Home

Quote of the Day:

Music, in performance, is a type of sculpture. The air in the performance is sculpted into something.
- Frank Zappa

Safari West Slide Show

My Story, Travel 2 Comments »

As mentioned, we took a lot of photos and video when we went on our trip to Safari West in the Santa Rosa, CA. I found some time this weekend to bang ou the dvd that contaims the main video and also slideshow. I uploaded the slide show to YouTube but you can ut right here:

YouTube Preview Image

Big day tomorrow. 9am I pick 2 new foot bracecs to try at PT at 10am, followed by an appt w/GP then an MRI! Sheesh. Anything else to be addaed?

More to conm…

Subscribe by EmailSubscribe by Email RSS Subscription RSS Subscription

  • Share/Bookmark

Keegan Seems Inspired

Inspiration, My Story 2 Comments »

Because I’m home and Keegan is not in school quite yet, I have a lot of opportinities to more deeply discover his  funny and joyful personality.  He is really drawn into music which is cool.  This video is funny and at times he is so focused then he moves to excitement, much as the piece does.  This is the piece I posted a few days ago – Jon Schmidt and the cellist.

 YouTube Preview Image

Subscribe by EmailSubscribe by Email RSS Subscription RSS Subscription

  • Share/Bookmark

Treatment Update and Concerts

Chemotherapy 1 Comment »

I haven’t posted for a bit – just continuing treatment and spending time with family.  Things are good.  On the medical front, I had my bi-weekly infusion last Thursday and met with my neuro-oncologist.  I’m continuing with physical therapy every Wednesday and working hard to strengthen my left leg.  It’s still weak but working it is helping a lot.  I had a new brace made and that is also helping.  I wear the brace every other day as to not rely upon it too much. 

When talking to my neuro-oncologist, I learned that I do not have 3 years of my experimental vaccine left, only enough for 4 more “boosters” which are 16 weeks apart.  16 week intervals are a bit long for someone with a GBM.  This was a huge delta.  Turns out the initial 3 year estimate was not from Cognate, the company that actually controls and manufactures the vaccine.  Anyway, since I’m not in a trial per se, we can use it as we see fit, so if I need to tighten this up we can.  I can pull it off the shelf I can.  Again, not much I can do about it so I can’t and won’t get stuck here.  It’s up to God.

Our son Aidan is playing soccer and I’m doing some assistant coaching again.  I stumble around a bit but can still kick with the right leg if I plant my left just right.  It’s awkward but being on the field with all the kids is rewarding!  Our son is doing great – he scored his first goal of the year on Saturday.  He was thrilled!

On another topic, I went last night and saw George Winston play live.  Talk about feeling inferior as a musician!  For those that are unfamiliar, he is an amazing pianist.  I have embedded one of his pieces below called Blossom in Meadow.  It was an absolutely amazing experience seeing him live in a small venue.  We were 10 rows back stage left (looking at the stage) so his hands were in plain view.  How wonderful.

YouTube Preview Image 

Also, over the weekend there was an equally amazing guitarist at Bayside Church, our home church.  His name is Josh Wilson.  His acoustic guitar playing using delayed effects is so unique – nothing like it.  This is his rendition of Amazing Grace.  This one you have to head to YouTube to see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd4PBZgxCB4&feature=related

I hope you enjoy all of this and I pray that all of you are doing well.

Subscribe by EmailSubscribe by Email RSS Subscription RSS Subscription

  • Share/Bookmark

River of Faith

Musical Pursuits No Comments »

One additional bit of information – and uplifting for me so the timing was great.  For those of you that follow the blog, you’ll recall that a fellow blog reader (and brain tumor survivor) became inspired by River of Faith and the site.  She is heavily involved in her church and handles the woman’s conference every year.

She decided to call the Women’s Conference in October of 2008 “A River of Faith” and wanted each woman attending the conference to have a copy of the CD and a lyric sheet for the song River of Faith.  We worked out a special run of CDs and just made it happen.

Anyway, she was kind enough to share the backstory with me in terms of how all of this came about and I wanted to share this with you.  When I see my music and journey as a brain tumor survivor helping people, it is so satisfying and just reinforces how God is using me.  I’m just an instrument in this whole plan.

Here are her words:

I had been having terrible headaches, dizziness, and problems with my legs. I felt like my knees were going to buckle as I felt like I was losing control. An MRI of my brain showed a problem with the Pons area. This is not something that can be fixed. The options are that it may stay stable and not change, or it could begin to flare up and grow. If that should happen, then life as I know it now will change.  At this point things are stable.

The day we went to the doctor’s office I grabbed hold of the door and as I did I heard ‘ Princess and the Pea ‘  - right then I knew that my problem was something hidden deep inside and nothing could be done. It was like God was saying ‘ this problem was as small as a pea, but you are a Princess of the King ‘.  After receiving the news, I went back to work, yes, that same day as my manager was not about to offer to work that last few hours of the day for me.  When I got home I had a short conversation with my husband and then I sat at the computer surfing the internet wondering what to do and wondering about the next woman’s conference.  The questions in my mind were ‘ would I be around for another conference? Is this going to grow fast ? ‘ etc…

I have no idea how I came across your web site. The only answer I have for that is that God Himself put your site in front of me. I listened to your music and your song ” River of Faith “  stood out in bold and I knew right away that this was to be the theme for the next conference and that the conference would be my last one. I’ve had some pretty dark times, but I believe this may have been the darkest as I sat there wondering what was to become of my family. Your music is a reminder that we all live on a river that has all kinds of turbulence, but God guides us and He’s there even if we feel lost. It’s those times we surrender all and He can speak to us and use us.

A number of ladies have told me how much they like your songs. The songs really minister to them and no matter what their situation, your songs have spoken what they have felt and has made them realize it’s ok and to keep trusting God, no matter what. Others have become closer to God – they are reading His words more and praying more. Still others are not as angry or blaming in a situation – they remember your songs and  thank God for being with them and guiding them.

I would like to thank this reader for sharing this with me.  The feedback always inspires me and adds just a little bit extra to keep everything going.

Subscribe by EmailSubscribe by Email RSS Subscription RSS Subscription

  • Share/Bookmark

Under the Same Sky

Musical Pursuits 2 Comments »

I know my post last night was a downer.  I couldn’t sleep well last night and I often turn to music.  I am NOT much of an instrumentalist at all.  I’m a production guy.  I come up with a good piano groove, marry it with a drum groove, bass line, textures, strings and then write lyrics and come up with a melody and vocal that works. 

Last night I just needed to play.  This is just straight piano – 2 takes.  First take was just to play for a few minutes.  Second was just hitting the record button.  It’s repetitive and I’m not particulary fond of it but I’m calling it Under the Same Sky.  It’s four minutes.  As I played, I just thought about how all of our lives are so different but we all live amongst each other.  And even though we might feel unique, there is someone out there struggling with the same issue, somewhere.

Anyway, up since 3am.  Back to sleep.  :-)

Subscribe by EmailSubscribe by Email RSS Subscription RSS Subscription

  • Share/Bookmark

The Little Things In Life

Support 1 Comment »

I receive a lot of emails every day from people – a lot of brain tumor survivors, family members, friends of survivors and of course from fellow musicians. Every once in awhile an email comes through that really grabs my attention. Today was one of those days. Several days ago I received an email from a woman who explained that her father has colon cancer and that he was going to be leaving on a trip to receive some specialized treatment. She said that she really liked my song River of Faith which is the title track of my CD and that she had searched the internet high and low for the lyrics. She continued by saying that her family was getting together to see him off that she wanted to make a family circle at this get together, play my song and give everyone there a copy of the lyrics to take with them – as a reminder to hold on to strength and hope. I sent her the lyrics and told her that my thoughts and prayers were firmly with her father and her family.

Today she sent me an email just to thank me and said that listening to the song really touched her and her family’s emotions. What an amazing compliment and how humbling indeed. As a songwriter, certainly this is what we strive – to connect with people through our music.  For me, this song was really something that came in the middle of my trial and was my way of keeping the faith – not swimming against it but letting it flow.  What I was happy to hear is that someone else was able to garner the same strength, hope and faith from the song as I did. Of all of the songs on my CD, this song has also enjoyed some radio success. For me, this song along with The Messenger and Angels of the Night are closest to me for my own reasons.

Many times in life it’s the little things that make life worth living.

Site Search Tags: , , , , , , ,

Subscribe by EmailSubscribe by Email RSS Subscription RSS Subscription

  • Share/Bookmark

Cycle 4 MRI Check and Small Group

MRI 1 Comment »

It’s been a bit more difficult to get to the blog with so much going on. Work has been really busy for me which is a good thing! I’ve been really busy – in fact, this is busier than things have been for quite a long while. I’m just about finished with a song. I know I have said this for awhile now! I have a few that are in the bag musically but I just didn’t feel it. I think I’ve talked about my digital graveyard before? It’s a place where songs go that just don’t seem to go anywhere. Sometimes they are just chord progressions and other times, as in two cases here, they were fully produced pieces with drums, bass, strings, guitars, grand piano, etc. etc. and I just didn’t feel like they were going anywhere for me. Perhaps it was going through treatment? It doesn’t exactly put you in a hugely creative mood, however, songwriting isn’t something you can force – either a song comes or it doesn’t.

Well, I do really like the sound and feel of the one I’m chipping away at now. The music is nearly finished so the grinding part will start with lyrics and vocals. For many songwriters and me included, it’s the hardest part. A songwriter once said “my favorite part of writing a song is the beginning and the end” and it’s so true! You are inspired in the beginning and once you are done it’s a great feeling to sit back and listen to a finished piece (providing you didn’t cut corners and slam it out), but the grind can be tough. Anyway, when it’s done I will post it here.

So I’m still dragging with fatigue. Seems that each week I come off chemo it takes 3-4 days to feel sort of normal again. It’s just the cumulative effect I think. Not much that can be done that I already am not doing with regard to diet, supplements and the like. I finished cycle 4 as of the end of this week (I’m off chemo this week which is the last week in this cycle) so I’ll begin cycle 5/6 on Monday. Once I get done with 6 I’ll have decisions to make. It will be a difficult proposition for sure. Many of the other drugs are as or even more harsh than Temodar – and discussion centers around adding one in addition to Temodar possibly. Of course one option going off of chemo completely and seeing where we go. Lots of options and we will deal with that when the day comes.

My next MRI is this coming Monday so I could use your prayers. So far, all of them have come back stable – praying for the same or better results here as well. I am tracking this serially every 60 days and my last MRI was at the beginning of December.

Our small group is going through a GREAT study right now on living the life you always dreamed of living. The book that we are reading is amazing. I was reading it last night and the author was telling a story about giving his kids a bath and how his daugther is just filled with joy for no reason at all – she’s a little kid and every moment of the day, for the most part, is joyous. He said that when she is filled with so much joy that words cannot express how much joy she feels, she just dances around in circles. They call it the dee dah day dance because she is so filled with joy that she has had a dee dah day. He goes on to say that one night he gave her a bath and when she got out of the bath she was doing this dance and he’s asking her to come over to dry her off and she’s laughing, dancing and he’s saying come over here – hurry, I need to get you dry – and he starts getting frustrated because she’s twirling, running away and doing this dance and finally with a more stern voice he says “please come over here, we need to hurry and I need to dry you off”. Then he said that she asked the most profound question: “Why?” The point he made and what struck me is that our lives are lived by timetables, when is the next meeting, where do we have to be, what is next, what happened last, etc. and as a result, we miss out on the joy of now. He said that after she asked that question, he got up and did the dee dah day dance with her and they just took their time. What a concept huh? For me, I have done this exact thing with my son in the bath – we need to hurry, it’s time for bed, gotta get out, blah blah blah.

Anyway, this is a great study for us. Again, I could use your prayers for Monday and by all means please continue to email any requests you have.

Best,

Subscribe by EmailSubscribe by Email RSS Subscription RSS Subscription

  • Share/Bookmark

Dan Fogelberg – 1951-2007

Music, Other Artists No Comments »

Dan FogelbergI was saddened to learn that Dan Fogelberg, one of my favorite, if not most favorite and inspirational songwriters had passed away this morning at 6:00am. He fought a brave 3-year battle with prostate cancer. Dan Fogelberg, in my opinion, was one of the best “storytellers” of our time. His songs, such as Same Auld Lang Syne, Longer, Heart Hotels and many others were written in a way that songwriters can only hope to write one day – and he did it in a way that seemed so effortless.

I remember when I heard the news back in 2004 that he had been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer and I was taken aback. Prostate cancer is a preventable disease (at least early detection is possible and thus, a strong chance of treating and beating it is possible) and he wasted no time in writing a very strongly worded “sermon” as he indicated on his home page at Dan Fogelberg.com that urged every man to stay on top of this and get a DRE and PSA test every year. On his birthday in 2005 I believe it was, he wrote a letter to his fans that was posted on his web site but after that there was no word from him or on his condition. I knew that he had moved back to Maine where he owned a home.

His primary residence to that point had been a sprawling ranch in Colorado called Mountain Bird Ranch. He named the ranch Mountain Bird after his last name – Fogel meaning Mountain and Berg meaning Bird. I noticed the estate went up for sale in 2005. Here are some pictures – the studio picture is beautiful – he recorded a lot here apparently – it’s sad to me to look at this.

This SimpleViewer gallery requires Macromedia Flash. Please open this post in your browser or get Macromedia Flash here.
This is a WPSimpleViewerGallery

I was able to see Dan live in 1991 and unfortunately that was the only time. He was to tour in 2004 and canceled the tour due to his diagnosis. He will be missed but his music lives on.

Subscribe by EmailSubscribe by Email RSS Subscription RSS Subscription

  • Share/Bookmark
   © 2010 Mark L. Miller, All Rights Reserved
   www.markmillermusic.org / Site Map