Musings Past Midnight – Thank you…

It’s 1:30 am my time. Can’t sleep. Just sitting here thinking. I was thinking about how music tells the story of our life…or at least it should. I go back and listen to some of the first songs I put on here – way back last October – and as I go through them, it is as though I am revisiting my past lives. It is amazing all the things that can happen over the course of a few months. How our mind states change, the people that enter in and exit out of our lives. If nothing else comes of this…of me writing and sharing these songs…I will still be thankful for having put them down. Why? Because they are a running record of the things that move me, the people that inspire me, the pain that improves me, the love that heals me, the heart that beats in me. I see myself on the page — the good, the bad -the broken pieces. I see me clearly and have no choice but to own up to who I am, there’s no hiding or running away from it then.

And no, not every song I write is about me directly, but the ones that I’ve written based on another’s experience can still be counted as one of my own. Because what happens to the ones I love and what happens to the world I love….it IS a part of me. We are all connected to each other in more ways than we will ever fully be aware of. I’m glad life has led me to that lesson (and it is one I have to re-learn from time to time), because without it, I would have no empathy. Without empathy, I would have no love. And without love….what would matter?

I could go on and on with my ramblings…especially at this hour, but I won’t. I’ll simply say, thank you to those of you who have taken the time to walk through my life by listening to my songs. You’ve “seen” me sad, you’ve “seen” me happy. You’re there when my voice is weak, when it is strong. When I have felt unsure and when I have felt unstoppable. Who am I, but just another voice in the crowd? There are sooooo many people who can sing, who write songs. Am I any better? Certainly not – I do not think so. I’m just me, that’s all any of us are. We’re just us. That’s it. So, if you have taken the time to hear me, to care about finding out who I am….I am humbled, I am grateful.

Featured Artist…and SoundCloud contest submission

Meet this week’s featured artist (a producer)…

He goes by the moniker of ..Lesson and is a 16 year old producer from Basel, Switzerland.  Do not let the young age fool you now….he is an incredibly talented producer/beat maker.  He’s got a million tracks on his SoundCloud account and so far I haven’t heard one that I didn’t think was bananas.  He is 100% self-taught and already has quite a following.  Look out for this guy, he seems to be on a mission.

I was introduced to his music after he became a follower on my SoundCloud account.  I went to check out his tracks and was blown away.  I loved what I heard.  One track, in particular, got to me and it just so happens to be the one that he is using for a contest.  I can tell the guy is smart because of the way he went about the whole thing.  He’s trying to find singers/rappers for his tracks and what better way than to appeal to people’s competitive drives and make it a contest.  So, everyone who is interested has this short, excerpt of a track to do vocals/rap to.  They record their best down on the track and submit it.  Then, on July 1st the contest ends and he announces who “gets” to do the collaboration with him on that track and possibly several others of his.  I think it is absolutely brilliant of him because it makes it fun for those people submitting while at the same time it gives him an opportunity to hear his track done soooo many different ways.  He can find the “perfect fit” without having to go and seek out talent individually.  Brilliant!

So, that is the contest.  I’m not sure how I’ll do because he did tell me that I was the first person to SING on the track.  I guess the other submissions have been from rappers.  It must have been quite a surprise to hear my version after all those :).  I haven’t heard any of the others, but I know there are several for him to chose from.  Either way, I just loved the track!  I thought it was so naturally meant to be done as a positive, feel-good, let’s get away and dance-your-worry-away kind of song.  So, that’s what I put down on it.  Let me know if you think it is a good fit!….and be sure to check out his tracks on his page …I’m telling you…bananas!

Here are the links and the lyrics are down below…

http://soundcloud.com/monicadockery/alright/s-zp9NV

http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F50153764%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-zp9NV&show_artwork=true&secret_url=true

Ooh, it’s gonna be alright

it’s gonna be alright

Yes, it’s gonna be alright

it’s gonna be alright

 

Why do you have your head down

oh, why do you look so sad

I know it’s rough here in this town

but there can be good with the bad

there is a fire inside you burnin’

and all it needs is release

let’s use the heat to dance the night away

tonight you’re comin’ with me

yeah yeah
Oooh, it’s gonna be alright

it’s gonna be alright

Yes, we’re gonna dance tonight

it’s gonna be alright

A Fighter’s Anthem (Don’t Give Up) ….feat. track by H2H and guitar solo from Sandman07

Young, female, Syrian protestor…

Helloooo! The songs keep coming! This time, it is yet another collaboration with the guys from Hitch-Hiking 2 Hawaii. This time, Sandman07 put his touch on the song with a nice, gritty guitar solo. How the song came about…

I had been interested in doing more bluesy-type songs, trying something a little different but still very close to my heart. I mentioned that somewhere and they saw it and it just so happens that they had just made a bluesy-type track intended for a female vocalists at the very same time. So, they sent it to me and immediately this song came out. Something about the vibe of it pulled something out of me that I have only tapped into a few times before. I know that part is in me…this fiery, sassy, risk taker…but, I rarely let her out. That part of me kind of scares me, to be honest. She is a little less tame, is impulsive, unpredictable. I would like to find a way to take the best of her and my usual calm, mellow self and allow them to co-habitate. I think music might be one of the ways I can accomplish that goal. It is through music–and writing– that I am able to delve deep and show all the little nooks and crannies of who I am. Not only to show them but to discover them myself. Yes, there are things in me that I am still discovering…that I wasn’t all the way aware of before. I think that is part of the journey of life….not becoming the people we will be, but discovering the people that we are. To strip down to our bare selves….taking off the constraints of our community, the misunderstandings of early experiences, the expectations of others. There is that pure soul in there, that person we are when no one is looking, when we don’t have to wear any of our hundred masks that we wear throughout any given day. If we can tap into THAT…..that’s why we do this. That’s why there is music, why there is poetry….it is the search for that raw, unprocessed being. Whoa, I just went somewhere I didn’t mean to…. I was supposed to be talking about the song.

Anyway, the song….I love it. I think it may be one of my best works yet, simply because it did pull from somewhere deeper inside of me…and because, vocally, it is one of my more solid recordings. The key that the song is in, I think, was in what some might call “the sweet spot” for my vocal range…where there is tension, but just the right amount. And, I just think the guys I’m working with are two solid characters…funny and genuine. So, I’ve enjoyed the collaborative relationship we’ve established. Thanks, guys, for being open to my suggestions and for sharing your music with me……here’s a link to their page http://soundcloud.com/hitch-hiking2hawaii check them out! There are more songs we have in the works, so we’ll see what comes of them soon. Keep checking in! Here’s the link to the new song (inspired by the turmoil in Syria)….called A Fighter’s Anthem (Don’t Give Up)…

http://soundcloud.com/monicadockery/a-fighters-anthem-dontgiveup-1/s-Tazyo

http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F49729494%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-Tazyo&show_artwork=true&secret_url=true

THESE DREAMS – new song, collaboration w/Beatz275

Helloooooo!  Hope everyone is having a great weekend!  I just wanted to do a quick post on the new song I just finished with a guy from the UK who goes by the name of Beatz 275.  He was absolutely great to work with.  We had a lot of issues to work out, a lot of going back and forth, mostly because of the fact that we are working in different time zones and trying to communicate solely over e-mail.  Throughout all the going back and forth, though, he was so kind and so enthusiastic and so it turned out to be another great collaborating experience.

As for the content, the lyrics are very basic and repetitive – again.  That is on purpose.  I think having it be repetitive adds to the idea of the song — our dreams that keep “haunting us” — they keep coming back.  The track, though, is very complex.  So, I think putting the two together worked out nicely and helped to bring balance.  But, that’s just my opinion, – what do you think?  Give it a listen and if you have the time, leave a comment on his page www.soundcloud.com/beatz275 or my own www.soundcloud.com/monicadockery  — be it good or bad, both help us to improve and hear our music through another’s ears.  Here it is — THESE DREAMS….

http://soundcloud.com/monicadockery/these-dreams-collab-w-beatz275

http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F49114196&show_artwork=true

It’s simple….