Dear Friends,

Up, up and away!!!  If you haven't yet ridden in a hot air balloon, I encourage you to add it to your to-do list!

Ever since I was a little girl, I have dreamed of riding in a hot air balloon.  It always struck me as wonderfully whimsical and romantic and, though I longed for the possibility, the reality seemed so out of reach.  Yet just a few days ago while vacationing in Santa Fe, my family and I drifted through the sky in an enormous, brightly colored balloon above the Rio Grande Gorge.  What a magical experience!  It was everything I had dreamed of and so much more!  As the gentle sage-scented breeze drifted across my face, I couldn't help but gaze down upon the world below with a feeling of gratitude for each and every one of you.  Symphony of Soul continues to soar to new heights, as dreams become reality, because of you. 

Thanks to a generous donation from our friends Greg & Dawn Crouch of The Crouch Family Foundation, Symphony of Soul looks forward to providing more "musical medicine" to those suffering from drug & alcohol addiction at Austin Recovery.  We also appreciate our friends Lynn and Stuart Red of The Schissler Foundation for their generous gift enabling us to serve Austin Children's Shelter and Trinity Center for the homeless. 

A few weeks back, our friends Stuart Moulton and Dustin Struhall of Austin Cabaret Theatre invited Symphony of Soul's cabaret singers to participate in a performance at The Long Center for the Performing Arts. Symphony of Soul musicians Barbara Caldarero, David Cummings and I enjoyed getting up and singing. What an honor it was to participate with the renowned cabaret performers Billy Stritch and Jim Caruso!  I was proud to represent Symphony of Soul and greatly appreciated being given the opportunity to share our mission with the audience.

The compilation CD "Sugar & Spice" is progressing nicely and we eagerly anticipate the CD release party at Antone's on September 12^th.  As I design the cover art for the CD, I marvel at the tremendous talent on our musical roster and the outpouring of support from all of you in our Symphony of Soul family.  I salute you and thank you for purchasing wine from the Symphony of Soul Giving Wine Program.   My cardiologist husband George says wine, in moderation, is good for the heart, so please enjoy!   Our friends and sponsors at TradeMark Media are in the process of giving our already beautiful website a facelift.  What a fabulous gift to us!  And to top it all off, our friends Del Castillo and their wonderful manager Preston Sullivan have invited Symphony of Soul to participate in a special program for television.  What a blessing!  Please stay tuned for more details.

Thank you, my dear friends, for your loving support for Symphony of Soul.  While strolling in and out of the splendid art galleries and charming courtyards of Santa Fe, transported by the heavenly church bells ringing overhead, I couldn't help but think of you.  Not only am I an ardent fan of Santa Fe, hot air balloon rides and my lovely family, I am an ardent fan of each and every one of you.  Thank you for believing in Symphony of Soul, for riding along with us in our mission as we fly higher, and for helping us to realize our dreams.  I pray that Symphony of Soul and I may return the same kindness to you always.