Marisa Lenhardt on Trapeze in ‘The Earth Room’
It’s been called a wonderland, a museum, and adventure, an experience, a rabbit hole.
For those of us who create there, we call it work.
But every one of us remembers our first time through the door; a “my god, what have I stepped into?” moment that is completely washed away by the subsequent moments. We all know by now that the living room is comparatively normal.
I first fell into the rabbit hole 13 years ago.
In the throes of a bad breakup, Gregangelo called me looking for someone to sing the song from the fifth element for an event for which he was providing the entertainment. At the time, before a bunch of little girls started singing the piece for talent shows and everyone I know started sending the videos to me on Facebook, in fact, before Facebook, I was the only person many people knew of who sang the piece. Gregangelo had heard me at a Burning Man decompression event, and remembered me when he heard a request for the song.
The house has grown, as I have I.
The house has expanded, hideaways, rooms, alcoves, new art, new artists employed, mosaic, hidden passageways, a kaleidoscope bathroom so insane you’ll forget why you went in there.
Instead of just being an opera singer who sings with techno, I’m an operatic fortune teller, a fortune roulette teller, an aerialist who sings opera on trapeze, an aerialist who sings opera on trapeze after riding her motorcycle onstage.
For those of us who create there, we call it work.
But every one of us remembers our first time through the door; a “my god, what have I stepped into?” moment that is completely washed away by the subsequent moments. We all know by now that the living room is comparatively normal.
I first fell into the rabbit hole 13 years ago.
In the throes of a bad breakup, Gregangelo called me looking for someone to sing the song from the fifth element for an event for which he was providing the entertainment. At the time, before a bunch of little girls started singing the piece for talent shows and everyone I know started sending the videos to me on Facebook, in fact, before Facebook, I was the only person many people knew of who sang the piece. Gregangelo had heard me at a Burning Man decompression event, and remembered me when he heard a request for the song.
The house has grown, as I have I.
The house has expanded, hideaways, rooms, alcoves, new art, new artists employed, mosaic, hidden passageways, a kaleidoscope bathroom so insane you’ll forget why you went in there.
Instead of just being an opera singer who sings with techno, I’m an operatic fortune teller, a fortune roulette teller, an aerialist who sings opera on trapeze, an aerialist who sings opera on trapeze after riding her motorcycle onstage.
'Through Gregangelo and his work and, more than that, his simple way of being, I have become limitless.
In my day job, I have gone from being a project coordinator to being a Senior Manager. I have, in part because of association with Gregangelo, discovered my own limitlessness.
In my day job, I have gone from being a project coordinator to being a Senior Manager. I have, in part because of association with Gregangelo, discovered my own limitlessness.
I write this from a villa overlooking the Thai sea; one of my favorite places in the world.
Just before I departed for this journey, I took my team at work on a tour through the Gregangelo museum, combining so many of my passions; creativity, my day job, bringing people together to explore new things and challenge themselves. I have learned that it is possible to live entirely, that the areas of my life don’t need to be separated out to achieve success and, in fact, that it’s better to combine them.
Just before I departed for this journey, I took my team at work on a tour through the Gregangelo museum, combining so many of my passions; creativity, my day job, bringing people together to explore new things and challenge themselves. I have learned that it is possible to live entirely, that the areas of my life don’t need to be separated out to achieve success and, in fact, that it’s better to combine them.
Photo by Hiromi Yoshida
Thinking of the true creative greats - in arts, sciences, and everything in between, passion drove them, and they doggedly pursued a creative vision. We can’t make the mistake of separating our creative lives from our practical lives. Doing this cheapens both. Gregangelo’s museum, his work, and his own person, exist as a perfect example of this; the clients he engages recognize this - that he is the ultimate creative businessman, and that he can bring to their concept something truly unique.
I look forward to the next 13 years of growing, and wonder what kind of artist…and business person… I will be then.
Thank you, Gregangelo and crew! I couldn’t do it without you.
Marisa Lenhardt
I look forward to the next 13 years of growing, and wonder what kind of artist…and business person… I will be then.
Thank you, Gregangelo and crew! I couldn’t do it without you.
Marisa Lenhardt
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