Jeremy Weinglass: Blog

Life seems to be moving at an ever faster pace these days.  I am constantly booked with gigs, rehearsals and meetings all in an effort to take my career to the next level of success.  This is why a few weeks ago Kim and I decided to take a week long vacation to Sedona, as it would likely be our last chance to get away for quite a while.  The day after receiving my completed Odyssey CDs in the mail, we hit the road to experience the vortexes, do some hiking, yoga, meditating, and to see the Grand Canyon for the first time!

The whole trip was energizing and relaxing at the same time.  We learned about the history of Sedona and the vortexes from a local Native American as well as a yoga instructor.  We also discovered some local wineries and did some wine tasting. We took a trip up to the historic town of Jerome that is now an artist's haven and admired the abundance of unique art in the shops and galleries there. Most importantly, I was able to decompress from my regularly hectic life and take some time to reflect on where I have been and contemplate where I am headed.  

We also experienced a lot of synchronicity while we were there - as always seems to happen when I slow down and "tap in."  It just so happened that our friend Kim Manning was wrapping up a Southwest tour and had a show in Sedona at the same time we were there. We were fortunate enough to be able to catch her and Lantz Lazwell perform with their new band, WahnderLust. They even called me up on stage to play keys on a couple of songs with them which was a lot of fun. Then, on our last day there, we took a 2 hour ride on the Grand Canyon Railway... to the Grand Canyon, of course.  The journey included live musicians strolling through the cars and staged train robbery, which was quite amusing.  Our train car service attendant turned out to be a pianist and composer as well.  What are the chances?  He announced that he would be playing piano at the El Tovar hotel at the Grand Canyon on his lunch break.  After hiking down into the Canyon, which was beyond amazing, we headed over to the hotel to have a drink and listen to him play.

After listening to him for a bit, we got to talking and then I jumped on to play.  I played Clair de Lune, Dust in the Wind, Imagine, Fly Me to the Moon as well as some originals: Confessions, April, August and December. After I finished, a couple of sisters who had been listening approached me to let me know how much they enjoyed my playing and particularly my rendition of Clair de Lune. With tears in their eyes, they told me that listening to me play had been the highlight of their trip. I was humbled and astounded to hear such a compliment considering that they had just visited one of the most incredible sights on earth. It was an incredibly touching moment with Kim and I both fighting back the tears as well. The experience left me feeling grateful for the gifts that I've been given and my ability to touch people deeply.

It was quite an experience playing there at the Grand Canyon.  I felt so inspired playing the piano at one of the most breathtaking places I have ever seen - the photos just don't do it justice.  It started to occur to me that since I had just completed Odyssey which was inspired by "time" or 12 Months, maybe my next composition project could be about "space," or 7 Wonders of the World!  I am also thinking of featuring a variety of instruments aside from piano and strings.  Just a thought for now.  Also, I will need to decide on which wondrous places on this planet I will write about.  It turns out that "The Seven Wonders of the World" are not exactly agreed upon.  There are several versions of the list that include modern, ancient, natural or man-made criteria.  I guess I will get to make up my own list at some point.

For now, we are back in the swing of things in LA. Refreshed, inspired, and ready for greatness!