- Getting to be on the TAXI All Stars panel on Friday afternoon... I've had a chance to be a panelist the past three years and I'm grateful for each of those opportunities to be able to give back. I know that if it weren't for the graciousness of other members (and Michael himself) who helped me out so much along the way that there is no way I would have been able to achieve the success that I've had so far.
- Getting to see my good friend Dean Krippaehne receive the John Braheny Songwriter award after my panel... Dean is one of the hardest working people I know, as well as one of the most generous, gracious, and talented.
- Getting to reconnect with so many friends and 'family'... it never lasts long enough but it sure was great getting to deepen those relationships even more this year!
- Getting to meet newer TAXI members who were going to the Rally for the first time... I know there were several people I met for the first time last week but there was two people in particular that really stuck out, Steven Bruce and Adriana Lycette. I spoke with Steve for a bit after one of the panels and saw him in the elevator and the lobby a couple of times throughout the weekend and every time I saw him, I could see that same spark that I remember feeling at my first Rally. Just an overwhelming sense of joy, positivity, and excitement that quite honestly, one can tend to take for granted the longer you're doing this. It was a great reminder of how I felt after my first Rally and a memory that I won't forget anytime soon. And with Adriana, I met her in the hallways on Thursday night and then had a chance to have a more in-depth conversation with her on Sunday night, talking about what her experience was like... so many similarities to my first Rally experience.
- Taking in some open mic performances... I've only been to a handful of the open mic nights but this year I had a chance to catch a few performances on Saturday night. I'll never forget hearing Bette Anderson performing "How The Mighty Have Fallen"! It was also great getting to see some other friends perform (shellsings doing double duty with Blu Cedar and Michelle Michelle) as well as hearing some new artists such as Alyse Black and Natalie Gelman.
- Hanging out in the bar... There is never a lack of excitement going on in the bar area, regardless of what time of day or night it is. On Sunday night, around 2:30am or so, I was talking with the lovely Mel Hayes and Terry from England, when a rather heavily inebriated fellow from Ireland came over to us. He looked at me and said "I saw you on the panel. Have a CD!" and he handed me a disc of his. He then looked at Mel and Terry and said "I don't know you two, but you look important, so here... have a CD!" He then talked for a couple of minutes but none of us could understand a word he said with his slurred speech and thick Irish accent till finally he said that his CD was "...going to be No. 1!!!! If not now.... then later!!!!" At which point he walked away. LOL... It was quite a moment to say the least!
- Having the aforementioned Mel record the voice mail greeting for my phone in her lovely British accent
- And finally... on the flight home I had a chance to sit next to fellow member Luke Boor who I met at the Rally last year. Luke was flipping through the Music Connection magazine that came in the Rally bag and well... he decided to have a little fun and made a video about it http://instagram.com/p/vPbtNhRIBZ/
-Barry
