2011 Draws To A Close

I’ve never been a fan of the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day.  It always seems that the world stops spinning – or at least slows down – for the entire time.  While that’s not so bad for a little bit, I’m usually ready for the world to “start spinning” again well before it actually does.  Some of that has to do with my own version of “Buddy’s Blues”.  I’ve never been great at simply relaxing and doing nothing for long – except, of course, when I can’t relax or do nothing, in which case it’s all I can think about doing!

As luck would have it, I’ve had plenty to occupy me this year – rewrites, meetings, putting songs I’ve written down on paper – not to mention things like errands and bill paying and other all the other glamorous parts of being in show business.  But, to keep myself from having too much relaxation, I thought I’d take this time to look back on 2011 here in the old web site blog. 

It has been a busy year for me – the reading of my musical The Distant Bells at the Roundabout in March, continued writing of my new dance number for Radio City throughout the year, all of the work from start to finish on my Out of Context: The Songs of Michael Patrick Walker, and my first meetings up to the completion of the first draft of the new original musical I’m writing with Rick Elice. 

When I put it all in one block like that, it sounds like a very busy year – and it was.  But I’m struck by the fact that, before I wrote this blog, I was thinking I wished I had done more in 2011.  Funny how our perception of things can be different when we’re in the midst of them as opposed to being “outside” them.  Which, really, is my thought for the end of 2011 and the start of 2012.  It’s hard to appreciate things or to keep them in perspective while you’re in the midst of them.  I’m very fortunate in the opportunities I have and, while I – like most of us – want more opportunities and most success, I look back on 2011 with gratitude and excitement for what has been and what is yet to come. 

As we all go into 2012, I hope we all experience happiness, joy and fulfillment.  And, most of all, I hope that the Mayans were wrong…Happy New Year!