Oct. 27, 2025

The Sound of Gold with guest Ellen Vargas

The Sound of Gold with guest Ellen Vargas
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An interview with Ellen Vargas. A talented musician in our local community. She is a Mom a wife and so much more.
Tune in to learn how she is an inspiration to her family and her local community.

The Sound of Gold is broadcast live Mondays at 4PM ET / 1PM PT on K4HD Radio - Hollywood Talk Radio (www.k4hd.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (www.talk4radio.com) on the Talk 4 Media Network (www.talk4media.com). The Sound of Gold TV Show is viewed on Talk 4 TV (www.talk4tv.com).

The Sound of Gold Podcast is also available on Talk 4 Media (www.talk4media.com), Talk 4 Podcasting (www.talk4podcasting.com), iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Pandora, Spotify, Audible, and over 100 other podcast outlets.

Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-sound-of-gold--6696013/support.

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This program is designed to provide general information with regards

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to the subject matters covered. This information is given with

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the understanding that neither the hosts, guests, sponsors, or station

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are engaged in rendering any specific and personal medical, financial,

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legal counseling, professional service, or any advice. You should seek

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the services of competent professionals before applying or trying any

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suggested ideas.

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Hi, welcome to the Sound of Gold. I'm glad you're

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here with us today, And if you've been with us before,

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you know, if you're new to us, My show is

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basically focused on music musicians, music teachers, music schools, and

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music venues. There is a lot of talent in our

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communities and I am wanting, I am that voice to

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kind of spot shine the light on a lot of

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our community talent and bring them forth and share their

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talents with you.

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And I don't know, if you're a musician, you know

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kind of what it takes, and if you're not a musician,

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or even if you're a new musician that you're stepping

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into this world of wanting to perform and meet like

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minded musicians. It's a discipline, it's a discipline to practice,

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it's a discipline to advance. It's a discipline to.

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Just make it a continual part of your life, and

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it's a good thing.

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It becomes a lifestyle, and again that is a good thing.

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I think anything we believe in, anything.

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We commit to and we grow with, just improves our

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daily lives and our daily attitudes and just a greater

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appreciation for our existence as human beings. There's so much

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that we can do. And if you are a musician

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or stepping into that world, you are sharing your sound

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with us through an instrument or through your voice. Today,

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I have a special guest with me and she is

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not only a friend, she is also in our local

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music community. She is a piano player, she is a singer,

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and she's I've seen her play out in bands. I've

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seen her play at open mic and Ellen Vargas. I

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would love to share the stage with you. How are

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you today, I'm good and great.

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Thank you very much. Thank you for having me today.

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Yes, and thank you for making the time. I know

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you juggle a busy schedule and there's so much I

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haven't seen you in a while. I know you've been

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out of town. I know you've been recording. I know

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You've been doing lots of different things, and gosh, where

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to start?

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I guess you know what I would love to know,

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and I know the audience would love to know, Like,

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what has brought you to where you are? Let's just

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focus on the music part. What has inspired you?

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Where did you start your journey when it came to

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playing piano and singing?

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Well, I started playing piano when I was very young,

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and usually when you're around five or six, that's when

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you start piano lessons.

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So I started out with classical music.

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And that's really my roots, reading the music note for note,

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knowing all the technical stuff about piano and about music,

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and what kia song is in, not just the note

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it starts in, but the note it resolves in. What

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were the flats, the sharps, that kind of thing. So

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I played classical music and studied it for many years,

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and then I became a teenager, and that's when I

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rebelled and I found out I could be playing music.

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I actually, like, I'm going to show you my first

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music book. Okay, it's been duct taped together so many times, got.

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A paper clip, Yes, he just have fallen out.

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But I found out I could actually play music I enjoy,

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and because I know I how to read music, I

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would read the music and learn it note for note

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and imagine, oh my gosh, I'm Billy Joel up here,

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even though I'm just in my living room. And I

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also discovered Elton John. That was also my one of

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my first books. You can see that's that's in tatters.

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So I got the next one of Elton John, which

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is a much more comprehensive book, but it also is

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losing a few pages as well.

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So that's the way I started out.

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And then I went to college and just for the

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fun of it, I took a jazz piano class.

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Fun and it was we were.

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In a room with a Grammy Award winning jazz pianist,

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and everyone came in with their instruments, not just piano,

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but guitar, bass, guitar, trumpet, and the instructor would write

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the chords up on the chalkboard and then we'd all

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just start to play and we take turn soloing, and

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I thought, oh my god.

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This is so fun.

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I feel like I'm really playing and I'm not actually

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even reading music. Freed me a lot to be able

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to just play spontaneously.

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After that, and.

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Now I do blues and jam banding and rock and

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roll and Christian music, Jewish music, anything people want me

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to play.

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I feel like I can pretty much play it all now.

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So how is your transition like from reading music to

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being like in a group accompanying other musicians. How was

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it like your brain like turned off? Or was it

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did you use your ear just to play along? How

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is that? Is that something you can describe?

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Well, it's kind of a combination of all of it.

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A lot of the bands that I've played with here

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in town, they.

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Don't tend to use sheet music.

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They tend to use like ultimate guitar, which only shows

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you the chords. So you look the chords, then you

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listen to the song, and then for more detail and clarification,

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then maybe I'll pull up the sheet music if they

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want me to do a solo or bring in the

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intro or the outro or whichever part, and I want

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to play it note for note because like songs, like piano,

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man has to be perfect, so that has to be

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note for notes. So I will then blend all of

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those different parts of playing into learning a song.

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So when you play no, are you with a new

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band now? Or are you still playing with THEA.

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I'm no longer playing with THEA.

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I am playing occasionally out with her husband RAF, although

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I am also doing like some solo gigs, especially during

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the Christmas holiday. I tend to get even busier little

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private events as a soloist. And I don't mind being

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a sit in pianist for any band that doesn't currently

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have a piano player. I can probably sit in and

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learn their repertoire pretty quickly.

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And what would be the best way to reach you

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for listeners that might want to connect with you?

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Well, I mean I have a Gmail address. If you

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want me to give that right now, sure, it would

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be my name, Ellen Vargas DMD at gmail dot com.

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And I have a little promo sheet that I do

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that I give out and that I have posted at

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like different music stores and places like that.

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Okay, so what I styles of music I like to do.

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And I also have a YouTube channel, so as you know,

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I go out and do open mics and I try

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to gather recordings almost every time I go out, so

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I have something to put into the YouTube channel, just

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examples of this is what I play, this is how

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it's done. If you like that that would be great,

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so they can contact me and and and uh, I

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think Gmail is the best way.

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And then YouTube it's just Ellen Vargas.

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Yes, yes, I don't know if they need the other

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part of the.

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Address where it says at Ellen Vargas dash G three X.

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That might be just how I get in to you know,

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alter My and ad.

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But yes, that would be it.

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So so let me ask you. So, okay, you you're

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a classic. You're classically trained, all right. So for musicians

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that are maybe are just starting out right or there's

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you know, stepping into this world of wanting to accompany

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other musicians and maybe they've been classically trained or maybe

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they've been self taught, how do you go about let's say,

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playing with RAF's bands. Right, I've heard you play, you

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sound wonderful and when you when you play, how do

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you distinguish from reading a chord chart? How do you

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distinguish from that from reading like Billy Joel's melody and

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playing it right? So I can read music, right, I can,

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I can play and I understand the court chart, but

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how do you incorporate it so that it's your accompanying

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other musicians and not like on your own. Does that

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make sense?

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Oh, it absolutely does, because for most of my life

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I played piano by myself and had to play the melody,

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the bass and maybe even sing and do it all

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by myself. And when I started playing with others, I

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had to learn how to play with others and behave

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and actually hold back and do more of the left

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hand chord playing in the bass and then just keep

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the right hand really simple unless they want me to

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pull out a solo and then yeah, then I'm going

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to go crazy and go do.

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My soloing thing.

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But when there's a singer, I don't like to overlap

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and do what they're doing with their voice. They say,

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it's that's not the way it's done. When there's a singer,

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they're gonna do that melody.

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And that.

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Song, while I just kind of have to stay in

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the back and be an acognomist. And it takes a

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lot of willpower because I'm someone who wants to take

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off and solo and jazz it up and go to

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all nuts on the piano, but when you play with

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a group, you need to behave and know.

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Your place and hold back.

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So yeah, it's taken a lot of willpower and reteaching

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of myself. I did not start playing with others until

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just recently when I started with THEA. One day, her

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husband and my husband they were like, Oh, my wife

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plays piano. Oh, your wife plays guitar. Oh, they should

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meet each other. I walked in her house and from

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note one I knew we were going to have a

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good time. She first of all, she has this gorgeous steinway.

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Yes she does.

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And I sit at the piano.

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She had the same book on her piano that I

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had on my book on my piano at that same moment,

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the Carol King Tapestry.

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Album, and I said, oh my god.

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And a week later we had a gig and it

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never stopped from then on. So from then, at that moment,

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I had to learn how to play with other people

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and hadn't done it ever and over fifty years, always

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just playing by myself.

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Right, So that's wonderful. And I yes, the sign way

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she has is beautiful because I've played on it too.

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I know you we're friends, right, But that's much more.

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What I love about you, Ellen is that there is

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so much depth to you, like you just like you're

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just not like your regular piano player, like you have

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so much like you're so intelligent, and you well and

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you I know some you know, work with your husband

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a little bit and help him, and you know you

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have kids and then you you have a life that

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you know that you keep going and.

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You know.

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We're human, right, So yeah, to share with the audience,

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like being a performer, it's not like you're like born

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into it. It takes.

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It takes a practice, it takes a work, it takes

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a focus, it takes a discipline.

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And last week my guest was Tia not THEA and

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we see that off this and I know you listen

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to the show, Yes I did, and it's so important

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to express again to my to the audience as well

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that you know, it's not the struggle, it's a juggle,

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but it's knowing how to be disciplined and knowing how

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to juggle all the parts without losing losing pieces of

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it or losing the ball here and there, or maybe

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they don't fit. But but tell me a little bit

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or tell us a little bit about like how that

234
00:14:45.440 --> 00:14:47.320
works for you, How do you get in practice time,

235
00:14:47.360 --> 00:14:50.039
how do you make it work? Like with everything else

236
00:14:50.080 --> 00:14:52.759
you have going on in your life, Well.

237
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You have to prioritize certain things.

238
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You have to get your work done, and then it's

239
00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:01.919
then you can have your fun time, which is actually

240
00:15:02.039 --> 00:15:06.600
work playing piano and learning songs. But for me, that's

241
00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:11.840
also my fun time, and sometimes the first thing I

242
00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:15.200
do when I wake up in the morning, when everyone's

243
00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:18.159
left for school and work, and I have about a

244
00:15:18.200 --> 00:15:21.759
half an hour alone where no one is telling me

245
00:15:21.879 --> 00:15:25.480
put on your headphones or go in another room or

246
00:15:25.559 --> 00:15:29.679
stop or whatever. That's when I'll get out some practice,

247
00:15:30.039 --> 00:15:33.240
really good practicing, where I'll work on a few solos

248
00:15:33.720 --> 00:15:35.279
and our patios.

249
00:15:34.720 --> 00:15:36.320
Have been wanting to get just right.

250
00:15:37.080 --> 00:15:42.840
And then I will also fun time, usually in the

251
00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:48.320
afternoon or the evening, and it's not a lot of

252
00:15:48.399 --> 00:15:52.440
time every day, but at least to touch the piano

253
00:15:53.080 --> 00:15:55.720
a little bit here and there. And then as I

254
00:15:55.720 --> 00:15:59.519
get closer to a show, it's like, okay, y'all, y'all

255
00:15:59.519 --> 00:16:02.840
need to give me my space because I've got to

256
00:16:02.840 --> 00:16:05.320
be able to pull this stuff off. So I need

257
00:16:05.360 --> 00:16:08.759
to actually really practice this. But yes, I need to

258
00:16:08.960 --> 00:16:13.879
also do things with my family. My son he does

259
00:16:13.960 --> 00:16:18.399
cross country and boy Scouts, and my husband I work

260
00:16:18.440 --> 00:16:21.799
with him now in his practice, and I'm also in

261
00:16:21.879 --> 00:16:26.279
a running club. I'm in Fun Runners and I enjoy

262
00:16:26.360 --> 00:16:30.159
that as well, and it's just all part of my therapy,

263
00:16:30.360 --> 00:16:32.120
the piano, the running.

264
00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:35.399
But yeah, you've got to grab those moments.

265
00:16:35.480 --> 00:16:37.559
If it's like at the end of the day and

266
00:16:37.639 --> 00:16:40.639
everyone has gone to bed again, that's a good time

267
00:16:40.679 --> 00:16:43.600
where I can practice at my private piano.

268
00:16:43.840 --> 00:16:47.000
I have a separate room where.

269
00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:50.799
I'm set up with headphones and I can play quietly

270
00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:53.799
and no one has to hear me. I'm not bothering anyone.

271
00:16:53.960 --> 00:16:58.759
I'm not taking anything away from anyone. I am working

272
00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:01.639
at something out and I'm getting it done.

273
00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:02.639
Awesome.

274
00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:04.359
Yeah, so when you're.

275
00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:08.200
When you're raps, then I haven't seen in a while.

276
00:17:08.359 --> 00:17:11.880
We have different schedules, so sometimes THEO is always texted me,

277
00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:13.680
but we can't always get out to listen to you

278
00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:18.759
guys when you have practice time, like do you do

279
00:17:18.799 --> 00:17:22.319
you wait up and let's say closer to a show date,

280
00:17:22.440 --> 00:17:25.319
or do you guys get together and practice every week.

281
00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:31.160
We usually get together about once a week and we

282
00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:35.960
go over potential songs that we work through and if

283
00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:38.400
they sound really good, it's like, okay, this is going

284
00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:41.440
to be on the set. When we get something scheduled,

285
00:17:41.599 --> 00:17:44.359
and we just try to keep up the practice and

286
00:17:44.480 --> 00:17:48.599
the working on those songs that we want to perform together.

287
00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:55.920
And so usually it's a weekly practice session. And actually

288
00:17:55.960 --> 00:17:58.480
tomorrow night we don't have we don't really have a

289
00:17:58.519 --> 00:18:02.200
practice session planned for this week because we're so busy

290
00:18:02.279 --> 00:18:02.720
this week.

291
00:18:02.759 --> 00:18:04.799
But tomorrow night, our.

292
00:18:04.759 --> 00:18:08.359
Running club is having a party and they asked me

293
00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:09.839
to bring the piano.

294
00:18:09.799 --> 00:18:11.799
And I told Rock to bring his guitar.

295
00:18:11.880 --> 00:18:14.119
So I said, look, this might be as much of

296
00:18:14.160 --> 00:18:17.759
a practice session as we get this week, so let's

297
00:18:17.880 --> 00:18:21.880
just try to entertain the runners and we'll all be

298
00:18:22.039 --> 00:18:26.000
sweaty and having fun and hopefully enjoying some music.

299
00:18:26.720 --> 00:18:31.359
Yeah, now, you recently, when we were texting last week

300
00:18:31.440 --> 00:18:34.799
or recently, you had said you recently recorded over at

301
00:18:34.799 --> 00:18:36.079
Echo Studios.

302
00:18:36.920 --> 00:18:41.359
Yes. Yes, I have a friend, a lovely friend who

303
00:18:41.400 --> 00:18:47.759
has a beautiful voice, and she's a Christian songwriter and

304
00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:53.440
she sings and writes music singer songwriter, and all of

305
00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:57.240
her music is very religious, but at the same time

306
00:18:57.319 --> 00:19:01.559
it's also really enjoyable to listen into. But she had

307
00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:05.599
a song that she wrote about a year ago because

308
00:19:06.039 --> 00:19:09.799
Hanika which is my holiday, and Christmas, which was her

309
00:19:09.839 --> 00:19:14.079
holiday fell on the same day, and she wanted to

310
00:19:14.160 --> 00:19:18.960
include a Jewish voice with her on her recording, So

311
00:19:19.079 --> 00:19:20.839
I'm not even playing piano.

312
00:19:21.599 --> 00:19:26.960
I am just singing. We're both singing together about the.

313
00:19:27.720 --> 00:19:31.200
Unity and the fact that our holidays could come together

314
00:19:31.400 --> 00:19:34.960
like that and we can all celebrate at once. And

315
00:19:36.079 --> 00:19:40.240
that song was just finished and finalized about a week

316
00:19:40.279 --> 00:19:45.400
ago at Echo Studios and it will be released at

317
00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:50.200
right before the holiday season, I think, on November twentieth

318
00:19:50.640 --> 00:19:56.880
on all music platforms. And it's just a fun song

319
00:19:57.039 --> 00:20:02.559
about Christmas and Hanukkah and fact that all the characters

320
00:20:02.880 --> 00:20:07.359
of the Prophets being Jewish and then the Christian faith

321
00:20:07.559 --> 00:20:11.160
and all of them coming together. So it'll be something

322
00:20:11.240 --> 00:20:15.240
people can listen to and enjoy this holiday season.

323
00:20:15.880 --> 00:20:18.039
Oh wonderful. I can't wait to listen to. It will

324
00:20:18.039 --> 00:20:20.400
be available on YouTube as well, or are you going

325
00:20:20.440 --> 00:20:21.920
to post it on Facebook?

326
00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:26.240
It'll be on Spotify. I think it'll be on Apple Radio.

327
00:20:27.799 --> 00:20:33.160
I know at least the major venues, so I should

328
00:20:33.240 --> 00:20:35.680
find out more details on that, but I know at

329
00:20:35.759 --> 00:20:40.200
least Apple Radio and Spotify. And my friend, her name

330
00:20:40.279 --> 00:20:44.759
is Leslie Reid, and she has album upon albums. She's

331
00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:48.440
been recording for over twenty years at Echo and has

332
00:20:48.680 --> 00:20:50.759
lots lots of music.

333
00:20:51.319 --> 00:20:53.880
Any relation to Dave read you know Dave and.

334
00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:59.480
Pam Oh, I don't think so. But that's interesting, Yeah,

335
00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:03.559
but that would be neat if they were. But no,

336
00:21:03.680 --> 00:21:04.359
I don't think so.

337
00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:09.519
Okay, I don't know. So answer for me.

338
00:21:09.839 --> 00:21:10.319
When you.

339
00:21:11.839 --> 00:21:15.200
As a band, are you is it up to you

340
00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:18.400
to find the venues or does Raft to say, hey,

341
00:21:18.400 --> 00:21:20.599
we have a gig at let's say rest your hook

342
00:21:20.680 --> 00:21:25.319
and you show up, or are you apo venues? Well,

343
00:21:25.759 --> 00:21:27.039
you're connecting to venues.

344
00:21:27.799 --> 00:21:31.000
I do leave it more to others when it comes

345
00:21:31.039 --> 00:21:35.680
to those kind of venues because I know, like in

346
00:21:35.960 --> 00:21:39.039
Raff's case, because I've been working with him a little more,

347
00:21:39.559 --> 00:21:44.640
he just seems to know people at these venues more.

348
00:21:44.440 --> 00:21:45.119
Than I do.

349
00:21:45.920 --> 00:21:51.079
And I'm more into getting private parties because I'm in

350
00:21:51.119 --> 00:21:56.880
the community here as someone who tends to meet people,

351
00:21:57.720 --> 00:22:02.079
just family members and people that I.

352
00:22:02.119 --> 00:22:04.839
Run into that say hey, I'm having a party.

353
00:22:04.920 --> 00:22:08.079
I'd really like to have some piano music or a

354
00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:12.200
small duo or a trio or quartet.

355
00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:15.440
So I've been more involved in that, but.

356
00:22:15.720 --> 00:22:19.359
I I'm working currently with Raf.

357
00:22:19.599 --> 00:22:22.839
But as I say, I know there are bands out there.

358
00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:26.440
That don't have piano, but I know your repertoire and

359
00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:30.119
they may know who that I know their repertoire too,

360
00:22:30.759 --> 00:22:36.480
So I can play more than I'm playing out now currently.

361
00:22:37.119 --> 00:22:39.240
So I take a Billy Joe. You're a big fan

362
00:22:39.279 --> 00:22:42.440
of Billy Joe. I am also John. Do you have

363
00:22:43.279 --> 00:22:46.079
Is there other artists or are there other artists that

364
00:22:46.160 --> 00:22:49.720
you tend to gravitate towards over others?

365
00:22:50.599 --> 00:22:55.039
Well, I've been working a little more on Steely Dan,

366
00:22:55.440 --> 00:22:58.799
which again for me is right up my alley with

367
00:22:58.839 --> 00:23:02.880
all the jazz seven they put in their songs, and

368
00:23:02.920 --> 00:23:07.319
I like to again play it note for note and

369
00:23:07.680 --> 00:23:12.720
get all those little fun little piano parts put in

370
00:23:13.279 --> 00:23:16.000
that I think make it a song.

371
00:23:16.799 --> 00:23:17.880
And I also like.

372
00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:23.440
Stevie Wonder and his music is really complicated because he

373
00:23:23.480 --> 00:23:26.759
always likes to put a key change in almost every

374
00:23:26.799 --> 00:23:31.200
song and that's what makes his music so dynamic and exciting.

375
00:23:31.720 --> 00:23:33.079
So I enjoy that too.

376
00:23:33.839 --> 00:23:36.799
So when you're not at home playing or not at

377
00:23:36.839 --> 00:23:40.240
a show on your own and you're playing chord charts,

378
00:23:40.279 --> 00:23:42.599
and you said, it is kind of difficult because you

379
00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:45.920
have to remove yourself from playing the melody and I understand,

380
00:23:46.279 --> 00:23:53.039
I completely understand, but how how do you or maybe

381
00:23:53.240 --> 00:23:56.000
maybe it's not I'm not asking it the right way.

382
00:23:57.480 --> 00:24:03.440
Are you playing chord chart and kind of disconnecting from

383
00:24:03.680 --> 00:24:07.599
the melody to allow the vocalist to like pick up

384
00:24:07.640 --> 00:24:10.279
where you're not, you know, because when you play or

385
00:24:10.279 --> 00:24:13.160
when there's when I bring it down to my students,

386
00:24:13.160 --> 00:24:17.720
it's about phonics right by the words or how the

387
00:24:17.720 --> 00:24:22.640
words or are fonically spelled. But as as an accompany,

388
00:24:22.680 --> 00:24:25.440
as you're not playing that melody, you're giving it to

389
00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:28.519
the vocalist. And maybe you already answered this earlier, but

390
00:24:29.160 --> 00:24:32.599
again not only for me, but for our audience. When

391
00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:35.880
you're being an accompany us, you have to kind of

392
00:24:35.960 --> 00:24:41.960
hold back your own like everything and just yeah, like

393
00:24:42.119 --> 00:24:44.279
I guess, I guess you did, kind of answer it.

394
00:24:44.279 --> 00:24:48.440
It's just a matter of standing back and letting others

395
00:24:48.440 --> 00:24:48.880
step in.

396
00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:53.599
Well. I think the key to being a good band

397
00:24:53.680 --> 00:24:58.200
member and a teammate is knowing when to hold back

398
00:24:58.920 --> 00:25:01.359
that It's like if you're playing on a sports team

399
00:25:01.440 --> 00:25:03.720
and you're hogging the ball and you don't let anyone

400
00:25:03.720 --> 00:25:07.240
else hold it. You've got to know when to pass

401
00:25:07.279 --> 00:25:13.759
it and when to stay to your position and accompany

402
00:25:13.799 --> 00:25:19.119
the others and allow their instruments to sound great and shine.

403
00:25:19.880 --> 00:25:21.920
And after a while, if.

404
00:25:21.759 --> 00:25:26.599
You're soloing and they're soloing and everyone's solowing, it actually.

405
00:25:26.200 --> 00:25:30.759
Sounds muddy, it sounds horrible. It just isn't good.

406
00:25:30.880 --> 00:25:34.599
So sometimes the best accompanist is the one that plays

407
00:25:34.640 --> 00:25:37.880
the least and knows when not to play right.

408
00:25:38.559 --> 00:25:41.119
So that's where the willpower comes in.

409
00:25:41.839 --> 00:25:44.519
So for our listeners that I love that.

410
00:25:44.519 --> 00:25:48.319
That's all such great, great, great advice for our listeners.

411
00:25:48.359 --> 00:25:51.720
Are new musicians or musicians that are wanting to venture

412
00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:54.880
out into like open mics and maybe meet other musicians,

413
00:25:55.119 --> 00:25:58.720
what types of words of wisdom or inspiration can you

414
00:25:58.799 --> 00:26:00.440
share with us, So that.

415
00:26:02.279 --> 00:26:04.920
Because we're big kids, like we're afraid of rejection, we're

416
00:26:05.279 --> 00:26:08.960
to stay out or we're to step on stage.

417
00:26:09.440 --> 00:26:16.079
Well, it's kind of like the first time you you

418
00:26:16.119 --> 00:26:20.039
do anything, you don't know, or the first time you

419
00:26:20.039 --> 00:26:22.759
you go in a swimming pool.

420
00:26:23.000 --> 00:26:24.359
You don't know how.

421
00:26:24.200 --> 00:26:29.119
It's gonna feel until you get in, And yes, it

422
00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:33.160
is nerve wracking, but the more you do it, the

423
00:26:33.200 --> 00:26:38.160
better you feel. And I'm amazed no one's throwing tomatoes

424
00:26:41.279 --> 00:26:43.599
sometimes people actually clap.

425
00:26:46.400 --> 00:26:50.599
Somebody I don't know who said it, but somebody once said, like,

426
00:26:50.960 --> 00:26:54.079
somebody commentsed, oh, they're not throwing tomatoes, and somebody commented,

427
00:26:54.279 --> 00:26:57.680
groceries have gotten like the price of groceries have got.

428
00:26:57.200 --> 00:27:02.839
Well, okay, well then that I understand that. But I mean,

429
00:27:02.880 --> 00:27:05.759
the greatest gift is when I'm playing a.

430
00:27:05.640 --> 00:27:09.480
Song and all of a sudden, I look over and

431
00:27:09.559 --> 00:27:12.640
I hear the whole audience singing with me, and I'm like,

432
00:27:12.759 --> 00:27:14.440
oh my god.

433
00:27:14.599 --> 00:27:17.480
They really like this. I can't believe it.

434
00:27:17.799 --> 00:27:22.119
Wow. So that's my greatest joy. When you never know

435
00:27:22.160 --> 00:27:24.000
when it's going to happen. Because sometimes you play a

436
00:27:24.039 --> 00:27:28.200
song at like Angelo's, and everyone's singing along, and then

437
00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:30.039
you go somewhere else and it's like.

438
00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:33.839
You barely hear a peep. You're like, oh, whoa, what happened?

439
00:27:34.119 --> 00:27:38.000
I don't like to hear what was that?

440
00:27:38.559 --> 00:27:41.119
I said, Yeah, where did everybody go? Are they still here?

441
00:27:42.079 --> 00:27:44.039
Yeah? Like, you never know how a song is going

442
00:27:44.119 --> 00:27:47.359
to hit people, and sometimes it really does. Like I

443
00:27:47.960 --> 00:27:53.519
was playing a song by Billy Joel and Surprise, and

444
00:27:53.880 --> 00:27:59.440
it was called Captain Jack. Once I started playing it,

445
00:27:59.519 --> 00:28:03.400
there was a I sitting there he said, I'm from Philadelphia.

446
00:28:03.599 --> 00:28:05.400
I love that song.

447
00:28:06.119 --> 00:28:09.640
And I'm like, oh okay, and yeah.

448
00:28:09.799 --> 00:28:12.680
Then the host he says to me, no one's ever

449
00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:18.599
played that song at an open mic. Oh, so you

450
00:28:18.759 --> 00:28:21.079
never know. I don't know.

451
00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:24.759
Am I funny only to myself?

452
00:28:24.799 --> 00:28:25.640
You're okay?

453
00:28:26.039 --> 00:28:27.839
Oh okay, you are funny.

454
00:28:28.400 --> 00:28:29.160
Oh okay.

455
00:28:29.400 --> 00:28:31.359
We have like a minute or two left or a

456
00:28:31.400 --> 00:28:36.200
couple of minutes left, are there any Well, We're in

457
00:28:36.200 --> 00:28:39.160
a music community, and I've shared this many of times,

458
00:28:39.400 --> 00:28:43.200
and you I believe you will stand with me in this.

459
00:28:45.240 --> 00:28:47.039
Once you step out into.

460
00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:51.039
The music community, especially if you're new at this, Like

461
00:28:51.240 --> 00:28:54.440
it isn't to me like you're my extended family. Like

462
00:28:54.839 --> 00:28:58.039
all phosicians are like out there to play and express

463
00:28:58.039 --> 00:29:01.559
ourselves musically because it's gift we give ourselves is a

464
00:29:01.599 --> 00:29:04.119
gift of expression we can share.

465
00:29:03.960 --> 00:29:04.799
With our audience.

466
00:29:05.440 --> 00:29:11.160
And yeah, I think again, focusing on our listeners today

467
00:29:11.400 --> 00:29:15.960
or whoever listens on whatever Davis is for our listeners

468
00:29:15.960 --> 00:29:19.160
out there, what are your comments on that? Since we

469
00:29:19.200 --> 00:29:24.319
have like a minute left, that's stepping into meeting new groups.

470
00:29:24.000 --> 00:29:25.319
Of the girls.

471
00:29:26.119 --> 00:29:29.759
Well, I mean it is like meeting a whole new family,

472
00:29:30.240 --> 00:29:32.480
because I know when I go to open mic nights,

473
00:29:32.720 --> 00:29:36.359
everyone is hey, sit with me or giving me a

474
00:29:36.480 --> 00:29:40.359
hug or a little smooch on the cheek or you know,

475
00:29:40.599 --> 00:29:45.880
just a lot of warmth and affection and friendship, and

476
00:29:46.720 --> 00:29:50.039
it just is like a family. Everyone's happy to see

477
00:29:50.079 --> 00:29:53.960
people and find out. So what are you going to play?

478
00:29:54.319 --> 00:29:58.039
Everyone's curious to know, and it really is great and

479
00:29:58.079 --> 00:30:03.119
it's part of like just being social and outgoing. I

480
00:30:03.160 --> 00:30:07.480
had my mom visiting one time and we went out

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00:30:07.640 --> 00:30:11.079
for an open mic and I performed, and a whole

482
00:30:11.119 --> 00:30:14.680
bunch of other people performed, of course, And I said

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00:30:14.680 --> 00:30:17.720
to my mom, what would you be doing on a

484
00:30:17.759 --> 00:30:22.039
Monday night if you were not here doing this at home,

485
00:30:22.559 --> 00:30:26.839
because she lives somewhere else. She said, I'd probably be

486
00:30:26.960 --> 00:30:32.079
on the couch watching TV alone. And you know, it's

487
00:30:32.160 --> 00:30:35.839
just that people need to look for social outlets. There's

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00:30:35.920 --> 00:30:40.079
so many different ways to be social and interact with

489
00:30:40.279 --> 00:30:45.279
people and get out of their house and make new connections.

490
00:30:45.759 --> 00:30:50.079
And some of these people you may like, even beyond music.

491
00:30:50.200 --> 00:30:54.079
You may invite them to join your running club or

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00:30:54.359 --> 00:30:58.000
join you for lunch or other things that you want

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00:30:58.039 --> 00:31:01.160
to do together. And so you do create friendships and

494
00:31:01.200 --> 00:31:05.680
that social aspect is so good, especially as people age.

495
00:31:06.880 --> 00:31:11.960
The older people need to have those connections and it

496
00:31:12.079 --> 00:31:18.799
keeps them healthy mentally and physically and spiritually all around.

497
00:31:19.160 --> 00:31:20.319
Yes, it does well.

498
00:31:20.319 --> 00:31:20.599
Ellen.

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00:31:20.680 --> 00:31:22.880
Thank you so much for our listeners out there to

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00:31:22.880 --> 00:31:26.000
get in touch and reach Ellen. Ellen Vargas is on

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00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:32.839
Facebook and Ellen Ellen Vargas is DMD at gmail dot com.

502
00:31:32.880 --> 00:31:36.519
And yes, Ellen, thank you so much for being with

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00:31:36.599 --> 00:31:39.160
us today. I'm sure we'll see each other soon.

504
00:31:39.839 --> 00:31:44.000
Great. Thank you for having me. I enjoyed it absolutely,

505
00:31:44.599 --> 00:31:45.279
see you soon.

506
00:31:45.880 --> 00:31:48.720
Thank you so much, ladies and gentlemen for tuning in today.

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00:31:49.319 --> 00:31:51.640
Tune in next week to find out who our guests

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00:31:51.680 --> 00:31:56.799
will be and keep the music a lot with me