My Personal Journey Towards Healing & Resilience

 

Navigating Grief: My Personal Journey Towards Healing and Resilience

-coping with loss and finding strength in adversity-

A near death car accident left me with no memory of the event itself. I was unconscious for two and a half days and spent 30 days in the hospital. Though I don't remember most of my childhood, the physical scars remain—a metal plate and screws in my left shoulder, a constant reminder of that day. Who knew that this would cause me grief!

The realization that mental health was crucial to my healing came during physical therapy. My therapist, noticing my tears, encouraged me to seek help from a psychotherapist. This marked the beginning of my understanding of mental health and its importance in healing.

My story is one of resilience and hope. It is a testament to the power of acknowledging our pain and seeking help. Through therapy and self-reflection, I've learned that healing is possible. I share my journey with you, not just as a story, but as a beacon of hope. In future posts, I will share more about my journey and offer examples of healing, hoping to inspire and support those who can relate to loss and disappointment. Remember, you are not alone in your journey, and healing is possible.

How To Find & Do Work You Love

When you want something - work on it without negative thinking or an ugly attitude.

More about that on my new blog
http://sheilajohnsononline.com/2-lessons-i-learned-from-inspiring-tedx-talk-video/

Watch Next Steps of My Journey Here

        

Grace to Longevity

 

Screening Q&A

Days ago, I attended a Grammy Member screening of the BET CentricTV episode of “Being: Dionne Warwick”. I was able to ask Dionne Warwick what she has been doing to keep her instrument in good shape for her long lasting career. Ms. Warwick, who is a legend, admitted that she does not practice the disciplines that most singers would expect her to, but one thing she does do is rely on God.

Her answer struck a chord in me because as much as I am aware that longevity in the music business requires tenacity, talent and luck, I was very encouraged to learn that God’s grace is what has carried Ms. Warwick through to legend status. 

Knowing this now relieves me from my own pressure to be perfect in my self-efforts and formulas. I am learning and practicing how to rely on God’s grace more today. I’m more excited about the results in store for me.

Have you experienced God's grace in your pursuit for longevity in this business? 

By the way, my fellow LAG HS Alumni’s husband, Jeff Sutphen, was the online host backstage at the 2014 Kid’s Choice Awards last night. You can see clips here. I love seeing people I know advance in the entertainment business. I think he did a great job. What do you think?

Stay tuned for others I know who are excelling. It might be encouraging to you!

JT's Comeback Is A Good One - Part 2

I wanted to learn more about the music business end of activities that took place to help Justin Timberlake accomplish the success of his comeback. It was great to find detail in the article from Billboard.com where JT's manager Johnny Wright shared some of the business details.

What stood out to me most was the confirmation that JT's business relationships was the #1 reason why his comeback was a success. I am taking note...are you?

JT's Grammy After Party 2013 @ Hollywood Palladium

Click below to read the whole article:
Justin Timberlake Manager Johnny Wright on Secret Plans Around ‘20/20 Experience,’ Touring, Myspace, More | Billboard

Click here for an insider clip from CNN

Click here for a CNN clip on music business branding too

JT's Comeback Is A Good One

If you read some of my previous posts, you know that I am paying attention to the comeback of artists in the music industry. The multi-talented Justin Timberlake is another artist who is worth mentioning.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/justin-timberlake-20-20-best-stuff-article-1.1261966

Over the last 45 days or so, Justin Timberlake has delivered a great introduction to his new music project called “The 20/20 Experience”, due in stores on March 19^th. JT has performed some of his new music at major events such as the Pre-Superbowl Concert, The Grammy Awards Show, Saturday Night Live and The Conference SXSW.

One of the highlights of his media blitz was definitely scoring a week of nightly performances on the Late Night w/Jimmy Fallon Show labeled as “Timberweek.” Thanks to NBC.com, I caught every performance online, if not on TV. Did you catch that? See the links below.

What stands out to me about this comeback is JT’s musical growth. His decision to use a live big band, called The Tennessee Kids, to help express his love for music is brilliant. The passion and showmanship is wonderful to watch. The musicianship overall reflects JT’s increased knowledge and authority in producing music.

Although there are some lyrics on this project that I would not choose to place in my songs, here are two specific things I love, which might be heard best when the songs are performed live:

1) The choice to have the background vocalists sing unconventional intervals of 4ths, like Quincy Jones’s music with Michael Jackson and in the movie “The Wiz – Emerald City Scene”

Here is a clip of JT's song: Let The Groove Get In

2)The choice to have background vocalists sing complex 11^th and 13^th chords instead of leaving it to the keyboards alone. 

Here is a clip of JT's song: Strawberry Bubblegum

The musical comeback is beautiful to my ears!

INVITE TO THE GRAMMY AWARDS...

Did you see the 55th Grammy Awards on Sunday night - February 10th? I was there.

Technically, I traded my tickets for a once-in-a-lifetime experience to join local radio winners for the JT 20/20 Experience in Los Angeles. For those of you who watched the Grammy Awards, you know that JT = Justin Timberlake.

JT made his official comeback Sunday night. He invited lucky fans to watch the official Grammy Awards dress rehearsal in the Staples Center and then chill in his West Hollywood penthouse suite to eat, drink, view the Grammy Awards show live, and then see his 20/20 Experience show after the Grammys at the Hollywood Palladium. We loved him and I think you will too! I'll elaborate on the reasons why in a moment.

The Grammy Awards Dress Rehearsal

First, I'd like to say that there are at least 3 cool things about experiencing the Grammy Awards dress rehearsal and seeing the show live:

1. You get to see all of the performances and stage transitions not seen on TV

2. You get to mingle and network with some of your favorite artists and legends

3. You learn to appreciate the details that go into making the show great because the staff truly puts in tremendous effort to honor the nominees and special award recipients

Unfortunately, the tight security banned the use of cameras and phones in the dress rehearsal. I'm so sorry I could not capture photos of Bruno Mars with Sting, Bob Marley's family, and Rhianna in tribute to Bob Marley. I was also sorry I could not snap a pic of one of my mentors (in my head) - Producer Jimmy Jam. I'm resolved to live with mental photos for now.

It was very exciting to see some of the celebrity artists come in to practice. I say some because not all of them were there. For example, neither Chuck D nor Jay-Z practiced for their separate collab performances and most presenters had stand-ins. Everyone else was there for the rehearsal.

What stood out to me were the artists that dressed up for their rehearsal. For example, Taylor Swift performed with a circus-style set. All of the characters and musicians for her song were dressed in costume and executed costume changes and prop movements during the song. There were even dancers hanging in the air, which you probably did not catch much of on TV.

Another example was Carrie Underwood. She had a beautiful set, including a string orchestra, a backdrop of beautiful flowing images, and a dress that was like a screen for creative projection mapping. It was beautiful and she SANG! Don't you agree from what you saw on TV?

I loved how every person involved in the dress rehearsal was committed to their contributions to the performance, whether they were going to get much TV time or not.

The Grammys Live

If you saw the Grammys, then you know most of the performances were great. What stood out to me most was Bruno Mars with Sting, Rhianna, Ziggy Marley, and Damien Marley. The room was so energized with the band's dance moves and the awesome grooves. The set by Justin Timberlake also stood out. His big, classy band energized the room with their cool and hip dance moves, grounded by awesome orchestration.

As a musician, I loved these performances because of the whole package of entertainment, musicianship and inspiration from all involved. I love when a band dances in synchronized movements, don't you? It influences the audience to move with them too.

All of the nominees this year seemed worthy of their nominations. As a recent Full Sail University graduate, I'm thrilled that my fellow alumni were nominated in various categories.

Back to JT 20/20 Experience

Most of the band that accompanied Justin Timberlake for the Grammy Awards show was at his show at the Hollywood Palladium. If you love grooves that move you, whether fast, mid tempo, or slow, I think you will enjoy more than one song on JT's new music release called The 20/20 Experience. His lyrics are good with more songs on love and commitment. Take a peek at his site when you can, where you might see my face too! www.JustinTimberlake.com

My final note is to those who are pursuing a career in the music industry. I can assure you that doing one or all of the following will not be a waste of time:

1. Join GrammyU as a student 

2. Attend the Grammy Awards when you are eligible, even if you are not nominated yet

3. Network

Cheers to the journey where dreams come true!

Staying Current & In The Moment

I must admit I am impressed with the way Beyoncé is managing her career. As most of you know she started out as the lead singer of Destiny’s Child. Her father was her manager and then one day, years later, she changed things around and took control. There are some things I would do differently, but putting what she has learned into practice, is clearly working for her.

Beyoncé’s performance last night at the half-time show of Super Bowl 47 was great! Although as a musician I heard a few details that made me go hmmm, it was still great! 

  

Click here to enjoy Half-Time Show images from hollywoodlife.com

Recently I watched her 2012 interview with Piers Morgan where she admitted she had to decide how to remain current. As a result she created a tumbler page, an instagram account and an up to date YouTube channel to engage her fans more. Not only has she taken a leap of faith by revealing her human side, but she has acquired a great team to help her reach her full potential. Cheers to doing what matters Bey!

See the great interview w/Piers Morgan (part 1-4)

Thanks to my training from Full Sail University, while completing my Masters Degree in Entertainment Business, the little things that matter now stand out to me more than ever. As a person focused behind the scenes, I must pay attention. For example - Branding, which requires us to stay current, be engaging with fans, and share our humanity is so important to a lasting career in the music business. There are more important keys but let’s acknowledge this one for now.

See Beyoncé’s branding example here.

I plan on becoming the face of my brand as a female producer, songwriter & composer. Things are falling into place and I will share more when it is time. What are your plans to stay current and cultivate a long lasting career?