When Annie Fitzgerald graced our studio with her serene aura and vibrant artistry, we knew it was going to be a conversation to remember. A healer in every sense, Annie brings her expertise as a sound healer, reiki practitioner, and astrology guide into a harmonious blend with her soulful music career. Together, we celebrate the journey from indie stages in New York City to the nurturing music community of Minneapolis, reveling in the memories, transformation, and the undeniable power of creating spaces filled with love and support.
https://anniefitzgerald.com/
Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/nickiekh
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healandgrowwithnickie/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healandgrowwithnickie/
Website: https://nickiekrommingahill.com/
*Purchase Nickie's book on Amazon! "Things I'm Thinking About; a Daughter's Thoughts on the Loss of Her Mom"
https://www.amazon.com/Things-Im-Thinking-About-daughters-ebook/dp/B083Z1PWKP?ref_=ast_author_mpb
Join my mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/g5hikj
*For speaking inquiries or for questions or comments on the podcast, contact Nickie at healandgrowwithnickiepodcast@gmail.com
Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal health or professional advice.
Nickie is not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast.
This podcast is not intended to replace professional medical advice.
When Annie Fitzgerald graced our studio with her serene aura and vibrant artistry, we knew it was going to be a conversation to remember. A healer in every sense, Annie brings her expertise as a sound healer, reiki practitioner, and astrology guide into a harmonious blend with her soulful music career. Together, we celebrate the journey from indie stages in New York City to the nurturing music community of Minneapolis, reveling in the memories, transformation, and the undeniable power of creating spaces filled with love and support.
https://anniefitzgerald.com/
Buy Me A Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/nickiekh
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healandgrowwithnickie/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healandgrowwithnickie/
Website: https://nickiekrommingahill.com/
*Purchase Nickie's book on Amazon! "Things I'm Thinking About; a Daughter's Thoughts on the Loss of Her Mom"
https://www.amazon.com/Things-Im-Thinking-About-daughters-ebook/dp/B083Z1PWKP?ref_=ast_author_mpb
Join my mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/g5hikj
*For speaking inquiries or for questions or comments on the podcast, contact Nickie at healandgrowwithnickiepodcast@gmail.com
Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal health or professional advice.
Nickie is not responsible for any losses, damages, or liabilities that may arise from the use of this podcast.
This podcast is not intended to replace professional medical advice.
Okay, recording. Hey everybody, welcome back. I am I don't know what the correct adjective is right now. I don't want to say something generic like so excited, I'm thrilled, I'm overjoyed, super emotional about. Today's guest is my dear friend, annie Fitzgerald. Say hi, annie, hi, I don't even know how I'm gonna say your bye on just a second, annie, but just for the listeners when I'm around, annie, I have this I don't even know how to explain it this odd sense of like complete calm and peace, with like all these sparks of light and fire intermingled where I don't know what that emotion is called like being super calm and super like pumped up at the same time. But, as you all know, because you listen, I'll probably cry a lot, and Annie probably will too, because that is who we are.
Speaker 2:True.
Speaker 1:True, we both have our tissues our tissues next to us. So you're going to hear some crying today, because that is who we are. So I'm going to tell you all Annie's bio and then we're going to get going. Okay, here we go.
Speaker 1:Annie Fitzgerald is a sound healer, reiki practitioner, transformational astrology guide, co-owner of Under the Moon Events, co-facilitator of Full Moon Magic and an established singer-songwriter in the Minneapolis area. That's a lot of stuff, my friend. Her music has been described as a blend of Tory Amos oh yeah, okay, go back, nikki, don't stop interrupting the bio. Her music has been described as a blend of Tory Amos's intellectual appeal, sarah McLaughlin's mystical charm and Edie Prockel's Baroque spirit. Since the release of her first EP in 2005, annie has released two full-length records, numerous singles then honored by the Songwriters Hall of Fame as an artist to watch and was part of the New York City indie scene before she welcomed a move back to her home and community in Minnesota with its a newfound sense of space to create. Annie is a co-founder of the Valkyrie Music Collective, based in Minneapolis, which aims to create opportunities for change, balance and community in the music industry. Oh, I should say that different creating opportunities for change and balance and community in the music industry. She is also a part of the Me Too Minneapolis Collective that released a record named 2020's Top 10 Albums by the Star Tribune.
Speaker 1:Annie has explored several transformational modalities over the years and sound healing has been whispering to her since 2012. When Annie experienced her first sound journey with her now teacher, musician and sound healer Three Trees in 2018, there was a seed of knowing planted that she would go on to deepen her knowledge and commitment to the healing properties of sound and energy. Annie is a certified soulmonic sound therapist and has stepped into a practice infusing Reiki into her personalized sessions. Annie facilitates Reiki infuse group sound journey sessions at several locations throughout the metro area. She also brings sound healing, active listening and meditation to companies and organizations as workplace wellness. Annie, along with her colleague, dawn Marion, can be found bringing the art of rituality sacred events that uplift the heart and soul to groups at under the moon events. She's been using astrology for 10 years as a tool for self discovery and loves weaving its wisdom into her work. Annie's original music can be found on all of the streaming platforms and she can be seen playing in and around the Minneapolis area Wow.
Speaker 2:That's a long bio. Sorry, it's no longer than anyone else.
Speaker 1:This is a great bio. Actually, I want you to write mine because it's chock full of all of the highlights and I could read this and be like I know how to find this person, so that's good. Mine is like Nikki likes dogs.
Speaker 2:I am very much guessing that that is not the truth. I hate writing bios.
Speaker 1:I absolutely understand the importance of them. I mean, I ask everyone that's a guess here to send one, even though I hate them. But I don't know, I just want someone else to write mine. Yeah, no, that's necessary. I would love to write your bio, oh my gosh.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, done, send me all your stuff. Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1:Except I kind of know all of your stuff.
Speaker 1:So I feel like it would be helpful you do. Annie has this. I don't know, what do you call it, I don't know. Are you what do you call it? An intuition and knowing, like Annie just knows people, like, like, understands people? I get, I saw you walking up the sidewalk today and immediately my eyes filled with tears, and it was not because I was sad. Well, firstly, I haven't seen you in at least a year Too long, probably long, yeah, it's always too long. But I just was like, oh, I'm about to, I'm about to see my Annie.
Speaker 2:You know, annie, just I think that there's. I think that you and I and a lot of our musician friends and theater friends and artistic friends and big-feeler friends have been lucky enough to find each other again in this life. There's something I thought I heard on a podcast that resonated so much. It was Tracy Ellis Ross and she was talking about how she has these cauldron sisters and they're all sort of like made of the same sort of pot and they swim in the same soup and then they have all of these experiences and these things and then they go off into their next life and say, okay, I'm going to find you again. And yeah, and I think that I gravitate towards my cauldron sisters and brothers and non-binary friends because there's this truth and knowing of one another that's authentic and real and deep and supportive and that's the energy I want to be around.
Speaker 1:Right, and so it's just like a magnet You're attracting it.
Speaker 2:And there's just this, I think knowing and presence of unconditional love.
Speaker 1:Yeah just beautiful Cauldron sisters I'm going to have to look that up.
Speaker 2:I love Tracy Ellis. Oh my gosh, she's like I love her too. I want to be her. You do, you want to be her. I got to do it. I just think she's. I just love how free she is. Like her expression. She's just unapologetically herself all the time, and I just think that that's just so brilliant. She's brilliant.
Speaker 1:But see, I see that in you.
Speaker 2:Well, thank you.
Speaker 1:Just unapologetically yourself all the time.
Speaker 2:I think that I step more and more into that, but I think that there's always a part of me that wonders what I could do more of to step more fully into that. I think that's part of the journey for me anyway.
Speaker 1:So, annie and I, gosh, how do we know each other? Well, we know each other through theater. I remember the first time I saw you I don't know if I've ever told you this you were doing a show at what was Bloomington Civic Theater at the time. I think it was Chicago.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's the first time I ever saw you, I remember looking up to be like who is? Who is this girl? Because, well, although this is unimportant, Annie's just beautiful, Like she's beautiful to look at. And so you just automatically look at her because she's beautiful and you lit up the stage without You're like my favorite kind of performer, because you're just doing your job. You're not trying to what we call upstage anybody, but the eyes just drawn to you because you're so passionate and into the moment and you're such a gorgeous dancer. I don't think I heard you sing in that show probably.
Speaker 1:And then, but when did we actually meet? Because I didn't meet you then.
Speaker 2:No, the next show I did with Bloomington Civic was Broadway my Way 2 or something, and I ended up. Blake Hamburg was in the audience from the Ordway and he invited me to audition for Anything Goes At the Ordway, which was the first show that we were in together with Sandy Duncan and Jim Walton Sandy Duncan. It was so. That was such a cool thing, so that was the first show that we got to do together.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So it was shortly after that.
Speaker 1:So that I don't even remember what year that was. It probably doesn't matter, but I want to say it was like 2000 or something.
Speaker 2:Yeah, something like that. Yeah, maybe 2002.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we did. Anything Goes Together at the. Ordway my favorite story to tell with the Ordway well, besides the fact that Sandy Duncan was a freaking riot and she was so sweet and I love her.
Speaker 2:She wrote every single one of us cards.
Speaker 1:Every single one of us.
Speaker 2:All of these people that, yeah, I love her.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and Jim Walton, you mentioned him a moment ago, but I talked over you Also. He was a Broadway star, super kind guy. His opening night card to me. I think he did this somehow for everybody. But you open it up and it looks like a funeral card, a sympathy card, totally. I forgot about that. I'm so sorry for your loss. And then he crossed it off.
Speaker 2:Yes, like happy opening. Totally, totally, totally. Oh my gosh, I forgot about that. Yes.
Speaker 1:But that our stage crew went on strike on opening nights, yeah, and in the moment I didn't really fully understand what was happening.
Speaker 2:Yeah me either.
Speaker 1:Because we all just went into high gear and we're like, okay, well, we have to do a show anyway. So how are we going to do this?
Speaker 2:Yeah, how are we going to move all of us up pieces and do all the things? And all of it Right, all of it, it was just a flurry. I remember someone called their husband and was like can you run the sound board tonight?
Speaker 1:And they did. But now that I look back on that Annie. I'm like, oh, that was a huge deal.
Speaker 2:It was huge. Yeah, it was a huge, huge deal. I also remember being offstage, I think that exact night in Sandy was singing you're the top and she went blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Whatever it was, oh my gosh. And she just laughed about it and I was like she it was. So, oh my God, it was, it was. There's a lot of joy in that show.
Speaker 1:It was a very fun performance, fun group of people.
Speaker 2:It totally was.
Speaker 1:I don't know if this was the same show or not, but I remember that Sandy was supposed to sing. You're the nose on the great Duranty, but I think it was the same night. She went you're the nose on the eye, don't know who. La, la, la and then she comes off stage and she's like oh well, Yep, totally, totally, oh she was just Sandy Duncan, I know you're listening.
Speaker 2:Yes, you're totally listening. We love you. We still love you, Sandy.
Speaker 1:We love you. We remember just how kind and wonderful you were. I also remember on like the very first day we had to go around and introduce ourselves. And it gets to Sandy and she's like hey, I'm Sandy, it's Triskit's, not Weet's Ends. And yes, I do have a glass eye.
Speaker 2:Totally. I totally remember that too. Oh, my gosh. Talk about authentic right.
Speaker 1:I mean, that's that energy she was, she was, she was she is she's kind kind soul. And then, after that, cats. Was that the next show we did together.
Speaker 2:It might have been. After that, I went and started working at Chan. Yeah, you had it before I was Yep Cats was my last show. Period Cats was my last show at Chan, in my last theater show. No, I came back for anything. Oh, I came back for anything, it goes never mind. And I got to play. I got to hang out with Jim Walton again because he was there. That's right, never mind. You were correct.
Speaker 1:Yes, but yes, we did cats together, we did anything goes twice together.
Speaker 2:Yes, totally yeah.
Speaker 1:We did cats together, which we were just talking about, like how it was, like you know it was, it was wonderful. I don't. I don't know what it was like as an audience member, as a performer, I really enjoyed that show. But, man, my body.
Speaker 2:Yeah, everybody's body, yeah, everybody's body got messed up in some way, shape or form. My favorite like memory of the rehearsal process was when, you know, we went through the whole thing and we sang through the book and all this stuff, and then all of a sudden we're all standing there and our you know, and our dance gear garb, whatever, and they start handing out the practice tails and we had to put on the practice tails and I remember all of us sort of looking around at each other being like, oh my God, okay, we're going to do this, we're going to do this and then getting on the floor and becoming cats was just, it was just wild, it was nothing.
Speaker 2:It was like, unlike anything I would ever experienced and or thought I would ever do.
Speaker 1:I remember I think it's probably the same day Our stage managers Susan Magnussen, had done a whole bunch of research on cats, gave us like a pamphlet of information on like, like, how to move. We watched some videos and then all of a sudden they were like and go. Yeah, and so we're crawling around and we're, like you know, playing with our tail or trying to like snuggle, nuzzle up into the person next to us. I was also giggling.
Speaker 2:I was giggling, I'm sorry I was. Oh, it was just cause it was just like surreal, like it was like what are we doing? I mean, we're being cats, but yeah, that show was something. It was very beautiful and fun, and it's actually it's where I connected with a lot of my dear, dear friends that I still have today, so I'm grateful for it. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:You included, so you did cats, and then anything goes, and so that's the last time you've done musical theater at all.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So after cats, I moved to New York city. Um, I had broken up with my college boyfriend. I decided I like, if it was now or never, my mom was a fashion designer and used to take me to market, to dance and stuff when I was growing up. So it was somewhere I always knew I wanted to move and it was like if I don't do it now, I'm never going to do it because there was this pocket of time.
Speaker 2:So I moved and then I got the call to come back for like four weeks or something, back at Chan and I loved that experience. But when I moved to New York city I had done some auditioning because I was lucky enough to have my equity card and so I'd done the auditioning and all the things. But for a really, really long time, even while I had been out at Chan, I had been, you know just, I had been writing songs, I'd been starting to write, but I wasn't sharing them with anybody at that time. I just was finding so much joy in it and really truly so much healing in it, especially after I moved, and there was such a shift in just everything. You know I think it was 25, like that's that pivotal time where you know.
Speaker 2:And so when I got done with anything goes, I really was trying to figure out what it was that I wanted to do. And I had one of those days where I woke up and did my journaling and my meditation and literally just asked spirit to sort of guide me to where it was I needed to go, and I ended up getting on the train and deciding to get off and didn't realize that I was right near the new school and Manhattan School of Music and like, walked out of this tunnel and there was this door that led me into the new school and I just started wandering around and all of a sudden I found this bulletin board and there was this lyric writing class that was starting the next day and I signed up and I sort of didn't really look back. That that person his name is Henry Gaffney, I still remember him was the person that told me to get involved with the songwriters Hall of Fame new writers workshops and that led me to it, led me to so many opportunities. I was in a showcase with Lady Gaga. Now her name is Stephanie.
Speaker 2:I remember you talking about that.
Speaker 1:I don't know what we were watching, but you said Stephanie is saying so much better than I was surprised.
Speaker 2:I remember being on, so she was in that showcase. Lizzie Grant, who's now Lana Del Rey, was in that showcase. My friend, rachel Patton, who I ended up touring with later, was in that showcase and it opened up tons of doors for me to be able to book places. It was such a gift for me to be able to be involved in that. But I remember being like at the gym or something on the elliptical machine and she came on and Ellen with like some whatever, and I was just like, oh my gosh, like what's happening, like what's happening. She's so because I saw her sit down at the piano that we have now all seen her do. But you know there's, it's just a testament to the music business and how you have to put on some sort of spectacle and you can't actually be authentically you unless you find those spaces or at least in the culture we live in now.
Speaker 2:In big ways, it's really, really difficult to do that. So, but it was, yeah, beautiful, wonderful experience, so that's sort of when I shifted gears and started performing more and putting out music and realized that that's what I wanted to do. I loved theater, I loved being able to connect with people. But I realized after a while especially when you, you know, I was lucky enough to work at Chan and do eight shows a week for eight or nine month runs at that time and but there, you know, came to be a point where I really just wanted to sort of write about what was in my heart and connect with people in that way, because it was a healing process for me.
Speaker 2:In order to do that, you know, there's some, there's an experience, as any writer knows who writes anything, or a painter, or whatever it is that you, you pour your heart out into, or even the writers of the musicals, right, you know you pour your heart into this art and it can, you know, it has this opportunity for you to heal and then you can share it with the world and that's where you can find some of your people. You know, your people not everyone's going to be for everybody, but it's just this way to kind of find your people and connect with others and and to sort of heal together and collectively. And healing isn't easy, as you know, but it's so much better when we can do it together.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, it's so much better when we can do it together, because there's a commonality there, that. And yet, like we know, we know this, I feel like a lot of people know this it's easier to heal together than separate. So why are we I still gravitate towards the separate, even though I know I know better. Hey, what do you think that's about?
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, I, when I sit down and write a song I I'm not one for co-writing and I've tried, but that sitting down to write a song is separate. I mean I wouldn't say it's separate because the spirit is with me and all of the things, but that is like a solo sort of act. But it's in the sharing and in the witnessing that we're not separate. So I think there's room for both, you know, but I think it's the, it's the witnessing piece, that's that's so key.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And affirming and yeah, important.
Speaker 1:I love that. The witnessing part.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:I mean, if you are watching, you know a performance or you know, like I can think of a singer-songwriter or this particular group, you know Dibani Light Horseman, and if you haven't listened to their records, they're just amazing. It's like the super group and I as Mitchell is in there and some other Twin Cities musicians actually and I went to this beautiful, intimate venue and just to be oh. And then I was at ACL and I was watching Maggie Rogers and I cried through the whole thing because, if anybody knows me like, I cry through lots of things because they're just so beautiful. But to be able to witness that person and see yourself in them and see your journey in them is just it's so. It's just it's so key and so important because we all are connected and I think that there's so much in this world that wants us to forget that and maybe lends itself towards towards not remembering that, and I always try to I don't know gravitate towards things that help me remember. I guess, if that makes sense, it does.
Speaker 1:It does it reminds me of I think we've talked about this before, maybe we haven't Annie and I have a mutual friend, hi, eric Mark Olson.
Speaker 2:I just talked to him this morning and told him I was going to get to see you.
Speaker 1:We miss you I love you. I remember calling, talking to him email on the phone, like years ago, sometimes after sometime, after Katz, and then he and I did hair together after that and he told me about this book, Conversations with God.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he's the first person to tell me about this book. I've read it several times since. In fact, I try to have it be a yearly read for me because it's really made an impact on me and I'll just briefly describe it and then bounce back to talking about knowing. It's by Donald Neil, neil Diamond, I think his last name's Walsh Walsh was his last name. It's like Neil Donald or Donald Neil or something like that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think for some of you listening this is going to sound a little woo-woo, but to me it made total sense. He was journaling and was pissed off at God, universe, source, energy, whatever you'd like to call this. He calls it God, but also acknowledges like call me what you want, like it's all the, it doesn't matter what you call me. And he was writing a letter to God and he wrote something like why are you doing this to me? Like God, why are you doing this to me? And then he started writing more and but he felt like he was channeling God and God said do you really want an answer to this or are you just venting? And he's like what? Basically? Like what the?
Speaker 2:hell, what's going on, are you?
Speaker 1:And I'll pause for a second and say I was taking this class in college and we did this exercise with our non-dominant hand and it said just let your non-dominant hand do, right, whatever it wants to, let it just happen. And I was like this is some bullshit, but okay and and I was writing stuff that anyway anyway.
Speaker 2:I might have to try that. It's really interesting.
Speaker 1:I should like find the research on that and then post it instead of just like no, I love that, but it reminded me of that where you can channel you can, we all can, we all can channel, good or or bad you know, and anyway, in this book, conversations with God, among other amazing gems, it just talks about like you know, like we know.
Speaker 1:We know everything that we need to know. We know where we're from, we know that we're from love, and then we're born and then I'm not gonna say it's like evil, devil people. I don't know about that, but like we are on, we unlearn what we know and then during our lifetime we are remembering the knowing.
Speaker 2:I don't know if any of that makes sense. It totally makes sense.
Speaker 1:We were talking about that, Annie, I was like that book helped me understand that, you know.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:That I'm from love, I am love, I give love, we're all love, or God, if you wanna call it we're all spirit source energy, love.
Speaker 2:Absolutely Higher power, whatever. Absolutely Elizabeth Gilbert right now.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, did you just listen?
Speaker 2:to her most recent podcast. Yeah well, yeah, so she's.
Speaker 2:I was lucky enough that a dear friend gifted me her sub-stack for a month and so I got to like witness and I should probably just go back to that because it was such a beautiful practice. It's called Letters from Love and she's been having this practice for years and years and years, where she sits down and she writes on a piece of paper dear love, what will you have me know today? And she, you know, literally. I mean I think she's channeling, I think that she is tapping into unconditional love. I think that I think also she's tapping into her higher self and her knowing, and that is the whole thing that we're all trying to sort of.
Speaker 2:You know, when you say, listen to your gut. Well, I mean, what is that voice inside of you trying to tell you that you need to do differently? Or what should you say? Or how do you? What changes do you need to make in your life to make them better? Or what people do you need to let go of or bring in in order to have a fuller, more whole life? And it's just beautiful the things that have come through. And I think Abby Wambach read her letter and she was so afraid to write because she's like I'm not a writer Like this is Liz Gilbert and Glennon Doyle that I'm talking to here, but it was profoundly beautiful and helpful and insightful and affirming.
Speaker 1:I love this because I just listened to all of this yesterday.
Speaker 2:Me too. Of course you did, of course you did.
Speaker 1:Can you tell us about like have there ever been any moments in your writing like do you get aha moments where you're writing, where all of a sudden you're like oh, I just tapped into something. Yeah, what like can you share with?
Speaker 2:us. Yes, I, I'm not a super duper prolific writer. Like I have friends that write like 58 songs a year or whatever it is. That's just not, no matter how long I beat myself up for it. Like I finally have come to the place where I'm like that is just not how my writing happens, but I always, always know that I am onto something when I have been working on something and I get to a place in it and I just start sobbing. That's like my okay, this is something that you need to finish. This is something that you're you know you're tapping into some important things here. I definitely feel like and I think all writers do and all artists do like that a lot of it's channeled like I don't really know a lot of times where things are coming from, absolutely, and I'm one to believe that I, you know, have lots of guides and you know help around me all the time, physical and non-physical. So sorry for the people who don't like the woo, but I'm absolutely woo, woo. I love the woo, but yeah, I think that's definitely like the place where I know that I'm tapping into something and part of it could be yes, I'm tapping into something, but part of it also is like me witnessing myself and getting to this place where I'm like, okay, yes, this is something that I need to to heal.
Speaker 2:There was a point in time in my life where which has been really interesting for me, actually speaking to you know, sound writing being an avenue for me to heal myself. I was in a relationship for a number of years like a decade or a little more and I was really. I was always writing, I was on tour, I was putting out you know records, and this was all pre-COVID, and I went through a divorce and a separation and divorce right before COVID and have since put out numerous like singles and have. When I started playing shows again, the more length I got from or the space I got from, like when those other songs that I was in this relationship were in the time where I would step on stage and play them.
Speaker 2:There was this probably year and a half of time where I would play this song that I had written during that period of time and realized that, like my subconscious was trying to tell me something, or like I saw it from this completely different span of things where, like, there were things that I knew that were going on that maybe weren't healthy for me or that weren't good for me.
Speaker 2:But I was actually putting into my songs, but not in a super conscious way, and now I can put them in in a super conscious way because I am no longer in that situation and that has been profoundly healing for me and interesting for me to like sort of look back as in my healing journey and I'm like maybe I'm trying to touch on like those things that we do to sort of protect ourselves when we're going through it and when we're like, okay, I want to heal this thing and I want to get through this thing, but I don't know how to do it and so I'm just going to move forward, you know, as much as I can and with in baby steps.
Speaker 2:Looking at, like, the growth over the last sort of 10 years around, that has been really interesting and I sometimes wonder if that those times back then when I would cry, would be like me, sort of recognizing things and not wanting to name them because of what it would mean if I did. So, yeah, it's just interesting, art is interesting, it's just very interesting and healing and wonderful and all the things that.
Speaker 1:I want to touch back on something that you just said, that you you might be writing or singing or performing and all of a sudden, you have a reaction that sort of feels like what's, what's that? What is that?
Speaker 1:and that maybe that was a moment of clarity for you about either your marriage or whatever like, because this happens to me sometimes we're all deaf, and definitely pre Paul, like in my relationships. Pre Paul, where there would be perhaps, perhaps we would call the red flag or something, but just this moment of this, this doesn't feel right to me at all and I would recognize it and I immediately be like we don't have, we don't have time for this right, right right so like I'm not going to think about it anymore but my body, your body, always knows ways.
Speaker 1:I still haven't read the book.
Speaker 2:The body keeps the score.
Speaker 1:I'm in a nonfiction book club and it's on our book list this year, brilliant. But yeah, the, and especially because you are so tapped in spiritually, creatively, it's just. It's not surprising to me to hear that you have had moments where your body is like totally I can't Right.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean two examples that I can think of. One is that when I was, I put up my first record and I needed to sell the guitar that I wrote the record on in order to, like, pay some bills, because it's really, it's a lot. It's a lot to be an independent artist and, gosh, I can do that. And so I took the guitar that I was playing in place of it and I opened up the guitar case and I wrote this song called goodbye. Now. And it's all about like saying goodbye to this guitar and how I knew it was time to say goodbye and like I think that the bridge is we tried and we tried with quiet lying, too much more time and too many knots will need on tying. And like I wasn't writing that brick and song to the guitar, I was writing that to my marriage.
Speaker 2:And there's another song, I think the most recent one, when I was on stage and I realized like holy moly, like there's a song I called, I wrote called I won't walk away, and the lyrics are hindsight, shining a bright light on the street, fight between what's wrong and right, and and the the actual chorus is I won't walk away from you, and it's repeated I won't walk away. I won't walk away, I won't walk away from you. When I wrote it it was I won't walk away from you, because I'm here, because I'm doing all the things, because I said I was gonna love you, but I sang it like but I wouldn't walk away and I wouldn't walk away, and I kept not walking away.
Speaker 2:And how like the art can change and how, as you go through the healing process, how it can become this different thing, and it's not bad or good. It's actually a testament, I think, to my healing, that I've come through it and that I can see it in this different light.
Speaker 1:That's beautiful, that's bizarre yeah it's bizarre. Well, thanks, it's bizarre With the group that I work with right now Alive and Kickin, they're all 61 plus I think it's 61 to 89 right now, and one of the just similar to what you were just saying is that one of my favorite things is we give them a piece of. Well, I don't want to butt to the directors give them a piece of music.
Speaker 1:And because of where they are in their life, hearing them sing like born this way or forever young. You know a while ago someone saying that, but he was about 90. I think he was seeing it from his wheelchair, you know. So it's like just how art I'm just thinking about what you said about how art it's so beautiful that way because you can look at it from so many different angles or the thing that I sang about five years ago when I sang about it now it has a completely different meaning.
Speaker 1:Or it's just it's beautiful.
Speaker 2:It's beautiful how art can evolve with us Mm-hmm and bear witness as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I know, yeah, will you talk more about, because this is not anything I knew about you, annie. So, because my time with you was all musical theater really. And then you moved to New York and I came out and that was the first time I saw you as a singer-songwriter, which was just lovely, because I didn't know, I just didn't know that you'd been writing all of this stuff. And then I know it didn't work out like this in real life, but in my brain. You left Minneapolis, you went to New York and all of a sudden you're gigging everywhere and I was like what the heck? I had no idea. Side note, funny story Annie was doing this gig at a place in New York called the Living Room.
Speaker 2:Oh, my gosh yeah.
Speaker 1:So I visited you when you were yes, because this person came up on television the other day and I had to stop and tell them all this story. So we're at the Living Room and I don't know if you did a full gig or if you just came in.
Speaker 2:I think it was a part of like a showcase or something.
Speaker 1:And it was so fun and I think Emo stopped by quick just to say hi. And we're getting ready to leave and we, you know we have a big. We gotta get over to Hoboken. We got a big train ride, so we decided to go to the bathroom first, and these kind of bathrooms are super common now but back then it was two individual stalls for any gender.
Speaker 1:And then you come out and you wash your hands together and I think you and I were going to the bathroom at the same time and we come out to wash our hands, we're talking, whatever we look over, and it's Ethan Hawke. It's like he's in line for the bathroom.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then two weeks later I was back for another thing and Jesse Harris, who wrote all the stuff for Nora Jones, had become an acquaintance of mine, and so did the bass player, and we were all standing around in a circle and all of a sudden Ethan Hawke comes up into the circle and I'm like well, there you are again, because they're all friends. I don't know if I ever told you this. And then all of a sudden they were going around and he kind of smiled at me and I kind of smiled and I was like and he all of a sudden reaches out his hand. He's like hi, he's like I'm Ethan and I grabbed it. And he's like Ethan Hawke. And I was like yada, I mean of course you are, and I don't know.
Speaker 2:I probably was super awkward and weird because it was like, oh God, I just saw you with my friend in the bathroom last week but yeah, I remember we looked over at him and then we looked at each other through the mirror.
Speaker 1:And then we ended up giggling on the way he was like hi.
Speaker 2:And he's an attractive man.
Speaker 1:But it was more just like I was giggling, at least, because more like what's that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, what's strange to reality are we in right now? Yeah, there was so many weird things like that happen when I lived in New York City that were great and interesting and all the things. But yes, oh, my gosh, I forgot about that. I love that you brought that up.
Speaker 1:But then so then. So then you're doing this for a while, for a long, for a long time. You're still doing it, and then you move back, and here's the part I knew nothing about. You start practicing Reiki, which go see Annie for Reiki, sound healing oh my gosh, soundbows with Annie are the best Astrology. I didn't know any of this about you, annie, so tell me about that part of the journey. Has that been something that you've always wanted to explore, these other modalities, and you finally said yes, or how did this happen?
Speaker 2:I have been. I mean, I had astrology books in my room when I was 14, 15, 16, and I've just always been fascinated by it. I'm fascinated by any sort of, and I always take what resonates and leave the rest, and I'm not one of those people who are like it has to be this way or that way.
Speaker 2:I just think it's a beautiful practice and I love any kind of practice that's going to help us tap into the energy that's swirling around and give us affirmation, or even like Clifton, Strengths or other things that help us.
Speaker 1:Yes, I just mentioned Clifton Strengths because I just took it last week.
Speaker 2:You did.
Speaker 1:Yes, because several people have been like all right have you ever had strength runners Mm-hmm. And I was like I'm not gonna pay $56. Okay, I will, but literally just last week I did them.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh, do you remember what your numbers are? No, or what your things are.
Speaker 1:I mean I should. Empathy is the first thing, so is mine.
Speaker 2:I knew it, I knew it. I didn't see like developing. Developer, so is mine.
Speaker 1:Developer restorative meaning. I didn't even know what that meant but it means that like I enjoy fixing broken things not necessarily items but like I can't remember the other two off the top of my head.
Speaker 2:Awesome. Oh my God, I love it.
Speaker 1:I can't wait to talk more about it.
Speaker 2:I think I'm empathy. Empathy, adaptability, maximizer, belief and the one you said that were the same that I forgot.
Speaker 1:I already forgot about it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was so loud, but I love any kind of thing like that or just that helps me understand myself and the people that I love better. I just love that. So that's sort of how I got interested in astrology. I have been doing different sort of spiritual work and things and meditation and all of that forever. But and I started when we moved back to Minnesota I was a part of just like a group of women sometimes men, but mostly women that would gather around the moon's cycles. That was just a very supportive community for growth in general spiritual growth, all the things.
Speaker 2:And then somebody had mentioned to me at one point in time in like 2012 about sound dealing and I was like I don't understand what that. And then I became a mom and just didn't really have. I was just in that phase of my life and didn't really have time to sort of look into that. And then I experienced my first sound healing in 2018 and then went through all of this transition and I so I have been doing all of that work, but I had to do it in secret in my relationship. So as soon as I wasn't in that relationship anymore, I was able to just step more fully into who I am.
Speaker 2:And so that's probably why I didn't know about it. Yeah, I think so. I think I was always afraid to be judged about it and now I just don't really care because I'm gonna be who I am and all the things and I've. We always find our people right, no matter what it is, especially if we were just talking about this before we started recording that the more fully you step into yourself authentically, the more easily you're gonna find your people and the more easily you're going to have the witnessing and all of the nudges that you are in the right place, that kind of thing. So I had my first sound dealing with retries and it was profound and it was amazing. And then I had been sitting doing this beautiful meditation and it was right after I was right in the midst of so much transition and so many things. And I was always so grateful that and this is a shout out to like all of our theater and music community friends Like I moved to the cities and I was so lucky because I knew that I could walk out my door and I'm gonna cry and I had a family of people that would support me in all of the things and I was doing this beautiful, I did this meditation and I had this beautiful vision of music and different things and the water, and I don't remember why. I'm talking about that piece in general, but I came somehow the sound healing, like I had a flash of it. And so when I came out of the meditation, I was like I wonder what he's doing now. And I looked on my computer and I found out that he was going to be doing a training and it was literally like right after I was going to get my like, with enough time after I was going to get my vaccine and things are starting to be safer and I thought I was going to be going to Sedona where I had the sound healing.
Speaker 2:And in the midst of all of my transition, I had met with my really dear friend who I met in Hoboken when I lived there, liza, who was helping me with some career coaching, and she was the director of like programming at Kripalu, which is in the Berkshires Mountains in Massachusetts. And so, circling back to the 2018, when I had this sound healing with three trees, there was this vision that I had during it where I was walking up this hill and this grassy hill and all of a sudden I looked and there was this dog and all of a sudden I looked there was like three trees with me and I walked up this hill and there was Liza's face and this was like I hadn't talked to Liza in five years, six years maybe. So I ended up getting all of fast forward to when I started signing up for the retreat and he's like well, we actually live in the Berkshires now and this is all of the things. And so, literally my last training, I walked up the hill with his dog, marley, and him and, like you know, got to introduce them, you know, and all of the things. So, yeah, I don't know, it just felt like a really beautiful, like I am where I'm supposed to be, lots of those little moments and little like affirmations around stepping into this work and I've been so grateful because I just know that it's helping a lot of people.
Speaker 2:I had somebody at one of my sessions a couple of weeks ago come up to me and say you know, can I hug you? And of course I said yes, and because I am a hugger no offense for people who aren't and she just said I, you know, I have fibromyalgia. And she said and I hurt usually all the time and she's like I don't feel any pain right now. So you know, there's a lot more and more science that's coming out around it and which is wonderful and affirming for people who are skeptical. But it's just a really beautiful practice to help calm the nervous system and just to tap into our higher self on top of all of it and to relax, because there's not a whole lot of times where we take for ourselves, you know, to actually slow down and take care of ourselves. So I hope I just answered your question. I feel like I just went around in a big circle, but I do that. So there's that.
Speaker 1:Well, I will take a pause here just to say that I'm going to link all of Annie's info in the show notes. I will first. I highly recommend okay, I recommend all of the things. Please buy her albums. She's on the current. Call them and say please play Annie Fitzgerald's music more. She gigs all around any gigs all around town. I've benefited from her Reiki sessions and the sound healing Just in a and you know when. I've talked about this on the podcast. But like a year ago, two years ago, I was in the middle of trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with me and the times that I was with Annie doing either Reiki or sound healing just my nervous system, it just calmed down. It calmed down and not only did I have less pain, which obviously we all want, but my brain finally settled down a little bit. In order, because I was in such a heightened state all of the time because I was constantly going from one place to the next, trying to figure out what the hell is going on.
Speaker 1:My brain calmed down and I just felt like I can. I can handle it like this. I can handle it you know, and I'm it's sold out. I'm so lucky though I get to do a workshop with you in a few weeks like a new year sound healing astrology, like all the things, intention setting.
Speaker 2:We're going to do all the things. There will be more. I think we're going to do them quarterly. My business partner and I, don Murray, and are, yeah, coming together just to to bring those sort of opportunities where we can come together and be witnessed and and tap into ourselves more and set intentions and, yeah, all of that. I'm really looking forward to that.
Speaker 1:So glad you're going to be there. Love it Me too. Good job me for doing that. Good job Annie and Don for offering yeah. Yeah, let's just let's wrap it up because it seems like a good time to wrap up. But I need, I need you all to know, annie, I don't know how. I need you all to meet her. So figure that out, or we could go listen to her together. But just like your whole vibe is just, you're just beautiful. You know, I'm just so happy to have had this friendship with you for so long. Like you've seen so many versions of me and you still show up.
Speaker 2:Always. Yeah, I feel the exact same way about you. I love you so much. And I'm so proud of you, all that you're doing.
Speaker 1:Thank you. Thank you so much. All right, we're going to, we're going to say goodbye. Thank you so much for being here.
Speaker 2:Thanks for having me. Thank you.
Speaker 1:Bye, everybody, as always, thanks for healing and going with me.