tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29402215028135145682024-02-06T20:37:12.517-08:00Music Equals LoveUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger136125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-81255077367429292102014-04-29T11:39:00.000-07:002014-04-29T11:39:01.260-07:00Moving to Tumblr<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello There Everyone! <br />
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I hope you all are really really great!!<br />
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Things are going well here. I just shot a new video and I am slowly getting used to all this social networking business. Even though I am technically a millenial, I actually try to hide from technology, so it's all a little overwhelming at times. Still, it can be fun if I just keep a relaxed mind :)<br />
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I started a <a href="http://youtu.be/gI6RW36USIU" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a>, a <a href="https://soundcloud.com/bella-die-for-love/die-for-love" target="_blank">SoundCloud account</a>, and an <a href="http://instagram.com/belladieforlove" target="_blank">Instagram account</a>. It's pretty fun! While I get all of that together, I do miss blogging, but I feel like blogspot has become a little outdated. So therefore, I would like to invite you all to follow me over to <a href="http://belladieforlove.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a> where it's a little easier to blog more frequently, post pictures and videos. You can also find me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bella.love.946" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/BellaDieForLove" target="_blank">Twitter</a> if your heart so desires.<br />
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Talk to you all soon!<br />BellaUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-64698880492860244432014-01-29T20:24:00.001-08:002014-01-29T20:26:27.512-08:00My First Music Video!<br />
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Last night I uploaded my first music video! I have to admit, I was very nervous. I uploaded it and sent it to my Facebook page. All of a sudden, I had this panicky feeling... what if no one "likes' it? Or worse, what if only 5 people like it? I will be so humiliated! But thankfully, I have gotten more than 5 likes, and people seem to genuinely like it! I am working on getting my video blog going, so you will hear from me soon. I hope you like the video! If you like the song, please download it on iTunes <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/die-for-love-single/id797294451?uo=4" target="_blank">here</a>: <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5aFLVfVS5fw" width="480"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-35560114328141999762013-12-06T20:37:00.001-08:002013-12-06T20:39:41.028-08:00Shot My First Music Video! OMG!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry for the bad iPhone photography...</td></tr>
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Well where do I begin? My album is done. I'm staring at a copy of it right now. It's hard to believe! I have worked so hard for the last two years to make this thing, and it's just sitting there hanging out staring up at me wondering what the hell I'm gonna do with it. Well. A lot has to be done. I'm an independent artist, so I have to think strategically. All the pros release singles before they release an album, and that is what we (me and the produce-ah) are going to do too. In this era, that means making a music video! </div>
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I don't know how the stars managed to line up for me, but they did. As I was waiting for the CDs to come in, I was at a new student's house making chit chat with the dad. He asked how the CD was going. I told him that honestly, I'm nervous. I've worked hard at this album, I have no PR or Marketing team, and my only chance at getting an audience is a good video... and did I forget to mention I have no video team? Well.. those who deny the powers of the Law of Attraction, prepare to be mystified. He looks at me and says very simply, "Oh- I'll shoot your video." I didn't even realize I was talking to very successful Hollywood Cinematographer, Kris Kachikis. (I mean... I knew his name. C'mon, of course I knew that, but I don't google every single person I meet like <i>some</i> people </div>
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do :-) And he came through. Incredibly. He recruited an enthusiastic young Director named Mike Gratzmiller (we decided to call him Gatzby which I believe makes him sound mysterious :) Mike and Kris put together a team of 15 people to work the set on Black Friday last week. David and I found a loft space downtown, auditioned some actors and a dancer who volunteered their time as well as 2 make-up artists and a wardrobe stylist. Everyone accommodated our very, very low budget. They were amazing. All. Of. Them.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catching the L.A. Golden Hour</td></tr>
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When I arrived, I was amazed to see this busy crew buzzing around the loft. There were actors waiting to go on, make-up artists working, JM the dancer practicing his moves with a sword, a monitor for everyone to watch the actors do their thing. When it was my turn, the gloomy rainy day turned into a brief sunset miraculously, so we had to work fast. You can see me running to the set in the photo above. I sang the song 100 times that day, I think. From 2:30-11:30, I sang sitting on a bed, standing up by the window, staring uncomfortably into the camera's lens, in the backseat of a car. I accidently flashed the entire crew when my coverup came down during a very in-the-moment performance, and there was no time to feel embarrassed about it. I have a lot of respect for actors now. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Monitor Behind the Scenes</td></tr>
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It was really fun. I honestly think I could do that every week. I had been really nervous during the week leading up to the shoot, but once I got there, I remembered how to be vulnerable in public. It's not that hard. It's just a decision you make in your head. An audience loves vulnerability especially if it's honest and from the heart. So that is what I kept telling myself.</div>
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Next step is editing. I'm super nervous because I want it to be great. I am so hoping we have it out in the next few weeks as well as the single available for purchase on iTunes and Amazon. Will keep you posted. Oh yeah- have I told you the name of the single? It's also the name of the album-- "Die For Love." I love the drama of it, don't you?</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-72743818175501702172013-09-09T10:52:00.000-07:002013-09-09T13:29:34.839-07:00Practicing Mistakes = Creating Bad Habits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have a lot of students who are so talented, but so lazy. Instead of correcting their mistakes, they just continue to play on and essentially make the same exact mistakes every. single. time. Ok, I admit I am not perfect, and sometimes I am also lazy. Sometimes I breeze through the mistakes saying to myself, "I'll correct it next time. I promise. Seriously I will!" Yeah, it's pretty weird the way I talk to myself.<br />
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I realized the other day a connection between making mistakes in music and making mistakes in day-to-day life. When you continue to make the <i>same </i>mistakes over and over again, that is when they become bad habits. First of all, music is learned by making mistakes. You can't become great at your instrument without struggling and messing up all the time. But when we get lazy about fixing the errors, they become permanent habits in our practice. Just like in life.<br />
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When I sit down at the piano each night, I usually make mistakes within the first few minutes. I used to hate this. And it would cause me to resist even beginning to practice, because if I can't be perfect immediately, then what is the point, right? What a crazy idea to carry around with me all the time! The perfectionist attitude is a frustrating habit that keeps us from growing and becoming better. Once I tell myself to just suck it up and deal with the mistakes, I give myself a chance to actually strive toward perfection, instead of just beating myself up for not being automatically so.<br />
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I find that the more I practice dealing with mistakes in music, the better I get at dealing with the mistakes I make in my day-to-day life. Giving someone a dirty look in traffic? Recognize that mistake and work on not repeating it. Being late to a piano lesson? Recognize the mistake and try again next time. Overall, I am becoming more content with the fact that mistakes are a part of life, but how we deal with them determines whether we grow or get stuck. <br />
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My next big project is to start making music videos. I am beyond scared, and the perfectionist in me wants to just say "never mind! we don't need a video!" before I even give it a try. But the new me says not to give up or get lazy. I'm gonna work just as hard at making a great video as I did on making a great album. I'm sure I will make many mistakes along the way, but I will not let it stop me. Wish me luck!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-19916799882877924412013-09-05T15:49:00.002-07:002013-09-05T18:36:59.141-07:00Album Almost Here!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recording in what we nicknamed the "Frank Sinatra Room" at East West Studios. <br />
Yes that really was his recording room!!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></span></td></tr>
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Over the past 6 months, I have been in and out of the most exciting and intimidating music studio ever. Somehow, my amazing producer got us into East West Studios, home to several names such as The Beach Boys, The Mamas and the Papas, Elton John, Michael Buble', Adele, and everyone else you have ever heard of. I don't know how he did it, but he managed to secure all of our studio time there. It was really, really amazing. I don't think I can really describe how exciting and scary it all was. Exciting, because I would have never imagined recording my first big CD in such a famous place, and scary, because... well... read that last sentence!<br />
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I spent several months before that holed up in my apartment rehearsing with the string arranger and the backup singer, and also in a rehearsal space in Hollywood with a rock band. David and I were meeting with musicians at least 4 times a week in order to get us all ready for the big recording moment. We found almost everyone on Craigslist! So basically a group of strangers came together to make our songs sound less like singer-songwriter anthems, and more like radio ready hit songs. I have to say, I was so impressed and amazed by their talent that I often felt intimidated around them.<br />
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We managed to record and mix everything in a few months time, and after that it was a whole other adventure. The album has to have a cover, so we prepared for my first photo shoot. To say I was scared is an understatement. I don't know what happens when someone sticks a camera in front of me, but for some reason my face tenses up and I look awful. So I treated the photo shoot like a performance and I practiced. Yes that's right. I practiced. You don't know how dorky I feel admitting that, but it was great advice given to me by my best model friend, <a href="https://plus.google.com/108585448470197690215/posts">Rebecca Winters</a>. I set up a camera on a tri-pod in my apartment and worked on relaxing my face, specifically my jaw. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fun shot by Kevin Scanlon</td></tr>
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The shoot ended up being a total blast once I relaxed. We got some good photos that we chose for the back and inside booklet. The cover photo came as a surprise, when my friend Olga asked me to come over for a shoot at her home. I will wait for the release date to show you what she came up with, but I will tell you we were both so excited when it happened. It was at the very end of the day. She had taken some pretty fun photos like this one:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Olga Roth</td></tr>
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The actual cover is so very different from the examples above, but I wanted to give you a taste of what I have been working on. We will be ready to release it very soon, and in the meantime, I need to crawl out of the dinosaur world and figure out how to get a YouTube channel going. You can expect some videos very soon! I'm excited!!!!!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-34631521678906278722012-07-17T06:46:00.000-07:002012-07-17T06:46:04.885-07:00Concentration & FocusMany kids have short attention spans, and I find myself saying "focus!" quite often when I am teaching. Other favorite phrases are "pay attention" and "concentrate." If you let your mind wander for just one second, you can lose the whole song. One thing music education teaches you is how to pay attention.<br />
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In Buddhism, this is what meditation teaches us. It teaches us how to pay attention to our own breath as well as the world around us. When we can pay attention, we can see what is <i>really</i> happening, verses what our ego <i>thinks</i> is happening.<br />
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For the past month, I have been working on my own focus. I committed to doing yoga 5 days a week before I put in my 2-3 hours of practice. It's been quite the boot camp of concentration, and I'm pretty sure it's changing my life.<br />
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Now my goal is to simply focus on each moment of the music when I sing or play piano. I use the word "simply" quite loosely, because the truth is that focusing on every single moment for the duration of a 5 minute song is anything but simple. It is hard work.<br />
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So my friends, that is what I have been up too. What have you been up to? I have to go to yoga. I'm trying Hot Yoga this week. I am surprised at how much I like it! I will write back soon.<br />
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Peace & Music,<br />
BellaUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-6070515138582938252012-06-09T07:25:00.001-07:002012-06-09T07:25:41.414-07:00Courage & Fear<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/TW7-AzQitt8?fs=1" width="480"></iframe><br />
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Last weekend, my students and I had a recital. It was really beautiful, and a very proud moment for me. I spent a good deal of that week thinking about and discussing fear. 95% of my students have to deal with stage fright. I could feel it and became quite nervous myself. I must admit, however, that some of that nervousness was truly my own. At a recital I worry about the kids having a good experience and I worry about being viewed as a good teacher. I worry about the song choices on my part and the decision to allow certain performances. I worry about parking and seating and I worry about my own performances as well. I am more of a singer than a speaker, so I always freak out about the MC part of my job on Recital Day.<br />
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Fear and worry can be so draining to your energy. They just take over your entire body and mind and make it impossible to get anything else done. By Tuesday of last week I was so over it! I decided to do something, so I began asking all of the kids and parents about their stage fright and if they had any tips for overcoming it.<br />
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One day, both a dad and a student said to me, "You just get up there and do it!" In other words, you summon up some courage and just dive in. Courage, the opposite of fear. I realized that music performance is an opportunity for building courage, and I saw the fortune in this opportunity for both myself and my students.<br />
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Another dad said that before he goes on stage, he peeks out into the audience, looks at every single person and asks, "Can you do this?" Doing this brings forth the reality that most people are afraid of being exposed on stage and the answer most of the time is "no." So when you make a choice to stand in front of a crowd and perform something amazing, you are summoning up courage. Rather than dwelling on my fears, I decided to manifest courage.<br />
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As the week went on, I continued my conversations with students and their families, and each day, I spent a few moments thinking about my own worries and fears, and consciously replacing them with thoughts of courage and bravery. When I would begin to feel nervous about standing up and speaking before each student's performance, I would look at individuals on the street and mentally ask, "Could you do this?"<br />
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On recital day, I was surprisingly calm. Spending a week facing my fears and worries made me realize what a beautiful opportunity this nervousness gave me. We all have impossible goals we want to achieve and we desperately want to believe we can achieve them. In order to do that, we have to replace our fear with courage. The little performers last Sunday taught me a very good lesson that if you just prepare and then dive in, you can do anything. If you can believe whole-heartedly in yourself, you can accomplish any goal. If you want something bad enough, you have to replace your fears with courage.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-23948046117847036502012-05-21T12:32:00.001-07:002012-05-21T12:32:01.890-07:00Nat king cole, Nature Boy<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Iq0XJCJ1Srw?fs=1" width="459"></iframe><br />
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This is my inspiration for the day. What a voice!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-81921949186536282312012-05-16T00:52:00.000-07:002012-05-16T00:52:03.324-07:00Edith Piaf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I started reading this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/No-Regrets-Life-Edith-Piaf/dp/0307268012">book</a> about Edith Piaf. My goodness, what a life. Did you ever see "La Vie En Rose"? I knew nothing of Piaf before I saw that film, and after I did, I fell in love. What a beautiful and dramatic character she was. If you haven't see the film, see it, and if you have, read this book. It is hard to believe so much tragedy can happen to one person, but it is easy to see how the tragedies served in creating that beautiful and haunting vocal performance of hers. </div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-31071945233145307322012-05-14T23:23:00.000-07:002012-05-14T23:23:34.573-07:00Knowledge Is Bliss<div style="text-align: left;">
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I have mentioned that I have listened to many adults mourn their long-lost piano lessons, wishing they had stuck it out so they could read music and play into the late evening hours after their children have gone to sleep. I have never mentioned the other side before.... the ones who say they are glad to be without formal music training because they think they hear music in a more magical manner than someone with trained ears. There were moments when I would hear them and wonder if they were right. Did I ruin my ability to love music with child-like wonder by devoting so many hours to the science of it?<br />
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I got my first twice-weekly paid gig straight out of high school, and after that, it was only a matter of time before I was technically professional, which really just means I was paying all of my bills through music. Just like any job, it can get tedious. I found the other professional musicians to be just as jaded as any other professional worker. It was just a job. I was so scared I would become like them, and I have to admit, it only took about a year before I began to feel the same sense of bored obligation to my "job" as I had felt when I worked the hosiery counter at JC Penney's. I wondered if those blissfully-uneducated music fans were right. <br />
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With the swift decline of music education sweeping across the country, and entire generations now growing up without any kind of formal music training, I have to ask myself if this is a serious problem or not. And are the happily untrained music fans right? Is music more magical when covered with a veil of secrecy? I don't think so. I have been playing and studying music for most of my life, and the beautiful thing about it is there is always something new and magical to uncover. It is like Math or Science. Many of us never study past basic Biology or Algebra, so we can never even attempt to understand the mysteries of the universe, and I feel it is the same with music. When you don't study music, most of us hear it as one blob of sound... albeit a beautiful blob if we like what we hear... but nonetheless a blob. A giant mass of sound. Most of us cannot hear the bass line. Our ears can't pull out the violin part from the rest of the instruments, you hear a singer and a clump of instruments making a wall of sound.... that is... unless you had a music education.<br />
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After a long and ongoing music education, I feel like I am reaching a point where things are starting to become magical in a completely different way. The difference between pre-education and post-education is in what I hear. After years of ear training, I can hear every instrumental part in a song clearly, and I can comprehend the musical choices the composer made. When I improvise now, I am aware of just how many choices there are to make in a composition. My friends... there are so many choices! There are so many options and how one decides is so personal. When I hear a great composer, I want to know why they make the choices they make. They're choices are ultimately so different from my own. I have no idea why these individuals make their particular choices, and that is what makes it continuously magical. It is so much more than luck when a great songwriter or composer makes a beautiful piece of music. After playing "Blackbird" on the piano tonight, I am convinced that Paul McCartney is a genius and a master of music theory, despite rumors that he cannot read music. If that rumor is true, take note that it says nothing about his grasp on the theory of music. That man knows more about music theory than most of today's pop stars ever will. The way he crafts a song and his harmony choices are simply incredible and awe-inspiring.<br />
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I wish music education were not so nearly extinct. I fear this attitude of blissful ignorance will catch on and make it ok to not study music. There is so much more to musical magic than power chords, I-IV-V compositions, A-B-C song structures, and unison-only singing. If that was Greek to you, and you love music as much as I do, I encourage you to go deeper in your understanding of it. There is a whole universe out there waiting to be explored. If you don't have the time, then at least make sure your kids are in music lessons. I can't handle the thought of another generation growing up with a knowledge of music that doesn't go beyond the Billboard charts. There is so much magic out there!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-49532535196316476132012-05-04T09:31:00.001-07:002012-05-04T09:31:41.038-07:00BEST BEST Marvin Gaye - What's going on (Live)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OOzDu32ywqI?fs=1" width="459"></iframe><br />
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This morning I was listening to Marvin Gaye and wanted to hear him play the piano. I stumbled across this video. What a rare gem to witness. He talks for a good 3 minutes, and I understand he was heavily influenced by drugs at this time in his life. Regardless of his personal problems, I just felt in awe watching this 1983 performance of such a classic song. You can feel what he is feeling, the most relevant reason for enjoying musical performance.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-39618596058976418152012-05-01T11:45:00.001-07:002012-05-01T11:47:33.303-07:00Lindsey Buckingham ~ Go Insane ~ Milwaukee Live 2006<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3Id2_hIt3J4?fs=1" width="459"></iframe><br />
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Everyday I run past the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angels, and so for the past 2 months I have had to stare at "LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM-MAY 4TH" as I run past and try to pretend like it's ok that I would not be attending. I looooooooooove the dreamy and talented Lindsey Buckingham, but I am on a tight budget, and the last time he was in town, his tickets were close to $100. This morning I thought it wouldn't hurt to check out <a href="http://www.goldstar.com/events/los-angeles-ca/an-evening-with-lindsey-buckingham">goldstar.com</a> and see if there were any deals... OMG- $25!!!! Hells yeah!!! I'm so excited to see him live! Anyone else going?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-7518075995044369402012-05-01T09:17:00.001-07:002012-05-01T09:17:05.863-07:00NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert: Esperanza Spalding<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sBZa7-2bG2I?fs=1" width="480"></iframe><br />
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I love everything about Esperanza Spalding... The way she closes her eyes the whole time she sings, the way she dresses, the sound of that bass, the little gap in her teeth, her hair, the sweet way she talks about music in between songs. I am totally captivated.<br />
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I love this Tiny Desk Concert. Watched it this morning, and now I feel inspired to sing and play. Her voice is always stronger when she doesn't play the bass, but it is indeed impressive watching her multi-task AND sing in a hunched over position. Singers are at their best with a straight spine in order to allow easier air flow through the body, but her rawness and occasional singing flaws are easily forgiven, because you cannot help but stare hypnotized as Ms. Esperanza journeys through a mesmerizing trance of song. What an inspiration!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-73640601601105725472012-04-27T18:13:00.001-07:002012-04-27T18:13:11.570-07:00MistakesMan, as a teacher of music, the subject of mistakes ALWAYS come up! I have this terrible joke I recycle over and over again. And usually it wins laughs. It goes like this.... A student, at some point, will look at me all freaked out and say "What if I make a mistake???!!!" And I will say with a straight face... "Well then I will have to quite being your teacher." They always laugh when they realize I am joking and get it... that mistakes are not the end of the world. Well the other day I pulled this on a 7 year old guitar student and he started crying!!! I felt soooo bad!!! I must have given him 3 hugs to reassure him that I was totally joking! Oh man.. it is time to put that joke in the garbage can...<br />
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But seriously, the mistake thing comes up a lot. Today I was improvising on the piano with all of my windows open, because it's really hot here in Los Angeles right now. My neighborhood is busy, so I am certain people can hear me play. When I improvise alone, I make mistakes. A lot of them. When I thought about the windows being open and the thought that someone might hear, I got a little insecure. I thought, Oh no.. they are probably thinking, "She's a piano teacher?? Eww.." Then I thought "Screw it." You cannot invent new things without making a few mistakes. That's how you discover new possibilities.<br />
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So this weekend, when you create, make a ton of mistakes and let it lead to creating something awesome.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-81740166889256473872012-04-27T14:18:00.001-07:002012-04-27T14:18:27.793-07:00Adele - Set Fire To The Rain LIVE (Full HD)I just started watching the live concert DVD of Adele. Aghhh!!!! She is so good she makes me want to just quit right now!! She is AMAZING!!! This has to be the best live concert video I have ever seen. You really get a good sense of how amazing it must have been to be there.<br />
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So, I have to come back. I couldn't stay away. I miss talking about music with you. Just be patient with me. The posts may not be regular as in daily. I am not the type to say "Every Monday you can look forward to a post!" I tend to take one day at a time and write when the inspiration hits. I hope you will understand. So how have you been? What have you been listening to? I want to hear everything!<br />
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The video that really hooked me and made me regret leaving the blog was an interview with Bill Evans, the great Jazz pianist.<br />
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What I adore about this interview is Bill's story about learning how to improvise. He talks about learning how to play anything from sheet music, but not being able to create music spontaneously. Now imagine being an artist who can only copy works of Van Gogh or Picasso, but cannot create original, spontaneous works. Can you imagine the frustration and boredom?!<br />
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Music education has not been set up the way Art Education is set up. At least in American culture, you learn how to play music from reading notes first. Now how does that make any sense? Learning music with your <i>eyes??? </i>What I love about Jazz, and what I love about this interview with Bill Evans, is that you can see that there is a school of thought that believes in the importance of using the ears exclusively to play music.<br />
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This is a contentious subject in the world of music education. Some feel very strongly in the traditional classical model of teaching, where you start on page one of your method book, playing quarter notes and half notes, never once straying from the page. The radicals are the ones who question this approach, but it seems strange to think of it as radical.<br />
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Another obsession I have had since we last parted is Elton John.<br />
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I love the way he plays piano and I LOVE the way he sings. In this video, he's all alone, so you really get to see him show off his skills. Makes me want to play, so I'm gonna leave you at that.<br />
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It's so nice to be with you again! Talk to you very soon!<br />
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BellaUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-657827866618761932012-02-01T09:05:00.000-08:002012-02-01T09:05:59.315-08:00All Things Must PassDear Music Lovers,<br />
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It's been a busy start to 2012. I have spent the last two months working hard at the piano, singing, guitar, writing, and moving into my new home in Downtown Los Angeles. I am finally settled after a crazy, crazy 2011. I spent quite a bit of energy deciding whether I should continue writing this blog or not, and I have decided it is time to move on and put all of my concentration into the practice of music.<br />
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I so enjoy the process of writing about music and philosophy, and surely I will pick it up again in the future, but for now, all of my energy must go into playing and singing. Thank you so much for allowing me to express myself. It has been such a fulfilling experience. Music can change everything.<br />
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Love, Peace, and Music,<br />
BellaUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-11919721207192992972011-12-24T17:14:00.000-08:002011-12-24T17:15:48.408-08:00John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War Is Over)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/z8Vfp48laS8?fs=1" width="459"></iframe><br />
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Happy Holidays, Everyone. Thank you for reading my blog and sharing your thoughts with me. 2011 was a pretty incredible year. I wish all of you a peace and music filled 2012. Remember:<br />
"War is over if you want it." </div>
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Love,</div>
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Bella </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-53127295129816298172011-12-20T11:32:00.000-08:002011-12-20T11:32:34.992-08:00End of an EraWhat a crazy, crazy year. We lost the greatest innovator of our time, Steve Jobs, as well as one of our bravest intellectual thinkers, Christopher Hitchens. Terrorists were captured, dictators died, and we watched as the courageous activist Julian Assange was hunted down which showed the public that you best keep your mouth shut. The Senate passed a bill allowing the military to arrest U.S. citizens without a warrant and to even kill them if necessary. Our way of life is shifting completely, and no one can predict what will happen next. Groundbreaking music helped raise the bar thanks to Arcade Fire, Adele, Cold Play, and Florence and the Machine. We saw countries reclaimed by it's people and our own country did something it hasn't done since the sixties by showing it's frustration with Wall Street and forming the Occupy movement. I feel like I spent at least one moment each day shaking my head in disbelief. It was a crazy year.<br />
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What does this mean for music? The only era I can think to reference this time to is the 1960's and what followed in the 1970's. Fans often credit the turbulent period of the 60's as being the fuel for both musicians and fans. Music became the only outlet for expression. We have many outlets for expression, so that isn't good enough these days. What we need now is high quality music that transforms us. We live in an unpredictable time period. Everyone I know agrees that now is the most important time to stay focused on the present. You have no idea what this crazy country will do next and you have no idea if your house will still be yours or if you will still have a job. All you have is now. Music suspends time, and a good musician can make you feel like you have travelled to another plane.<br />
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This year I committed to 2-4 hours of music playing a day. Most days I did 3. What happened to me recently is I graduated to a different "zone." After being sick for almost 2 weeks, I lost the ability to sing and it made me desperately appreciate it more. When I was able to sing again, I was more focused than ever. The world outside myself stopped, and time was suspended. For the rest of the day, I was calm and focused. Music changed my life.<br />
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Everyone needs music, and I predict what you will see is music that is higher quality than what we have experienced over the past 2 decades. I am hoping for something like the emotion of the 60's and 70's with the high quality sound of the 30's Jazz era. Please people, give me something good.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-86600676281091952472011-12-12T21:23:00.000-08:002011-12-12T21:25:15.710-08:00Quiet TimeI am finally well after feeling sick for over a week. I can't remember the last time nature silenced me like for such a long time. I was finally able to sing in a San Francisco shower on Sunday morning as I prepared to fly home from a visit with an old childhood friend. The high notes no longer stabbed my throat and the line from note to note was almost fluid rather that interrupted by crackling sounds. I felt grateful. I realize now that I can't take my voice for granted. People always say "I can't sing. No really. I CAN'T sing." And I admit I didn't believe them, but last week I also literally could not sing. It just wouldn't work. I could talk, but even though I tried, music would not come out of me. It was sad.<br />
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I spent the week listening to a lot of instrumental classical music, because singing of any kind made me burn with jealousy. Is it possible that my ear has become more sensitive after only one week of this? It seems that my singing notes are more in tune that usual. Perhaps my body needed a little vacation time from all the practice I have been doing to process all of the information. During the week, I played the piano as if I couldn't sing. Every instrumentalist really wants to sing with their voice, but that is not always biologically possible, so they put that energy into the instrument. I finally understood this.<br />
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I can't promise a blog post tomorrow, because I feel I need to continue my quiet time to myself. But I am still playing music. That will never stop.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-38731032207229355512011-12-07T08:17:00.001-08:002011-12-07T08:18:26.266-08:00Still PlayingJust wanted to post an update. I am still sick, but I am playing the piano everyday. I still can't sing, which is unfortunate, but I am putting that energy into my piano playing. The encouraging thing is that my piano voice is getting stronger. I will post more when I am better.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-62727055977782345042011-12-05T15:29:00.000-08:002011-12-05T15:34:42.674-08:00Day 18: Bad Girl<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7oO0Kj4yeRg?fs=1" width="480"></iframe><br />
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I was a very bad girl yesterday. I sang on a sore throat. Bad bad bad. Now I am paying the price. I can't sing. I really had no choice. I had my student's piano recital at the retirement home and I always lead sing-alongs at the end. My sickly voice has a real chesty quality. I liked it. It reminded me of the "Friends" episode when Pheobe gets sick and develops this really sexy singing voice. She keeps trying to get sick again so that she can get that great voice back. I admit, the sick voice is kinda cool, but I know better. It's important to rest a tired voice. So today, I didn't sing. Oh I tried, and the sound that came out was sad, sad, sad. So I played piano for 3 hours. It was nice. I played all Christmas songs, because I am less than 15 days away from my first holiday gig. Losing my voice made me put that expressive energy into my playing. A blessing in disguise, I guess. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-35276491773178788782011-12-03T07:52:00.001-08:002011-12-03T07:57:46.533-08:00No Power & Sick<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: normal;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QCG3kJtQBKo?fs=1" width="459"></iframe></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #777777; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">I know... it wasn't really "stormy" but if you had been here, you would know what I mean.</span></i></span></span></span><br />
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The Santa Ana winds came two nights ago, and I swear, it was like a hurricane without the rain. So weird and scary! I kept waiting for the moment when a tree would just break through one of my windows. I had a canopy in the backyard that just disappeared before the night was through. The winds blew up to 100 mph where I live, and 145 mph in Pasadena! Trees were uprooted and debris was everywhere. Just got power back last night, and I am still trying to beat a nasty cold. Haven't sung because my throat is sore. Terrible. Today, I feel up for practicing again.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-3220829575474366862011-11-29T23:06:00.001-08:002011-11-29T23:19:31.277-08:00Day 16: Man in the Mirror<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.3333px;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/F9Nh84lfvW0?fs=1" width="459"></iframe></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">In every voice lesson, Katie makes me sing while looking in the mirror. Like many students, I do not enjoy this. It makes me self conscious. I am supposed to notice the shape of my mouth and jaw while looking for any tension anywhere else in my face. Like most women, I find it difficult to not scold myself when looking in the mirror. Ridiculous, really. Today, because I wanted to make my practice really count, I practiced for 30 minute while looking in the mirror. I told myself I would not berate myself for any reason and I would look at myself in the way I would look at any other student. That is, without judgment. It took a few minutes, but after that, I was really working. The moment any self criticism came up, I reminded myself that I was <i>practicing</i>. And I always tell students that you are supposed to make mistakes when you practice, and then work to fix them, so what's the big deal? Finally, I am learning to take my own advice. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">It was interesting to examine myself as if I were one of my students. To look at myself and strip away the personal judgement was empowering. It was a successful practice because even though I made many, many mistakes, I didn't beat myself up over it. I told myself to try again, and eventually I got the sound I wanted. All it took was accepting myself the way I am in this current moment.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2940221502813514568.post-71729246215713429082011-11-28T23:11:00.000-08:002011-11-28T23:15:34.932-08:00Day 15: Staying Present<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WVwf1MCaZak?fs=1" width="459"></iframe><br />
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I remember I took up meditation when I was very young, because I couldn't focus. Because I wanted to play the piano desperately and I couldn't focus, I had a problem. I worked at it, and over time, I became a very focused musician. With all the life changes that have happened to me over the past few years, it's more challenging to stay present. I find my mind wandering when I play the piano. </div>
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I once met a guy who could read books while playing old Jazz standards on the piano. I couldn't understand it, but now I too am capable of reading and talking while playing. It's just a sign that I have practiced for a long time. It doesn't mean the song sounds it's best. It actually sounds ok, but nothing to brag about. If my attention is completely on the music, it sounds amazing. Note by note is the only true way to play, and today I am getting a little closer to getting that old focus back.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0