I spent the entire summer of 1994 on Block Island performing at the Oceanwest Theatre. The entire cast was put up in a beautiful old house close to Mohegan Bluffs (where the South East Lighthouse is located). I remember laying on huge rocks and watching the star covered sky trying to imagine what the future held for me (I was fresh out of AMDA, not yet clear if I was going to stay in the USA or go back home). I missed my family and my beautiful Croatia, but at the same time America fascinated me and I wanted to learn so much about the land, the people and the meaning of the word “freedom” (and to be fair “opportunity”).

At the time of my Block Island experience, the moving of the lighthouse was finished and the rigging was being removed. I couldn’t believe that this kind of thing was possible – moving a 2,000 ton brick and stone house and tower 360 feet or 109 meters without hurting anything.  In my mind I imagined the tea pot still standing on the stove as the 100+ year old house slowly moved to a safe ground.

It was fun coming back to the island with my boys. We didn’t go lay down on the rocks to watch the stars a night (I’ll wait till Blais is about 10), but had a great time visiting all the familiar places, riding bikes and playing at the beach.

And this time I smiled at the old lighthouse with confidence knowing that Americans can do the most amazing things.

Click here to view Italian/ English Lyrics.

It was the summer of 2006.

One of the hardest summers of my life. The man who taught me how to sing with my heart was no longer able to sing. I sat next to him and sang him lullabies as he slept in peace.

That summer I was asked to sing at Medjugorje Youth Festival. it’s one religious gathering that resonates in my heart as open and wide as the spirit of a soul can be – with tens of thousands of young people from many different countries coming together in prayer and meditation. Drug addicts, who are trying to heal; orphans and lonely teenagers; those who belong and those who are searching; all on a journey without judgment, without expectations or fear.

I was looking for a song I’d sing at the festival for my father – it was a perfect opportunity to loose myself in the power of prayer.

Few weeks prior to the Medjugorje Youth Festival I went to visit my two great-aunts (from my father’s side) Mitzi and Stefi in Trieste, Italy.  They are both short, but feisty women full of life, passion and tremendous (and very contagious) energy.  I walked into a bookstore run by some order of Nuns and picked up a book of Italian religious music.  I looked at “Dell’Aurora tu sorgi piu bella”, hummed a few measures to myself and bought the book.

I had the perfect song to sing at the festival. It brought up memories of my Dad singing Italian songs and melting hearts.

This year, my mom spent five months with me and my boys. She fell in love with the song that stirred the passion of her lost love. I promised her I would record it, so she can listen to it when she is in Zagreb, some 3,000 miles away.

Now, I dedicate it to my Italian aunts (still going strong) and their sister, my grandmother “Nana” – Antonia (who passed away in 2000). Nana had lived with us; cooked the best, and very healthy northern Italian meals; had refused to teach me Italian for fear of teaching me the Triestino dialect and ruining my chances to learn the proper Italian; who did teach me to always look my best, have a piece of hard candy in my purse and eat till I’m almost full; but also to have a small glass of wine every day (‘water is for frogs’, she would say) and sing with my lungs filled with passion.

(I do hope I can teach my kids to never be afraid of a passionate heart.)

Guess who made it to the front cover of Cincinnati Family Magazine? That’s right, it’s Dante! This is the first time Clifton Peformance Theatre has been featured on the front cover of Cincinnati Family Magazine and in their arts directory, so we are excited to have provided the magazine with such a great picture! The wardrobe and styling was done by our own Carol Brammer! To check it out, go to http://www.cincinnatifamilymagazine.com/?q=child/school/arts-directory

Recently, Dante starred in Clifton Performance Theatre’s recent production of Aladdin as Aladdin. Here, he is photographed at the Clifton Performance Theatre by Donna Lind of Life Photography Studios.

Thank you to Cincinnati Family Magazine editor, Sherry Hang, for this opportunity!

On Sunday, July 25th 2010, the Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative sponsored a cold reading of “My Perfectly Beautiful Life: A Musical.”

“It was a great opportunity to present my work to the members of Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative”, says Tajci who read the part of Roberta at this event. “I found it very challenging to present a musical sitting down in a chair. The music and interpretation along with the movement convey all the unwritten sub-context, create the most powerful moments and are an integral part in telling the story. I was very pleased that even from our chairs, we were able to move the audience.” (to read more, please go to: http://myperfectlybeautifullife.com/65/great-feedback-at-cpis-playwrighting-salon/

Joe Condit did a wonderful job producing the Fr. Corapi Event at Cintas Center (Xavier University) on Saturday (7/17/2010). There were more than 7,000 people there – coming from all kinds of different places (Chicago, Cleveland, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Lexington, Louisville, Iowa, Nebraska) and of course, from East and West Side of Cincinnati.  From what I know, it is not a joke to produce an event of such magnitude – responsibilities and risks are proportional with the number of seats in the room and the popularity of the main headliner.

Joe is a young man who runs CMG Booking with the professionalism of a successful businessman and the passion of a missionary. He greeted me backstage when I arrived and personally walked me to my dressing room. He wore a well tailored suit but kept his stubble (the look that says: “We can be successful, respectful, do good things and be cool at the same time”).  Very inspiring and – in my opinion – in line with Fr. Corapi’s point about each of us working hard and demanding excellence.  Joe also surrounded himself with a great team:  Michael Walsh, (YoMichael.com) and Jim Lawson (who runs CatholicsUnited.net) – both young guys with vision, tremendous energy and commitment to their faith.

My job was to provide a music soundtrack to the event (kind of like what an orchestra does at a big award ceremony – it’s there to engage the audience and create anticipation of the message delivered). I found myself really enjoying seeing the crowd (at concerts, I only hear the crowd – almost never see the people from the stage lights) and inviting them to sing with me… There is nothing more powerful than a thousands of people singing together.

So, it’s not a surprise that my favorite moment of the day was when, at the very end we all stood up and sang: “God Bless America”.  Very inspiring and empowering, I thought, after a day of talks on social issues.

We filmed the videos on Tuesday and Wednesday.  I spent Thursday morning editing the script of “My Perfectly Beautiful Life: A Musical” – getting it ready for the July 25th cold reading at University of Cincinnati (sponsored by Cincinnati Playwright Initiative) and last night (still Thursday) at the Bamboo Room recording the demos from the play.

It was great getting all four girls all together.  The best moment was when we all sang the very simple melody of the chorus of my newest song “Hey Beautiful” (which I will write about in a few weeks).
http://myperfectlybeautifullife.com/59/recording-the-songs/

It was late when I got home from the studio, but I wasn’t tired… the satisfaction of creating something beautiful kept me energized.  This morning I continued my work (this time with Denny Bouchard and Tony Miracle) as I recorded the accordion parts for Dell’ Aurora (the beautiful Italian song I will be releasing August 15th).

As I was getting ready to start my day Dante and I talked about how beautiful it is that we are not all the same and how some people are different.  He observed: “Like you. You are different because, one, you are Croatian and two, you don’t have a regular job. Your job doesn’t show up in Job Applications”

I guess… Even though I always knew what my job would be, I admit, I have never filled out an application for it

We are filming all three programs (Emmanuel, I Thirst and Let it Be) for broadcast on EWTN. We have spent the last three days at the Holy Spirit Center in Cincinnati, OH where our video crew (directed by super cool and very talented Tiffany Lusht) transformed their “Fr. Smith” hall into a sound stage with changing sets, stage lights, make up and wardrobe areas, and of course, the most important – catering area.

Matthew asked for volunteers to provide food for the entire crew and so many people offered to help that he had to send out an urgent “thanks, we are all set” email. (Silly guy, we could have had food for our family through August…)

It’s been going fine, just much harder than I had expected. Of course, when these things are done on a tight budget, everything gets intensified. You have to perform at your best in a short amount of time, yet there is no big trailer with a comfy couch to crash on, or a masseous to give you a back rub, there isn’t even a break long enough to reset my brain as we move from one set of songs to another.. Thank goodness we are professionals

Blais woke up this morning next to me. He buried his hands into my hair (as he has since the day he could reach up) and whispered gently: “Mama, face this way!” I smiled to myself and turned around.  “It’s my birthday today! I am five!”

Blais has been waiting for this day for months.  He could’t wait to be big like his brothers.  I keep telling him not to worry. It will be like a blinking of an eye and he will be kissing me goodbye and driving off to college.

He doesn’t believe me.

I showed him the photos from the day he was born saved in the blog archives (click here)
(it’s so nice to have this blog, you can be anywhere in the world and have your memories at your fingertips…)

I was so fascinated with the whole birthing experience that I wrote the longest ‘Birth Story” ever…

It’s been ten years and over 850 concerts. This is for the thousands and thousands of people who have inspired me to share my experience of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

I am a Croatian by blood – but became a United States citizen in 2000.  I live and I work in America and with this video I’d like to say “Thank you and Happy Independence Day!”

The music video of “God Bless America” (by Irving Berlin) marks the launch of TajciTV YouTube Channel where you can easily find official Tajci footage.  When you subscribe to TajciTV, you will be notified when we add new videos.

Filmed in June 2010 in Cincinnati, OH and New York, NY.
Soon to be available on iTunes.

Not even a week ago, as I drove the Sprinter on a six lane parkway towards Manhattan, I thought how life is a little bit like driving in New York City – you have to know where you are going and how you’ll get there. You have to react fast and have confidence to step on the gas pedal and go, go, go  (sure it helps if you are driving a big, strong and fast vehicle).

Perhaps it’s because I am older now, or because recently I had one of those moments in which people reconsider their priorities, but I feel like I have a great destination, a map, confidence and an open road.

Tomorrow, we are launching the first of a series of music videos we will be doing this summer (as a part of our new YouTube TajciTV Channel).

Then I will be announcing a big “Tajci” concert in Zagreb, Croatia.

And then… well, I don’t want to reveal all right now.  Because like driving in NYC, there are so many things happening along the road and it’s easy to miss all of them if you go too fast.