done for the public -- her fans.

Set list:
Break Me Open
Words
Lullaby Singer
All Fall Down
Straitjacket
Shine
Breathe (2 AM)
Paper Bag

Just watch this heartbreakingly beautiful rendition of "All Fall Down" that I found on YouTube. As I said at the beginning of my blog, if I could re-live these concerts without YouTube, I would. But I can't help but be grateful for YouTube.


After the show, Alexa and I were able to talk to Anna outside Rockwood Music Hall. It was totally worth the wait -- big thanks to Alexa for convincing me to stay. While there were several fans and industry folks who wanted to talk to Anna, she made sure she talked to us as well, and I'm really thankful for that experience.

Flags by Brooke Fraser

What have I been listening to pretty much non-stop* since Tuesday? Brooke Fraser's new album, Flags.

So good, so good. I can't wait to see her in concert for the first time next month. Really loving the songs "Betty," "Orphans, Kingdoms," "Who Are We Fooling," "Coachella," and the title song "Flags," but the entire album is fantastic. I love new music.

*I've taken a few breaks to listen to Josh Groban's Portuguese song "Voce Existe Em Mim"... I wonder if I should learn Portuguese...

Play Me, I'm Yours... Day 5

Part 1:
Success! Before meeting Alexa for dinner, I decided to take my chance on the piano at Columbus Circle -- the piano I couldn't play on Tuesday due to the light rain that caused the piano to be covered in plastic and locked up.

As I waited for the crosswalk, I saw someone sitting at the piano. He got up, but as I started to cross the street, a woman sat down to play a song. Luckily, it was short and sweet, and she got up. At last, it was my opportunity for the taking, so I bolted for the piano before anybody else could get to it.

First, I played Missy Higgins' "Nightminds," which you may have seen me play on my keyboard (if not, the video is on my Facebook page). After I finished, people sitting on the benches clapped for me! I nodded to some of them and was thrilled by their response.

Next up, "There's a Fine, Fine Line" from Avenue Q. I hadn't practiced this one much, and it showed. But... there was a couple that was walking by, and they stopped. The man knew it was from Avenue Q and told his companion that. He tried singing along, and I pointed to my sheet music where I was in the song. And I tried to help him out by singing as well, but that song can be a toughie playing just the piano part. I messed up a bit from overthinking and worrying, but by the end, some other people came up right by the piano and smiled and clapped. Oh, during the song, it was a little windy, so the man held my sheet music down for me. So nice of him to do that!

After that, this girl came up to me and asked if I was a music student. I told her no, but I also said I took piano lessons from elementary school through high school. She told me she wanted to hear me sing again, and then I pulled out my music book of Brooke Fraser songs. Now, I've been spending time memorizing two of her songs, but I didn't want to mess up after my Avenue Q hiccup, so I stuck to the sheet music.

I first played "Arithmetic," which my friend Katherine first introduced me to. Love that song. Now, the piano is a bit out of tune, but what can you do? It's been hot and humid in NYC. I played on and sang as best as I could. It was a thrill to finally play that song in public.

My final song was "Scarlet" by Brooke Fraser. I told the girl that it was a quieter song. I knew I could do well with it. The girl turned pages for me, which was really nice of her. After I finished, people clapped again. And then it was time for me to go and meet Alexa for dinner. I thanked the girl for turning pages and asked what her name was: Simone. I told her my name was Allison, and she said to keep playing. And I certainly will!

P.S. There were strangers taking pictures of me, so if they appear on the Internet somewhere, please tell me! :)

Part 2:
After dinner & dessert, Alexa and I walked over to the pedestrian area in Times Square between 45th and 46th Street. Forever 21 (where Virgin Records used to be) has a giant screen above its storefront that shows people on the street, so a bunch of tourists were standing around looking at themselves. Good for business? Um... Fun for tourists? For sure... Annoying for New Yorkers? Most definitely. But, we played tourists for a little bit, stood with everyone else, and waved at ourselves.

I saw that there was a crowd around the piano -- the biggest crowd I've seen so far. A young guy was playing the piano, and then this woman jumped in and played along with him! That was such a highlight! Two strangers making music, and it worked! Next up, another young guy said, "And now for something completely different..." and he played and sang operatically in German. His younger sister was his page turner.

When he finished his second piece, a mother strongly urged her young daughter to the piano, so she played, and a couple of other children came up to the piano to hear her play and decided to plunk some of the upper keys. The mom of those other kids told them not to touch the piano, but one of the girls responded, "I'm helping her!" It was all very cute. After the girl finished playing, I decided to go for it.

When I sat down at the piano, a guy to my left asked me if I was going to sing, and I said yes. I covered "Arithmetic" by Brooke Fraser, and at least one person was taking video, and another person was taking pictures with a nice digital camera. I couldn't tell if he was a tourist or affiliated with this public art project. In either case, it was pretty cool. Thanks to Alexa for turning pages and taking this picture!

When I finished the song, I got up to let others play. A woman came prepared with her own handheld video cam and body microphone, and she asked someone in the crowd to film for her. She played two songs. Then Alexa played her original song "Try" which is part of her Sunland EP, now available on iTunes! Visit Little Anchor's MySpace for details.

What a day! What a rush. As I said in my first tweet/Facebook status update: More to come.

Manhattan Piano Tally: 2/29

...

I think I'm sick. My stomach's been bothering me all day, and I get an itchy cough sometimes. I tried to take off as early as possible after Alexa finished her concert tonight. And now I'm home, and really I just want to rest and rest and not go to work tomorrow. But alas, I have to go to work tomorrow. Performance review rescheduled.

Anyway, Alexa was amazing. She even gave a shout out to the Cabellon girls who moved to New York. :)

OK, I'm going to bed.