I love meeting new artists - musicians, visual artists, writers, dancers, it really doesn’t matter - I love getting to know these passionate people…I am always inspired by who they are and what they do…this weekend I was at my friend’s art show… she and two of her friends have been showcasing their work regularly now and I was glad to finally make it to one of the shows. My friend designs and sews purses (she does all sorts of art, but this art show was all about her sewing). Her work is simply delightful! I have already picked out which handbag I want (just ask…) What inspires me most about her work, however, is the story behind it. Hilary has been doing the art shows to raise funds so that she and her husband can adopt children from Ethiopia. We are all so excited for the Forrest family as they wait expectedly for their children… we are all praying for a miracle!

To have a look at Hilary’s beautiful work and read about their journey towards the adoption, visit her blog at http://www.ethihopeia.com/blog/blog.html

Sunday was also a day full of art… after church, we headed downtown to take a look at the displays in the annual event here called Artisphere… it was my first time at this festival and it was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon…weaving through the sea of people and baby strollers… enjoying good food, good company, good music and good art. I think my favourite pieces were these intricate, colourful glass sculptures (I should have taken photos, I know!).

And finally… a dear friend of ours who might just be one of the most talented artists I know recently got engaged… congratulations! He proposed to his sweetheart in Rome…now that is quite something, don’t you think? Talk about a romantic… His art consists of so many, many things, the best of which might just be the amazing coffees he makes and then tops of with his delicate handiwork… is that called coffee art? In any event, we are so happy for him…

We have a rising star at home… she coos and sighs and smiles and loves Armenian folk songs as much as her mother does… she is familiar with all the songs I have been singing all these months: after all, she was with me during my tour this past fall….but she made her official entrance into the world recently (hence the lack of posts from me!)

Life is glorious…

I met her in 2004 right after I had finished recording my first CD.

I had just completed Far From Home and was not very sure what I was going to do next. And in an otherwise unlikely turn of events, I decided to accept a temporary position working as a financial assistant - quite an adventure for a passionate teacher like me who up to that point was more used to the energetic, vivid atmosphere of a classroom full of teenagers rather than the intensely serious world of an office full of adults. I decided to work at the office for a couple of months until the official release of my album and my performing began.

And while working there was something I had never ever imagined I would do, I know that the Lord orchestrated my being at that office just so I would meet some of the amazing people on that 7th floor, people I might never have met otherwise… people like Jane.

Jane and I instantly became friends. Her laugh was infectious, and she had the greatest sense of humour. We would both try to lighten the mood in the office when everyone became a bit too serious… and the other employees could not help but smile when she entered the room. She just had that glow about her. We’d have lunches together when we could, and every time I’d pass her desk or she’d pass mine, we’d share a laugh or two.

I remember her being fascinated by my dreams and she encouraged me greatly. She was one of the very first people to purchase my CD; and after she had listened to the music, her words moved me deeply. You see, I wasn’t sure how people who did not understand the language were going to respond to my Armenian folk songs… but Jane’s reaction compelled me to keep pursuing my goals… she genuinely loved the music!

We continued to build our friendship when I left the company. I looked forward to our laughter filled lunches together when we’d share with each other what was happening in our lives. I loved hearing about her experiences working overseas, her stories about her family, and listening to her advice about men. “When you meet the one, you will know. If he is truly interested in you, you will know,” she looked at me with her shining eyes as she spoke. “When it is the real thing, there will be no doubt in your mind… he will be so clear in his intentions!” And she was right.

And then one day, she told me that she had cancer. She was very matter of fact about it. I looked at her, wide-eyed with disbelief. Yes, she had had a mysterious pain while we had been working together at the office, but no one had expected that the pain was a result of cancer… I was unsure as to what to say… but Jane smiled. She was determined to prove her doctors wrong. They had given her some months to live, but their words were not going to deter her from living life to the fullest, from surprising them all.

And did she ever live! Not once did I hear Jane complain about her chemotherapy, about her intense pain, about her situation. Rather, she continued to be the enthusiastic, witty soul she had always been. She did surprise her doctors and lived much longer than any of them had predicted. She continued to laugh, to travel, and to enjoy life. We continued to meet together and I looked forward to those times greatly. Jane was always a joy to be around. And I marveled at her strength. I marveled at the way she was able to laugh and live life with such a positive attitude. I marveled at her courage.

Each time I saw her, I was inspired. Each time, I was challenged. I learned so much from Jane.

And now, 3 years later, Jane is gone.

Jane passed away a week ago, and my heart is heavy. I miss her greatly. And at the same time, I am ever so thankful for having had the chance to know her.

I am thankful that back in 2004 I accepted a position in an office, where I met a delightful courageous soul who taught me so much…

I miss you, Jane.

You are a superstar…

It has been awhile since I have written here.

The Christmas season seems like it was ages ago now… but it was glorious… I loved every minute of it: the lights, the music, the gatherings with friends and family, the Christmas cards, the church services, and then, most of all, waking up Christmas morning to read about our Saviour in Luke Chapter 2. My husband and I have made it a tradition to read the Christmas story in Armenian, English, and even Spanish and Russian. While I am not fluent in Spanish or Russian, I enjoy sitting back and listening to the beauty of these languages, to the words that evoke so much meaning as they communicate such a transforming truth for us all…

And then the New Year was upon us, and we were able to escape to the mountains for a couple of days… that was a peaceful time… my favourite part was driving through the national forest, catching glimpses of deer, wild horses, wild turkeys (what a sight!) and more… the noise of the city was far behind us as we were enveloped by snow covered trees and the calming silence of the forest…

Now we are home again.

There is so much to think about in the next few months. Yes, there is always an excitement mixed with a certain uneasiness about the new year… about anything that is new, really…

Last week, I spent the day with a friend, and we talked and talked about the thrill of new adventures, new love, and at the same time about the unsettling feeling of not knowing exactly what is to come… that tension that exists… it was so wonderful to witness that sparkle in her eyes and the way we tend to talk ever so quickly about thrilling things… that breathless, rapid pace: “and then… and then… and then…!”

Another friend reminded me that we must take things day by day… yes, I know. But sometimes, I forget. Sometimes I get ahead of myself…

There is so much to think about in the next few months; there is so much to do.

And I can’t wait…

I wanted to share some great news with all of you: In the Light is in stores across Canada! We are so excited about this…

Also, on Sunday night, one of my recent concerts was broadcast on CBC Radio 2. Thank you to everyone who emailed me and told me how much they enjoyed listening to the show! I really love hearing from all of you. That show was such a joy to be a part of. It is so amazing to be on stage and to hear my songs come to life, to be surrounded by my talented band… I love sharing my passion for this music with others.

You can listen to the show online; just click on this link and enjoy!
CBC Radio Two Concerts On Demand

Here are some more concert photos:

Here we are on stage, doing what we love to do…

Here I am with the incredible gospel group, the Sojourners - Marcus Mosley, Ron Small, and Will Sanders - who also performed at the Nov. 7th show in Vancouver. We all joined together at the end of the show to sing This Little Light of Mine for the encore! What a fantastic time!

Me and two of my amazing band members and friends, Elliot Polsky (percussion) and Jesse Zubot (violin).

I can’t believe it is already December!

So much has been happening! And not the least of which is all the concerts and meeting so many audience members after each show - that really is one of my favourite parts of performing… the chance to meet people after a show that I otherwise might never have had the opportunity to meet. One fan, for example, who had driven in from Seattle to come to one of my shows in Vancouver, stayed after and it was wonderful to talk to him and hear his story…

I will write more about the concerts soon and also post some more photos - now that I have learned how! Thank you, Jake!!

In the meantime, I wanted to share one of my many photos from Armenia… here is one aspect of how this musical journey began… working with the children at Orran during my second visit to Armenia… here is one photo from that trip, which sometimes seems like yesterday, and sometimes seems like it was ages ago… Here are the children who inspired me, who taught me so much…

More to come…

Elliot’s tools that help make him such an amazing percussionist.

Jesse warming up before the show. Working with Jesse in the studio and on stage has been an unforgettable experience; he truly is a musical genius.

Thank you, Laurence for these photos!

My In the Light CD release show in Vancouver was absolutely amazing!

Thank you to the enthusiastic audience - I loved performing for all of you! Thank you to my band members, Adam, Elliot, Gord, Jesse and Laurence - you guys are the best! Thank you to the talented Marc on sound… and most especially, thank you to my mom, dad, sister and brother for all the work you did before, during and after the show. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family! And of course, to my super husband for praying for me and supporting me in my musical adventures…

Here are some photos from our sound check before the show:

Adam’s gear: here’s that mandolin with the magical sounds that I love so much…

I am so thrilled to be home…

I have missed this city so much… where I was born and raised… where I have lived most of my life.  Beauty surrounds me everywhere I look!  The mountains, the ocean, the crisp autumn air, the colourful leaves… I love it when I am walking and the sun is beaming down through the now yellow leaves… the leaves become almost brilliant… this city holds so many memories for me…  I can’t emphasize enough how good it is to be here again.

I am so happy to see friends and most especially to be with my mom and dad and family again…  How I have missed them all… seeing their sparkling, joyful eyes…

Today is all the more special because it is the official CD release concert for In the Light, my new album.  We have had a flurry of activity this week, everything from interviews with CBC, to rehearsals with my amazing band, to spending time with family and friends.  And now, it is Saturday, and our show is tonight. 

I woke up this morning excited and nervous… 

I can’t wait to share this music with everyone this evening… 

The show in Montreal on Sunday, October 7th was just magical! 

I cannot tell you how amazing it was to be on stage with such a talented group of artists:  Catherine Potter on woodwinds, Patrick Graham on percussion, Nicolas Caloia on acoustic bass - all Montreal based musicians with whom I had the privilege of working.  Each one added so much passion to this music that I love so much, and now I consider them all friends.  I cannot wait to work with them again!

It was such a thrill being on stage with John Berberian again!  John and I have talked about performing together again since our last show, and we were both delighted when he was able to come down to Montreal last week.  It is a joy to share the stage with such a genuine, humble, talented individual.  His solos were once again exquisite.

My favourite part of performing with such great musicians like this particular group in Montreal is when I step back for a moment during an instrumental solo in a song - whether it is the oud, woodwinds, bass or percussion taking a solo - I stand there on stage in awe, caught up in the beauty of the moment, mesmerized by the music… I had many moments like that on October 7th…

I met so many wonderful people during my time in Montreal… from each of the committee members who worked so hard to organize this show, to the staff and students at Sourp Nareg School where I spoke about my experiences in Armenia, to the people I met at each of the Armenian community centres and churches, to the reporters at CBC Radio, to the enthusiastic audience members at the show…. each one of you helped make my time in Montreal especially memorable!  Thank you with all my heart!