A few months ago, my dear friends at Rock By The Sea asked me if I’d be interested in writing a guest post for the RBTS blog.  I asked if they wanted it to be written about any particular topic and they said, “no, just something about music.”  I thought about it for a second, and thought “well, let’s not be too specific,” but I knew something would eventually come to me.  I wasn’t exactly expecting it to take this long, but as soon as the SUPER SECRET, BIG ANNOUNCEMENT was made on December 9th, I knew a post would soon be born.

Music has always been a huge interest for me. As a five year old, I would lay in bed every night waiting for the Top 10 Countdown to play “Islands in the Stream” by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. When I was in 3rd grade my class did a performance called “Music Moves Me”.

Let’s just say. . .it stuck.

I began taking piano lessons and went on to learning to play the violin and guitar in junior high and high school, but when I was 14 years old, I had my first experience with music truly moving me. 

One night at summer camp, my fellow campers and I were sitting around wasting time, listening to music under a gorgeous moon.  In the mountains of North Carolina, we sat on a picnic table under a street light when one of the guys got up and started swaying to Van Morrison’s “Tupelo Honey.” I watched intently as he moved ever so softly to that sweet tune.  He felt the music, and for the first time, I did, too.

On that dark night, under the streetlight, I knew I wanted a bit of what he was having and I set out on a path of finding music that moved me, the way that song moved my friend and me.  My love affair with music began in earnest with that song almost 20 years ago.

Four years ago, my life was unraveling right before my eyes.  On an especially rough day I turned to my old friend music to help me deal with the muck I was wading through.  I remember driving home from work on a rainy day, imploring God to give me some music that would help dull the pain. Though I wasn’t a fan of Christian music at the time, I randomly set my dial to the local Christian station.

I was that desperate.

I had never really connected with anything I’d heard on contemporary Christian radio, but as I listened, hoping to feel something . . .anything. . . a soulful tune rang out of my speakers and I thought, “Ok, this is doable". My head started feeling the beat and as the lyrics hit my heart, the tears started springing from my eyes.

Even when the Earth crumbles under my feet
Even when the ones I love turn around and crucify me
I won’t never ever let you down
I won’t fall I won’t fall
I won’t fall as long as you’re around me

Even when the rain falls
Even when the flood starts rising
Even when the storm comes
I am washed by the water

In that moment, I knew that I wasn’t alone and I knew that with Gods’ help, I could get through what was sure to become the most difficult trial I had faced . . . divorce.

At the time, I had no clue who the band was, but I ran into the house and Googled “Washed By The Water” and downloaded “The Heat” by NEEDTOBREATHE.  While I listened through it, I felt overwhelmed by the assurance that everything would be ok.  It was going to require “More Time” but I knew I had “Nothing Left to Lose”. It wasn’t going to be easy and it would be a long road but I knew I would survive it.

The entire album felt as though it had been written for me by the only one who could save me from the direness of the situation. It restored my faith in God to trust Him to help me deal with the mess that my life had become, while totally hooking me on the band.

Every song on that album and subsequent ones, has moved me at one point or another and though I’ve been to a few concerts in my time, I have never seen NEEDTOBREATHE play live.  So when you see me at Rock By The Sea’s show on April 29th, don’t be surprised if I’m in my own little world, beneath a Carolina starry sky, being moved by the music.

I have made several visits to Panama City Beach in the last 2 months preparing for Rock by the Sea 6!  Wow, now I know what it feels like to be embraced by a community.  Our partner, Spinnaker has been amazing.  The TDC is willing to help us market and advertise our event, print posters and flyers, and help us get the word out.  The lodging partners opened their arms and plan to work with us through donating rooms to house our artists and offering discounted and special deals to our attendees.  Throughout the community, there are people willing to help in a very generous way, either through cash donations, or in-kind contributions.  Rock by the Sea is feeling Panama City Beach's love and we are just under 5 months out of our first event there.

Spinnaker, if you have never been there, is a beautiful property with a capacity of about 5000.  Yes, we are making a hell of a leap.  They have been so helpful and are  willing to do things a little different for us, while bringing many elements to the table that will significantly contribute to the success of Rock by the Sea 6.  There are several stages and several levels.  You can be in the thick of the party or in a quieter nook.  It is right on the beach.  It is FANTASTIC!!!!   I could not be happier with our choice of venue and the partners they are becoming.  I encourage you to go to their website and Facebook, tell them how excited we are to be making them our new home. http://www.spinnakerbeachclub.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/spinnakerbeachclub2

The Tourist Development Council has been working with us from day one.  They helped us pick the date so as not to have any major conflicts.  You can never ensure there are no conflicts, but their assistance helped us make decisions that are going to help this event's success.  They have committed to helping us market our event in various places like Nashville, Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Charlotte.   They are going to help us locally through posters, flyers and billboards.   Check them out on their sites:  http://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com/ and on Facebook (they over 200,000 Likes!) http://www.facebook.com/visitpanamacitybeach.

I met with several lodging partners.  MAN, do we have LOTS of choices!!  Everything from a hotel room (of which there are 1000s) to a 1 BR, 2BR, 3BR, 4BR condos, as well as the rental homes.  They are so happy to have us, there will be many specials offered.  We will be posting more information next week.

NEXT WEEK is big...and that is not just me being enthusiastic...WE HAVE SOME ANNOUNCEMENTS you will not want to miss!  So, if you are not on the new email list, go to the website and get on it.  Everything is going to start there, unless you are in Atlanta...because that is where announcements are going to be made and then we will post them on the web site.  

We are so grateful for the support.  Our growth has been steady and it is because of you.  We have taken that leap (some say off the cliff) and hope you are in it with us!!  It is going to be an amazing ride!!

Thank You letter from Down Syndrome Association of Tallahassee.

Camp Sunshine

It's still amazing to me how amazing the power of music can be. I've been blessed to be associated with Rock by the Sea for some time now, either as a guest to an event, as a volunteer, or now as an active member of the organization. With each passing year and event after event, I am still left in awe when I get to experience those moments that just touch your soul and take your breath away.

Our event on Sunday at the Postcard Inn was definitely one of those moments. The weather for the event was perfect. Yes, the skies did threaten at times and the occasional gusts did raise some eyebrows, not to mention knock over several cups, but in the end the sun prevailed and shone majestically over all those in attendance. The same can be said of the music.

Jacksonville's Son of a Bad Man got the show started with their high energy, rock'n sound. They definitely set the tone for the day by getting the crowd moving with their infectious sound and exhausting-to-watch-at times stage presence. Dirty Shannon, from Orlando, followed with a set that included a series of both acoustic and full band songs. As expected, they did not disappoint and kept the crowd energized as they gave way to St. Pete artist Lani Daniels. Lani entertained the crowd with his blend of witty and catchy music, and he provided a great segue to the headliner of the day.

I was excited knowing Emerson Hart would be performing at our event, but that excitement skyrocketed when we got a chance to talk and hangout with him before his set. The Tonic frontman was charming, fun-loving, and incredibly down to earth. He was incredibly gracious as he mingled with guest and other volunteers, and stated on more than one occasion how grateful he was to have been invited to be a part of such a special event.

Emerson's endearing personality was also very evident as he took the stage to a round of applause from the guests at the event. Several members of the audience sang along the songs he performed from his solo album "Cigarettes and Gasoline", but it seems everyone sang along when he performed "You Wanted More" and "If You Could Only See", two classic Tonic songs. With the latter, Emerson managed to engage the entire poolside audience and had us all singing the chorus to the song while he played his guitar. It was a moment that induced goosebumps and will be forever etched in my mind as one my top musical memories. 

As if that weren't enough, Emerson broke out into a spontaneous moment of crowd entertaining. The stage at the Postcard Inn was setup in front of the pool, and Emerson decided he would truly connect with the crowd by stripping down to his boxers and jumping right in. It was unexpected and perfectly crazy and just the type of amazing moment that makes every Rock by the Sea event magical. 

The magic was also evident in the several thousands of dollars that were raised at the event. Through donations, silent acutions, raffles, and sales of RBTS bandanas, Rock by the Sea will be able to make a difference in the lives of those impacted by cancer and other illnesses. At the end of the day, that's what it's all about; transforming the potency of music into love and generosity for others. It's the reason I am humbled to be associated with such a great organization, and why I know that as long as I can be a part of such events, I will have the continued fortune of being amazed by the power of music.

We're really excited about today's FREE concert event at the Postcard Inn on St. Pete Beach. However, as with most things, logistics can become a tricky situation.

Parking at the Postcard Inn is limited to guests of the hotel. For those of you attending our event, please find public or municipal parking near the hotel (located at 6300 Gulf Blvd. on St. Pete Beach) and please contact FreeBeachRide.com for a ride to the hotel. Per the information on their site:

Free Beach Ride is designed to give back to the community . 100% FREE . The drivers work solely for tips , and can pick up guests at their homes, accommodations, restaurants, shopping centers, and anywhere else . The carts themselves are 100% electric, environmentally friendly with zero emissions . With up to 7 vehicles operating at once, pick up time is typically 15 minutes and often less. During weekends ( our busiest time ) please allow additional time .

Please call 727-776-7553 to schedule a pickup from FreeBeachRide.com and we look forward to seeing you at the event! 

Working nine to five. What a way to make a liv'n. We all know the song and we all know the feeling. Thankfully, we have the weekends to help conquer the work week blues, and this weekend in particular we have our Rock by the Sea St. Pete Beach event to help take our minds off the rat race.The Nine to Five we're refering to, however, is a little different.

As an organziation, we've been so very fortunate for the support we've received from the members of our community. You all do such a wonderful job attending our events, supporting the artists who perform, and getting the word out about our efforts. We are hoping you all can rally, mobilize, and help us out once more.

At Rock by the Sea, we understand the importance of using social media to amplify our voice and help promote the work we're doing to make a difference. We'd very much like to engage your support in getting our Twitter account to 500 followers by the end of the month (hence the 9 to 5). Simply copy and paste the verbiage below into your Twitter feed and invite your friends to do the same. Once we reach our goal of 500 followers, we'll select at random one community member who posted a tweet for their choice of either a RBTS bandanas or a RBTS Holiday CD.

So please join us in spreading the word as well as sharing the love.Thanks!

Are you rocking for a good cause? Follow @RockbytheSea and join us at http://www.rockbythesea.org to help make a difference. #rbts9to5