Words & Music

by monicadockery

Which Story do YOU sell? (Spoken Word transcript)

This is one of my spoken word pieces……

Which story do you sell?

Are you the girl who is at all the parties, dressed to impress, with your hair and makeup all did – exuding fierce confidence? Then, when you go home, you cry because no one took your number?

Are you the guy who always talks about how much he loves his wife and kids, how “blessed” he is? Then, when your wife is gone you slide on down to 23rd and slip the 18 year-old on the corner a couple 20s?

Are you the woman who is proud of the sacrifices she had to make to become the first female CEO of that company? Then, late at night, at home – after a nice glass of your favorite red, you pull out that old pregnancy test that read “++” and let a tear fall for the one you sacrificed?

Are you the boy who grew up to be a man? But, really, you never became a man because you never had someone to show you how to?

Are you one of those people who just KNOWS that they have all the answers to life wrapped up in one book? Then, when the that-wasn’t-supposed-to-happen-to-me happens, you don’t have a clue what to do?

Are you that politician who touts about how he voted for marriage equality? Then, when he sees his neighbors Dan and Jonathan walking their beagle, Sadie, down the street, he makes sure to cross to the other side of the street so as not to actually have to have a conversation with those two “perverts”?

Are you that scientist who stands up in front of a crowd and says – with $100 certainty – that you know why that is the way it is? Then, when you come across a colleague’s research that proves how it wasn’t at all the way it was, you belittle and dismiss your colleague’s work, sticking – stubbornly- by the side of error and arrogance?

Are you the physician who takes a vow to keep people healthy? Then, you give them the pills that BIG PHARMA told you to give them – or else – knowing that instead of keeping people healthy, you are signing people’s execution warrant?

Are you a priest who has vowed to be the hands of God on this Earth? Then, when God isn’t looking, you take the opportunity to use those hands to all-at-once, inappropriately touch a young boy and – consequently, destroy, any chance of him ever coming close to touching faith again?

Are you the team that boldy brandishes it’s flashy trophies – showing off all of it’s overachievements? Then, when you find out the trophies are really only gold-PLATED and not REAL gold, you rush over to the guys sitting across the way to try and take THEIR trophies?

Are you the President who says he wants “Gitmo” closed because it gives America a bad name? Then, you go and sign off on near-daily drone attacks where innocent people get maimed or murdered on a regular basis?

Do you say brown, when you mean white?

Do you say dark, when it is light?

Do you say you love him/her, when you don’t?

Do you say you will, when you KNOW you won’t?

Do you sell a story, and pretend it is real?

Even if you did, would you tell me still?

Today it Happened….

RainDrops_22

Today it happened.  Today I saw his face and it made me smile.  Today, I put a perfectly ripe strawberry to my lips and let them feel each tiny bump before taking a bite with full commitment.  Today, I went for a run even though it was cloudy and the forecast said it would rain, because I wanted to meet it when it arrived.  As I ran, the rain seemed to wash away the world around me, leaving me only with the sound of my feet upon the wet pavement and the pounding of a racing heart within my chest.  Today it happened.  Today I woke up ready to be here.  Happy to be here.  And now, I’m going to bed wishing that today would stay today because tomorrow I won’t be here.  Tomorrow I won’t see his face.  Tomorrow I will have no recollection of what a strawberry even is let alone what it feels like.  Tomorrow the rain will still fall down on me, only I will not feel it’s touch.  Tomorrow there will be no sound, no pound.  But, that’s tomorrow — not Today.

Poetic Remixes….. How Collaborating Makes You Dig Deeper

Hellooooo! Been M.I.A. for a bit.  I have been a little busy with family things, so I have not had the opportunity to sit down and share what has been going on.  At the beginning of the month, the Soundcloud Heroes group that I am a part of launched a new community collaboration project called the National Poetry Collaborations on Soundcloud this month.  We asked people to contribute one single line of their favorite poetry and offer it up to the rest of the SC community to be used to create a completely new remixed poem using various lines from different users.  In addition, musicians and producers could take those and add their own original compositions to the mix.  So far, we have had quite a few pieces contributed and they are waaay beyond what I had anticipated.

What I loooove so much about community collaborations is that it forces everyone involved to push past their own boundaries, try something new, and dig deeper.  Awesome!  Now, here are a few select poetry remixes (including my own) for you to check out.  It is not too late to join the project and submit some sounds of your own or to give your hand a try at a remix.  Here is the link with more details about how to join:  http://soundcloud.tumblr.com/post/46955630575/this-is-a-guest-post-by-soundcloud-hero-monica

Enjoy, share, and join!  (p/s – still putting my album together, trying to figure out how to add some new techniques and organic sounds into the mix at the moment)

Popicho’s remix:

Zefora’s remix:

My remix:

Free Tutorial on How to Grow a Heart

Hellooooo! Hope you had a happy Easter weekend.  Tonight, I just wanted to write.  So, I decided to write tutorial on….

How To Grow A Heart – In 10 Steps

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1. Make sure to put it into plenty of difficult/ trying situations

2. Take it to see beautiful things.

3. Make sure to put it into plenty of difficult/ trying situations

4.  Get a hammer and break it into pieces.  NOTE: Wait for ? minutes for this to take effect.

5. Make sure to put it into plenty of difficult/ trying situations

6.  Let it out to walk around for some fresh air and exercise every day.

7. Feed it with “good karms” and keep it away from the “bad karms”.

8. Make sure to put it into plenty of difficult/ trying situations

9. Put it up against another heart and leave it there until it starts to feel the beat of the other.

And last but not least….

10. Make sure to put it into plenty of difficult/ trying situations

In the Mood….for Love (video)

Helloooo!  Well, I have some good news.  I think that I have finished the writing portion of the album I’m putting together:).  Of course, that may change.  But, for now, I think I’ve said what I wanted to say.  Now, the hard part of tracking/recording, adding backup vocals, adding other instruments, missing, mastering, etc, etc, etc.  Ay ya!  Lots to do.  But, I promise you this, I am enjoying myself.  So, I thought I’d share one of the songs that may (or may not) make the cut for the album.  It is actually one that I wrote to accompany a track that a fellow SC Hero/Producer, Jaze Baqti made.  I love that version, it has a different tone than this acoustic version though.   I included both my video/acoustic version and the produced/audio version so that you can compare.  Here you go, may you feel the love: and pass it on!

 

 

Btw, don’t forget! This is the last week to join the “Audiobiography ” project put out by the Soundcloud Heroes!

Audiobiography Re-Cap! Help us reach 5,000 by March 31st!

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Helloooo! Time for an update! In case you missed when I first announced the launching of the Soundcloud Heroes community collaboration project called Audiobiography a while back, let me refresh your memory.  We, the Soundcloud Heroes, put out collaborative projects for people in the SC community to get involved in.  All of them are centered around the sharing of sounds. Audiobiography is the latest project and is still underway.

We asked people to share a sound, any sound, that expressed who they were and what was important to them.  People have chosen to do spoken word, an interview-type format, a musical composition, or all three of those combined! Our goal is to reach 5, 000 contributors by March 31st.  We haven’t met our goal yet, but we’ve had some wonderful, creative submissions so far! Every week one of the Heroes members has been curating everyone’s submissions and doing a re-cap on the Hello Heroes feature on the Soundcloud blog.  Here is last week’s re-cap.

And…here is a re-posting of the piece I submitted:

As we are reaching the half-way point for the month and nearing the end of the project, I encourage you to visit the blog and check out the submissions that have been turned in.  Hopefully they will move you, make you laugh, and INSPIRE you to do an Audiobiography of your own.  We tried to make it as easy as possible to participate.  Here are the basic steps from Soundcloud’s Hello Heroes blog:

  • Record or creatively share a sound that describes and answers the question: who are you and what’s important to you? Perhaps it’s a freestyle rap, or a recording that features your latest piano composition as background music. Keep the track to ~90 seconds.
  • Name the track Audiobiography with your name, as such “Audiobiography: Ben Z.” Add a description.
  • Tag the track “audiobio” and upload.
  • If you have the Spotlight feature, pin the sound to the top of your profile. You can also add the sound to your profile’s description under your

For more on the steps and to get the translations of the details of the project in another language, please see this post.  Tell your story through sound and help us reach our goal of 5, 000 by March 31st!

Peace comes at a Price

Mulling…mulling….then, more mulling.  That little thought in your head.  What could I have done differently?  It swims around inside your mind, making waves that crash loudly and overpower all the other things floating around loosely in there.  It will not stop.  No.  It will not stop until…..you pay the price.  What is the price?  It is different for everyone and for every situation.  For some, it is a simple “I’m sorry”.  For some, it is public shame.  For others, it is emotional or physical pain or a myriad of other things.  Whatever it is….there is a price to pay for peace to come, for the waves to settle.

So pay the price, and when you do, commit it to memory.  Remember what it cost you in order to make the tempestuous upheaval ravaging the corners of your mind cease.  Then…and only then….will the price you paid be worth it.  For, then, it will not have only bought you peace, but also…..wisdom.

Some more Vlog entries……A BIG thank you to you!

Hellooo! So, these are two recent vlogs.  They are basically what I put in my last written blog, but as a fellow blogger said, “some people prefer to hear it straight from you.”  Thus….

 

A BIIIIIG thank you to the 20,000+ followers on Soundcloud and Facebook!

 

An announcement….

Sam I Am

Hellooo! Hope you had a great weekend.  I spent mine in sand and surf:).  Perfect.  A quick update.  As mentioned before, I have decided to go forward and put together an album – a complete set of works.  So, much writing and thinking and resting happening.  Yes, resting.  The best stuff happens when you just stop and rest….take a moment.  I’ll be taking as many moments as I can because I want the album to reflect the deepest parts of me….the things I love, the people I love, the life I love.  Can you see a theme developing?:).  I only plan on doing one album.  No more.  I do not intend to make a career of this as it really is just something that I enjoy and that brings me peace and I don’t want for it to become a “job” for me.  I think when it becomes a job, the magic slips away.  So, this album is it.  So, may my heart and soul be poured out all over it.  I have about 7 songs down now and am still writing.  Then, there’s a whole hell of a lot of stuff I have to figure out how to do….like mixing and such;).  We’ll see how things end up taking shape. I’ll keep posting updates as things progress.  Thanks for taking this journey with me!  Here is a rough, acoustic version of a song called “Sam I Am” I just wrote that may or not make the cut.  Let me know what you think.  Have a great week!

 

3 Vlogs for the price of one:)….cold, rain, coffee, chai, love, and music….

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Helloooooo!  So, a few days ago, I woke up and was bored because it was hella cold outside and I didn’t want to get out of bed!  Instead, I decided to make some freestyle, impromptu vlog entries.  I wanted to experiment with stream of consciousness and just start saying whatever came to mind.  I recorded three and here they are.  WARNING: What you are about to see may be disturbing…..mainly because of my “I literally just woke up” hair and face:P!!!….and in case you may be wondering, no, I was not high when I made these he he.

Me, bitching….

Forgive her for she knows not what she says….

Yo…check out my freestyle….word.

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