A few months ago I went to Haiti to sing for some stuff and to help out in one of the orphanages there. I came back changed. My heart went out to these precious people; especially the little ones in the orphanages, the poor people in the villages. Because of this experience, several of us have joined forced to put together a Benefit Concert for Mission Haiti.

Kevin Heider (http://kevinheider.com/wordpress/), Brian Kissenger (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kissinger) and I have been working hard to put together an amazing show you for guys on Sat. Jan. 28th at 7:30pm in Washington, DC.

Go to my ‘shows’ link for more information and to buy Tickets. All proceeds go to Mission Haiti. You can also go directly to the site to buy tickets here: http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2702753007

Even if you can’t come, if you know people in the area please share this with them! Heck, buy a ticket anyway, since the proceeds will go to the lovely people of Haiti!

Thanks so much guys!!!

I wanted to tell you about a few things that are adding to my excitement for the new year: I BOUGHT A NEW KEYBOARD! That’s right. The one I have, a sweet Yamama has served me well, but it is ever soo HUGE and HEAVY to the point that I can’t hardly put it in my car without help, or set it up without help. This new one (well, new to me…bought it on Ebay!) is RED and a Nord. Has fabulous keys and B3 sounds. Needless to say I can’t wait to use it!

Also, Jan. 28, (Everyone mark your calenders!) in Washington DC I”ll be playing a benefit concert with a few other artists where all of our proceeds will go to helping Mission Haiti (http://www.mwts.org/missionhaiti/Home/Home.html) I’ll be posting details about it on here very soon! So keep your eyes open.

3rdly, the game plan this year is to Release a 5 or 6 song EP…You have all been asking when can you get my music on Itunes, or CD so you will be excited to know that also is in the works. I’ll try hard to keep you all abreast of what’s going on in my music world!

And Lastly, if you would like music for a show, house show, a wedding, a festival,a dinner party, you name it, I would love to play! So email me if you have questions or to book me! I look forward to hearing from you!

I also look forward to meeting more of you this upcoming year!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012~!!!!

Maria

Listen to the tune and let me know what you think! Can you relate?

I think we’ve all experienced that at some point or another. Life changes us. Joys change us. Heartbreaks change us. Travel changes us. People change us. As life goes on we are changing–hopefully for the better. But sometimes no matter how much we know that we have changed and those close to us tell us we have, there’s always gonna be that one person who think they know us and really are so far off.

That’s what this song “You don’t know me” is about. There’s been various people over the years who have at some point or another, have failed to “See” me. And while that has been hard, even heartbreaking at times, it has taught me to never box someone…to never pre-judge until I have walked a mile in their shoes…to wait until I have heard their story, their journey, their heart; their beautiful, precious, vulnerable heart. Few things in life are more precious than the hearts of those around us, and few things are a more precious gift than when that heart is shared with another–whether as a friend or a lover and when that heart is simply ‘received’ in love, without trying to fix it or change it…Open.Receptive.Love. Until then, you don’t know me…

July 2011. I was driving back to Ohio after playing a gig near Louisville Ky, the radio was actually off and I was just kind of thinking…praying for all the crazy drivers on the road (myself included! lol) I was in the left lane when out of the corner of my eye I see this guy in the car next to me start to come over to my lane. Whether he was talking on the phone, was drunk, was high, jammin’ to his tunes or just not paying attention I really couldn’t say, but before I know it I realized Oh dang, he’s gonna hit me. I swerved just slightly and before I knew it, it was as though someone had jerked the steering wheel out of my hands and I am in a complete spin going round and round 4 or 5 solid 360′s…

The 2 thoughts that kept running through my brain were “hmmm…I might die…” and “daaang it! My car is gonna be totaled..” Nothing like priorities, right? All of a sudden the car just stopped–it was facing the oncoming traffic. I had spun all the way across the medium into the other lane of the cars coming the opposing direction. By what must have been some sort of grace, I am collected enough to pull over into the grassy medium area. 30 seconds later all these cars go whizzing by.

I sit there for a minute breathing hard realizing just how miraculous that I was a. alive and b. that my car was alive! If I had spun one more time I would have been off the ledge on the other side. If I had stayed where I stopped for 30 more seconds I would have been in a terrible head-on. wow.

I get out of my car to check out the damage on my Altima.As I get out, I realize that the guy who almost ran me over didn’t stop, but he ever so sweetly slowed down, rolled his window down sticks his head out the door and yells out “Hey Baby, you ok?!” to which I reply “umm…yeah…” (I”m thankful he can’t hear my heart that is still pounding from the adrenaline rush) We proceeded to have the most moving and memorable conversation I have had in years. Let me replay it for you…

Him: “Hey baby! You ok?!”
Me: “Umm, yeah..”

Him: You smoke? you need a cigarette?”
Me: “haha no!”

as I continue to walk around the car checking out the damage…

Him: “Man! that was a close call! you got good reflexes!”
Me: “uh, yeah, I think I have good guardian Angels!”

I walk around to the other side of the car…important side note: I came from playing a gig, knowing I had a long drive I had changed into basketball shorts, a t-shirt, and flipflops..

Him: “Ohhhh you a HOT BABY!”

Me: (thinking this, but didn’t say it…”oooh you NEED GLASSES!”….

At this point I quickly get back into my car, which thank God was drivable, and that sweet man drives on..and then I do too…

WHAAAAT?!

The end!