tag:martawaterman.com,2005:/blogs/magic-in-the-air?p=1Magic in the air2018-12-12T14:34:07-05:00Marta Watermanfalsetag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/50621912018-02-05T12:05:53-05:002022-05-31T02:20:49-04:00Wise words to ponder<p><span class="font_regular">There are many worlds to experience beyond socially accepted versions of reality. When a person is tapped into the multi-dimensional nature of our existence and our own creative power, miracles are ordinary, and the ordinary is a miracle... Many of us are shifting our beliefs to a new vision of a world where all beings live in harmonious connection with each other and the magic of communication with all life is the norm. Let it be so. <br>Penelope Smith</span></p>Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/48420762017-09-08T10:56:42-04:002022-04-24T21:29:33-04:00The Tree That Called<p><span class="font_regular">Every week I walk at the Ashokan Reservoir a couple miles from my house. One day as I was walking through a wooded area there, I felt drawn to a particular large tree. There was no one else on the trail, so I went to the tree and put my arms around it for a few minutes. It felt solid and strong, and I liked that. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">From then on, each time I passed the tree, if there was no one around, I hugged it for a short time. Somehow I just felt a connection to it. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Then one time as I was hugging the tree, I began to feel myself dissolve into something that sparkled, and the tree dissolved too. Our sparkles intertwined; I didn’t feel my body or the tree, I just felt our quiet essences that spiraled and shone together. It was a very heady and precious experience. After a few minutes the feeling subsided, and I thanked the tree and walked on. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">I have read that trees communicate with each other through their root systems by means of chemical interactions. If one tree is attacked by a predator or a disease, it alerts its neighboring trees, and the other trees begin to release chemicals to ward off the attack. This has been shown scientifically. But I wonder if trees and plants also communicate in ways that we haven’t been able to measure. </span></p>
<p><span class="font_regular">Did “my” tree feel my essence? Did the other trees in that forest know of our connection, and did they feel it too? I have no idea. But I do believe that the spirit of all living beings may be conscious to a far greater extent than we can imagine. I choose to honor that consciousness and to let it touch me deeply. My life is richer because of that choice, and I feel an increasing connection to all of life.</span></p>Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/36964572015-05-06T17:07:22-04:002022-05-10T02:49:28-04:00It's All About That French<span class="font_large">Spring is finally here, and it always seems to bring some welcome changes. The biggest change for me is my launching a Facebook page for teaching French (www.facebook.com/frenchwithmarta). I have spoken French since age 13 when my brother began teaching me, and I have continued to expand my knowledge of this beautiful language ever since.<br><br>I never considered teaching French until one of my piano students, who was taking it in high school, asked for some help. As we began to work together, I saw that his ability to speak and comprehend what he was supposedly learning was very limited. He made great progress in the short amount of time that we could spend each week at the end of his piano lessons.<br><br>I began to run a tiny ad for French lessons in the Blue Stone Press, a local weekly newspaper. Little by little, people responded, and I now teach several students. Two of them are little boys ages 5 and 7 who come with their mother. I speak only French to the boys, and we do fun things together, watching French children's videos, reading books, having snacks, playing with toys - but all in French. These boys did not know any French before starting lessons with me, but they (and their mother) are learning and making nice progress.<br><br>I teach some adult students as well. One woman does business occasionally in France, and she wants to improve her ability to communicate effectively. Three other women are taking a class together. All of them know a certain amount of French but want to increase their fluency, comprehension and ability to use the language correctly.<br><br>I love to dream up lesson plans for each student or class, because I don't teach the same way to everyone. I tailor the lessons to the ability and desires of each student, so every lesson is different and is a creative exercise for me. It's really fun to follow my passion for French and to share it with other people.</span><br><br><br><br> Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/32389742014-10-18T14:14:12-04:002014-10-18T14:18:26-04:00Thoughts on the changing of seasonsAs I look out my window, I still see some amazing colors in the trees and bushes, but many other leaves have already found their way to the ground. The leafless tree trunks and branches allow a line of sight farther into the woods, giving a strong hint of the coming winter. There are fewer birds around, and the nights are much quieter without the ceaseless singing of crickets, cicadas and other creatures of the night.<br><br>The earth is gently preparing herself for a time of rest, a time to settle down for a long winter's nap. As for me, much as I love summer and the heat and humidity, I feel a stirring in myself, an urge to move my attention from the outside to the inside of my house, and from the outside of my perceptions to my inner thoughts. In spite of the busyness of my days, I look farther within myself to check on my own authenticity and creativity.<br><br>There is always the tendency to see the others around me, to compare myself to those I admire, and to find myself lacking. When I don't look at the beautiful lives of other people around me, I can see farther into myself. Who am I really ? Do I love enough ? Do I create enough ? Am I truly authentic ? Am I honestly caring of others or am I more selfish than I want to think ? Do I judge other people by a false mirror of what I think is right ? Am I accomplishing what I am here to do ?<br><br>Thoughts are things. We create our own world with the way that we think. In meditation, a person is supposed to stop thinking and just be, just connect with that ethereal essence that existed before us and will continue after we are gone. I want to let my thoughts meld with that essence. I want to accept all people as they are, and that includes me. I want to grow in my love of this precious earth and all its living beings. I want to continue to expand my awareness, to create joyfully, to live fully and to share my peace with others. These are my wishes for all the changing seasons of my life.Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/23890642014-01-13T12:21:11-05:002022-02-06T09:57:12-05:00Exciting things happening !<span class="font_large">It's another new year, full of new possibilities !</span><span class="font_large"> I am excited, as always, about all the opportunities that I, and all of us, have to be creative, joyful, successful and at peace.<br><br>In November I resumed playing for silent films at the Rosendale Theater. The films are shown the first Sunday of each month, November through April, at 2 pm. I'm looking forward to playing there for some Fatty Arbuckle short films on Feb. 2, just a couple weeks from now.<br><br>Also on Monday, February 17, I will accompany "Sherlock Jr.," starring the inimitable Buster Keaton, at the Saugerties Public Library at 6 pm. Complete information for all my performances can be found under the Performances tab on this site.<br><br>In December I placed my book, Dream, Believe, Create, in two local stores - Family Traditions in Stone Ridge and the new pharmacy, Wellness RX, in High Falls.</span><span class="font_large"> I love both these stores - they are owned by people who have big hearts and are attuned to creating spaces that are environmentally, physically and spiritually conscious.<br><br>I will also do a book signing on Monday, March 17 at 6 pm at the Saugerties Public Library. I'm looking forward to it. This book is very simple and to the point about how to create a happy, satisfying life. So many people who have read it have told me how helpful it has been to them, for which I am very thankful.</span>Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/18482352013-10-14T11:33:17-04:002023-12-10T11:33:12-05:00Accept<span class="font_large">Well, I guess it's about time that I wrote a blog. I have been distracted with so many other things that I have ignored my website for too long, and I was amazed when I realized that my last blog was from last November !! So many things have happened since then. There are the usual things such as gigs with the Four Aces in the past few months, quite a bit of film acting over the summer, back to college teaching at the end of August, a few Divine Cosmos conferences, etc.<br><br>But I will share with you the one word that has kind of been my mantra for quite a few months now. That word is Accept. I tend to be a very pro-active person, and when a problem arises, I try to take care of it immediately. But as we all know, sometimes things happen that are beyond our control. There have been times when a situationt has arisen, and either my attempts to remedy it have failed, or it was nothing I could do anything about in the first place.<br><br>That is where my word Accept has come into play. If I cannot do anything to change a situation, then I remind myself to accept it and go on.<br><br>Just as one tiny example, I used to have two cats - a male, Fluffer, and a female, Lyra. I had gotten Fluffer from the shelter where I volunteered, and he was the most exceptional cat I have ever had. A year later I got Lyra from the same shelter, because Fluffer needed a companion. The two of them were lovely together, and I was lucky to have them both for a long time. I loved them both, of course, but Fluffer was definitely the one who had stolen my heart completely.<br><br>One night I went to bed, and the cats both came and jumped on the bed as usual, to sleep with me. Everything seemed perfectly fine. The next morning I woke up and Fluffer had not moved from his spot on the bed. He had died in his sleep. I was totally devastated. It was such a shock to lose him so unexpectedly, but even in the first few hours afterward, I realized that he had died the best way he possibly could.<br><br>Of course I shed many tears, and I still do, months after that fateful day last May. But I have constantly reminded myself to accept what has happened. Now my little Lyra needs more of my attention because she misses Fluffer too, and comforting her helps to comfort me as well.<br><br>I know this is just one small example, but reminding myself to accept things I cannot change has been very helpful to me. I hope it helps you too.</span>Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/2595952012-11-30T00:00:00-05:002013-10-14T10:51:43-04:00Silent Films on Sunday<span class="font_large">I am looking forward to playing the piano to accompany five short Charlie Chaplin films this Sunday afternoon. They will be shown in the Rosendale Theater, Rosendale NY at 2 pm. Several years ago I did the same thing for some Buster Keaton films at the Saratoga Film Festival in Saratoga NY, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have been watching the films to get real familiar with them, and when the performance comes on Sunday, I will play and improvise as I watch along with the audience.<br><br>It has been fun watching the films, and I keep being amazed with the talent and physicality of Charlie Chaplin. He had a real gift for comedy and knew how to make films that kept a non-stop pace of action that combined hilarity with a sweet touch as well. The films that will be shown are Easy Street, The Cure, The Immigrant, The Rink, and One AM. And this will be the first time I will perform on the new keyboard I just bought, a Privia PX-3. I am psyched to play it, and to accompany such great films.</span>Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/1951112012-07-31T10:25:00-04:002022-05-25T09:53:58-04:00Dream, Believe, Create is available !!<span class="font_large">Finally my book, "Dream, Believe, Create - How To Be A Life Magician," is published. And there is a deck of 32 affirmation cards that go along with it, with a short saying from the book on each card. So far the feedback has been wonderful, and I am finding that people just love the cards. Some people tell me that they randomly pick a card from the deck each day, and the words on the card give them a focus for the day. That is exactly what I was hoping for.<br><br>It took several people to help me bring this book into being - Ellen Scheel for editing the copy and helping choose the sayings for the cards, Jacinta Bunnell for her lovely painting that became the cover of the book and the back of each card, my son Michael Wilcock for doing the beautiful graphic design for the title on the cover, Julie Novak for doing the complicated layout of the book, and for all the above and so many others who gave me emotional support and encouragement.<br><br>The book and cards are being sold as a unit, and you can purchase them on this site by going to my online store. Thank you again to all of you who helped me believe that this book was needed and would be helpful to many people !!</span>Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/1742322012-06-02T00:00:00-04:002022-04-24T21:55:19-04:00Dream, Believe, Create<span class="font_large">At long last I am getting ready to publish my book, Dream, Believe, Create - How To Be A Life Magician. First I tried to find a publisher, then looked into online self-publishing companies, and finally decided to publish it locally with the help of some sweet people. My wonderful daughter-in-love Jacinta Bunnell painted a beautiful cover for it, my helpful younger son Michael Wilcock designed the front cover with the title, and my talented friend Julie Novak is doing the layout and graphic design. She tells me I will have a copy of the book to print out next week. Once I'm sure everything is the way I want it, we'll get some copies printed in time for the Divine Cosmos New York conference the weekend of June 22 to 24. It has been nearly two years since I began to write the book, and it's great to be so close to seeing it in print. Julie has been emailing me drafts of the book, and it will be a beautiful book. I'm very psyched !!!!</span>Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/782082012-04-21T16:25:00-04:002022-09-12T07:59:35-04:00Thankfulness<p><span class="font_regular">I am feeling very thankful for the opportunities and the people in my life. The Divine Cosmos conferences just seem to be better every single time, and I get to meet wonderful people at them. Larry Seyer has mixed the meditation music that we do, and all three weekends' worth are now available on <a href="http://www.divinecosmos.com">www.divinecosmos.com</a>. My juniors and seniors at the College of St. Rose are wonderful musicians who work very hard at their music, and they are a joy to teach. I have another dueling pianos gig with Rob Aronstein coming up, and that will be fun. Jacinta Bunnell has painted a beautiful cover for my book "Dream, Believe, Create," and the next step will be getting a graphic designer involved. I have a wonderful family and great friends whom I love dearly.<br><br>It is always helpful to remind myself of the good things that are around me. It helps me to dream, to believe in my dreams, and to create a satisfying life.</span></p>Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/1321202012-01-05T12:00:00-05:002012-01-05T12:00:00-05:00Back in AustinI'm in the studio with Larry Seyer as we are finishing up the recordings for our musical project. Our group is called Ra's Pyramid and the album name is "Ascension." The music is coming out just great, and it's really satisfying to get the rest of the instrumental tracks done. Plus we have been live streaming both yesterday and today so people can watch us as we work. We posted the link on Facebook and several people have been watching. It's fun! This is a great way to begin the new year. Happy 2012 to all!<br><br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/1308542011-12-29T09:15:00-05:002021-06-02T17:32:59-04:00Bring On The New YearAs I come to the end of 2011 and prepare to begin 2012, I am as excited as ever about life and its opportunities. Next week I'll be back in Austin with Larry Seyer as we hope to finish our music project of electronica, jazz-inspired instrumental music. We are both really pumped about the twelve songs that we've written. Our group is called Ra's Pyramid, and the album is called "Ascension." We still need to add some tracks, and then mix and master it. Not sure we can get it finished this week, but we'll give it our best shot.<br><br>
I also just got a call from my friend and fellow musician Rob Aronstein, asking me to do a dueling piano act with him again. We did some shows together in the Capital District a few years ago, and we always had so much fun, we decided to do it again. I'm psyched about it - Rob is one of my all-time favorite piano players, a great entertainer and a fabulous human being. Our first show will be in February.<br><br>
The TMI workshops have been great, and I have settled on my monologue for the 2012 season. It is tentatively entitled "The Big Bang," and it is intense and funny as well. I'm looking forward to our performances, with the first one coming in February.<br><br>
I stopped acting with Murder Cafe, only because I have so many other obligations that I wasn't able to keep up with their schedule. I was having to miss too many rehearsals and performances. I miss the hilarity of the shows and the great actors I worked with, and I wish them well as they continue on.<br><br>
I hope all of you have a wonderful, creative 2012, and I sincerely wish for peace on Earth.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/1253292011-11-26T11:15:00-05:002011-11-26T11:15:00-05:00Where does the time go?The last few months have been a whirlwind. I completed my book "Dream, Believe, Create" by the end of July and am now looking for a publisher. Then our area in New York State experienced a hurricane in August, pretty much unheard-of here. It brought down the huge oak tree in my front yard, which thankfully fell away from the house. But even more importantly, it flooded the home that my younger son Michael and his lovely partner Jacinta were renting - with three and a half feet of water in the first floor !!! They lost most of their belongings, and it seemed very devastating. But with the help of so many people, they have gotten back on their feet and are buying a house quite near me. In the meantime they have been living here in my house, and we have all had a wonderful time together.<br><br>
I have been very busy with teaching at the College of St. Rose each week, an eight day trip to China in October, a Divine Cosmos conference in Tempe in November, delving into writing my new book about Robert Adsit, TMI workshops every Sunday, studying Chinese, and getting back to working with Emily Upham on the beautiful mélodies of French art song. Life is never boring, that's for sure.<br><br>
And through it all, I remain so very thankful for my life, my health, my family and friends, and my work. I try to always keep in mind how beautiful life can be, and I am grateful.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/1055102011-07-12T18:32:43-04:002011-07-12T18:32:43-04:00Getting close !!I am almost finished with the first draft of my book, "Dream, Believe, Create - How To Be A Life Magician." It has been almost a year since I got the idea to write it, and I have set my goal of being finished by the end of July. I want to be ready to approach the publisher with a finished product at that point, even though I am sure I will have to do some rewriting and editing. I am on the last chapter, which is about staying open to your higher self. I have given talks based on the book at Divine Cosmos conferences for the last half year, and have gotten great feedback from people. That has helped inspire me to keep on writing and get this book finished. I do believe it will help some people to create more magical lives for themselves, and that is my reason for writing it. It feels good to be so close to finishing. It has taken a lot of self-discipline to get this done, but hopefully the result will be worth it all.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/1040812011-06-28T09:44:32-04:002011-06-28T09:44:32-04:00Going With The FlowToday is Tuesday, two days after our London Convergence finished. I had been planning on doing some sight-seeing with my son David and his girlfriend today, my last day in London for this trip. But it was rainy, I was tired, and David wasn't ready to go until the afternoon. Earlier in the day I had been writing more of my book, "Dream, Believe, Create - How To Be A Life Magician." (At each conference now, I give a one-hour talk on this subject, and I have been receiving wonderful feedback from the people who attend my talks. It has motivated me to finish writing the book as soon as possible. I have set a goal of finishing by the end of July.)<br><br>
By the time David and his friend were ready to go, it was already late, and I was totally in the flow of writing my book. So it was a choice of a frantic trip into London to run through the Tate Museum before it closed, or staying in my room and continuing to write. I opted for the writing. David completely understood when I explained this to him. He has recently finished writing an enormous book, "The Source Field Investigations," which took him months and months to write. It will be released at the end of August, and contains a tremendous amount of research that took years of David's life to do.<br><br>
This has been very satisfying, to spend the day writing and letting the creative juices flow. I finally stopped for a while and took a lovely walk after the rain had ceased. I found a little pathway that led me past a beautiful wheat field and took me to a little pub that several of us had visited yesterday, but we had gone a different way. The pub, called "The Five Bells," is right next to a very very old church that is picturesque in a very British way. After again walking around the grounds of the church and the adjoining cemetery, I stopped in at the pub to say hello and goodbye to the proprietor, who had been very kind to us the day before. Then I headed back to the hotel to write more, and to write this blog as well.<br><br>
Sometimes it pays to be flexible and follow one's muse. Today has been one of those days.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/1036592011-06-23T07:16:32-04:002022-05-11T13:55:31-04:00London, here I come !We have a Divine Cosmos Convergence in London this weekend, so I will be flying out tonight from Newark Airport. It will be an overnight flight, obviously, and I will arrive at the hotel tomorrow just in time to set up our rental gear. We can't use our own gear there, because the shipping would have cost us $9,000 - a bit over budget, to say the least. But even though I will be tired, I know that the conference will be wonderful, as always. And I'm looking forward to seeing our overseas friends, and making new friends too.<br><br>
It's been a rough week and a half since I got back from the Denver Convergence. I completely lost my voice the day after the conference was over, and it turned into a sore throat and conjunctivitis in my left eye. I am just now beginning to feel normal - I had zero energy and actually had to go to the doctor last Saturday because I was so sick. I NEVER go to the doctor !! But thank goodness, I have most of my strength back now, in time for London.<br><br>
I did have enough energy to schedule two new conferences for Divine Cosmos - one in Atlanta in August, which is already confirmed and up on the site, <a href="http://www.divinecosmos.com">www.divinecosmos.com</a>. The other one will be in San Diego in October, but I don't have final confirmation on that yet, so it's not on the website.<br><br>
The Murder Cafe show scheduled for yesterday got cancelled, and even though I love to act with the troupe, I was actually thankful. I needed the time to recuperate. So the next show we will do will be a private party in July, and we'll do Death Valley Beauty Pageant - always fun to play !!<br><br>
TMI will be returning to the Rosendale Theater by popular demand for two shows in September. We are all very psyched about being able to present our monologues there again. For more information about all these goings-ons, see the performance page of my site.<br><br>
One last thing - tomorrow, June 24, is the birthday of my dearest friend, Robert Adsit. He would be turning 68 years old. I miss him every day, and will be thinking of him with love, as I do every day. Rest in peace, Robert - I know you are with me, even though you are gone.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/1020402011-06-06T17:13:57-04:002011-06-06T17:13:57-04:00Acting, conferences and baseballIt has been a busy Spring, with no letting up in sight - but I love it that way. We had a Divine Cosmos conference in Seattle last month, and this coming weekend there's one in Denver. Two weeks later is our London Convergence. I love organizing, attending, speaking and performing at these conferences, and there are always such nice people who attend.<br><br>
There have been a lot of acting opporunities lately - three amazing shows that TMI put on at the Shadowland Theater in Ellenville and just this past weekend at the Rosendale Theater, where we packed the place to standing room only. People really loved our show, and it has been a wonderful experience for all of us who performed. My acting class put on a night of improv and short theater pieces a couple weeks ago, and that was so much fun. Murder Cafe has begun rehearsing Recipe For Murder, which we will perform at a later date, and we will perform Death Valley Beauty Pageant again at the Rhinecliff Hotel on June 22.<br><br>
And tomorrow night I'm going to my first Yankees game of this season - for the series starter against the Red Sox. I love the new stadium, and the game tomorrow night should be exciting. I'll be sitting with my friend David Winograd, who gets amazing seats directly behind home plate, up in the upper deck, so you get a great view of the whole field.<br><br>
So a Yankees game tomorrow, teaching for DCC on Wednesday, then off to Denver on Thursday. I feel very lucky to have a full, exciting life.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/982562011-04-24T18:35:00-04:002011-04-24T18:35:00-04:00What A Week ! What A Month !I just looked, and I haven't posted a blog since early April, and now it's April 24th. The month has flown by. We had a Divine Cosmos Convergence in San Francisco, which was just wonderful, Murder Cafe has put on several shows, T.M.I. is getting ready for our first two shows of the season on May 6 and 7, and I have just started to learn Chinese. <br><br>
Yes, I got Rosetta Stone for learning Mandarin, and it totally rocks. I am fascinated with it, and Rosetta Stone has really got their act together to teach languages. No English in it at all, not one word, just Chinese, along with the Chinese characters and simplified Chinese as well. So I'm learning to speak, read and write. Very cool, and so different from the languages I am familiar with. My dear friends Terrell and Narda are moving to Dalian China in a few weeks, and I am hoping to visit them next year. My goal is to speak some Chinese by the time I visit China.<br><br>
The Divine Cosmos conferences are always wonderful and inspiring, and for the last few conferences, David has been playing Native American flute with Larry and me for the meditations. I love how the three of us sound together, and apparently so does everyone who attends. The three of us want to record a CD of our music pretty soon. The challenge is to find the time for all of us to get together at Larry's studio and just do it - more difficult than it sounds, to carve out the time.<br><br>
The latest show with Murder Cafe was "Death Valley Beauty Pageant," and it is by far the funniest, most entertaining show yet. We not only performed it several times for the public, but we also did a private performance of it at a casino way up by the Canadian border a couple weeks ago. One hundred sixty people attended, and everyone had just a fabulous time. Soon we will start rehearsing for the next show, "A Recipe For Murder." It promises to be hilarious too.<br><br>
T.M.I. (Too Much Information) is getting ready for our shows in early May. I will present my monologue, "The Standard Deck," a true but funny story of some strange rules I encountered in a Christian college that I attended. There are around twelve of us who will each tell personal stories that will amuse, enlighten, and entertain all who attend. I am looking forward to our shows, which will be performed at the Shadowland Theater in Ellenville.<br><br>
There is so much going on all the time that I can hardly keep up, but it is all great fun and I wouldn't have it any other way.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/968192011-04-06T14:37:18-04:002011-04-06T14:37:18-04:00Another conference this weekend !!San Francisco is the site of the Divine Cosmos Convergence this weekend, and I am looking forward to it, as I always do. It will be held at the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway, the same place where we had it last year. It's right near a Whole Foods, right in the heart of the city, and is just a great venue. And I am sure David will be presenting more new material, as he always keeps on top of current events and puts them in perspective.<br><br>
I've been so busy lately with acting and teaching and planning conferences. Our first show of "Death Valley Beauty Pageant" was a roaring success last Saturday night at the Rhinecliff Hotel. It is such a funny show, and people just loved it. Frank is really pushing to book lots more shows for us. Next weekend we will perform the same show at a casino up near the Canadian border. I didn't list it on my Performances page because it's a private party, but there are 160 people attending, and it promises to be a really fun time.<br><br>
Also, T.M.I. will be performing our first show in a couple weeks at the Shadowland Theater in Ellenville, both Friday and Saturday nights, May 6 and 7. That is open to the public, and I am hoping we get a good turnout. This show is going to be amazing. Check out my Performances page for more information on all these events.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/956002011-03-23T16:55:00-04:002022-04-24T21:32:26-04:00Rehearsals for great showsWe are in the thick of rehearsing for the new Murder Cafe play, "Death Valley Beauty Pageant," the most hilarious show yet that we have done. I play the part of Patsy Rockburn, long-time co-host of this nutty beauty contest, and just today I finally found her voice. It is such a funny voice that when I started using it in rehearsal today, all of us kept cracking up. <br><br>
Sharon and Dana Dixon (they are sisters for real!) play the two beauty contestants, Nina and Lola, who are constantly fighting over who will get the crown. Ryan Hunlock plays Bootsie, the crazed make-up director, Eric Henn plays Jaden Hipp, a D-list celebrity wannabe, and our director Frank Marquette plays Artie, my co-host, and later plays Tracy Dickman, the detective who tries to figure out who murdered Artie.<br><br>
Words fail me to describe the wackiness of this show. There is a point where Nina and Lola fight each other by fencing (yes, fencing!) with curling irons while Bootsie looks on eating popcorn. Lola, Nina and I all sing versions of "Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets." If you can possibly come to see this show, you will be totally entertained, I promise you. Check my Performance Page for details.<br><br>
I am also in the middle of rehearsals for an entirely different production, T.M.I. (Too Much Information). This is a group of women who share their stories onstage - true stories which cover lots of subjects that so many of us have had to deal with. Some stories are funny, some piercing, some heartbreaking, but all are completely engaging. <br><br>
We will offer our first performances May 6 and 7at the Shadowland Theater in Ellenville. I saw this show last year and immediately contacted Eva Tenuto, the director, asking to be in it this year. All of the stories are new this year, so even if you saw it last year, you will definitely want to come out for a whole new production.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/655572011-03-04T15:10:00-05:002021-09-24T15:47:17-04:00Computer troubles ! I love technology when it works right, but when it doesn't, it can get me down. I had been having some weird things happen with my laptop before I went to the Miami Convergence, and when I got home, I backed it up (I thought) and took it to my son Michael Wilcock, who is a terrific Mac repair person and works at a nearby Mac repair store. After much testing, he finally determined that my hard drive was bad. Several days later, the new hard drive arrived and he installed it. But the Western Digital external hard drive that I had used to back up my computer had only backed up some of the information, not all of it. So I have my computer back - sort of - at least enough to write this new blog.<br><br>
And tomorrow I will be off to Austin again to write more music with Larry Seyer. Then next Thursday we will both drive up to Dallas for the next Convergence Conference for Divine Cosmos. So it has been kind of a crazy time. Being without my computer was strange, and if it weren't for my iPhone, I really would have been stuck. The good thing is that I had to learn even more about using my phone as a computer, so I guess there's an up side to anything.<br><br>
At any rate, the next week or so should be wonderful, with time to create and perform and enjoy another great Convergence.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/933322011-02-21T13:20:00-05:002011-02-21T13:20:00-05:00An Amazing TripHere I am in my quiet hotel room this evening after a wonderful weekend of another Divine Cosmos Convergence Conference. This one was in Miami FL, and we had a great group of people. It really seems that each conference is better than the one before. David was getting over a sore throat, so we didn't perform any music from Wanderer Awakening, which David sings. But Larry and I provided music during the meditations at the end of each day.<br><br>
David's presentations are always interesting, and he keeps adding new material to every conference. He brings such a positive attitude to what is going on in the world and in the cosmos, and it is very reassuring as well as fascinating. Larry gave a talk on oneness and forgiveness, and I spoke on how to bring magic into our lives through the process of dreaming, believing, and then creating a satisfying life, all beginning with love.<br><br>
Compton Rom and Stephen Huntsman were there again, with their terrific products from their company, Ascended Health. Compton gave us all some really good information about our health, and how the earth provides so much of what we need to be healthy and strong. And Keith Cini, who works at Hippocrates Health Center in West Palm Beach, gave a class in QiGong, which was marvelous.<br><br>
Today David and Larry and I visited Coral Castle in Homestead FL, and that was a magical experience. You can learn about it by going to <a href="http://www.coralcastle.com">www.coralcastle.com</a>. It has huge structures made from coral and limestone which one man, Edward Leedskalnin, single-handedly carved and constructed by himself from 1923 to 1951. A lot of the pieces of coral weigh between five tons and forty tons, and it is incredible that this man who was barely five feet tall could figure out a way to cut them and move them into place by himself.<br><br>
He claimed he knew the secrets of how the pyramids were constructed. To this day, no scientist or engineer has been able to figure out how he did it, but people theorize that he understood how to levitate the huge pieces of stone. Our tour guide there, Raoul, was very knowledgeable and had a lot of insight into the man and his creation.<br><br>
All in all, this has been a most extraordinary trip, and I am thankful to be a part of Divine Cosmos. Our next conference will be in Dallas in March, and I'm looking forward to it.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/919112011-02-02T07:17:46-05:002011-02-02T07:17:46-05:00Snow-bound meditationsI am sitting here at my computer on day two of being home-bound because of so much snow. There is a major winter storm raging across fully one-third of the country, knocking out power to thousands, leaving people stranded and affecting huge numbers of people. I feel fortunate because I still have electricity, food and warmth.<br><br>
I have been following the events in Egypt as so many people are being hurt and killed, and I am sitting here safe and free. And in northeastern Australia right now, people are huddled in buildings as they hear and feel the roaring of the monster cyclone outside, ripping off roofs and tearing up the countryside.<br><br>
I just finished reading an article in National Geographic about the plight of poor Afghan farmers trying to eke out a living growing poppies, because it is all they can do to feed their families, even though it is illegal.<br><br>
And at a women's meeting a few nights ago, I heard several women recount stories of being sexually abused as children.<br><br>
Sometimes I just don't know how to think about these and so many other awful things that are going on in the world. My heart goes out to people everywhere who are suffering from repression, from the violence of Nature, and from the violence in general that affects so many of us on this planet. I know that we are all one, and today all I can do is send out my love and compassion to those in need, everywhere, as I sit quietly in my home and meditate.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/909162011-01-12T09:10:00-05:002011-01-12T09:10:00-05:00Creativity in AustinHere I am back in Austin, recording more of the jazz CD that I'm composing with Larry Seyer. When I was here last September, we worked on the first four songs. This week we are hoping to write the rest of the songs, and at least get rough mixes of everything. This is such a wonderful, creative, exciting project.<br><br>
For each song, I write the melody and give Larry a general idea of the groove I want. We record my melody, then Larry starts to flesh it out. He uses Nuendo to do the recording, and he is lightning fast on it. He gets a bass line and a groove going, and the whole piece takes shape amazingly quickly. It's a collaborative effort as we bounce ideas off each other, and it's a lot of fun.<br><br>
We got one song done (at least, rough mixed) yesterday, and are getting ready to start on the next one today. It is such a pleasure to work with Larry - he is a fantastic musician, very creative, and a really nice guy. And his expertise as an engineer and producer is top notch. I feel really fortunate to have this opportunity.<br><br>
The music on this CD, by the way, is totally instrumental, and sort of fits into the smooth jazz category. All the music so far sounds really happy and upbeat - this will be a fun CD to listen to, and we are very pleased with how everything is coming along.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/643072010-12-31T14:53:20-05:002021-06-02T17:33:39-04:00New Year of HopeThis new year, I am hoping for more peace and kindness on this precious earth. So much of the time, I take for granted the wonderful life I have, the amazing opportunity to live and love, to breathe and see, to use my body without even thinking how lucky I am. I want to be mindful of the joy of being alive and be thankful for all that I have. I want to live a productive, peaceful life and find ways to love others more and to be kind and patient. May we all exude peace and joy into the world and help to make 2011 a year of renewal. Happy New Year, everyone !<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/899752010-12-24T17:15:00-05:002022-04-24T21:41:06-04:00A stirring in the nightI just had a lovely dinner with some dear family and friends, at a restaurant that meant a lot to me in years past. It was such a pleasant way to spend Christmas Eve, and I saw some old friends there whom I had not seen in several years. I could feel stirrings of new possibilities.<br><br>
It always amazes me how, if you stay on a path with heart, things continually open up for you. I know I'm not being specific in this blog about what this all means to me, but I also know that my job is to follow a path with heart and trust that the right avenues appear before me. Things could take a very interesting turn as a result of this evening. We shall see.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/897732010-12-20T17:55:00-05:002021-06-02T17:34:18-04:00Last Christmas CarolWe gave our last two performances of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" yesterday at The Rhinecliff Hotel. It was performed in our dinner theater style, an interactive experience for everyone. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and the owner of the hotel has already booked us for several shows next year. Frank and Kristen Marquette, the brains behind our troupe (Murder Cafe) have been putting on dinner theater shows for years, mostly in Las Vegas, where they lived a long time. I am so glad they recently moved to the Hudson Valley, so that we actors get to do such fun shows, and that audiences in this area get to see them.<br><br>
Most of our shows are murder mysteries, but are quite different from the typical murder mystery dinner theater approach. Ours are truly theatrical productions, with a lot of room for improvisation and audience interaction. I can't believe how much I love this type of acting, and am thankful to have such great people to work with. Frank directs and acts in our shows, Kristen designs and sews our costumes, and both of them write the shows. Check out their site at <a href="http://www.murdercafe.net">www.murdercafe.net</a> to see some more of the shows they have produced.<br><br>
Last Thursday we also gave a performance for a corporate Christmas party in Connecticut. They wanted it to be a murder mystery in which Santa gets done in. So Frank adapted a show he and Kristen had written called "A Merger To Die For," and it became "A Christmas To Die For." It was absolutely hilarious, and everyone loved it.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/892332010-12-11T16:36:40-05:002010-12-11T16:36:40-05:00Wellspring of creativityI just got back from watching an evening of improv by the acting class I was in for a couple years. They were terrific ! I have had to temporarily drop out of the class because of being so involved in acting with the dinner theater troupe. I wish I could clone myself, because I love working with the people in class, and I also love working with the dinner theater group that puts on shows like "A Wedding In Transylvania" and "A Christmas Carol."<br><br>
As I watched my friends doing the improv tonight, I realized how much I learned from that class. It uncorked a stream of creativity in me that led to many other things - the movies I have been in, the other acting I am doing, the books I am writing, the music I'm writing with Larry Seyer, and a fresh perspective on the music that Emily and I create with the French art songs. When you follow a path with heart, you just can't predict the great things it can lead to. I am so thankful for it all.<br><br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/884882010-12-02T05:35:00-05:002021-06-02T17:31:44-04:00Upcoming Christmas CarolTonight our acting troupe will present "A Christmas Carol" in a dress rehearsal, and then Sunday we will have two performances at The Inn At Stone Ridge. Check out their information about the shows at this link: <a href="http://www.innatstoneridge.com/Dinner-Theatre.html">www.innatstoneridge.com/Dinner-Theatre.html</a>. Just about everyone has seen "A Christmas Carol" presented in some form, but in our show you will get to interact with the performers. We even will sit at your tables with you between our scenes, so you will feel all the merrier !<br><br>
I am still basking in the glow of our latest Divine Cosmos conference in Tempe, and my trip to New Mexico to visit a dear friend. Ever I got home I have been working non-stop though, and I am looking forward to having the school semester over in a couple weeks. Maybe then I will have some time to relax a bit. But in the meantime, there's lots to do - teaching, organizing more conferences, acting, and tending to details of all of the above and more.<br><br>
And I just booked a flight in January to Austin so that Larry and I can work on completing our smooth jazz CD. That will be an awesome time - I love working with him, and we both are real psyched about what we have created so far.<br><br>
I keep reminding myself to breathe !!!<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/878672010-11-25T17:55:00-05:002010-11-25T17:55:00-05:00MysticalOur world and our existence in it are way more mystical than we usually are aware of in our day to day lives. I have been feeling and experiencing some wonderful things in the last few days, the details of which I won't go into right now. But I am more convinced than ever that we are eternal beings of light, that we are all connected, and that love is the glue that holds us all together as one. <br><br>
Our lives are sacred and this earth is sacred. The more that we respect and honor the sacred nature of others as well as ourselves, the more harmonious our lives become. And the more we honor and respect the earth, the more she supports and protects us. Let us keep our hearts open to these things.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/877952010-11-24T16:06:09-05:002022-05-11T11:19:07-04:00New Mexico after the conferenceWe had a truly exceptional conference in Tempe, and I have already booked us back there next November, for a conference starting on 11/11/11 - nice, right? The two speakers' material was mutually complementary - David Wilcock and William Henry both presented material that meshed together. It was very interesting. And my talk "Dream, Believe, Create - How To Be A Life Magician" went over very well too.<br><br>
The day after it was over, I went up to Sedona with Larry and his wife Karla, and we saw some beautiful things, including mountains of beautiful colored rock that took your breath away. The next day I came to New Mexico to visit a friend, and she and I have also seen some magnificent things - many many mountains shaped like pyramids, a "rock city" of huge rocks that were dropped together from a volcano a long time ago, amazing crystals from geodes called thundereggs, a museum that has huge collections of crystals, arrowheads, Native American pottery and lots of other fascinating things from this area.<br><br>
I feel as if I have been flooded with wonderful things these last few days. It has been an invigorating trip, and it's not quite over. I am so thankful for these experiences, and for the opportunity to share them with others of like mind. And that includes all you who read this !!<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/521442010-11-17T11:19:58-05:002022-04-24T21:34:21-04:00Off to TempeThis weekend is the Divine Cosmos Convergence Conference in Tempe AZ, and I will leave tomorrow (Thursday) to go. I am really looking forward to it - to hearing more of what David has to say and show us, meeting William Henry and hearing him talk, playing music from "Wanderer Awakening" with David and Larry, and giving a talk on "Dream, Believe, Create - How To Be A Life Magician."<br><br>
Our conferences are always great, and this one will be special as well. But before I go, there's another rehearsal tonight for "A Christmas Carol." And when I get back, Terrell Neuage and his wife will stop by my house. Terrell is Robert Adsit's brother, and he is helping Marc Seifer and me with our book about Robert. I haven't seen him and Narda, his wife, since last May, so it will be nice to connect with them again.<br><br>
Life keeps being so busy, it just seems non-stop. But after the conference, I will take a couple days to visit a friend in New Mexico. That will feel like a mini-vacation, which I certainly could use right now !!<br><br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/538202010-11-14T13:25:00-05:002022-04-24T21:55:49-04:00Busy daysWe had our last dinner theater performance of "A Wedding In Transylvania," at least for the moment, this past Thursday at the Rhinecliff Hotel. It was as much fun as all the other presentations of this crazy play. Now we are in rehearsal for "A Christmas Carol," which we'll offer in December. That will be completely different, and will include lots of Christmas caroling, which we are also rehearsing. Four of us are carolers. Kristen Marquette has made period costumes for all of us, and she is amazing. She and Frank Marquette run the company which puts these shows on. They have written all the shows, and have been doing this for many years, most of those years in Las Vegas. I'm glad they came to the Hudson Valley so that I can be a part of their shows !<br><br>
I am also getting ready to go to Phoenix for the Divine Cosmos Convergence Conference next weekend in Tempe. Our conferences are always wonderful and inspiring, as my son David Wilcock brings his fascinating research and unique perspective to everyone. For this one conference, he will be sharing time with William Henry, so it will be much different from our other conferences .On Saturday I will present my one-hour talk, "Dream, Believe, Create - How To Be A Life Magician." And David, Larry and I will perform music from "Wanderer Awakening," the music that David and Larry co-wrote.<br><br>
There are a lot of things I need to get done before I leave for Tempe, including two more rehearsals for "Christmas Carol," stringing name badges for the conference, teaching my students at home and at the College of St. Rose, going over the music for "Wanderer Awakening," packing, memorizing lines, and on and on - but it's all good. I would rather be too busy than have nothing to do !!!<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/678442010-10-31T17:06:41-04:002022-05-18T04:35:37-04:00Better and betterWe did three performances this week of "A Wedding in Transylvania." Each one keeps getting better than the one before. Tonight we had a stand-in for Frankie, and he did a fantastic job. Everyone was so into the show, and I can tell that people love to be a part of the action. We all (except tonight's stand-in for Frankie) have done the show several times now, and it has a flow that is exciting. On this coming Friday we start rehearsals for "A Christmas Carol," and that will be fun too, in an entirely different way, of course. And we have one more scheduled show for "Wedding," on November 11 in Rhinecliff. I will miss playing the Countess Elsa once we are done, but I'm looking forward to being a part of "Christmas Carol." Frank and Kristen Marquette are the brains behind all this, and I love working with both of them. They are very professional, and very supportive.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/874922010-10-25T08:44:35-04:002010-10-25T08:44:35-04:00"A Wedding In Transylvania" showLast night we did our first real dinner theater show at The Inn in Stone Ridge. It was FANTASTIC !!! People came dressed in costume for a true vampire wedding, and they were really into the show. It was so much fun. And we have three more shows coming up this week - Wednesday in Poughkeepsie, Saturday in Wallkill, and Sunday (Halloween!) back at The Inn in Stone Ridge. This show is the first one I have ever done, and I wasn't sure if I would have trouble remembering my lines, but it all went well. And I found out that I will be in the upcoming "A Christmas Carol" dinner theater production that our troupe will put on. I am so excited !<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/866862010-10-17T06:04:46-04:002010-10-17T06:04:46-04:00Our dress rehearsalOn Friday we had our dress rehearsal for "A Wedding In Transylvania" at a lovely place in Saugerties - the community center in a residential area for seniors. It was awesome to finally present our show to an audience, and they just loved it !! Even though we had all been fitted for our costumes before, none of us had been fully costumed until Friday, and the effect was amazing. My costume and makeup takes the longest because it is the most outrageous, but it is so much fun.<br><br>
The show is interactive, so the audience is part of it all. There is no "fourth wall," as you usually have when you are presenting a show on stage, so we get to engage the audience in our actions and dialogue. Then before our last scene, we have the people fill out whodunit sheets, trying to guess who the murderer is. Our last scene reveals the murderer, so the mystery is solved. Only one person had figured it out, and she won a nice prize. We also gave a prize for the best actor in the audience, and it turned out that he had done a lot of acting in his earlier years.<br><br>
All in all, everyone had a great time. I love acting so much, and am so pleased to have this opportunity. Our first real show is this coming Friday at the Rosendale Rec Center. I can't wait !!!!<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/860552010-10-07T06:39:17-04:002020-10-19T11:14:35-04:00Exciting rehearsalsWe are in the thick of rehearsing for "A Wedding In Transylvania," the murder mystery dinner theater I'm in. I'm loving working with Frank Marquette, the director, and with the other actors. Everyone is really getting into it, and the show is coming together well. We have a script, but there is a lot of improvisation as well, which will include the audience. It is so much fun !!! (You can check out my Performance page for dates and locations.)<br><br>
I am so glad that I decided to take acting classes a year and a half ago. I had never acted in anything before then, not even a school play. But I have had a lifetime of performing as a musician, and I have always loved to perform. When I began the acting classes, I realized that this was another great outlet for my performing urges, so I have pursued it. And I find the more I get into it, the more opportunities open up to do more acting.<br><br>
This is just another example of bringing magic into my life, which is the thrust of the book I am writing, "Dream, Believe, Create - How To Be A Life Magician." Think about what you love to do and would like to do, see yourself doing it, and then take action to make it happen. It works !!!<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/851602010-09-22T04:14:15-04:002022-02-26T00:42:57-05:00The creative processSometimes creativity emerges from silence, and sometimes it comes from full-on activity and bustle. When I get stuck, I find a quiet spot and just be with myself for a few minutes. If it's hard to get something started, I try to find a way to make it fun to get into it - kind of like getting into a cool lake by swishing your feet in it first. <br><br>
My schedule has gotten real busy with the colleges in session and upcoming rehearsals for the dinner theater (starting tomorrow !), but I am determined to keep working on my book. I have changed the title to "Dream, Believe, Create - How To Be A Life Magician." Creativity comes from knowing how to get started on something, but even more, following through and finishing. And so, right now, I am going to write more of my book !<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/846142010-09-11T09:05:01-04:002010-09-11T09:05:01-04:00Creating MusicThis is so wonderful ! Larry and I have been creating some music together, and it is such an exciting process. Today is the last day we have left to compose, since I have to leave for home tomorrow. On Thursday we wrote our first piece, and then yesterday we created two more. We made some rough mixes of them, and they are sounding great. There's still lots to be done with them, but we are psyched about the direction this project is taking. Ultimately these will be available on CD and on David's website, www.divinecosmos.com. We'll see how much we can get done today, but I already have a great melody and groove running through my head, and we're just getting ready to get into the studio for the day.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/845392010-09-09T20:28:58-04:002010-09-09T20:28:58-04:00Working in AustinI flew to Austin Tuesday to work this week with Larry Seyer on Divine Cosmos projects. I had heard that Austin was getting a lot of rain, but my plane arrived just fine. However, Larry's area was all flooded, and there was no way he could get out of his neighborhood to come pick me up at the airport. I found out later that the creek had risen fifteen feet, more than anything previously recorded. So I stayed at a hotel near the airport Tuesday night.<br><br>
On Wednesday, Larry still couldn't get out, so our friend Gary Powell came and took me to his house. Later in the day, the waters had receded enough that Gary drove me to a spot as near to Larry's house as we could get. We couldn't drive over the bridge because the water was still too deep, but Gary and I walked across the streaming water, carrying my luggage, and Larry met us on the other side. It was pretty crazy.<br><br>
We got some work done last night - wrote a piece of music together, which was great fun. We were both pleased with the result. We also made a recording of me reading sections from several books, so I can see about getting some work reading audio books.<br><br>
Finally today Larry and I were able to drive out of his neighborhood, and we bought a MIDI controlling keyboard to use at our conferences. Then the real work began - programming the keyboard to work with the computer, so that all the controls did what we wanted them to do. It took hours and hours, but we finally succeeded.<br><br>
More work is ahead tomorrow, but with the MIDI programming done, the toughest part should be behind us. Success !<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/839832010-08-31T17:13:31-04:002022-05-18T05:30:47-04:00First day of semester at The College of St. RoseToday I taught my voice students at The College of St. Rose in Albany, NY, beginning the fall semester. They are all juniors or seniors in the Music Industry Department, and they are a delight to teach. Each one of them has had two years of classical vocal training, so their technique is already good. Now, with me, they can concentrate on singing popular music, rock, blues or whatever, and they write their own songs. <br><br>
As a matter of fact, the senior project involves writing, performing and recording a CD of their original songs. They have to submit a proposal to begin, score their music, master the CD and prepare the CD packaging as well. It's a lot of work, and my previous seniors have done a fabulous job. I am sure my current students will do as well.<br><br>
And this year I am teaching all my students in a brand new recording studio in the totally renovated Center for Communication and Interactive Media. There's a beautiful nine foot grand piano in the studio, and we have access to the adjoining control room, so my students can work on their recording project in their lessons with me.<br><br>
Here are photos of the studio where I teach. <img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/60511/792d180bae12c8d2a0d9fb3c49fa4933653cf282/thumb/IMG_1107.jpg?1381159579" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="125" width="94" /><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/60511/6029259865f20db6d4eda9299bb63b78d921e8f8/thumb/IMG_1109.jpg?1381159579" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="125" width="94" />Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/836172010-08-25T15:54:17-04:002021-05-04T05:24:59-04:00The conference in ChicagoWhat a wonderful time we all had in Chicago this past weekend for the Divine Cosmos Convergence Conference ! These conferences keep getting better, and I am so thrilled to be a part of them. On Saturday I gave a one-hour talk on "How To Become A Life Magician." Almost every conference attendee came to hear me, and many people told me afterward that they were inspired by what I presented. I am very psyched to finish my book as soon as I can, so that more people can bring magic into their lives. My main focus was and is on living with love and grateful attention to the opportunities that we have.<br><br>
Now I will have a few days off before I begin teaching at The College of St. Rose. Then early in September I'll go to Austin again to work with Larry on getting the last of the musical equipment for our Convergence Conferences, so that we won't have to rent any gear from now on. And I'm working on scheduling conferences for 2011. It's a lot of work, but it's all good.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/832562010-08-19T06:33:03-04:002022-03-31T08:17:05-04:00Chicago conferenceThis weekend is the Divine Cosmos Convergence Conference in Chicago. I've gotten all the groundwork done for it, and am looking forward to an exciting conference. David will of course be the main speaker, giving his power point presentations, dream interpretations, and will include lots of new information as well. Larry will also give a one-hour talk on love and forgiveness on Sunday, and I'll give a one-hour talk on Saturday, on the topic of how to become a life magician (Love, Dream, Create). And all three of us will perform music from Wanderer Awakening. Also, Compton Rom will be there with free samples of his delicious compounds for ascended health. These conferences keep getting better and better. I'm happy to be a part of them.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/830302010-08-15T16:47:42-04:002010-08-15T16:47:42-04:00Last film shoot for me for Peace, Love and MisunderstandingMy shoot this weekend was the polar opposite of last weekend. Last weekend we began around 4:30 pm and ended when the sun came up. This past Friday I left my house at 6:30 am and got home around 9:30 pm. It was for a post-protest party at "Grace's" house. I drove my car right to the site where the filming was taking place so that my car could be parked on site, to be used in the movie. (That happened last weekend too.) Then, as before, I was given a short van ride to "base camp" for wardrobe, hair and make-up. Then back to the site with all the other extras who were part of the day's filming.<br><br>
As is typical, there is a lot of sitting around and waiting to be called for a shoot. Once you arrive at the scene of the shoot, each person is assigned a spot to be. Props are given out (in this case, bottles of fake beer, glasses of fake wine, fake joints, etc.), and if you need to move around during the shoot, you are told exactly where to move to and when to do it. My first shoot had me placed next to Cat Guthrie, a singer/songwriter woman whom I had accompanied at a concert two weeks before. It was nice to see her again in this context.<br><br>
For each shoot, a scene needs to be practiced, and then shot several times to get it just right. Sometimes you have to be quiet, and pretend that you are talking, while one of the principals in the film has some dialogue. It is a fascinating process. The night after this shoot, last night, I saw "Cyrus," which has some party scenes in it. Having done the party scenes the day before made me have an entirely new perspective on what is involved in filming a scene like that. I realized that when this film comes out, I will be one of the only people on earth who will notice my own face in the scenes of the film, because I and the other extras are truly "background." But that's totally okay with me. I loved being involved, meeting so many interesting people, and seeing first-hand a little bit of how a movie is created.<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/828042010-08-11T16:37:15-04:002010-08-11T16:37:15-04:00Moon Party filmingWe did the filming for the Moon Party (for "Peace, Love and Misunderstanding") this past Friday and Saturday nights. It was interesting, fun, exhausting and informative. It was shot on location of "Grace's" house (Grace is the lead character, played by Jane Fonda). The house sits on many acres of property in Kerhonkson, and the site is absoulutely gorgeous. I posted a photo on my Photos page of the area behind the house where we had our Moon Party, so you can get an idea of how lovely it is.<br><br>
Anyway, we women who were "Grace's friends" basically had a 12 or 13 hour day both days, starting around 4:30 pm and ending around 5 am or later the next day - two days in a row ! We all were asked to bring hippie type clothing and accessories. I didn't have any, so I had made a quick shopping trip to The Big Cheese in Rosendale, where they have some very funky clothing in the back part of the store. The wardrobe assistant, Kate, liked one of the two outfits I had brought, so we used it - some outrageously funky orange pants and a loose-fitting orange dress over the pants. And I had brought a shawl that I've had for years - just the right color to go with the orange, and a long fringe all around. It looked pretty fabulous.<br><br>
Then we all had our hair done by either one of the two hairdressers - they put lots of flowers in our hair, a la hippie style. The make-up artists did their magic, and then we were transported to the site. ("Base camp" was set up in a nearby firehouse, and they had vans running back and forth constantly. There were at least 100 or 200 people working on the film, maybe more. It's hard to tell.)<br><br>
The party was happening around a bonfire, which was not a real one - it was propane powered, and was carefully brought up and down by the fire master, Peter. The first night was very cold, and by 4 am everyone was really freezing - they brought blankets for us, which we wrapped ourselves in when we weren't being filmed. There were women drumming and one woman played a didgeridoo, while Grace are all her friends danced around the bonfire chanting to the moon. We did the same thing many times, so that different camera angles could be accommodated and the sound made just right as well.<br><br>
Thankfully, the second night of filming was much warmer, and we all appreciated that. All in all, it was a very interesting and fun experience. I found Jane Fonda to be a totally lovely person, very down to earth and personable. And beautiful ! She is 72 years old, and defies any stereotyping of age. She gives us all the knowledge that you don't have to look or act old just because you are a certain age. You can check out her blogs about the film - go to her site at www.janefonda.com. You will see what I mean when I tell you that she looks stunning in this film !<br><br>
We have another two days of shooting this weekend, but this time they will not be all-night shoots - thank goodness !!!!<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/825612010-08-07T09:31:35-04:002010-08-07T09:31:35-04:00Success !Last night I auditioned for "A Wedding In Transylvania," a murder mystery dinner theater production. I was really hoping for the part of Elsa, the Countess. And this morning I got a call from the director, and I got the part !!! I am very psyched about this. The show is hilarious and macabre, and I just know it's going to be a lot of fun to perform it.<br><br>
And later today we'll be shooting the moon party scene for "Peace, Love and Misunderstanding." It should be an interesting time, with a big bonfire and all us ladies dressed like hippies !<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/824042010-08-04T09:47:44-04:002022-05-12T04:50:02-04:00More thoughts on a magical lifeI have become even more aware of the magical quality of life, and of mine in particular. There have been so many wonderful "coincidences" in my life that have led to amazing and fun opportunities. So I have decided to write a book giving my thoughts on how we can all bring more magic into our experiences. I've already outlined it and started to write it, and it's tentatively titled "On Becoming A Life Magician," subtitled "How To Experience A Magical Life."<br><br>
As a matter of fact, I will be giving a short lecture on this subject at the next Divine Cosmos Convergence Conference in Chicago, August 20 to 22. I'm very excited to share my thoughts with others, because I believe we are surrounded by magic - our very existence is magical - and the more we welcome it into our lives, the richer our experience becomes.<br><br>
As a matter of fact, I have some magical experiences coming up the next two weekends, as I am involved in four more days of filming for the movie "Peace, Love and Misunderstanding," starring Jane Fonda. I had auditioned for the film just for the fun of it, because I had never auditioned for a film before. I never expected anything to come of it, but weeks after the audition I got a call, and ended up with a small part ! Who would have thought ?<br><br>
I'm even going to audition for a murder mystery dinner theater production this Friday - just for the fun of doing the audition. So I'm pretty busy with all this going on, but it's all interesting, enjoyable and pretty magical !!!!<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/817072010-07-22T19:02:56-04:002021-12-27T05:56:20-05:00Film shoot in Woodstock NYToday was the first day that I was involved in acting in the film "Peace, Love and Misunderstanding." The shoot was an anti-war rally in lovely, quirky downtown Woodstock, NY. We had protestors (I was one), passersby, a bearded college guy, a guy driving past in a Hummer who said "F**k you" while he gave us the finger, Jane Fonda coming on the set and leading our protest, wonderful circle drummers and various other actors. All of us protestors arrived at 10 am, and we finally finished shooting shortly after 8 pm, with a half hour break for lunch.<br><br>
The weather was good to us - the sun shone most of the day, it was comfortably warm and not too humid. There was a lot of sitting or standing around waiting, of course, but when they called for action, we all jumped in to do our jobs, with high energy all around. Before we ever started shooting, I got to know some of the other actors - David Boston IV, who gave me lots of tips on how to pursue more acting jobs (he's done LOTS of stuff in film, theater, TV and commercials), and Pat Hodges, an actress who has done theater and film full-time all her life. She has a wonderful outgoing personality and we hit it off immediately. She was a protestor too, and she and I often were side by side, holding our placards and chanting with the others: "What do we want? Peace !! When do we want it? Now !!" with the circle drummers keeping time and urging us on with their beats.<br><br>
All in all it was very very fun and very very exhausting. I am hooked on film work, and I hope I get lots more work like this. I have more shoots coming up in August for this film, and I can't wait !!!!<br type="_moz">Marta Watermantag:martawaterman.com,2005:Post/815922010-07-20T19:02:34-04:002022-05-10T03:28:06-04:00Magic in the airThere is definitely magic in the air. I just was cast in the upcoming movie, "Peace, Love and Misunderstanding," starring Jane Fonda. It is being filmed here in Ulster County, NY. I had auditioned for it several weeks ago, just for the experience of auditioning, never anticipating that anything would come of it. A LOT of people auditioned, many with much more acting experience than I (which isn't hard, since I have only taken an acting class for a year and a half and never acted in anything before this class).<br><br>
But surprisingly enough, I got a call two days ago, asking me to email pix of the front and back of my head, to be a "hair double" for Jane Fonda. I didn't even know what that meant, so I asked Brian, the guy who called me. He explained that it would be for a shot of the back of my head in a car - they would use a double so that Jane wouldn't have to do that shoot. So I asked my son Michael to take a couple photos of me on my iPhone, and I emailed them to Brian. But there was a hitch - one of the times they needed to do the shooting was a week in August when I have to be out of town for a Divine Cosmos Convergence Conference. So again, I figured nothing would come of it.<br><br>
But yesterday, Brian called me back. He said they had gotten someone else to do the hair double, but that he had something better for me. He said they thought I looked as though I could be a friend of Jane's, so they want me to play that part instead. So people would see me, and I would be in several scenes - not just the back of my head in a car as if I were Jane. And the five days that they need to do the shooting are days that I am free !<br><br>
I am thankful for this opportunity, and for the ongoing magic in my life. I just need to stay open to opportunities, and follow my heart.<br>Marta Waterman