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!

Album Song Preview – Youtube Video for “Birthday”

Helloooo!  So, I have been wanting to share a little more about the album I’m working on, so I decided to do a video preview of one of the last ones that I wrote.  I chose to share this one first because it is one of the more playful, lighter ones and I thought it would be fitting for a summer weekend release:).  Hope you like it!  If you do, leave a little comment to let me know….feedback is always much appreciated.  Thanks!  Have a wonderful weekend!! …and a few more videos to come in the future, so keep checking in!

—Monica

New Youtube Video/Song: Two Moons

Helloooooo!  Here is a new song I wrote.  It may turn into a collaboration with another  male SoundCloud Hero.  I haven’t really done a duet yet, so I’m glad about that.  It won’t be for a while, but be on the look out.  Here it is (the lyrics are below):

Is it me or you that is pulling us apart?
or am I pushing you out of orbit
floating far from my heart
oh the space is wide, but not quite wide
enough, I fear
for two moons to live together
too much pull on the atmosphere
so let’s drift apart

can’t you feel the orbits shifting
and the weight pulling down?
wish that I could stop this feelin’
make our love rebound
but the pull is strong and
harder still, to ignore
and I know the time has come
can’t keep pretending anymore

so let’s drift apart
let’s drift apart
let’s drift apart
let’s drift apart

though I loved the light you shined
though it felt good on my soul
though I loved the light you shined
though it hurts me to say so

let’s drift apart
let’s drift apart

Hope you enjoy!  Have a wonderful week everyone!

New Youtube Videos….finally:)

Helloooo!  Happy weekend all!  Just wanted to make a quick announcement.  I have some new videos up on my youtube channel called “The Monica Dockery Late Night Sessions.”  I decided to call it that because they were all done tonight, here at my folks’ house (I’m visiting for the weekend).  I was in my PJ’s chillin’ before bed and thought it was finally time to put up some new stuff.  The older videos that I had up were, how do I say it……well, I just needed some new ones that’s all.  I’ve gotten a little better at the guitar since then (mind you, just a LITTLE) and have newer songs.  Two of them on there are ones you may have never heard….they are brand spankin’ new.  One is spice and the other nice.  There is “All is Fair” (which is actually an extended, acoustic version of a piece I did for another collaboration I have coming up with Rick O’Shea).  And there is “The Color White” ….which I love, but I’m not sure if others will get.  So, let me know if you get it!:)  Enjoy! Have a great weekend…thanks for stopping by.

—Monica

Live Recording of Open Mic Night at the Gypsy Den….

On Thursday night, I decided to do an open mic performance at the Gypsy Den here in the OC.  I haven’t done many live performances…..in fact, this was only my second.  And, it was the first time I played the guitar myself….last time I had a friend of mine play for me (that was before I had a guitar and started to learn).  Part of the reason why there was such a big gap between my first performance and this last one (about 10 months) was because I told myself after my first performance that I wouldn’t do another one until I could play the song myself.  It was part of my way of motivating myself to finally pick up the guitar and learn to play.  I had always wanted to, growing up.  I just never did.  And I don’t have any really good reason why I waited so long.  I guess I just thought it would be too hard….then, other stuff seemed more important at the time….then, finally, I thought I don’t want to be one of those people who says, “Oh, I wish I would have…”

There are still quite a few things to check off my “Oh, I wish I would have..” list, and I’m not sure if I can say I’ve quite “learned to play” the guitar…just barely.  But, it is a start.  And, after this performance, I feel very satisfied in that I kept my vow to myself.  Although the song I picked just happened to be about the easiest one I could have chosen, I did it and it felt great.  Yes, the nerves were there….especially earlier on in the day.  I always get nervous!  But, for some reason as my turn to go up came closer, I settled a bit.  I thought, “I just want to go up there and sing.  I’m not going to stress about whether or not they like it or hate it.  I just want to sing and be in the moment and do it with heart.”  And I can honestly say that is what I did.  I took it all in.  All the sounds of the people talking, the noises of the baristas blending milk and coffee into a frothy foam, the big, happy smile of my son’s face in the crowd, the two guys up front trying to add a little harmony to the song as I sing.  Then….they are all gone.  I forget they are all there and get lost….my heart opens and is free.  Great moment….great feeling.  So glad I was able to get over the nerves and just be there.

Anyway, here is the audio of the performance (no, I couldn’t get a video this time:(.   If you listen carefully, you’ll hear a little rascal’s voice at the end:).

http://soundcloud.com/monicadockery/live-recording-open-mic-at-the

http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F47623981&show_artwork=true

My New FaceBook Page….and preview of Featured Artist Friday

Helloooooo! The summer is almost here and I can feel it “coming in the air tonight.” I love the summer!!!! I love the sun, so when it starts to warm up, it feels just perfect for me. Anyway – to the announcement. I finally decided to get an artist/musician/band page on FaceBook. I didn’t really want to before because I don’t quite see myself as a “band” or a “musician”, really I am just a girl who likes to write songs and likes to share them. But, there have been some people who have wanted to contact me on Facebook and rather than give access to my personal account, I thought it would be a good idea to have a page. So, if you are on Facebook and would like to get updates on there on songs and posts, feel free to “like” my page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Monica-Dockery/376943485684998. I don’t really have much up on there yet as I just opened it today, but I’ll add stuff periodically, so stay tuned:)!

On another note, today I just finished sending the vocal track I did for another SoundClouder! He is a producer/beat-maker/rapper from Canada. I am so excited about it! There are not many lyrics – but the lyrics I did write, I think, fit the song’s vibe. I didn’t want too many words to take over the track – I think I did that on the last collab. I did, so I wanted to showcase the track a little more on this one. I am hoping he will have it up soon and I can share it! I am thinking this weekend for sure.

Whether it gets done this weekend or not, I will be posting again. I am going to be featuring another artist on here tomorrow. It is not a soundclouder this time, although a soundclouder is the one who put me onto her. She had an album out a while back, but has since kind of fallen of the map. How this happened? I have no idea because she is crazy talented. As soon as I saw the first YouTube video of her, I was in. Tune in tomorrow to check her out (I usually post later in the evening due to the fact that I am running around a little four-year-old all day)! Till then…

Janet Jackson’s “Again” (Acoustic Cover)

Good Wednesday to you!! It is finally SPRING!!!!!! I love it! The sun makes me smile. Anyway, this week I wanted to try out the recording feature on SoundCloud where you can record on your I-Phone or I-Pad and it posts directly to your soundcloud page. The song I chose to test it out with was Janet Jackson’s song “Again” —- one of my absolute all time favorites because of the vulnerability and the tenderness of the song.

Besides the fact that I love Janet and the song, I also just wanted so badly to learn how to play it on the guitar. It has a few chords, but the pattern of the chords keep changing and figuring the strumming pattern, for me at least, was a challenge. Actually, it still is a challenge because I have a lot of work to do before I can be happy with my playing. But, I got the bare bones of the song down and the way I wanted to play it enough for a rough draft.

I was REALLY hesitant to share it on SoundCloud and on here, but I thought I’d just do it because it is…well…honest. It IS where I am right now, at this moment, in terms of musicianship and acquiring a new skill. We aren’t supposed to be perfect from the moment we pick up an instrument. It takes time, years and years of practice. So, I am posting this….rough as it is….in hopes that when I look back in a few years and give it another listen, I will remember what it was like when I first began this venture and I hope I will be proud at how far I have come since. I hope the same for any new ventures you may be embarking upon or are thinking about beginning. It may seem daunting, the steps that must be taken, the effort and energy required, but if it is something that you truly have a desire for, do not let it deter you. Cheers, kudos, high fives to all of you who are brave enough to pursue your desires despite the challenge, despite how silly they may seem to others, despite whatever. Thank you for keeping up with me and checking in and for the kind words. I am so thankful to have a way to share my heart with people. Here’s another piece of it…

The First Time

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!

Lilia (Flower Girl)

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

Doo doo dai, dai, Doo doo dai, dai….

So many songs, so little time

Just watched the video of the Civil Wars performing Poison & Wine (one of my new favorites) on Letterman last night….beautiful! They are so dramatic, but in a good way. Watching them made me start thinking of all the songs I want to learn to play. Sooo many, but it requires time. This song is at the top of my “songs to learn next” list….that’s separate from learning to play my own songs:). Well, it’s between this one and Adele’s “Someone Like You.” Oddly enough, Adele and Civil Wars have been touring together, so I guess it makes sense to learn them both :). Looking forward to posting a new song up tomorrow. Until then…