1. locked my keys in my car the other day
2. friends helped me get them out but apparently caused damaged to my door because:
3. it's raining today and my car is filled with water. not filled. but you get the idea
4. tour line up came out and while I'm in it and doing a song I really like, totally got screwed because:
5. gave me the most make shift band ever
6. really hungry
7. really want a shower
8. had one of "those" conversations last night
9. voice hurts
10. it's still raining
Awesome.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Criminals
Best show of my life tonight. Best vocal performance of the semester. Totally engaged and people followed. Band pulled this shit off after just 2 rehearsals. I stuck with songs I knew were good despite what someone else told me. I looked good. (haha) I had fun. It was perfect.
I also locked my keys in my car and three of the guys broke into my car to get them out. Highlight of the night for sure. They had to work at least forty five minutes for it. It was just so cool seeing them look like legit criminals. I think they tried at least six different things before we found something that worked including hangers, sticks and metal rods.
Love. My. Life. Hope I still do after game tape. Also--we won't be finding out about the tour lineup tomorrow anymore. Knew something would happen.
I also locked my keys in my car and three of the guys broke into my car to get them out. Highlight of the night for sure. They had to work at least forty five minutes for it. It was just so cool seeing them look like legit criminals. I think they tried at least six different things before we found something that worked including hangers, sticks and metal rods.
Love. My. Life. Hope I still do after game tape. Also--we won't be finding out about the tour lineup tomorrow anymore. Knew something would happen.
Bananagrams
Last CMC Live tonight before tour prep starts. I'm doing two songs that I have done about 743.5 rewrites of. I'm pretty happy with the final outcome, but I'm pretty sure that out of all the people on stage with me tonight, I will be the one most unsure of how the song goes. We've only had two rehearsals and because of all the rewrites I get kind of confused about what the song actually is now. I forget the words to one song all the time. BUT--I will think positively about it and I'm sure it will be just fine. Anyway, just excited for the show in general tonight.
After the show, we'll have game tape Friday morning and then we'll find out what the tour lineup is going to be. Right after that we'll have an entire weekend of rehearsals and hammer time on Monday we'll just run straight through the set and then begin to make changes. Thursday we do the show again, rehearse again over the weekend, hammer time again Monday, the next Thursday will be a public show, rehearse over weekend, dress rehearsal Monday and then our first show is Tuesday. We have a nine day tour with tentatively seven shows planned so far. It's gonna be crazy awesome insanity. As soon as we get back--it's spring break time! Then a few more weeks where we focus mostly on recording and then........we're done. Wow. Time has and will continue to fly by. I don't know what my role will be on tour, but obviously I would hope to get to do a few of my songs. So we'll see on Friday I guess.
Lastly. I have recently discovered the game Bananagrams and I am absolutely addicted to it. It's pretty much always being played in our apartment anytime anyone is home now. I just love word games. I consider it an aid to my songwriting: vocabulary expansion or something. Good times.
After the show, we'll have game tape Friday morning and then we'll find out what the tour lineup is going to be. Right after that we'll have an entire weekend of rehearsals and hammer time on Monday we'll just run straight through the set and then begin to make changes. Thursday we do the show again, rehearse again over the weekend, hammer time again Monday, the next Thursday will be a public show, rehearse over weekend, dress rehearsal Monday and then our first show is Tuesday. We have a nine day tour with tentatively seven shows planned so far. It's gonna be crazy awesome insanity. As soon as we get back--it's spring break time! Then a few more weeks where we focus mostly on recording and then........we're done. Wow. Time has and will continue to fly by. I don't know what my role will be on tour, but obviously I would hope to get to do a few of my songs. So we'll see on Friday I guess.
Lastly. I have recently discovered the game Bananagrams and I am absolutely addicted to it. It's pretty much always being played in our apartment anytime anyone is home now. I just love word games. I consider it an aid to my songwriting: vocabulary expansion or something. Good times.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Tornados and Jacuzzi's
On the CMC retreat in the Smokey Mountains. It's been a glorious, rainy two days that I have loved. My room has a California king sized bed and a jacuzzi. Ohhhh yeah. Very relaxing. Very needed break. Had some time to just journal and read and think in an uninterrupted fashion and this is some of what I have been thinking about:
Love is a selfish commodity. At least until you're married. Because love and relationships are all about evaluating how this other person fits into your life, how they make you feel, and trying to determine if they are someone you want around for the next fifty or sixty years. It's selfish until you make the commitment to no longer be selfish.
My life doesn't not look religious. I am not prone to being religious. I'd like to be real instead. But being/looking religious is easier to achieve, easier to define, and more readily recognized and respected by others. Being real is hard to define, hard to do, and frequently makes most other people uncomfortable. But I prefer reality to religiosity.
Rocky Mountains trump the Smokeys. No contest.
And lastly--we spent the afternoon in Gatlinburg after tornado watches passed and I wore shorts and a thin sweatshirt and moccasins. Not a good choice when it's pouring buckets of rain outside. We crammed 20+ people into a 15 passenger van. Best last semester of college ever. Real life will never compare.
Love is a selfish commodity. At least until you're married. Because love and relationships are all about evaluating how this other person fits into your life, how they make you feel, and trying to determine if they are someone you want around for the next fifty or sixty years. It's selfish until you make the commitment to no longer be selfish.
My life doesn't not look religious. I am not prone to being religious. I'd like to be real instead. But being/looking religious is easier to achieve, easier to define, and more readily recognized and respected by others. Being real is hard to define, hard to do, and frequently makes most other people uncomfortable. But I prefer reality to religiosity.
Rocky Mountains trump the Smokeys. No contest.
And lastly--we spent the afternoon in Gatlinburg after tornado watches passed and I wore shorts and a thin sweatshirt and moccasins. Not a good choice when it's pouring buckets of rain outside. We crammed 20+ people into a 15 passenger van. Best last semester of college ever. Real life will never compare.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Chewed Up and Spit Out
Well. The show last night was fine. But this morning I had one of the "profs" here listen to the songs I'm supposed to be performing this week (and one I'm supposed to record tonight from midnight till 6 am) and he said he didn't like anything about either of them.
so that's cool.
Here's the deal. I can agree with a few of the critical remarks he had, yes, the lyrics of one song could be clearer and tighter. But. I disagree. I think they are good songs. And I hope it's not just because they're my songs. Part of it is that he is only hearing piano/vocal take and I don't mean for them to be piano driven songs. I just wrote them on piano. They're going to be acoustic guitar driven, kind of....ambient/folk/driving/mesh of sweetness.
But it's conflicting and confusing. Do I take every bit of feedback they give and implement it all? Do I trust myself and just ignore most of what everyone else says? Do I only listen to a few select people--and if so--which people? Is it just a matter of personal preference/taste? Or is he right? He showed me two examples of songs he thinks are the sound I'm aiming for done correctly. But the thing is--one of his complaints about one song was that it musically didn't go anywhere, the changes weren't interesting. But the first song he played for me of a "right" example was Love Song by Elton John. Hi--that song has two chords. I don't understand. Am I just being tested to see if I have good musical intuition and if I will stand my ground and trust what I think? I have no clue.
This calls for a grande carmel macchiato sub cinnamon for vanilla over ice. Or a shot. Either one really.
so that's cool.
Here's the deal. I can agree with a few of the critical remarks he had, yes, the lyrics of one song could be clearer and tighter. But. I disagree. I think they are good songs. And I hope it's not just because they're my songs. Part of it is that he is only hearing piano/vocal take and I don't mean for them to be piano driven songs. I just wrote them on piano. They're going to be acoustic guitar driven, kind of....ambient/folk/driving/mesh of sweetness.
But it's conflicting and confusing. Do I take every bit of feedback they give and implement it all? Do I trust myself and just ignore most of what everyone else says? Do I only listen to a few select people--and if so--which people? Is it just a matter of personal preference/taste? Or is he right? He showed me two examples of songs he thinks are the sound I'm aiming for done correctly. But the thing is--one of his complaints about one song was that it musically didn't go anywhere, the changes weren't interesting. But the first song he played for me of a "right" example was Love Song by Elton John. Hi--that song has two chords. I don't understand. Am I just being tested to see if I have good musical intuition and if I will stand my ground and trust what I think? I have no clue.
This calls for a grande carmel macchiato sub cinnamon for vanilla over ice. Or a shot. Either one really.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Queen of May
"The May Queen is a girl (usually a teenage girl from a specific school year) who is selected to ride or walk at the front of a parade for May Day celebrations. She wears a white gown to symbolise purity and usually a tiara or crown. Her duty is to begin the May Day celebrations. She is generally crowned by flowers and makes a speech before the dancing begins. Certain age groups dance round a Maypole celebrating youth and the spring time. According to popular British folklore, the tradition once had a sinister twist, in that the May Queen was put to death once the festivities were over. " (Wikipedia "May Queen")
Like a porcelain doll in a magazine her heart is on display
Subject to their prying eyes she cannot get away
Every breath she takes they speculate if it's in or out
She cannot move without consequence it's not allowed
Her tears are a wishing well where others find their dreams
If she could make a wish herself, she'd wish to be unseen
Like an accident on the interstate, they couldn't turn away
Watching as she fell apart a little more everyday
So go ahead give them what they want, give 'em all a show
'Cause your chance at happiness left long ago
Her tears are a wishing well where others find their dreams
If she could make a wish herself, she'd wish to be unseen
To live away from all the eyes and need no disguise
Never choke back another sigh and not fear goodbyes
Make believe couldn't ease the sting of reality
She'll never be anymore than a pretty tragedy
Her smiles are painted on in seven shades of gray
And her laugh doesn't reach her eyes, she's their Queen of May
Like a porcelain doll in a magazine her heart is on display....
Like a porcelain doll in a magazine her heart is on display
Subject to their prying eyes she cannot get away
Every breath she takes they speculate if it's in or out
She cannot move without consequence it's not allowed
Her tears are a wishing well where others find their dreams
If she could make a wish herself, she'd wish to be unseen
Like an accident on the interstate, they couldn't turn away
Watching as she fell apart a little more everyday
So go ahead give them what they want, give 'em all a show
'Cause your chance at happiness left long ago
Her tears are a wishing well where others find their dreams
If she could make a wish herself, she'd wish to be unseen
To live away from all the eyes and need no disguise
Never choke back another sigh and not fear goodbyes
Make believe couldn't ease the sting of reality
She'll never be anymore than a pretty tragedy
Her smiles are painted on in seven shades of gray
And her laugh doesn't reach her eyes, she's their Queen of May
Like a porcelain doll in a magazine her heart is on display....
Monday, February 21, 2011
Desperate to Commit
Right now I am sitting in hammer time and feel a little desperate
Desperate to play more
Desperate to sing more
Desperate to write more
Desperate to not be approaching the last round of CMC Live shows before tour prep starts
I came here to figure out how much I love music. To figure out if I could actually do something meaningful in music. To find out if I had it in me. Potential answers are: I love music. A lot. I can do something meaningful in music. It is in me. I just feel like I can't do it alone--I need someone to come do music with me and help me. But I think I'm ready to almost commit to the idea that I really, really want to do this.
Last Thursday was my second CMC live show and it was a pretty intense set for me. Very upbeat, rock music and I came out from behind the keyboard and just sang. Ultra scary for someone who has lived behind the keyboard her whole life. But totally worth it--I want to try it more. Sure, it wasn't a killer performance because it was way outside of my comfort zone, but it didn't look like it and with enough practice I could totally pull it off.
So. Just a little desperate to DO music. More.
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