Some recent activity...

Let's see:

So, I got new headshots. Beautiful, right?! (Two of them are visible on this page.) I'm referring not so much to the subject matter (although she is impossible to ignore!) as to the photographer, Jessica Siemens. I met Jessica through a friend a couple of years ago and I'm so glad I decided to let her take my new publicity photos. Jessica has been photographing professionally for a long time, so it was surprising to see how organically she works, all up close in natural light. She captures the real you. Take a look at the mini portfolios on her website, and LIKE the Jessica Siemens Photography Facebook page. She's a very cool person and charges very reasonable rates for amazing work. I am so pleased!

Uptown Crew is all over Monticello Avenue these days. I'm hosting our Open Mic every 2nd and 4th Thursday at Moore's Lounge, 189 Monticello Avenue. Moore's has become something of a second home for me, especially since it's practically around the corner from where I live. I'm happy to see that the UC Open Mic has brought new attention and business to this 40+ year community establishment.

Besides Uptown Crew's open mics, Moore's is famous for live jazz. My whole neighborhood, from Journal Square down to Communipaw, West Side Avenue to Monticello, probably has the highest concentration of world-class jazz musicians, and live jazz performances, in all of New Jersey! I'm not kidding -- it's amazing.

So...I'm co-producing a jazz showcase of three live bands at Moore's with two veteran producers and live music professionals: Nick Ciavatta, a highly accomplished singer/songwriter in his own right, an outstanding voice-over artist (you have heard him many times!), and CEO of Friggin Fabulous Productions, and world music expert Neva Wartell, aka DJ Neva, an ethnomusicologist and the brilliant mind behind the Music for the Masses movement. The June 3 show is called JC Originals Jazz, it's part of JC Fridays, and it's going to be amazing!

Inspired by hanging around some super talent singer-songwriters over the past half a year, I've written three new songs in 2011. Nothing on audio/video yet, but come out to one of the Uptown Crew Open Mics and you're likely to hear one of them. I have a new cover too, an old Percy Sledge favorite of mine: At the Dark End of the Street.

I've been cast in a new off-off-Broadway one-act play...Galileo the Musical opens June 8 as part of the Planet Connections Festivity in New York City. This annual theatrical festival focuses on works with an environmental theme. Galileo the Musical jumps from the present, where scientist John Holden attempts to convince Congress that global warming is a real and present danger back to the court of Pope Urban where Galileo attempts to convince the clergy that the earth is not really the center of the universe. Both gentlemen suffer sad rebuke. It's a great play, and I'm super pleased to be involved with such talented people! Being in this production has given me the opportunity I've been looking for: It's made me refocus on my legit singing, what with all the vocal pyrotechnics! Come if you can, and please donate to our fundraising campaign - even $5 makes a difference. Galileo the Musical is a _gaia production.

I'm also working on a spoken word CD. We're in editing mode, and an awesome artist is on board for the artwork. Sorry...can't say too much about it now, but this CD should be available for purchase within the next few months.

Other than that, I'm focused on my domesticity, my heart, and bringing Uptown Crew to the next level - we're working on our 501(c)3 application! Please, LIKE our Facebook page and, if you can, make a donation to support our ongoing activities. We've got a lot in store for the next twelve months, and we need your help -- THE CREW IS YOU!


A life well lived is my wish for us all.

Expectation Fail

(c) 2011
by Trish Szymanski


And it is too familiar
this disappointing
hard wishing

i've dusted myself off again
and understand too clearly that it
has to go this way

so maybe this is what this has been for
for me to practice knowing
unequivocally
what i don't want

but still
because i love
i want so much for you

if only
i were the one
inside of you
doing the wanting

Please stop chatting me

by Trish Szymanski
(c) May 2011



hi.
hi. I can't chat with you.
ok.
i'm too angry.
You're too angry to chat?
Yes
wow
yeah, wow
I don't know what you want me to say
yeah, I know that too and remember, I can't chat with you.
You're not being fair
excuse me?
Oh ok nevermind you are right
I am sorry to have to say this but I do. You are so lame.
Nice
honest
guess I can count on that
more than I can
ok. that's fair.
There's nothing fair about this whole thing. Please stop chatting me.
Ok



hi.
hi. I can't chat with you.
ok.
i'm too angry.
You're too angry to chat?
Yes
wow
yeah, wow
look, I am not saying any of this right, I know, but i'm going to try again, anyway. You are right. I am a mess. I knew that, as you know, because I said it, and it was more of a warning than anything else, I swear. I really was just trying to head you off at the pass because I did not want this again. And here it is anyway and, I don't know what else to say. Ugh. I mean you are right and I am going to do something about it.
What are you going to do?
I am not sure yet, and I know that's not good enough, but i'm telling you right now, I am. I am going to get some kind of - help. I don't know. But I am.
ok.
I don't want to lose you. This is nuts. I can't go on like this.
Ok then.
You're going to see.
Keep me posted.
I will. I promise.
Please stop chatting me.
Ok



hi.
hi. I can't chat with you.
ok.
i'm too angry.
You're too angry to chat?
Yes
wow
yeah, wow
baby, don't be mad at me. You know how I get sometimes. Look, I am sorry. I really am. You gotta know I love you, right? I do. I love you so much, baby. I can't live without you. I didn't mean to hurt you, you know that, right? Baby? R u there? What u drop your phone or something? yo. Oh shit. You're really mad at me, right? Listen, don't be like that. Dude. Baby. What
you fucking asswipe please stop chatting me.
Ok



hi.
hi. I can't chat with you.
ok.
i'm too angry.
You're too angry to chat?
Yes
wow
yeah, wow
god, I am so sorry.
Yeah, I bet you are. Sorry you got caught.
Fair enough. Yes. Because it was like a slap across the face.
Now you know how I felt.
Fair again.
And not really anyway
ok true
because your slap was well deserved. What did I ever do to you? Look, I don't want to get into it. I really can't chat with you, i'm too angry. Really.
ok. can we chat some other time then or talk on the phone?
I don't know maybe
ok
Please stop chatting me.
Ok


***Disclaimer: This poem bears no resemblance in any way to any chat or text exchange between myself and any real person/s at the present time or in the past. That's part of what makes it a poem, I would say.