Six Songs that Never Cease to Make Me Happy

Call them guilty pleasures (although I never would - pleasure, definitely, guilty, never), call them whatever you want.  These are six songs (of a rather extensive playlist) that make me happy.  Just the opening notes can be enough to help me shake off a less-than-desirable mood.  What are your go-to get-happy songs?

How to Be Mozart

This is a guest post I did for the fabulous Michelle Ward a couple of months back.

I used to teach piano/voice/songwriting at a music studio.  At one point, I had over seventy students on my schedule.  Most of them, as you could guess, were children, but I did have a pretty sizable amount of adults.

Every time I had that first lesson with an adult, it was the same thing: they’d come in, kind of embarrassed, almost like they were apologizing for not being 20 or 50 years younger.  But here’s the thing: while Mozart gets all the press, I had several adult students that progressed and learned faster than most children.  Adults do have advantages, you know, they have stronger, bigger fingers, they understand that one-eighth plus one-eighth equals one quarter and they don’t have to sing the alphabet song to figure out what comes after ‘C.’

But there are two big things that stand in the way of adult students.  One is the whole time/scheduling thing, of course.  Kids are used to having homework and practicing and they don’t have to worry about getting dinner on the table or taking care of sick relatives or anything like that.

But even putting that to the side, here’s the biggest thing: adults feel self-conscious about learning.  It’s true!  Kids make excuses about not practicing, sure, but they don’t apologize.  If children make a mistake or play a song wrong, I can just show them where they messed up and they will correct it.  An adult will actually say, “sorry” and then probably follow up with a reason why they made the mistake.  If a beginning adult was waiting to start their lesson while an advanced kid was finishing up theirs, the adult would always feel so sheepish, even if the child had been taking lessons for three years and the adult only three months.  And, while I have never had a child cancel a lesson because they didn’t think the song was ready and therefore “didn’t want to waste my time,” I think almost every adult student did at least once.

And I understand!  I feel shy when trying to pronounce a tricky word in a new language and get frustrated when trying to understand HTML coding.  “I should know this!” I think.  But WHY should we?  Even for the most accomplished person in the world, there are infinitely more things they don’t know than they do.

So here’s a challenge – embrace not knowing!  Embrace not knowing how to use Tumblr, or sketch a face, or diaper a newborn or start your business!  Learn like a kid – no apologies, no embarrassment.  If not knowing something is holding you back from doing something you want or living a life you love, think of it – Mozart would have no idea how to use a toaster oven.

But he could learn…

After the Happily Ever After Begins

Poster from Wunderland Home

I used to work in a traditional job at a library creating copy for the monthly newsletter.  I did other things too, plan events, send out press releases, etc., but that monthly newsletter was my main THING. And when I did it I swore (not out loud, it was a library, after all) that I would only ever do project-based jobs as soon as I got out of there.  I was working on my music on the side at the time and felt so happy that the nature of music is project-based.  

But here I am, after a new album release, and I have NO IDEA what to do next!  I mean, I know I could get started on my next album and I will but I think this is why people who don't like project-based jobs don't like them.   

Because, sometimes, getting started is the hardest thing to do.

What about you?  Do you prefer project-based jobs?  If so, how do you get motivated to start the next project?

I hope your 2013 is off to a completely wonderful start (as mine has been!  Yay!)!

You Wouldn't Have Me Any Other Way

My husband showed me this song the other night and I've been completely obsessed with it since.  I absolutely love the video with the vintage-inspired images and her cute collection of butterfly wings and it has a hot air balloon (always a good thing in my world).

The song itself is so beautiful.  I love the lullaby piano and her harmonies.  The words are so visually vivid while still so sweet.

  You know how there are quotes you wish you'd said or ideas you wish you'd thought of?  Well, this is a song I wish I'd written.  

Meet Ms. Laveaux

Today I'm part of a blog release party hosted by Christianna at the Girl with the Blue Bow.  We're all talking about the brand new jazz-pop artist, Ms. Heather Laveaux.  Her EP "3 Octave Martini" is available today from her website and on Amazon and iTunes!

1.Today is super exciting because it's your debut EP's release date!  Tell us a little about it.

This EP serves as a musical snapshot of who I am and how I sound. Although I have musical tastes that cover the gamut, I feel most at home singing  what I call "lounge pop." It's a little jazz, a little blues, with sprinkles of pop, soul, gospel, and country that come together beautifully but refuse to fit neatly into a single genre.
Listen to samples here!

2.  Which song is your favorite?  What inspired you to write it?

Tough question - I suppose it's like choosing your favorite child. The original songs were all inspired by personal experiences and observations, so there is a strong connection with each one. I love the arrangement of "Anything" and the retro feel of "Mornin,'" but "Never" has the most "heart pouring" on it. It sums up much of who I am in under 4 minutes. Crazy what music can do in a few minutes that years of therapy can only dream about!

3.  Who would you love to have a songwriting jam with?  Who would you love to perform a duet with?

So many greats come to mind, but I would have to say either Elton John/Bernie Taupin or Billy Joel. Or James Taylor. Or Van Morrison. Or David Bowie. It would be an honor to perform with any of the musicians I have admired and loved over the years - seems like a cheeseball answer, but it's true!

4.  You live in Florida and are from Louisiana.  How have both of those places been an influence on your music?  Any other places that inspire you?

Louisiana is a beautiful state with great history, beautiful nature,  and cultural influences in art, music, and architecture. I'm definitely a "steel magnolia" full of Southern charm and hospitality who loves the grandeur of antebellum homes, cypress trees, and slowly spoken statements; however, it didn't feel like home to me the way Florida does. Looking across the waters of the Gulf and being able to get lost in my own thoughts is the closest thing to Heaven on Earth, I've ever found. It's really the one place I am most able to find peace and inspiration.

5.  We know you can sing beautifully and pen a smashing song - what other ways do you creatively express yourself?

Photography. I've spent hours at a time taking walks and shooting nature, scenery, anything that caught my attention. I'm almost as passionate with a camera as I am with a microphone.

6.  Okay. So your EP is going crazy and everyone is downloading it from iTunes and singing it in their car.  Ten different shows call you up to perform on them.  What is your ideal show to perform on?

Since I cannot clone myself (allowing mankind to dodge a bullet), I would have to say DWTS - I think everyone in the world watches that! Besides, dance is the natural extension of music, so it would fit.

7.  This blog is all about happy so here are some happy questions!  What is your favorite get-happy tune?  Who do you listen to when you want to cheer yourself up?  

Anything from 80's dance music or hair metal makes me smile. You can never go wrong with Prince, Def Leppard, Depeche Mode, or Cyndi Lauper! (As a side note, I inexplicably know almost every classic Country drinking song. Environmental osmosis, maybe?)

8.  Musicians are known for their idealism.  How would you like to make the world a better place?


My singular achilles is animal cruelty. As the proud parent of three fantastic Great Danes, I can't fathom how anyone abuses, neglects, or delights in the cruelty of another living being.

9.  And my essential question - describe your ideal morning/afternoon/evening!

My perfect day would be: waking up to the sounds of the waves crashing on the sand, watching the sunrise over the water, eating birthday cake for breakfast, napping in a hammock, lunch & shopping with friends, dinner with fireworks, and coming home to 3 sweet pups and a handsome man for dessert (and fireworks).




Thank you so much, Ms. Laveaux!  So excited to buy your new EP!  And for you readers who want more (and I know you all do!), visit one of the other blogs doing a special post about Ms. Laveaux!  Find out about her style, her inspiration, her artwork, even win a copy of the EP and more!

The Daily Schmooze - Music Review

Sweets & Harts - Fashion File with Heather

Take Hart – Album Artwork Review and EP Giveaway

The Girl With The Blue Bow –“3 Octave Martini” review

Whimsical Poppysmic – EP Giveaway

Margarita Bloom’s Glamourville – EP Giveaway and a Racy& Risque Rosie Lip Balm from her shop!

Project Gadabout – A Look At Jazz

Still want to know more about Ms. Laveaux?  Check out her links here!

www.heatherlaveaux.com

www.reverbnation.com/heatherlaveaux

www.facebook.com/heatherlaveaux

www.twitter.com/mslaveaux

www.soundcloud.com/heatherlaveaux

www.myspace.com/heatherlaveaux

Music, Professor!

As you could probably guess, I was very involved in music programs in and out of school.  I can't imagine going to a school where chorus, band or orchestra weren't available.  


I found Little Kids Rock yesterday - it helps schools in need make sure they can have chorus, band or orchestra available for kids.  


How great is that?  


Were you into music in school?  If so, confess - chorus, orchestra or band?  I was chorus all the way, baby.

Meglio stasera, baby, go, go, go!

Hi everyone! I'm Sally from Flying Down to Hollywood. Emma needed a little bit more time to rest up with the baby before coming back to the blog so she asked me to do a little guest post.

My blog is mainly about old movies (although I do throw in the occasional contemporary film as well). Since Emma informed me that she usually likes to use Sunday posts to concentrate on something music-related, I thought I'd talk about one of my absolute favorite singers in classic film. Her name is Fran Jeffries. She's most famous for the song that I'm going to embed below - "Meglio Stasera" from The Pink Panther. This is one of the few renditions of this song in Italian and I'm not sure why more people don't do the song in Italian. The English translation isn't (in my opinion) all that terrific. But, who knows?

So, here is her well-known song:



and here is one of her lesser-known songs, "Sex and the Single Girl" from Sex and the Single Girl with Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood.



So there you have it. Fran Jeffries. One of my all-time favorite singers in film. And, on a slightly unrelated note, how 60's-fabulous are her outfits? I love them! Both of them! I have no earthly clue where or when I'd wear that two-piece outfit, but I don't care. I want it anyway!

I hope you guys like Fran Jeffries as much as I do! And, Emma, I hope you're having a simply marvelous time with your little one!

I Contain Multitudes...

Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes.

- Walt Whitman

I am always fascinated by other people's passions - not only the ones that really dominate their lives (mine is definitely music) but those others on the side - bird watching, crocheting, tea, etc. I have many, many passions (including above randomly mentioned ones): I adore children's books (I even have a secret blog reviewing my favorites!), I love yoga (I trained as a teacher), and I'm obsessed with stationery (I'm planning for an upcoming blog entry about some of my finds). And clearly an unhealthy obsession with parentheses.

But one of my biggest passions is food. I think a ton of people adore food but the Cooking Channel has truly dominated my evening entertainment - Nigella Lawson, Ina Garten, Jamie Oliver, David Rocco, Rachel Allen - I am brought to a zen-like peace when I see people smiling at the camera whilst slicing avocado and lining pans with parchment paper.

So, what is one of your passions? Yes, I know fashion and vintage, etc., but what are some that barely, if ever, surface on your blog?

P.S. Feel free to follow me! I promise only ever to lead you to bright, sunny places!

P.P.S. I have a brand, new original album out! If youdownload it and looooove it, please write a lovely review on the site from which you purchased it!

A Small Break and a Large Thank You!

I will post up a Song Sketch next week - this week, I'm working double-time on brainstorming other ideas for working my music into a very profitable enterprise so I can stay home full-time with my new munchkin (who will be a boy, by the way!).

I have had truly marvelous suggestions from my readers and am overwhelmed by their generosity and imagination. Thank you, thank you all for your inspiring ideas.

If you haven't offered your brilliant idea of how I can:

a. Better publicize my albums and

b. Use my music otherwise to earn money

I'd truly welcome your ideas! You can see what other genius suggestions I've gotten here!

But so that you don't miss your Sunday song, I embedded a song from one of my favorites ever, Madeleine Peyroux!

Thank you all again for your help and support!

P.S. Feel free to follow me! I promise only ever to lead you to bright, sunny places!

P.P.S. I have a brand, new original album out! If youdownload it and loooooveit, please write a lovely review on the site from which you purchased it!

Solving Problems...

Me being thoughtful

I just read an article that said that people always have a hard time figuring out how to solve their own problems - despite the fact that they can see many solutions for other problems. I thought to myself, "Hmm, my readers are all smart people! Maybe they can help me*!"

I don't have a terrible problem, per se, but I'm trying to think of creative, out-of-the-box ideas of how to make money from my music! I just started a custom song shop on Etsy and I've been submitting songs to various music libraries that supply songs for t.v. shows and such. My albums are for sale on iTunes, Amazon and CDBaby but the trick is getting people to hear them! Ha!

It's just that I'm only six (!) weeks away from Baby's arrival and I'd really love to have some other ways to make money from home (preferably from my music) so I can stay with my Baby and buy groceries too! Yay!

So, here is my question for you, smart readers: what are some ideas of ways to make money through music from my home? What about ways to promote my music and increase sales? I'd love any ideas - from crazy to logical - some of which I may have tried, but I'm sure there are plenty I've never even thought of!

Thank you a million times for suggestions and help!

You'll Be Wrapped Around My... Arm

I saw these purses on Old Red Barn's shop on Etsy and I thought they were totally brilliant! I am always on the hunt for items featuring Sting and this is such a creative way to combine the album cover and the record itself for wearable art.

He also does custom work so if there is an album you'd just love to accessorize with, he'll purse it for you!

Who would you love to wear on your arm?

P.S. Feel free to follow me! I promise only ever to lead you to bright, sunny places!

P.P.S. I have a brand, new original album out! If you download it and looooove it, please write a lovely review on the site from which you purchased it!

Paris in the Springtime

As I wait for my album to get fully mastered and then uploaded to iTunes, I thought I'd reveal little parts to the album along the way! Here are some photos from the photo shoot I did for my album. The weather was absolutely perfect for my photographers and me to travel to Paris (well, ish) and take some photos. Here are a couple of pics out of my favorites! I'll save some for the unveiling of my completed website.

P.S. Feel free to follow me! I promise only ever to lead you to bright, sunny places!

P-I-A-N-O oh oh! Lesson Three

I know that there are plenty of marvelous musicians who read my blog but for those who are not as familiar with music, here are some quick facts and history about the very best instrument in the whole universe.

1. The piano gets its name from "pianoforte" - piano being interpreted as "soft"* and forte meaning "loud." This is because the piano was far more responsive to the touch of players versus the harpsichord or clavichord (which were the common keyboards at that time).

2. George Michael owns the piano on which John Lennon wrote the song Imagine.

3. The piano is a mishmash of an instrument: you strike a key which activates a hammer (making the piano a percussion instrument) which then strikes a string that vibrates and creates the sound (making the piano, in a way, a stringed instrument).

4. You know those pedals under the piano? Well, the most commonly used one is the one on the far right called the sustain or damper pedal. What it does is allows the strings of the piano to continue vibrating after they've been touched, sustaining the notes. This gives that romantic, more reverb-y sound.

My favorite thing about pianos has to be its versatility of sound- it can be romantic and elegant or Jerry Lee Lewis rock n' roll! It's also one of the few instruments that can really stand on its own.

I know I barely touched the marvelousness that is a piano. So if you have any questions, just let me know! And tell me what you love about pianos!

*Piano actually doesn't mean "soft" even though that's what it means now in music. At the time, it meant "on a plane or level" which would be "normal" sound. So a "pianoforte" could play both normally and loudly.

Learn How to Be a Multi-Platinum Artist in 17 Easy Steps

I taught vocal, piano and songwriting several years and thought that I might add a music lesson to my blog every once in a while.

What do you think of that?

And, are there any things in particular you would like to see/learn? The history of Baroque music? Analysis of why that one song keeps getting in your head? How to sing all night without getting hoarse? Why is it that you always crave Chick-fil-A on Sundays when they aren't open?

Although I have no idea about that last question.

Please, let me know your thoughts!

P.S. Feel free to follow me! I promise only ever to lead you to bright, sunny places!

Oh, We Got Trebles!

Note (hehe!) cards from here, Clock from here, Bracelet from here

Growing up, I associated treble clefs with my eccentric piano teachers who seemed to have them on everything - cross-stitch samplers, brooches, Christmas vests - and as a budding pianist, I seemed to get more than a few things adorned with them for holidays and birthdays. Therefore, I didn't like them at all.

Now, however, I find their sweet little curves and curlicues endearing and even romantic. Treble clefs, which signify all notes from middle C up, are fashioned after a stylized G (the treble clef is often called "G clef) and, might I add, look rather stylish in these incarnations!

Pincushion from here, Tee from here, Duvet set from here

P.S. Feel free to follow me! I promise only ever to lead you to bright, sunny places!

She's Amazing! And French!

One of my favorite musicians/songwriters/singers is Emily Loizeau. Her music is perfectly melodic and delightfully odd. I actually haven't listened to her newest album yet but her first album, L'Autre Bout de Monde, is one my most-listened-to albums in my music collection. For you Andrew Bird fans, she does a charming duet with him on the album.

Her website is quite entertaining on its own too.

Here are two of her music videos, Je Suis Jalouse is clever and quirky and L'autre Bout de Monde is so pretty and dreamy.

Music to Help You Reach Your 2010 Goals!

First photo from here, second and third from here

Ah, the New Year! So many resolutions (and I've seem some very ambitious ones!) yet getting in shape (aka: lose weight, exercise more, etc.) is one of the top-est. Diana from ourcitylights got me thinking about what would be a great workout playlist.

Here, my gift to my motivated readers, a workout/energizing playlist (I tried to put it in a reasonable order too- warm-up to cool-down):

1. 99 Luftballons by Nena (It builds slowly - good for the first song!)

3. Stop Me Mark Ronson's version (Much more upbeat than the Smiths' version)

4. You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi

5. Relator by Pete Yorn (Found this song via Lulu Letty! Thanks!)

6. Faith by George Michael (Will probably appear in every single playlist I ever make. Perfect for picking you up in the middle of your grueling workout).

7. Lollipop by MIKA (He has a ton of songs that would work but this one always makes me smile)

8. There Will Never be Another You sung by Ernestine Anderson

9. Groove is in the Heart by Deee-Lite (Nice cool down in the middle. Plus the song is so fun!)

10. Sea Lion Woman by Feist

11. I'm Your Man by Wham! (Yay! Second George Michael song!)

12. It's Alright with Me sung by Harry Connick, jr.

13. Fidelity by Regina Spektor (It's slow but a good cooldown song)

14. La Belle Dame Sans Regrets by Sting (Trés romantique! To remind you of why we're all working out in the first place. Probably.)

What other songs should be added?

P.S. Feel free to follow me! I promise only ever to lead you to bright, sunny places!

When I Grow Up, I Want to be Just Like...

Well, I wanted to be just like Sting. His music (oh, so brilliant!), his love life (oh, so sexy), his lifestyle (villa in Tuscany? Sure, I'm in) and his constant expanding of boundaries. He was the reason I began yoga and the reason I started at an early-ish age to be interested in the environment.

I've heard so many people talk about, "Aw, I wish Sting sang just like he was in the Police. That was when he was amazing." Sure, he was amazing in the Police but also equally amazing in his jazz-fusion phase, his intelligent pop phase, his world music phase, his slightly-techno phase and now his classical music phase. When I heard his music for the first time on a bus heading for a field trip, I was smitten; though not in the crush way, in the "When I grow up, I want to be just like ___" way. That was when I decided to be a singer/songwriter.

I would love to know who influenced you! Who was the person that was your role model, your inspiration?

It's Easy to Be Optimistic When...

Goodwill gives back! When they received a sculpture by acclaimed sculptor Sterett-Gittings Kelsey worth half a million dollars, they contacted the donor and returned it. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy...

A New Resolve

As you all know, the date is currently September 4. Therefore I've decided to get started on some of my New Year's resolutions. One resolution I have in particular - I made a goal to have three songs learned and memorized by the end of the year, Fantasie Impromptu by Chopin, Impromptu Number 4 in A flat Major by Schubert and Maple Leaf Rag by Joplin. So, I'm going to apply myself, slaving at the piano until my eyes blur from the tiny notes and my tea grows cold with neglect.

My first song will be Schubert's Impromptu. Confession: I actually began working on it once I decided to blog about it so I have a bit of a head start (although not the head start I would have had if I had started in January). I shall try to think of some creative way to let you know that I have held to my end of the bargain and am learning/memorizing the songs I said I would (even if they are faster and more heavily pedaled than the originals).

Any New Year's Resolutions you are going to revisit with the crispness of Fall to energize you? And if you have an idea of how I can prove that I've mastered the new songs, feel free to suggest.