Words & Music 2012: Looking back over this past Year….reminisce with me:)

Helloooooo!  Wow, can you believe 2012 will be over after today?  What a great year it has been! So many exciting things have happened this year!  I wanted to take some time to reflect on the milestones that I’ve hit this past year, review the goals I had for this blog last New Year’s (see how I did), and share with you some exciting news about changes taking place after the New Year.  Join me for this little bit of reflection:).

First of all, let’s review the 4 goals I had made last year for this blog and whether or not I met them:

1. I plan on adding a few video blogs, with live home performances of new and old songs and, on occasion, some discussions about music and other topics.

Did I meet it?  I did add a few live home performances via Youtube and audio interviews via Soundcloud, no video blogs though.  So maybe I’d give myself a B+ on this one.

2. Although I am constantly writing songs, posting two new, original songs every week is sometimes too much. So, I’ll be cutting back a bit and will be replacing the vacancies with music from known and not-so-known musicians/performers that I love.

Did I meet it?  Yes, I did.  I did several posts that featured music from other musicians/performers (known and unknown) as well as collaborations I did with other artists.  So A+  (by the way, I used to be a teacher, so giving out grades comes as a second nature to me….in case you were wondering why:) )

3. I would like to re-design the look of the blog and add a few new widgets.

Did I meet it:  NOOOOO:/.  I didn’t add much of anything in the form of widgets on this blog.  A big fat F for me on this one!  But, I kind of like that I kept it classic to be honest:)

4. Charities are dear to my heart…ones that are really doing something, at least. I’d like to use some blog posts to expose readers to charities and local organizations and how people can get involved with what they’re doing.

Did I meet it:  Yes!  I did a few posts on charities on this blog.  But, more importantly, I organized the Day4Women online conference that featured 22 charities and the work they do.  In addition, I write for the Day4Women blog and feature a new charity every Wednesday.  I encourage you to stop by and check them all out!  So…yes….another A+

Overall, I get something like a C+ average.  Hey, it’s passing:)!  Now, onto my 2012 Highlights list!

• Last year on New Year’s Eve I had 5 followers.  Today, I have 26:).  Thank you to all of you who have kept checking in and joined!
• This past year, I wrote, recorded, and shared over 50 original songs…..phew!
• May 2012 I started my Facebook music page.  Now, I have 79 followers.  It has been great getting to know everyone on there and getting to connect to people from all over the world!
• In August 2012, I was selected as the Soundcloud Hero for Anaheim, CA
• A few months ago, I hit the 15, 000 follower mark on Soundcloud and have been able to connect and collaborate with some wonderful, amazingly talented people from across the globe
• I organized the Day4Women All-female Soundcloud Collaboration Album, and the Day4Women website and conference.  This, by far, has been the most important part of this past year for me.  It is where my heart is right now, in trying to help and inspire women and connect to women from around the world.  I want to help raise awareness about abuse, rape, and injustices women are facing around the world and in my community.  I have had the opportunity to meet and work with such wonderful women (especially those that collaborated with me on the Day4Women album).  I am honored to have met them all and for them to have shared pieces of themselves with me!

It really HAS been a great year!  I cannot say enough how much it has meant to me to have you come by and check in on me, listen to my songs, and encourage me.  Thank you so much to you all.

Finally, to the exciting news and changes!

First of all, I am going to be hosting an open-mic every Wednesday here in Anaheim, CA at the local cafe called Gypsy Den.  I am so thrilled because it will give me a chance to cheer on other artists and continue to share my music.  If you are ever in the area on a Wednesday, I hope you’ll stop by and say hi!  Second, as I have gone over this past year and everything that has happened, I realize that it is time for a change.  I have decided that I will no longer be posting new songs every week.  It has been great practice for me and has kept me challenged and motivated to post a new ORIGINAL song every week, but now I am wanting to switch from quantity to quality.  I would like to put out a complete, full-length album that is done in a REAL studio with REAL equipment….all the bells and whistles I can afford.  I feel like it is time and I have plenty of material to work with.  So, YAY!  I’m very happy about this decision.  It is something that has been a long time coming.  That said, working on a full album and the Day4Women website and events, I am afraid I will not have the time to continue posting weekly posts on this blog.  It will not be my main focus this year coming.  However, that does not mean that I won’t be posting at all.  I will continue to post from time to time and will definitely post updates on the progress of the album as well, but the number of posts will go down quite a bit.

So, that’s it!  That was all I had to share with you today.  Thank you for taking some time to look back over Word & Music’s 2012 highlights and such.  I hope it has been a great year for you all as well and if it hasn’t, we are at the beginning of a NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year’s to you!  May it bring you peace, joy, and good music:)!

In my past life……

Hellooooooo!  So, the other night while I was in an “altered state of mind”, I had a moment.  In that moment, I had a very clear, distinct sense of a connection to another life, another time.  (I promise I’m not crazy:)!).  I have always felt, even when I was a little kid growing up, that I was “old”.  Like I was supposed to be 50 instead of 5.  I couldn’t really understand that feeling then and I can’t really explain it now.  It was/is just a feeling.  And, the other night….I had a flash of another life.  I saw me as a jazz singer from the 30s and 40s.  Ha ha!  I hope I haven’t lost you yet:).  But, seriously, I caught a glimpse of me being in another time, singing my little heart out on a stage.  This would be fitting as I have always loved jazz…it has always connected to somewhere deep down in my soul, and also, I have always had an enormous amount of admiration for Ella Fitzgerald….hands down, my all-time favorite singer EVER.  So, it could be that I just happened to have a day-dream and it was about things I am connected to or it could be something else.  Whatever the case, it was an interesting moment and it led to something even more interesting.

What happened after this little “flash” was  I started to sing and sing, just off the top of my head.  All kinds of lyrics just flowing out and all in this very 30s/40s vibe….very stream of consciousness type-stuff happening.  In the end, I had three complete new songs written in about 12 minutes.  I know this because I decided to turn on my voice recorder and record myself until I stopped and 12.34 minutes later, I did.  I didn’t even know what I was saying or if it sounded “right”, I just kept going until I didn’t anymore.  Then, the next day, I went back over the recording and found not only did I write 3 new songs that I love, but they were in a voice I have never heard come out of me.  It sounded like me, but it was much more relaxed, free, and smooth.  I was….and am still….trippin’ over this.  I hesitated to even share this, but it was just so bananas, I had to.  Anyway, all that to say….looks like I’ve got some new songs that are going to be coming here soon.  In addition to those, there is a new one I just did with this amaaaaaaaazing beat-designer/producer named Jaze Baqti from France (here’s a link to his music).  It is all about love and hope for the future, AND…..it’s JAZZ-inspired:)!  Hope it speaks to you….and hope I didn’t scare you away with my little story:).  Keep a lookout for those time travel-inspired songs too:)!