2015 GRAMMY Day!

And here it is, the blog post you've all been waiting for, pics and videos from Kell and Ant's 2015 GRAMMY day adventure!

Our day first begins with the glam squad of course.
Make-up video #1 - http://share.glide.me/2MoahuVVRyeveYnPilX0+g==
Make-up video #2 - http://share.glide.me/JBPSFrGoQq+TukkkLKsuWQ==

Let's get this day started!

Make-up and dress

Now, at the GRAMMYs themselves:

Hanging on the red carpet - http://share.glide.me/X9Pz8hwzQBubyWdrxG3JTQ==
An explanation of the Premiere ceremony - http://share.glide.me/1IaRvyNESKC1JmKiLCJZRA==
Erica and Warryn receiving their GRAMMY at the Premiere - http://share.glide.me/eRsKnJlgSoWPB90BjW_ysQ==
An awesome ensemble at the Premiere - http://share.glide.me/Lc7a2rJ9TH++WsxkoFpZJg==
And check out this up and comer, Angie Fisher.  You heard it here first! - http://share.glide.me/Vy2cLRIKQMa2GrlSlLQuyA==
Grabbing a bite before the telecast - http://share.glide.me/pEDuPDT1T8+ncK76Bl2Zxw==
And we made it!  On the floor at the GRAMMYs - http://share.glide.me/wxn+ZdumTLuPdi0h4ZLboA==

Peep how close we were...of course I had to grab pics of my girl, Beyonce:

Then we were up close and personal with Lady Gaga, Tony Bennett, LL Cool J, and Gweneth Paltrow:

Then onto the after parties! - http://share.glide.me/m4GQ4LfWSfSjdJSInnyS2Q==
...and more after parties...need stamina! http://share.glide.me/R78vQw2rTLe7ZKiflggPvg==

Made it home although I was not ready to take off my rhinestones. : )

And the wrap-up:  http://share.glide.me/3tYAXwvBR7mp6gq39iEmjQ==

2015 GRAMMY week - the lead up

Well, I got through my second GRAMMY week and it still felt great!  It was actually better knowing the lay of the land better in my second go 'round, I felt like I could really bask in the glow of a year's worth of hard work paying off.

So as I think will become customary, below you'll find my digital diary for the week!

Tuesday, Feb. 3rd - the P&E Party kicks it all off!

Look who we honored!

Nile chatted with us about how his songs were created.  I'll think you'll recognize this song.  Behind the Music indeed!!  (Video = 33 seconds)  View below or at this unlisted link (please do not share this with others): http://youtu.be/0uqugVLQW50

This one is a little longer (video = 2 min 31 seconds) and it may take you a little longer to get the song.  Definitely an interesting musical journey!  View the unlisted video here, please do not share this:  http://youtu.be/j5C_iuqO-W0

And final video for Tuesday night (video = 1 min 12 seconds), Nile jammin' with Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers!  View the unlisted video here (please do not share this):   http://youtu.be/hKgPYGRwF7o

 My NARAS family :)

 And of course, a selfie for moms

Wed., Feb. 4 - GRAMMY Connect and For the Love of R&B
I could only find the selfies I took for my Mom so far.  But if I find any others from Facebook, I'll add!

Thurs., Feb. 5 - Brunch honoring MC Lyte and the GRAMMY Legacy Concert
More selfies...

Friday, Feb. 6 - ELI Luncheon and MusiCares Person of the Year gala.  But I could only find my selfie from the MusiCares gala.  For ELI I wore a high-powered lawyer-like pantsuit (it was a lawyer honoring other lawyers kind of affair).  Same thing, if I find more photos I will share.

Saturday, Feb. 7 - Special Merit Awards
I got to escort Richard Perry and his wife, the lovely Jane Fonda

Next blog post...the actual GRAMMY day!

2014 GRAMMY week!

Hello my good peoples!

I know it has been 4-EVER and I apologize profusely, life certainly has taken a very interesting turn for me in the last 6 months.  For those that don't know, last August I accepted the position of Executive Director over the Los Angeles Chapter of the Recording Academy.  For those that may doubt it even a little bit, I'm here to testify to the fact that God knows what He is doing!  The position feels like it was handcrafted just for me, and the whole arc of my career over the last 10 years has led right to it.  Words really can't express my gratitude, the position has been amazing so far.  And now, on to the proof! :)  

It's been hard to give everyone the play by play of just how magical GRAMMY week was, but thankfully I captured a few moments of each day by photo and in word to help sum up the fabulousness.  (Many thanks to my mom for this, she insisted that I take selfies everyday.  I wouldn't have otherwise!)  Take a peek:

Mon., Jan 20th - the prep

Peep the hairstyle, this one should keep! 

Tues., Jan. 21st - the fun begins with the P&E Wing (Producers and Engineers Wing) party
I won't forget walking the "red carpet” at the P&E Wing party.  Some of my LA Governors made me! (Not the ones pictured.  It was two gentlemen and I think they wanted some arm candy :)

-> This pic features two of my wonderful LA Chapter Board members, Tremaine Williams (music producer) and Amy Keys (vocalist).

Wed., Jan. 22nd - All the ladies of color from the Academy were invited to the Black Women in Music party thrown by Essence!

This was the infamous party at which I spilled all the champagne as I stood up to meet Tank.  Not my finest. :)

Here you see me with the DC Chapter Executive Director, the fabulous, Wendi Cherry!

Thurs., Jan. 23rd - Several events happened on this day including the Lalah Hathaway outreach event, "A Song is Born" Legacy Concert, and the Will.i.am TRANS4M Concert at the Avalon.  I noted two great moments from this day, including:
1) Being 5 feet from Lalah H. as she shared her voice. (Then she won a GRAMMY later in the week!!)
2) Hearing the genesis of the song "I Can't Make You Love Me” from the songwriters and then having Bonnie Raitt join them on stage to sing it! (At the legacy concert, ”A Song is Born.”)

Me and my colleague, Sara, at the Will.i.am concert.














The selfie for Shelley :)

Fri., Jan. 24th - ELI Luncheon, MusiCares Person of the Year dinner honoring Carole King, and Kiss-n-Grind.  Friday moments to remember:
1) Alicia Keys killing it on "Natural Woman” in honor of Carole King.
2) Hearing the true voice of Lady Gaga as she shares an intimate version of "You've Got A Friend.”
3) Carole King and James Taylor together on stage performing with me in the same room, does life get any better?? :)
(And Ant joined in the fun as well, he was off to GRAMMY awards rehearsals for the day.)

Here are my colleagues and I at ELI

Ant and I, ready for the day's festivities! 

I found Crescent at the Kiss-n-Grind party, so many people were there!

And what would the day be without a selfie for Shelley??




















Sat., Jan. 25 - Special Merit Awards (where I was one of the escorts for the Isley Brothers, go Teaneck!!)

Conversation with the Isley Brothers? Priceless.
"hello Mr. Ernie Isley, my name is Kelley.”
"My brother's name is Kelly.”"
"Yes, and you should know that I grew up in Teaneck, NJ.”
"Aww, Teaneck!”
That was about the extent of it, but hey, I will take it!

And later that day...
"Um, so, I think I just watched the Beatles and the Isley Brothers receive lifetime achievement GRAMMY awards up close and personal. What is my life!?"

We took an ED pic before all the hoopla began.  In the pic, from left to right, you see the EDs from New York, Philadelphia, LA, Pacific Northwest, DC, Memphis, and Nashville. 


Sun., Jan. 26th - GRAMMY day!  (By the time you get to Sunday you're already exhausted!)
GRAMMY day quotes from Kelley:
1) Live was the only way to experience Kendrick and Imagine Dragons.  My hair was blown back!!

2) Some robots, two legends, and the 2014 producer of the year all together on the same stage!!!!  (Daft Punk, Pharrel, Nile Rogers, and of course Stevie Wonder)

3) Carole King has awe'd me AGAIN! The duet with Sara B. was beautiful and only reinforced how I felt about Ms. King. 

  (here ya go Mom :)

That's my man, ain't he cute!?

Mon., Jan. 27 - as if we could take anymore...onto the Beatles special!
No pics here folks (I was tired alright!?) but some new found appreciation was happening:

Things that I have realized make the Beatles special:
1) Great songs. Lots of 'em. Lots and lots. Written by all 4 members.
2) Great musicianship among all 4 members.
3) Great vocals had by all 4 members.
4) Songs that had elements from every genre.
5) What looks like really great and close knit teamwork.
6) Did I mention great songs? Compelling yet simple and catchy lyrics. Interesting time signatures. Fabulous chord progressions (as stated by Stevie Wonder himself).  Talk about a music education-thank you Academy!

That's all folks...until the next time!

The weird, perplexing, yet empowering politics of God

All I heard from the Lord this morning was John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.”  John the Baptist said this to his followers because I think they were confused about him having baptized a ton of people, to only be replaced by Jesus the Christ, who was now taking over.  John reminded those people that he himself was not the Christ.  He made way for Him, but he is just a friend to the bridegroom, a loyal friend who rejoices at the bridegroom’s voice.  God blew my mind over this notion.  Over and over and over He said it gently to me in various ways, and He expanded on it.  He said you must decrease so that I may increase, and guess what?  I will increase you!

I know I write about these principles a lot – to be humble, yet exalted.  To decrease in order to be increased.  It’s all a part of the weird, perplexing, yet empowering politics of God.  Anytime you feel you are working in your own power call on God.  Decrease yourself and increase Him.  This will call out a power way beyond your own capability, such that you must glorify Him in all you do.  This notion of course brought me to Matt 6:33, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you.”

Letter to Leftie

I went on a prayer retreat a few weeks ago and I had an epiphany.  I realized that I can't be mad at my left brain (or whatever part of the brain, look, I'm not a scientist!) for doing what she does best.  I need to forgive her and just gently remind her that she can relax.  She is the way overprotective best friend.  Here's my letter to her:


Dear Leftie,

I love ya.  I understand why you do what you do.  You have been trained well to protect at all costs, to spring into action and solve problems effectively & quickly.  I know you simply want to protect me from harm, danger, disappointment, loss, humiliation and other things of that nature.  I appreciate you and I appreciate your efforts.  They are not in vain.  This letter is simply a love note to say, it's ok if you take a break.  I give you my full permission to take a beach day!  You can come down off your post and let down your guard -- rightie has some skills as well and she needs the room to use them to her fullest capability.  In order for all of us to go to the next level you (and I for that matter!) are going to have to trust her a lot more.  We’re gonna have to rely on her more, let her take a few risks, let her step out on faith.  And you and I will both remember that God has got us in the palm of His hand.  He will never leave us or forsake us.  We don’t have to have all the answers, the research, all the formulas worked out in advance.  When it’s time for that, don’t worry, we know who to call! : ) But this is a turning point.  You have brought us a long way, but now it’s time to go higher.  And we’ll ALL have to work together in divine harmony with God leading the way.  And if God is leading, it may mean, more often than not, that rightie will have to lead us, as she can hear more directly from Him than the both of us.  And that’s ok.  That’s her forte, her special skill.  Give her the chance to lead and you’ll be amazed where we end up.  In the meantime, enjoy your beach days, you deserve it!!

God-conscious vs. self-conscious

My father’s Daily Word today was great.  (Genesis 3:7)  It talked about the shift Adam and Eve had after the fall when they went from being God-conscious to self-conscious.  It hit me like a ton of bricks.  Of course I may find it difficult to get into a higher, more spiritual place of connection to God.  We spend the majority of our time in this temporal place called Earth where we are physically bound by time and space.  Our lower selves fight everyday for survival and they are well trained to protect and survive at all costs.  So those of us that want to seek God, that want to rise above the clutter, must seek, scratch, and claw our way into a closer connection with the Almighty.  We are unfortunately naturally cut off due to the actions of the first man.
 
I think this is why, at the core, I love music.  It was perhaps the first thing, when I really learned to let go, that brought me way closer to God than I had ever been.  It allowed me to go beyond the temporal into a special and more sacred place.  A place I couldn’t easily access with my 5 senses.  And this is the place I love to go!  And what is interesting about a God-conscious perspective is that it alleviates nervousness or anxiety about performing (at the very last second of course :).  Knowing that it’s truly for His glory, not mine.  Knowing that He has my life in the palm of His hand so I don’t have to fear the outcomes.  This brings a peace that is so far beyond by understanding I can’t help but get excited! (Phil 4: 7) 


And so, as I aim to continue to access my Higher Self, to connect to the Holy Spirit and seek God’s face, I remember to have patience.  Patience with the lower self that has been trained for many, many years to survive by analyzing, thinking, planning, preparing, controlling (or trying to control) all of the circumstances.  Patience with that self as it begins to trust the Higher Self.  To let go of its need for control.  I recognize also that along with patience is a need for practice.  We must let the Higher Self do its “work” each day so that it too can develop a strong muscle.  We must deny aspects of our flesh that we know are just the lower self, aching for attention.  (Romans 12:1) We cannot be the same as we once were.  One of the Elders at one of our churches said to me “if you want something to change you have to do something different.”   So simple right?  And so, Higher Self, Holy Spirit, I welcome your guidance and wisdom and direction.

Oprah & Soledad on one accord

So glad I got a chance to watch the 2013 commencement speeches delivered by Oprah and Soledad O'Brien.  First off, I'm a nerd and yes, I love commencement time.  It gives me tingles up and down my spine.  There's something special about moving on to that next stage, knowing that although the stage you just completed was tremendous, the best is still yet to come.  Congrats class of 2013!

I've pasted the speeches below.  Both women spoke of using your talents to better the world, the very reason why I changed the tagline of my blog.  When I figured out that singing for a purpose stirred something deeper within me, as opposed to just singing for my own glory, I was forever changed.  Oprah said "when you start figuring out how to serve others, THAT's when your story gets good."

Your goal - "to achieve the highest, most truthful expression of yourself as a human being...Don't ask the world what it needs.  Ask yourself what makes you come alive.  Because that's what the world needs - people who are alive."

Had to capture these tidbits somewhere.  Thank you fabulous ladies of commencement 2013.  (And man, I must admit that the icing on the cake is looking up to and being inspired by these ladies that look just a little bit like me. ; )

Oprah
 


Soledad O'Brien

Feed the Spirit of Life

I was inspired today by these two verses:
"He who sins is of the devil...for this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." = 1 John 3:8
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him..." = 1 Peter 5:8-9

 In both of these passages we sense that we have a choice to make. We can choose the way of the devil but that does not lead us into the benefits of a life in the Spirit. In fact, it takes us in the entirely wrong direction. But praise God, because of Jesus the work of life and redemption are within us, beseeching us to choose its path of victory, and not the other path of defeat. As we choose life daily, it gives God the room in our lives to work on our behalf. It's like eating right. When we eat right and exercise our beautiful bodies have the resources to continue to function at the highest levels. But when we feed it garbage, when we pollute it, when we don't exercise our muscles, as much as it wants to it can't function as well on our behalf. It can't give back to us because we haven't given much to it. The Spirit of life within us is similar. It wants to act positively on our behalf (it is desperate to!). But if we act out as the devil urges us to, what resource are we giving it to do its marvelous work??

Some people may not want the choice. They think "why can't God just give us all the best?" I can understand that but a choice is actually the greatest gift (just one step after the all encompassing love of Christ himself, that is still there, ready to receive us and cleanse us, regardless of the choices we make). If we were robots, would we really know, could we really taste, goodness? If you could flip a switch so that your spouse would love you and do what you say, is that real love? We have a choice so that we may truly feel and appreciate the blessings of God. It's what we do with that choice that makes all the difference. And all of our humanly choices affect each other, for better or for worse, the bad as well as the good. Too many of our bad choices have caused not only personal suffering, but the suffering of those around us.

Let's today choose to feed the Spirit of Life and give God the glory and honor due Him through our prayer life and our actions.

April 4th and 5th - Kelley Nicole days to remember

The SHATTERED GLASS trip to Cal State Monterey Bay last week was nothing short of amazing.  I'll do my best to give you guys a taste of how it all went down, it was truly life changing.

Shaunelle and I started off the adventure as all adventures should start off - with a ROAD TRIP!!!  (We were just a little excited as you can probably tell. ; )  I know, I know, two road trips in two months, what a life I lead eh?  The trip to Monterey was quite scenic.  I didn't realize how picturesque it would be until our awesome tax lady, Susan, told me how jealous she was that I was going to Monterey.  I soon found out it's a special place indeed.

We woke up on Thursday morning at the Travelodge, and this was the view from our window.  LOL, we're not fancy on this trip folks.  What's an adventure without the hospitality of your local motel?  But seriously the Travelodge was actually quaint, the people were friendly, and yes, they had free breakfast.  I don't need much more.














The first item on our agenda for the day was our workshop with select students at CSUMB.  Well, first and foremost, Shaunelle and I always get our prayer on.  Nothing is impossible with God, He shows up and shows out if you let Him!  We're but mere vessels for His work, so we must acknowledge Him first.

In the classroom, Shaunelle and I took the students through the SHATTERED GLASS workshop materials, empowering them to take charge of their lives and to let go of a victim mindset.  We gave them a taste of what to expect at the performance that evening, and took them through some really fun exercises where we danced, shouted, cheered, and in general had a jolly time.  The participants really seemed to enjoy it, and Shaunelle and I were in our element.

Pre-Workshop (set-up):

Did I mention there was food, highly important:

During the workshop, engaging with the students:

Post-workshop, smiles for a job well done!

The SHATTERED GLASS workshop and performance series was honored to be a part of CSUMB's "Womyn, Gender, and Justice" month.  We were the last of a month-long series of programs on campus.

Our next stop, back to the motel to rest up for the evening's performance! 

Honestly, I couldn't really rest all that much.  I was a little anxious!  This would be our first time in a black box theatre -- our very dream for SHATTERED GLASS coming true!  We could only get in as early as 5pm.  If it were up to me we would be there promptly after our workshop, making sure all was set up right.  But alas, probably better that we got a little bit of rest anyway and I had to remind myself that God is in control!

We arrived at the theater at 5pm sharp, where the team awaited us.  Our wonderful administrator, Rita (the woman who has been advocating for us since we first spoke to her about SHATTERED GLASS last summer) was there to greet us and to make sure we had all we needed.  We told Rita she was our angel from heaven.  She worked over time to make sure everything ran smoothly.  She introduced us to the team at the theater and we got right to work.  This would be the first time that I had support with the AV aspects of our show, so we had to do a dry run to make sure the team understood all of the cues and everything worked properly.




Here's Rita and one of our great crew members!

Pre-show set-up:

Did you guys see my tweet!?  I was so nervous about not having any mics in this brand new space for SHATTERED GLASS.  TWEET: Black Box Cabaret theatre, here we come!!! Pray for our projection y'all! :) Thanks @csumb team! @Shatteredglassshow










BIG UPS to the students that work at the Black Box Cabaret!!  They were professional, friendly, problem solvers, and best of all, they really got what SHATTERED GLASS was all about.  They were there for us every step of the way, and the performance was executed flawlessly!  Being on that stage was like stepping into an alternate dimension.  I forgot what it was like to lose yourself in the darkness of a theater, to fully step into a world and a character you've created, and to experience the unique yet dynamic contrast of feeling immersed in your world but at the same time knowing that you have the full attention of the audience -- that they have accepted your invitation into this other space.

 Afterwards we were greeted with hugs, smiles, pictures, autograph requests, and more by the wonderful students that were in attendance.  From what the students told us, it seemed that the show really touched people, leaving them with images they'll never forget, and an understanding that if Shairi can rise, they can too, and that's what it's all about.

More of our awesome crew that night!

We went to bed that night feeling alive.  This is where we're meant to be, what we're meant to do.  Life doesn't get much better than that.  Couldn't stop tweeting about it.  TWEET:  Great, GREAT show at @csumb, tonight. We are humbled and honored by their graciousness and professionalism.  

On Friday, April 5th we brought SHATTERED GLASS to a nearby women's shelter, in partnership with A Window Between Worlds, an organization for which we serve as artistic ambassadors.  We did not take pictures or video there, for obvious reasons, but the magic was just as palpable.  One comment that touched a nerve for us was one of the women explaining that these shelters can often feel like prisons because you're surrounded by the acute pain of its inhabitants.  The participants expressed true gratefulness for the air of love, joy, and hope that was swept in by our work that afternoon, and they hoped we would not only return, but were also eager to know if we would be visiting other shelters in the future.  

Both shows truly deepened our understanding of the power of art to heal and change lives -- the core of the mission of SHATTERED GLASS.  TWEET: April 4th & 5th, days to remember. Very humbled and honored to serve today with God's gifts. #shatteredglassshow