Warm Heart

Dear Maci,

Thank you so much for your friendship. Your public comments on our Facebook page are always caring, loving, and supportive. And your donations through your "Butterfly Moon" cd make a world of difference in the lives of our children living with HIV.


Your donations support our children's education, health care, all of life's necessities, and a loving home here at our Mercy Center.


Please let us know if you ever need information about any of our programs and come visit us again any time. You are always a part of our Mercy family!


On behalf of everyone here - especially our children, their house moms and dads, tutors, coaches, and teachers - we wish to extend our most heartfelt thanks."


Kindest regards,


Usanee Janngeon
Executive Director


What a nice letter! Brought tears to my eyes. I feel sometimes like I have barely made a difference. Sure I am selling CD's and sending off my donations here and there. (I give them 100% of the money made on the CD). But it's not nearly as much or as frequent as I had hoped. I guess I always want to do big things and forget that little things add up, too. My heart is warmed to know I am helping in some way to improve the life of those sweet, brave kids. I urge you to please open your hearts to these children, too. Read their stories on Mercy's website. Tell family, friends, and neighbors! Let's make an even bigger difference! Pick up a copy of Butterfly Moon here on the website. Just go to the boutique page! Or simply make a donation to Mercy on your own. You'll find info and a donation page at www.mercycentre.org.

Wishing you all a warm and wonderful day!

"Butterfly Moon" Goes Where The Families Are

I hit the streets and knocked on doors locally this week. I have some great professional counter top displays and have my CD set up in some great locations. Two I am particularly excited about is The Little G*ym and Kays A*ct2 Dance studio. Both are wonderful places for children to learn and grow and what better place to attract the attention of dedicated moms and moms to be? 

My Inspiration

Inspiration comes in many forms and from many places. Mine came from a very special child on the other side of the globe. A child destined to be my daughter. Her name is Ruby Kate. She is pure joy and a gift to be around. Her outside beauty is nothing compared to the sweetness and love this girl exudes! She lights up a room and is my every dream come true!

We heard about Ruby years ago and instantly our hearts knew she was ours. She was what was missing in our lives and everything we dreamed of for so long. We waited almost 2 years and during that wait, I poured my heart into music. I started with a simple 5 song recording to send to her orphanage in the hopes that she could hear her Mommy and feel the love I so longed to give her. I later wrote the title track Butterfly Moon and it became an album. It was so personal I wasn't sure if I wanted to share it at first. But, encouraged by my husband and friends (who wanted a copy) I decided to give it a go. I couldn't help wondering about all the children that DON'T get adopted. Because of legalities or health or special needs. And what about the ones with HIV/AIDS? Don't they deserve a chance at a happy life, too? It's so heartbreaking and yet I thought - what could I do? Then I remembered the CD. I could sell it for THEM. Originally I thought I'd give half to the charity and keep half so I could produce another one. But my heart couldn't sit with that. 100% of the profits are now going to Mercy Centre and are used directly for the children and families living there and the community. They are a wonderful organization and help SO many. Please see their website for more info at: www.themercycentre.org.

About the product: The CD is a well produced, beautifully played, and sweetly sung collection of traditional lullabies, songs from my childhood, and an original tune written for Ruby: Butterfly Moon. There is a lot of heart put into it and I hope your little ones enjoy the music as much as mine. Ironically, Butterfly Moon is my daughter's favorite lullaby. She will request that I sing it daily! Of course, she will also SHOOSH me so that SHE can sing it. Hey, they say imitation is the greatest form of flattery! Especially in THIS case! :-)

*Butterfly Moon is packaged in environmentally friendly Eco-jacket because being green is important to me.

*Above photo by Kate Dressler Morrison (www.maxandmimiphotography.com)

Heavy Heart

I sit in the comfort of my kitchen. My safe and peaceful home. But my heart is in Thailand this week. There has been much conflict in Bangkok and, as I'm sure you have heard, it has turned quite violent. I got an email from Father Joe yesterday saying there was even a fire started in Klong Toey - the poorest of slums- and some of the children were keeping watch from their 3rd story room. As if these children haven't been through enough. Many with HIV/AIDS. Most without families. Many abused and neglected before finding a safe haven in Mercy. I also found out the Thai Red Cross (home to many orphans - some whom are waiting for their US parents to come take them home) is located right in the middle of the main conflict areas. Praying they were not children, but sad for any that have perished because of these riots. All of this gives me a heavy heart. Many prayers going out for them and the people of Bangkok right now.

More families and children will need medical attention and a place to stay. Father Joe has said he will take them all in and find a place for them. I am called to action today. Not only will I be making my own donation to Mercy Centre (www.themercycentre.org) and the TRC, but 100% of CD sales will be going to Mercy. The only reason I stated "half" on my Cd cover was to cover outgoing costs, mailings, etc, and maybe record more soon. But right now, I could care less about all that. I care much more about the many that are on the streets of Thailand. I care about orphans with HIV/AIDS that now have to worry about fire bombs and losing the only place they can call home. Please help me help them and the TRC. I will donate 100% of the sales from my other CD's for this cause for awhile, too. Spread the word. It's only a $12 gift (cost of CD plus S&H) but added up, it can make a big difference. Go to www.macimiller.com to purchase yours CD or CD's. Just click on the picture of the album on the home page for Butterfly Moon, or go to the Boutique page on my website to buy any of my CD's.

Thank you for caring! Pray for peace!

Butterfly Moon Now at CD Baby

You now have several options for buying the new CD! You will find my CD available for purchase at the following online sites:

www.macimiller.com

www.cdbaby.com

Don't forget to pick up yours! Also makes a great gift!!!

A Visit To Mercy Centre

While in Thailand to pick up our beautiful little girl, we had the opportunity to visit the Human Development Foundation/Mercy Centre in Bangkok. It took some time to get there, as the taxi driver was a bit unsure of where to go. Mercy is located deep in the heart of Klong Teoy - one of the worst slums in Bangkok.

We were greeted by John Padorr. A super nice, laid back guy, originally from Chicago, with an easy smile and kind heart. We were told Father Joe was very busy that day so we wouldn't meet him. I was disappointed, but glad we could see the place, see what they needed, and meet some of the children. 

Mercy houses many children and families. Many with HIV/AIDS. There are orphaned and sick children. There are those there just for day care while their parents work. And there are elderly that need loving care. Mercy does so much that I am surprised how deftly they handle it all and how they are able to fund it as well. I believe they manage things pretty well to be able to stretch their dollars to meet all the demands of both the center and community. The list is endless. There is a nice man that dedicates his time to keeping the kids off drugs. There is a community outreach to keep children with their family. The services they provide goes on and on. I was impressed with the dedication of so many that keep things running smoothly. My description here does not come close to describing all they do and how great this center is.

But let's talk about the children. You would expect it to be a sad place. But it's not. The children run around happy, smiling, laughing. Sweet kids that are obviously loved and well cared for. So beautiful to see! I had a chance to sing a little for them and they both smiled and giggled at this stranger singing strange songs! It was cute. I was so moved I could barely think of what songs to sing. For none were good enough to share with these brave kids that have been through so much yet sat before me with a smile. There is no greater motivator to sell a lot of CD's than seeing their sweet little faces!

At the end of our time there...a surprise! Father Joe got back and we had a chance to meet him. It was a brief, but nice encounter, and I was so pleased to meet one of my personal heros. Thanks John and Father Joe for showing us what life is like at Mercy and for being such kind and loving souls. I hope to serve you and the children well!

Mercy Centre/Human Development Foundation

I am happy to announce that Mercy Centre/HDF is the charity for this project! There are so many causes near and dear to my heart, but the children of Thailand hold a very special place. Mercy Centre is an amazing safe haven in the middle of the worst slums of Bangkok for street children, orphans, and abandoned/abused children and those with HIV/AIDS. But is it so much more than that. It was started by Father Joe Maier and Sister Maria  - two incredible, selfless people - against all odds. It has grown over the last 30 years to become a loving home to many, many children. See full description and mission statement below. 

"Mercy Centre is a shelter for street kids, four orphanages, a hospice, a home for mothers and children with HIV/AIDS, a 400-pupil kindergarten, a community meeting place, and a serene haven in the slums with small gardens and playgrounds. Originally built on a former Buddhist Temple site on port authority property, Mercy Centre has stood in some shape or form for 30 years. In 2000, it was rebuilt through a generous gift to accommodate our expanding services to orphans, street children, and children with HIV/AIDS. 

We work to help the children and communities of the many slums of Bangkok. Together with our neighbors in the slums we create simple-but-progressive solutions that touch the lives of thousands of the poor every day. We build and operate schools, improve family health and welfare, protect street children's rights, combat the AIDS crisis, respond to daily emergencies, and offer shelter to orphans, to street children, and to children and adults with AIDS - always together, hand in hand and heart to heart with the people we serve. WE ARE A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE POOR."

There is a great book called "The Gospel of Father Joe: Revolutions & Revelations in The Slums of Bangkok" that tells the whole story of how they came to be and the struggles to start the place and daily heartaches and obstacles. Really an amazing story. Eye opening, to say the least. (See link on side bar - available at Amazon). This is how I first came to know about Mercy Centre and I haven't been able to get them out of my mind or heart ever since.

I am so glad to have this opportunity to work with such a great organization and hope I can do a lot of good for them and sell lots of CD's! They gave me the go-ahead today to put their logo on my CD and tell people about their cause...so we are going to press!

Butterfly Moon: The Song

It's hard to put on paper or into song the emotions that come with adopting a child. When I wrote Butterfly Moon I was thinking "fairy tale". To me, the song is about adoption and all the magic that happens behind the scenes to form a family this way.  Sort of in the same vein as a "cow jumping over the moon" being fantasy, I felt "hey, why couldn't there be butterflies and flowers and birds at night?" In a dream, all is possible! So the song was inspired by a mom's dream....her sleeping baby all the way over there on the other side of the globe, what she might dream about, and the thought that she will someday soon be home in her arms.

Cover Art

Front cover

Back cover

Here is a sneak peak at what the CD will look like.  I found a wonderful NYC artist named Edie Pijers on Etsy.com. Her whimsical style and beautiful use of color is exactly what I was looking for. I asked her to do two original oil on canvas paintings for me and they were commissioned, discussed, and done in a week. I am so happy with them!

In order to send out some promotional copies, I did a quick mock-up and short run order of 100 CDS. The final product will have distributor or a charitable organization's information inside it and will be a much higher quality 4 sided Eco-jacket. The Eco-jackets are really nice. They look good, are light weight to mail, and better for the environment! The final CD will actually be higher quality, too, and will be pressed individually. This first batch will be great for the purposes of pitching the product and getting it out there. Hoping to get a little pre-release press to get some excitement going!

NOTE TO THOSE RECEIVING THESE COPIES:

These first CD's are just reproduction, not pressed CD's. They do not reflect the quality of the final product. They will play on most, but not some CD players - not on an older car CD player, for example. Most players and computers should have no problem. These are only for the purpose of giving the listener a taste of the album and what's to come. 

How It Began

In 2005, I decided to put my singing career on hold. I had released two independent CD's - A Very Good Night, 2001, & Take A Closer Look,  early 2005 - to moderate success. I toured 5 star hotels far and wide singing my jazzy little heart out. You can see macimiller.com for music, pics, and reviews. It was a great ride, but I was ready to stay home and start a family. We started trying to have a baby, but quickly realized fate had other plans for us. Our "having" a baby turned into to "adopting" a baby. A disappointing heartache...that turned into a wonderful, glorious, emotional roller coaster... that turned into the best thing that has ever happened to us. BY FAR. The adoption journey has been a long one and we are currently still waiting to travel for our little angel from Thailand, but we feel incredibly lucky to know this beautiful little girl is going to be our daughter. My singing took me to Thailand many times and the love of the people and culture made choosing adoption from there an easy choice. Going through the process has been a big learning experience, and our hearts have been opened to a new capacity. Loving more than we ever thought we could. 

I wrote Butterfly Moon for our little Ruby Kate, but it didn't actually spawn the album. The whole thing started with a simple 5 song recording I did last summer (2008).  I wanted my daughter to know her Mommy's voice. I longed to sing to her. Thought it might be of some comfort to her and for all the babies who were waiting for families. It also helped me feel productive during the very LONG and hard wait, when all we could do was sit around and hope for an update and that elusive referral saying we had a child and she would soon be ours. 

I recorded the first few songs - Baby Mine, Twinkle Twinkle, Over The Rainbow, Hush A Bye Baby, & Brahms Lullaby - then shipped them off to Thailand along with a CD player for the orphanage. Months later - and still waiting - my husband suggested I do a whole album. The only way I wanted to do this is if it could benefit children and make a difference. I was inspired. I wrote Butterfly Moon with a wonderful and talented cat named George Mesterhazy. I had most of the tune down, but George lent his incredible talent and writing abilities to polish it up a bit. I couldn't have been happier with it and all the music he brought to life on the project. Not only an incredible musician, he is one hell of a great guy and THAT speaks volumes to me. He came into the first project (a few simple songs from mother to child) with all the enthusiasm of a major label project! And George has played for many a major label. We started out with a real "organic" feel with all live instruments then later added some lush instrumentation on the songs that lent themselves to it, like Butterfly Moon and Baby Mine. With a keen ear and loads of experience, my uncle, Bob Kimmel deftly engineered and guided us every step of the way. It was truly a great collaborative effort.  I am pleased with the outcome and happy to share it with you and your little ones. I am also excited to share the rewards with orphans and children worldwide that really need it. Currently looking to find a charity to receive half the proceeds and team up with. Hopefully more on that soon...