I question my sanity constantly! Do I have a healthy work life balance…when my work feels like play? Perhaps there is something wrong with me. As everything is Music. People. Places. Things. All objects of beauty become a melody or a lyric in a song. I forget to take care of other things like ensuring the songs get on to radio. Or pushing out content on social media. Instead, I blog everyday. Keeping track of my internal landscape. As that’s where the Music stems from.
I have amazing friends who allow me time and space to make notes while they speak! They know that I will ask them to repeat a phrase to jot into my notebook. I recall many, many years ago…stopping someone while kissing furiously and said, ” Gimme a second..” I ran off to the next room and recorded a melody that has since been placed on an album. No, the song was not inspired by him. I was just….in the frequency of Music..and he was with me!
I often think of singers who came before me. Those who worked under horrid circumstances. Why should I complain when my circumstances are so much better? And they sang in so many different languages! Think of Ella Fitzgerald…how many albums didn’t she release? Also, I only started singing at the age of 30! Most female musicians were either singing in church or on some kind of stage since their teens! Forgive me, if I am constantly excited about Music, writing and singing.
Before I took the stage the first time I had one of the most amazing dreams. Upon waking I felt as though I just stepped out of a master class. The entire room was filled to the brim with teachers, musicians and vocal coaches sharing ideas for Music – how to sing or how to embody the Music in my voice. I need that dream as I was scared shitless!
I have to work for every lyric or melody. Often speaking in different accents when I do! Or laughing like a mad person. As the people I write Music about are, in that second, so alarmingly alive! My nephew loves being around to help with lyrics. My favorite comment from him being (as he walked past the piano casually), ” Aunty Auriol, are you writing songs about whiskey and murder again…” I was horrified! How dare he make these wild assumptions? He was right though. As That’s exactly what I was up to! Get the whiskey and murder our of my system so I can write about other things…
How to celebrate releasing ten album? I am throwing a party with every Musician I had the pleasure of working with over the years. Now that sounds like an amazing plan!