"OLIVIA: VOICES FOR HEALING... OUR PLANET...OURSELVES" March 26-27, 2010

Following the event for National Geographic in 2008, Olivia headlined "Olivia: Voices for Healing…Our Planet…Ourselves", an event that benefits ACEER (the Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research), the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre Appeal and the West Chester University of PA Integrative Health Program.

Friday, March 26 - 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. - Keynote Address

Olivia presented My Healing Journey:  A New Personal Vision of Cancer Care and spoke of her own experience with breast cancer and why treating the whole person and not just the disease is so important to a positive outcome for those confronting breast cancer.  She also stressed the need for self-examination as part of a comprehensive cancer screening program.  Lastly, she addressed lifestyle choices that contribute to the reduction of cancer risks.

This keynote on Friday was an unique moment - Olivia telling her cancer story and how to become a thriver in a very personal way. At the end Olivia answered some questions from the audience,

Saturday, March 27 - 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. - 11th Annual Integrative Health Conference - Integrative Strategies for Breast Cancer

Olivia and John spoke half an hour about "The Power of Now" at the end of the General Audience Session.

Afterwards they answered some questions from the audience, 

Saturday, March 27 - 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. - Reception and Gala Dinner

Olivia and John joined the reception and the Gala Dinner. So there was the opportunity to make photos, get autographs etc. (though we did not ask her for that, because there were a lot of people seeing her for the first time and getting first choice to get a picture or autograph. And btw I think for me there is no chance to get a better and closer picture than from Tunica last year;-)

During the reception Olivia saw us (Heike, Michel from Belgium and me) and told us "You folks are so great"^^

Saturday, March 27 at 8 p.m. - Olivia Newton-John Concert - “Voices for Healing...Our Planet...Ourselves”

The concert on Saturday was a wonderful and very emotional event. All songs from Grace & Gratitude plus Magic in a G&G mode. It was just too short, a little bit more than an hour. There was no meet and greet afterwards (as far as I know^^)

Setlist:

- pearls on a chain

- learn to love yourself

- grace and gratitude - duet with Amy Sky

- love is letting go of fear

- let go let god

- to be wanted - duet with Mark Masri

- i will lift up my eyes

- gate gate

- the power of now

- instrument of peace

Magic - G&G mode

Feedback of Amy Sky send to the OO fanclub:

"Hello all you faithful fans,

I am so delighted some of you could join us for the show in PA on Saturday. This has been one of the highlights of my professional life, to create this show with and for Olivia. I have been dreaming of it since we made G and G. We called on some of the most talented people in the business to create the look, feel and sound of the show, and everyone gave 110% in such a short period of time to get it done! This was my first time actually performing live with Olivia, so that was fun for me too. I learn so much from her every time we work together, she is amazing and inspiring, and always encouraging me to reach beyond my comfort zone.

And to see and hear her re-invent TO BE WANTED with the transcendant Mark Masri was a thrill and a half.

I am delighted that those of you who came experienced the transformational feeling we hoped to achieve with the show.
It means so much to me that you really " get it". We do it for love, but we hope that you love it too!
As for future plans, stay tuned. We will cook up something this year, not sure how big a project - but something!
Love and blessings to all of you for being there for us

Amy”

Local newspaper article

The Daily Local (dailylocal.com), Serving Chester County, PA

Healing sounds by Olivia Newton-John

Singer headlines a health, wellness and conservation weekend at WCU

Monday, March 29, 2010

By MIKE MORSCH, Special to the Local News

“Olivia Newton-John didn't get physical Saturday night at West Chester University. She got spiritual.

The actress, cancer survivor, environmental activist and four-time Grammy award-winning artist was in town over the weekend to headline a two-day event focused on health, wellness and environmental conservation: "Olivia: Voices For Healing ... Our Planet ... Ourselves."

The event culminated Saturday evening with a benefit concert at the Emilie K. Asplundh Concert Hall, where Newton-John performed for the first time in its entirety her 2006 album "Grace and Gratitude," a compilation of songs about healing.

"We're all here because we all want to see change. We know that change can only start with us," said Newton-John. "Change in the way we treat cancer, not just treating the body but healing the whole person — body, mind and spirit; change in our thoughts, as our thoughts create our reality, our beliefs create our world. Every choice we make, every word we say, creates our intent to change our relationships and our destiny.

"So through our changes we can make a difference in our world. We can heal ourselves, we can heal our world, and the rainforest. And we can all become an instrument of change, an instrument of peace."

Newton-John co-wrote and co-produced "Grace and Gratitude" with Amy Sky, who provided background vocals for Newton-John and her five-piece band. The music has a spiritual African sound heavily influenced by various flutes, and the songs "are all songs I've written from my heart," Newton-John said.

The Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research was among the organizations benefiting from the concert.

Newton-John and her husband, John Easterling, have been supporters of ACEER for years. The president of the nonprofit organization, which has worked for rain forest conservation and community education in the Peruvian Amazon, is Roger Mustalish, who has an office at West Chester University. The weekend event came about through Newton-John and Easterling's connection with Mustalish.

The event also benefited the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre Appeal at the West Chester University College of Health Sciences.

Easterling, who Newton-John calls "Amazon John," introduced his wife to the West Chester crowd. The couple have known each other for 15 years and married in 2008.

"Olivia is an extraordinary human being who has the capacity for caring about other human beings and the planet," said Easterling, president of the Amazon Herb Co., a natural remedy firm. "We all have challenges in our life. And those things become very personal. And tonight is going to become a very personal experience for everyone. Olivia has a way of connecting through her music and through her song and expressing that healing through emotion.

"What you might not know, though, is that I never saw 'Grease' until after we were married. I realize I may be the only guy in the Western hemisphere that hadn't seen it, but they just weren't showing it in the Peruvian rain forest where I was spending all those years," said Easterling.

In a career that has spanned four decades, Newton-John, 61, has sold more than 50 million albums and has had five No. 1 hits, including "Physical" in 1981.

She and John Travolta starred in the 1978 film version of "Grease," which has become a Hollywood classic.

But the closest the artist came to any vintage Newton-John song on Saturday was during the encore, when she presented a scaled-back version of her 1980 No. 1 hit "Magic" from the film "Xanadu." Otherwise, the evening was all about music with a healing theme.

"When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, the first thing I did was make a joke because that's my nature," said Newton-John, who has been cancer free now for 18 years. "And then I went into denial, and then of course there is the fear. We're all afraid of the unknown. But what I've learned on my journey through cancer and indeed on my journey through life is that fear is a choice, and if we can let go of that fear, we can move toward love."”

 © 2010 dailylocal.com, a Journal Register Property

Heike and I stayed one week in Wilmington, Delaware. Besides the event at West Chester Universitiy we also visited Hard Rock Cafes in Washington and Baltimore. And we found that at the Baltimore Hard Rock Cafe: