Beatles in Brazil...

Although we do have a ton of beatles, cockroaches and other interesting insects down here, this post is about some beatles of a different variety...



THE BEATLES!



Since starting at our company, I have worked off and on with a writer and a musician to record some songs for Wizard's new language books. It's been quite the experience, as I've loved performing my whole life...but have never made a CD or anything....Besides, who wouldn't love singing songs about burgers and fries, the weather, prepositions or long lost loves?

Exactly.

Martha, the lyric writer, happens to be a very successful owner of her own Skill language school and always throws fun activities for the community through her students. She invited me to sing some Queen songs at her next school concert, as she's been a witness to plenty of silly "Jam sessions" where Rafael (amazing musician/music writer) and I rocked out to some of their classics. I LOVE QUEEN. But, as a last minute change, I had to sing Beatles, which I've never tried to listen to, since they seemed too cliche and I grew up with my Dad jokingly calling them "The Beatless."



Newsflash:

I LOVE them too.

The concert was great.

Kids sang tons of classics...

Teenagers belted out some sweet ballads...

Rafael and his right hand man had some sweet guitar/piano solos...

and I got to sing a few songs as a guest artist with one of my
favorite gal pals, Cris, backing me up.(Cris and I...she's our black momma of the office and I love her!)

(Our support group/fan club...we like to keep it small and extra special ;)...Thanks J!)

Everybody giggled over my Portuguese...

(Rafael: Psychologist by day, musician by night and friend to both of us!)

The funniest thing about the entire shindig was a series of events near the end. I had just finished the concert with "A Little Help from my Friends"and I heard Martha asking Rafael if we could do another song... some Queen this time.

My interest was peaked...BUT...

No practice...

No Music...

No nothing...

So, I said, "Oh, we don't know right now, maybe next time...." thinking I was golden and done being nervous for the night.

Then, the next thing I know, Miss Martha is up there announcing that the American will be up momentarily with an encore performance of Bohemian Rhapsody.

What?!

Holy impromptu and outrageous fear of slaughtering an epic song. But, it turned out pretty dang cool, thanks to a perfect guitar solo from this guy and a quick rearrangement of the song cutting out all of the crazy choral parts in the middle.

I wouldn't say it was thunder bolts and lightning...

but it wasn't very very frightening and I did feel like a Rock Star!

I'm so glad I kept a cassette tape of Queen in the Mustang

for all those years....Thank-you Emily...sorry Vandenberg Village neighbors. ;)

(Me, Martha and Cris)

In the end, The Beatles by Skill concert was such a fun night and I was grateful for the opportunity to do something creative again.

So, stay tuned for when you can hear my sweet melodies about Burgers and Fries...

I'm sure they'll make my Mom's Top 20.

;)