Saturday, May 8, 2010

flood update2

Well, it's been a long hard week to say the least. My house is basically totaled and everything, I mean everything, will have to be replaced: walls, floors, HVAC, ductwork, cabinets, appliances. But the good news is FEMA has already been to my house and said I'd receive a check within the week! So I'm feeling optimistic that I can get on the road to recovery and stop focusing on what's wrong and start focusing on what good is coming my way!

And in terms of my songwriting, I actually woke up with a song idea this morning..a new melody. I can usually hear the whole song in my head, the melody and chords. I went upstairs at 5:00 a.m. and put the melody down on my mini-disc, so I'll be working on that later today after some much needed rest.

I'm feeling very good about my songwriting now that I've been writing regularly. I took a week off to deal with the flood, but in the back of my mind through all this, is the feeling of optimism, knowing I have a special and unique talent that I am WORKING. It's one thing to have the talent and quite another to actually put it to use! I have to do my part...
And the audition for Hitmakers is rescheduled (thank God), so that gives me more time to prepare. I picked out the 4 song ideas I actually like and printed up the charts. Then I brought out my Casio and figured out which grooves worked for each song and what piano tones. Now I have to practice! Playing and singing my songs is not something I do often, so I need work at this...If I'm going to "sell" my songs to potential artists, then I have to represent them how they're supposed to sound. I can't put all my energies into writing only to mis-represent them for lack of my playing abilities...I've got to get it together! So there is still much work to do. I'm not going to let anything, not even a major disaster deter me from my dream!

OK, hopefully starting Monday I can get back to regular writing, or at least half-regular writing. Still much to do at my house, but I want to get my routine back in order so I can keep moving forward. I see life as a series of baby-steps. There will be some set-backs, but I believe even the set-backs eventually move us forward. I know something good will come from this flood - it will make room for positive change in the right direction. So I will keep focusing on that - on the positive and trusting in the higher good..

OK, that's all for now. Gonna rest out in the sunshine, then go do some work!
Terri

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

freaking out

Well,
My life has been turned upside down by this flood. Haven't written any music in 5 days - so much for my 30 day plan! But that's OK I guess. I've written about 5 songs in the last couple of weeks, and will review those today. I'm freaking though because the Hitmakers audition is this Sunday! And I watched the video on their website of the LA auditions and they make the contestants who make call-backs write a song in 30 minutes!! I am not a fast writer - sometimes lyrics take me 3 days or more...I like the music and lyrics to stew a bit. So if I were to make call-backs, will I be ready? Can I use the song ideas I've written recently as the music and just write the lyrics? Is that cheating? Will I have to have the chord progressions memorized? I don't memorize songs quickly either! So I'm stressing out...plus I have a gig in 2 1/2 weeks and can't get the musicians to respond to my emails. Why are musicians so flaky? Don't they realize music is a business and needs to be handled professionally? I feel my blood boil when I email or call someone and they don't return my call...just flaky and immature!
Well, I am determined to organized my 5 song ideas today - to print out the charts and review the melodies just in case!!
Gotta work...

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

flood update

Wow, sometimes life just happens...
Spent all of yesterday cleaning up my house with a crew of wonderful friends. Tough physical labor pulling up wet carpet and floorboars, knocking out wall, sopping up mud in every corner and crevice. I feel truly blessed though to have such wonderful people in my life.
In the midst of this, I just received an email from my co-writer in Germany that the publisher asked him about the publishing availability on the song he and I had written together. We had pitched it to a major European pop star. This could be good!! Maybe something good will happen through all this destruction...I'm so tired today. I really need to practice today and sing for my audition for the TV show, but I want to go help another flood victim. I HAVE to help!
So not writing music today, too much on my mind anyway and I can never write when I'm overwhelmed with life. Which is why I have to have balance in my life on a regular (normal) basis. This flood is not "normal", so exceptions have to be made.
I'll keep you posted!

Monday, May 3, 2010

new challenge

My house was flooded in the extensive rain yesterday...so I definately didn't feel like writing. But I'm still going to go to the Hitmakers audition next Sunday - Hell or High Water! I'm not going to let something like a huge natural disaster stop me from fulfilling my dream! My house is destroyed, but it can be replaced and fixed. My life and expression of myself must continue to grow and expand. I have to trust that something positive will come from this situation...pray!