Songlife Weblog

I admit it. When the opportunity first arose to visit Romania, I was a little scared. Romania is where Transylvania is, and Transylvania is famous for being the home of Count Dracula. playing cards that feature Vlad Dracula As a kid growing up in East Tennessee, I got sucked into a fascination with vampires, especially when the classic The Lost Boys with Kiefer Sutherland and Jason Patric came onto the scene in 1987. Later, the Gary Oldman portrayal of the Count in the Franc

It seems often the case that when you're busy doing the work, you're not counting the score. Reflecting on our week long visit in Romania, this was apparent. We were able to directly connect with 700+ individuals in large and small groups, leading our one-of-a-kind Songwriter Team Building programs in three Romanian cities. From national and international dignitaries working closing with the U.S. Embassy, to university law school and high school students in their classrooms a

Traveling through Transylvania - A Tennessean's Perspective rail tracks in Racovita, Romania As a U.S. Arts Envoy from the great state of Tennessee, I felt like I had a lot in common with the Romanians, even before our visit. For one thing, there are said to be 3 distinct parts of Romania, and our State of Tennessee also has 3 distinct parts, each with its own unique cultural differences, represented by the three stars on our flag. Of the three regions in Romania, I was able

Christmas Market Magic in Romania - U.S. Arts Envoy Day In the Life Cluj Napoca Romania Christmas Market at Night It came as a surprise to me that Romania as a country counts itself as having over 90% Christian population. The local people take great pride in their culture and traditions, and commonly participate in the wonder and magic that is a Christmas Market. For those like me who had never visited such a market, it was a revelation of beauty and communal celebration of