1st Mini-Rehearsal

1st Mini-Rehearsal – 04-14-17

On Wednesday Azure and I had to go down to the Indiana War Memorial at 5:30 for a mandatory orientation for the Mini-500 entertainment. Courtney brought her to my work about 4:30. Azure was in a really good mood and was super excited about our project.

It was very nice outside and we arrived at the Memorial right on time. We were one of the first ones there actually. ( We are talking musicians here)  We got our orientation packet and learned at what spot we were playing . Then we sat in the 2nd row. We listened to the 30 minute presentation and got our Tee Shirts. I like them.

After we left Azure and I drove to the spot where we are playing. The street will be closed down that day so We be be playing on a T street where the runners will be going past. We had a really nice time.  Then I drove Azure to Brownsburg and dropped her off just as Courtney was getting ready to go somewhere.

FRIDAY 04-14-2017

It started pouring down rain right before Courtney Azure and Zarah arrived. I had left two of my windows down but it wasn’t too bad. The rain was cold as we ran outside though. I put Azures guitar in the trunk. We headed for Deeyas house. I told the girls that I didn’t want Brooklynn to know that they are going to be there. Brooklynn is trying to memorize a 4 page poem to win a contest.  ( I couldn’t do that for a million dollars)  Deeya and Brooklynn are flying out to Boston tomorrow so as to  read and film the poem at a historical site. We stopped at Bestbuy in Carmel and Roberts camera shop. I was trying to put together a camera and microphone system for Brooklyn. I bought a battery set and a Lavalier mic. Then we stopped at Taco Bell and I got the girls a couple of Cheese Rollups apiece

When we got to Deeyas around 7:00. We drove straight to the barn to rehearse. And so as to not let Brooklynn see us. However, were there only about 5 minutes when Deeya and Brooklynn Pulled up to the barn in the Suburu. I told the girls to stay out of sight until I found out what was up.

A few days ago Deeya and Frank ordered a few Peacocks and Pheasants to run around in the yard. The Pheasants had arrived at the post office 6:00 am this morning. So Deeya and Brooklyn were driving back to the coop to take a first look at them. After the 3 of us checked them out  ( they are really pretty ) Deeya said that she was taking Brooklynn to a bookstore to work on the poem.

So since they left Azure and Zarah went in the house and down to the basement I had to gather up a bunch of guitar and Mic cables and guitars…etc… we went out to the barn and I worked for about 30 minutes putting the finishing touches on the setup. Zarah said that she was bored and asked if she could drive the golf cart around in the barn. I said “uhh no.. If you hit one of Frank’s Mercedes it would not be good”

ROUND ONE

Azure played guitar along with the Taylor Swift  song several times but she was “Embarrassed” to sing in front of me. This has actually been going of for over a year. I tried to be patient and let her keep practicing,  but after about two hours of guitar strumming and no discernible singing ,  I told her that Zarah and I were going to go to the gas station. That way she could sing through the P.A. without me being there.Zarah got a couple of Hagen-Daaz Ice Creams for her and Azure.

By now I realized that Azure was not going to sing out loud. I started getting a little frustrated with her. We are supposed to perform in 3 weeks and she still won’t practice in front of me. I went on a long winded monologue, for about 45 minutes. Trying to help her relax and get used to singing. I know that she is excited to perform but she is so shy about it. She has to come to terms with the fact that the world is not going to come to an end if she sings in front of people. I told here that she has to face her fears and go through them or they will just get bigger over the years.

Zarah sat quietly through all of this and played Ninteno. I am always sure she was listening though.

Well…..all of my coaxing and reassurance and, helping to put everything into perspective still didn’t have the desired effect, we all wrapped things up about 10:30 and went in the house.

Azure was a little teary about the whole thing. I tried to act like it was no big deal and that we would try again tomorrow. I was trying to walk the line between helping her and ingraining the issue.

We went down to the basement , Azure crumpled up into the recliner, and moped. Zarah went into the Exercise room and watched a Shirley Temple sing along video. That cracked me up. 200 DVD movies and she pulls out the 1934 VHS tape…

I went over to Azure and pulled her up and hugged her. I told that I am not mad at you, or even disappointed. I said we just don’t have that much time to get ready. I told her she needs to come out of her shell soon or she won’t be ready in time. I told her that I could care less if she plays guitar or sings or even if she isn’t good at it. I told her all I care about is that you are happy, Healthy,  and confident and brave enough to follow your dreams. I told her I loved her with all of my heart and we will try again tomorrow.

Azure and I went into the exercise room and they laid down on Brooklynns big stuffed animal gorilla. I used the video to demonstrate to Azure how at 5 years old, Shirley Temple was the highest paid entertainer in America. I said you don’t have to be perfect to entertain people. Just be happy , and give your heart and soul. What we are trying to do doesn’t matter anyway, you are not trying to diffuse bombs. you are singing, no one is gonna die if you aren’t the greatest singer in the world.

Well anyway the girls eventually fell asleep on the mattress. I worked on a new song Idea I had just written on the spot… Based on a saying Deeya says and that I had just used with Azure….( You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take ) I picked up a guitar recorded this until about 3:30. Then I went to sleep in my bed.

Around 7:00, the next morning the girls came in to my room and cuddled up next to me for a while. Then they got up to eat breakfast with Brooklynn and Yudi. I could hear them walking around upstairs,  but I was exhausted and couldn’t pull my self out of bed.

Finally I got up around 9:30, we made our way out to the barn to try again.It is beautiful outside. Best day this year. The grass is starting to grow and there are purple flowers in the yard.

ROUND TWO…

Well Azure half-heartedly played around for another hour or so and still wouldn’t sing. I tried to not pay any attention to her so that she wouldn’t think I was listening. And for the most part I wasn’t I just wanted to hear her TRYING.

Zarah and I went out of the barn and fed the chickens. One chicken pecked another one. The recipient chicken jumped up in the air and when he came down one of his claws got caught in the coop wire and was hanging upside down. Zarah yelled out to me to help the chicken.I went in the cage and tried to get its foot loose but I was afraid the pressure of me pulling on the wire might be hurting it worse. I ran back into the Barn and got some wire snips to cut the fence wire, but as I did the chicken freed itself.

I  told Azure to keep practicing while I went into the house to show Deeya how to use the video setup. I went back out to the barn and quietly walked in and stood behind Azure, Since she didn’t know I was standing there she played and sang into the mic  She was doing good. Better than I even expected.  After about three minutes she saw me and stopped. I clapped and praised her and told her she did fantastic. But Nope… She immediately clammed up again.

I had another 30 minute talk with her… I tried not to be frustrated, but I am sure by now it was starting to show some.   I said Azure, when you used to color with crayons at age three and couldn’t stay in the lines did you worry about what others were thinking? NO you were just having fun. When you were learning to walk as a toddler did you get embarrassed when you fell?? NO you got up and tried again. When you were learning to ride a bike did  you give up if some one was watching? NO you hung in there until you learned it. THIS IS THE SAME THING……I said trust me,  You need to  face your self imagined fears and you will be happier, I PROMISE. I said Babe Ruth, a legendary Baseball player struck out in front of thousands of people all the time.. did he get embarrassed and  give up? No!  He picked himself up and he went back out there and swung at the ball again and again..He’s a legend now.

Zarah again sitting on the sidelines quietly listening.

Well anyway…. nothing…. Finally I said O.K. I am going in, I have stuff to do and I am not going to waste my whole day getting nowhere.  She yelled… NO!!!  and I could hear her cry a little. But I was serious. I walked back to the house.

I went in and cleaned up the girls stuff in the basement. about 20 minutes later Azure came down and sat in the recliner again. I could tell that she had been crying….. A minute or two later she looked over at me and said….. OK, I will do it.

ROUND THREE….. AND A KNOCK OUT!!!

We went out into the barn. She sat down… SHE STARTED PLAYING AND SINGING I stood there quietly not even moving, Somehow feeling like I was holding a Faberge Egg…Yudi came in  into the barn  while this was going on. I put my finger up to my lips in a SHHH motion so that Azure would not  know she was in here.  Azure  WAS DOING GREAT. ( Even better then I expected ) When Azure finished the song, she turned around and saw Yudi standing there. Yudi clapped and said “Azure that was Beautiful.” Azure jumped off the stage  into Yudi’s arms and Wrapped her arms and legs around  her in a big hug.

I was so proud or her. I clapped and praised her and said “See that wasn’t so hard was it?” She said no.

We were all happy, at least for now fear had been conquered and our spirits were lifted and I felt a breakthrough had been achieved.

The four of us walked out out of the dark barn into the the bright cloudless day… All HAPPY. We walked over to the coop and looked at the new Pheasants…Yudi mentioned that she was going to a Mexican restaurant, She said she getting ready to leave  She is going to meet Diana and get her and the girls some lunch. I told her to get them each a cheese Quesadilla.

As we walked back to the house I told Azure and Zarah I wanted to go get a coke. Zarah ( who has recently banned me from drinking sodas ) Piped up exuberantly ( Line of the week ) “THAT’S OK, YOU DESERVE IT… I was cracking up under my breath.

After we got back from the gas station,  I told the girls to take a bath or shower. As we walked back to the house, Azure said “Daddy, you were right… I feel much better”.. I said ” I knew you would, and  you did a great job.”

Diana and Yudi came back with lots of food. The girls got dressed and we all had lunch. Azure kept cracking up at Diana and Yudi chatting a mile a minute in Spanish. Yudi gave Azure another Impromptu Spanish lesson. Diana offered me a carne filled taco. I understood enough Spanish to know that Yudi was telling her that Uncle Mike is a vegetarian…

Lunch was very good and it was nice of Yudi and Diana to buy it for us. Yudi said we were celebrating Diana’s birthday a little belated. We had a fun time.

As soon as we were finished eating,  Azure was fired up ready to go out and practice some more.

Diana, Yudi, and Zarah came out to the barn and sat down in front of the stage. Azure played two more songs for them.

We all decided that we wanted to go to Alexanders for Ice Cream to celebrate. We got in the car.  Diana sat in the back with Azure and Zarah and brushed their hair and put their hair into little Spanish looking buns. (My little blonde senoritas)   Yudi said” Uncle Mike you need to find a Hispanic girl. They like to have lots of babies”.

We parked a ways away from Alexanders so that we could walk over the bridge and enjoy the weather. It was awesome out but very windy. The water on the reservoir was making a lot of waves.

Courtney and I had agreed to meet at Starbucks at 6:00. She was going to take them to get their pictures taken with Easter Bunny. After sitting down and relaxing in the warm air eating Ice cream We arrived back at the house at 5:00 I said” Azure you have time to run through your two songs again one more time before we have to leave”. She belted out an exuberant  YAY!!!

While we did this Diana and Zarah worked on a puzzle in the living room.

It was 5:36 now… I said we gotta roll, Now!.

We jumped in the car and listened to the new song I wrote last week. I smiled because I could hear Zarah singing the words from the back seat. Then we listened to some TayTay ( Ms Swift )

We made it to Starbucks 5 minutes early. Courtney was there in her Expedition. Remi was asleep in the car. Courtney showed me Azure and Zarahs Easter dresses. Azure loaded her Keyboard into the back of the Expedition. ( We forgot her guitar though)

Against Azure’s subtle protests I showed Courtney Azure’s video from my phone.
Courtney said “She’s good” I said yes she is. I kissed the youngin’s , got in my car and  drove off….What a great weekend!

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