Spring is in full swing just about everywhere! Here in Detroit, spring came several weeks earlier than expected and many of our flowering trees are already starting to fade, where they are usually in full bloom, just about Mother’s Day! The grass is green and has already been cut a few times in our complex. But that’s ok I’ll take any warmth we can get right now!
It’s the time of year where headlines read to do some spring cleaning, clean out the clutter, organize your mind to a clearer you!
Ok, so you decide to listen to them. You’ve stared at all your clutter during this pandemic, and it only seems to get worse. You have no motivation – it will be there tomorrow, what is the point? However, as the clutter piles up, it just makes you more anxious and you are longing for the day you can add another picture of the guys to your collection. 🙂
How many times have we thought – “I’m going to clean out that junk drawer today!” Only to go through each item, handle it lovingly and put it back in the drawer, but now it is at least organized a little bit, so you can shut the drawer more easily now? 🙂 And why, is this? It is because every little thing you picked up, held a memory. Whether it was that lost button you always meant to sew on, a marble you found on a walk in the woods, a small little trinket your grandchild gave you – or even, some little souvenir you bought at an Il Volo concert; that one precious ticket stub from Verona, or Taormina, or New York! It’s silly and childish, but you can’t throw it out. Because everything you picked up, held a memory; best of all – it made you smile. 🙂
You keep those memories hidden in a drawer and every time you decide to clean, all of these wonderful memories come flooding back. The way you felt when you first saw them. The memory of the anticipation of the first meet and greet. Your first front row seat. These are just priceless treasures we cannot throw out. We recall happier times and we all certainly need this right now. Some folks have a memory box to keep things in, just like your special drawer. As we get older, we are afraid we will lose our memories, and unfortunately, some of us will – but we will be instantly reminded of these moments. Those precious seconds and moments that make up our lives. How can we throw this stuff out? How do we explain to our children, spouse, or grandchildren what this means? It’s like throwing out our lives.
So, I encourage you to keep all of these memories, in hopes of making new memories – hopefully soon! Take more pictures to remember it by and add them to the drawer, or your phone albums.
I challenged each of you a while back to organize your memories and send us a picture! Rose Marie in Ohio, took me up on this challenge and the cover picture is one of the pictures she sent me!
Below is the other one! She bought a special bookcase of shelves, just to show off her precious memories!
It doesn’t have to be that elaborate, just something simple. I think most craft stores still sell those shadow boxes? Get a few of those and make one for each concert you attended, or each tour, if you went to more than one concert! The possibilities are endless!
I think Pat said she was close in finishing hers? 🙂 Ok, Pat – the challenge is on!
Halloween will be here before we know it and the theme of “Dangerous Decadence” was on the minds of the producers of Chopped Sweets!
For those of you not familiar with Chopped, this is an excerpt from their webpage: In a sweet spinoff of the ultimate culinary competition, host Scott Conant challenges four bold pastry artists to take on one of the toughest tests of their lives. Faced with baffling basket ingredients and an unrelenting clock, the sensational, sugar-savvy chefs must demonstrate their skill, concentration and imagination as they race to see who will claim the $10,000 prize.
And what, you may ask, does this have to do with Il Volo? Well, let me tell you!
Our own “little cupcake” and one of our younger Ilvolovers, Emilia Tomaszycki, is a pastry chef and will be on the upcoming episode of Chopped Sweets! – “Dangerous Decadence!” tonight, Sep 15, on the Food Network Channel at 10p EST. If you don’t have cable, you can still watch it live at this link: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/chopped-sweets
Beware of the baskets! The fear factor is off the charts when the competing chefs must work with some dangerously delicious ingredients — like the scary, hairy creepy-crawly in the first basket! From poisonous to moldy to superstinky, the second basket delivers on the deadly theme, and one of the judges is appalled by what she sees in the third basket. Can she overcome her phobia in time to enjoy the final desserts?
Although Emilia has been keeping quite busy, as she is currently on a special assignment near Denver, I was able to catch up to her while on a quick trip home to Michigan!
Jana: So, Emilia, tell us where you are from and where you are now.
Emilia: I am originally from Richmond, Michigan and am currently working as the pastry supervisor for the Ritz Carlton in Naples, Florida.
Jana: That’s so wonderful, Emilia, and at such a young age to have such responsibility! When did you know you wanted to be a pastry chef? Were your family and friends always supportive?
Emilia: From the age of about 14 I knew I wanted to be a pastry chef. I took the four basic Wilton Cake Decorating Courses at Joanne Fabrics and Michael’s craft stores, which ignited my passion. I got my first job at a small hometown bakery, at which I was soon promoted to head cake decorator. It was then that I knew I wanted to go to college for this. I finished high school and started college that fall at the Culinary Institute of Michigan. From there I received my associate in baking and pastry only to move on to the real world. My family and friends were always very supportive right from the beginning.
Jana: Becoming a pastry chef is a very challenging career to choose with a lot of competition. What were some obstacles you encountered along the way?
Emilia: One of the biggest obstacles for a woman in the culinary industry is professionalism and being taken seriously. It’s not easy to make a name in this culinary world, but especially not for women who are still looked down upon. This is an old-fashioned way of thinking and it is slowly changing, as many female culinary and pastry rock stars are rising up.
Jana: I’m sure you have had several positions leading up to your current job. Which job would you say was your favorite so far?
Emilia: My favorite position is the one I’m in now; a pastry supervisor at the Ritz Carlton Naples, Florida. I’ve worked so hard every day for each new position, so I can definitely say that I’m happy to be where I’m at now.
Jana: Do you have a favorite dessert to make? What is the easiest thing to make that looks difficult?
Emilia: My favorite dessert to make would have to be an entremet, or an intricately layered torte. The flavor combinations are endless and curling into the work of art to reveal all the layers is so satisfying. The easiest thing for me to make that looks the most difficult is probably a wedding cake. I’ve been doing wedding cakes for 8+ years so they have almost become relaxing yet thrilling for me. Each one is always different and unique but pleasing to the eye when finished.
Jana: How long did you want to be on Chopped Sweets? How long did it take? Was it a long or hard process? Did you have to go through various interviews? Were you able to meet any other celebrity chefs while you were there?
Emilia: I knew I eventually wanted to be on TV, but I hadn’t set any timelines for myself. I had received an email about Chopped Sweets and I just so happened to be sitting in a 3-hour layover. I filled out the application and within 24 hours the casting company was calling me asking for more interviews, pictures, videos, and more. The whole process took several months, but again I had no timeline for myself. I got to meet the judges on the show and of course made some life-long friends because of it. I was under contract, so I couldn’t say anything to my coworkers or friends. It was one of the hardest secrets I had to keep, especially after we filmed the show.
Jana: What got you through the last few months when no one was working?
Emilia: During quarantine when I wasn’t working, I honestly didn’t bake much. It was my time to relax my hands and sit down and write new menus. I FaceTimed my friends often and tried to not think about work too much. That time really helped me to refocus on what I wanted in life.
Jana: Was being on Chopped the most challenging thing you’ve ever done so far? Would you do it again?
Emilia: Being on Chopped was one of the most challenging, yet riveting things I’ve ever done. You see these baking competitions on tv and think, “Oh I could do that! These people just don’t know what they are doing.” Until you’re on the show, 20 cameras are pointed at you, you’re taped and strapped with hidden microphones, and you have 25 minutes to create a dish with unknown items in the basket in front of you. It’s terrifying and I can’t deny that I sat backstage at one point trying not to throw up. Would I do it all again? In a heartbeat! I loved it! The experience was unlike any other. I miss it already!
Jana: Thank you, Emilia, what an honest response. Is there anything you’d like to add that we haven’t already covered on this topic?
Emilia: I’d like to say, you never know what you’re capable of until you try it. I stepped out of my comfort zone once again and I made it on the show. Always try to push yourself a little beyond your limits, to help you discover the unknown.
Jana: Thank you Emilia, for telling us a bit about your background and the show. Now, let’s talk about how you came to know Il Volo and how we met you…
How did you discover Il Volo?
Emilia: I discovered Il Volo right after they did their first concert at the Detroit Opera House. My first concert of theirs that I went to was at Freedom Hill in 2014.
Jana: What a coincidence, Emilia – that was my first concert as well! 😊
Emilia: I became a huge fan, so of course I wanted to find others that were equally as intrigued as I was. The Detroit Il Volo fan club Facebook page became more and more popular where I grew to know the Detroit Il Volo Gals! I don’t believe I started it though.
Jana: Yes, I remember having a similar experience and also combed FaceBook trying to find any fan pages and came upon the Detroit Il Volo fan club page. I remember being intrigued at seeing there was a group getting together to celebrate Gianluca’s birthday at a local Italian restaurant. I remember I responded myself and one other person would be attending. I think Donna (one of our Detroit Il Volo Gals) was on there as well.
Emilia: Yes, Donna and I had met through the Facebook page then finally we met in person. She is the absolute sweetest thing! She and I helped coordinate the Gianluca gathering and we’ve been going there ever since. Unfortunately, with not being in Michigan very much anymore, I can seldom join the group to celebrate, but I do, whenever I get the chance!
Jana: I made reference to calling you “cupcake” in the beginning of this interview, I hope you are ok with it? 😊 I recall that Donna often called you cupcake as well, did she start that? It’s certainly the perfect nickname for you!
Emilia: Donna has called me cupcake ever since I can remember and I love it! It’s kind of nostalgic for me. My dad has always called me cupcake because when I was about 3 years old, I used to wear these cupcake pajamas that were my favorite. So, then the nickname was given to me!
Jana: Many of us often give the guys gifts at the meet and greets. Did you ever bring them anything?
Emilia: One year I had made a dessert box to bring to the boys to give to them after the concert at the meet and greet. They seemed to like everything! I tried to make some dairy free things for Piero at the time too. It made me happy to see them happy.
Jana: Yes, I remember that and seeing their happy faces. Just so you know, I believe the Chicago concert was after the Detroit one and I recall asking Piero at that meet and greet if they liked the pastries, he said they did! 😊
Ok Emilia, one last question, who is your favorite Il Volo guy?
Emilia:Piero, of course! 😊
Thank you, Emilia for spending some time with us today. I would wish you well on Chopped, but we know it’s already been taped! However, we hope you did well and weren’t the first one to be chopped!
Ok everyone, be sure to watch Emilia and the rest of the Chopped contestants tonight, Tuesday, September 15, 2020 at 10p EST! Don’t worry if you miss it, it airs again the next night!
You can also follow Emilia on Instagram at “Pastry_Panache”
A few days ago we received a nice little email from Sheryl Anderson, sharing her “addiction” with us…. I thought I’d share it with you, with her permission….
Dear Kelly, Pat, Daniela, Jana, Jo Ann,
I just wanted to express my appreciation for all your website efforts to promote IL VOLO. I am in St. Augustine, FL, USA (oldest city in US). Since January, I have become “addicted” to watching their concerts, interviews, etc. With the Pandemic keeping me at home, they are the “light” of each day. If there is any way that you could get a message to them, please do.
My first overseas journey was to the northern part of Italy in May, 2019.
I simply fell in love with Italian history and values. These three young men do such a good job of representing everything Italian–from their self-assured “humbleness”, to their Italian good looks, to the Catholic religion, landscapes, small cars, and not least, the closeness to their families. For me, my brain chemistry is affected by watching the “best possible” for human connection.
I know they must have relationship challenges at times, but they have the foundation of trust in self and trust in the other….Indeed, they are a blessing to me and to the world and I look forward to following their career.
Warm regards,
Sheryl Anderson
Thank you, Sheryl, for your warm thoughts and thanks, it is much appreciated! We keep this site going for you, ours, and Il Volo’s fans. I always say though, we couldn’t have this site without you fans and all of your wonderful comments, etc.!
I did have to tell her we do not have any direct contact with the guys, but we are told a few of their friends and relatives read this site, so maybe word will be passed along… 🙂
The guys, as well as their extended friends and family, like Alessandro, Giampiero, Eleonora with her beautiful Instagram posts, and Fabio; are certainly doing their best to keep their fans entertained and as happy as possible during this pandemic nightmare. We all hope it will be contained soon, not sure if it will ever be truly over… but I know many of the US fans, myself included, are awaiting the green light to fly back to Italy again… 🙂
For those of you who may be newer to this site, one of our former writers, Mary Bohling, has passed away.
Mary had such a deep love and devotion to Il Volo, and especially to her dear Piero! She flew all over the U.S. attending concerts and Meet and Greets, PBS Pledge Promotion events, the MOA event, was instrumental in all of our Minnesota Il Volo fan get togethers, plus attended the Fan Faire in Las Vegas. When ever she could adore them up close and in person…she was there! The highlight of one of the concerts she attended was out in back of the venue after the concert was over. Mary, along with Marie and her other cohorts, were waiting to catch a glimpse of the guys and lo and behold, out came Piero who jumped right in with them in the van they were sitting in! She was in seventh heaven!
She had a heart of gold and everything about her was genuine. As Joyce, a friend of Mary’s put it, “I am sure she is in heaven making sure the angels are listening to Il Volo.”
Mary was a gifted writer and poet. Writing for the blog made her feel closer to the guys, as if they were family. In honor of Mary, here is a post taken from the many of hers in our archives.
ACROSS THE MILES
To our darling sweet Italian boys, Keepers of our hearts, our joys, While you’re away you keep us guessing About new projects you’re addressing. A new CD would be so neat, A DVD would be a treat. You’ve been busy, that’s for sure. Broadcasts, photo shoots demure, Modeling, getting new wheels, Making contacts, sealing deals, Since staying fit’s high on your list, Trips to the gym cannot be missed. We search each day for what you’re doing, Wondering what surprise you’re brewing. We know it will be something great, Anticipation makes it hard to wait. We fell in love–you’re our addiction, Lots of Il Volo time is our prediction. A heavy dose both day and night Will help to keep us feeling right. We love to see your charming faces Smiling back from distant places, Tempting us with looks beguiling, Teasing with Il Volo styling. It hurts us, though, not knowing when You’ll come back to us again.
And now your tour is on it’s way, Back to work–no time to play, This schedule puts you to the test, Doing what you love the best. But we can only wait so long To see your faces, hear your songs. We will be brave, but nevertheless Please keep us posted, we confess We need to see you every day, Though Internet may be the way. Your future calls to spread the word, Throughout the world your voices heard. But we will wait for your returning, To satisfy our ardent yearning. So patiently for you we wait, Eager to see that special date When you’ll return to us once more, Bringing us the music we adore.
~~~Mary B.~~~
Mary and her boys in Detroit.
Mary and daughter, Anne, at TPT event in St. Paul.
First of all, I wanted to thank all the people who responded with the list of the most popular Italian singers abroad. 🙂❤️
I asked you to do this “experiment”, because an Italian newspaper published the list of these singers, but in my opinion it was not very correct.
Of course it was logical that Bocelli was at number 1. His success and popularity are indisputable. But I wanted to know the position of the remaining singers, which logically varies according to the country, where a singer can be more or less known, if he has been in that country to do concerts, or if the radios of that place broadcast his songs .
This is why I asked for a list that did not take into account the affection you have for singers, (it was logical for us it was IL VOLO), but only for the success, their popularity.
Of course this experiment was only useful to understand in what position was IL VOLO, after the first place certainly by Bocelli.
As I expected, the results were these:
1 BOCELLI 2 IL VOLO for most of you
In short, IL VOLO ranks second, if we consider those who live in Canada and the US.
It can also be in third place, if we consider part of South America (where is very well known Ramazzotti and Pausini).
All other singers are little known or even unknown, by most of you.
The situation is different if we take Europe, those who live in Europe know the other singers and IL VOLO is only from Eurovision that has been known in Europe, therefore for a short time. Moreover, singers like Albano, Cutugno, Zucchero, known in Europe, have for many years been in their careers and are even older than our boys, so it’s been more time since we’ve heard of them.
Therefore, I would conclude that by mixing everything, the result can be this:
1 BOCELLI IL VOLO for popularity among those who answered, is positioned between the seat n. 2 and the n.3.
Now I publish the list as required by the Italian newspaper.
01 – Laura Pausini
02 – Andrea Bocelli
03 – Eros Ramazzotti
04 – Marco Mengoni
05 – Al Bano
06 – Toto Cutugno
07 – Il Volo
08 – Tiziano Ferro
09 – Zucchero
10 – Adriano Celentano
I tell you right away that the newspaper says “Ranking of the best known Italian singers abroad”, do you understand? Writes “abroad” ….. if they had written Europa, maybe I would have accepted the ranking, but abroad ???
Bocelli is not even at No. 1. AND IL VOLO at no. 7 ??????
For me, those who have written this ranking do not have exactly the right vision. Your lists confirm this. Some singers who have been listed before IL VOLO are almost unknown to most of you.
For those who want, here is the link to the original article.
Ok, we played and it was fun too. Did you like being able to say your opinion freely? What do you think of the newspaper’s ranking? Thanks again so much for participating.
Daniela
Credit to owners of all photos and article.
Come in and share the love of life, friends and Il Volo!
