“I believe in us…and, the people.  I know we can make a difference.  I love you all, with all my heart.”

Michael Jackson

EARTH SONG  World Music Awards 1996

“BELIEVING MIRRORS are optimistic believers in the essential goodness of life. They reflect back to you your competency and your potential.  They are on your side and bring to your discussions  a sense of optimism and hope.  You owe it to yourself to be in regular contact with these individuals.”

Julia Cameron

“WHAT A MAN CAN BE, HE MUST BE.”

Abraham Maslow

“He was  very even tempered.  He was a creative tornado.  He was very much hands on.  When things went wrong, he never lost his temper, never yelled at anybody.  He was a joy to work for…a very pure spirit who wanted the best for people.”

Jennifer Batten

Guitarist…BWT, DWT, HWT

Michael Jackson represents a reservoir of strength, one who gives realism to this…”In dreams begins responsibility.”  William Butler Yeats  Michael believed in principal that music could accomplish connection and transformation, his laser insights fueled daring, giving birth to his limitless potentialities.  Not one to self-sabotage…he fearlessly repelled the narrow-minded, those lacking imagination which, long ago, caused the death of their childhood dreams.  Bayard Taylor said that the bravest are the tenderest and the loving are the daring.  In Michael’s artistic rebellion, we have found a call to action, allowing our light to shine. “THIS IS YOUR TIME TO SHINE!”  We’ve heard Michael say those words so many times during rehearsals.  He offers us the purest of BELIEVING MIRRORS.

The incredible beauty Michael’s imagination shared with the world is defined in both value and worth…what is it worth…what is its value to us.  Michael is the biggest-selling pop artist in history…present tense.  His estate is worth billions of dollars.  In terms of worth, Michael is the most successful entertainer in the history of the music industry.  His worth touches masses of people who collaborated on many levels for five decades.  It is often the thing most focused on, debated about, comparisons endlessly drawn.  It is even a weapon used by critics.

However, the source of Michael’s creative fire leaves behind the discussion of worth and takes us to Michael’s inner wealth…the value of his work. He often said he was married to his art, and, his love-making to the world is proof positive of that.  He created his artistry, he worked tirelessly for his artistry, and, he lived his artistry… the ultimate ARTFUL LIFE.   When art is soul-driven, it is valued.  When an artist shines his believing mirror on us, our souls are united in an unbreakable and valuable bond.  Michael transmitted his dreams for the world in laser beams, handing over his powerful light to us.  This generous love came in many forms: songwriting, vocals, dance, storytelling, performance, writings, speeches.  The Black Tradition of Soul was apparent in every note, every movement, every word…the reoccurring theme:  looking  outward, then inward, and then outward again…finding a chance to change the world.

Michael refused to be pigeonholed by race, genre, nationality or anything else.  Music, he felt, was universal.  “I love great music.  It has no color.  It has no boundaries.” MJ  He was committed to his creative vision regardless of cultural expectations.  As the most influential artist of the 20th Century, Michael created an enormous artistic and creative legacy mirroring human struggles and triumphs, valued by millions across the entire planet.

KEEP THE FAITH is a song about overcoming barriers and believing in one’s ability to make a difference in the world.  This was an opportunity for Michael to celebrate GOSPEL music  in the Black tradition.  During times of tremendous struggle and pain, Black people turned to Gospel music as a force of solidarity, strength and empowerment in the face of oppression and injustice.  “The music of Negro religion still remains the most original and beautiful expression of human life and longing yet born on American soil…intensified by the tragic soul life of the slave…it became the one true expression of a people’s sorrow, despair and hope.”  W.E.B. Dubois  Gospel-infused FREEDOM SONGS also played a key role in the Civil Rights Movement. Joseph Vogel

KEEP THE FAITH offers an opportunity for Michael to deliver a “sermon” as if a preacher before his congregation.  He sings of struggle and dreams, mirroring a strong belief in the power of the people to make changes needed to end injustice.

“The lyrics are like a proper sermon on Sunday by a spirited preacher trying to uplift his congregation to meet the challenges that life proposes.’

John Kays

“Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength.”

Sigmund Freud

KEEP THE FAITH

BECAUSE IT’S JUST A MATTER OF TIME

BEFORE YOUR CONFIDENCE WILL WIN OUT

BUT TIL THAT DAY I SAY

YOU GOTTA KEEP THE FAITH

Michael  Jackson reaffirms the potential of the goodness of humankind.  Spirit never to be denied, he made a path of pure light and energy and transferred it to us.  He was a believing mirror with every note he sang, every movement he danced, and every word he uttered.

We find ourselves on a battlefield (Irina) today…not warlike, but engaging in a revolution of LOVE.  We are now privileged to be BELIEVING MIRRORS FOR MICHAEL…and, we are grateful.

I love you, Michael!

I love you all.

Jude