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Hello
&
Welcome...
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This
website might be considerend an invitation to my passions, a sharing of
the forces that drive me- art, communication, analysis, love. To me, communication,
art and love are almost synonymous, and function interchangeably. This
website is intended to combine myriad aspects that cohabitate in this
body- artistic, spiritual, analytical, musical- by drawing on some of
the different forms of expression i use- creative writing, photography,
scholarly essays, and, my favorite, music!
Let's see what I can say about each of them:
MUSIC:
My music has been described as neo-jazz infused with soul and fused with
pop. I want my music to be poppy because I LOVE to dance and want to share
that alongside my music... I had 3 albums from the time I was 2 until
3rd grade. They were Harry Belafonte "Live at Carnegie Hall,"
Gladys Knight and the Pips "Imagination," and Sparrow's self
titled calypso album. I admired tremendously how Harry Belafonte brought
the political, the cultural and the spiritual together in his music. It's
something that I'm still learning to do. I love the complex simplicity
of Gladys' voice, if that makes any sense. She uses raw emotion and is
so present in each lyric. I'm learning how to get my heart into studio
recordings. I'm a live performer by trade, so I give my all at a show,
but I'm now learning how to do that in a room with one other guy who is
staring at a computer screen... These days I listen to a wide variety
of music. Some new favorites are Alana
Davis, Katell
Keinig, Sizzla,
Glenys Rogers,
my ex's ex band Cloud
Nine, Shelby
Lynne and cheesycool stuff like N'Sync that sends me dancing half-naked
around my basement! Staples on my Top 20: Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald,
Marvin Gaye, Bob Marley, Sade, Ben Harper, Lauren Hill, Natalie Merchant,
Stan Getz, Duke Ellington, Culture, Erikah Badu, Van Morrison... So many
musicians I appreciate & admire!
PHOTOGRAPHY:
I love to take pictures. I have been blessed to travel to many different
places in my life. A lot of my pictures are of Nature. It's not that I
like cheesy sunsets... okay, I do. But I am so amazed at the beauty that
this world holds that I simply take photos to remind myself and others
of how fleeting moments are, and at the same time how lasting they can
be - a lens open for seconds creates an image that can stay with me forever.
I also love colors and how they can celebrate life by occuring so naturally
in harmony from time to time. I like taking pictures of people because
their faces, their hands, their stance, all tell a story...
CREATIVE
WRITING:
My creative writing relies heavily on imagery to convey the things that
I feel. I often think in analogies and metaphors, which becomes obvious
in my poems and stories. I included them because they are such a great
part of me. I am forever pushing boundaries while I write, including my
own.
ESSAYS:
My personal is political, so I work to live in a way that represents my
beliefs. I am a buddhist and a christian, and I use both the Buddha and
the Christ as role models for my own walk on Earth. My scholarship strives
to build something, a foundation from which others can continue work in
positive directions. My strong belief in community has made that a direction
toward which my work leans.
IMAGES:
I'm cute, ain't I? just kidding...
My friends Miriam Borenstein and
Neil Grant took the photos that are featured here. Miriam is only
16, so she's a talent we'll be talking about for years to come! Besides
being an amazing photographer, she's also a beautiful spirit. We took
those photos over the summer in the arboretum and down at pickerel lake
in ann arbor, mi.
Neil is a seasoned pro, who has many gifts besides photography. We took
those photos very recently, so they show what I look like now, without
that great summer tan that Miriam captured!
MY
SECRET...
is that I secretly believe that I was sent here by God to change the world.
It came to me in a voice when I was about 18. My goal is to be a humble
servant by being a fearless leader and a mindful visionary. But I always
dream pretty big...
Enjoy....and
please let me know what you think, if there are any improvements you might
suggest, or any thoughts that i provoke. Just click the contact button
and send me an email!
Love,
ruby
nicole
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