The liberating truth you get when the ball drops and knowing that
the old year has left us and the new year is here, is unmatchable.
It is 2025. What a true
blessing to know that we survived another year unscathed! It is a brand-new
year now, and I realize how similar it is to opening a new sketchbook and
starting fresh on your first pencil stroke.
I am sketching in a new heart to embrace the new year with
love and the willingness to share as much of that love as I can. Whether that
means that I will be more open to being a part of collaborative environments or whatever else is in store for me, I
will allow myself to be immersed in that.
2025 already has its vibrant rhythms spiraling out of it.
Here are a few ways to make the most out of 2025.
1.Embrace
each moment with joy and intention. The more positive you approach life, the
more glamorously radiant your smile will be.
2.Stretch
yourself a little bit more, so you can find better ways to innovate.
3.Find
ways to be engulfed with peace. Rest is essential and if you don’t take quiet
moments just to breathe, you might choke. Take a brain break. Walk through nature.
Have that second cup of coffee. Get a mani/pedi. Sit in the tub for 45 minutes.
Take care of your mental health. It is super important.
4.Don’t
stumble over your mess-ups. Get your ass up and try again. Keep going for the
things you want to see this year.
5.Get a
true grip on life. Take it seriously. It’s yours.
6.How
many times can you watch the same old series? Be open to watching new things,
seeing new things, and experiencing new things. Try that new restaurant that
you have been dying to eat it; even if it is on a solo date. Watch that new
movie everybody is talking about. Read that new book that you want to get your
hands on. If you only indulge in the same old things, what can you actually get
new out of it? Did somebody say new travel destination? Seek out the new.
7.Don’t
think that just because you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders
well means that you have to bear it all alone. Ask for help. Allow someone else
to help you carry it.
8.The
most important thing to carry through 2025 is faith. Stay prayed up. Believe
that God has something wonderful in store for you and rely on his truth. Know
the fact that you are phenomenally blessed and ready to receive good things in
your life.
9.Work
on whatever It is that you are passionate about. The more that you work on it,
the better you get. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it. And the
more that you believe that you are “More Than Enough” to get to where you want
to go with it, the more the universe will bend to you. Never forget that you
are more than enough.
10. Enjoy the brand new set of 12 months as much as you can. Don't take the time allotted in the year for granted. You have 525600 minutes to make a difference in your own world. Make sure you do more than just live mundanely through it. Experience it with intention and don't let it slip you by.
I hope that you enjoyed this list. I hope to look back
over this year when the ball is about to drop into 2026 and having a smile on
my face. But until then, here is a song to carry with you throughout the year. https://youtu.be/u02NS1UUpu4?si=XdCRE-JiNfBaj0uh
We always did
our Christmas family reunion in high fashion. It is like walking into the Academy
Awards in your best dress. Some have the most beautiful of red dresses draped
over their bodies. The men all wearing suits or their cute ugly sweaters. Santa
Claus always finds his way here in his big red suit and bag filled with
promises and toys to place under the huge pine tree that greets you when you
walk in. The walkway is sometimes a carpet of fresh, white snow, and it is usually
the most extravagant of parade ways. The hype is so high, it is a celebration
from the moment of entry.
I haven’t seen some of the
faces of my family members since last year at
this time. We converge with a kiss
on the cheek and the request to remove your shoes and to walk with just your
socks on your feet over the wooden floors. I think it is fun because when you get
into the danceable moments sponsored by my curated Spotify playlists, you can
sing along to the Christmas carols, dip, and slide across the floors with a
smile bigger than Carlton’s on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
I mask my winter blues like I
always do when I see them. It is like a glow of stardust washes my troubles
away and brings me sparks of joy. Seeing my family member’s eyes bring a glow
over the verge of tears that I’d been facing. The year can sometimes push me to the brink of
despair but for this family gathering, I feel like a poem of bubbling brooks
and flowers blooming.
And as they walk in the door,
the aroma of something savory is wafting from the kitchen. Every burner and
rack in the oven is occupied with a food item on its way to being ready to eat.
The counters filled with spices, desserts being decorated, and foods still being
prepped for cooking.
We cook like this is the last
supper with more food than you would probably eat in the 525,600 minutes that measure
the year. There is so much deliciousness spread out over the table that your
stomach gets filled just by looking at it. My mother put her foot into each and
every bit of the meal that is about to be shared. The turkey timer has popped
and now I can add my corn souffle into the oven so that it can be ready for the
dinner we are about to serve.
I added my two senses into cooking
as well and turn my kitchen into a canvas and the ingredients that get added
are like my paint. Art is on my mind and the ideas I sketch with the charcoal
pencils of my fingertips. The food we eat, a picture-perfect masterpiece like
those in MOMA, and all who are exposed to it are getting a piece of my heart.
The dinner call is sounded,
like a chapel bell of a 16th-century church and the whole family approaches the
table. We gather and we pray over the meal:
“Father God, thank you for the
day that you made and for the food that we eat and for the hands that prepared it
and for the family that gathered, for those who wanted to come but didn’t find
the opportunity, and for those who have become ancestors and rest in your
peaceful arms. That you might continue to bless us and to keep us and to protect
us with your grace and with your love. You are mighty and everlasting and we
love you and bless you. In the name of Jesus. Amen.”
It is cute to hear the little
ones who can barely talk say, “Bonne Appetit,” but we all do it in our little
celebration. Actually, I make sure to make them say it so that they can have
knowledge of some of the words from our Haitian culture. Those words are part
of it. Some of the foods and drinks found on the table are as well like the Kremas
which is like eggnog with rum in it or the Griot which is pork chunks that are
one of the many meat items on the table and diri a djondjon which is black rice
with dried mushrooms.
It is more than just the
eating that is involved. The stories we share of tradition and exoticism always
pique my interest. When you think about all the experiences you face in a year’s
time, it is no secret that there is so much to talk about if the right person
to talk to sits at your gate. We sip some of the best Apple Cider you can find
and chat. Maybe a sibling or cousin is the family that becomes your listening
board, or maybe it is a friend who is like family, who intently listens to the ranting
of it all without judgment or interruption. This is what makes the conversations
interesting. There is always something new being told, something different
being shared that you have yet to hear and that you are newly learning for the
first time. The laughter is like a weight being lifted off because it surely
makes you feel better.
We eat and chat and then we play
our annual Taboo game. It is always such a fun experience trying to get our
team to guess the words that we are attempting to animate so that we can win
the game. I think I laugh the most during these times because it is so much fun
just getting lost in these moments that never seem to get old. While we play, everyone is experimenting with all
the different desserts that are on the table; cakes, cookies, pies, ice cream,
jello, and candy. These are the yummy moments that are passed until we start to
distribute all the different gifts that are under the tree.
Everyone in the place is
unwrapping gifts in excitement over what someone thought was a good gift for
them. I’ll never forget the time when my next-door neighbor put a Michael
Jackson jacket in a box for me and gave it to me. I wonder if that was one of
the reasons that I became a performing artist. That was one of my favorites. The
other most memorable was an album of Miles Davis recordings, and I love Miles
Davis. What a beautiful gift to receive from a kid at that. Seems like Auntie’s
baby knows me better than I thought; made me so happy.
The night ends with everyone
packing a big foil tray filled with food to take home. Everyone scatters out
the door back onto the carpet full of snow and make their exit back to their
regularly scheduled programs. It is sad to see them all go and even sadder to
know of all the cleaning that needs to be done to bring the art of Christmas
back to a blank canvas.
I think sometimes I count five
hours of washing dishes, cleaning pots, and putting glasses and other things
back into the china for safe keeping until next year, same time, same
celebration. But to think of the reason for continuing on in this tradition for
as long as we have, a smile is ignited.
We continue on. The numbers
might decrease due to heaven calling some to its gates but it is always a
welcome celebration that will always make Christmas one of my favorite times of
the year.
And now that the year is
coming to a close, I am thankful for all these traditions and for all the good
times and bad times, and for being blessed to see this moment of time. I find
peace in it knowing that I made it through. God has been so good and it is not
a secret. May your 2023 be the most
lovely, prosperous, and powerful year that you have ever seen. I offer to you "Peace on Earth: https://youtu.be/ctlbmq9Rit8
Good tidings to
you and yours and hope to see you in the new year.
Happy new year! The new year is a good time to
make renovations to our lives which is why I think we start these resolutions with
a sense of urgency, hoping that we will make possible the changes we want.
It is January 2019 everybody. Part
of my plan for this year is to let people know the constructs of my existence.
I mean why not. I labor over my life and trying to be fully present in the
moment, I was hoping not to let the entirety of the first day of this 2019 year
go by without letting you know that I am on Twitter. I thought it was quite a
pleasing concept to share this fact with you.
I habitually update my page
regularly, retweet, like, visit and check my page almost as frequently as the
sun rises. Hopefully we can connect on Twitter. My username is musiqal1. Let’s follow
each other and became twamily, keep in touch and rally the support of one another.
I'd love that and look forward to vibing with you more and more this year.
I have to say that 2017 was a
great year. There were more good times than bad times. I was driven to handle
life and was able to break out of my comfort zone on many occasions. I am
excited for the best that is yet to come.
But before I clear the path for 2018,
I want to rewind and share highlights that helped to make 2017 refreshing with
a slew of detailed photos and honest-straight forward passages about the
moments of the year that lead to this day.
January
It was a great month. As usual
I did what I love to do best in the eclectic culture that we live in. But it
became even more exciting when I started to work with purpose on my second
album project and brought some of my lyrical ideas to life in producer Paul
Garrod’s studio in Connecticut. Fast-forward to today and we have a project
together entitled We Are People United which features 13 studio songs of
which I wrote the lyrics and he wrote the music. You can check it out here: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/stephaniejeannot1
February The idea of creating a music
video for my song “Enjoy Life,” so
that I can capture a visual of it to make it more than just a song, lead to a
series of conversations on how to add my
dramatic side effectively to a moving
picture. Thankful to Stuart Thomas and Jazz E Matt, (two great artists from New
York City I might add, who you should definitely check out if you get the
chance) helped me to really make the refreshingly honest effort to make my
vision come true. They held up the camera for me in the arctic chill of a
Brooklyn winter by the East River. And they went with me to the skating ring
and did what they do to help me to do what I wanted to do and it was great. And
then the music video to "Enjoy Life" was born. You can check it out here: https://youtu.be/alV2ULnr9z8
March
I have been writing songs
forever but March 2017 was the first time in my life that I ever performed an
entire show of all original music. They say the possibilities are endless if
you simply ask. Who knew it was true? No one has to carry the burden of wanting
to do something so bad that it has to hurt because no man is an Island. There
are people who are presently in your life who can help you fly free if you take
the chance of asking. Especially if it is something that will help you optimize
your dream. Asking is an achievable way of getting it done.
And so, I thank my
awesome band, the JNote Band for having my back and for being there for all the
rehearsals and then for the shows and doing the music thing that you do so
awesomely. Richie Johnson, Herb Lewis, Jazz E Matt, Dalthannette Munlin, Mark Payne,
Prrrl, Phillip Smith, I could not have done it without you all. You make me believe
that my songs are worth being more than just tightly guarded secrets but something
that people should hear and you help me to find peace with myself. I had been
saving all my love for that one moment for a long time. You make me want to
dare pass the limits. Such a blessing to have you all in my life. Thank you!
April
Here was the second
opportunity to do an original showcase and here again we had the band right
there in my corner. Together we performed at the Springfield Stage Festival and
it was awesome. Jazz E Matt performed three songs and then I did three songs.
It was a nice day and we had fun. Thankful to Mark Payne for affording to me
the opportunity of sharing my music at this wonderful event.
May
Of all the amazing things to
dive into, applying my purpose to the oases of Siberia seemed
to be the
ingredient that makes me smile without wanting to cease.
Selfie in the Irkutsk Philharmonic with Dr Jazz Band in Siberia
But the more I
appraise the situation, I would say that the one thing that made the most
difference in my life was when I realized that I had been soaking up the
midnight sun.
It broke through the complacency of common sense because it didn’t
make sense at all. I walked out of my gig in Arkhangelsk with the sun beaming
before my eyes and my friends there saying okay have a good sleep. I’m thinking
to myself, sleep and had to ask the current time. When they said 10:30 PM and I
saw the sun out as if it were mid-afternoon, God’s design of time and space
became that much more amazing to me.
In the midst of the Aerora Borealis
I finally walked through the threshold I was bound to cross and that was the moment my French teacher had been telling me about all
along, right before my eyes; an amazing site to have seen. Thankful to Jeff
Edelman for the awesome opportunity of seeing it and sharing my talents there.
June
My jazz group and I had the
opportunity of performing live at the Fort Hamilton Senior Center where I met
some of the most amazing tap dancers on this planet.
These beautiful elder queens practice their craft. They work
hard, devote time to perfecting their art and are such lovely people. Seeing
them made me put some thought into the idea that if these elderly people are
stepping out with such force and attitude at their age, there should be nothing
stopping me at mine. Check out their awesome dancing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GEmH5QhHX0
They filled my heart with a
rhythm of love and respect for them that has not yet ceased. Thankful to have
met them and to have played some great music there for them where I first saw
them dance with Brett Benteler, Wayne Holmes, Herb Lewis and Napoleon
Revels-Bey. Thankful to the NYC Parks Department for having us.
July
The summer always seems to add
a decorative effect to a year and 2017 was no different. If you can get through
the first few months of the year without being too harried but instead with a
smile and eagerness to carry on, then you know that you are moving forward with
great fighting strength. Summer seems like the perfect time to put the pieces
of your life back together and it was great to connect again with friends and
family that I had not seen in years. On the other side of those moments,
performing at Part one of Eric Frazier’s annual Fort
Photo by Walter Taylor
Greene Park Jazz Festival in
the intense summer heat of July was awesome. I love singing and this annual event is always a great time to celebrate the art of jazz and music with my fellow musicians. But my favorite from July was the wonderful
family vacation we took at the Lake George RV Park and then our trek up to Vermont.
I can say
being with family and enjoying each other’s time and company was as beautiful
as Origami art. These were very rejuvenating moments for me as it caused the
reunion of some of the broken parts that were inside of me that only family
time can algebraically put back together; we had not done anything like that in
a very long time. Our family vacation was my harness of innovation.
August
Who said you can’t lose sight
of reality when you are in such a place of excitement. It is not every day that
I am on the brink of a new endeavor and exploring the emotional rawness of a
place that is totally fresh to my mind. But to have been able to leisurely
stroll through the neighborhoods of Minsk, Belarus was so cool and different. And then to have been able to sing at the Jazz at the Lake festival in Minsk
with the fresh scent of the sea enhancing the experience was amazing. I met so many amazing artists. But top that all off, to have had the opportunity to share my gift
and original music there was a life altering experience and I am so thankful
for it all.
September
The weather was crisp and
ideal for outdoor dancing and there I was singing at part two of Eric Frazier’s
Fort Greene Park Jazz Festival and it was awesome. I dressed more sophisiticatedly
than I am used to and I felt sexy for the first time in a long time.
Photo by EJ Haughton
But at the
heart of it all, sharing my original song “Wherever
You Are” right there in my cosmopolitan hometown’s outdoor festival for the
first time was amazing. If you’d like, please check out the tune “Wherever You
Are” here: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/stephaniejeannot3
The crowd met me with immeasurable
kindness as I got into the nitty gritty of my own tune. I did not expect to
generate their attention. Who knew they’d enjoy it? To have seen that with mine
own eyes makes me hungry for more. I know that my purpose is to put my best
foot forward with my original music and the trajectory of my 2018 will be the
year for exploring better solutions to do that.
October
Photo by Eric Frazier
They say somebody is always watching
and that is usually something I try to gain when I do live performances. But
what launched a revolution in my life was seeing my father in the audience as I
performed with my jazz trio, (Brett Benteler, Danny Dalelio and Napoleon
Revels-Bey) at Kitchen 21 in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn. My father of
all people! I usually do whatever is genuine to try to get him out. I am not
easily discouraged but all the excuses he had gave me in the past for why he
couldn’t come all changed when I looked into the crowd and saw the awesome view
of his face, all smiles and with his camera in his hand trying to record his
daughter on the set, living in the character of a jazz vocalist.
What a way to
bounce back from being inundated with questions to having deep enjoyment and
satisfaction. I could definitely get used to the weight of his presence. Felt
great!
November
A friend of mine, fellow poet
Ras Osagyefo who years ago helped me to produce and host a Jazz Poetry event
that I had been very interested in putting together, had a great event of
his
own and asked me to be a part of it and sing. This was the first time I had
shared some of the new songs off of my new project, We Are People United,in a public forum. But what I loved the most was finding out that Sam Cooke wrote
a song which he also sang, that he considered to be the black national anthem that he entitled, “A Change is Gonna Come.” To
know this piece of information and to have been able to sing this anthem for
the first time was very encouraging. I invite you to check out my live performance of this song at Osagyefo's event here:
Being a part of it, made me realize that knowledge is the bare
minimum that you need for something to become a proprietary interest. I am interested in singing this anthem more and more because of its history.
December
Photo by Laurence Sparks
It was my birthday and I
wanted to celebrate in a special way. Bass player, Mark Payne, and I share the
same birthday. I call him my twin. I wanted to take in our birthdays doing a showcase of only
original music together. I found liberation in doing just that thanks to the help of
one of my closest friends, Jazz E Matt, who deemed me worthy of putting his all
out there for me. And I am thankful to the JNote Band who had my back in such an amazing way to
do what I wanted to do in that fluorescent hall where we moved with forced
together and touched the sky. Thank you Chynaah Doll, Just Nico, Prrrl, Mark Payne,
and Richie Johnson. You helped me explore every single avenue of my blue velvet
dream of being who I am; a singer who writes songs and performs them live as an
artist. The momentum is still going strong. Whenever you guys are on stage, you
make me feel perfectly at home and I weep with joy because of that. Thank you
all for your collaborative spirits. You can check out a piece of our live
performance here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HYbEAPQ-h8
The other thing that settled
into my bones and gave me inspiration was performing at a real jazz club in New York City for the first
time with my quartet (Mike Benjamin, Danny Dalelio, Herb Lewis, Napoleon Revels-Bey).
It was almost as if God was getting a fresh start of putting a gift in my hands
for Christmas because the call came and the event happened just a few days before
the actual holiday. That was pretty epic for me.
Photo by David A Powell
The setting of the jazz club was perfect for
just sitting back and relaxing into who you are. The stage was great and the
acoustics in the room was just right for stacking all the harmonies of the instrumentation. Of the slew of all the holiday parties that I was blessed to be a part of, this
was the one that made the difference. Not really a holiday party at all but, I did include four songs for
the holiday in my repertoire because I am a big lover of Christmas carols. I invite check out a clip from our live performance
here: https://youtu.be/tmeUs4cwxXg
The experience left me feeling
so high and I am thankful to the wonderful musicians for flowing with me on this flight
and for also braving the cold to be there because it was freezing and the cold
cut like a razor.
Conclusion
2017 made me realize that
there are so many possibilities worth exploring. Many of the moments were soul
stirring. I now have a very clear idea of my purpose, how I want to move into the year 2018
and I am compelled to pull through with this unwithering hope.
Photo by Gardener Anderson
Here I am ready to walk on the wild side of
the frigid winter months of the new year that is upon us. I plan to get to work
as soon as possible making it the best year yet. That you may live your most
extraordinary life in 2018. Happy New Year to you and to yours.
I'm excited! It's a new year. Happy 2016. Are you ready to experience the abundant blessings in store?
What I'm not so excited about is the cold weather that despite our worries about how warm it has been, we are finally getting. My advice: stay warm, be safe and make sure to bundle up to the best of your abilities.
Maybe you could keep warm by getting into the groove of my Haitian jazz music mix on my radio show, Jazz on the JNote which will air on WNYE 91.5FM on Sunday, January 10, 2016 at 7:30pm.
I also wanted to invite you to a really cool event I will be singing at, happening on Friday January 22nd, 2016. Here are the details: JT Mac Productions Presents 2nd in A Series of Smooth Jazz & Neo-Soul Showcases.
If you purchase Advance Tickets To Reserve your Table Seating On Line before January 1st you receive a 10% DISCOUNT. THIS OFFER IS FOR ON LINE TICKETS ONLY. GO TO GOOGLE : jtmactalentzone.net
JT Mac Productions " Like No Other "
Thank you for reading my blogpost. I definitely am looking forward to convening with you in the days to come.
I pray that your 2016 will be as lovely as a humming bird, as graceful as unconditional love, as successful as anything new that Apple puts out and as beautiful and refreshing as the waterfalls of Haiti. God bless you all!
