I Need To

My life has boarded the fast train, but I am still standing on the dock. I can see the cars fly by, but I am motionless. I need to walk in the rain and rub mud through my hair. I need to watch the steam rise from the earth only to return seconds later as a storm. I need to watch our orange cousins cling to the last traces of their homes. I need to watch them move slowly amongst the trees and watch for lessons in my folly. I need to see the wisdom in their eyes.

cc licensed ( BY ) flickr photo shared by NYC-MetroCard

I need to talk to kids about watching insects and digging for poems beneath the foliage. I need to ride a boat, a bus, a river. I need to jump from a height that impregnates me with the fear I cherish. I need to watch the stars and forget and remember. I need to eat rice, walk in damp socks and not shower. I need to disconnect and disappear. I need to go primal and scribble in a journal. I need to. I need to. I need to.

cc licensed ( BY NC ) flickr photo shared by onbangladesh

Time near a fire, a guitar in hand, a jungle is what I need...

I am taking 45 ninth graders to Bukit Lawang on Sumatra island for a week without walls trip. We will trek, look at apes, and do many of the things I mentioned above.

The Rajdhani Express

Woke up this morning to an email that started like this

My quest to become a musician before my 33rd birthday has been a smashing success!  Not only have I learned to play my ukulele, written songs, performed internationally, and even made money at it, my cd arrived 3 days before my birthday!  It's been outstanding and I must thank everyone for being so supportive in all of this business.

I have been smiling all day. The email is from a friend of mine who has just released a new CD called The Rajdhani Express. I met Leslie in Shanghai last year and have been in touch with her via Twitter, where she is known as @onepercentyello. We have stayed connected through our blogs and in song. I have written tirelessly about our collaborations here, here and here because Leslie has been such an open, honest and amazing collaborate. Her love of music and the relationships built around it are contagious.

I couldn't help but take the time to share her music with as many of my friends and readers as I could. We owe it to each other as artists, as friends, and as musicians to promote each others' work, especially when it is this good! We are so lucky to live in a age where we are no longer forced to consume media or art by large corporate outlets. We can create art, consume music, and share our voices with nothing more than a laptop, an Internet connection and the raw tenacity of an artist's need to be heard.

Please support Leslie by buying her CD, liking her on Facebook, and sharing her songs with as many people as you can.  Take a listen here:


Just remeber that when Leslie gets all famous, she sang one of my songs way back in the day.

Falling out of Cars by onepercentyellow