High School Reunion
My life is very fluid and creatively fertile. I pray it continues because it makes me feel deceptively ageless. But I’m not. This I know. Life is like musical chairs. One day the music stops and there might not be a chair for you. I don’t mean to sound morbid, I’m just … well ... reunions. ❤️💛
It’s Wifey-Time Again!
This year (after some resistance) Suzan and I used a bit of ChatGPT to plan our journey. It proved to be a helpful tool but no surprise, it didn’t take the place of good old fashioned human guidance or instinct. He’s merely compiling and consolidating all the opinions of everyone on the whole wide web. So, maybe no Christmas bonus but we weren’t going to fire him either. ☀️🌊 🏰
Messy
I often wonder — if a journey of recovery is indeed part of your brand — your creative force — what happens (what do you write about) when/if you get well? What happens when you overcome that thing that defined you and for better or worse (usually worse) became your brand? That’s a messy question. 😳
Shelly & Kathleen Go To The Movies
Going out is not as simple as it used to be. I wish there were some kind of Theater Concierge who meets you in front of the theater and walks you through the whole process. Tickets, parking validation, popcorn, and then escorts you to your seat. And helps you find your car later. l would pay extra for that. 🍿
Healthcare For Songwriters
SONA worked tirelessly to make healthcare a reality. I was on the board of this amazing grassroots organization for a number of years. I stepped down recently to make room for new blood so I can’t take any credit for the heavy lifting but I’m still proud to have been a founding member and very proud of SONA for this GET! 💪🏽🥁🎶
Let’s Chat
Chat helped me smooth out emails — I could see how they were clearer, more digestible. It allowed me the opportunity to study unfavorable patterns in my writing which I could improve on my own if I chose. So that’s good. But what will AI mean for wonder? Or for kids looking out car windows trying to imagine how the world works?
Grammy Time
It appears that the re-imagining of “What a Girl Wants,” performed by Christina Aguilera and Sabrina Carpenter for Spotify’s 25th Anniversary is ‘nominat-able’ in the category of Best Pop Duo or Group Performance for the 2026 Grammy Awards. It’s a thrill to have had these two powerhouse songstresses from two completely different generations bring the song back into the spotlight with the soulful accompaniment of superb LIVE musicians. 😀😀😀
Pet Peeves
You can’t copyright a title but you KNOW you wouldn’t have named your product What A Curl Wants if not for my song. So pay me.😡
Pam
My friend (and songwriting-sista) Pamela Sheyne wrote a little song called “Genie in a Bottle.” Christina Aguilera took it to #1 all over the world. Join Pam and I as we go down a little bit of memory lane with “Genie” 26-years-later and hear what she has brewing in her current box of endeavors. 🧞♀️🧞🧞♂️
Elton and Brandi
One HAS to get into bed with other ppl because you never know how they’ll tap into places within you that never got explored. I get it. But I’ll just say this at the risk of being boo’d: It feels like artists are asking themselves with whom they should pair-up in order to stay on the charts, make history, win an award. Does Great + Great = Great? 😳😳😳😳
Freeze
I will always love music and make music and listen to music and crave music and believe music changes minds and hearts. I will always be a songwriter but being a songwriter doesn’t completely define me. And so I’ve wondered if I have earned the space to write about other stuff. 🤷🏻♀️
FireAid Meets Grammys
Many recent parties and celebrations were understandably cancelled out of respect for the grief of the people effected by the LA wildfires. But the showing up of countless iconic stars for FireAid, which raised 60 million dollars, was a godsend. And the choice to move forward with a Grammy night that never lost sight of LA strong was hopeful, uplifting and healing. I’m glad they did it.
Cruising
I’m grateful beyond to have these opportunities to pull back a curtain and share what it is to be a songwriter. Whether on land or in this case at sea. To try to explain that our most favorite state is in that zone when everything but whatever it is you’re writing … simply disappears. It’s magical. 🛳 🐠 🌊 🎶
An Unusual Gift
Smash Mouth’s Steve Harwell (“Walking On The Sun,” “Fast Ball”) passed away in 2023. He was a blast to write with. Never a dull moment. Uncontrollably flirty, yes. Yet Tender. And tasty with words and melody. One does not want to write with ‘boring.’ You write with boring you get a boring song. Plus, he left me with a gift I’ll never forget. 🎄❤️💚
Allee
In the spirit of “The World According To Allee Willis,” the new documentary about the insanely creative, unconditionally loving, outrageous, hilarious, and eternally optimistic Allee Willis, I thought I’d share a personal Allee story with you. If you knew her you have one. I take this from my 2016 GRAMMY nominated memoir “Confessions Of A Serial Songwriter.” Allee had a profound effect on peoples’ lives. She will never be forgotten.
Hello From My Bubble 🫧🫧
If I wasn’t gonna watch the news for a while imagine how more productive I could be. It would give me two more hours every day to get things done here in my Laurel Canyon Bubble. I was effectively putting my money where my last 2 blogs were: get busy. Surround yourself with that which brings you pleasure and meaning.
Looking Forward
We set up the living room with music stands and monitors. Mics and peddles. By the fourth rehearsal my voice was limbering up. I was reaching notes I couldn’t reach the week before. My hands and fingers started going to the right place without forethought. Before I knew it I was in that zone. Deliriously happy. We sounded pretty good. A drummer-away from touring. 😎😎
