Film composer/arranger and kickboxer! Jenne Lennon is the woman of the new century.
For months now I wanted to post something about Jenne Lennon especially her project in South Africa but we never seem to cross paths in the internet. But there are good moments when this happens. This is a candid interview . Well, not really an official one because we are still going to set the time. But it is really important to get the information out. After all blogging is all about telling the world what’s going on. In my case, it’s what’s going on in the world of music.To avoid confusion, I bolded my lines.
JL: There you Are!! I was trying to reach you via Skype for a while. Thought something happened to you due to the Tsunami.
B:I have a new skype account
I see. Are you and your family well? I’m very relieved to hear that.
Jenne Lennon: South Africa changed my life.
Yes and how about you?
Doing quite well thank you. South Africa changed my life and things here in Chicago are going quite nicely although this was the coldest, longest, winter in Chicago history
Glad to hear. We should have an audio interview soon via Skype.
Absolutely! I would LOVE that
Yeah spring came late in the US.
To late. Only last week in fact hehe we had a snowstorm 2 weeks ago.
Yeah I read the news.
And is it warm over there?
Yes.All he time hahahaha. Sometimes it gets too much.
Jealous….except for those tropical storms in fact. And how is your blog going?
I guess what you can’t stop from doing defines who you are or what you are.
Well said!
And how’s music?
Going so well. Did a score and a choral scene for a new film “A Million Miles Away” i’ts one several awards and received many great reviews. I’m working with a NY composer right now on a Broadway project.
Wow.Getting bigger and bigger.
Thank you sir.I hope so. I just want my music to reach a larger audience and have a more significant impact. Film and theatre seems to be a great match for that.
Yes they are great vehicles. I will look for that film.
Please do! I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. It’s about the power of music and young women. It’s a short, but is so powerful.The director is called Jennifer Reeder/Producer Steven Hudosh.
I see!Ok cool I will look for it and write about it.
That would be wonderful! I think you’re going to love it. 75% of the music is mine, the whole song in the choral scene is my arrangement, and I worked as the behind the scenes conductor in the film.
Wow.Glad to hear that.
Thank you. It’s my first film. Hope it is not the last.
I hope so too!
Unfortunately, I have to go. I have a kickboxing class. Hehe! Let’s chat soon!Glad you are okay!
Last week I passed around the pen to my musician friends and their two cents on the word Peace. They came up with interesting answers.
It comes from within-Ewen Henderson
I think peace is achieved when the mind is no longer striving/searching/comparing, or measuring itself against all we see and experience. Then there is awareness, which does’nt condemn/justify/censor or distort truth, which is our connectedness to the whole world.” Hope that will do! –Karl Nesbitt
Peace for me is knowing that all my family are well and healthy. Music can bring peace of mind to me even on the hardest and darkest days. When Im down I play or compose music to relax and have peace of mind.- Enda Seery
Positive Energy Activates Constant Elevation :o) – Andrew Slim Black
In my view, the absence of peace in the world stems from two things: (1) the failure of people to recognize the divine nature that is in every human, and (2) the desire to acquire those things that have only temporary value (such as wealth, land, commodities, possessions, etc.). I believe that if each of us understood that even the lowliest person is a miraculous and magnificent creation (which, if you consider the complexity and majesty of life, is apparent) that is deserving of kindness, respect and love, most enmity between humans would end. Furthermore, if people looked inward to find joy instead of in seeking after non-essential, material things, there would not be war over land, resources, and wealth. I find that happiness is to be found inside ourselves first and foremost. If we are at peace with ourselves, and understand the great fortune that we have to exist in this world, we appreciate others and do not seek for things that are transient. – Justin Elswick (Sleepthief)
I believe that to achieve peace one needs to start with their individual self. Do what makes you happy, and that will reflect onto others. If we are not happy in our own lives and how we live our lives, then that reflects negatively onto others. If we as a collective can positively influence each other, then we will see a slow movement towards collective peace and happiness-Jacob McCauley
Peace for me is a basic understanding of respect for one’s fellow human being. Without peace chaos and disorder reigns and basic human rights are violated. No civilised person should yearn for anything other than peace. –Fiach Moriarty
Peace is when you don’t have to try to impress people when you can relax with who you are, and who you strive to be, i’ts a bit like love,when you’re guarded with someone you can’t love that person. I’ts only when you relax that you see the true beauty of the person/place etc.That is peace to me.The further you get from our from civilisation the stronger the voice of what I think is good becomes- kt tunstall….:}-Rachael Mccormack
Peace is a state of mind. Knowing how to recognise it means that I can retreat into it anytime and anywhere. Its not always easy though!-Michael Robert Orme
I guess the basis for peace is , get rid of that ‘eye for an eye’ crapola for a start… well, retaliation, revenge and all that means escalation… Jesus, Ghandi all those dudes had the right idea.the Old Testament and the Koran have a lot in common and it’s mostly bad. Love and all that jazz came in with Jesus. I mean I’.m NOT a Christian, but I think Jesus or what Jesus was in to is great. He was the first hippy. and he could turn water into wine, which is a damn fine trick. It’s the key to peace as far as I’m concerned.-Jeremy Poitin
When you have a young family, finding peace is a rare and difficult thing. Peace more often than not is when you have the house to yourself and your ears can have a break to hear some silence. However digging a little deeper peace for me is the acceptance that all the things that surround me are a gift that should be enjoyed today with no worries about yesterday or tomorrow. That provides me with the ability to obtain a certain level of peace and happiness and lets me enjoy the moment.-Tony Lawless
My Peace is Your Peace, and Your Peace is Our Peace.
Kindness is the magic seed!!!
Opinions and choices should be tolerated and respected. Try to be Kind and not to judge frivolously, for you can never truly walk another man’s mile.
Finding Peace relies upon our own ability and motivation to eliminate individual self-righteousconcerns and petty differences. Our humanity has vastly more characteristics in common than differences!
Try to remember to do something Kind each day, outside of your usual realm – try to make it something that won’t have any direct relation to you, to your own friends or family, or to your personal dogma, interests and agendas. If your life is hectic, just try to do something Kind once a week or whenever you can. If necessary, ask someone how you can help or give.
With each selfless act of Kindness, a tiny magical seed is sown… the tender sprouts grow and blossom into the magical flowers that spread seeds for new acts of Kindness. Just try it for a few months – you may be surprised at the magical flowers of Kindness you can grow in your own little garden!!!
The magical Kindness begets Kindness, Kindness begets Love, and Love begets more Love!!! Love begets Peace!!! Magic!!!
Just think of the Peace our world would have if everyone performed just one simple selfless Kind act each day… there are a lot of magical seeds of Kindness that need to be sown!!!
“Perform just one simple selfless act of kindness whenever you are able to do so.”
~Connie Rae Crone
After reading of this question a few times, I realized that it is extremely personal. Not trying to cop out of an answer, but it is each person’s responsibility to find their own peace, and if I tell you how I find my peace, it most likely will not work for someone else. That being said, I don’t really know how I find my peace, but my life feels rather peaceful so whatever I’m doing seems to be working out.-Noam Bierstone
As a native or Ireland we have seen more than our share of violence and bloodshed in the North of our country and it has been so gratifying to see the parties get together to work for peace. It needs us all to support it and to recognise and respect each others’ differences and try to find what we have in common.-Martin Bridgeman
If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. ~Mother Teresa
Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary. ~Gandhi
We challenge the culture of violence when we ourselves act in the certainty that violence is no longer acceptable, that it’s tired and outdated no matter how many cling to it in the stubborn belief that it still works and that it’s still valid. ~Gerard Vanderhaar
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You are what you eat. I read this statement from Jim Corr a couple of years back in Time magazine when an article about Irish musicians making it big came out. True. What we watch, what we listen to and the kind of friends we hang out off-line and online speak about our personalities. So you might ask: is there a chainsaw in my horizon since I love to watch gory flicks?
I got an interesting discussion with artist Jenne Lennon yesterday. As much as I want to keep it for myself, I think she has many points that are interesting. So I am putting some of them here. She is launching Windtalker radio podcast and they talk to artists, activists, media, etc. and really anyone who is making a positive impact in the world around. According to her my having 120,000 hits on this site in support of good music is making an impact .
CMF:I told her that I am “just a vessel of something much bigger 🙂 We are all part of this pattern and we do what we can to make that pattern work.”
Jenne: “I would definitely have to agree with that statement. We are all vessels of something bigger. Here to send a message and make an impact. My hope for the world is that everyone would want to make a positive impact and that people would realize the potential within themselves to create a bigger impact than they believe is possible. We sell ourselves too short as humans. We do not give ourselves enough credit. We believe we our powerless over our own destiny and we accept mediocrity because we think we should. But, we always long for something greater. That’s why I created windtalker radio, with Liz’s help and the help of my producer Roland Labana, and then created the windtalker blog. And, that’s why I create this music along with Shishonnah. longing for something greater.”
“With what is going on in the world, we need more positivity. We need to believe on something. And I think that the more people like you who are doing this project, the more we will make this world a safer place to live. Kudos to you and Liz and the people involved in this project. This is a milestone…and personally? I think this is the best part of being alive today . Making an impact and knowing kindred spirits!”
“Absolutely. Life as difficult and as complex as it can be, is really that simple. We as humans bring an unnecessary complexity to it and in our journeys here on earth, must find our paths to bring us back to the loving simplicities of life. And, I suppose it only happens through impact and suffering. But, that is something we all share, and I hope all of us can learn this in the new century and I would hope many more people will make an effort. Yourself included, you are doing great work too! 🙂 and thank you for the well wishes. They are always appreciated!”
“Who would have thought that I will come face to face with amazing people when I created that blog out of loneliness. But yes , the little things we do, we will just be surprised that one day, like a seed it is going to bear fruits. And the greatest fruit of all is knowing that what you do is not for yourself alone but for others , and making it easier, making it better…connecting to that bigger source where all things come from.”
“I suppose we all seek creative endeavours of loneliness…huh? Bono said it best, that the artist always feels a sense of emptiness that needs to be filled. Or, in one of Anne Rice’s novels, a lead character says that strong people always feel a depth of loneliness. We create in an effort to create a better world around us, without even knowing that is why we are doing so. Basic human psychology. It’s kind of funny if you think about it. I understand loneliness, definitely. But, I hope you don’t feel alone anymore. It is a different world now. A different century. People are getting better though the media would have you think otherwise”.
“We are actually launching the second single “I will Carry You” on Friday. I think you will like this one. Very different from Dance With The River. A slow ballad talking about loss and knowing that one day things will get better. We are already getting a great response from listeners. A lot of people identify with the lyrics. Maybe, you might too. :)”
“I think I can relate to that. I parted ways with someone very dear recently because long distance relationships don’t work. So this song will have meaning to me. One of those “soundtrack of your life” kind of thing. I know I will love this song.”
“Something similar happened to me a little over a year ago, but it does get better. The universe can be very kind. When you bravely take a big step in your life such as a breakup or a career move, or even grieving a death, it changes the energies around you and steers the positive your way. Taking a big step like that can actually bring something greater your way. A few months later I had an incredible experience on top of St. Michael’s Mount in Cornwall. A few days later stepping off a plane, Liz found me in the U.S. and so did my husband. All of that suffering brought great new changes”.
“I agree with you. The universe is kind. All you need to do is take it easy, step back and wait a bit longer. Something will turn up.My big congratulations to you and your new life. We are blessed!”
“Yes, definitely we are blessed. A lot of people forget that. That’s why I work so much with the Native Americans. They understand this and they accept pain and suffering willingly. A lot of world religions preach this, but don’t execute it. The Natives do and find happiness and contentment in so much. Working with them saved my life.”
Going back to my interview with her in 2009, she has been very outspoken in her work with the Native Americans. In this spirit I will let you listen to these wonderful videos.
Celtic Music Fan 