Wine on White

Hellloooooo!

So, I released my album, SoulMade on October 15th.  After giving birth, I went through a mini-bout of postpartum depression.  You know, you pour your heart and soul into something, you nurture and care for it as it develops.  Then, you bring it into this world where you know no one will love and care for it like you did when it was in your womb.  It is no longer “safe” but open to criticism, to indifference, to abuse.  Then, there’s also the fact that you don’t feel it moving inside you anymore….an emptiness, separation.  But, after a few days (maybe weeks), you snap out of it and realize just what a feat and what a joy it was to bring this thing to life.  And, you begin to celebrate each accomplishment, each baby step taken, and the bonding takes place.  Soon, you realize you enjoy it so much that you want to have another.  That is where I am now…

I’m working on another :)….only it will be a short, (couple of songs) EP.  One of the songs I wrote recently is called “Wine on White” and has a jazzy vibe to it.  I don’t plan on rushing things this time as I will be continuing to promote SoulMade and do live gigs.  Speaking of which, I have my very FIRST EVER gig in LA this month.  November 19th @ TheWitZend.  I’m excited and looking forward to sharing the stage with about 6 other acts that night.  Should be a fun time.  If you’re in the area, you’re invited!!!  Here’s a link to the venue that has all the details.  Wish me luck!  Peace to you all 🙂

Album Update #5 ……the end is near!!! :)

Hello!  Before I get into my post, please take a minute to watch my new music video!  It is for a contest.  Each view gives me a point and helps me rank higher in the contest.  So, you’re welcomed to watch as much as you’d like and do share!  The contest ends Nov.9th and finalist will then compete to win a chance to make a professionally produced EP w/Don Was (wha? 🙂 ).  Hope you like it, it is a very personal song for me.

http://songwriter.revimage.com/channels/Monica+Dockery

Now, to the ALBUM UPDATE.  If you’ve been following me on here, you may have read about the album I’ve been working on for a few months now.  GREAT NEWS!!!!!  I’m nearly 100% finished!  Just tightening up the mix/master on each song.  It will be ready to launch October 15, 2013.  So excited to share these songs :)!  Finally.  Since the end is near, I thought I’d give a sneak peek at the song list for the album ( not necessarily in order).  Here it is:

Audiobiography (bullet)                                                

Sweet Cali

UI

The One

Two Shades

Smile                                             

Anything But        

Christine Alice                                 

Dollar N a Dime

Sam I am 

John Henry

In the Mood

Purple                                                                            

Dreamin A Way

Moving away

One Inch

New Day

There is a Light 

Two Moons

Dadi da da

Birthday

Keep checking in!  And leave a comment to let me know what you thought about the video.  Would love to hear your thoughts! 🙂  Thanks.  Have a great weekend all!

Trayvon Martin & my son

My heart hurts. In the back of my mind, I somehow always knew George Zimmerman would get off without any punishment, but I had a faint hope that I was wrong. A faint hope that justice just might possibly have a chance. But, sadly, no. And so, I am sad and angry.

But, I am sober. Sober to the fact that I have to prepare my son (who is half-black) to live in a world where, because he has dark skin, someone could want him to be gone –so much so that they would pursue him and kill him. Then, that person could walk away without being arrested and go through a trial where he is declared not guilty. Not guilty.

That is the world I have to prepare my 5 yr. old son to live in. And I ask myself, how do I prepare him for that when I am not prepared myself? I must prepare myself and rethink just what lessons I need to teach him in order to survive. And I must find a way to live with the fact that I brought my son to this place. I’m responsible for having brought him into a world where this stuff happens to people who look like him.

Therefore, it is my duty and my penance to do everything in my power to educate him on the disparity between what is said to be true and what is really true. What is said to be true is that there is justice and equality for all. What is true, as evidenced by court case after court case and the disproportionate distribution of health and wealth, is that we are not there at all… and have never been. My heart hurts because I wish my son could live as carefree as possible, free to walk around in ANY neighborhood without having to watch his back. But, I can’t let him be carefree like that…because his life depends on it. I am sad.

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

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

Exciting News!

Helloooo! Just wanted to put a quick announcement on here that I have an announcement to make…BUT…I can’t make it yet:)…did that confuse you enough? Let me just say that it is an exciting opportunity related to music. I hope to make a REAL announcement soon, so keep checking in! Also, tomorrow I am posting a new song and it is a Capella. I am currently trying to find help with the music, but I wanted to give a sneak peak. Take care…and remember, stay tuned:)! Good weekend to you all.

Featured Artist: Melissa Polinar

Hello!!! It’s Friday, hurray:)! I said on my last post that today I’d be featuring a new artist on here.  This time it is a beautiful, soulful woman by the name of Melissa Polinar.  I do not know too much about her on the personal level.  What I do know is that she is crazzzzy talented!  She’s been posting videos on youtube for a while now and has a pretty consistent following.  What I love about her apart from her smooth and silky voice is that she glows….literally, she GLOWS when she performs.  You can tell she is a good soul because it is written all over her face.  I am also so impressed with her skill with the guitar and the great control she has when she sings….every note is on pointe and her choice of inflection and varying dynamics is impeccable.  In short, she is awesome.  Here’s one of her original songs, a good friend of mine shared this with me and it just moved me.  Let me know if you like it too.  And, if you do, please show some love and support by leaving her a comment on youtube, liking her on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/melissapolinar, or on her own blog at http://melissapolinar.com/blog.  I predict your ears will thank me for this!

 

A Star Falls

Another star in my night’s sky has fallen…and although it is sad for me to know that she is no longer there, I am glad that I knew her light at all.  Rest in sweet peace.

 

SOPA

I am proud to say that Words & Music was part of the protest against SOPA/PIPA today.  I cannot stress enough the importance of taking whatever action we can to get the message to our leaders that censorship of the internet is one of the most egregious infringements on our rights as citizens of the United States of America.  If we cannot keep the internet 100% free of such chains, our freedom to know — our access to knowledge — will be placed at great risk.

Although the blackout is over on this blog for now, the “Stop Censorship” ribbon at the top of the page will remain.  Please, if you have not already, read up on the information available to you by clicking on that ribbon.  There are ways everyone can participate in stopping such legislation from getting through.
As for the songs….I will be doing a back-to-back posting, one on Thursday and one on Friday.  I have to admit, I am a little scared that the songs that I have been writing are becoming more and more personal….too close maybe.  It leaves me in quite a vulnerable position to share such layers of me, but I cannot let fear be the reason I refrain from doing so.  So, a major part of me doing this–writing, sharing these songs–is a sort of challenge to myself….to be brave enough to say, “this is me” and be willing to face the consequences (good or bad) of being that open.

I know this photo is a little tasteless…but, so are the people who are filling the pockets of politicians to get such legislation passed….plus, it made me laugh.

Vacation

Hello! Well, I know today is Wednesday and that usually means it’s time to post a new original song, but due to technical difficulties it looks like I’ll be posting the new song tomorrow. Let me give you a little teaser, though.

The name of the song is “Listen.” And it was partly inspired by a recent rainy night in Mississippi. I am on vacation right now, visiting family here in the South. Two nights ago it was raining…or should I say “rainin’,” because the rain here in MS is nothing like the rain back in Cali. Skies could be blue all day, then…BANG! You find yourself in a torrential downpour. And the rain falls so hard and so fast, yet leaves just as quickly. Even the feel and sound of the rain is different here–a big, thunderous roar that shakes the frame of your house. That is the sound that got me thinking about the content of this song. It is about a storm that’s been going on for a long time in a place that is a world away from Mississippi, yet it has reached over across the ocean and has touched every one of us, here, in the USA.

As for the music… I used some more new instruments. I’ve been listening to some music from Afghanistan recently and came across the Rubab (or sometimes, Rabab). It is similar to a guitar in that it is a stringed instrument and is plucked. Another new instrument is the African Rain Caxixi and the African udu drum. I think the two ended up working well together in this song to add to the feeling of the building of a storm.

Well…hopefully tomorrow there will be no more issues with posting the song…make sure you come back and visit tomorrow so you can hear it! Have a great night all!