BEYOND NOW AND FOREVERMORE

Posted on January 11, 2015 by jrling

“You are my joy. The fullness in my heart is because of you. I love you beyond now and forevermore.”

Michael Jackson

~for Paris, Prince and Blanket

Michael was huge on every continent. He transcended ethnic lines and color barriers. He crossed all of those lines with no sweat. What made Michael special was the fact that people knew he was real. He was such a great performer, one of the greatest the world will ever see. He knew what he wanted and he knew how to put it together. Michael has left us a catalog of great music. His music and his spirit will never die, it will go on forever. Now, he has moved on up a little higher.”

Aretha Franklin Ebony 2009

“Every time the sun rises, Nature is repeating one command; “Behold!” Her magic is infinitely lavish, and in return all we have to do is appreciate it.”

“When we open our hearts and appreciate all she has given us, Nature finds her reward. The sound of applause rolls across the universe, and she bows.”

Michael Jackson

DANCING THE DREAM

“Magic”

The priceless gift of dawn…when first we open our eyes to the world’s rebirth, repeated joys that are both familiar and surprisingly new, allows Nature another opportunity to teach. We then choose to either pause and search for new meaning, or, rush into our day blindly…and, if we are being honest with ourselves, the days we are given reflect a bit of both. Deeper meanings come with repetition. Michael Jackson often referred to it as revisit, nurture and define… like watching a flower move from seedling to full blossom and back to seed, a gestation…a pregnancy. Rapidly gathering information can be helpful at the time, but meaning and understanding are often missed or forgotten…the gestation period truncated. For knowledge to be power, it is necessary to give the precious gift of time…and that requires study. One fact is clear, learning never ends if life is to be fully lived. The adage: “Once you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.” does not apply. Added to new revelations comes the priceless gift of PASSION. Seeking knowledge and understanding with a passion breathes wondrous excitement into living in the moment. “It’s all meant to be play. Keep to your course, but dance while you do it.” MJ Dancing while we learn, playing toward understanding, passionate repetition all create deeper levels of understanding. And, until we move on to a higher level, there remains much to appreciate.

I have often written about the energy I feel when returning to Michael’s words to right my course, as I dance and play PAYING MICHAEL FORWARD. Sometimes, the dance is a serious one, as I grapple with the everlastingness of the despicable media. Sometimes, my dance is filled with anger, as I try to make sense out of cruelty and abuse. More often, my playful dance is buoyant, as I reach to reclaim my bliss. With every step comes greater understanding.

Recently, I added a page to CHOSENVOICES dedicated to Michael Quotes. It is a wonderful work in progress. (~thank you, Irina, for all your help!) Michael has given language to the human condition, the human spirit, and, I strongly believe that he should be allowed to speak for himself. And, as with all education, a quick pass-by, a simple nod to the man, is never adequate. Michael Jackson wore many, MANY hats…both figuratively and literally. At the very foundation of his greatness lies his chosen path…TO TEACH THE WORLD HOW TO LOVE. He applied his astounding gifts to the task.

Today, I have decided to give the floor to the MASTER. “The greatest education in the world is watching the masters work.” MJ Revisiting, nurturing and defining our paths brings us closer to THE MAN and closer to realizing our goals…returning and repeating strengthens our memory net.

THE FANS

Jackson compared the reciprocal energy of a performance to be a Frisbee, “You hold it, you touch it, and you whip it back.” Audiences, he believed, were more than passive spectators; they were a vibrant community, composed of all ages, races, religions and cultures, standing shoulder to shoulder, temporarily bound up in the collective spell of his music, imagining the world anew. “You can take them anywhere,” he effused. This was his gift as an artist: the ability to dissolve into the stories, the emotions, the MAGIC of his music, and to take masses of people from all walks of life with him. He called this creative bond many things over the years: escapism, entertainment, showmanship, art. But, ultimately for Jackson, it was about sharing and receiving LOVE.”

MUSIC

“Music is tapestry. It’s different layers, its weaving in and out, and if you look at it in layers, you understand it better.”

COMMUNIAL ENERGY INTEGRAL TO CREATIVITY

“…the band was there while I sang and we were able to feel each other. It gives such a spontaneous feeling and reminds me of when R&B first started in the South and all the Blacks would just get together in a shack and jam. That’s what’s missing today. Everything is so commercial and mechanical. Too many musicians today are into what they are doing for themselves and not with each other.” 1979

ART

“And, I think I haven’t scratched the surface yet of what my real purpose for being here is. I’m committed to my art. I believe that all art has as its ultimate goal the union between the material and the spiritual, the human and the divine. And I believe that that is the very reason for the existence of art and what I do. I feel fortunate for being that instrument through which music flows. “

HUMANITARIAN

“I’m not one to sit back. I want to do something, to help those who lost their parents, who lost their mothers and their fathers. Those are our people. Those are our children. Those are our parents.” 9/16/2001

GESTATION

“When you know it’s right, sometimes you feel like something’s coming, a gestation, almost like a pregnancy or something. You get emotional, and you start to feel something gestating and then magic, there it is! It’s an explosion of something that is so beautiful, and you go, WOW! There it is. That’s how it works through you. It’s a beautiful thing. It’s a universe of where you can go with those twelve notes.” MJ 2007

THE SHOW

“I don’t even care if they’re applauding…I want their jaws on the ground!”

EARTH

“It’s not the machines that are destroying the world. It’s the people that are destroying the world. Not a happy ending. I want it burning, I want it there, lasting and burning, and I want us standing there with our arms reached out asking PLEASE, BEFORE IT BECOMES A TRAVESTY. YOU! YOU! US! WE! (This is it rehearsal, June 24, 2009)

~GREAT ART LIVES FOREVER

~Huge thoughts require much study.

~Michael’s music endures because his voice haunts each song with an attachment to his soul.

~The blue heat of his performances ignite a fire in our souls.

~His very being surprises, seduces, invigorates and inspires.

~His catalog of art is message-driven.

~He is instinctual in giving language to the human condition.

His gift of internalizing the pain and suffering of others allows us to see him as very real.

In a culture that continues to struggle with equality, Michael Jackson is the undeniable “Jackie Robinson” of MTV history.

In sharing his remarkable gifts of getting inside the music, inside the dance, we are being taught how to get inside ourselves and truly inhabit our lives.

“I am a palette.”

AN INSTINCTUAL CANVAS

If we understand that HALLMARK is defined as a standard of purity and genuineness…we can add Michael Jackson’s name to the definition. If we define LEGEND as someone to be celebrated…we can add Michael Jackson’s name to the definition. If we accept PIONEER as someone who is at the forefront, leading the way…we can add Michael Jackson’s name to the definition. If we define ARTIST as an aesthetic and sensitive creator of superior abilities…then, we can add Michael Jackson to the definition. If the GOLD STANDARD is accepted as the finest unit of value and an GENIUS is one who strongly influences others destinies for good character and conduct…we define Michael Jackson.

“WHEN THE STUDENT’S READY, THE TEACHER WILL APPEAR.”

Michael Jackson, MASTER TEACHER, is always ready to show the world…all we have to do is open our hearts and appreciate all he has given us.

~and, listen for his applause!

Class dismissed!

Michael

and

Jude

INTIMACY

Posted on September 10, 2014 by jrling

“…The courage to be intimate. Expressing your feelings is not the same as falling apart in front of someone else-it’s being accepting and true to your heart, whatever it may say. When you have the courage to be intimate, you know who you are, and you’re willing to let others see that. It’s scary, because you feel so vulnerable, so open to rejection. But without self-acceptance, the other kind of courage, the kind heroes show in movies, seems hollow. In spite of the risks, the courage to be honest and intimate opens the way to self-discovery. It offers what we all want, the promise of love.”

DANCING THE DREAM

Michael Jackson

It is raining this morning. It has been raining all night. There is a beautiful isolation in it. Darkness captures dawn’s light, holding it at bay, while I allow the quiet to relax my mind. Cleansing and urging me to the page, the rains encourage thought. There is an intimacy felt when wrapped in a blanket devoid of color. I am alone in a silent house, thinking of umbrellas and people caught in the rain, and Michael. “Stranger in Moscow” is an artistic masterpiece in every sense of the word. For me, it is a true representation of intimacy, for while capturing it, self-discovery leads to the promise of love.

Michael’s journey has given me a clear picture of courage. Bravery accompanied every choice, every challenge, every part of his artistry. Not only did life demand Michael face all manner of struggle, he also internalized the pain of others. In turn, he then presented it to the world in naked vulnerability. Prose, poetry, music, dance, performance…all invited a closeness that revealed the depths of Michael’s soul. “The Black Tradition is a tradition of soul. Soul is the most precious thing you can share because you’re sharing yourself and the world needs that gift now more than ever.” Michael Jackson We completely relate to Michael’s vulnerability because he gave completely. His was real pain felt, experienced, shared. Alone on giant stages, before millions of people, Michael emptied his soul into waiting vessels, which in turn emptied across the entire planet.

STRANGER IN MOSCOW, a tale of “out-of-step, but soul-deep anguish, is eloquent enough to mythify alienation in pop terms and elicit a reconsideration of post-cold war, post-civil rights angst. It captures a detached, empty feeling of a man estranged from the world around him. The track begins with the sound of rain, then a slow beat built on Jackson’s beatboxing, and a soft-strumming guitar. Jackson sings in exquisite call-and-response, the echoing effect perfectly captures his feeling of isolation.” J. Vogel Coming after “THEY DON’T REALLY CARE ABOUT US,” on Michael’s HISTORY Album, it marks a sharp contrast from social justice outcry to vulnerable ache outcry. Michael said he was feeling so lonely in his hotel room when the song came to him. To be sure, back home, the frenzied media and false accusers were gearing up with their destruction plans. It was 1993.

The short film that Michael created for the song is an exquisite piece of fine art in black and white, understated and bleak: “a visual narrative in which the lives of six isolated strangers play out as the world moves around them in slow motion. Jackson is identified with these regular people, he too is alone, and wanders the streets in a black trench coat like a ghost, unacknowledged. About midway through the short film, he and the other characters step out into the pouring rain. As they are individually baptized by the water, something changes. It is as if the aching alienation they each feel is temporarily washed away…they are cleansed and connected by a common experience, their suffering.” J. Vogel

I feel a renewed faith as Michael sings with great emotion, his head turned toward the heavens. The collective vulnerability and shared pain bring with them…empowerment. When we openly share who we are and what we are feeling, we form a bond, and with that bond comes strength…POWER.

“HOW DOES IT FEEL WHEN YOU’RE ALONE AND COLD INSIDE.”

Reaching out to one another, being vulnerable, honesty with ourselves and others…self-acceptance and unconditional love…Michael’s messages for a world more in need of them now than ever before. When people wonder why I continue to do what I do, I reply, “Michael’s life and legacy are needed to save a dying world.” He is no longer walking the planet…but, his legacy remains to be shared. We are his voice now. It is up to us. “IT OFFERS WHAT WE ALL WANT, THE PROMISE OF LOVE.”

I love you, Michael.

I love you, Dear Friends.

Jude

HIS tory

MYstory

YOURstory

OURstory

THE IMMERSION PROJECT~Michael Jackson Tapestry [Love in many forms]

Posted on August 31, 2014 by jrling

There is a legend that says: “Once in your lifetime something happens and changes your whole life forever. After this turning point your life will never be the same.”

We know that legend to be true!

From the Fans:

“Michael Jackson wrote the soundtrack of our lives. When we were in the “room”, we could feel him. He seeded in us grains to use in our lives. He set masses of us on fire. You can never get enough of him. He emitted a bright light, magical without being dependent on conjuring tricks. He stirred up our passion just like someone shaking a bottle of champagne.”

“An artist should let his style evolve naturally, spontaneously. You can’t think about these things. You have to feel your way into them.”

Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson’s language of love embraced human emotion. He believed that you should be able to move people with only sound. “Michael tended to deeply internalize the suffering and injustice experienced by others. Many of these experiences and emotions surfaced in his work, though often in subtle or metaphorical ways.”(J. Vogel). Michael was keenly attuned to real-world issues tackling neglect, abuse, exploitation, prejudice and much, much more. Michael wrote about the sensual. His voice and body were undeniably sexy. “I sing about things that are loving, and if people interpret it as sexy, that’s up to them. I let the music tell me what to do.” (Michael Jackson) Although Michael didn’t see his work as sexy, his sensual appeal is legend. In his book, MAN IN THE MUSIC, J. Vogel colorfully writes: “Michael’s sexual dynamism irradiating from the arch of his dancing body, challenges government standards for a nuclear meltdown!” I would agree with that! Michael wrote in his autobiography, MOONWALK, that he loved the interaction between the sexes. “It is a natural part of life and I love women.”

There are those who have been gifted the talent of songwriting, those whose vocals capture our hearts, those whose talents lie in producing, arranging, composing. Others dance to perfection, some perform all over the world. There are poets who stir us with their words, storytellers who inspire. Many have what we call charisma. I know of only one person in my lifetime that embraces all of these wonderful characteristics…the man who fulfills the legend for me, and for masses of people on every continent. Simply put, there is a hugeness, a depth that has no parallel, no peer. The phenomenon of Michael Jackson is rooted in love. It is a love that has experienced great pain. It is a love that understands the ecstasy, and the depths of the human condition. Michael Jackson has everything required to give to us LOVE IN MANY FORMS.

“HOLDING ONTO LOVE IS NOT WRONG, BUT YOU NEED TO LEARN TO HOLD IT LIGHTLY, CARESSINGLY. LET IT FLY WHEN IT WANTS. WHEN IT’S ALLOWED TO BE FREE, LOVE IS WHAT MAKES LIFE ALIVE, JOYFUL AND NEW. IT’S THE JUICE AND ENERGY THAT MOTIVATES MY MUSIC, MY DANCING, EVERYTHING. AS LONG AS LOVE IS IN MY HEART, IT’S EVERYWHERE.”

DANCING THE DREAM

The Artist: 1987 Ebony Interview (When you want to know Michael Jackson, ASK HIM!)

FIRST LOVE: “Love Never Felt So Good” The joy of listening to a demo lies in wonderment. Michael is experimenting, playing with vocals, lyrics, dancing, fingers snapping, hands clapping as only those huge hands can…a “raggedy” experience infused with smiles that come right through the vocals. “Michael sounds incredible on this track just like he always does. There was never a day when he was anything other than great. He is immortal. And the song is great.” XSCAPE There is an innocence about the song that reminds us of that first young love.

“What I do when I write is that I’ll do a raggedy, rough version just to hear the chorus, just to see how much I like the chorus. If it works for me that way when it’s raggedy, then I know it’ll work.” Michael Jackson Ebony Interview 2007

BETRAYAL: “Chicago” (a Michael Jackson duet) From the opening notes of the musical score, this demo sensually seeps into sexuality we dare not speak about. Michael begins by sharing a story of an unexpected passionate encounter with a woman he meets on the way to Chicago. His voice paints intimacy. The song becomes a duet when anger overtakes the betrayed lover who discovers deception. Orchestration and Michael repeat the underlying sensuality of the love story while gritty and aggressive vocals unleash a torrent of pain and shame, once again laying claim to a voice that can brilliantly conjure emotional extremes. The listener feels the love-making AND the anger.

YOUNG LOVE: “The Way You Make Me Feel” (short film) Rolling Stone described the song as, “four and a half minutes of unadulterated bliss.” Bruce Swedien remembered Michael dancing in the studio as he recorded the song. Rather than take out the sounds of the stomping, spinning, finger snapping and beatboxing, Michael decided to leave it in as part of the overall sonic picture. Bruce said he would hate to record Michael with what he called a clinical approach because his earthy charm would be lost. It is playful and flirtatious with heartfelt affection. The nine minute short film is set in a smoky urban neighborhood street, providing a sultry setting for Michael’s exaggerated sexual advances made with bravado. The short film brilliantly uses lighting, shadows and textures to establish mood and atmosphere. The silhouetted dance ending is the short film’s masterpiece and created an iconic and memorable dance sequence which Michael performed at the 1989 Grammys and around the world on his Bad and Dangerous and History World Tours. Both song and short film are among Michael Jackson classics.

FORBIDDEN LOVE: “Dirty Diana” (short film) “I love DIRTY DIANA. It’s a story about a ‘groupie’…I hate to say the word ‘groupie’, but that’s what it is.” (taken from Michael’s Ebony Interview in 1987). Michael said he and others had experienced groupies while on the road touring. “Michael executes the internal conflict of temptation to perfection, capturing the frustration, guilt, excitement, anger and pain of an affair. The song’s sexuality is by far his most explicit to date; yet like all of Jackson’s best songwriting about relationships, the story is subtle and suggestive enough to remain open to interpretation.” ( MAN IN THE MUSIC) Body as Canvas is brought to perfection both in the short film and in Michael’s stage performances of “Dirty Diana”. Take away the music and the vocals and watch only the dance. The story is all there. ICONIC!

COURTSHIP: “In the Closet” (short film) Seduction at its finest! The sexual tension is palpable in this song, the lyrics and vocals feature a fluid, thumping beat and sensual entreaties of the mystery girl (performed by Princess Stephanie of Monaco). Sonically, it offers elegant piano, strings and all kinds of percussive sounds: glass breaking, doors slamming, fingers snapping, a variety of industrial noises and Michael’s voice of groans and grunts conveying sensuality. There is a persistent gyrating beat using a variety of drum machines Michael came up with. The short film is set on a balmy, deserted ranch in California capturing every ounce of the song’s elegance, passion and sexual tension. It shows off Michael’s extraordinary ability as a dancer, closing with a riveting series of moves in silhouette in the space of a doorway. The memorable imagery, energy and dancing make the short film as classic as is the song. (J. Vogel)

LOVE LOST: “The Black Panther Coda” For me, this is the finest dancing I have ever seen in my lifetime. This is Michael’s most controversial short film and his first to be censored. It is a brilliant percussive dance routine done to Michael’s internal rhythms with no music. It is the very description of BODY AS CANVAS dealing with the uncomfortable subjects of racism, prejudice, bigotry and sexuality. Michael’s approach is primal taking on animal characteristics to show his frustration with discrimination. Wearable Art plays a part in the short film’s impact…black and white. Of course, this coda followed the short film “Black or White”. The climax comes in the form of smashing windows containing racial slurs and crying out in pain while tearing away his shirt. The climax shows Michael spinning like a tornado before dropping to his knees in a puddle of water, wailing in agony and then slipping away as the black panther. The final frame says: PREJUDICE IS IGNORANCE.

“I wanted to do a dance number where I could let out my frustration about injustice and prejudice and racism and bigotry…and within the dance, I let go.” Michael Jackson.

“The short film is the most significant personal gesture any American artist has made in years. He’s already charmed the world, “Black or White (Panther Coda) shows he has the courage to shake it up.” Armond White

LOVE FOR CHILDREN: “Speechless” (The Invincible Album) Michael’s talents of songwriting, arranging and producing, along with his legendary vocals give “Speechless” its full measure of Michael Love. MAN IN THE MUSIC aptley describes the climax of the song reaching a spiritual transcendence that is uncommon to pop music. “He wanted it to be this kind of ecstasy,” Brad Buxer recalls. Michael said, ‘I want you to play these arpeggios.’ When the modulations start coming, you hear all this arpeggiating on the keyboard. It’s not sequenced, it’s all playing. That’s what Michael wanted. Michael’s received his creative inspiration from the natural world, from animals, from CHILDREN and from PLAY. While staying in Germany, Michael recalled playing with children when the inspiration for “Speechless” came. “They are these two sweet little kids, a girl and a boy, and they’re so innocent. They’re in the quintessential form of innocence, and just being in their presence I felt completely speechless, ’cause I felt I was looking into the face of God whenever I saw them. They inspired me to write the song. It is a LOVE song about pure love, unconditional, an innocence within. Having three children of his own, Michael would feel that kind of love each morning when he arose to greet his world.

LOVE’S ENDING: “Don’t Walk Away” (The Invincible Album 2001) Now we come to love’s gripping pain…when all is finished and nothing can be done but to face the ending. There is a sophistication and maturity in the lyrics. Michael said about songwriting, “YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT TRAGEDY, THAT PAIN TO PULL FROM.” The song tells of heartbreak in a way that brings the listener inside the pain, profoundly and completely. The lyrics and Michael’s vocals capture the anguish in his soul. “Michael will never lose the quality that separates the merely sentimental from the truly heartfelt. It’s rooted in the blues, and no matter what genre Michael is singing, that boy’s got the blues!” Motown Legend Marvin Gaye It isn’t possible to listen to “Don’t Walk Away” and not be shaken to your core.

COLLECTIVE LOVE: “Cry” (The Invincible Album 2001) Released after 9/11, “Cry” revisited Michael’s tireless attempts to awaken a world, looking both backward and forward in its vision. Michael’s voice, and his use of choir, a community representing the power of the people, sing of people barely holding on, of pain without end, truths hidden, the pretending that tragedy doesn’t exist. Michael’s music faces LOVE AND THE LACK OF LOVE head on, using confrontation and asking for a COLLECTIVE LOVE to make the changes needed for the planet to survive. Michael believed in communication and his vehicle for that dialog was his music…powerful and thought-provoking. He ends the piece with the words, “CHANGE THE WORLD!” The listener is summoned to join in efforts of love to make the world better. IS THAT NOT THE GREATEST FORM OF LOVE THERE IS?

(Michael was the only artist I know who created short films in which he was not seen…the message being more important. “Cry” was one of those films.)

Setting aside the unparalleled talent, the unequaled creativity, the tireless work ethic, the vision and pioneering, Michael Jackson’s body of work offers LIFE LESSONS for humankind. Here, we have explored a PORTION of the work. It is a huge mistake to stop at the Thriller Era when studying Michael Jackson. Each of the eight ERAS have wealth and teachings that apply to all mankind.

“LOVE! LOVE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING!”

Michael Jackson THIS IS IT

CURTAIN CALL

ART IMITATES LIFE

Posted on May 13, 2014 by jrling

“The only thing that matters in life is having someone who understands you, who trusts you and who will be with you no matter what.”

Michael Jackson

“It hurts when you lose someone you love. But people always seem to leave something behind for you to remember them forever.”

Michael Jackson

Is it art that imitates life or life that imitates art? When opening his autobiography, Michael Jackson said, “I’ve always wanted to be able to tell stories, you know, stories that came from my soul.” Through four and a half decades, Michael took his fans on a continuous journey weaving stories in and out of songs, dances, prose, poetry and theatrical, dramatic performance. “What did this amazing young man have to say, what stories did he want to tell, what had he experienced? As it turned out, Michael had been in the public’s eye for so long that he had become very protective of those things his fans could not see, did not know. He had been written about at every stage of his life. Facts had been telegraphed, as had falsehoods. He liked the idea that he could set the record straight in his own book, in his own words, but, too, there was an overriding desire to leave some things for himself and for those people he loved the most.” Shaye Areheart 2009. The breathtaking phenomenon of Michael Jackson’s imagination, liberated in a talent untamed and steeped in the past, created artistry which touched on the human condition and all its forms…a powerful force of pure love. It encompassed art imitating life and life imitating art simultaneously. “In many ways an artist is his work. It’s difficult to separate the two.” Michael Jackson Today, rereading Heaven Leigh’s beautiful fairy tale, MICHAELUNA, I thought about art imitating life. Magically, Luna and Michael traverse the shifting of life’s terrain, desperately holding onto love. Suddenly, as these things often do when I allow myself to live in the moment, both fantasy and reality soundscapes emerge. Seeing inspiration in every facet of Michael’s life, my understanding of Heaven’s storytelling brought me to the page. The bridge between Michaeluna and Michael Jackson’s storytelling is the making of a life by what we give.

“What if Michael’s muse was a real being, watching over and inspiring him, as she had done for great musicians down through the ages? But something unexpected happened when she began her musical relationship with him. Magical and confusing feelings disrupted the realm of this heavenly goddess of song. She fell hopelessly and impossibly in love. Wouldn’t you?” MICHAELUNA by HEAVEN LEIGH

Two young lovers tasting from forbidden love, passionate and just out of reach, reminded me of Michael’s “I JUST CAN’T STOP LOVING YOU.” The excitement of our first taste of love has an energy never to be revisited.

Each time the wind blows

I hear your voice so I call your name

Whispers at morning, our love is dawning

Heaven’s glad you came

You know how I feel

This thing can’t go wrong

I’m so proud to say I love you

Your love’s got me high, I long to get by

This time is forever, love is the answer.

As in Heaven’s storytelling, a growing love affair burns through the intersections of life events. The rushes of joy often meet with resistance. Michael and Luna face fantastical obstacles, as Michael in real life was repeatedly surrounded by those whose intent was great harm. Storytelling through astounding music, songs describing love’s undercurrents took shape in his INVINCIBLE ALBUM as a more mature Michael sang “HEAVEN CAN WAIT,” DON’T LET GO OF MY HAND,” AND DON’T WALK AWAY.”

“The song is about the desire to elude death. The singer has finally found love and joy, but now dreads it will be taken from him. ‘Tell the angels no, I don’t want to leave my baby alone.’ The track is a supplication for time, to love and be loved without interference or intrusion.” HEAVEN CAN WAIT Joseph Vogel MAN IN THE MUSIC

“WHATEVER HAPPENS narrates the story of two people who still love each other deeply, but fear their relationship is in peril. Whatever happens, don’t let go of my hand casting an uncertainty about the promises they make to each other. In the outro, Jackson continues to plead desperately, but finds no resolution.” Joseph Vogel MAN IN THE MUSIC

For me, DON’T WALK AWAY, is the most heart-wrenching love story I have ever heard. “Don’t walk away. See I just can’t find the right thing to say/ I try but all my pain gets in the way.” I cannot listen to that without feeling a pain in my heart, tears streaming down my face. Michael’s storytelling has evolved…a man creating out of deep emotional pain…telling of physical and emotional, intimate, lost love.

As in Heaven’s storytelling, the lovers have taken a journey traveling through time and space. And, as she includes the love of a parent and the love for humanity, so Michael’s music flowed into a more universal love affair.

‘SPEECHLESS was a love song about a pure, unconditional, safe kind of love he had never really sung about before (perhaps because he had never fully experienced it until he had children). YOU ARE MY LIFE…the song no doubt had personal significance for Jackson, whose two young children had brought new meaning to his life. Indeed, in many ways, it is the most honest musical expression of what his children meant to him.”

MAN IN THE MUSIC

Joseph Vogel

“‘You can do this, Michael,’ he silently told himself as he approached her with such love and joy in his heart. He held back tears that would surely make no sense to her. As he got closer, he tried to read her mood by the look on her face, as he’d done a thousand times before. She was staring at him. He worried that his overwhelming emotions betrayed his disguise, and he tried with all of his might to look professional and composed. ‘Daddy?'”

MICHAELUNA

Heaven Leigh

Michael’s connection to other people’s lives and his deeply felt caring are now legend to millions of people around the planet. With the passage of time, those who felt the need to keep Michael’s privacy have found an overwhelming desire to educate with stories of Michael’s tireless giving and unconditional love FOR EVERYONE. I can honestly say, there isn’t a day that goes by when I turn on my computer and discover another beautiful reminiscence. Today was no exception.

“In late May, 2009, I was with Michael when he was leaving Arnold Klein’s office in Beverly Hills. The hype was building about the THIS IS IT shows and there was a swarm of paparazzi outside the building. I was nervous about him being able to leave-the previous day had been a nasty experience both emotionally and physically; one photographer had shouted a question at him designed to be hurtful, then another had audibly banged Michael’s head with his over-sized camera. It had been truly unpleasant and Michael had no reason to be in a good mood after that.

Today, a woman Michael didn’t know had gotten into the doctor’s office. She was older and although I’d never seen her before, it seems she had a habit of chasing away paparazzi whenever she saw them near celebrities in L.A. When she met Michael, obviously for the first time, she was in tears almost hysterical, ranting to him incoherently and for no apparent reason kept saying ‘Please’ as if asking for help.

I’m ashamed to say, she was getting on my nerves. I could see he was tired and after the events of the day before, I was worried about him exiting the building safely. I hadn’t even really spoken to him for that reason. I just wanted him to get out of there and be safe. And, I’m looking at this woman hugging him and ranting in his face, I wished he would say, ‘I’m sorry, I have to go.’ put his own well-being first and walk away.

Not Michael. He stood in complete peace, stooped a little to look this older lady in the eyes and said in a low, kind voice that I remember too clearly, ‘Tell me what you need. What is it you need? How can I help you?’ Calmly, slowly, as if trying to instill with her some of his equilibrium. And still she couldn’t answer. She was just rambling because she couldn’t believe that she really met Michael Jackson, who most people saw as an untouchable icon, the greatest entertainer of all time, who had broken so many boundaries in a stellar career over the past 4 decades. She couldn’t believe that this man, who symbolized so much to her, had hugged her when she asked for a hug. And when she pleaded aimlessly for something, she couldn’t even identify, he gave her everything a person could ask for. He treated her with love, dignity and respect. He lowered his head, gave her his time and offered of himself, even though he had no idea who this hysterical person was or what she wanted.

He hadn’t dismissed her. He hadn’t thought of himself or how badly his bodyguards needed to get him out of that building and away from the throngs of photographers. THAT WAS MICHAEL.” Maria Crawford on Michael Jackson…one month before he passed away.

Life imitating art…art imitating life. Michael Jackson’s love spanned five decades taking on every form human beings understand. MICHAELUNA magically represents the man. The power of storytelling in word and music offer fantasy and reality…escapism and truth.

CELEBRATING HIS GENIUS AND HIS BEAUTIFUL HEART

Jude

MICHAELUNA by Heaven Leigh…Amazon.com

HIS tory

MYstory

YOURstory

OURstory

SHOW THE WORLD

Posted on May 8, 2014 by jrling

I Have This Dream

Some people say I live in a fantasy because I see the world differently. Visions come to me in my sleep. I close my eyes to see what God is showing me. Close your eyes and imagine with me. See the wonder of every living thing. If we can live the way it is in my dreams, love will take us to a place where God can be seen. This is my dream. I have this dream…I believe the world a place for all humanity. If we could take love to its highest level, more than the world has ever seen.

I have this dream

Let’s put God on display

Angel of love come my way.

It’s really up to you and me

Our world together in harmony.

In my dream I see Heaven and the face of the one perfect being

I see people turning into angels and God giving them their wings.

I have this dream

This, I believe

I believe the world’s a place for all humanity

If I could take love to its highest level

More than the world has ever seen,

I have this dream.

Michael Jackson

If we believe that “freedom is choosing your burden” (Hephzibah Menuhin), and, “Discontent and disorder are signs of energy and hope, not of despair” (Dame Cicely Veronica Wedgwood), then, Michael’s inexhaustible CRY for love and humanity in the world demands in our character… ACTION. “WHY SHOULD WE ALL USE OUR CREATIVE POWER? BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING THAT MAKES PEOPLE SO GENEROUS, JOYFUL, LIVELY, BOLD AND COMPASSIONATE TO INDIFFERENCE… TO FIGHTING AND ACCUMULATION OF OBJECTS AND MONEY” (Brenda Ueland). Within Michael’s character is an unlimited divine creativity which always, always, ALWAYS led to action. Mary Daly speaks to this when she says that creative potential itself in human beings is the image of God. Michael’s faith and trust in God and the potential of all living things to influence change, are a source of inspiration and hope, fueling a fire of passion around the globe. With increased education, our vistas expand with a force of love in enthusiastic and diverse responses. WE TAKE CREATIVE ACTION! “Just trust yourself, then you will know how to live.” (Goethe) Defying restrictions, actions reveal colors and choices and flavors …all deemed worthy. Unlimited imaginations mingle together as artists and wordsmiths and founders and lovers significantly change the world’s landscape.

THE DREAM CONTINUES

“CRY revisits a sentiment Jackson had been delivering his entire solo career. Its roots go back as far as the Old Testament as poet-prophets like Job and Jeremiah assessed a world of suffering, injustice, and despair and tried to find hope in the darkness. They also tried to provoke awareness and action. Similarly, Jackson ‘cries’ because he sees tragedy all around him and internalizes it. He sings of people barely holding on, not knowing when the pain will end; he sings of ‘stories buried and untold,’ of people ‘hiding the truth’; he sings of illusions and masks (‘faces filled with madness’, ‘people laugh when they’re feeling sad’), Then, in the chorus, he makes a plea (with listeners and himself) to somehow overcome. What connects us isn’t pretending the tragedy doesn’t exist, but seeing it for what it is and confronting it as a collective. As with previous anthems, it takes the help of the choir (symbolizing community) for him to find hope and resolve. The majestic call and response he engages in at the climax is classic Michael Jackson, demonstrating the purposeful communication that must take place if we are ever to ‘change the world'” MAN IN THE MUSIC Joseph Vogel

INVINCIBLE ALBUM

YOU CAN CHANGE THE WORLD (I CAN’T DO IT BY MYSELF)

YOU CAN TOUCH THE SKY (GONNA TAKE SOMEBODY’S HELP)

YOU’RE THE CHOSEN ONE (I’M GONNA NEED SOME KIND OF SIGN)

IF WE ALL CRY AT THE SAME TIME TONIGHT

CHANGE THE WORLD

Finding grace at our darkest moments, at moments of great pain, we collectively CRY. Michael’s message rings out in our minds and nourishes our souls renewing inspiration with a powerful gratefulness. We are refreshed in a JOI DE VIVRE knowing the love we share.

Angel Michael’s Message

I left the world to be with you

So that the world could better see

All that is in my heart is true

Now you must shine your light with me

To hold aloft a dream so real

A touch so soft the soul must feel

To be my voice to be my heart

And all that must be done-to start

Within each one lies dormant seeds

When love is watered then set free

We’ll reach what’s further than the sky

To help them heal for which they cry

For if your hearts can just believe

Souls will fly…will be released

Hold on-escape all doubting thought

A perfect gift to you is brought

You are the sparkle in my eyes

You are the freedom from all lies

A strange idea-that you’re earthlings

But hear my plea-of bliss I sing

We’ve journeyed on through time’s vast doors

I’ve held you once-or twice before

Release your fear and you will see

Angelic souls we’ll always be

Do not forget to laugh through tears

Hold your loved ones close and dear

And when they go to speak my name

You dare to dream-we’re all the same

We’ve laughed before-we’ll love again

So live in joy-today begin

I hear you, yes-each sigh, each breath

For love remembers all that’s best

In life we stumble-lose our way

No road is perfect-tolls are paid

But life is just a joker’s dance

A king’s a pauper at second glance

Perfection sits on love’s fair throne

Forgiveness is never alone

So light your way with others’ dreams

Make their lives better than they seem

You’ll feel a glow inside yourself

When others fall, your hand will help

You’ll listen to their deepest cries

“Love me, for I am you inside”

MichaeLove Always

Heaven Leigh

ANGEL MICHAEL ORACLES

“His laugh was the sweetest and purest I’ve ever heard.” Brooke Shields Today, we will laugh and we may cry. We are joined and comforted by the love we share, each with our own interpretation. And, when we dare to dream…WE WILL SHOW THE WORLD. I love you, Michael. I love you, Dear Friends.

Jude

HIS tory

MYstory

YOURstory

OURstory

IN THE LIGHT

Posted on April 8, 2014 by jrling

When I’m with you I’m in the light where I cannot be found,

It’s as though I’m standing in a place called hallowed ground.

Speechless. Speechless

That’s how you make me feel.

MICHAEL JACKSONhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6VCEY2ExL8

There is a spirit that lives in the hearts of those who refuse to see an absence of light in the world. Refusing to accept stumbling, narrow-minded cynicism as a constant companion, whose criticism is bound-up in the dark, those seeking the light are set free…set free to discover second chances to live deliberately. I am often reminded of Michael turning over the beetles that had fallen on their backs saying that everyone deserves a second chance. Second chances offer opportunity for change, opportunity to rediscover personal gifts and put them to use deliberately, seeking to heal the world and make it a better place for those who can give, and, those who cannot. Within this spirit lives the ability to forgive. During his History World Tour, Michael created powerful drama while performing EARTH SONG. After bringing the audience to a collective passion, a tank was brought onto the stage with an armed soldier emerging from it. Michael chose to bring this intense scene to an end with the soldier putting down his weapon, falling to his knees, weeping. A child walked to him, reaching out with a small hand and a flower. FORGIVENESS and setting us free…a second chance. Without the newness of that renewed light, all would be lost, we would die.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buCdGwH2Efc

Michael profoundly believed in people. He profoundly believed that the message delivered by music has the power to heal. He believed in the collective power for change. He believed in unconditional love. He believed in forgiveness.

“Michael Jackson sometimes compared the reciprocal energy of a performance to a Frisbee…’you hold it, you touch it, and you whip it back.’ Audiences, he believed, were more than passive spectators; they were a vibrant community, composed of all ages, races, religions, and cultures, standing shoulder to shoulder, temporarily bound up in the collective spell of his music, imagining the world anew. ‘You can take them anywhere,’ he effused. This was his gift as an artist; the ability to dissolve into the stories, the emotions, the MAGIC of his music-and to take masses of people from all walks of life with him. He called this creative bond many things over the years; escapism, entertainment, showmanship, art. But ultimately, for Jackson, it was about sharing and receiving love.”

MAN IN THE MUSIC

Joseph Vogel

2011

This vibrant community continues its journey. Those of us who PAY MICHAEL FORWARD each and every day do it in layers…each of us using our second chances with our unique gifts. If the light begins to dim and we begin to feel small, we turn to Michael. HE IS OUR JOLT.

“Something needs to put a jolt back in the music industry, and the only thing that can do that is the jolt itself, the energy that sparked the imagination of kids (like me) in the first place.”

Will.i.am

Of course, he was referring to Michael Jackson. We understand. Michael knew that if you made a great piece of art, people would want it. “I always want to do music that inspires or influences another generation…I give my all to my work, I want it to just live.” Michael Jackson

“Jackson was already reluctant to do a project that looked backward.” The Dangerous Era Joseph Vogel MAN IN THE MUSIC

Michael did not want to repeat himself. His imaginative visions were unlimited. At the conclusion of the BAD Era, Michael knew it was time to completely assume every aspect of his art. “Michael was not angry with Quincy. He has always had an admiration for him and an immense respect. But with DANGEROUS, Michael wanted to control the creative process from A to z. Simply put, he wanted to be his own boss.” Brad Buxer, Joseph Vogel.

“The two New York Madison Square Garden concerts sold out within hours. Nearly the entire entertainment industry came out to witness the ‘big comeback’ and to pay homage. ‘I think that it just shows how hungry everybody is for Michael.’ Kelly Rowland”

MAN IN THE MUSIC

Joseph Vogel

HUNGRY FOR MICHAEL JACKSON. We must admit, that is currently the hot topic. Anticipating XSCAPE, the entire world is witnessing MICHAEL FEVER. Cynicism in the media with critics already narrow-mindedly bound-up by their low-ceiling imaginations and myth agendas…debates among Fans…to be sure, the world knows an album is due out in May. For me, I, happily, will listen to the album and decide for myself. I remember the discussion of the release of BAD as I watched the BAD 25 Documentary. Critics were poised then to tear it apart. So, what else is new? “Critics think they know the way…but, they do not know how to drive the car!” I LOVE THAT.

So, what do we know for sure? TELL US, MICHAEL!

I love great music. It has no color, it has no boundaries.

Music is tapestry. It’s different layers, it’s weaving in and out, and if you look at it in layers, you understand it better.

I believe in perfection and I try to create that in everything I do. We never seem to totally get there, but I believe in perfect execution. And when we don’t get at least 99.9 percent, I get really upset.

I think it’s going to be totally different than what I did before. The idea is to take it a step forward and to innovate or else why am I doing it? I don’t want to be just another can in the assembly line.

I’m writing music, and ideas are coming to me and I can’t turn them off.

I think I haven’t scratched the surface yet of what my real purpose is for being here. I’m committed to my art. I believe that all art has as its ultimate goal the union between the material and the spiritual, the human and the divine. And I believe that that is the very reason for the existence of art and what I do. And I feel fortunate in being that instrument through which music flows.

I’m never satisfied with anything. After I’ve cut a track, I’ll come home and say ‘oh no, that’s not right,’ and you just go back and back and back.

“According to Rolling Stone, Michael had 62 songs written and wanted to release 33 of them as a triple album.” BAD Album 1987. The hunger for Michael will not end. We will enjoy his enormous catalog, his breath-taking performances, his wearable art…the powerful glow of his light will last forever. XSCAPE will be dissected and debated, as all posthumous works of art are…but, I think many will agree, that Michael lives inside it. AND, WE ARE HUNGRY FOR MICHAEL.

Thank you, Vibrant Community, for the individual glow of many colors which collectively burn as one. I love you.

Jude

HIS tory

MYstory

YOURstory

OURstory

HOW THE STORY ENDS

Posted on March 28, 2014 by jrling

“INVINCIBLE is just as good or better than Thriller, in my true, humble opinion. It has more to offer. Music is what lives and lasts. INVINCIBLE has been a great success. When the Nutcracker Suite was first introduced to the world it totally bombed. WHAT’S IMPORTANT IS HOW THE STORY ENDS.”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tkj2vL19J3g

Michael Jackson

Best Album of the Decadehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juZVW5lYb8k

Billboard Magazine

“BUT, I DON’T FEEL THAT WAY…THOSE PROBLEMS AREN’T ‘OUT THERE,’ NOT REALLY. I FEEL THEM INSIDE ME. A CHILD CRYING IN ETHIOPIA, A SEA GULL STRUGGLING PATHETICALLY IN AN OIL SPILL, A MOUNTAIN GORILLA BEING MERCILESSLY HUNTED, A TEENAGE SOLDIER TREMBLING WITH TERROR WHEN HE HEARS PLANES FLY OVER: AREN’T THESE HAPPENING TO ME WHEN I SEE AND HEAR ABOUT THEM?”

Michael Jackson

DANCING THE DREAM

This morning, my need was great to turn to the music that lives and lasts in my psyche. I yearned to sing at the top of my voice and move with Michael’s rhythmic layers. Someone said if you ask me what is my favorite Michael Jackson album I would say that it would be as if you asked what is the favorite breath I’ve taken. That answer fits me. Each experience offers inspiration for the moment at hand. This morning, I needed to be moved to another level and so I wept as I sang “I just don’t know the right thing to say…I try but all my pain gets in the way.” My body then wildly danced to “Threatened” as I spit the words out into the air hoping to hit a nearby “journalist.” My heart ached for “The Lost Children.” And, then, there was “CRY.” Michael makes a lot of classics. “CRY” is one of them. As with all of Michael’s anthems, our hearts are captured and our souls won. With each phrase emotions build, our bodies join the dance and we are moved as one voice to join Michael’s worldwide movement of love. All the world’s problems become a part of us when we are in Michael’s arms. Instead of being a spectator, we yearn to make a little space to make a better place and try to heal our world. Michael does that to us.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj3MfUR35CM

“CRY revisits a sentiment Michael Jackson had been delivering his entire solo career. He cries because he sees tragedy all around him and internalizes it. He sings of people barely holding on, not knowing when the pain will end; he sings of ‘stories buried and untold’ of people ‘hiding the truth’; he sings of illusions and masks (‘faces filled with madness’; people laugh when they’re feeling sad”). Then, in the chorus, he makes a plea (with his listeners and with himself) to somehow overcome. What connects us isn’t pretending the tragedy doesn’t exist, but seeing it for what it is and confronting is as a collective. Released shortly after 9/11, CRY was exactly the kind of song that was needed in such a devastating moment. The core of the song is much deeper, looking inward and outward at the same time, and offering no easy answers. As a lamentation, it conveys the ‘sound of trauma.’ Listen to the desolate wind blow in the beginning and the slow, aching drumbeat. It conveys an alienation that recalls the intro to STRANGER IN MOSCOW. Jackson’s vocals are not celebratory, but melancholy and restrained. As with previous anthems, it takes the help of the choir (symbolizing community) for him to find hope and resolve. The majestic call and response he engages in at the climax is classic Michael Jackson, demonstrating the purposeful communication that must take place if we are ever to ‘change the world’.”

MAN IN THE MUSIC

JOSEPH VOGEL

Over the years, I have collected dozens of wonderful books giving me vast amounts of information to PAY MICHAEL FORWARD. MAN IN THE MUSIC is one that I return to time and time again when I am looking for brilliant assessments of Michael’s artistry. I have become a student of Joseph Vogel’s books. I might be a little embarrassed if he ever saw the condition each is in, for they are written on, and have sticky notes coming from all their pages. For me, his dedicated research and stunning writing educates the amateur music student that I am. He sees the artist and the musical genius clearly.

ONCE WE WERE THERE

BEFORE THE BEGINNING, BEFORE THE VIOLENCE

BEFORE THE ANGUISH OF THE BROKEN SILENCE

A THOUSAND LONGINGS, NEVER UTTERED

PANGS OF SORROW, BRUTALLY SMOTHERED

BUT I HAVE CHOSEN TO BREAK AND BE FREE

CUT THOSE TIES, SO I CAN SEE

THOSE BONDS THAT IMPRISONED ME IN MEMORIES OF PAIN

THOSE JUDGMENTS, INTERPRETATIONS THAT CLUTTERED MY BRAIN

THOSE FESTERING WOUNDS THAT LINGERED HAVE GONE

IN THEIR PLACE A NEW LIFE HAS DAWNED

THAT LONELY CHILD, STILL CLUTCHING HIS TOY

HAS MADE HIS PEACE, DISCOVERED HIS JOY

WHERE TIME IS NOT, IMMORTALITY’S CLEAR

WHERE LOVE ABOUNDS, THERE IS NO FEAR

THE CHILD HAS GROWN TO WEAVE HIS MAGIC

LEFT BEHIND

HIS LIFE OF SORROW, ONCE SO TRAGIC

HE IS NOW, READY TO SHARE

READY TO LOVE, READY TO CARE

UNFOLD HIS HEART, WITH NOTHING TO SPARE

JOIN HIM NOW, IF YOU DARE

Michael Jackson

DANCING THE DREAM

Together, My Dear Friends, we are ready to care, unfolding our hearts and joining Michael as WE ALL CRY AT THE SAME TIME TONIGHT. He is inside each of us, his music lasts and his message is forever. I love you.

Jude

HIS tory

MYstory

YOURstory

OURstory

MAESTRO

Posted on March 21, 2014 by jrling

MAESTRO…a master of any art, especially a great composer or teacher of music

“PEOPLE ASK ME HOW I MAKE MUSIC. I TELL THEM I JUST STEP INTO IT. IT’S LIKE STEPPING INTO A RIVER AND JOINING THE FLOW. EVERY MOMENT IN THE RIVER HAS ITS SONG. SO, I STAY IN THE MOMENT AND LISTEN.”

DANCING THE DREAM

Michael Jackson

1992

“As I said before, in those early days ‘The Corporation’ at Motown produced and shaped all our music. I remember lots of times when I felt the song should be sung one way and the producers felt it should be sung another way. But, for a long time I was very obedient and wouldn’t say anything about it. Finally it reached a point where I got fed up with being told exactly how to sing. This was in 1972 when I was fourteen years old, around the time of the song ‘Lookin’ Through the Windows.’ They wanted me to sing a certain way, and I knew they were wrong. No matter what age you are, if you have it and you know it, then people should listen to you. I was furious with our producers and very upset. So I called Berry Gordy and complained. I said that they had always told me how to sing, and I had agreed all this time, but now they were getting too…mechanical. So he came into the studio and told them to let me do what I wanted to do. And after that, I started adding a lot of vocal twists that they really ended up liking. I’d do a lot of ad-libbing, like twisting words or adding some edge to them.”

MOONWALK

Michael Jackson

1988

Today, I want to step into the river and go with the flow…the river being a study of Michael Jackson… MAESTRO…the flow being language that gives sparkles of definition of genius. I will touch on sparkles coming from the Master himself. And, there will be sparks coming from those whose lives were touched by the light. To be sure, those of you who are Michaelers will delight in familiar waters. To your surprise, however, you may discover some new territory. Either way, “IF YOU WANT TO BE CLOSE TO ME, LISTEN TO MY MUSIC. THE LOVE IS STORED THERE.” (MJ) Returning to great artistry reaffirms magical and wondrous elements of living. THE MORE WE EXPERIENCE MICHAEL JACKSON…THE GREATER THE LOVE.

“I asked him why he didn’t learn to read music and he replied: God had given him this gift and he was afraid that learning too much about the intellectual side of music would mess it up.” George Atwell

“His genius as a musician is that he thinks of sounds in terms of images; his genius as a singer is that he creates melodic lines that evoke body lines; his genius as a producer is that he imagines a song as a concert.” MJJJustice Projecthttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZUDYxo2Sso

“But I do love achieving goals. I love not only reaching a mark I’ve set for myself but exceeding it. Doing more than I thought I could, that’s a great feeling.” He wanted to innovate sonically. It took over 800 multitrack tapes to create BAD. He has precise musical instincts. He has an entire record in his head and he tries to make people deliver and augment what he hears, but really his job is to extract from musicians and producers and engineers what he hears when he wakes up in the morning. When he did do vocals, beyond his lead work, it was always a pleasure to listen to this man lay background harmonies. His voice was truly unique. Really pure tone, and great intonation. He heard music in everything. Michael loved finding new sounds that the human ear had never heard. Michael wanted everything to sound original. These were lofty goals, but then, Jackson was never one to aim low. A HALL OF SOUND.” Taken from Joseph Vogel MAN IN THE MUSIC 2011

“I LIKE TO TAKE SOUNDS AND PUT THEM UNDER THE MICROSCOPE AND JUST TALK ABOUT HOW WE WANT TO MANIPULATE THE CHARACTER OF IT.” Even during the trial in 2005, he continued to work on new material. He said writing new songs was therapeutic, and he was working on new ideas whenever he could. MAN IN THE MUSIC Joseph Vogel

“Michael had the ability to sing all the notes in a chord that he wanted. Jeff would play something and Michael would agree, or not. They worked out the arrangement and recorded it at the Hit Factory. Jeff stayed in the live room to record the guitar and Michael sat between me and Bruce at the console with just a mic and sang it straight down. Michael nailed it. That’s how that song lived for a long time, just the vocal and the guitar. For me and maybe for all his fans, that’s all we want to hear. His voice is so perfect that sometimes you just want to hear it simply with an acoustic guitar.”

(What impressed you most about Michael?) “A couple of things: Obviously his musicality, he can sing or beat box anything. When he sang a melody it was very clear and you could hear exactly what he wanted. Of course his work ethic never waned even though he was dealing with some serious personal and business issues. He was genuine, happy and responsive to people’s input. He knew what he wanted and had a drive for perfection but never came across as a slave driver. You don’t find that in a single other individual. We never saw him angry or bitter or upset. It was just a process for him to tell a story to his fans.” Rob Hoffman HIS tory and Blood on the Dance Floor

“The biggest lesson I learned from working with Michael and all the others was the importance of a team effort: collaborate to create the best! To be part of that team is a treasure to me and a privilege.” Matt Forger

MUSIC AND ME

“Tired? No, you can’t stop moving. If you stop moving you stop learning, and if you stop learning you stop producing. If you stop producing, you’re dead. If you tire out you’re forgotten. So you don’t get tired.” Michael Jackson 1976

“He was in the booth and he was singing his butt off. And after every take he was like, ‘Sorry, sorry.’ And I looked back and I’m like, ‘What is he saying sorry for?’ I look at Akon, and RedOne is in the room, and we are like, ‘It sounds amazing!’ And we already had goose bumps. And it wasn’t just because it was Michael Jackson, it was because he was singing his butt off! He was so well-practiced and so good at singing that even when he thought he wasn’t doing so well, his chops and delivery were way better than anybody we’ve ever dealt with.” Mark Goodchild

“One of the things he always told me was don’t be afraid to be different. In other words, when you have that desire, the drive, people are going to try to pull you away from that, and pull you closer to the pack to be ‘normal.’ And he was saying it’s O.K. to be that driven: it’s O.K. to be obsessed with what you want to do. That’s perfectly fine. Don’t be afraid to not deviate from that. One of the books that he gave me that helped him communicate with me was JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGUL., which was about that.” Kobe Bryant

“A lot of hard work, discipline and love, and learning about the craft and loving it. Time. Sacrificing your time, and your scheduling. Your childhood, giving up your life for the medium. I think I would re-experience these sacrifices, though. I think I would. It is very much worth it. I have always loved show business and have always enjoyed making people happy through that medium. I love the celebration of music and dance and art. I just love it.” Michael Jackson 2008

“LET THE SONG CREATE ITSELF. LET IT TELL YOU WHERE TO GO.” Michael Jackson

“He studied me at the time and I could tell he was studying me. I’d be maybe explaining something to them. I could tell the way he had his eyes fixated on my mouth, you know, and how he was listening to every word, he was focused. And even when I turned my back, the other kids might be playing with each other, their instruments, or hitting each other, doing what, and I would turn around and Michael was staring right at me.” Berry Gordy

“DANCING IS THE MOST WONDERFUL THINGS OF ALL TIME BECAUSE PEOPLE COMMUNICATED THROUGH BODILY MOVEMENT BEFORE ANYTHING…DANCING IS REALLY SHOWING YOUR EMOTIONS THROUGH BODILY MOVEMENT…WHEN I DANCE, I REALLY FEEL IT, I FEEL FREE, AND I DO WHAT I FEEL. NOTHING LIKE BEING ON STAGE, YOU CAN’T PUT IT INTO WORDS.” Michael Jackson 1984http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paMZBerFc1I

I feel the river surge with language defining a maestro as I strike each character. Warm tears sparkle over my cheeks. I feel Michael teaching me how to live my life. These stories offer layers of understanding as I learn from the Master. MICHAEL JACKSON…MAESTRO. Thank you for changing my life. I love you.

Jude

HIS tory

MYstory

YOURstory

OURstory

A LOVE AFFAIR FOR ALL TIME

Posted on February 16, 2014 by jrling

FEBRUARY 7, 1989 CLEVELAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Stockton, California

“Michael Jackson paid a visit to Cleveland Elementary School to see the children and families affected by the massacre which occurred on January 17, 1989. Michael had just returned from his BAD World Tour. He arrived at the school to comfort the surviving children by giving them confidence to view the world more positively after such a traumatic experience. He visited two children who were still hospitalized and met with other children in a nearby church. Fans gathered outside the hospital and church and school. Michael handed out gifts to each child and autographed pictures and, BAD “T” shirts and BAD cassettes. Patrick Prudy may have destroyed lives that day, but MJ’s presence helped bring more attention and compassion to the victims than anybody else on planet Earth could have done. Five children had been murdered and 39 injured. Michael visited every classroom, parents of the children at a nearby church, and the hospital. Eight-year-old Thahn Gran, who had lost a little brother during the massacre spoke about the affects of Michael’s visit. “I didn’t want to go back to school, but, Michael made it all right again. If he goes there, it must be safe. Michael is my friend and I’m very glad.” District Support Team

In addition, Michael visits the injured and parents of the dead children offering words of sympathy, signing plaster casts of wounded children while chatting and joking. Afterwards, Michael said to the children in the hospital, “You are very brave. When you are better, perhaps you will come and visit my private zoo.” Vice Mayor of Stockton, Ron Coale, had this to say about Michael’s goodwill visits, “Words cannot say how much turmoil this town has been through the past few months. Michael Jackson’s visit has helped us to try and overcome it a little.” MJJJustice Project

To be sure, we all have experienced momentary love, that love that seems to be real, but quickly evaporates in disappointment. The duration of time varies, but, the feelings of betrayal in the end remain the same. Love that stands the test of time is multilayered in its scope. If the initial racing of the heart and lump in the throat lessen, deeper levels appear that hold us in their soothing grip. The stronger the love, the more abundant the layers. “Michaelove”, Heaven Leigh’s beautiful word, is described by Michael as, “…the wonderful feeling you get when your soul is lifted up to become pure love.” When speaking of the Black Tradition, he said, “The Black Tradition is a tradition of soul which is a gift of love and joy…soul is the most precious thing you can share because you’re sharing yourself and the world needs that gift now more than ever.”

This love affair that Michael Jackson has with hundreds of millions of people is complicated in the extreme. E.M.Billeaudeaux describes it as “an intimate connection on so many levels.” Its ripple effect is endless. “Just when you think you know him, he gives you more!” That is how Elizabeth Taylor described it. David Nordahl said, “Sitting and talking to Michael, I would look into those eyes and I could see 1,000 miles.” Michael’s Dangerous Album cover art includes those eyes…”It was supposed to be like a vision into my soul, looking into my soul,” Michael said.

“I don’t worship Michael, but I do accept his divine significance in the history of our planet. I also love him with everything God has given me and recognize an eternal connection to him.”

MICHAEL IN MY LIFE

Elizabeth Michelle Billeaudeaux

Michael’s iconic vocal performance, both lead and background vocals, captured hearts all around the globe. His astounding ability to write breath-taking imaginative and unique musical compositions kept hearts beating wildly. Visually, his amazingly good looks, “his body was his instinctual canvas. He was a dancer to the core.” (Joseph Vogel) kept audiences wanting more and more. Quincy Jones said he was “unlimited musically.” His innovative, cutting edge storytelling both in vocal and visual performances have no equal. The world of his imagination had no boundaries. HE IS MAGIC, and WE CANNOT GET ENOUGH. Such lovely layers. So many reasons to be in love. YouTube numbers, record and DVD sales since Michael left us have been greater than any LIVING artist. When Michael walked the planet, he captured more awards, sold more records, garnered greater audiences than anyone else on the planet in the history of popular music.

We are so in love. But, there is more. Look back to the story we began with today. It is not a unique tale for Michael Jackson. It is an example of the massive number of visits Michael made to help rescue children, heal the planet, spread the love. His unlimited, unequalled humanitarian efforts are becoming legend, taking the place of adolescent myth-media disinformation. Now, we are getting to deeper layers of love. Looking at books compiled by Fans: IT’S ALL ABOUT LOVE, A LIFE FOR LOVE, (Brigitte Bloemen, Marian Dobler, Miram Lohr, Sonja Winterholler), MICHAEL JACKSON FOR THE SOUL( Lorette C. Luzajic), LETTERS TO MICHAEL, A COLLECTIVE GOODBYE (Alana m. Thomas) their numbers growing daily. We are now seeing THE NEW MEDIA coming to life as Fans express their love in so many ways. That soothing grip elevates the soul to become pure love.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj3MfUR35CM&list=RD-oCCnxBos10

“WHAT IS FOR CERTAIN IS THAT HE DESERVES MORE FROM THIS WORLD. I AM STANDING UP FOR HIM, AS MANY OTHERS ARE, REGARDLESS OF ANY AND ALL BACKLASH. I BELIEVE THAT ONE DAY THERE WILL BE AN ABUNDANCE OF BOOKS AVAILABLE, DETAILING COUNTLESS STORIES OF HIS DISCIPLES AND SOLDIERS OF LOVE AND THEIR PERSONAL CONNECTIONS TO MY SWEET MICHAEL…OUR SWEET MICHAEL.”

E.M. Billeaudeaux

You see, Fans around the world have fallen in love with Michael Jackson’s multilayered talents and character and humanity. We are drawn to a life lived with the intention to heal the planet with unconditional love. Our souls have been awakened like never before. It is not a passive kind of love. We are actively loving. And, that love transfers its energy to a world greatly in need.

WILL YOU BE THERE?

Michael Jackson

Hold me like the river Jordan

And I will then say to thee

You are my friend

Carry me like you are my brother

Love me like a mother

Will you be there?

When weary tell me will you hold me?

When wrong will you mold me?

When lost will you find me?

But they told me a man should be faithful

And walk when unable

And fight till the end

But I’m only human

Everyone’s trying to control me

Seems that the world’s got a role for me

I’m so confused

Will you show to me

You’ll be there for me

And care enough to bear me?

Hold me, show me

Lay your head lowly

Gently and boldly

Carry me there

I’m only humanhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiwqxWT4CKw

The depth of being in love is carried in Michael’s words. An unbreakable bond has been formed. Millions of hands join together and stretch the length and width of this planet in his name.

TRUTH SEEKER…SPEAK TRUTH-HEALING COMMUNICATIONS

ANGEL MICHAEL ORACLES

Channeled by HEAVEN LEIGH

Illustrations by MIMI O’GARREN

“I’m going to give you some amazing secrets that hide in my songs for all to hear. And they are not really secrets. They may be things that you have forgotten, but they live within your heart. I want to say this too, to those who are hearing my voice and feeling compelled to write it out-it’s me. I write through loving, sweet, otherwise shy ones. I compel you to open up and reach out to share my message. And for those who don’t feel the compulsion to write-are you feeling driven to help others, heal the world by giving to charities? Those who may have never felt this before are doing this now to honor me. I am deeply touched that I have this effect on you.”

“THOUGH WE’RE FAR APART, YOU ARE ALWAYS IN MY HEART…YOU ARE NOT ALONE.” Michael Jackson

And so, My Dear Friends, this magical love affair moves toward its sixth decade. It takes on many beautiful faces, a variety of gifts and is strengthened by souls lifted up to pure love. Its power comes from Michael. He has lovingly given the blueprint for change. He has provided the outline. We will paint in the colors.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlpU08DkJ7g

I love you more.

Jude

HIS tory

MYstory

YOURstory

OURstory

Michael Jackson Chosen Voices

MY INSPIRATION AND MY HOPE

Tag Archives: MAN IN THE MUSIC

BEYOND NOW AND FOREVERMORE

INTIMACY

THE IMMERSION PROJECT~Michael Jackson Tapestry [Love in many forms]

ART IMITATES LIFE

SHOW THE WORLD

IN THE LIGHT

HOW THE STORY ENDS

MAESTRO

A LOVE AFFAIR FOR ALL TIME