Worldwide Candle Lighting for Gavi

Sunday December 13th 2015 is the "Worldwide Candle Lighting". It's the worldwide commemoration day for deceased children. At this day every family who commemorate a deceased child lights a candle and put it in a window at 7 pm. This causes a wave of candlelight which goes around the world.
Here you can read more about this amazing tradition:
https://www.compassionatefriends.org/News_Events/Special-Events/Worldwide_Candle_Lighting.aspx

To take part in this event you have to light a candle for Gavi and put it in a window Sunday December 13th 2015 at 7 pm. You also could decorate the window and the window board with photos, edits, drawings from Gavi. Everything is allowed.
Of course you also may take a photo from this and post it here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1112989292046858/

If you also want to take part in the competition, you have to take a photo from your lighted candle and send it to Andreas Janke. Only photos which are sent to him will take part in the competition.
You can win one of Lindsey Stirling's #WeAreGavi-shirts size S and one size XL, music sheet from Lindsey Stirling's cover from "Oh come Emmanuel" and some other Lindsey and #WeAreGavi stuff.

I created a Facebook event for "Worldwide Candle Lighting for Gavi". Please join and share this event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1112989292046858/

If you shouldn't know who Gavi is or what happened to him, you can read my blog post about him:
http://asjstirlingite.blogspot.de/2015/11/rest-in-peace-gavi-this-week-is-very.html

Prizes:

One of Lindsey Stirling's #WeAreGavi-shirts size S
One of Lindsey Stirling's #WeAreGavi-shirts size XL
Music sheet from Lindsey Stirling's cover from "Oh come Emmanuel"
Further Lindsey and #WeAreGavi stuff

Duration:

The preparation for the event and the competition starts Friday November 27th 2015.
The event/competition is run Sunday December 13th 2015 7 pm.
The last possibility to send your photos to Andreas Janke and to take part in his competition is Sunday December 20th 2015 at 23:59 o'clock (CET).

What do you have to do?

To take part in this event you have to light a candle for Gavi and put it in a window Sunday December 13th 2015 at 7 pm. You also could decorate the window and the window board with photos, edits, drawings from Gavi. Everything is allowed.
Of course you also may take a photo from this and post it here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1112989292046858/

If you also want to take part in the competition, you have to take a photo from your lighted candle and send it to Andreas Janke. Only photos which are sent to him will take part in the competition.


There is one possibility how you can send your photos to him:
1)
You can send it directly to Andreas Janke as a private message in Facebook. Here you can find Andreas' private account:
https://www.facebook.com/lindsey.stirlingger.9

Who may take part?

Every Stirlingite may take part even if you don't live in Germany.
Only photos which will be sent to Andreas Janke after Sunday December 13th 2015 7 pm will take part in the competition.
Because this is a private competition run by Andreas Janke , the admins from the fan page/group "Lindsey Stirling GER" also may take part.

What will happen after the competition finished?

After the competition finished Andreas Janke will score your photos and he will choose several winners. Then he will announce the winners at the fan page "Lindsey Stirlin GER" at Facebook and at his fan group at Twitter. He also will contact the winners to get their addresses. so that he is able to send the prizes to them. Taking part in this competition is absolutely free.
Because noone knows how long the voting will last, please have patience. The winners will get the prizes

Good luck

 This is one of the #WeAreGavi-shirts your are able to win.

This is a #WeAreGavi-ribbon which is one of the other Lindsey stuff you can win.

Written by Andreas S. Janke

Rest in Peace Gavi

This week is a very black week for all Stirlingites, Jason Gaviati's family, friends, crew and especially for his best friend Lindsey Stirling. Certainly most of you already know that Jason Gaviati also called Gavi passed away November 21st 2015 at 5 pm PST.

For all of you who don't know who Gavi is or what happened to him, here are some short facts about him.

Gavi was a touring musician, songwriter and producer who lived in Los Angeles. But most of us will know him as the world's best keyboard player who go on tour together with Lindsey Stirling. He had a sister called Beverly Gaviati.

Everyone who knows or at least met him knows that he was a very likeable, optimistic and happy guy. I had the honor to meet him once during the Meet&Greet in Cologne, Germany October 17th 2014. Unfortunately I didn't take a photo from him then.

Here's my photo with Lindsey Stirling from the Meet&Greet in 

Cologne, Germany October 17th 2014.

Gavi began learning how to play the keyboard late, but he mastered it very well. Several years ago he met Lindsey Stirling in Los Angeles and they became friends. In the autumn of 2012 Lindsey started her first tour ever in the USA and Gavi was part of her crew. He was her keyboard player. Since then they also went on tour together all over the world several times. They were touring of course in the USA but also in Europe, Asia, Australia, Mexico and even South America. Only very few people had such a live. Over the years Gavi and Lindsey became best friends.

Here you can see Gavi and Lindsey in a train near Cologne, Germany. 

The photo was taken January 2013 during the first European tour. The tour started in Cologne.

 

 Here you can see Gavi, Lindsey and Drew standing in the monsoon in Asia summer 2013.

 Gavi, Lindsey and Drew in Australia summer 2013.

Gavi also made music videos together with Lindsey.

Here you can watch Lindsey's and Gavi's amazing "Les Misérables Medley"

 Till summer 2015 everything went well. When he was in Germany during his last tour he went to a doctor because he found an enlarged lymph node on his neck.

Here you can see Gavi, Lindsey and Drew during the Meet&Greet from his last concert in 

Germany July 17th 2015. Because of the high temperatures the concert was canceled.

After Gavi returned back to the USA he got the diagnose that he had Burkitt Lymphoma. Of course this was a shock for himself, his family and friends, Lindsey and her crew and for all Stirlingites. As soon as possible he began with the chemo.

Here you can see Gavi in hospital watching for the beginning of the chemo. 

As you can see he always was a very optimistic person even in such bad times.

The first round of chemo was very awful for him. There are no better words to describe it than his own ones.

Here you can read Gavi's post after the first round of chemo. 

 Even in this bad time he never forgot us and posted news.

Here you can see Lindsey visiting Gavi in hospital.

Finally he mastered the last round of chemo successfully and could go home. The doctors told him that he is cancer free.

Here you can see Gavi leaving the hospital. Even after the chemo he stay strong.

Although he was on the mend something awfully went wrong November 21st 2015. Suddenly he got difficulties with breathing and he lost consciousness. Immediately he was brought to the Emergency Room. He had several cardiac arrests. But the doctors could help him several times till his heart stopped working completely. Gavi passed away November 21st 2015 at 5 pm PST.

But all of us who believes in God like I do, know that the death isn't the end. It's only a door to another (the next) part of everyone's way of life.

Although some of us know this, but loosing a friend is the worst and the hardest in life. There is nothing which could prepare you for such a situation. You are always shocked and all your problems seem to be unimportant compared with this. You don't know how you could live your life the same way as before.

Even if this is very hard to say for me, life is going on even if you don't want this. This is unfortunately a very hard fact. You have to find a way to handle this situation. And the one and only way to handle it is to mourn this person. There is no other way.

Of course there are many different ways of mourning. My preferred way to mourn a person is to meet family and friends to talk with them about the person who passed away. Tell them what a person he/she was and how he/she had changed your life. When you speak about this, your soul and mind are able to find a way to handle it, because you have to realize your feelings and the fact that the person is gone. And there's another positive aspect from this way of mourning. You keep the person who passed away in your heart and thoughts. You are able to re-experience all the good times with him/her again.

This edit was made by Janine Bräuninger.

Rest in Peace Gavi. 

You always will stay in our thoughts and hearts.
#WeAreGavi

Written by Andreas S. Janke 

Who is Lindsey Stirling?

There is nearly no one in the whole world who doesn't know the successful and talented Dubstep violinist Lindsey Stirling. During the last years you could watch much advertising for her albums “Lindsey Stirling” (released 2013) and “Shatter Me” (released 2014) on TV. She also take part in several German telecasts like “Klein gegen Groß”, “Willkommen bei Carmen Nebel” or “Die Helene Fischer Show”. In the years 2014 and 2015 she won the German Music Award Echo in the category Crossover each time. Her songs were already used in German movie productions like “Terra X”. In July 2015 Lindsey Stirling again was on tour in Germany for the fourth time.

 This is Lindsey Stirling's first album which is called "Lindsey Stirling".

This is Lindsey Stirling's second album which is called "Shatter Me".

Because the enthusiasm for Miss Stirling and her music is still unabated all over the world, it's time to potter at the feisty musician who is full of the joys of life.

Who is Lindsey Stirling and how did she arrived to become so successful?

Miss Stirling was born September 21th 1986 as a second-born daughter from Diane and Stephen J. Stirling in Santa Ana, California (USA). There she grew up with her four siblings in an ordinary family relationship, till she moved together with her family to Gilbert, Arizona (USA) in the age of eight. Now she is living in Los Angeles.

Already at the age of six years Lindsey Stirling felt like playing the violin. However her parents weren't able to afford her real violin lessons. That's why Miss Stirling was taught only a quarter of an hour weekly from a student. To be able to play the violin well she had to practice a lot by herself.  Furthermore she learned dancing by herself per watching YouTube videos. When she was invited to America's got talent in 2010, she combined playing violin with dancing for the first time. But at this time she still was unpracticed combining both. That's why she was knocked out at the quarter finals. But she didn't lose hope. She strenuously continued practicing. In the meantime she tried to establish herself in the music industry. She contacted several record labels but at this time no one was interested in a dancing Dubstep violinist. But she still didn't lose hope.

Because of a happy coincidence with Devin Graham who is a professional photographer and videographer she realized that she didn't need any casting shows or record labels to make her music.  Together with Mr. Graham she began to produce her own music videos and released them on her new founded YouTube channel LindseyStomp for free. Already her first music video “Spontaneous Me” which was released in 2011 was a big success. Now this video has round about 21 million views. She accomplished her international breakthrough with her original music video Crystallize which was released 2012. Now this video has more than 130 million views. Her YouTube channel LindseyStomp was visited more than one billion times and she has more than 7 million subscribers. Furthermore she runs the YouTube channel LindseyTime which informs her fans about her live as a musician. This channel was visited more than 25 million times and has nearly 400,000 subscribers. Of course she is active at all famous social networks like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram. There she stays in touch with her fans nearly every day and informs them about news in her live. This close contact between the musician and her fans is certainly one main reason for her constant rising international popularity.

Here you can watch Lindsey Stirling's most famous music video "Crystallize".

For everyone who is interested to deal with the violinist Lindsey Stirling now, is able to visite her website here: http://www.lindseystirling.com/ . There you find the links to all her other pages.

Furthermore there are a vast number of fan pages and fan groups on Facebook and Twitter which welcome every interested fan. On these pages and in these groups you find lots of additional news about the musician such as interviews, fan arts and many more. But even if you aren't looking for news about Miss Stirling, the fan groups may be interested for you because there you are able to talk with other fans. One of many German fan pages is “Lindsey Stirling GER”. You are able to find it at
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LS_GER
and at
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindseyStirlingGermany

I hope you like this article about Lindsey Stirling.

Please wirte your comments below. 

Written by Andreas S. Janke

How a relationship works

Nowadays everyone already knows that so many relationships don't work for long.

But why?

Of course there are many different reasons for this problem and there are no hard and fast rules to solve it.
But in my mind there is one main reason.

Everyone (women and men) has too much expectations on the partner. 

A usual man hopes that the woman stays the same all her life (body and soul). Even if many men never would admit this or even believe that they also think this way in their inside, unfortunately it is so. The woman's beauty is important for men. I don't want to say that the beauty is the most important aspect for them, but it's important. Unfortunately for some men it's actually the most important aspect, but I don't want to talk about these men here. Men also hope that the woman stays the same in her inside.

But all this isn't possible and I'm glad that it is so. Each human develops (the body and the soul). And this is good. In my mind it would be terrible if the humans wouldn't develop. Everyone would look always the same and they would do the same mistakes again and again. I wouldn't want to live in such a life.

But back to topic. Also women have expectations on the men. They expect nearly the opposite. They hope that their partner will become their dreamboat one day, that he will develop and gets better.

And this is the problem.
Everyone is only focused on the other one but doesn't see his/her own problems/flaws.

Exactly in the moment you expects something from your partner the problems begin. You shouldn't and you don't have the right to expect that the other one stays the same (even if this would be possible) or to become the dreamboat.

For a working relationship you have to accept your partner the way he/she is at the moment and will be in the future.

But this is only the first step on the long way to a working relationship.

The next step is to work on yourself. 

You have to realize that you aren't perfect. You have many flaws which are a problem for your partner. And in the case you want to live in a relationship, I take for granted that you love your partner. If this is so, you certainly don't want to have these flaws which are a problem for your partner. Then work on them! I know that this isn't easy. Unfortunately it's the only way for a working relationship. But stay realistic: You never will resolve all your flaws but you should try your best.

Now you know two very important and in my mind the most important steps for a working relationship.
But there is only one problem left.

How could you find your flaws? 

It is very hard or even impossible to find your flaws on your own. The problem is that noone likes to see his/her own flaws. Everyone prefers to think that he/she is perfect and only the other one has such flaws. But the fact is that noone is perfect and everyone has many flaws. That's why you should talk with your partner as much as possible because he/she is able to see your flaws easier. And I don't think of talks about daily things like what you want to eat for dinner her. I think of real talks about your feelings, wishes, worries, your good and your dark side. I know especially men don't like talking about their feelings and so on. But there is no other way to find your flaws and to develop yourself. That's why talk with each other as much as possible.

I know that all this is very theoretical but I hope that you see what I want to tell you.

This photo shows Lindsey Striling, her family and her crew.

I chose this photo to illustrate that all the things which I exlpained above works in each relationship 

(love relationship, friendship, family and even colleagues)

Please write your comments below.

Written by Andreas S. Janke

The life is a road through fog

The last days I wrote this short text. It's about my thoughts of how to master a life

The life is like a road through fog. You don't see where the road will lead you. You sometimes also don't know how you could get so far. Only the part of the road, you are passing right now, is visible for you. Humans try to use their mind to find out where the road is leading them, what will happen in the future. But they don't know it.

Sometimes the road goes up or down, there are simple and difficult parts, dead ends, crosses from several roads and forks where you have to choose a way. But even you don't know what to do, you can't stand still or go back. You are always walking the road step by step.

Now you perhaps ask how you should master this road. Is there anything which could help you? Of course there are three tools you already own since your birth or which you could learn during your live.

The first tool is your moral/character. This tool helps you not to fall from the street. With the help of your moral you are able to create borders (crash barriers). When you are reaching a fork, your moral also helps you to eliminate some of the wrong ways.

The second tool is your love. This tool helps you to find the right way when you are reaching a fork. The love always tells the truth and leads you the right way. But it is very difficult to hear the voice of your heart. It is your softest voice.

The third tool is your faith. The faith is like a lantern, which is shining softly from far away through the fog. It shows you where your destination is and sometimes it is able to show you a part of your road in the future. Faith is the hope that there is a road somewhere in front of you without fog.

To master your road you will need all of these three tools. Your moral creates a framework or you also could say structures. With the help of your moral you are able to stay true to yourself. But if you only uses your moral, you are cold as ice. You are acting very logical but you aren't flexible.
If you only use your love, you are very soft and want to make everyone happy. But you will loose yourself. There is no structure which helps you to stay true to yourself.
You need both, moral and love, to master the road. But without the faith you don't have a goal a reason why you are doing everything. Your live is forlorn. Without your faith you never will be able to leave the fog.

I also mentioned that there are crossing roads. Each road is a life from one human. And while you are walking on your own road you will pass many other roads. You pass some of them only for a very short time, but one day you will meet a very special human. You want to walk together with this special human your whole road.

What do you think? Do you have another opinion? Did I make some mistakes? Please write down your thoughts as a comment below.
 

This photo shows Lindsey Stirling.
Her way to master her life was my inspiration for this text.

Thanks for reading my text.

Written by Andreas S. Janke

Who is Bevani?

Who alread knows Bevani?

For all of you who don't know her yet, here are some short information about her. 

She's a very talented flutist from Seattle who makes amazing music videos which she releases at Youtube.

December the first 2015 she is going to release her original album "Break Free". She combines flute and Dubstep music like Lindsey Stirling combines violin with Dubstep.

Here's the cover of her new album:

You can watch here original music video Driven here. It's the first song of her new album "Break Free".

What do you think? Isn't it awesome?

If you want to preorder her new album "Break Free", you can do it at her homepage www.bevani.com

 If you want to watch more music videos from Bevani, here's here latest music video Grace:

What do you think about this video? Isn't it great?

This song is one of her original songs from her meditational album "Sacred Sounds". 

Here you can see the beautiful cover from this album:

You can buy this album also at her homepage www.bevani.com

On her homepage you also can buy her first album "Sacred Songs Within".

One of the songs from this album is the well know song "Ave Maria". 

Here you can watch Bevani's very amazing music video from "Ave Maria".

Who else thinks that this is the best cover of "Ave Maria"?

Here you can see the cover of the album "Sacred Sound Within":

 There is also the fan page "Bevani GER" at Facebook which is run by
me (Andreas Janke). If you are a fan from Bevani, take a look.

Written by Andreas S. Janke

Second interview with Lindsey Stirling

In summer of 2015 our team again had the possibility to interview Lindsey Stirling. Here's my second interview:

Lindsey Stirling GER:
What do you do to avoid or to work off stress during your tour?
Lindsey Stirling:
I try to plan fun activities to do with the crew, film LindseyTime videos, play games, call my mom, sleep :P read scriptures, exercise, and meditate.

LSG:
What does your mind crosses right before the Meet&Greet?
LS:
I actually like to say a special prayer before I go out; I ask for strength. It surprised me when I started doing Meet and Greet events how much it actually takes out of me; I’m pretty wiped out after meeting 50-100 people. I understand that the people coming have sacrificed their time and funds in order to attend the event, so I want to present my very best self and make each person feel important and special, even just for the few minutes we have contact.

LSG:
What was the best gift from a fan which you get till now?
LS:
OOo that’s tough…I’ve received a lot of thoughtful gifts. I always enjoy unique food, and I’ve gotten some t-shirts over the years that I love to wear over and over again. The Czech Republic/Slovakia Fan Group adopted red panda from the zoo in my behalf a couple of years ago; totally made my year!

LSG:
Do you remember a special moment during one of the Meet&Greets?
LS:
I absolutely love getting to meet little kids. They’re just so little and cute and pure and genuine and their honesty makes me laugh.

LSG:
What is your biggest fear (except sharks :-) )?
LS:
Dropping my violin most definitely haha; sigh…no actually I would have to say my biggest fear is my influence…and the fact that I am, in fact, a very imperfect human being. I want to be an example of staying true to myself amidst a world that often attacks old-fashioned honesty, modesty, and morality. And believe me it’s hard! It’s really hard sometimes to uphold my faith and live up to those values in a career that puts so much emphasis on appearance and popularity and entertainment value. I’ve noticed how easy it is for me to rationalize and to allow subtle, often imperceptible changes to chip away at my conscience. And so I’m constantly reminding myself of why I started doing this in the first place and strive to do the simple things like pray, read scriptures, and go to church because it helps keep me grounded and reminds me to look to the man who gave me my gift; the man I’m really working for (God).

LSG:
What does your mind crosses when you are on stage and watching the reveling fans?
LS:
Joy, awe, an overwhelming sense of love and gratitude for those who came to watch me perform, and lots and lots of adrenaline.

LSG:
What do you face first when you enter the stage?
LS:
I always get super nervous before I go on stage, but once I hit front and center the adrenaline kicks in, I find my focus, and then I’m just able to give my all and have fun up there.  There’s honestly nowhere I’d rather be.

LSG:
Do you have any wishes for the Meet&Greets and for the shows in the future?
LS:
More kids in attendance. And one of my dreams is to play for sold-out stadiums.

LSG:
Do you prefer outdoor concerts or concerts in buildings? Why do/don't you prefer one of them?
LS:
I prefer indoor usually because weather isn’t a factor. I’ve performed some outdoor shows where wind, humidity, and heat made things pretty uncomfortable. It also tends to be easier to manage sound/projection/lighting indoors.  However, some of my biggest shows have been outside and I love the energy of the crowds!

LSG:
What are you doing right after a show?
LS:
Whew! Cooling off, drinking water, trying to tone down and relax.

LSG:
Do you already have ideas for your next album?
LS:
Yes ;)

LSG:
Do you like singing?
LS:
I do, although I’m not super confident in my strength as a singer (I’m not trained in that area at all), I do like to exercise my vocal chords from time to time and give my violin fingers a break. I like to push my limits and try new things as an artist/try my hand at new things. Most recently I decided to feature my own voice on my new single “Firefly.”

LSG:
Of course you are very busy and you have many dates. But are you in general a morning person or a night owl?
LS:
Night owl…even off tour I’m always up doing projects.

LSG:
If you have a day off without any dates, when do you get up and when do you go to bed usually?
LS:
Off tour I usually get up before 9 am and go to bed before 12 midnight.

LSG:
Could you imagine to make a music video in a German castle one day?
LS:
If the opportunity presents itself; sure!

LSG:
Did you make your Bachelor's degree or are you going to make it? Which topic does your Bachelor Thesis have?
LS:
I literally just signed up and paid for my Internship this semester haha; been trying to do it for years, but it’s been a little tough do an internship while on tour. BYU wants to add me to their alumni list so they are now working with me so that I can complete my internship in L.A./on the road and I’m grateful. Looking forward to finally graduating!

LSG:
Do you have a favorite flower?
LS:
I love the combination of yellow, orange, and pink flowers in a bouquet. I think it’s pretty and fun/perky.

LSG:
Are there fruits, vegetables and meals you absolutely don't like? It would be great if you would mention two things in each category (fruit/vegetable/meal).
LS:
Papaya is kinda ick, I’m not a huge fan of okra but it’s ok. I used to despise bacon but I actually love it now haha. Meat in general I’m not crazy about, but I like it in small amounts, like in a teriyaki bowl or salad.

LSG:
You like Mexican food. Does that mean you like spicy food?
LS:
I prefer mild spicy, not toooo hot.

LSG:
What is your biggest weakness?
LS:
Will work for ice cream.

Here's a photo from Lindsey Stirling and me (Andreas Janke)

Written by Andreas S. Janke

First Interview with Lindsey Stirling

2014 our team had the chance to interview Lindsey Stirling. Here it is:

Lindsey Stirling GER: 
What is your favorite violin?
Lindsey Stirling:
I prefer the sound of acoustic violins, like my Roth.  As for electric violins, Yamaha’s newer models just keep getting better and better.  I’ve been really happy with them.

LSG:
Which hair color do you prefer most? We know that you asked your fans if you should keep your original brown hair or if you should dye them orange and the fans chose the orange hair.
LS:
Right now I’m fond of the orange; it’s spunky and reminds me of my grandma, who dyed her hair orange till the day she died.  She was so cute and happy and I really miss her.  I was actually thinking of going purple, but as much as I’ve done to my hair lately I’m a little hesitant due to the damage bleaching, etc. would cause.  We’ll see.

LSG:
Are you going to have brown hair again one day?
LS:
I don’t see why not.

LSG:
What is your inspiration for your costumes?
LS:
Shannon Cheek was my main designer when I first started out; we would toss around ideas and eventually come up with a concept we both loved and go with it.  Coming up with modest costumes definitely isn’t easy, but it certainly gets the creative juices flowing haha.  I do the same thing now with whoever I’m working with; I like to have a lot of say/creative control over the final product.

LSG:
In which music video could you implement your original idea for the video best? Before you create a video for one of your songs you have an idea what you want to show in this video. Then you try to interpret your idea in the video. But of course you have to compromise because you don't have the money or something like that to interpret completely your idea.
LS:
Early on I definitely had to improvise and think realistically how I could pull certain things off on a very limited budget.  Ironically though, despite my limited funds at the time and inability to pay 3-D animators at the time, etc., I’m the most proud of the concept behind “Shadows,” and I consider it my most creative work.  I came up with the idea to have a “violin duel” of sorts between myself and an un-cooperative shadow.  All we had to work with was an empty garage, Devin Graham and his film equipment, and a green screen.  Super low-budget haha, but it worked!

LSG:
Do you do any special sports like yoga, kick boxing or something like that?
LS:
I have done both sporadically just for fun, but not consistently.  I used to run cross country and I played soccer in high school.

LSG:
What are your favorite fruits (2 indications)?
LS:
Strawberries and I love apples and bananas with peanut butter. Sometimes I’ll even have a peanut butter and banana sandwich.

LSG:
You are a long time on the road because of your new album and tour. Where do you get all this power?
LS:
Honestly touring is incredibly energizing for me; I love it more than any other aspect of my career.  I think that my lifestyle facilitates my ability to perform as much as I do (I pray for help and strength often, I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, I don’t drink alcohol or smoke, I don’t eat a lot of meat, I don’t drink caffeine or soda, I exercise regularly).  The one thing I could use more of is sleep.

LSG:
Are you able to cook and do you like it?
LS:
I’m a decent cook when I take the time to do it.  I’m no master chef, but I’m pretty good at coming up with simple, healthy meals.  When I have time to cook I enjoy it, as long as I have someone in the kitchen with me to talk to.

LSG:
Where do you see yourself and your music in 10 years?
LS:
I’m not sure; I mean right now I’m focused on short/medium term goals, i.e., the things I want to accomplish in the next year or so.  I would love to see myself still touring and creating music ten years from now, but who knows?  I would love get married and have a few kids.  Maybe do some public speaking.  Or help motivate and change lives of troubled youth through a foundation of some kind….


LSG:
Do you have a technique to reduce your jitters?
LS:
I like to be alone in a room alone where I can focus and warm up, I snack on fruit, and I always pray before I go on stage.

LSG:
Do you already have plans what you want to do after your tour?
LS:
Spend time with family, relax, go to Disneyland, write a Christmas cover, make another YouTube video, and I quite a few publicity things have been set up and are waiting for me when I get back home.

LSG:
What is your most difficult/elaborate music video?
LS:
I think Stars Align took the most time and effort due to all of the special effects and animation; but as far as production, Roundtable Rival definitely took the most organization and collaborative effort as a whole.


LSG:
What was your favorite show in Germany?
LS:
Impossible to choose; Germans are an amazing crowd all around!

LSG:
When is your biography going to be released?
LS:
It’s hard to say; Brooke is still tweaking it and we are working on finding a publisher right now.  If we can’t find someone to publish it in the next year or so I will probably self-publish.   Brooke is a master; the way she writes and how she tells the stories is hilarious!

Written by Andreas S. Janke

My second #WeAreGavi competition

Create a “Get well soon”-fan art for Gavi. The fan art has to contain the words “#WeAreGavi” and an encouraging saying like “Get well soon Gavi”, “Stay strong Gavi”, “Don't loose hope Gavi” or .... Then send the fan art to Andreas Janke. He will choose one winner. The winner will get one #WeAreGavi shirt size XL which was bought at Lindsey Stirling's online shop.

If you want to support Gavi financially, you can do it here:
https://www.gofundme.com/2nv6ujw4
This is the official appeal for donations which was initiated by Gavi's sister. Each dollar helps him.

Prize:

You can win one #WeAreGavi shirt size XL which was bought at Lindsey Stirling's online shop.

Duration:

The competition starts Friday November 6th 2015 and ends Sunday November 29th 2015 at 23:59 o’clock (CET).

What do you have to do?

Create a “Get well soon”-fan art for Gavi. The fan art has to contain the words “#WeAreGavi” and an encouraging saying like “Get well soon Gavi”, “Stay strong Gavi”, “Don't loose hope Gavi” or .... Then send the fan art to Andreas Janke.
All kinds of fan arts are ok (drawings, digital ones, …).
When you’ve created the fan art, send it to Andreas Janke. There are several possibilities how you can send it to him:
1)
You can send it directly to Andreas Janke as a private message in Facebook. Here you can find Andreas' private account:
https://www.facebook.com/lindsey.stirlingger.9

2)
You can send it to our fan group Lindsey Stirling GER at Twitter:
@LS_GER

Who may take part?

Every Stirlingite may take part even if you don't live in Germany.
Everyone is only allowed to create one fan art.
Because this is a private competition run by Andreas Janke, the admins from the fan page/group “Lindsey Stirling GER” also may take part.

What will happen after the competitions finished?

After the competition finished Andreas Janke will score your fan arts and he will chose one winner. Then he will announce the winner at the fan page “Lindsey Stirling GER” at Facebook and at his fan group at Twitter. He also will contact the winner to get his/her addresses so that he is able to send the #WeAreGavi shirt size XL to him/her. Taking part in this competition is absolutely free.
Because noone knows who long the voting will last, please have patience. The winner will get Lindsey's #WeAreGavi shirt size XL.

Condition:

There is one more condition to win one of Lindsey Stirling's prizes. There have to be at least 5 participants. If there are too less participants, this competition will be canceled and there will be no winner.
These competitions cost real money. The prizes and the shipping have to be payed. There should be enough participants so that it's possible to choose a winner.
Hopefully you see the sense of this condition.
That's why tell all your friends about these competitions so that enough fans will take part.

Good luck

Written by Andreas S. Janke