Saying hi at August's goodbye.

Hello folks,

It's been awhile since you heard from me last, so I thought I'd check up on everyone, wave hello, and say that I'm still breathing. =) You know, it's always nice when amidst a lot of the garbage on our TV screens, radio airwaves and in movie theatres, something really great shines through. I must make mention of two things that have brought a big smile to my face lately. First, the film Hustle And Flow is fantastic. If you haven't seen it, please do. Not only is it a searing depiction of the lives lived by this amazing array of heartbreaking characters, but it's also actually a really good look at the journey of an indie artist trying to find his artistic voice and break into the music business. Terrence Howard is deserving of an Oscar nomination for a portrayal that riveted me every moment he was on-screen, and the film's soundtrack is fierce. My sister and I couldn't stop singing the songs for a solid week after seeing it.

Secondly, I am positively, shamelessly enamored with Rock Star: INXS. That show is freakin' fantastic. I watched the first episode out of curiosity when I heard that women were eligible and T.O. native Tara Sloan had made the cut. I was hooked right out of the gate. Out of all the musical reality shows, this one is by far the best produced, the least contrived and the one actually oozing real talent. (Remember Making The Band and its creation of musical juggernaut O-Town? Good Lord...) Anyway, Rock Star has managed to get me totally excited and emotionally invested every single week. The last two weeks were especially difficult, as two wonderful chicks had their runs come to an end. There are so many reasons why I love this show. Great artists, valuable clinics & critiques, an endearing host in Brooke Burke (who i admit to making a lot of unfair assumptions about before the show began), real artistry, authentic emotion, a killer house band... someone of the performances have blown me away. If you haven't watched it yet, check out show night tomorrow at 10 and results night on Wednesday at 9. It's just a real breath of fresh air and I'm completely in love with it.

Moving on... on a personal note, it continues to be a very difficult year. There's been a lot of struggle, but I'm hangin' in and hangin' on. I spent several months with no inclination to compose, which hasn't happened since I began writing songs when I was 15. The melodies never stopped running amok in my head - they're always there - but I had no desire to grab a hold of them and get them on tape. Similarly, lyrical phrases would flash in front of me in neon lights and I wouldn't write them down. It was strange. I became very insulated, and remain that way even now to some degree. Still I trust that despite the difficulties, I'm where I'm supposed to be and won't fully understand the purpose of this period until I can look at it in the rearview mirror. I'm pleased to say, however, that I began writing again in June and it's been such a necessary release for me. I spend a lot of time at the piano these days... thank God for my rudimentary rants and respites. I feel like I'm in a mine a lot of the time. It's dark and cold and cramped, but it's deep and it's where the gold is... And so I keep digging, hoping that my shovel hits the buried treasure soon. I hope yours hits it too.

Much love, Tanisha