Meaning in Music

This Blog is my ode to music. To my dear, dear friend, whom without, I would be up a damn creek. The moment I wrote a song, my path was forever altered. I finally had power over my own life. The words that had been swarming my soul, trapped, finally had an escape, and the voice I had spent years cultivating was no longer a slave to broadway tunes, but now, the liberator of my heart and mind. It finally all made sense. I had spent years working my booty off to fit into the box of musical theatre, only so that I could break out on my own. Don’t get me wrong, I still love a broadway tune, and would jump at the chance to play certain roles Cough* Eponine* COUGH, however, upon writing my songs, I understood that the world is my oyster and writing music is pearl. Corny, but true. 

 I know that music will not hurt me. Though there are many things I take personally when they don’t go my way, I will always hold true to the songs I’ve written and will continue to write, because they have meant something to ME. No matter how someone else feels about them, no matter if there’s one person or one hundred or maybe one day, thousands of people at my concert, I am singing songs that make me smile, weep, laugh and cry, and sometimes that’s just during the chorus.  And that’s the thing about art and, life in general: people can take literally everything away from you with one lousy opinion, but really, all that matters is your opinion of yourself and your work. Does your work have meaning to YOU? Does it make you feel beyond measure? If your answer is yes, then keep going, because chances are it will mean a great deal to someone else soon, too. And after you get people to feel something, it’s only a matter of time until they can no longer keep the door to success closed--their emotions, or at least, the emotions of the populous, will force them to let you in. This is a pep talk to myself and and an ode to music, my friend that made me feel so deeply, that for once, the opinions of others couldn’t break me, because it makes me feel so good about myself. Music is my safety, my soulmate, and without it, the world would be devoid of color.

Which brings me to some great black and white pictures that were taken at my last show at Bar Lubitsch. Check them out below and see a visual representation of my joy. Whatever you do, whoever you are, I encourage you to find something you love so much, that it protects you from the opinions of others and saves your soul from despair. You deserve it, we all do. God bless you and have a wonderful day on your journey to meaning. Thanks for checking out my blog!

Love,

LoLo :-)

We Are Detroit

Hello. My Name is Lauren LoGrasso. I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit. As a kid I felt disconnected from the city, but now, in my adulthood, and ironically, after moving across the country, I feel I finally understand. I feel I am finally connected to the city. I am ride or die for Detroit. Why? Because I am Detroit. So are you. I’ll explain further in a bit, but first let me state some background: I live in Los Angeles and get to travel a lot for work, and I seem to come across a lot of people, with a lot of opinions about a place they have never visited. I am constantly being put in a position to defend Detroit. Usually I can handle it well, and move with grace, but I do get really upset when people relentlessly say bad things against Detroit like they have some sort of personal beef with the city. Somehow Detroit has become America's punching bag. I'm not naive. I understand that the city is not in a great place and that a lot of changes need to be made, but I see and feel great hope: a hope that I’m not sure you can fully understand until you visit.

What really inspired me to start writing on the subject was when I saw what Fox in Tampa Bay wrote about the  David Price trade to the Tigers last month. It made me burn. I felt personally attacked. I think I am finally starting to understand why I feel this way when I see Detroit relentlessly criticized.  I know why hearing people constantly shit all over a city that is already down over and over and over again is eating me alive. For one thing: If Detroit had a dollar for every time someone complained about or belittled it, we would never have gone bankrupt. So my first thought is, why not do something about it? If you think Detroit is terrible and you are that concerned with the way it looks, and the way people who reside there are living, then get off your ass and make a change. That’s my first thought. 

My second thought, that I mentioned earlier, is that I am Detroit and so are you. What I mean is: we all run the risk of making a few bad judgments, trusting one too many bad people who promise they will help, and, therefore, falling down a slippery slope. None of us are so powerful that we are invulnerable to demise, and, with that said, none of us are so ravaged that we are beyond repair. There is a little Detroit in all of us. It’s also the city that raised my parents, who raised me…So when you say something disparaging about it, it almost feels like you’re insulting my ailing grandmother, who has a great chance for recovery, who you've also never met. 

Which brings me to my third thought: most people who have BIG, HUGE opinions on Detroit have either 1) Never been there or 2) Never lived there/in the surrounding areas. Now if you've lived there and have a bad opinion of it, fine, that’s your experience, feel free to share. But to me, the way people talk about the city is like saying, “I’ve never tried ice cream, but I’m pretty sure every flavor is terrible, and the ice cream industry, as a whole, is going down hill.” I understand that wasn't the best comparison, but stick with me… YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE AN OPINION ABOUT SOMETHING, SOMEONE OR SOMEWHERE YOU HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED. Period. 

So STFU, Haters... Back to writing like an adult: you can’t have an opinion about the city if you've never been there, and you CERTAINLY cannot say that the whole city is done for. Have you been to the DIA, Tigers Stadium, Slows Barbecue, Campus Martius, basically all of Midtown, Eastern Market, Corktown and Greektown, just to name a few? No, I’ll bet you haven’t. Have you seen or heard the incredible art that is being created in the city? No, again, right? How about all of the delicious restaurants and innovative business that are cropping up all over town? I guess it's probably safe to go with a final, no. Clearly it’s more fun for you to focus on ruin porn and abandoned houses. Please bear in mind, little, if any, good has ever come on focusing on destruction. 

It’s upon focusing on the positives that already exist and envisioning the good to come, that true change is made. So I beg of you, before you share your negative opinion on Detroit, don’t. Try to say something positive. Even if it’s just, “I really hope your city makes it out of this”, I promise people from the city and Metro Detroit area, alike will appreciate it. Because wouldn't you want someone to try to bandage you up instead of kicking you in the gut after you had been injured? I think so. Remember, you are Detroit, so treat the city the way you’d like to be treated.

Important People

One of the aspects of life that disturbs me the most is entitlement. The colloquial way of saying it is, "People who think they're important". Whether it is found in a child who has been given everything and expects it to continue, or someone who calls in on the phone at my job and expects me to know who they are by the sound of importance in their voice, it is a rather unattractive and, dare I say, disgusting quality to possess. 

I don't care who you are, I don't care what you've done, you are not better than anyone else. You are not above basic manners, etiquette and acts of kindness. We are all at the same level. Don't think just because you've accomplished "more", or have a greater number of material goods, that your worth is higher than any other human being you meet. Treat everyone with the respect and dignity you'd like to be treated with. Be kind. 

Just because you've cast a couple movies, been cast in a couple movies, know one famous person or have a rich family, doesn't mean that you have the right to talk down to people. Just because you have a bundle of money doesn't make you any more or less human than the next gal or guy. We are not what we have or what we do, we are how and who we love.  

People who know and are secure with their self worth, don't have to go flaunting it about in obvious ways. They own it, because it's part of who they are. Everyone has a right to be proud of the good work they've done. No one has the right to wear it on their sleeve and try to use it to push other people down. We're all just people. We all just live and breathe and try to survive until we die and in the meantime, we're striving to find a little hope and a great meaning in our lives. Why would you take away from that by being a dick? I'm serious. Knock it off and get a grip!

People who are worthy of being lauded, are those who bring others up with them. If you have achieved an accomplishment, or multiple accomplishments that you are proud of, then bring others in with you. Even if it's only a simple smile, or a bit of patience, these small gestures are a nice way to show your gratitude for the blessings in your life, and to lift others up with your good fortune.

There is no reason to be rude just because think you've done something cool. None. Capeesh? If anything, I would think the more you accomplish, the kinder you'd be, recognizing the luck you've had. What goes around comes around, and whether it's this life or the next, the afterlife, or tomorrow, you'll eventually fall victim or be graced with the same level of respect you treated your fellow human being with.

Be nice and get over yourself. 

God bless America,

Lo

Reminders, A Pep Talk.

Though it may be hard, it's important to separate your soul from the ego. Be humble, yet proud, of your endeavors and do not forget to take a moment to savor the small victories on your path. For sometimes, if you compile all the small victories together, they become quite large and impressive. Give yourself credit. Focus on being, not doing. Have compassion for yourself. Focus on what you desire, and blessings you already possess, instead of what you don't have. Never allow yourself to believe your soul's worth is comprised of what you do or what you have. It's only how you love. Live a life of truth rather than a life of popular opinion. Be authentic. Take time to look in someone else's eyes. Take a moment to acknowledge what is great about you and the many ways you give back to the Earth. You are important. You are seen. And you have talents that no one else on this planet does. You are unique! Relish in this and share those talents with the world. Sing your music out loud, not just in your head. The world needs you, the best, most-truthful version of yourself. So believe in this person and let them live without tearing them down every second. You count. You will be counted. You always have been. Keep going.

LL

Maya Angelou

"I've still not written as well as I'd like to write.I want to write so that the reader in Des Moines, Iowa and Chaohu, China and Cape Town, South Africa, and Harlem and Boston...I want to write so that, that reader can say, you know, that's the truth.’” - Maya Angelou 

True heroes keep searching for truth, no matter how renown, famous or secure they are in their artistry. There's always more. And it's this constant searching that makes you an artist. It's this thirst for authenticity that makes you someone to revere. Doctor Maya Angelou was one of my greatest heroes. Her simple phrase "Nothing Human is Alien To Me," inspired me to write the lyrics to the first song I ever dared to create by myself. Her artistry induced the creativity of millions. She was a teacher to the world and she will be greatly missed. Without ever knowing her, she touched my life beyond any description words can provide. Rest in peace, sweet angel, the world will miss your light.

To Grow Up

To Grow Up

No one taught me how to grow up

Ripped from the sun kissed days of youth

Into the bleak, wintery abyss of maturity

No one prepared me for this.

I know everyone goes through it,

I understand it's part of life,

That in order to be accepted we must "grow",

But I don't understand why.

Why should we have to give up

 The only things that make life beautiful

In order to survive in this world?

As children we understand what's important:

The connections between each other

Singing songs and holding hands

That play and make believe are sacred...

Why must these life-giving entities disappear

Or be looked at as Naive as we grow?

It seems to me that adulthood is code

For throwing your soul to the stones.

Couldn't we compromise?

I believe we can fulfill our childhood desires

While coming at them from a deeper

And more mature perspective.

Until we come to a place where "childishness:"

Is accepted in the adult heart

I will never feel welcome 

In a world that shuts such wonder out.

The Love That You Have

Everybody’s just doing the best job they can with the love that they have, and it’s a damn shame that it’s not enough sometimes. It is heartbreaking. Nobody means to do bad things or hurt someone they love and/or feel bonded to. It’s just I think deep down inside we’re all so empty...That we’re all just trying to feel this deep void in whatever way we can and that sometimes other people’s hearts get tramped in the process. When you think of it, it is selfish, yet so relatable...We all just need to be loved so badly, and we’re all so hungry for it that sometimes we forget about consequences. And we have to learn to forgive those who starved for love so much that they sucked all the love we had out of us. Even they were doing the best they could. And the best we can do is walk away, pick up the pieces and forgive them.