People Who Inspire Me
Circus Mojo Is Building Medical Clowning Training Site
When it comes to higher education, not many people can claim they hold a degree in Higher Hilarity from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. But my client, Paul Miller, founder of Ludlow’s Circus Mojo can. He graduated and went on tour with the Circus before creating CircEsteem, a Chicago-based organization designed to build self-esteem through the circus arts and later performing as Pauly the Clown at home and abroad, including six months in an international show in Japan. Lucky for Greater Cincinnati, he settled here. His Circus Mojo has not only entertained but lifted the spirits and increased self esteem of thousands in our region – from children in hospitals to urban youth to executives at area companies.
To see the faces on children who he interacts with is well, just magic. Paul has a gift. One that I don’t think school can teach – although I admit I have never been to a clown college before.
But Paul has more than a gift. He has a passion. Every day through his work he is making a positive difference in the lives of others. Emma’s smile in this photo says it all. She was born with Fanconi Anemia (FA), which causes bone marrow failure and cancers. Please click here to read her mother’s blog post about one of Paul’s visits.
Now Paul, whose company has been working with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center for years, is gearing up to open the country’s very first training site for medical clowning. Next week he will be hosting a public workshop. Below are details from my news release.
Head of the World’s Only Four Year Degree Program In Medical Clowning
Travels From Israel And Visits Future Site Of The United States’
First Training Site for Medical Clown Certification In Ludlow, Kentucky
When it comes to alleviating tension, reducing pain, and speeding recovery time of hospital patients, medical clowning has serious healing power. And soon, Circus Mojo in Ludlow, Kentucky will open the United States’ very first training site to offer medical clown certification. On October 3, Dr. Atay Citron, head of the world’s only four-year degree program in medical clowning at Israel’s University of Haifa, and David Barashi, trained medical clown who has performed in India, Thailand, and with the Israeli Defense Force in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, will be visiting and co-hosting with Circus Mojo a free, three hour workshop.
Free Clowning Workshop
Thursday, October 3 from 6 to 9 pm
at Circus Mojo (322 Elm St in Ludlow, Kentucky, 41016)
Dr. Citron and Barashi will be in Greater Cincinnati as part of an educational exchange through Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center’s Israel Exchange Program.
It was two years ago when the two first met Circus Mojo founder, Paul Miller, at the 10th anniversary of the Dream Doctors Conference in Israel, where Miller – a veteran Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus clown – performed with pioneers in the study and implementation of medical clowning.
Mr. David Barashi is a Medical Clown; he has earned an undergraduate degree in Nursing and theatre arts from the University of Heifa. This episode also features a documentary on medical clowning through which physicians relate to acutely and chronically ill children and their parents to help them endure painful and stressful medical procedures.”
What is a medical clown or circus wellness specialist?
A medical clown or circus wellness specialist is a trained profession who has the ability to understand a patient’s behavior and medical staff interaction, and can connect with parents and non-ill siblings as well. A 2005 study by Vagnoli and Caprilli demonstrated that the presence of clowns, together with the child’s parents, during the induction of anesthesia, was an effective intervention for managing children’s and parents’ preoperative anxiety. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16199685)
Over the past four years Circus Mojo has had a contract with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (and other leading institutions) to dispense ‘Mojo Medicine.’ Performers work as Circus Wellness ™ Specialists to reduce anxiety in patients and their families, and work to build hospital staff morale in a highly stressful environment.
“We have seen firsthand the benefits of our Mojo Medicine in hospitals, and our vision is to expand this very important work with an accredited training center at our newly acquired 9,000 square foot facility in Ludlow,” said Miller.
The Institute of Social Circus & Vocational Training Center L3C
In October 2012 Miller and a group of international partners purchased the former Duro Bag Headquarters from the City of Ludlow with the help of a $10,000 contribution from Duke Energy.
The Institute of Social Circus is developing a certification program in applying circus training with three focus areas: Youth, Medical Settings, and Adults Who Are Seniors And/Or Who Have Disabilities.
When complete in mid-2014, the Institute of Social Circus & Vocational Training Center, will be the first training center in the world dedicated to teaching adults the circus techniques, team building skills and social work principles for the purposes of training, educating and meeting the social service needs of disenfranchised youth or in Cirque Du Soleil terms, “youth in difficulty”, hospitalized individuals and youth in detention or in other institutionalized settings, serving a growing need in the United States and abroad.
About Circus Mojo Founded in 2009 by former Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey clown Paul Miller, Circus Mojo engages people of all ages to focus on abilities in hospitals, boardrooms, events, workshops, and other venues. With three focus areas – entertainment, education and community development – its programs and performances are designed to unlock personal talent, confidence, drive and spirit.
Paul explains Circus Wellness
Circus Mojo’s Circus Wellness (™) PechaKucha from Paul Miller on Vimeo.
Happy Anniversary To Bobby Mackey!
This weekend, a legend in the Greater Cincinnati country music scene celebrated a milestone anniversary. I wanted to share this story I wrote about Bobby Mackey – an icon and a friend.
Without his stage, Bobby Mackey is the simple man next door. He is the devoted father who cherishes special, intimate 
family moments and who celebrates every milestone his daughters achieve. He is the husband talking lovingly about his long wedded wife who has been by his side through much of his adult journey. He is the soft spoken, tender man who knows no strangers. His passion and appreciation for life’s simple pleasures are what keeps him grounded.
If there was no music Bobby would more than likely be working along a railroad living a modest life for himself and his family in a quiet, walkable neighborhood not unlike the little town of Concord, Kentucky lining the beautiful Ohio River where he was raised.
But there was music
There, deep in the heart of Appalachia, in rural Lewis County where most men earned a living from the railroads or by harvesting a farm, Bobby’s parents no sooner taught him to talk than they taught him to sing.
Bobby remembers listening to country music on his mother’s Zenith radio and singing along to Hank Williams playing on a juke box in his father’s grocery store. By the age of four, he had already won the hearts of the judges and his first talent competition with his version of ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart’. Four years later his oldest brother bought Bobby a Roy Rogers guitar and soon the little boy with a melodic voice began voacalizing along with his favorite stars on The Grand Ole Opry. By the time he grew into a teen his idol was maverick Buck Owens, star of Hee-Haw who pioneered the shift of country music to a raw ‘Bakersfield’ sound.
Music was in Bobby’s blood
The year was 1966 when Bobby left home with $75 in his suitcase…and his guitar. Eventually he settled in Northern Kentucky where he earned a living in an industry that was part of his roots, the railroad. But while he worked, his mind was in another place – a place where stories were told in smooth, melodic harmonies.
Bobby began singing with bands in club jam sessions. By 1970 he had hooked up with Red Jenkins and The Country Ladds, becoming their lead singer,and before long he was singing five nights a week and able to pursue his passion full time.
One of his fondest career memories was the night he and his group opened for Country Music Hall of Fame legend Connie Smith in Georgia. “I’ll never forget the standing ovation I got after I sang ‘Guide Me Home My Georgia Moon’. It is still my favorite song,” he recalls.
Today, Bobby’s music is heard around the world from seven CDs. His most recent single is ‘That Jones Boy Is Gone’ from his new CD, “Country Music Lives On.’ All 12 songs are self-written and released on his own record label, Shaunita Records.
Bobby Mackey is a destination
It was in 1978 when the humble man with a big heart opened Bobby Mackey’s Music World in Wilder, Kentucky at the former site of the Latin Quarter gambling casino that operated during the Newport, Kentucky gangster-style gambling. Not surprisingly, it quickly became a popular regional attraction for traditional country music.
After the first year word got around about a movie being made at Mickey Gilley’s Club starring John Travolta, Debra Winger and Eltoro the mechanical bull. Bobby flew to Houston and visited Gilley’s and bought the first mechanical bull they sold as the movie was wrapping up a full eight months before the release of The Urban Cowboy Movie. By the time of the movie hit the theatres in the 1980s, cowboys and cowgirls lined up outside Bobby Mackey’s door waiting to get in on the cowboy craze, mechanical bull riding, and country music. Along with the nightclub success came national chart success with record releases such as “Hero Daddy” and “Pepsi Man.”
Rumors about the nightclub being haunted got around and Douglas Hensley, a Cincinnati area writer, wrote a book about the haunting tales entitled “Hellsgate.” The book and the stories brought national attention as many paranormal TV shows and paranormal groups from everywhere scrambled to Wilder, Kentucky to investigate and they still do today. Although Bobby himself has never believed the haunted stories he did write the song “Johanna” about the hauntings. The CD by the same name has enjoyed international success selling CD’s and downloads of Bobby Mackey music.
Thirty five years later, Bobby Mackey’s Music World still packs in crowds every Friday and Saturday evenings. It is the destination of country music greats whenever they pass through town.
For all that he has accomplished and all that he has given to the Greater Cincinnati music community, Bobby was honored last year as an inductee into the Northern Kentucky Music Legends Hall of Fame.
“The global recognition my music and my club have received have been so exciting,” he said. “I appreciate everyone who has supported me along the way.”
Among his greatest supporters are his wife, two daughters, and his 94 year old mother who still lives in the house where Bobby first learned to sing.
Find Bobby online
You can find Bobby Mackey music on I-Tunes, Amazon, bobbymackey.com and Youtube. Keep in touch on Twitter, Facebook and Myspace. The way it was is still the way it is and the country beat goes on in Wilder, Kentucky, Bobby Mackey’s Branson.
Sweet Lorraine Tribute Song Soars To Top Of Charts
Fred sent a handwritten copy of the song he wrote for his wife, “Oh Sweet Lorraine.”
“Oh sweet Lorraine, I wish we could do the good times all over again.
“Oh sweet Lorraine, life only goes around once but never again.”
While Fred didn’t win the contest, the studio owners created a beautiful professionally recorded song from Fred’s lyrics with a mini-documentary that they posted on YouTube. And not surprisingly, it spread like a wildfire worldwide.
“Oh Sweet Lorraine” is now No. 10 on iTunes, right there with Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and Robin Thicke.
Celebrating The Legacy Of Martin Luther King Jr.
Today we celebrate a man whose passion, words and actions moved a nation and a world to greater heights – a place where dreams of greatness and equality are made and pursued.
Before a vast crowd of more than 250,000 people diverse by race, age, culture and age, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke with bold conviction and heart. He spoke with hope and courage.
His dreams and hopes resonated with hundreds of millions across the globe, and still do. They touch me to my inner core. When I think about my friends, neighbors, co-workers, and colleagues and how much we all have to offer each other, I am reminded that our diversity brings out each other’s strengths in meaningful ways. And yet, at our core, is the most basic foundation in all of us share and that is the need for belonging and love.
For prosperity to occur – and I am not talking of only monetary riches – we must work to look beyond the surface of others in search of their hidden gifts. We must practice forgiveness and forgo hatred. We must embrace differences while also realizing similarities. We must not only dream but pursue goals.
Cincinnati Student Collects Shoes For Those In Need
What a gift this blog has given me to get to meet truly beautiful people, people who give with their whole hearts realizing they have the capacity to affect lives.
Meredith Bailey is one such person. A senior at Walnut Hills High School, our paths crossed for the first time several weeks ago when her proud mother reached out to me. Karla wanted me to know about this special young 
philanthropist who has quietly been collecting shoes to share with those who otherwise would not be able to afford one of the great necessities that we so easily take for granted.
It began about four years ago. The Walnut Hills High School senior was looking for a Girl Scouts community service project. She donated a lot of shoes to Nike who recycled them for padded floors of playgrounds built in underserved neighborhoods. Then she gave shoes to pantries and Cincinnati nonprofits, and before long word got out. The requests kept coming in.
“I couldn’t turn my back,” Meredith told me. “Sure, sometimes I wish I had chosen something easier and there is nothing worse smelling than a carload of smelly gym shoes on a hot summer day but it’s a good feeling to know I am helping people.”
Meredith estimates she has collected, sorted, cleaned and distributed some 6,500 shoes since she began. Hundreds of pairs were given to Project Connect, to ensure Cincinnati Public Schools students who are homeless have something to wear on their feet when they come to class. She delivered 75 pairs of boots to Rockwern Academy last December. Six Cincinnati area nonprofits including the YWCA Battered Women and Children’s Shelter are also on Meredith’s list.
And about 300 shoes were given to SOTENI, who will give them to people in the villages of Kenya where native Cincinnatian Randi Marsh has established a program to fight AIDS.
I stopped by the Bailey’s house the other day to meet Meredith in person. A beautiful, tall and slender teenager greeted me with multi-colors of paint all over her hands. “I am a counselor at Girl Scout camp,” she explained. I had figured her summer job would have something to do with giving back.
She took me to her back porch where she had only a fraction of her shoe collection. (She had just given hundreds of pairs to Project Connect.) It was then, seeing her expression as she looked into the piles that I could really see deep within her soul. There, standing in front of me, was a young woman who hadn’t even decided upon her college yet but who had the foresight many don’t accumulate in their lifetime.
It is one thing to see in an email the words from someone telling you how happy it makes her to know she is helping people. It is a totally different experience to hear those words from a voice that crackles in raw emotion as she internalizes the impact of her good deeds.
Meredith spoke of a child who was able to attend camp because now there were shoes to cover her delicate 1.5 sized feet. And of the girls she came to know at a Girl Scout forum who put a face to the poverty in Kenya Meredith had until then only heard about through the news. One of them who had little or no material possessions had aspirations of becoming a doctor one day.
“It really gives you a different perspective on how much we have and they don’t have,” Meredith told me. “Those girls don’t have much but they still have dreams. They are so strong despite their circumstance.”
For me, I think strength can be measured in so many different ways. Caring and putting those feelings into action builds many of those muscles.
“I think happiness is the most important thing in life. The fact that I can make people happy is all that matters,” Meredith said.
If you have shoes to donate to Meredith’s cause, you can email her at: WeBeBailey@aol.com.
