I had an amazing Holiday House Concert and party last night at the home of Richard and Mary in North Boulder. The setting was perfect and the house was full of lovely new fans, great long-time friends/fans and family. I could not have had a better start to this glorious Holiday Season!

This was my very first house concert and I certainly plan to do more in the coming year! I was joined by my fabulous friends and co-writers Bob Story and Mark Oblinger who also performed their original music and helped me to make some holiday classics really unique and fun to sing and hear.

As part of the evening, I provided sparkling wines from around the globe and homemade gluten-free carrot cake. Since I was asked for it by dozens of people there, the recipe, from my mom Carole and made gluten-free by me, follows below.

Thank you to Richard and Mary especially for hosting the concert and to everyone who made the evening so very special. Happy Holidays! Lisa

Carole & Lisa’s Gluten-Free Carrot Cake

Cake:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
2 cups all-purpose gluten-free baking mix (I use the mix from Boulder-based Outrageous Baking www.outrageousbaking.com)
2 cups sugar
1 cup crushed pineapple (1 small can)
2 cups grated carrots
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil (canola or similar)
2 teaspoons vanilla

Sift the dry ingredients together (very important!)
Beat the 4 eggs in a large mixer or bowl with the oil and vanilla.
Add the flour mixture and blend. Then add the carrots and pineapple.
Pour into a greased and floured 9×13 pan.
Bake for 50-55 minutes. Let cool, then frost with:

Frosting:
1 8 oz block of cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
1/2-1 cup powdered sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
2 teaspoons vanilla

Let the cream cheese and butter sit at room temperature (while making the cake) to get soft. Blend the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together in a large mixer or bowl with hand mixer. Sift the powdered sugar (to remove lumps) and add according to your taste. I use about 1/2 cup per 8 oz cream cheese. Frost and top with pecans if you like. Enjoy!!!!

We had our first rehearsal today with Hippie Tendencies from Italy, gearing up for our big show at the Soiled Dove this coming Saturday, September 18.

As I was sitting in rehearsal, I got all teary eyed realizing just how lucky I am and what great manifestation powers I have! It’s been nine years since I started my musical journey, and that first year I said that my goal was to be able to play in Europe. It’s now going to finally become a reality and with the most amazing group of musicians I could possibly imagine.

Check out more photos of Lisa Simmons, Marco Cremaschini, Massimo Saviola, Cesare Valbusa and Christian (too bad he’s married all you single gals) Codenotti, along with me and my fantastico guitar player Bob Story on my Facebook page.

The band sounds amazing and I am really enjoying hosting three of the band members at my house for 2 weeks. They are so grateful for a place to stay and food on the table! It makes me feel like my home is a very special place indeed.

Thank you universe for helping to answer my call to be a professional musician and take my music to lands far away. Thanks to Lisa Simmons and her fantastic band Hippie Tendencies for coming along when we needed each other the most.

The Italians are coming! In just 2 weeks we have a very special concert at the Soiled Dove Underground in Denver, opening for Hippie Tendencies from Verona, Italy! This is a really big concert for me as it kicks off my manifested dream come true!

I have always wanted to perform in Europe and thanks to Facebook, that dream is going to become reality.

Last fall, I was right in the middle of working on my new CD project and noticed that a friend of mine from high school who I haven’t seen in over 25 years, Lisa Simmons, had friended me on Facebook. I noticed that Lisa’s profile picture was of her in a recording studio. We started a discussion and discovered that we were both singer/songwriters working on new projects. We cheered each other along throughout the CD birthing process, and started the ‘what if’ discussion about touring in Colorado and Italy along the way. Lisa wanted to come home to Colorado to perform for the first time in 20 years and I have always wanted to play in Italy. Before we knew it, the idea for a ‘band exchange program’ was born.

I am hosting Hippie Tendencies during their two-week Colorado tour in September, opening for them at the Soiled Dove and a few other smaller gigs throughout Colorado. We’ll reverse that in Italy when I go there next spring to headline shows.

Hippie Tendencies is a great funk/jazz/pop/rock band that is Indy at their core, with music that defies categorization. It’s a fantastic compliment to my new music and we are both looking forward to helping each other by singing backup and exchanging musicians both here and in Italy.

Don’t miss the big show at the Soiled Dove on Saturday, September 18. Tickets are $15 in advance and available at www.soileddove.com.

A fun new review today from Feminist Review.

“The varied material on the disc provides plenty of opportunities for Bell to show off her versatile voice, which conveys longing, acceptance, hopefulness, anticipation, and joy in turn. With superb guitar and percussion throughout, it’s clear she is interested in each song not just as a showcase for herself but as a means of communication between artist and listener. Mostly, you get the sense that Bell loves what she’s doing and wants to share the beauty and excitement of these songs with you. Dancing On The Moon is an enjoyable outing of both smooth and improvisational songs, with an upbeat feel, and the blend of styles makes it perfect for the musically adventurous.”

Read the rest of the review on the Reviews page.

Check out the new review from Indie Music Digest:

Boulder Colorado’s own Lisa Bell releases “Dancing on the Moon” in 2010 which features 12 new songs, 9 featuring electric guitarist Bob Story & acoustic guitarist Mark Oblinger (Firefall) who also just so happened to produce the album & even wrote the title track.

The CD kicks things off with the title track “Dancing on the Moon” a sultry intro piece that serves up steady beat, melodic jazz guitar, & smooth vocals from Bell. Track 2 “No Time” is an impressive groove that dishes out soothing melody, well placed percussive accents against more honey coated vocals from Bell making for an impressive ballad. Track 3 “Change is Free” shifts gears a bit with a steady low end groove that showcases a slamming rhythm section, impressive Hammond Organ chops, & well placed harmonies & vocal from Bell. I especially like her sassiness on this piece. The music itself has a soothing jazz-pop-rock vibe reminiscent of classic acts Nora Jones, Miami Sound Machine, Barbra Streisand, Eva Cassidy & maybe a dash of Natalie Cole. As this CD slowly unfolds its obvious the players in Bell’s band are quite accomplished. Kudos goes out to the impressive guitar work from both Bob Story & Mark Oblinger. The rhythm section (bass & drums) push the natural accents well. Last but not least Bell makes the whole thing work. What I like the most about this band is how well they seem to groove together, testament to hundreds of hours of rehearsal time no doubt. As for her vocal abilities, Bell’s voice works well within the confines of Jazz-rock. Her voice goes down smooth & fills the space peacefully & unobtrusively. Along the way you will notice some of her vocal influences – Gloria Estefan, Barbra Streisand, & Ella Fitzgerald. By track 3 the CD hits sold stride delivering 5 solid tracks back to back including my personal favorites “After All” & “Stand up” All songs are extremely well crafted & consistent across the board. This CD from Bell delivers 12 solid tracks all providing thought provoking wisdom with messages that are uplifting & positive. The music of Lisa Bell has everything you would expect from a professional jazz-pop-rock production. From upbeat “Move on” & How Long” to soothing “Better Days” to tranquil “Misty Roses” to grooving “Stand up” this CD pretty much has something for just about everyone. There’s even an impressive James Taylor cover” Fire & Rain” that mixes thing up well. From start to finish – It’s a rock solid CD. The CD ends with Track 12 “Carry On” providing rich conventional wisdom that simply cannot be faked no matter how hard you try.

It’s had to find any weaknesses with this CD. But if could say anything to Lisa Bell right now it would be take a few more vocal risks on some of your songs, & really push that emotional envelope in a way that is 100% un-choreographed. If you can do this you will no doubt capture lightning in a bottle & deliver some truly magical vocal performances. Turn to this instead of just another predictable vibrato, especially during the finale. Genuine emotion is a very powerful thing & at the end of the day can never be controlled – even in the confines of a recording studio. So turn up the heat & give us something we will never forget. This is truly what separates legends from other professionals. Some songs lack serious emotional delivery, & seem a bit conservative. It’s fair to say some songs are a bit dated & predictable sounding.

After spending 45+ minutes alone with Lisa Bell & company I simply abandoned any hopes of finding any serious weakness. Instead as the CD progressed I became more and more impressed. “Dancing on the Moon” is a top notch musical production from start to finish. There’s not really a weak song on this entire catalogue. The musicianship is first rate; the songs are short and sweet musical experiences. Each one possessing a unique personality, flair, & signature groove. Lastly – the playing, writing, and singing abilities of Lisa Bell& her band are impressive. My hats off guitarist Mark Oblinger (Firefall) who is no stranger to the music business – for his guitar virtuoso & producers touch. Everything about Lisa Bell screams talent & professionalism. I guess could go on and on all night about Lisa Bell you simply have got to get your hands on some of his music and see what I am talking about. You should start with “Dancing on the Moon.”

Cyrus Rhodes

Today was the final instructional day of the Healing Intensive. This afternoon was about creating the Group Merkaba of Sound. The word “Merkaba” is ancient Hebrew and roughly translates to chariot. Jonathan’s definition is “an interdimensional field through which we can travel to higher planes of consciousness and through which beings of Light and Love can travel to us.”

The group toned the notes C & G-a perfect 5th-to create the Merkaba on the alter set up in the middle of the room. The goal was to create a physical Merkaba shape (such as below) in the center of the room, if only in our mind’s eye.

The group toned for several minutes, closing our eyes. Each of us was then lead around the center of the room to “feel” the shape formed around the alter. Jonathan demonstrates below.

We were then led back to our seat and sat in silent meditation. For me, the Merkaba appeared as a giant translucent rose colored crystal, with doors and windows in the many facets of the gem. I was led into a portal by a guide and was asked to look through the various windows of the facets. In each window I could see an image of all of the countries represented in our group. Out one facet were the snow capped peaks of Japan; out another I saw the crystal blue ocean and green jungles of Bali. This went on and on. Each country’s image was harmonious, peaceful, strikingly beautiful. No war, no strife, no natural or man-made disasters-just perfection.

I was then asked if I wanted to “fly above” to see the image from the outside. It was full of smaller crystals on top, each representing the class participants. We were all one within the shape, equal, all working toward the common goal of a peaceful world.

As we were called out of meditation, the individual crystals pulled in and the Merkaba shape formed in a similar purple hue as in the picture above. It was glowing and full of energy, then it slowly disappeared into the earth. Every class participant had a unique and completely different experience. A metaphor for how we all perceive the world in a totally different way. Yet we are all the same deep down, no matter what part of the world we come from, no matter what we “do” for a living.

I interpret my personal experience as a summation of my feelings about my week here. We are all interconnected and each of us has a higher calling of creating a peaceful, united world, evolved to a point where we truly know that we are all one. The thing that amazes me the most about all of the class participants here, especially those who have traveled from the far reaches of the world, is that they all believe that anything and everything is possible.

And it is. We just let our fears get in the way of being able to manifest our true life path and wildest dreams.

Earlier in the day we toned the Divine Name for manifestation. We were asked to think of our heart’s desires as if they had already happened. I envisioned myself in front of a stadium-sized crowd of people, performing my music which ultimately had a healing effect on the world. And so it is.

I will take away from this experience the knowledge that I CAN make a difference with sound and music in this world. It will start with helping individuals and gradually build to serve larger and larger groups of people. In the end, I will realize the dream of bringing love, peace and healing to the world with my music. I know this to be true because I am already doing it.

Please join me at my next concert at Nissi’s on Sunday, August 1 where I will share a very small portion of my experience here. We will end the concert with a short and simple group tone to help heal the Gulf from the oil spill. CD sales from the evening (and the entire month of July) will go to the National Wildlife Federation toward their efforts in helping to save and clean the animals effected by the oil spill.

Thank you to all who have read along this week as I have experienced this amazing journey. Yes, it may seem “out there” but the experience has truly been amazing and a very heart-centered internal journey of love and letting go in order for my personal transformtion to take place. Please feel free to ask me about any of the aspects if you want to learn more.

Yesterday was the Day of Toning to Heal the Earth. There was no speaking and we fasted all day, so no blog yesterday. The room was set up with a “Vesica Pisces” made out of corn on the floor. It was a 3-dimensional form (two circles joined together, with an oval “fish” shape in the middle) to sit in and experience different energies during the day of toning. The three areas were Surrender, Trust and Gratitude.

The day involved toning for 12 hours. We were split into three groups and each took a turn “holding the tone” for an hour at a time, 3x during the day. During the off times, we took naps in the room, meditated and went into the Vesica Pisces to work on issues we needed help with. I had some very profound visions and messages delivered by my guides and angels as I worked my way through surrendering to the emotions, trusting that the solutions would present themselves and giving gratitude for this experience and the amazing life I lead. The evening ended with a celebration at 9 pm and a very good night’s sleep!

Day 7: Laughter as a Healing Tool
This morning’s session was lead by Laraaji Nadananda, an amazing musician and Laughter Therapy specialist.

Quotes for today from Laraaji: “Laughter is the shortest distance between me and myself.” and “Hurry home by stop leaving.”

It is scientifically proven that laughter has health benefits. Through laughter, the lining of the blood vessels is softened and the blood flow is increased, stimulating the immune system. Laraaji taught us how to “tone” our bodies from head to abdomen using laughter, directing different laughter tones into the pituitary gland, thyroid, thymus, heart and abdomen. He suggested starting each day by laughing into these areas of the bodies as a way to wake up and stimulate the body’s systems. He ends with taking in a big breath and releasing it through laughter from the top of the head all the way down to your toes. It felt amazing and energizing!

Laraaji taught us a “laughter meditation” technique, using the same theory. Lying down, the areas of the body are toned with laughter as described above, then you lie in silence and go into meditation. This technique brought me deeper into meditation than any others before.

We ended with the Happy Feet song performed by Laraaji, dancing all around the room to wake us out of our dream state!

Laraaji Nadananda

This afternoon Jonathan touched on working with crystals and sound. Crystals are transducers of energy, and are encoded with the sound and energy given to them. We were each given a crystal that had been on the alter for the past 7 days, encoded with the energy of the room and the toning and chanting done by the class participants. He had us take our crystals in our palm, then led us through another amazing meditation journey.

Each facet of the crystal can be used as a portal to answer questions, from our health issues to life purpose. As we went into meditation, we chose a portal to enter in our mind. I was shown by my guide through many doorways and various stages of my life purpose. I walked past those individuals and groups I was meant to counsel and heal, and ended up on stage giving a concert with my band in front of a stadium-sized crowd. I started the concert with a Tibetan Singing Bowl and the music was meant to both entertain and heal.

I am forever grateful for the experience this week and I look forward to manifesting my life path in the months and years to come. More tomorrow on our last full day!

This morning’s class focused on body scanning and toning. Scanning the body is done using a “siren” tone on an oo or oh that starts from the top of the body and moves down, with the pitch of the tone moving down as it flows down the front of the body. The photo shows Erin scanning my body, using only her head to direct the sound downward.

Ann, Lisa and Liga-Body scanning and toning

When an overtone appears in the voice (a higher pitched sound that appears above the note we are actually toning), that is the place on the body on which to concentrate. For me, the place was in my solar plexus. I had experienced a stitch in my side earlier in the day, and the sound was working to clear the issues.

In toning, we are letting the sacred sound come through us from above. We are merely vessels for the sacred sonic offering and the body can take it or reject it. We are not forcing sound upon the body, the body knows what it needs.

The sound given to us by the other person actually resonates from within our own bodies. As Erin toned my stomach area, I felt a vibration there and in my lips, as well as a sense of increased heat. I also felt an opening an releasing in the area. The stitch was gone. The same thing happened when Liga took a turn and focused the toning on my heart chakra. It felt more open, loving and willing to receive and give love.

When it was my turn to tone Erin, my overtones happened at her throat. After a full scan of her body I went back and concentrated on her throat area with the toning. Afterward, she said she had a sore throat that day and the toning seemed to sooth it somewhat. The power of sound is truly remarkable on the body and on the planet.

Tomorrow is a Day of Toning to Heal the Earth. We will be toning for 12 hours, fasting and in silence for the entire day. I’m both nervous and very curious about what may happen during the day.

For anyone reading this who is so inclined to join us via the Internet, here is a message from Jonathan Goldman:

Dear Sound Healing Friends:

These are most tumultuous times we’re living in. No doubt many of you have already partaken in the numerous global meditations that have occurred to help assist our Mother Earth and create balance on this planet.

The work of many have shown the power of vocalized prayer-how our intention coupled with sacred sound can alter the very fiber of our being-and in particular, can change the very structure of our most precious commodity-water.

Our 15th Annual Healing Sounds Intensive will be taking place in the 3rd week of July. During the Intensive, on Thursday, July 22nd, we will be holding a Day of Toning-an extraordinary event in which our attendees sound together for healing of ourselves and our planet. We would like to invite you to participate with us and co-create it as a Global Toning event by joining us via the internet at www.templeofsacredsound.org

At noon Eastern Daylight Time (NY Time) on Thursday, July 22nd for one hour we will be sounding together specifically for both personal and planetary healing in order to create positive shift and change on our beloved Gaia, including assisting the waters of our dear planet. If you would like to join us, simply go to the “AH” Toning Chamber at the www.templeofsacredsound.org and sound along with us. Your sounds and prayers will blend along with ours at the Intensive. Synergistically, we will co-create an extraordinary waveform of transformational energy to assist planetary healing.

“Sound helps us to remember our innate wisdom and helps to dissolve emotional memories held within the body.” Vickie Dodd

This afternoon’s session was led by Vickie Dodd, director of the Sacred Sound School in Zurich and a Sound Healer for more than 40 years. Her sound healing techniques involve “sounding the body.” The physical body “records” the story and emotions of life and holds onto those memories. Sound can be used to release the negative emotions trapped in the body from past traumatic experiences.

Vickie says “The body does not have an investment in the story and it will release both physical and emotional holds simply by toning the body.” The body is primarily liquid in its makeup and it takes on the shapes of our everyday lives, from having arguments to the negative effects of sitting at a computer all day.  Those stresses can can cause the liquids within our body to congeal, coagulate, crystallize, or constrict, preventing proper flow of our vital liquid system and causing dis-ease.

Those who have pains in their bodies and go to a body worker to help ease the pain would benefit from first toning the body themselves or visiting a practitioner who uses both sound healing and body work within their practice. Allowing the fluid to flow freely again makes it more clear just what bodily functions are still functional and will allow the work to be more effective. If something is stuck it wants movement. If something is functional it will move.

Vickie uses all sorts of sounds from a “mythical” language she developed from the plant, animal and celestial worlds, to simple tones and overtones. She had us tone our own bodies by letting go of our negative “whining” thoughts. She has us speak them out loud first i.e. “I’m not good enough.” Then those words quickly turn into gibberish-words and sounds of our choice that often sound like a child throwing a temper tantrum. This is done for a few minutes (all the while reminding yourself that you are ALLOWED to make these “crazy” sounds) then they turn into a simple, soothing hum for a few minutes. This had an amazing, calming effect and helped to release the energy surrounding the negative thoughts.

Vickie demonstrated her form of sound healing/body work with a man from the class. She worked on his spine as he laid face down on a massage table. She toned, whined, talked gibberish and made amazing vocal overtones as she ran her hands up and down his spine and his body. The man was brought to tears in the end, releasing some deep emotions trapped within. He also said that his back felt amazingly better. Crying is actually the best way to release toxicity in the body. Unfortunately our society is always trying to tell us not to cry, especially if it’s a man. The body is simply processing the negative emotions out.

Vickie says that accepting where your health is today is the key.  Say to yourself: “I must be in complete acceptance of how my body is today before it can get better. I must cease fighting and blaming everything and everyone if I want freedom.”

Vickie says that self healing is possible and necessary. Approaching the body from a fresh point of not knowing what it really needs is a good start. “May I embrace my body’s teachings and stop rejecting them. Let me know you better and come to you from a place of not knowing. Teach me how to love you. Tell me what you need from me.”

May we all learn to take responsibility for the care of our own bodies by first asking the questions and realizing that we have the power to cure ourselves of many basic discomforts. And may we never be afraid or embarrassed to cry and let go of some of that negativity we may have been carrying around our entire lives.