Love It If We Made It
I’ve heard it said that there’s no good music out there. Not true. You gotta dig deeper than the mainstream. Or maybe some of us grew up and got happy — no longer depend on music to identify or save us. Fair enough. Thing is if you want it, there is music out there that’s saving people. It saves me sometimes. Actually it saves me quite often.
Anticipation
It’s funny, when you’re too young to comprehend lyrics about the complexity of mature relationships you may still sing along. They may still feel like they mean something when you’re 12. You’re just not sure what it is they mean. But some songs just curiously resonate. And then one day, they totally make sense.
Record Store Re-Imagined
Is there room for a new Music Space in a digital world — where enthusiasts can still convene and discover…not just their favorite bands but each other. A space where common ground brings people together physically and passionately under the same roof. Like food in a restaurant. Film in a theatre. A space where hardly anyone knows your name but we all know we came for the same reason.
Have Guitar Will Travel (hopefully)
Bart Herbison, Executive Director of the NSAI, was instrumental (no pun intended), in getting a law passed which made it mandatory that all musical instruments be allowed onboard commercial aircraft. THANK YOU, BART. No more being forced to check your guitar only to find it in more than one piece at baggage claim. Things happen. Even in hard cases.
Songwriters Vs. Spotify
Spotify strokes the creative community with writing camps and lavish parties. They blast our faces on Sunset Boulevard Billboards proclaiming us a Secret Genius for writing such big hits and host award shows in our honor. Very nice. But what they don’t want to do…is pay us.
The Sound Of Silence
I was supposed to be writing this blog from the sky while on a plane to London. It was going to be about how excited I was to record 3 songs for my album with Phil Thornalley. I started packing a week ahead of time for the trip. But God says “Ha” at the most curious times.
Publishing: "Perpetuity" May Not Be Forever
If you enter into a publishing agreement which says the publisher shall keep your songs in “perpetuity” it might not actually mean forever. It could mean…only 35 years. I know what you’re thinking. 35 years? That will never come! Songwriters operate in a state of arrested development. We don’t believe we’ll ever grow up so why worry about it? I can assure you, the future always comes. We’re living in it. So listen up!
I'm Really Bummed About Ryan
I’m really bummed about Ryan. More so than all the others because selfishly, I WAS A FAN. I loved his stuff. Anyone with genius has got to be a little bit dysfunctional. And that dysfunction actually makes for material worth listening to. But everything's different now. 😞
Sparking Joy
Does the song I wrote yesterday make me smile when I recall it in the morning? Is it the first thing I think about when I open my eyes? If it’s not, for heaven’s sake, don’t waste any more time trying to polish a t*rd. 😳
Good Luck at the GRAMMYS Claudia Brant!
Let’s hear it for the unlikely nominees, the ones who were told they were out of their minds for trying. Well, apparently she wasn’t. And she’s just the inspiration we need.
NAMM
The first booth I encounter is a dude demonstrating a new vocal auto-tuning technology. He explains to onlookers that the singer riffing into the mic, whose voice is being “auto-corrected,” might accidentally ‘discover’ a melody she didn’t even mean to sing. And ta-da! Hit song by accident. Imagine that! I want to raise my hand and ask, what about an idea? Doesn’t a song need an idea?
Road Trip: Destination Phoenix
This Friday it’s destination Phoenix for me, for 2 performances of Confessions of a Serial Songwriter LIVE! The last decade in the music business has been a long strange trip (no pun intended) and my one-woman hour of humorous observations about HOW it's changed promises to be an entertaining evening for those who have shared the struggle as well as for those who are simply curious about a world they know nothing about. I’m looking forward to the drive.
New Year's Resolutions 2019: Simple But Real
At the beginning of every new year I make a few promises to myself. I like to keep them simple but real. No ridiculous diets revolving around resisting cheese (never gonna happen) or intentions of completely changing my ways. It’s the little things that seem to effectively shift my spiritual journey anyway.
Winding Down
For me, December is about reflection, taking stock, disengaging, rejuvenating, cleaning out closets & giving away items I purchased in haste. Making room for the new. Donating to those who lost a home in a fire. Maybe taking time off is the best thing we can do for our creativity. A recharge is an investment for the future.
GRAMMY Dreams
Glory is spotty for most of us in this business and a little recognition now and then is mood elevating. After all, our peers are letting us know our contribution made a difference. Why else do we do what we do if not to move others with art? Acceptance feels good and the energy IN it gives us fuel to continue our journey. That matters.
Spotify Secret Genius Awards
In light of Spotify coming to the table and negotiating a more equitable distribution of income with the songwriting community, Michelle Lewis and I, after receiving personal invitations, decided we’d go to the awards show this year. She called a babysitter, I got eyelash extensions, and off we drove to the Ace Hotel for what turned out to be an interesting evening…
Becoming Curator
Something not so coincidental happened recently because, I believe, the Universe has been witnessing my Renaissance with music: Pandora asked me to be a curator — that’s a songwriter, producer, blogger, or music enthusiast with a desire to connect with their followers through well, music.
I definitely have a desire to connect. :)
Thank G*d For Music
Today, whether you’re deliriously happy or morbidly miserable, Thank God for Music. Whether you’re afraid to go to yoga or your place of worship Thank God for Music. Whether you found your true love or lost the only one you ever had, whether you’re welcoming your child into the world or burying a friend, whether you’re still waiting to hear your first single on the radio or celebrating your fifth #1 Thank God for Music. Turn It Up!
