"When Marnie Was There" - 3

This happened earlier today.....

4:00pm

30 seconds later...

20 minutes later...

Voila!

love,

p. a.

When Marnie Was There - 2

Today was the first morning I didn't have to set my alarm and head into a day full of interviews.  So Mike and I decided to sleep in and then grab a cup of coffee before the wrap party tonight for the film.  It had been dry all morning, so I wore shorts and my espadrilles.  The moment we stepped outside it begins to rain a little.  Not to fear though!  We both brought our umbrellas.  I never leave anywhere without my travel umbrella here.  But the thing about the travel umbrella is... it's only really big enough to cover a small child.  Half-way into our walk, the light rain turns into a torrential downpour!  Big, fat droplets of rain.  If I didn't have an umbrella, it'd would have been similar to standing under a steady waterfall, but in the middle of the street, with a tiny travel umbrella fit for a child.  For a moment, the rain actually paralyzed us.  We both stopped walking, and couldn't stop laughing.  Finally, we were able to take cover under the entrance of a temple with some other veteran folk who weren't amazed, or stunned by the rain as we (2 Los Angelenos who haven't truly experienced rain in years) were.  Needless to say, my espadrilles are soaked to the point where they make a loud squishing sound with every step.  And the shorts I wore did nothing to protect my legs from the cold wetness of the rain streaming off the sides of my too tiny umbrella.

After cleaning up, we headed to the "wrap party" for the film, "When Marnie Was There".  I performed with the amazing composer Takatsugu Muramatsu on piano.  The Director (Hiromasa Yonebayashi), Actress (Sara Takatsuki), Producer (Yoshiaki Nishimura), and Executive Producer (Toshio Suzuki), all had a wooden mallet in hand, and on the count of 3, broke open the wooden lid of the sake barrel that we all drank from as the night went on.  

All in all, it was another very exciting day.  Tomorrow is a day off (!!!).  

Love,

p. a.

"When Marnie Was There" - 1

This is the 1st night I'm able to keep my eyes open long enough to atleast write a little.  The past 2 nights, I tried to return an email or two from my phone, and I would wake up with my phone in my hand, and the last thing I typed usually made no sense.  I think I started to type my dreams!  hehe...

But on Day 1 of the promo trip here in Tokyo, I was settling in at Studio Ghibli, getting ready for my first interview, when the Producer of the film, Yoshiaki Nishimura, came in and asked, "Are you ready to meet Miyazaki-san right now?"  And that was that!  Moments later, we were walking to Miyazaki-san's office (a beautiful wooden house, on a quiet, completely unassuming street in a residential neighborhood).  Before I even had time to register what was happening, there was Miyazaki-san, standing in the doorway, inviting us in.  We shook hands, and I bowed as much as I could, and said the 3 phrases I memorized  in case I should ever meet him.  Then we sat down at his work table and talked so casually about a project he just finished for a Nutcracker exhibition, about the kids at the Nursery next door who come over and run around his office (He built a beautiful Nursery next door, for the Ghibli Staff members' children), about the 200 year old tree outside.  I say we talked "casually", but really I didn't say too much.  There is just too much I would say, or too many dumb things I would ask.  I didn't want to embarrass myself or bother him, hehe... so mostly I just listened and smiled and laughed.  I'll never forget our meeting though, and the calmness I felt there.  As we left, Mike said he loved him and wants to be like him when he grows up.  Me too.

Then this morning I watched the film, "When Marnie Was There" for the first time.  It is sooooooo beautiful.  Truly, truly.  I've read the book now, 3 times.  So I knew the story well enough to follow along and know pretty much what was happening.  That being said, I wasn't able to understand the dialogue word for word, so there's still a lot I missed.  And yet, I was able to feel so much, just by seeing the film.  Hiromasa Yonebayashi is such a beautiful Director.  He really captured the subtle essence of these characters and their personalities and emotions.  There were so many moments that made me want to cry during the film.  And then when my song started playing at the end of the movie... a huge, powerful wave of emotion washed over me.  Not just because the film is so moving and emotional, but I thought of all the lucky events, and unforgettable people that led me to this place right now.... watching a Ghibli film with my song playing in the background.  I struggled so hard to keep the tears from rolling down my face.  I was truly overcome with deep, deep gratitude.  

I hope you all can see this film, and I hope it touches you as it did me.  

Anyway, I just wanted to share these 2 big highlights of the trip (and of my life) with you.  

Goodnight from Tokyo!

love,

p. a. 

Japan Bound!

Life has been a bit of a whirlwind ever since I got back from tour.  I've been basically counting down the days til my promo trip to Japan for the new Studio Ghibli film, "When Marnie Was There"... finishing up other super fun projects, opening--and then closing my online store (ha!), prepping for "Marnie", seeing as many friends as I could before my 7 week trip!  I only just started packing about 4 hours ago!  :P  I don't know why, but I packed 30 DVDs, a sewing project, 4 books, and a tennis racket... as if I'm going to have nothing to do while I'm over there!

This trip will be 2 dreams packed into 1 for me.  Being a part of a Studio Ghibli film, and living in Japan for more than 1 month.  I couldn't be more excited!  In fact, I think it's my adrenaline that's keeping me up til 3:45am, writing a blog...

I have 4 rolls of film that still need to be developed from the U.S. tour!  I'm hoping to share those with all of you at some point!

This post is very random... just wanted to say hello before I left.  :)   Also, I'm going to try to blog on a daily basis while I'm over there... even if it's just a sentence or two.

love,
p. a.

Spring Tour '14 - Simon & Garfunkel

Driving through northern Pennsylvania, listening to Simon & Garfunkel, and just appreciating life.  The skies are so big here.  

The first 4 shows of the tour have been so beautiful, mostly because of all of you who have been coming out.  It's really made my nights to get to meet so many of you after the show.  Your stories and your smiles inspire me all the time to keep writing and singing, especially when I'm doubting myself.  I can't thank you enough for that.  

love,

p. a. 

When Marnie Was There

illustration by Carol Lay

It is with enormous pleasure that I can finally share the big news that I have written the ending theme song to Studio Ghibli's next feature film, entitled When Marnie Was There.  In case some of you don't know, I practically worship the movies that Studio Ghibli release!  They have moved me so much, and have been an undeniably positive influence in my life.  To sing on one of their movies was a far off, distant dream I had, but never really believed could come true.

And then, seemingly out of nowhere, the producer of this film contacted me asking if I would be interested in writing the ending theme song.  I literally gasped in a way you would....say, if you saw a pegasus flying in the sky.  And then I let out a scream of delight and ran around the house like a little girl.

For the first few weeks of work, I was pretty sure they'd fire me at some point.  But, lucky for me, they never did -- and I'm finishing up the last mixes for the "Song Book" as I type this.  The "Song Book" will be a full-length album of songs that won't actually be in the movie, but are inspired by the film and its characters and story.

And the story!!!  "When Marnie Was There" is a British children's novel, written by Joan G. Robinson.  I immediately fell in love with the characters, especially Anna, the protagonist.  Robinson's writing is so real, and so honest.  I read the book 3 times now, and cried at the same parts, each time.

The Director of the film is the highly regarded, Hiromasa Yonebayashi (The Secret World of Arrietty), who I am over-the-lunar-eclipsed-moon to meet next week.  

During this whole process, I didn't even think to take note that this theme song would be Studio Ghibli's first theme song sung in English!  Even after careful consideration of having me sing this song in Japanese, it was finally decided to keep the song in its original form.  Here is an article just posted in The Hollywood Reporter, highlighting this specifically.  

In the end.... I am just so so thankful for this dream-come-true opportunity.  Truly.... something out of a dream.  

I also just happened to find this today....  

love,
p. a.

Remember How I Broke Your Heart

I'm so excited to finally reveal the music video I made for one of my favorite songs on the new album.  This was filmed back when I still had crazy phoenix colors in my hair.  I made this with the super amazing Director Alfred "AJ" Broadbent.

We had booked a room at a really cool, old motel in the middle of nowhere.  We were mainly going to use it as a 'home base' and 'bathroom', and see if we could get some cool exterior shots while we were at it.  I was setting up my things inside, when I heard AJ talking to someone outside.  All of a sudden AJ appeared and said, "We have to leave".  Apparently, the owner ran out of the office when he spotted our camera gear and said there was absolutely no filming here.  AJ told him he completely understood and said we would respect that.  I just needed a place to change.  The guy then retreated back inside his office, only to come running out again 2 minutes later yelling that he was going to call the cops and we needed to leave.  (!!!)  Then, his 20-something year old son came out of the office yelling something, and he turned around and yelled at his son to get back inside (!!!!!!).  Needless to say, we swiftly left the premises.  YIKES!

5 minutes down the road, we found an empty, windy pass.  I drove my friend Charlie Wadhams' beautiful old car up the road.  I seem to remember him telling me that "she" doesn't like hills.  Sure enough, the car slowly came to a stop, and never started back up again.  Luckily, it died in the most beautiful part of the road.  So we just shot pretty much the whole video right there.  We sort of didn't have a choice.

At the end of the shoot, AAA came and swooped us up.  As soon as the car was back on the "flats" she started back up again, and we headed home.

And there is the story -- and gossip -- behind the making of this very emotionally charged video.  ;)

I hope you like it!

love,
p. a.