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Showing posts from April 12, 2011

Magical Moment 438, "Progress II"

I'm now going through the most difficult part of recording my album with Modern Vintage Recordings...the vocals! This is a song I wrote years ago with a very country, straight forward sound. The geniuses at MVR, got the idea to put a groove/funk vibe to it, which I LOVE! I'm SO SO SO happy with the way this track turned out. It is still incomplete, no bass yet and no vocal reverb or auto-tune. Just very dry, almost immediately after the final vocal tracking took place. I am especially in love with the background harmonies that one of my audio engineers, Jason Cummings, arranged. It reminds me of the Beach Boys meets funk. Love it! Enjoy! For my OLD version of "I Still Think About You," click here . The progress of recording an album: Progress

Magical Moment 437, "A Prayerful Habit"

I developed a certain habit in high school. It was when I first got hired at  Lee's Restaurant  to play the piano during lunch on Sundays. I was so nervous my first day of work and I only had about 12 songs in my repertoire at that time. I was 17 and had zero experience performing in public. So before I played my first song that day, I sat at the bench and silently  prayed . First I thanked God that I was able to play piano in the first place. Then I thanked Him for this job and prayed that I would never take it for granted. And finally, I asked that I would be able to play well that day for all who listened. I played piano at Lee's 3 days a week for nearly 5 years and continued that habit the entire time. To this day, it's something I always do when I play. It helps to calm my nerves and reminds me that it's not because of my own ability that I'm able to play music, but only because God allows me to. And I do believe that the gifts we take fore granted can be taken

Magical Moment 436, "Rainy Night Songwriting"

It's nearly midnight, I'm alone, on a rainy, thunder stormy night. What better way to spend the evening than write a new, melancholy song? That's a pretty good time for me.  I tried several new things on this song that I've never done before. First of all, I'm playing with a keyboard. I'm a hardcore "piano-only" kind of girl, but the sound affect fit the glum mood of the song so well! Second, there's no real verse-chorus format. Mainly, I just wanted to play around with odd chords and uncommon dissonance in the melody. This is a chord progression I would  never  use if I were trying to write a catchy-sounding, get-stuck-in-your-head kind of song. It's weird, quirky. A little off beat. And honestly, I was hoping the microphone on my computer would pick up the steady rain and pounding thunder outside my window to add to the atmosphere.  Some people who hear my music automatically get concerned that I'm depressed or love sick over someone. I

Magical Moment 435, "Deli-riously Confused"

If you're not from New York City area, you might be unfamiliar with the true "Delicatessen experience." What you see on Seinfeld and The Sopranos, is true. Delis are small, crowded, and loud. But what's interesting is, every customer knows exactly what to order, and how to order it - like clockwork. Eddie and I went to a deli today and threw a kink in their clockwork. We may live in the busiest, most culturally diverse area in the country, but we don't really "get out" much. We're used to ordering sandwiches at Subway's drive-through, or from the menu at  Applebee's . We found that we were out of our element when we pushed our way into the organized chaos of this local deli. For one thing, there we things on the menu that we've never braved before; matzoh balls, knish, chopped liver, and every type of salami imaginable. To keep things as simple as possible, I decided to go with a turkey sub, and Eddie chose ham and cheese.  First, we we

Magical Moment 434, "Blackbirds Brighten My Day"

"I value my garden more for being full of blackbirds than of cherries,  and very frankly give them fruit for their songs."  -Joseph Addison

Magical Moment 433, "Through the Trees"

Sometimes I get worked up over the big picture. I think about how something simple may or may not affect the rest of my entire future. Everything turns into a life-altering domino affect when reality, sometimes it's just not that big a deal. While it's made for responsible decision making in the past, it often becomes quite unnecessary and exhausting. So while for some (who can't see the forest through the trees) need to be reminded to step outside and look at the grand overview, I have to tell myself,  sometimes there's just a  tree  through the trees.

Magical Moment 432, "Skill"

Braving the crowded, confusing streets of Manhattan in my trusty Hyundai, I searched the narrow, one-way streets of the Lower East Side for a parking spot. I was in no mood to pay $35 or more for a garage. Searching hard for a vacant space between the lines of parked cars, I tried to block out the honking taxi cabs behind me, trying to rush me out of their way. But you have to drive slow, because if you're driving too fast when you see a spot and overshoot it, you're out of luck by the time you drive around the block and get back to it. The fire hydrant spaces are the trickiest. All that room by the curb, and what a waste! Park there, and expect a hefty fine. I know this from experience. At last, up ahead. Could it be? Wait, is it a fire hydrant space? Nope! It's all mine! Time to parallel park. Slowing down, lining up with the passenger door of the front car. Oh that taxi driver is angry. Honking doesn't make me park faster! I have a flash of doubt. Can I make it? Is