R is For Relflecting on 2018

It’s the end of the year and there is no denying that in just a couple of days, 2019 will officially launch. As the days wind down and before we come to the collective conclusion of the year at hand, I thought it would be cool to reflect on 2018 as a way to celebrate the small little wins.

Is it me or have the days run out of patience as they seem to go by faster and faster the older I get?

It feels like yesterday when we were all singing the Prince Anthem, “1999” and coming into the year 2000 and now it is about to be 2019. Am I the only one who feels moment by moment crying out for my attention only for the experience to speed on by at breakneck speeds? I will say that I have been wearing my seatbelt, but I can’t help but to feel the whiplash of time that keeps ticking. But thank God I can feel it because there are many who have not made it to this point and to be here in the land of the living, still, is a blessing that I can own up to.

2018

In 2018, New York had one of the chilliest and longest winters I can ever remember. As the cold slipped out of the year’s clutches, the warm weather harnessed feelings of jumping into the ocean’s waters more than I’d ever been motivated to feel the sand under my feet on hot summer nights in my whole life.

Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School Small Band

Once the latest school year was set in motion, it’s been working hard toward constant building and guiding the next generation of musically creative, young singers beyond the gates of their high school days and into their lushly orchestrated futures. Hopefully in their tomorrow, they will make a mark on the world with their aural charisma when you will bop your heads to their music echoing through your ears someday. They definitely have enormous potential.

With my mentor, Wayne Holmes

There were days where I harnessed melancholy moments where I delved deep into the heartfelt blues that made me want to cry me a river and I felt stripped bare emotionally. 

I lost a few people that were close to me including my mentor, Wayne Holmes, who was willing to share his mark of genius with me while he was alive. He pushed me into singing and helped to break me out of my shell. Losing him and the others that affected my life that went on to be with the Lord, felt like needle sharp thorns piercing at my heart. 

I used my gift of singing far into the night on many of the days I was graced to see; some days even the point of exhaustion. But I carried on with this level of ambition and spunk that has not left me yet. If you ever listened to me sing or were witness to a live performance, then you heard the sound of striving. Even when I felt intimidated by the roaring stadium sized collections of critics and naysayers, I still had faith in my own story because I know who I am and I have passion as deep as a river that makes me sparkle with a burst of energy and enthusiasm whenever a mic is in my hand.

2018 Dr Mary Umolu Jazzy Jazz Festival

How blessed I am that God opened doors to opportunities to sing on stages this year that I never thought I would see like with the New Rochelle Jazz Orchestra or at Citifield where I got to dance with and sing to John Starks or having the opportunity to remake the old Whitney Houston classic, “Love Will Save the Day,” and seeing my name on a vinyl record for the first time. You can check out the tune here: 

These were some of the many pieces de resistance of my 2018.

Some days I experienced dramatic bursts of aggravation because of all the pressures I felt from my own impatience with petty little things and acknowledged stubbornness that often seemed to go on autopilot. Back in the days, I would get liquored up to soothe my troubles, but I can crackle with excitement that on January 1, 2019, I will be five years alcohol-free because of a resolution I made back when 2014 kicked into high gear.  Hopefully I can do the same in the coming year as I attempt once again to rekindle a healthier lifestyle habit, on purpose.

First Sunset of 2018

And then there were times throughout 2018 where earnest expressions of joy, enthusiasm and love bloomed like a wildflower. But there was always hope peering from behind the door that gave me a blast of energy to link to the reality of it all and I am most thankful for the improvisational spirits of all those who were willing to dream right alongside me.  

As I recount my experiences, there were more good than bad, and I am thankful for it all. And as we go onto greater things in the coming 2019, all I can say is that I hope it is colorful, lively and luminous. I have an optimistic outlook and look forward to seizing the days of the new year as they come. I also hope to work towards improving myself consistently so I can build more quality into my own being which will require round the clock care which I hope I can maintain so I can experience the distant rewards before me.

I can’t believe that the year has come and gone so quickly, but before the sun of 2018 descends, I wish to you, immeasurable joy in the new year. I hope it greets you with its charming personality and keeps you feeling spiritually uplifted until the morning light of 2020. 

Savor every blessing as the year rolls along. I hope you accomplish many things and are so busy climbing up the ladder that you are able to not dwell too much on the daily frustrations or the temper of the times. Enjoy the confines of 2019.

A Very Musical Review of 2017

“Enthusiasm is the fertilizer that will

ensure rapid growth as well as permanency”

(Napoleon Hill)

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.