Just for fun, the first 2 photos show 10 years of growth (..and camera advances ha)!

Hi!! I'm Lauren. I'm a multi-instrumental singer-songwriter and strategist who loves to sing in French, Spanish and English, pull off daring, immersive shows and solve imminent problems at inflection points. I've helped companies you've heard of do good in the world (at least, I gave it my best shot) and I am also very proud to have worked with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to make the Paris Agreement happen, despite its shortcomings. I am the founder of Play with Music, a music and tech program for underserved youth in Los Angeles, California, and I advise the USC Thornton School of Social Work’s PhD students. I travels often performing and speaking in conferences and am is happiest when working on teams and putting my music and mind to good use for people and the planet.

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"The goal of the path is to BE high, not GET high" - Ram Dass

"Make the world work for 100% of humanity in the shortest possible time through spontaneous cooperation without ecological offense or disadvantage of anyone”. - Buckminster Fuller

Live! Live the wonderful life that is within you! Be always searching for new sensations---we never get back our youth! --Oscar Wilde

Giving light does not diminish your brilliance, but perpetuates it

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Through travel I find much inspiration, I love seeing and tasting new cultures, hearing new sounds/vibrations/music, learning new languages (or picking up as much as I can). I'm open minded and try to embody the essence of carpe diem and Be Here Now wherever I am. I find beauty lurking in unexpected places, and love connecting and sharing with people.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is an ecosystem beyond money - arguably the most pervasive symbol of trust in the world - couchsurfing runs on trust rooted in human connection and vouching. I find that to be refreshing in todays world. When I was a student, I had great experiences couchsurfing in the south of France and in Australia and still keep in touch with the friends I made! I have couchsurfed less in recent years, but hope to change that!

Interests

I love to write, sing, read, dance, drink great wine and food... I LOVE to cook! I learned from my grandma and they are some of my fondest childhood memories. Preparing and enjoying a meal in good company promotes good health (that and exercise. I really like running), and I really relish in the act of creating delicious food and devouring it together with friends or loved ones!

Nonetheless, my lust for cooking is trumped by travelling! I love meeting new people and discovering new places..I love to learn and experience. I'm open minded, curious, daring, extroverted. I think it is so important to think about other perspectives..Ethnocentrism is the root of so many problems!! I am a lover of music (classical music feeds my soul, but I really love jazz and indie music as well, also ambient and electronic) cats, flowers, and good people who know how to smile, enjoy the present moment, laugh, and most importantly love.

• cats
• singing
• beauty
• perfumes
• dancing
• dining
• cooking
• wine
• coffee
• exercise
• yoga
• running
• drinking
• flowers
• traveling
• socializing
• music
• classical music
• jazz
• piano
• violin
• karaoke
• surfing
• business
• languages
• political science
• science
• ecotourism
• sustainability
• permaculture
• sustainable development
• climate change
• climate justice
• sustainable agriculture
• regenerative agriculture

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

The below is from 2010 ;) I'll update soon....

I sang for Barack and Michelle Obama (when he was the senator, not yet the president) in 2006. I also had the honor of singing for the ambassador of Estonia to honor her visit to my university. I climbed the Great Wall of China. I convinced a bar full of people that Edith Piaf lives on during karaoke in Lebanon ;) I swam in a lake with ducks in Berlin :) with a German boy that was born on the same day and year as me!

It's hard to list---I try to find something amazing with each day...

Teach, Learn, Share

Hmm..I can teach you a lot about climate change and sustainability if you care to hear, some French, breath support to sing properly (although for some, like my roomate, there simply is no hope hehe), cook, yoga... I can sing some songs for you :)

but really the beauty of travelling and meeting people is what you learn from them just by interacting and communicating. and observing!

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, United States

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