It was in the fourth grade that my life was impacted profoundly by a wonderful woman named Mrs. Sexton, who happened to be my ART teacher. She encouraged me, complimented me, and allowed all my artistic visions to become a reality. She was the first teacher I ever had who seemed to understand me.

My Art Teacher Mrs. Paula Sexton

That year we were told to pick a subject for our papier-mâché project. When I announced that I wanted to make a life-sized alligator that was 9 feet long, the kids in the class said “YOU can’t do THAT,” and Mrs. Sexton said, “YES Alexis CAN !!!”

Mrs. Sexton ended up staying with me after school for almost two weeks so I could complete my masterpiece. None of the kids could believe what I had accomplished. When I finished making my giant alligator, my mom arrived at school in her big station wagon, and we loaded my creation up. Pulling out of the parking lot with the tail hanging through the open tailgate window, I proudly waved goodbye to all the school buses filled with my classmates. I do believe in the quote, “What one’s mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve,” but honestly this ended up better than I had ever imagined!!!

I was so proud of my swimming alligator

One of my greatest passions in this life is to show children that what they imagine can become a reality if they don’t give up and don’t listen to the naysayers—just like Mrs. Sexton showed me at Greenbriar Elementary in Indianapolis, IN!!! I have been blessed to volunteer and work with many children throughout my life. I’ve always had a dream of going on tour with my music and art–

I loved being silly!!!

stopping at local shelters, boys and girls clubs, and other places that help children in tough situations along the way. I want to encourage them to dream and create a project that has to do with their dream. I want to sing with them and leave them with their finished project, along with donated art supplies or musical instruments. Being able to help them conceive something in their minds and create it with their hands, would remind them that their dreams CAN and WILL take form and take flight!!!  I bet Mrs. Sexton never had a clue how much she changed my life and I want to continue to honor her.

While living in Atlanta, I have fallen in love with three organizations: The Songs For Kids Foundation (www.songsforkids.org); re;imagine/ATL(www.reimagineatl.com); and drawchange(www.drawchange.org).  All three of these empower youth in some way– And all the youth empower me with their incredible determination, courage, and love.

After the interview

Recently CW69, Atlanta’s local CBS affiliate, interviewed drawchange, and I was invited as a guest volunteer. The interview will be aired this Sunday at noon. Keisha, the interviewer asked me why I was volunteering for drawchange.  I wanted to tell her about how I was a musician and artist and how art saved my life; how I wanted to bring Ms. Sexton’s spirit to every child who never experienced someone believing in their greatness; and how, at a U2 concert as a teen, I saw my vision of helping youth while my fingers were burning from the flame of my Bic lighter. But instead I gave the shortest version I could so we could focus on what drawchange is accomplishing.

Later that afternoon, drawchange hosted an incredible art show for children from a local Atlanta shelter. Cooper Global Luxury Limousines picked the kids up and transported them to the art show at The Mall at Peachtree Center. The whole thing was organized by Urban Enterprises, and Dairy Queen, Chick-fil-A, Caribou Coffee, Great American Cookies, Willy’s Mexicana Grill, Piece Of Cake and a ton of other vendors delivered an absolute feast and it was magical!!!

Sweetest mother and son moment!!!

Seeing the look of pride on the mother’s faces and the joy in the children’s eyes just can’t be defined by words on a page that are worthy of that moment. Several of the children and their mothers asked if they could take the art work home. Sadly, I told them they would have to wait for two weeks.  They looked disappointed, but I imagined them taking their prized pieces home to their bunk beds in the shelter in two weeks knowing they created a journey full of incredible surprises.

Our station wagon!!!

It took me back to the day when I waved at all the school buses with my alligator hanging out of the back of my mother’s woody-wagon!!!

I still dream of going on tour with my music and visiting kids in each town to make a happy memory they can hold onto as long as they want, remembering that what they dream and believe can be a reality. Until that time comes, I will be thankful to organizations like Songs For Kids Foundation, re;imagine ATL, and drawchange for creating a wonderful opportunity for me to volunteer. If you live in Atlanta, please check out these organizations.  Also, if you know of any organizations that empowers youth by artistic and creative endeavors, please let me know!!!  It is my passion to help them in any way I can.

Will be sitting in with Glenn Phillips Band & Supreme Court Live in ATLANTA Friday December 28 – Details here!

This is a show you don’t want to miss!!!

As many of you know I am a HUGE Tom Petty fan……..  and in many letters prior to this, I spoke of my desire to go on tour with him and open………..  but it just didn’t happen yet………. So a few months ago, I felt called to go on my own little tour. Both of my children were going on summer trips and my husband had started a new job that he loves and is extremely focused on……..  so I just decided I wanted to see what it would be like to be a touring musician on the road……..and if I would like it as much as I thought I would.

Hiway to Taos

As a mother you bare these children that come out of your body into your arms to hold, love, protect, nurture, teach, and just share every ounce of your heart and soul with.  I have always believed that I did not own my children, but that instead I was just lucky enough to help prepare them for flight into this world of the unknown.  You understand  this going into it, but as the time arrives for them to jump out of the nest……  it brings on a range of emotions that is equal to a squall on a sunny day……..  a tornado in an ocean that just grabs you by surprise and can drown you if you are nor careful.

My first job the past 16 years was taking care of my children and husband, but my second job was creating…..Creating art, creating songs, working at becoming a better musician, and just learning everything I could about music.  I created a merchandise line, etc, etc……  all because of this calling I had.  Many times I would ask God WHY this calling.  It has been extremely difficult on many levels.  When you do this music thing as an older married woman, it is seriously rough!!!  I would sometimes ask God why could I not be satisfied playing tennis, going to lunches, PTA, and taking care of my kids……….  But it just never worked for me.  I have had this aching drive that does not wane, but for the first time ever as I sit here in New Mexico, I am REALLY thanking the big guy for this thing that has lived within me since my earliest childhood memories.

Edward Leaving at Gate for California than Japan.

This summer my 14 year old daughter went to UGA for a duke tips mock trial camp for three weeks. I was just so proud of her.  My son received a scholarship to go to Japan and live for six weeks.  Last Friday, I took him to the gate where he was flying to Berkley University for 3 days of orientation with his scholarship organization, and then off to Japan.  As he gave me a hug and walked into the security line, I just started to weep from somewhere deep inside me that I didn’t even know existed.  It was awful…..  I mean I spent the last 16 years preparing and hoping for something incredible like this to happen for my children, but when they jump out of the nest it is just nothing you can prepare for.  Upon arriving home to an EMPTY house I just looked at my husband crying and said, thank god I have my music, because this is unbearable.

Sunset At Beginning Of Journey

The following morning I hoped into my car and headed to New Mexico.  I was going to go alone, but about a month ago, I was introduced by a friend in Macon to woman named Brenda

At Sun Studios and I’m wearing Elvis glasses!!! :0)

Stepp who is a music lover and music journalist who loves Santa Fe, so she joined me…..I was a little nervous to travel with someone I hardly knew, but something just said it was a good thing.

First stop on my mini tour was Memphis, TN.  We spent the day at Graceland and then in the evening I sang at this incredible coffee shop called Java Cabana…..  and it was just an awesome experience.  The following day….  We went to Sun Studios, and I felt a magic that I will blog about another time.  Absolutely mind boggling.  I truly am so excited to go back to Memphis.

Alexis Singing At Java Cabana in Memphis!!!

Playing At Java Cabana in Memphis, TN 

On Monday…… we headed to Taos New Mexico.  Somewhere in Arkansas I get a call that my son was in an accident.  On Monday morning he was on a bus on the San Francisco freeway with 19 other students en route to airport, when his bus driver suffered a seizure and then heart attack and crashed into the barrier skidding about 20 feet.  My son’s friend tried to give the man CPR, but unfortunately it did not work and God rest his soul, the driver passed away right before the children’s eyes.  The children then had to climb out of the window onto the freeway because of gasoline….. but fortunately the children were not hurt.  They were taken to a hotel and arrangements were made for them to fly to Japan Tuesday morning.

A few hours later in Oklahoma a State Trooper pulled me over because he said the word Atlanta was obstructed by my license plate holder.  He took me into his truck with this big giant muzzled dog who had a terrible stench.  He questioned me for 45 minutes.  When I told him I was going on a mini tour, and that my kids had gone to camp, about my sons accident, etc, etc…….  he decided I was suspicious and at that point it got pretty scary.  I guess he thought I was making it all up.  He then went to my car, and left me with the dog while he questioned my friend.  The Dog started getting angry and the only way to calm him was to sing to him.  When I sang he would lay down.  So there I was somewhere in Oklahoma, worried about my son, as I’m singing to a dog in a cop truck…..  wondering if he was going to take us to the slammer even though we had done nothing……….  It was just so scary.  Of course he finally let us go.  And when he came back to the car and heard me singing to the dog I did get a kick, because he had entered the Lexer twilight zone, and that smokey just couldn’t comprehend what was happening!!!  :0)

Alexis Singing At Alley Cantina

Finally….. I lay here in the middle of the night in Taos New Mexico writing this blog.  A few hours ago I was singing at the Alley Cantina, making new fans, and having a ball.  I came home exhausted and went to sleep and awoke to a text from my son saying he was safely in Japan.  I am so thankful I have the music to funnel my energy into rather than being paralyzed at home obsessing about my children… and that my husband is supportive in me following my calling.  Instead of asking God why…..  I am just asking God to help me continue to listen, and have strength to follow my calling….

To all my friends with children who are growing up……  I will tell you….  Pick an adventure…..  work hard for it……….  And get excited because even in the midst of the pain of my children leaving the nest……….  It is bearable because I am doing something I am passionate about……… I will tell you, even the desert is beautiful when it is where you are suppose to be!!!  Can’t even wait to see what I learn in Santa Fe……..

Unbelievable site!!!

I know I was “Born To Run’ and I still am hoping to find the “King’s Hiway”…… and although “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for” The song “For The Children” is enlightening………As I sit here and watch the birds flying in the desert sky I know we are all truly in the end “Birds Of A feather” and that life is just sweet as a peach if

you can be patient enough to plant the tree, watch it grow fruit, pick it, and let it all ripin up naturally and organically!!!  Thanks for reading and wishing us all some peace, love, and hope from somewhere in the New Mexican desert!!!  :0)   To Be Continued!!!!

Been a while since I’ve written.………but it’s Mothers Day, so today I was inspired. Many of you know I spent my whole life trying to learn how to play musical instruments. I write on my guitar, piano, and mandolin.….. but playing the whole song by myself with out messing up was a whole nother story.

For me music has been ECSTASY and TORCHER. Torcher because I heard these incredible sounds in my head but had know way to share them.  It was like being a chef, creating all these incredible dishes but not being able to eat it, or feed it to anyone else. I could go on and on but I won’t because I finally CAN DO IT. I can walk on a stage and play my guitar with out messing up. It took 41 years to happen but I myself have witnessed this miracle and I am so humbled, overjoyed, and beside myself.

Last Friday night I sang at this benefit called 500 Songs For Kids. The organization is just a real gift to this world and I wish I could generate Millions Of Dollars to help them do what they do through out the world. The benefit I sang at works like this…. Over ten nights 500 songs are sang. Each artist is given one song to learn a few months before benefit. Then on your night, you go up and sing it and play it however you want. Lots of people have a giant band, and the music is just usually mind blowing fun. Every year that I have participated I have had an accompanist……… but this year I decided to do it alone. I was given the song Close To You by the Carpenters and it is full of bar chords. I called up my friend who teaches me, and he came over and he helped me with the bar chords. I practiced so many times that one day I got a blister. About the week before the event, I started freaking and started to think I should have someone else play for me, BUT then I listened to this other voice that has a different pitch and tone than doubt……. It was a voice that’s vibration was so strong that it knocked me out. The voice said you can and will do this Lex, go fly girl.…… Soooooooooo I walked up on stage and sat down and started to play and finger pick the whole song……….. and do you know doubt and fear had the audacity to come on stage with me. They actually tried to talk to me while I was singing and playing, but this new voice told um to shut there big mouths….. at one point I played this really hard bar chord, and the voice said said way to go lex, your gonna get the next ones too……. And before I knew it, I finished and it was better than I ever had played it before. It was important to me to do this alone because for me it was a miracle I once only dreamed of……. And what songs for kids does is a miracle for children, and I just want to spend my life being around people creating miracles and helping others………. I just want to give the best of myself that I can. You see I used to hear doubt whisper in my ear all the time……you can’t do this and that,  and about a million other crazy rude things……. But now I interrupt fear and doubt with a giggle because now I know the TRUTH. Now I know they are just plainly full of MALARKEY!!!

I wrote this blog on Mothers day for a reason…… I am reading a book called the Music Lesson by Victor Wooten. In his book he sais “Mu is an ancient word for Mother, and Sic is just an abbreviation for science.  So put together,  music means the Mother Of All Sciences” .  I want to tell her thank you so much for blessing me with her presents in this life…….. and thank you for blessing my family!!!  Because of Music I have learned so many incredible lessons through this journey called life about who I am, who I want to grow to be, and what I and everyone of YOU are capable of!!! Today I just want to say thank you to MUSIC!!!  I just want to wish Music the greatest Mother’s day ever…… and I really hope she, Mother Nature, Mother Earth and my BIRTH mom have the best Mothers day in the world!!! I also have attached a Mothers day song I wrote for my mom several years ago!!! Feel free to copy the link and sent to the mothers you love!!!

Love,

Lex

http://www.songsforkidsfoundation.org/

[youtube]http://youtu.be/CssohC4lfWM[/youtube]

Being the beginning of the New Year, I thought I would write a blog.  A few nights before Christmas, I came across an old letter that I had written a business contact.  It was such an exciting time.  My husband was attending Emory earning his MBA, and threw him, I met a man that was an adjunct professor, and computer technology genius, and involved in the entertainment business.  He genuinely seemed interested in helping me, and we had several meetings that were very insightful.  This man asked me to send him my vision, goals, affirmations, etc…..  So on January 24, 2008, I sent him a letter filled with the details of my vision.  When you are working on a GIANT dream, it can often feel as if you are running in place.  You make strides but they seem to take you no-where.  I feel so blessed to have found this letter.  You see, in the process of working hard, I had forgotten to visit my written goals I had sent him, and that is why I have felt like I was running in place.  I actually had accomplished much over these past four years.  I still have so much to accomplish, but feel like I am that much closer, because……… of being reminded of all that I have accomplished with out realizing it.  I have stayed true to my calling.  I believe in dreaming, I believe in dreams coming true, I believe in working hard, I believe in Goodness, and I believe in the power of the Universe……  Of GOD!!!  I feel so lucky to know that in my darkest hours there is always light embracing me, if I let it.  I’m not sure what 2012 will bring, but I am ready for it, and am embracing every ounce of the light we are all offered.  Wishing for you, that you write your life’s goals and find accomplishments in them, while also being embraced by the light.  Happy 2012………. From the bottom of my heart, I am truly looking forward to sharing more songs with you this year!!!  Thanks so much for visiting.  I am grateful!!!

Peace,

Lex 

Life is such a trip how sometimes the Universe guides you, and you don’t even know it. You think your lost, and then years later you find out that all these strange turning points end up being connected like a perfect constellation in the beautiful night sky.

I had received an email this summer from a friend telling me about a contest in Macon GA. The contest was created by the Gateway  Macon Initiative. You were to submit 3 songs, with one being about Macon, GA and it’s musical heritage, to be utilized to educate and attract visitors to Macon as a music destination. I got a little twinge when I read it, and thought, “I can’t do that, it would be so from my head”…. but while in Chicago performing, I woke up one morning, and the song just fell through me, like mist from the sky!!! So with a little time and few tweaks…… through my heart I submitted a song called “Sweet As A Peach”.

Since I moved to GA, I’ve been trying to learn everything I could about music from this region, and how it transformed music in general. In Feb, 2010 I went to an Otis Redding Tribute at UGA, and actually wrote a blog about the magical event. Click here if you want to read.  Over the past few years I’ve visited Macon several times specifically to learn about all of the heritage that exists there.

So I found out on Wednesday evening that I made it as one of the five finalists for this contest…… and one of the coolest things is that they are announcing the winner at Otis Reddings 70th birthday celebration. To me, that is just the icing on this incredible cake. If I win, it would be unimaginable because I would get to have the 3 songs produced by a super  two time grammy nominated producer named Steve Moretti, and mastered into a three-song EP (extended play mini album), an electronic press kit (EPK), and a professional music video of one of the three songs all worth 25,000. But most of all it would happen in this beautiful small town that has taught me so much about music.

Regardless how the competition finishes…… I am just real thankful to be recognized, through this leap of faith journey through the world of rock and roll!!! Being an artist is hard work, but these types of things remind you that the Universe has reasons for each of the dot’s that it reveals.

If you are on facebook and get a chance, go to their page and like them https://www.facebook.com/GatewayMacon. They are continually adding really innovative contests that are truly rewarding creative endeavors!!!

On a last note…… I just booked a show in Chapel Hill North Carolina. I will be singing on the patio from 6:30-8:30pm October 22 at a restaurant called Tarantini’s ….. with a merchandise show there on Sunday the 23rd. Also I am starting to book house concerts, so if interested please contact me. I have one out of town September 16th….. Finally I am hitting the road….. and I love every second of it!!! HAPPY September!!!

Peace,
Lex