A song writter to make sure that while we are remembering to decorate for the holidays, and to sing carols, and to buy present for our loved ones, that we not forget that Jesus is the reason for the season.
Have you ever wished that you had a time machine to be wherever
you wanted to be in the blink of an eye?
No more 80-mile drives to a far distant place just to get
into the things that your heart says yes to but your energy says, maybe another
time. Instead, you could just climb into a contraption, press a few buttons,
and boom, you are there.
You wouldn’t have to rely on airlines and hope that their
staff doesn’t all get sick that day. You do not have to sit in rush hour
traffic hoping that whatever mess is before you on the journey home will clear
up. No more wishing to go back in time to revisit a person or to relive a
moment. You could just climb into the time machine and Bam.
That is what I was thinking about when I wrote the song “Time
Machine.” After a long work week, I want to be like the road runner and zoom
home in a flash. I wish I had a “Time Machine” to be where I want to be and to do what
I want to do when I want to do it.
If you could relate to any of this, please check out my song
“Time Machine.”
Sometimes I wish I had a time machine at my disposal for so many different reasons. How about you?If so and you can relate then, add the full-length version ...
Students often work around the clock to claim success. It is their way of being in control of the outcome of their story. Doing well at their studies gives students a clear path to the stars and so, they pursue their education with diligence and devotion.
I have to give it to those students who were engaged in the great struggle of learning virtually; especially who were on the verge of becoming a class of 2020 graduate. Their
story is one I would consider as being unique because they had to deal with the
challenge of doing everything required to take off to the sky, online.
Thinking about that and so many of the students I had worked with who were about to advance to the next chapter of their journey made me remember life and how it felt to finally get to the last page of that part of my story. And I remembered all the first-hand exposure
and practice I did to make sure I had all the tools I needed to be able to walk
down the aisle with tears of joy rolling down my cheeks, to actually accept my
certificate of completion.
Thoughts of this ran through my mind when my sister sent me her intelligent and handsome son’s graduation picture. I looked at it and it made me want to dabble into a bit of creative expression while my excitement for his accomplishment was fresh in my mind. I’d say that I
went plowing full speed ahead and then not shortly after that, a song was born.
It is called “Moving Forward.”
It is a song to celebrate the achievements of the students who put their all
into studying from the confines of home during the stressful time of the
pandemic and quarantine and were able to succeed. It is dedicated to all those
who were able to leverage the experience of the quietude and found success.
I felt such a feeling of elation for them that music came pouring out the well of my eyes; especially for my students and for my nephew. Please check out the song here: https://youtu.be/cCqQLst99tM
I created the drum track and then the piano overlay and added stacks of vocal harmonies to it and then sent the song to my friend John Mueller in Chicago, IL, who added a funky bass line and moving guitar strums to it. The song was completed just in time for me to share it with my nephew on the day of his graduation.
I’m so very inspired by their strength; that even through the obstacles, they did it.
Congratulations to the class of 2020. Job well done.
Valentine’s Day is a great day
to celebrate the triumphant powers of love.
It is a good day to give in to
a refreshing change of pace from the stanzas of life that sometimes spill forth
into the mix of your peaceful times and instead focus on being united in
affection and concentrate on your loved one. And so, why not embrace the night
with open arms and let your hearts be lifted by the strength of the messages of
love?
Some go out to the movies or
to a nice restaurant to enjoy a night out on the time. Some stay in and do romantic
things together in the comfort of the home. My focus from this point on will be
for the latter.
The playlist features a panoply
of songs that have the power to add a little extra warmth for the soul.
So, while you are home
together absorbing all the joys and fascinations that love holds, here is a warm
blanket of songs to zen out together to. These sounds that will fill your home from
this playlist will simply roar to the special rhythm of the two of you.
Whether you are a brand new
couple enjoying Valentine’s day for the first time, or you have been in a
relationship for a number of years or you have spent your whole life together
through to your senescence and are chasing a sense of youthfulness to add something
fresh to what you have, you can while away to the music featured and there is a
song for you that will strike a responsive chord.
Whatever you decide to do for
Valentine’s Day, I hope that the happiness and strength of the day will leave you
both with a lasting jovial spirit.
Every year, Indaba Music hosts a number of different music competitions where artists can enter in and have an opportunity of winning. I have entered quite a few contests myself in the past because I wanted to see what would happen.
This year, Indaba Music once again hosts the 7th annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition. Artists are supposed to enter into the competition and submit three selections; one ballad, one mid-tempo or blues tune and one upbeat jazz song; one of which must be a cover of a song that the Divine One Sarah Vaughan has done.
So I decided to enter into the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and I am hoping that perhaps you will take a listen and hopefully vote for one or more of my submissions.
This is my Ballad entry: "Tenderly - Stephanie Jeannot"
I am no warrioress with musket and sword on my waist and my hair cut close to the scalp in a role to defend my king. But I am a fighter and I am royalty. I like to indulge in
my passions as I roam through my kingdom, unapologetically and push doggedly on. I will admit that I live a
dotty lifestyle and sometimes when you look at me, you might see wildness underneath my crown, in
your eyes. It may even drive you mad, if you yourself do not have your own
little strange way of being that makes you uniquely you. But I have been blessed with God’s amazing grace
who created this unforgettable world around me and I am powerful in my own
right.
I will not say that life has
been easy to navigate. I will however admit that every moment that I existed in
belonged to me. Sometimes I have to break out into applause at all the
life-changing experiences that God kept me from experiencing the downward
spiral of destruction, which gives me reason to stay in a positive frame of
mind. I could sing about this truth forever.
As knee deep into life that I
am, I am far from the point of my origin and so very thankful for that. It has
been like a sonic boom and sometimes I still feel the trumpeting vibrations of
my stupendously loud childhood, but my attraction to visions of the future
are all the reason to ruffle my feathers with confidence for that possible
utopia. I know that the possibilities are boundless and I am totally worth it
and to know that empowers me. This is the reason why I am able to awaken with a
grateful heart every day.
God kept me from destruction
in my decrepitude and I am still here to speak of his mercies, even though I am
not perfect. How awesome is that? His amazing grace enables me to have a renewed
sense of purpose each day and it gives me reason to dance for joy every morning
when I see the red glow of sunrise.
Know that You Are Not Alone
We all have at one time or
another, come into a difficult trial. We all have experienced hurt or pain. We
all find ourselves in a valley of tears every now and then. We all vie for
a better life and to enjoy peace of mind. Time to face the reality of life. Time to forgive yourself for your falls. Time to
accept yourself for who you are where you are. Time to get more out of life. Time
to rejoice in the truth of how blessed you truly are.
No need to allow restless
thoughts to keep me up at night. There is still courage to be faithful even
when disagreeable things come and toy with my spirit. And no need to take
anger and frustration out on myself for situations that come into my life that
I cannot change; even if the situation is of my own doing. And no need to feel
as if you are so alone in this world that the only thing left in your heart is
the desire to not live and to commit suicide. Even in moments of distress,
never give up. Don’t let doubt blindside you from seeing the truth about the
amazingly, wonderful person that you are.
You should know that you are a
very important character in this world and the warm sunshine in someone else’s
heart. Never forget that; even while bemoaning your own circumstances and while
experiencing the severe pressures and demands that comes with the life we are
given. You can still find a source of joy to keep your head to the sky. The
most important thing is to not let go of it.
If any reason to hold steadily
on the course, let it be the splendor of the dawn. Look skyward and be thankful
for the blessing of time to fall into a torpor to be still in its refreshing
embrace after hustling all day with the wonderful strength you have been built
with and for the grace that wakes you up with in the morning.
I am no warrioress with musket
and sword on my waist and my hair cut close to the scalp to play the role as
bodyguard for the king but instead, I have a king who is my bodyguard who saved
my life on countless occasions. For him to see so many reasons to love me
regardless of all my imperfections, who am I not to love myself in the same
way. I am blessed to see another day and grateful for every day that I can say
that I have been kept. And with that in mind, perhaps my original song entitled, "You Loved Me" by Stephanie Jeannot and Mike LeShore might add a little bit more inspiration to your day.
I have made it my mission to write a thousand words a day
and to make the words that I share positive as a way of engaging a smile in someone
else.
Through it all, I will benefit by festering my own wounds
that have yet to heal and have been holding me prisoner to my doubts since they
first left scars. I will not admit to living a life full of immense sadness but
I will say that the past took such a toll that it still has fire power over my
mood because of the heaviness of the scenes where and when the bulk of negative instances
occurred that sort of affected the entirety of my huge heart.
Sometimes I am happy and then I think about those moments
in time which I fell and then I unhesitatingly choose to withhold my beautiful smile. I get
lost in the music of the thoughts of how I lost my step and what did not go my way in these detours that
shouldn't have, and then I feel this emotional fragility that should not be present
but is, because the past takes over.
I don’t know if you can relate to constantly blaming yourself
for where you are or are not in the present moment that leaves a physical
reminder of how you messed up. Though accomplishments may occur daily, you
overlook them because you never allowed yourself to experience closure from
your past. You rather stay tightly bonded to your disappointments than to experience the
momentary joys which I could say are on the flip side of the bad yesterdays.
Positive thoughts are the glasses that are half full. They create the sensation of looking on the bright
side. Being upright and positive would result in the good feelings that you could have though you feel nothing but numbness where the sunshine should be beaming.
Here Are Some Things You Can Do to Ward Off the Self-Negative Reactions.
1.
Encourage yourself.
Make a list of the good things
in your life. Acknowledge the accomplishments. Pat your own self in the back
with each rung you climb. Award yourself with a golden star or a mani/pedi when
you take a tiny leap into the direction of your choosing.
2. Shake
it off.
Turn on some feel-good music
and just dance. For one, it will burn off a couple of calories. Secondly, music
has a way of creating positive energy within. It can be that one thing to
instill hope in those great, big old eyes.
3.
Style
When you look good, you feel
great. I don’t know about you but if I dress up and look stylish, I can’t have
bad feelings about myself when I am looking at my dolled up, sexy self in the mirror. Dress up! Put on
some stylish jewelry on. Put some makeup on and smile at how beautiful you are
in your coordinated fashion. Look in the mirror and see the fearfully and
wonderfully made heir to the throne that you are. Royalty in fact. Do you actually
really see the truly blessed individual looking back at you in the mirror?
4.
Have a conversation
I understand that some people
feel that having a therapist Is the answer to everything. If you can talk to
someone and tell them your problems than it makes a difference and in some ways,
I agree. However, have you ever let out our thoughts to a great friend? Do you
have someone you can trust? If you get sad and think no, then you are wrong.
You can always turn to God with your problems. You don’t have to worry about
what you say being repeated in gossip. You don’t have to worry about being
judged for your thoughts and feelings. Get on your knees and let it out. He is
a great listener. IT also will feel good to get it out your system to someone
worth talking to.
5.
Write it.
If you think you do not have anything
worth writing about, sometimes letting out your emotions on paper creates the
best stories. The way our thoughts operate on us is the way that a reader will
look at what is written if you share it and feel the emotion ripping through
the pages. If you had a hard lived life,
write a song about it. I am not sure about you but, my favorite Mary J Blige
songs were the ones that she was singing sad songs. I could sing along to like the
first five albums word for word. Then she started getting happy and the songs
didn’t hit the same for me anymore. Some of the questions you may have that
bubble in your heart, readers and listeners might be able to relate to because
we all have baggage, songs and dances alike and across the breath of society, we
are no different from each other in the fact that we all had a past that we jumped
feet first into. The strain of the task might leave you exhausted because I
often end up in tears writing when I do write but, it will help to experience a
sort of clarity that you may not have had.
6.
Yoga/Meditation
Yoga helps to experiencedeep breathing. I can honestly say
that I don’t take deep breaths enough and not because I don’t want to but
because my body was built this way and I mostly take shallow breaths while
awake and while in resting mode. But, meditation hushes the overthinking. It
makes you focus on your breathing. It brings you to the point of quiet of mind
which is the only thing that never changes in a constantly changing world. Meditation helps to bring you into
unity with yourself and also helps to correct your thinking. For 15 -20 minutes
a day, if you focus on just your breaths, it can help to detox the clutter in your
mind.
Enjoy
Life
I hope that my words find you in good spirits as it was
written as I sit back and process the beautiful message I received today at church
as well as my dwelling on the first month and half that has left us in the 2017
year.
I attended two funerals already; one which was a double
casket one for a friend of mine who lost his brother and mother in the same
week. Days later, two other friends lost their mom, another friend an aunt and
a plethora of others who have lost people already in 2017.
Life is so short and considering my friend cleaning out
what is left of his recently departed, something to think about is the fact
that things, physical or spiritual are just things. There is still so much life
to live while we are in the land of the living. If lived with regret of what
should’ve would’ve could’ve happened which again are just things, our days will be hard and we will suffer. But if lived with hope of what
is to come, there is so much more promise than just the things. We have been kept for a reason.
Never forget that!
I’d like to invite you to check out my song, Enjoy Life,
about living and enjoying life regardless of our trials. Everything has an
expiration date; things, situations, relationships, people and even our trials. But our internal
joy is everlasting so don’t ever let go of it. Here is the link: https://youtu.be/qPCvcQLGd2o
Thank you for reading my blogpost. Have a wonderfully blessed day!
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It is a good day to give in to
a refreshing change of pace from the stanzas of life that sometimes spill forth
into the mix of your peaceful times and instead focus on being united in
affection and concentrate on your loved one. And so, why not embrace the night
with open arms and let your hearts be lifted by the strength of the messages of
love?
Hey everybody.
So I decided to enter into the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and I am hoping that perhaps you will take a listen and hopefully vote for one or more of my submissions. 
I am no warrioress with musket 
No need to allow restless
thoughts to keep me up at night. There is still courage to be faithful even
when disagreeable things come and toy with my spirit. And no need to take
anger and frustration out on myself for situations that come into my life that
I cannot change; even if the situation is of my own doing. And no need to feel
as if you are so alone in this world that the only thing left in your heart is
the desire to not live and to commit suicide. Even in moments of distress,
never give up. Don’t let doubt blindside you from seeing the truth about the
amazingly, wonderful person that you are. 
Make a list of the good things
in your life. Acknowledge the accomplishments. Pat your own self in the back
with each rung you climb. Award yourself with a golden star or a mani/pedi when
you take a tiny leap into the direction of your choosing.
I hope that my words find you in good spirits as it was
written as I sit back and process the beautiful message I received today at church
as well as my dwelling on the first month and half that has left us in the 2017
year. 