Good day to everyone! I am loving how gorgeous it is outside and I plan on getting out there and spending the rest of the day with my son. Looking forward to that. As promised, though, I am posting that song I said I would before we head out. It’s another one on the guitar. I’ve been doing more on the guitar lately because I’m trying to practice more and get better at it and as I do that, I end up messing around and find something I can use for a song. This one is very simple, most of the song is two chords (like some of the others;) ), but I kind of like it that way. It is fitting for me since I see myself as somewhat of a simple kind of girl. In fact, I hope that as I get older, I will become even more of a simple person. Please don’t confuse simple with simple-minded. By simple, I mean, someone who doesn’t need much and is content in every moment. It is one of my truest desires, to learn to live more and more simply…to love simply…
Here’s the new song, hope you enjoy it!
Oh, and don’t forget to stop by on Friday and check out this week’s featured artist!
Hello!!! I just wanted to write a quick note on here to say that I’m still going…still writing songs. I have several in the works, but am trying to get the music down for them. One of the ones I just wrote this past weekend is one of my favorite new ones right now. It keeps playing over and over in my head, so I am trying to get my guitar playing together on it and post that one tomorrow (if all goes well). So, check back this week and give it a listen. Also, on Friday, I’ll be posting on a new featured artist! I hope everyone is having a great start to their week.
I’m reminded everyday just how precious life is…be sure to take a moment this week and see it for the treasure it is. You are here, you are alive, you’ve felt love, you’ve known peace, you’ve had pain, sorrow…but have survived it. Life is good.
A few years ago, I had the privilege of taking care of a group of special young ladies. Many of them had to deal with some pretty tough circumstances at a very young age….things most of us have never had to deal with. I was always amazed by them. How resilient they were. How hopeful they were for the future. How they were able to cope. Many of them had great dreams, great imaginations…a by-product, I think, of what had happened in their life.
It was clear that the touch of tragedy left its mark on them, but at the core, there were remnants of their unaltered selves. Rarely, would they let anyone see that self, though. That part of them was kept deep within….far away from danger. But, at times, you could catch a glimpse and I couldn’t help but hope that with time, with healing, they would be able to let that true self back up to the surface for good. Wherever they are now, I hope they are well, that they are pursuing the dreams they had and so graciously shared with me. They touched my life and taught me so much about the best and worst parts of our humanity. They taught me to try to see people from the inside out. For that, I am truly grateful to them. Thanks girls. This song was written with them in mind. The audio might be low, so the words are down below.
Also, thank you to Blair at http://gomofo.wordpress.com/ for posting my site on his own…check him out, he’s a REAL guitarist… I ‘preciate it mister:).
Dreamin’ A Way
Broken glass on the window pane
She sits and stares at her shoes
Memories of fists and pain
Stick to her mind
Just like glue
And she can’t tell you how
Or even why
All that she knows is now
Is the last time
The window’s not the only broken thing
But still she tells her shoes its time to go
She’s got herself a plan to kill the pain
That’s taking way too much of her soul
She’s dreamin’, dreamin’ her way
Dreamin’ a way away
Violent clouds filled with fear hate
Billow over in bloom
Words that sear as the lightening strikes
Trying to cause her wound
And she can’t tell you how
Or even what
All that she knows is she
Can’t let them touch
The center of her heart…won’t feel the gloom
Hard as they try she just won’t let them in
She’s got herself a ticket to the moon
Where they can’t take her soul away again
She’s dreamin’, dreamin’ her way
She’s dreamin’ her way away
Away, away
Away, away, away, she’s goin’ away
She’s building a rocket in her mind
Away, away, away, she’s goin’ away
She makes it to the moon just in time
But, she’s still dreamin’, dreamin’ a way
dreamin’ her way away, away, away
This is my first ever time doing a cover song on here. And who else would I choose to cover than the GREAT Ella Fitzgerald! One of my top 10 favorite songs in the world is her version of Summertime. And since it is rainy and cold out there, I thought it would be the perfect song to help me pretend like it was a warm day at the beach in June. Now, there is noooooo way in the world that I would ever compare or want to be compared to Ella and so this rendition is entirely different than her own. In addition to changing the tune, I also switched up a few lyrics here and there and added a little something different at the end. Also, I thought putting in a little hip hop-infused rhythm to it would be fun and modernize it a bit. So, it is definitely different from the original, but done with great love and respect in my heart for her. Here is my homage and my version of Summertime
Hello!!!! Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. I just came back from time spent with my beautiful family at the beach. Such a lovely day today, though I feel like us Californians have been quite spoiled this winter season with so many sunny days. A little rain might do us some good….hopefully, this Monday we’ll see some. Anyway, as promised — a new song. Well, actually, for me it’s quite an old song. This song was written a while back when I first started messing around with writing and recording songs. It’s been in my computer and I listened to it the other day and thought I’d dust it off and share it with you all today.
I wrote it during a phase that I like to call “my uncharacteristically optimistic phase.” I hate to admit it, but I am naturally a glass half-empty type of person. I can see the bright side and feel the sun, but it just usually takes more work for me to do so….I have to do it intentionally–it doesn’t just happen for me as it seems to do for some. Therefore, I often end up having conversations with myself where I give myself a pep talk, a perspective check if you will, in order to not go to the dark side. There was a period of time, though, when (for some reason) it seemed like it was much easier for me to see the long view and I didn’t have to work so hard at it. It was out of this part of my life where this song came from. It is basically me talking to myself and saying….”hey, the only person that can make or break it for you is you, so stop complaining and do something already.” It is called …Make It
The track is a bit different from other stuff I’ve posted, but I try to get into all styles, try on various brands ….it challenges me and …it’s just fun.
Side note: I was very sorry to hear about Whitney Houston. Before the chaos in her life stole away her gift, no one came close to her talent. I only wish she would have been able to come out of it and find her way back. But, I will remember her at her best…what a great voice!
Sometimes you have to choose between two things you love. Tonight it is between family time and blogging. I have chosen family. Therefore, I leave this brief note to say that I WILL be posting a new song soon, this weekend for certain. Until then. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
It’s been a few days since I’ve written!! It’s been a little busy over here on my side of the world. Although I hadn’t sat down and written, in my head I knew what I wanted my next post to be about and that is the Colbie Caillat concert at the Fox Theater in Riverside, CA that I attended on Friday night. Believe it or not, I don’t usually do concerts since it is usually pretty hard for me to get someone to watch my son, but I would definitely go to more if I could. It just so happens that this time, everything worked out and my very dear friend (who bought me the ticket as a belated birthday present) and I had such a wonderful time, well mostly….I will explain later. Anyway, I thought I’d give the play-by-play of this latest adventure.
First of all, it was a nice night to go for a walk so instead of driving, we decided to walk to the theater (as it is very close to where my friend lives). Now, most people might think us crazy for walking around downtown Riverside at night, but there was no incidence of strange men stalking us, thankfully. When we arrived at the Fox Theater, I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting a rundown theater, paint chipping on the walls, musty smell, and such. But, no, it was very nice inside. The owners did a good job on the remodel and were able to find a nice balance of trying to modernize the theater without losing its old world charm. Another thing that took me by surprise as we entered the doors was how many people turned out. It seems like all the twenty AND 30 somethings n Riverside showed up (with a few teens and over 30s peppered into the crowd). It was a sold out event….congrats Colbie! Anyway, there were a few people dressed up, but the majority were the jeans and a nice shirt type…my kind of people:).
We sat down in our seats located on the balcony not too far back and we were able to see the stage clearly (another plus about the Fox Theater…it’s relatively small, so any seat is a decent one). Pretty soon after entering, the opening act came on stage. It was a young woman(in her 20s probably), holding her guitar in hand and her band of three guys (an electric guitarist, a Djembe player, and a background singer/shaker player). She looked very comfortable up there on the stage…didn’t seem nervous, like she’s been doing this for a while. She began to sing her first song and it reminded me of a little of a cross between Colbie Caillat, India Arie, and Tracy Chapman. I happen to love all three of those ladies, so I liked her immediately. Her songs had a positive message and the music, if I had to categorize it, I’d say was jazzy, neo-soul, with a little blues mixed in. The best song of her set, in my opinion, was called Second Street…I really loved that it was a little more upbeat and painted a picture in your mind of what Second Street (in Long Beach, CA) is like on a sunny, California day. As she finished her set, she made an announcement that she is part of some project that she is part of where people can download her music for free…she’s giving a lot of it away. I thought that is pretty cool. I love when I find people like her who just want to share, they’re trying to get their music out there. Anyway, to check out the free downloads by Lakin, visit her at http://noisetrade.com/lakin and help promote her music if you like what you hear. Also, she has several videos up on youtube. Here is her first official video on youtube, there are some cute kids at the end singing:)…
After Lakin and her band did their set there was a brief intermission where a few guys in black t-shirts came on and off stage, moving this to there, that to the other side, and laying out a few rugs, floor lamps, and oversized pillows on the floor. When they were finished setting up, the stage had the look and ambiance of what I would imagine a den in a nice home in Morocco might have….very warm and cozy. Before Colbie came on, my friend and I decided to go for a little walk downstairs to where the bar was. We were looking to get some water or a snack, but the bar was completely packed. So, we decided to go back to our seats. Soon, with the lights still dim on stage, we saw a petite figure in a white flowy shirt walking out to the stage. It was Colbie. Hardly anyone noticed her at first, I think most people were expecting a big announcement or some kind of special entrance. But, no, she just walked casually out on stage and sat on a chair in the middle, and picked up her guitar. This, by the way, set the tone for the rest of the concert….very laid back, down to earth, casual.
Her band, then, came out (one guy on the keys, two guys on percussion/drums, on other acoustic guitarist and one electric guitarist). I really liked the guy on keys by the end of the night…he added another level to the music with some funk-influenced playing that gave Colbie’s mellow vibe a little spice. She began her first song, The Little Things from her Coco album. I didn’t write down all the songs because I really just wanted to be there, listen, and enjoy myself. I’ll just give a quick list of the ones I know she did. There was the expected songs like Bubbly, Lucky, Realize, and I Do, of course. She also did Like Yesterday, Begin Again, Fallin’ For You, All of You, Before I let You Go, Fearless, Brighter Than the Sun, and I Never Told You and a few more. My favorites, though, were Breakin’ At the Cracks (which was sung as an encore, with only her playing the guitar), and her newest single that is about to come out that she co-wrote with the rapper Common. Ironically, it is titled “Favorite Song”. Here’s where you can find the lyric-only version of it..no official video yet:
It’s not what you would call a “deep” song, but it is fun, gets people moving, and got the audience dancing and singing along and I’m good with that. I actually think it is better live than on the album.
At the end of the concert, Colbie gave a sort of discussion of things that people might want to know about her, which I thought was nice. She shared that she performed her first song at the age of 11 at a school talent show in Malibu,CA where she grew up. It was the Fugees version the Roberta Flack song, “Killing Me Softly”. She didn’t start learning the guitar until she was 19. She auditioned for “American Idol” two times…goes to show you how good that show is at picking talent, but I digress. She loves Hawaii and wants to retire there. She likes to team up with the VHI Save the Music Charity. She shared a bit more, but I don’t remember everything. In fact, I remember most of the concert in broken bits and pieces, not because I wasn’t paying attention, but because of these two women sitting in front of us. If you haven’t guessed, this is where I explain what I said I would explain earlier.
The concert was awesome, Colbie was a true professional…I didn’t hear not ONE single bad note sung and she sounded better live than on album (which is a very rare thing these days). The only hiccup was these two ladies who apparently had too many drinks during intermission. They were standing up, waving their hands wildly, falling over, clapping off beat, and yelling slurred words out during Colbie’s singing. My friend and I looked at each other like “are we going to have to put up with this the entire time?”. We waited for an usher or someone to come and say something to them (because they were LOUD…I am not exaggerating), but nothing. My kind, dear sweet friend wanted to go tell the ushers instead of confronting them directly, but I decided a direct approach might be quicker. So, I kindly tapped one of the ladies on the shoulder and said, “Excuse me, but we can’t see, can you please sit down.” At first, it didn’t seem like she understood the words that were coming out of my mouth. Then, after a looong pause, she said, “Oh, you can’t see? Oh ok” and she sat down. I gave a sigh of relief, thinking that was the end of it. But, no….a few minutes later, she was doing it again, but this time it was during a very soft, unaccompanied song and I could only imagine what Colbie might have been thinking while she was trying to get through her song. Finally, the people around us chimed in and kept telling her to be quiet. After a few more comments from other people in the audience, the ladies finally got the hint and sat down. Sheesh!
Again, despite the intermittent interruption -overall- we had a great time and listened to some great music. I hope that it won’t be too long before I get to another concert!
oh …and today would have been Bob Marley’s 67th Birthday….can you imagine a 67 year old Bob Marley? We still love your music BOB!!!
One of the changes I had decided to make on this blog this year was to add some videos. Although I would much rather remain in hiding, I realize that the world has become very dependent upon visual images and that hearing a song, simply by hearing it, sometimes isn’t enough. People want to look at a face, look in someone’s eyes and see…is this person for real? Is this person a good person, a genuine soul? Or is she a fraud? I have my own answers for those questions, but I am beginning to realize more and more that in this arena (the blogosphere), people want to be afforded the opportunity to make their own judgments.
All that said, I have decided to finally post a video. It is of me singing a song I wrote this past week after finding out a special lady, someone I grew up around, had passed. I am new to the guitar and I’ve been struggling trying to teach myself how to play. Despite my struggles with it, the guitar is such a great tool for me. I can use it for so many things…..to mess around, to entertain myself, to improve my memory, to grow new synapses, relieve tension, and …to express things that cannot be expressed in another way. The day after I heard of her death, I picked up the guitar and started just picking around on it and this soft, little phrase kept coming out….doo doo dai, dai, doo doo dai dai. Something about humming that over and over made me feel good….it made me think of a woman running through a field of flowers, happy, at rest. It stayed in my mind and later the next day, I wrote this song.
Here are the lyrics in case the audio is too low.
Doo doo dai, dai, doo doo dai dai…..
We all wonder why we’re here and why
We feel the pain and why we cry
So much we don’t know about
All the reasons why, oh why
We even have life
Ooh
I met a flower girl once upon a time
She told me she had a reason why
She loved, and laughed and gave her life
It was LOVE, that was her why
Oooh
And we may never see
What this life’s all about
But we know love’s one thing
We can’t do without
So love one another
Even when it hurts
Love one another
Listen to my words…
It’s all how we love
It’s all how we love
It’s all how we love
It’s all how we love
Words & Music 