I just wanted to take a moment to wish my friend and Producer, Jarome Matthew, a very Happy Birthday today ! I have known Jarome for about 18 years or so. We first met and became friends when we were both working at Sam The Record Man on Seymour St. in Vancouver. That job was a lot of fun, and we both knew ( even back then ) that our interest in music would not end after that job.
Jarome is one of the most hardworking, dedicated individuals I know, and his creative talents seem unlimited. I thoroughly enjoy working with him - he makes it not even feel like “work “. Being in the Studio with him is just such a wonderful experience, and he has a way of knowing how to bring out each artist’s individual best. He is a positive, encouraging, kind and thoughtful person, and he never gives up until things are just right.
I feel very fortunate to be working with him after having lost contact for several years, but more importantly, I am so glad to have his continued friendship in my life.
Jarome, thankyou for being so much fun to work with, and thanks for being such a caring friend! I always know that I can count on you - and that means a lot to me. You are an awesome person, and I wish you much happiness today, on your special day, and in the years to come !!!
Happy Birthday, Jarome !!! ( and no working today, o.k. ? )
As I mentioned in my blog post ” Trip To Vancouver ” we made plans to meet up with some close friends that I used to work with, later in the evening, back in Vancouver. Everyone thought it would be fun to go to Karaoke, since many of us love to sing.
A lot of people hear the word ” Karaoke ” and automatically have visions of drunk people who can’t carry a tune in a paper bag stumbling up to the stage, slurring their words, and literally making you despise a song you may have once loved. O.k., sometimes this is fairly close to the truth, but it is really unfair to imply that this is always the case. I have been to many, many Karaoke nights at a lot of different clubs and pubs all over this country over the years, and there are a lot of people who can really sing. I’ve heard a lot of good singers, and quite a few great singers. More importantly, if people enjoy singing ( as in, it brings them real joy ) Karaoke is the perfect opportunity for them to get up and do something that makes them happy. You don’t have to pay musicians, or pay for a rehearsal space, and you get an audience, and experience, every time you do it. Most people that go are very down-to-earth, kind, supportive people who encourage pretty much everyone, whether they are experienced singers, or not.
This night was no exception. We met up with my friends at the pre-arranged time, spent some time chatting and ” catching up “, and got right to looking at the Karaoke Book. We started making our lists early on, as the guy running it mentioned it was a Long Weekend, and therefore, would be packed. He wanted to make sure everyone got a chance to sing, who wanted to.
Some of us ladies were asked to get up and do a group number with some gals from the next table, so we happily obliged. That was a good way to get over any nerves, and to get a feel for the crowd. It was a lot of fun, and the audience was very nice to us.
A couple of my friends had their turns at singing, and both did really well. These are both people I feel should be sharing their wonderful voices more often with others - they have real talent. ( and, lucky for them , neither of them is shy )
Once my name was called, I started my night with a song I feel very comfortable with - Jo Stafford’s version of ” You Belong To Me “, which just happens to be the version I recorded on my 1st CD . I always like to start with a song I know well, as that helps me relax a little. I was amazed when the noisy crowd settled down, and some couples came up to dance - it made me feel really good. I received a lot of positive response afterwards, ( thanks in part to my loyal friends/cheering section ) and it just reminded me how much I really do love to sing. As hard as it may be to go up there, once you are singing, it just feels amazing.
My friends got up and sang some more, and wowed the crowd, and we all just enjoyed hanging out together again, after several months apart. It was so good to see everyone. There were some really entertaining vocalists in the crowd, and the pub was full of energy. By the time I sang my last song, it was way past my bedtime, and one of my friends gave me his “spot”, telling the guy in charge that I was from “out of town “, so I was allowed to take his place. ( that was very sweet !!! ) I sang a Madonna Ballad from the 80’s, which is another song I know quite well, and another genre I adore. Again, the crowd was very kind to me, and for that, I am very grateful.
It was a great night - we got to spend a lot of time with our close friends, we supported each other when we sang, we met some really nice people, and we were reminded that Karaoke can be a lot more fun than most people think. I enjoyed being there with so many good friends - thankyou all for making our time in town so special ! It was so good to see you - I love you and miss you all, but as I’m well-known for saying: ” Time and distance can’t change a real friendship “, and I absolutely know we will not lose touch. You guys are the best !
Many of you have been asking me lately when you will be able to purchase my latest song. I thank you for your interest, and really appreciate your patience while things were getting set up. I have just been informed that my new single, ” (Keep Feeling) Fascination ” is now available online on various sites. If you visit my MUSIC page, you will find direct links to all the sites where you can download the song.
Whichever site you go to, there will likely be an area where they ask you to Rate and/or Review the song. Please take a moment to do this, as it will not only let others know what you think, but it will provide me with feedback, as well, which is both helpful, and important to me.
Thankyou again to all of you for your support and encouragement thus far - I really couldn’t do this without you !
On Friday, we made a trip into Vancouver so that I could record my next song - the 80’s ballad. I hadn’t been back to town for close to 3 months, and wasn’t sure if it would feel strange, after so much time away. Once we arrived, it felt totally normal, since we had lived there for so many years before - the only thing that really stuck out for us was the traffic and noise - we don’t get as much of that stuff up on The Sunshine Coast.
I arrived at the Studio late morning, and Jarome and I took a bit of time to ” catch up ” on each others’ lives, before getting to work on the song. It was great to see him, and hear all his news.
We got right to recording after that, and things went really well. I absolutely love this particular ballad, and I believe that helped a lot in terms of what I was able to “give” to it. I find it makes a huge difference when you are doing a song that you absolutely adore - things sound so much better when you are able to just ” let go “, and give it real emotion. Jarome was incredibly encouraging and supportive ( as always ) and let me know when things sounded especially good to him. His patience and calm demeanor always help me reach my ” comfort zone ” more quickly each time I work with him. That’s when the good stuff comes out, and the power in the voice emerges, after the initial nerves fade away.
We worked on the melody for quite a while, then took a much-needed break for lunch. After re-fuelling, I wasn’t sure how much more work we’d be able to do, ( having just eaten - not the best time to sing, obviously ) but, amazingly, some of the best stuff was recorded after our break. I think just having taken the time to sit and relax, chat about the project etc. got me into an even better, more comfortable place. This song has a lot of harmonies and back-up vocals which, in the original, were done by other people, but I absolutely wanted to attempt all the parts myself, and had practiced them all, so we decided to see how it went. We were both very happy with the results …
Later in the evening, my husband and I met up with Jarome and his lovely wife Felisha, and the 4 of us went for a wonderful dinner together. It was awesome to be able to spend some time with both of them again, after being away for several months.
All in all, it was a productive day in the Studio, and a relaxing evening spent with good friends, sharing good food, and laughter. It was the perfect ending to an already amazing day.
Recently, my new single, ” (Keep Feeling) Fascination ” was put up on my website for everyone to listen to. Not only have many of you taken the time to visit my site and give it a listen, but an impressive number of you have been kind enough to go a step further, and let me know your thoughts about the song. I have received a lot of e-mails, Facebook messages, and some comments right on my website, and I think it’s really important to let you all know how much your time and feedback is appreciated.
Thankyou all for your words of support and encouragement - it really is great to hear when people like what you have done, and even when they don’t. Most of what I have heard so far has ( thankfully ) been good, and those of you who commented that they needed to adjust to the change of genre - I appreciate your honesty, and fully understand where you are coming from. ( A lot of people are more familiar with me singing 1920’s - 1950’s Big Band/Swing/Lounge, which was what my 1st CD was )
The song will be available soon on iTunes and other sites, and I will be announcing that shortly.
In the mean time, I have been busy rehearsing my 80’s Ballad, which I am recording next week. I am really excited about this next song, as it is one I have loved for a very long time, and I can relate to it in many ways, from different stages in my life. Right now, it feels especially significant.
Once again, thankyou so much for listening to my song, and for sharing your thoughts with me - it does not go unnoticed.
Well, it’s time to let everyone have a listen to my new song - it’s a re-worked version of 80’s classic Human League’s ” ( Keep Feeling ) Fascination ” , featuring backup vocals by the amazingly talented Darryl Kromm ( Strange Advance ). My producer, Jarome Matthew did a great job with the music, keeping what was essential from the original, but also adding some really interesting sounds, giving new dimension to the song, and bringing it into the future. We had a lot of fun working on this track and I talk more about it here. I feel it represents my new direction well into the kind of music I have always wanted to make!
The song will be available soon for download on iTunes, amazon.com mp3, Rhapsody, Napster, eMusic and more - Just check my Music page for details.
I look forward to hearing your feedback. Just click on the hot pink ” Play ” Button below, to hear the song (You can share it with friends using the ‘Share This’ button below)
With my 1st single ( the 80’s Dance Track ) about to be released any day, I am moving on to my next song, which is a ballad from the 80’s. I will be going into the Studio this month to record it, and am looking forward to a visit with my Producer, Jarome Matthew, whom I have not seen in a couple of months, since I moved away from Vancouver.
It will be great to get back into the Studio again - it’s always feels so amazing - as if the rest of the world fades away while I’m in there, and all I can feel is positive, creative energy - very cool. It’s always difficult to leave when the session is over, because I love being there, doing what I love to do, working with a good friend and producer whom I trust completely - it’s just such a positive experience in every way.
Recording the 80’s Ballad is going to be great, but I need to get past one line in the song, that so far, in rehearsal, always makes me well up … any of you singers out there know how hard it is to sing when you are crying, or even choked up with emotion … but I guess that’s a good sign that the song really means something to me, and touches me deeply. I think it would be kind of silly to sing songs that you don’t ”connect ” to, or relate to. That would seem phony to me, and I don’t play that game. In the past, I have done a couple of songs that weren’t really ” me “, and it just didn’t feel right, and my close friends could always tell which songs I enjoyed singing, and which ones I didn’t … I don’t ever want to be in that kind of position again, and I just won’t. ( I won’t allow it, and neither would Jarome. ) Life is too short to waste time doing anything that doesn’t bring you ( and hopefully others ) joy.
All of my favourite songs from the 80’s bring back memories for me, most of which are good ones. I guess it helps that they knew how to write songs back then - they actually cared about the quality of the music and lyrics, and didn’t just pump out songs as quickly as possible and try and appeal to a ” mainstream ” audience like they often do now. Maybe I’m a little biased, but I think some of the best music ever was in the 80’s …:)
Many of you have been asking me recently about my new single, and when you will be able to hear it. I appreciate all the support and enthusiasm that I have been receiving from everyone, as I too, am excited to get it “out there ” for everyone to check out. As we speak, my wonderful Producer Jarome Matthew is working on the final mastering of the dance track. We should have it available on iTunes within 2 or 3 weeks. I will keep you all posted when we are closer to the release date.
Jarome and I had hoped to make the song available on my own website for everyone to hear, and possibly download, but since venturing into the world of digital distribution of cover songs, we have encountered a few bumps, to say the least. The word ” Bureaucracy “, as defined by Wikepedia, is: “the structure and set of regulations in place to control activity, usually in large organizations and government. ” Well, being an indie artist really opens your eyes to a whole array of new examples of bureaucracy, and Jarome wrote an excellent Blog Post on just this subject. He details some of the obstacles we have faced just trying to release one cover song, in his latest post, entitled ” The Problem With Digitally Distributing Cover Songs”. It is definitely worth a read, and will help many better appreciate why things can take so long in this industry … You can access Jarome’s post here.
On the bright side, I am still in awe of the fact that the amazingly talented Darryl Kromm ( Strange Advance ) did the backup vocals for our song. He has not sung vocals on anyone else’s songs in over a decade, so I am truly grateful that he was willing to share his talent with us. I feel his voice brings so much to the song. I am looking forward to working with him again on some of the next few tracks we’re going to be doing.
Thankyou all again for your interest in the song - it won’t be long now !!!
Well, it’s been a few months since I took my time off from the “Day Job” , and much has changed since then. I ended up going back for a few weeks, but that only made me see even more clearly how truly unhappy it was making me. That time off changed everything for me, on so many levels, in so many ways. I ended up giving my 2 weeks’ notice, and after 11 years of days blurring one into the next … it was over. I vowed to myself that I never wanted to feel that way again. It was time for some big changes in my life.
Not only did I leave my “Day Job”, but we left the tiny apt. we had been living in for many years, with all the accompanying noise. ( people in the alley, partying neighbours etc. ) It was a nice little apt., but again, like the job, it was time for a change. It was too small for 2 people, plus it was really hard to rehearse properly, as I was always concerned about possibly disturbing a neighbour.
We also left the city - yes, the city I loved as a teenager, the city I always wanted to live in. I had a lot of fun times there over the years, but again, it was time for a change. We wanted a fresh start, and a less stressful, more peaceful, pace of life.
That was at the end of May, and I wanted to wait a little while, and have some time to let it all sink in, before I wrote about it … but now, looking back, I can honestly say that all these decisions have been good ones, so far.
We have a new home, in a new town, and it has a lot more room, including a dedicated room where I can rehearse, and not bother anyone. This is very important to me, as is my music. The scenery here is absolutely beautiful, the people are down-to-earth, and the feeling is one of peacefulness and serenity. It is just what I needed at this point in my life. I have lost far too many friends in their early 40’s due to stressful lifestyles, and I just couldn’t do it any more. It may seem like a lot of changes at one time, but we did what we needed to do. My friends who have called have said they can already ” hear it in my voice “, how much more relaxed I am now.
Of course, I miss my close friends, but that’s not even an issue - real friends will always keep in touch ( and visit !!! ) - time and distance can never change that. Besides, it’s not as if I won’t be going back to the city once in a while …
I am very excited to let everyone know that the backup vocals for my single ( the re-worked 80’s dance track ) were recorded a few days ago. The best part is, the man who came into the Studio this week, is someone I have admired for a very long time. Darryl Kromm, probably best known to many from his time in the 80’s Band, “Strange Advance” ( which had such hits as “We Run” ) is involved with our current project, in several ways. This, in itself, is absolutely amazing to me, but the fact that he agreed to sing backup vocals for one or more tracks has me nothing short of over the moon.
Darryl has a phenomenal voice, and is a consummate professional. He is able to nail a song in a number of minutes, and is a producer’s dream to work with in the Studio. ( just ask my producer, Jarome Matthew ) Not only does he still have an ethereal voice, but he is an accomplished songwriter - something he has continued to do over the years. I have been fortunate enough to hear several of the songs he has written that have not yet been released, and they are nothing short of brilliant.
It is an absolute honour to be working with someone of his calibre in the music industry, and I would like to publicly thank Darryl for being involved with our current project. I am very much looking forward to working on other tracks with him. Thankyou, Darryl, for sharing your talent ( and time ) with us - it is very much appreciated !!!
