"Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live." ~Norman Cousins

EXCELLENT QUOTE! I just read a friend's blog. The timing was uncanny...

It's funny how it seems like other people are inside our minds (yeah, sometimes its just the little voices in our head)...that what they say or write can resonate so deeply it serves as the kindling that lights the bonfire of our creative spirit.

"Laughter is the best medicine"...another quote, perhaps over-used and under-rated but scientifically proven. Cousins was Adjunct Professor of Medical Humanities for the School of Medicine at the University of California where he did research on the biochemistry of human emotions, which he believed were the key to human beings' success in fighting illness.

In addition to writing a collection of books on illness and healing, his personal story of struggling with a form of arthritis was told in the book (and movie) Anatomy of an Illness. Told that he had little chance of surviving, Cousins developed a recovery program incorporating megadoses of Vitamin C, along with a positive attitude, love, faith, hope, and laughter induced by Marx Brothers films. "I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep," he reported.

These days have been difficult, not for me personally but as a result of knowing several close friends are enduring incredible battles with illness. I want to share their stories in subsequent blogs because of my own personal belief that the benefits of humor go beyond simply entertainment value.

I'm reposting this blog from Peggie Hoskins. Sophia Langford is the inspiration for The Hopeful Princess CD; a read-along story about children who fight the bad dragon of cancer (available at www.indiemusicforlife.org). She may have lost the physical battle, but Sophia's spirit will prevail in those whose lives she touched!

SOPHIA WILL BE GAINING HER ANGEL WINGS

I have found out today that we are going to lose our dear sweet little baby girl Sophia. She has fought a long 2 yr battle with brain cancer. She has dealt with more at age 2 than most of use will deal with in a lifetime. She is the strongest and bravest little girl I know. I am blinded by tears as I type this. I am lost. I don't know what to say. I am lost. I was hoping and praying for a miracle. Making daily wishes for mercy upon this child.  I am devasted.

Sophia is the daughter of my long time friend and musician Wayne Langford. I can not even fathom what he & Shirley and the rest of the family must be feeling at this moment. Please pray for all of us for strength and for mercy as Sophia lives out the rest of her life. Please pray for her family as they face this devastation. I pray that God will have mercy and spare her as much pain as possible. She has been given several weeks/months to live at the most.

Thank you all who have followed Sophia's journey and have loved her. Thank you for your prayers and good wishes. On behalf of her family.....simply...THANK YOU.  I believe we can all agree that our lives will never be the same without her and those of us who have been blessed to know her will be forever grateful for the time that we did have with her. Sophia we love you and will never forget you.

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: Sophia's Journey
Date: Aug 1, 2008 1:48 AM

Sophia had an up and down day. Her fever did not go away. It stayed around 100 F most of last night. She woke up in the middle of the night, crying from a headache. She got up this morning, still with a slight fever. It never hit 101, but stayed around 99 or 100 all day. Then, she also vomited twice. Both times she vomited was right after she was eating -- and not after a headache. She didn't feel good and eventually went to bed for a three hour nap. After her nap, her fever climbed back up 101 F. When we called the on-call doctor, he at first said to let her stay at home and watch her since her counts had been so good on Tuesday. After we got off of the phone, she had another headache that had her tearing up again. She did not want to eat dinner. She took a bath and her head felt better after the bath, though she wanted to get out of the bath and into bed the whole time she was in the water. Around 8:30pm, the doctor called back to say that he had changed his mind after looking more at her records. He wanted her taken to the emergency room since she had a port in her chest. He didn't want her to get worse in case a shot of antibiotics could help her. Wayne took her to the emergency room and I stayed home with Fiona. I haven't heard anything from them yet. We wonder if she may have caught the flu. Her new headaches are worrying us, but she's also been having chills. She's always feeling cold and wanting the blankets. She's tired. She's achy. I remember the last time that I had the flu. It felt like my head would explode. I know it is strange to hope that your child has the flu. Of course, a flu induced headache is much preferable to a tumor headache.



Your continued positive thoughts and prayers are truly appreciated as we head into a long night. We want so badly for her to get better quickly. She has three days until she is supposed to leave for her Make a Wish trip. It will break my heart if she can't make it. This is all so frustrating. She deserves to have a happy birthday and she deserves to feel good on her birthday. We got used to seeing her feel well. It hurts our hearts to see her feeling bad again. Thank you for all of your support.



Lots of love to all of you,
Shirley

----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: Indiegrrl Fest
Date: Jul 3, 2008 8:46 PM


The talented line up of performers is complete for the 2008 Indiegrrl Fest GA at Swiftwaters Campground in Dahlonega, GA on October 3 to 6. Three full days and nights of camping, fun, comedy, and music with other fun activities being planned including a chili cook off so bring your best chili recipe and all the fixins and prepare to dazzle the judges with your homemade campfire chili.

We are proud to announce the line up of performers for this fun event. We'll have advance ticket sale options up on the Indiegrrl website soon. Gate prices will be higher so get your tickets online to save yourself some $$$$$ and get your campsite and festival spot reserved. This will be a packed event.

Tracy Rice - Nashville, TN & Canada - http://www. myspace. com/tracyrice
Karen Reynolds - Knoxville, TN - http://www. myspace. com/KarenEReynolds
Ronnda Cadle & The String Poets - Decatur, GA - http://www. myspace. com/ronndacadle
Renee' Mixon - Rome, GA - http://www. myspace. com/reneemixon
Rosary - Jacksonville, FL/Atlanta, GA - http://www. myspace. com/rosarymusic
Comedian Shelly Ryan - Marietta, GA - http://www. myspace. com/shellyryan
Comedian Michelle Thomas - Atlanta, GA - http://www. myspace. com/michellethomascomedy
Melissa Reaves - Boone, NC - http://www. myspace. com/melissareaves
Hollin Gammage - Atlanta, GA - http://www. myspace. com/hollingammagemusic
Kym Berry & Wendy Sullivan - Jacksonville, FL - http://www. myspace. com/kymberrymusic
Vicki Blankenship & Company - Martinsville, VA - http://www. myspace. com/vickiblankenship

Indiegrrl Fest GA at Swiftwaters
October 3 to 6
Swiftwaters Campground (Women's Only Campground)
830 Swiftwaters Rd.
Dahlonega, GA 30533
http://www. indiegrrl. com
http://www. myspace. com/indiegrrlfest
3 Day/Night Ticket is $75 per person
One Day Camping Pass and One Day Pass without camping are available.

Pet Fee $5 per pet donated to Humane Society. Must keep pets on leash and clean up after them.

Performers will start on Friday night at 5:00pm and go until 11:00pm
Saturday from 1:30pm to 11:00pm
Sunday from 12:30pm to 10:30pm

Press Release:
Indiegrrl Women in the Arts Conference Announces Workshops & Panels

Indiegrrl Women in the Arts a division of the Indie Music For Life, Inc. non profit announces some of the workshops and panel discussions scheduled to take place at their first conference in Spencer, VA on August 21 to 24. The organization is celebrating its 10th year anniversary with the production of their first conference geared toward educational development in entrepreneurial skills in the entertainment industry, networking, and showcasing some of the top Indie women in music, comedy, spoken word, and more. The conference will feature a banquet where keynote speakers Actress/Singer/Songwriter Bonnie Bramlett from Nashville and Artist Management Professional Molly Neuman from New York City will give influential talks on the entertainment industry. The conference also features a social gathering party, two days of live performance showcases on two stages, and the following workshops and panels created to enhance your entrepreneurial skills and career development. For more information on the conference and to learn more about Indiegrrl Women in the Arts visit their website at http://www.indiegrrl.com.

1. Song Writing Critique Room - A room open for 4 hours on Friday and Saturday for artists to give each other friendly and informative critiques on their songwriting skills. Industry professionals will come and go also joining in on the discussions.

2. Performance Critique Room - A room open 4 hours on Friday and Saturday for artists to give each other self help suggestions on their personal stage performance. Industry professionals will come and go also joining in on the discussions.

3. Meet The Keynote Speaker - Bonnie Bramlett - A question and answer session with singer, songwriter, actress Bonnie Bramlett.

4. Alternate Guitar Tunings - Vicki Genfan - Guitarist, songwriter and singer, Vicki Genfan has been called the 'Jimi Hendrix of acoustic guitar'. Bill Milkowski writes in Acoustic Guitar Magazine, "Her dazzling displays of two handed tapping, bell-like harmonics and funky bass note slapping, along with her deft finger style approach, have guitar aficionados in the house sitting slack-jawed in sheer awe." Endorsed by Gibson Acoustic Guitars and D'Addario Strings, Vicki has performed extensively to an ever growing national and international audience. She will share and teach some of her unique styles of alternate tunings for acoustic guitar.

5. Bob Kilgore's Harmonic Capo Workshop - Find out about the new gadget that Vintage Guitar Magazine called "Accessory of the Year?" It looks like a capo, but what's it doing at the 12th fret? It's playing harmonics! Guitarist Bob Kilgore will demonstrate his invention and talk about its potential for making music in a whole new way.

6. Booking Your Tour Made Easy – Robin Hinnant of Onlinegigs - Onlinegigs is the only fully automated music booking and promotional tool and home to one of the fastest growing Music Industry Directories in the business. Streamlining your day to day tasks is the only way to stay competitive in today's music industry. Find out how Onlinegigs can help you take control of your live music career today. Robin Hinnant will go over how Onlinegigs Version 4 fully automates the booking and promotional process for bands, artists, booking agents, record companies and music managers. Onlinegigs v.4 is a comprehensive Artist & Event management solution that is revolutionizing the way performance opportunities are tracked, booked and promoted.

7. Creating Your Image - Margaret Johns of Sage Design, LLC - An in-depth look at selling yourself and your music. How do you make yourself marketable? How to determine what sells. How to stand out from the rest. Margaret is a native Atlantan who has over 20 years of experience in graphic design. She has a BFA in graphic design from the University of Georgia. She owns her own company, Sage Design, LLC. Sage Design offers graphic design services including logo/branding with market research, cd cover design and illustration, brochures, web sites and illustration. There is attention to detail and unsurpassed customer service. Jobs are handled from concept to finished product and everything in between.

8. Web Design - Lee Ann Tarducci of Baydog Graphics in Myrtle Beach, SC will be teaching a basic web design program that will allow you to easily create a simple and clean web design and maintain it on your own.

9. Music Talks Presents "The Balancing Act" - Maggie Hernandez - "The Balancing Act" program, designed to assist artists in striking a balance between personal & career needs for better physical, mental and professional health. Using a custom "Assessment Chart", commonly neglected areas – such as finances, exercise, eating habits, personal relationships – are addressed to help support and sustain momentum in our careers. The guide is used as a tool for initiating a goal in each area and setting a balanced life plan of your own in motion.

10. Podcasting - Comedian Shelly Ryan of Atlanta, GA will go over how to create a podcast to enhance your website, newsletters, myspace page, and more.

11. Professional Press Kits - Vicki Blankenship of Spotted Kiva Productions and head of Indiegrrl Women in the Arts – Making your first impression a professional one. This workshop will go over what important pieces of material you need to include in your press kit and how to design and create a professional first image.

12. Touring on a Tight Budget - Vicki Blankenship & Sonya Heller - This will be a moderated group discussion of question, answers, and suggestions offered up by all that attend the workshop sharing personal experiences and knowledge.

13. Long Term Survival as an Indie - Honorary Indiegrrl Sonya Heller, and Honorary Indiegrrl Holly O'Reilly - How to last over the decades as an Indie artist by revamping your career to meet the ever changing times.

14. Non Profit Development 101 - Kerline Astre of Koncept Consulting - Drafting a mission and vision statement. Formulating a Board of Directors. Fundraising basics. Attaining 501c3 status. Incorporation. Volunteerism and more...

15. Indie Artist Assistant - Rob Slocumb of Indie Artist Assistant in Auburn, AL - How often do you say to yourself "I wish I had an office assistant" or "I just don't have time to do everything" or "I can't work on my songs because I spend all day in the office." If you are a DIY artist, most likely you cannot afford to pay a part-time office assistant, although you really could use one. Founder Rob Slocumb will go over how Indie Artist Assistant can help you get organized and maintain all of your daily office needs and can be your office assistant at a fraction of the cost of hiring a full or part time person. Indie Artist Assistant's mission is to assist Indie or DIY artist & bands with their day to day office task to make them more organized than ever before, giving them more time to work on their craft.

16. PR Development Skills - Sandy Serge of Serge Entertainment Groups in Atlanta, GA

Contact Information:
Indiegrrl Women in the Arts
Indie Music For Life, Inc.
Vicki Blankenship
P.O. Box 4021
Martinsville, VA 24115
Vicki@indiegrrl.com
http://www.indiegrrl.com

New Look
Current mood: hopeful
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

The Indie Music For Life, Inc non profit has a new look.  Thanks to Margaret Johns of Sage Design, LLC in Atlanta, GA for creating our new logos for all three divisions.

We are working hard to create some great events for the future and to put together some programs that will benefit those in the fight against cancer.  Please go to our main website at http://www.indiemusicforlife.org and make a tax deductible contribution to help our efforts along.  Every single dollar helps and no amount is too small.

Thanks,
Indie Music For Life, Inc.

The Metamorphosis of Indiegrrl
Current mood: nostalgic
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes

The Metamorphosis of Indiegrrl to Indiegrrl Women in the Arts.

The Indiegrrl open arms format of networking and building upon
friendships in the Indie world of female songwriters is what made this
group very special. The vision that Holly "Figueroa" O'Reilly had in
1998 to form a networking group of Indie "Grrls" so that we could
offer up advice, share tour schedules, invite each other to showcase,
and so much more was invaluable to us then and still is to all of us
today that are a part of this group. Over the years the Indiegrrl
name became a part of many things including Folk Alliance, SXSW,
Rockrgrl, and more as our networking and shared showcases grew. Now
as an official part of a non profit we can build this members
organization into even more so that all of us as members can benefit.
Our membership is now open to all women in any aspect of the arts
whether it be music, comedy, spoken word, dance, visual arts and more.
What this means is an even larger networking, sharing, group of
professional women taking part in an organization that can benefit
them in many ways. We want to gear future events to include all
aspects of the arts.

If you haven't been to the Indiegrrl website in a while, I ask you all
to take a look at the new face of Indiegrrl Women in the Arts.
http://www.indiegrrl.com I thank Margaret Johns of Sage Design, LLC
in Atlanta for creating the new logos for not only Indiegrrl but Indie
Music For Life and Indie Laughs For Life. The divisions of the non
profit are all uniformed in look now. To the women that have paid
memberships and stayed true to the organization in the last 2 years as
we became something other than a networking group, and giving the
organization the support it needed to begin our new phase of growth, I
truly thank you. Knowing that things take time to develop and hanging
in there with me as we got these programs started helped tremendously.

This year we are producing our FIRST Conference on August 21 to 24 in
Spencer, VA. This has taken an extremely large amount of work, time
and effort to put together and will be something great for those
people that do attend in that you can take away a lot of information
that will help you in career development. The list of conference
workshops are on the Indiegrrl website conference page. And that list
is still growing. Today I had two phone call from two professionals
interested in helping out with workshops. This was a welcome sign
that word is spreading about our event. And another call came in
from a magazine. The workshop list grows and we will continue to
update those listings on the website with the ones already on there.
Check them out at http://indiegrrl.com/2008conference.html. I know I
am excited and looking forward to attending them all.

We have two really great keynote speakers one a performer and one on
the management side of the industry. Singer, songwriter, actress
Bonnie Bramlett from Nashville, TN and artist management professional
and musician Molly Neuman from New York City. They both will speak at
the dinner banquet on Thursday night. August 21.

Eventually the long term goal for conferences is to not only have a
main conference each year but to set up smaller regional conferences
as well. This goal is still in place and again realize that this all
takes time and volunteers to make happen.

Another plan I had was to implement a radio channel that would play
all Indie women 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Not just music but will
include comedy, spoken word, storytelling, and more. This is just
about ready to take place and another email will be coming soon that
will tell you all about the Indie Radio Channel. This is not just
going to be an average online radio station but one that will pay the
artists. All information coming very soon. We will not only have a
radio channel but also an Ezine that will include features,
interviews, industry information, opportunities and much much more.

Now more than ever is the time to get on board with Indiegrrl Women in
the Arts and start building and taking part in an organization that
truly is there for Indie Women. Many more plans are in the works and
a $30 yearly membership is a very low fee to be a part of things that
we are building.

We are planning festival style events known as Indiegrrl Fest with
plans to produce them in as many states as we can find places to hold
them. We are having our first Indiegrrl Fest this October in GA.
Again volunteers are the key to making a lot of this happen. We can
apply for grants and set up these goals, but organized volunteers and
yearly memberships will make it all happen.

More sponsors offering discounts to our members are now starting to
come on board as they realize that women are indeed a marketable
audience. So we ask our members to please support these people that
care enough to give you a discount in things that will help you out in
your career.

So I leave you with this. If you have not kept your paid yearly
membership active, please get back on board with us as we work to take
this organization and its members to good places. If you have never
actually paid a membership when we changed formats at the end of
2005 to the yearly membership fee, please consider joining and
becoming active in the organization. And most important of all, tell
people about Indiegrrl Women in the Arts and everything we are working
towards and bring more excited women that take part in all aspects of
the arts into the organization. It benefits us all.

Indie Music For Life, Inc and its divisions Indiegrrl Women in the
Arts and Indie Laughs For Life are looking for 4 more dedicated
professionals that would like to join our Board of Directors. Being a
female is NOT a requirement as the main non profit works with all
Indie artists female and male.

Thanks,
Vicki Blankenship