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A note from David: “Showers and Flowers” Welcome to May, and I’m glad to say those “April showers” have brought Hélène and I — amongst other things — the song “Lazy, Rainy, Do-Nothing Day,” and the “Vote” song — and several other beginnings of tunes we hope to share in May. But music aside, the “showers” of the old adage imply that we are to endure certain challenges that ultimately will help us to blossom in the not-so-distant future. I’m sure all of us had our share of April rains, in one form or another. So, are we seeing “May flowers” yet? It’s certainly evident in nature: if you’re in a climate similar at all to where we are — we’re currently just southwest of Montreal — you’re seeing the bulbs peeking their heads out, the trees are budding or even better, and we’re surrounded by the miracles of spring, some unique to our immediate environment. Your area may be further along. So — what else is starting to blossom? Let me pause for a moment and introduce La Vie Ensemble’s Theme of the Month (drum roll, please): “Happy, Joyous, and Free.” That’s in contrast to April, which was a bit more grave if you’ll remember: “Honesty, Openness, and Willingness” — the “HOW” acronym urging us to look at challenges in the face and to be willing to get out of our comfort zone. Ouch to that! For me, that meant doing some cold-calling to school districts in British Columbia to sell our “Believe in Yourself” show...lest the 2025 calendar would look dangerously spare. Definitely an outside-the-box, April “shower” type of challenge. I conquered some fears for that, and the job ain’t done…but we’re starting to see this work pay off in our tour schedule. Now those three terms of May, “Happy, joyous, and free” are ones often mentioned in the LVE bus to refer to the nature of our Higher Power; as in, “will the result of this action help us to be more happy, joyous, and free?” I’ve come to believe that that is what the Creative Spirit wants for us (Hélène has tutored me on that). I love that these three terms refer to the present moment, and not some grand goal, out in some far-off future. Heck, they even sound attainable! I suppose we may differ, one person to the next, in what things will make us feel happy, have us share our joy, and help us to behave with a sense of unfettered freedom. I only know that when I’m NOT feeling that way, I need to utilize a variety of tools to set me on the path again. I’m so glad that my list of tools includes creating and sharing music with you. Hope you might share some of your tools of the happiness trade as well! Thank you for hanging out on the Bus a bit, David |
 A word from Hélène Nicole Hello everyone, phew! What a busy month! And so many changes to face. Leaving Florida friends not knowing when or if I'd see them again. Travelling across Canada to sing in many schools and venues next fall is something I am looking forward to, but the prospect of crossing the big mountains of B.C. with the bus really makes me nervous, if not a bit panicky. I had to practice staying in the present moment, and I did, again and again. I came through it like a champ, but I must admit I had to work hard on the inside to take it all in stride! From one adventure to another - major performances, loss of purse on leaving the U.S., my ADHD at the max lol - two bus breakdowns on the road, a funeral for David's mom, all the while working hard to be visible and booked for next year. The bus maintenance made our bank account take a pretty big downfall (gratitude to our savings), but I regained my confidence every time, despite the fear in my stomach. I often felt like staying in bed or eating the whole fridge, but with the support of many, and the joy of making music with David and so many others, I kept going forward. (Well, I did eat my emotions on a few occasions, I admit, but all in all, I lost 2 pounds in April, out of a total of 9 since I decided to face my fears rather than eat them at the beginning of the year). This month, I wanted to share with you how I face my emotions and fears via my journal. In fact, several times a month I have a dialogue with myself on paper. Last month, one of my protégés, whom I mentor every week, suggested I start a podcast. Well, I don't think I have the time, but I thought I'd share my inner dialogues with you from time to time. I started this month with a conversation I had with The Inner Voice that guides me, which I call the Creative Power of the Universe. I invite you to read it here, and please feel free to comment. I look forward to hearing from you, let me know if you relate to my tribulations, tools and redemption.
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🎶 Looking Back: April Highlights – On the Road Again!
So much happened in April, we have no idea how we did it all! We're pretty sure the theme of last month — Honesty, Open-Mindedness, and Willingness — energized us big time. Here's the wild ride we lived through...
🎤 Wrapping Up in Ocala
The first week of April was a whirlwind of preparing to leave Florida, selling the next tour, rehearsing, and playing our final two concerts in Ocala.
April 5: Our monthly Zoom Concert was broadcast live from Soul Essentials of Ocala.
April 6: We sang with the Central Florida Master Choir for two moving performances.
And one last time with the Ocala West UMC Praise Team—but not without drama...
Cue the 🎒 missing purse story! Hélène's purse vanished as we counted the hours before we had to cross the Canadian border (to meet her visa deadline). Turns out, it was under the piano at the church. With 29 hours left on the clock, we found it and hit the road!
🇨🇦 Border Crossing + Canadian News
We made it to the border just before midnight on April 7. David was welcomed warmly and received an official document allowing him to come and go from Canada until December 31 — no questions asked next time they said. 🙌
Then, we got even better news to close out the month: a letter requesting new photos for David’s Canadian Resident ID! Once issued, David will be able to take on any job in Canada — not just music gigs. 💼🎸
🥶 Cold Nights & Creative Spaces
Our first night in Canada hit -8°C (18°F). We had to dump all our water on the ground so our tank and pipes wouldn’t freeze! Then we visited Quiet Earth near London, ON — a 150-year-old barn turned into a magical venue and recording studio. We hope to perform there in summer 2026! Host Brent and his mom are beautiful people. They organize concerts which are turned into Documentaries and used to raise funds in the community. We can't wait to be part of their magic. P.S. Brent gifted us with his latest album, recorded at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios in the UK. This album is his 12th release. Brent has also worked with various Grammy, Juno, and Emmy award-winning engineers and musicians in studios around the world.
🚎 Bus Troubles (Again!)
Next stop: engine trouble. We left our bus in Brantford ON and made a wild 3-hour bus-subway-bus trip to Toronto to stay with our friend Paul (who kindly hosted us AND Melody 🐶—stealth mode: activated).
Back on the road with Paul’s car, we went to showcase Crois en Toi and our workshop Sing Your Song to the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board.
💐 Memorial, Melodies & More
We returned to Detroit, MI to celebrate the life of David’s beloved mother Elaine. At the border, we faced a new hiccup: Melody now needs an new authorization! Thankfully, we received a “one-time only” approval. Ouf!
We had a lovely time with the family and friends, and sang ‘The Water is Wide’ and the ‘Faith Song’ at the memorial. We entertained the kids after at David's niece's home and met everyone for a last brunch the next day.
🎵 New Creations + Videos
Songs finished: Vote and Lazy Rainy Do Nothing Day – Un jour de pluie, and the French version of A Million Years!
Songs in the works: Groove a Little, Prendre une marche sous les étoiles, Broken Down and Unicorns
4 new videos released – Join our contact list to receive one each week!
🏫 School Tour Momentum
Our Believe in Yourself School Tour (funded by Canadian Parents for French BC for 3 years!) is moving forward. We’ve been emailing, faxing, calling, and hosting Zooms with teachers and principals.
We leave for B.C. on May 30 if the bus behaves!
11 shows booked so far for th Fall BC school tour—with more to come! We are also in talks for a CPF-Ontario funded tour for January 26 and one with CPF-New Brunswick as well! We are diligently looking for Francophone based non-profit agencies who could apply for a grant we found that would allow us to perform in French schools located in far away regions of Canada that don't get music shows very often. Do you know any?
🎉 Birthday, Beaches & Big Crowds
Hélène Nicole celebrated her birthday three times:
Quiche with Paul on her birthday
Indian food with the Beaches crew the next day
An open mic with friends—where we sang Vote and Lazy Rainy Do Nothing Day to a loving crowd.
🔥 One Last April Plot Twist
April 29: One hour from Montreal, smoke filled the cabin! 🫣 We pulled over and discovered a melted water pump strap. No damage to the engine, but now we can only drive a few minutes at a time. Thankfully, a campground was just 4 minutes away. Parts arrive next Wednesday and we hope to be back on the road by Friday — $6,000 lighter (our previous repair cost $2,000).
You can help us out by throwing a little something in our tip jar 💛 Any amount is appreciated.
🌐 Online & Community Love
10 months strong: Weekly Wednesday Facebook Lives in our private group The LVErs!
1,300+ followers on Facebook
103 LVE’rs in our private group
Weekly videos since February — thank you for your comments and shares! They fuel us 💖
🎉 May Preview – Promotion, Rehearsals & Road-Ready!
Our May theme: Happy, Joyous & Free — through song, storytelling, and connection.
📥 Free Download
Download I’ve Got a Thing from our first EP and share it with your friends!
👉 Visit our website here
📺 Facebook Lives – Every Wednesday at 10 AM ET / 4 PM France
Join us for 5 songs + a meditation on our monthly theme.
Next week's lineup:
I’ve Got a Thing
I Won’t Let You Go
A Million Years – Un million de chansons
La ballade des gens heureux
Aujourd’hui
🎶 Join our LVE'rs Private Group for access!
🎤 Upcoming Events
May 24 @ 2 PM ET / 8 PM CET – Live from Toronto Beaches boardwalk! Contact us for the exact place if you are around.
📅 Register here to join our Zoom concert!
🎬 Weekly Video Drops straight to your inbox – share the love!
🏡 Looking for Hosts!
As we prepare for our cross-Canada tour:
Know someone who might want to host a concert?
A school, a church, a living room or a stage?
Someone who books for schools or events?
📧 Write us! Your encouragement, stories, and dreams help us write new songs.
🚐 La Vie Ensemble – On the Road, With You
Thanks for reading and cheering us on. We couldn’t do it without you. Here’s to more peace, joy, and music — shared together.
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