Hi Everyone –
Warm greetings and blessings to you all!
May you be filled with lovingkindness.
May you be safe and protected from all inner and outer dangers.
May you be well in body and mind.
May you be at ease and happy.
It was delicious to start the new year with a much-needed vacation in Maui with my dear Sheila, AND I’m happy to be home and connecting with all of you again. 🙂
I don’t make New Year’s resolutions; I set intentions. My intention for this year is to move more fully into my new identity as a singer/songwriter, and away from the safety of my old identity as a musician. Scary? YOU BET! AND I feel quite inspired by this quote (from “What Matters Most”, by James Hollis): “Fear is the enemy. Life is not your enemy; the Other is not your enemy; fear is the enemy, and fear has crowded you into a diminished corridor of that vast mansion of possibility that the gods provide us. Ask yourself of every dilemma, every choice, every relationship, every commitment, or every failure to commit, ‘Does this choice diminish me, or enlarge me?’ Do not ask this question if you are afraid to find the answer. You might be afraid of what your own soul will require of you, but at least you then know your marching orders.” Hmm…!!! To put it another way, I offer you this video from Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq5fnQO6w1I
May both this quote and this video inspire you as deeply as they inspire me. (THANKS to my dear friends Peter & Nancy Mortifee for James Hollis’ book, and to my friend Anne Bemel for Dr. Taylor’s video. If YOU have suggestions for inspirational media to share in a future newsletter, please drop me a line at NathenAswell@Me.com – I’d love to hear from you.)
REPORT
Here are my highlights from the last month or so:
– Performing at MANY events in December (Christian and otherwise) to honour the season. THANKS to ALL of the communities involved for the opportunities to serve you. (SPECIAL THANKS to Jerry DesVoignes for the joy and privilege of making music with him, Sandra Dawn, Elio Rota and Shawn Soucy at “Christmas In The Round” – we lifted many hearts and “raised the roof” too!)
– Performing in Orlando in January. SPECIAL THANKS to Rebecca Brewer (a true angel) for being my liason with the Unity Church of Christianity, and to ALL of my friends and fellow performers at the Posi Awards for your love, friendship and respect. 🙂
– Having vocalist Rachael Chatoor join The Hitmen. THANKS, dear Rachael, for your talent and enthusiasm – you bring out the best in ALL of us. 🙂
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES
BIG NEWS:
– As I continue to “plant seeds” and build connections and friendships everywhere I go, I’m getting more and more invitations to travel. My next stops are return trips to Nanaimo and Kelowna, and I’ll now be performing at churches AND concerts! (Details below.)
– On the home front: I’ll be performing at many events in and around Vancouver – something to do with a major sports event that’s coming to Vancouver – !!! (Details below.)
– SPECIAL EVENTS: It gives me great pleasure to announce that I’ll be performing with Sandra Leigh, Meshe Dumond and Shawn Soucy at “Give Peace A Chant” nights. Sandra has devoted many years to the study of yoga and Kirtan (chanting), and I’m looking forward to making music with her as often as I can. (Details below.)
I’ll also be returning to St. Paul’s Anglican Church to perform as people walk the Labyrinth. Please come and join me – it fills my heart to fill that space with sound. (Details below.)
Here’s what my entire CALENDAR looks like in the next month or so. I’d be honoured to see you at any of these events. (AND please remember that I welcome any and all opportunities to serve you with my music; just e-mail me with your ideas at NathenAswell@Me.com.)
February
7, 10:30 AM – Centre for Spiritual Living White Rock (14600 North Bluff Road, Centennial Park, White Rock) – Church Service
12, 7:45 PM (doors open at 7:30) – Open Door Yoga Studio (2111 West 16th Avenue, Vancouver) – Give Peace a Chant, with Sandra Leigh, Meshe Dummond and Shawn Soucy – $15 / $10 for seniors and students with card
14, 10:30 AM – St. Andrew’s-Wesley (1012 Nelson Avenue, Vancouver) – Church Service with Darryl Nixon (organ), David Sinclair (guitar), Shawn Soucy (drums), and vocal ensemble
14, 5:30-7:30 PM – Lynn Valley Village (Lynn Valley Road, North Vancouver) – with The Hitmen, as part of ValleyFest
15, 9:00 PM-1:00 AM – Lulu’s Lounge, River Rock Casino (8811 River Road, Richmond) – with The Hitmen
19 & 20, 9:30 PM-1:00 AM – Lions Den Sports Bar, Boulevard Casino (2080 United Boulevard, Coquitlam) – with The Hitmen
21, 11:00 AM – Unity of Vancouver (5840 Oak Street, Vancouver) – Church Service
24, 12:00-12:30 PM – Robson Square (800 Robson Street, Vancouver) – with The Euphorics
26, 7:00-9:00 PM – St. Paul’s Anglican Church (1130 Jervis Street, Vancouver) – Kirtan (Chanting), as people walk the Labyrinth
27, 7:30 PM (doors open at 7:00) – House Concert in Nanaimo – $15. (Space is limited, so please RSVP with Andrew Scott at IslandHottieBoy@Yahoo.ca ASAP to reserve a spot and to get details on the concert’s location.)
28, 10:30 AM – Unity Church of Nanaimo (1951 Estevan Road, Nanaimo) – Church Service
March
7, 10:30 AM – Centre for Spiritual Living Kelowna (1375 Water Street, Kelowna) – Church Service
7, 1:30 PM (doors open at 1:00) – Concert at the Peace Centre (2490 Pandosy Street, Kelowna) – $15. (Space is limited, so please RSVP with Barbara Samuel at Info@BarbSamuel.com ASAP to reserve a spot.)
NEW WEB SITE CONTENT
As well as updating the blogs and calendars on my web sites, I’ve:
– added new links to my “Home” page and to my “Music Store/Book a Concert/Links” page;
– updated my bio and added some new comments to my “Bio/Praise/Press” page (THANKS, Heather and Lana!);
– added photos from my latest trips (Victoria & Orlando) and a few local events (The Hitmen at Robson Square, Christmas In The Round, and Zoey Wren’s CD Release Party) to the “Photos” page on my web site and to my MySpace page.
Happy February, everyone. Go with love!
With love and gratitude,
– Nathen
www.NathenAswell.com
www.MySpace.com/NathenAswell
www.SonicBids.com/NathenAswell
www.ConcertsInYourHome.com/Artist/NathenAswell.html
www.Bruha.com/Music_Store/music_store.html
www.CDBaby.com/CD/NathenAswell