Happy Memorial Day

 Happy Memorial Day.

I remember as a kid, my parents venturing off to Connecticut for this annual tag sale that used to take place and for every episode of it, there was rain involved. 

We got the load of rain as well as the cold to come with it.  I think this is the coldest spring I have ever experienced. Not just the weather, but all the people that I have lost in this past year and a half; it seems almost like an unending season. RIP to all those who lost their lives to this pandemic. You were soldiers in your own right, taking on life and respectively doing whatever it was that God purposed you to do, only for your life to be cut short by the circumstances of COVID19. 

My condolences to all the family and loved ones of those fallen soldiers, as well as the ones lost fighting in wars for our freedoms. We salute and honor you today. 

And if you identify with me and feel as if this actually is "The Coldest Spring Ever," please check out John Mueller's and my tune on Soundcloud enitlted "The Coldest Spring Ever." PErhaps it will help to add some warmth to this Memorial Day. https://soundcloud.com/stephanay-jnote/the-coldest-spring-ever

Thank you so much for checking out my blogpost. God bless you and peace!!!

Stephani

My Resolution to Write More in 2021

 One of my resolutions for 2021 is to write more consistently.

 

Writing is one of my favorite things to do. I have had a fresh appetite for adding strings of word to a blank page ever since I was in the fifth grade. I am hoping this year to write more boldly, much more often without abandoning the idea. Why? Simply put; because I am a writer.

One of the things I have started to do to try to rise to the occasion of consistently writing, is that I joined a few writing groups that encourage writers to write with a prompt. One is a short story group which made me realized that the 3000 words that they encourage you to write, is similar to writing just one chapter in a book. I love knowing the fact that if I can write a chapter-full of words, there is nothing stopping me from writing a chap book at some point. I am thankful for that.

The other group is a songwriting circle. The curator of the group gives a weekly prompt to enhance the motivation of the songwriters in the group.

Most of the times when I write songs, I piece together ideas based on what I am reading, watching on television or perhaps by a few chords that I come across when I am in practice mode. To have a guided topic to be influenced by, makes the piecing together of a new original song even that more interesting to do; especially because it challenges me to be more passionate about writing.

This week’s prompt was everything is gonna be alright. I invite you to check out the song that was written based on this prompt. It is entitled, “Everything is Gonna Be Alright.” All lyrics, music and vocals are by Stephanie Jeannot. You can listen to the song on Soundcloud here: https://soundcloud.com/songwritersclubsd/everything-is-gonna-be-alright-stephanie-jeannot

If you like the song, let me know what you think. If you think I can improve my writing in some way, please share some encouraging words that might help me along my journey. Thank you so much for checking out my blogpost. Have an amazing day! 

The Songwriters Club · Everything Is Gonna Be Alright-Stephanie Jeannot

Can You Relate to This Story of Love?

“When you are totally in the moment, you are showing genuine enthusiasm” (Franzblau)

Sometimes you just happen to come across that someone and for curiosities sake, you want to navigate your way through that individual’s world to see what he or she is all about. Then suddenly, you find your energy is sapped because thoughts about the twinkle in that beautiful person’s eyes creep in and you are lost in the borders of a daydream.

The desire to go beyond the limitations of simply knowing that person’s name and smiling at each other leads to fertilizing knowledge about each other by spending time together and watering your hearts with love and the dream is no longer a possible utopia because you have taken a big leap forward towards that realm of reality.

And then you discover that in each other’s embrace, there is this tremendous reservoir of harmony that uplifts you and makes you feel happiness. At that point, there is no denying your feelings; you know that you have been infected with the emotion of love.

If this story relates to you in some way or another and you have experienced something of this nature, then you might be able to relate to my song that I just added on Soundcloud entitled, “Blindly Into Love.” 

The truth about love is, you may walk blindly into it because it can hit you when you least expect it and then the love story that is conceived, hits the ground running and you take it on with this indomitable courage and it is simply time and nature that become the most brilliant of authors of the irony of love.

All lyrics and vocals by Stephanie Jeannot. Music by Mike LeShore. You can check out the tune on Soundcloud here: https://soundcloud.com/stephanay-jnote/blindly-in-to-love

Let's Talk About Driving Drowsy From Gigs

It’s nothing new under the sun that the tongue holds immense power. We speak and have the power to change people’s minds in either a positive or negative way. This week I want to use mine to talk about driving drowsy.

Driving drowsy is a passionate topic for me because a few years back, I happened to be driving drowsy. I had slept only but one hour the night before and spent the long day busy doing things, then went to a gig doing the very taxing thing of singing live only to drive home more exhausted than I should have been, and it took just one second of me closing my eyes while behind the wheel to have an accident that left bewildering hurt and altered my life in so many ways. How many times can I say that I have driven tired coming from late night gigs in the past with my eyes closing at traffic lights or stops and nothing as immense as this has ever happened. But it only takes one time and you just never know when it will be. 

I can’t even explain to you the mental calisthenics that I have been through ever since and though I survived it without a scratch on my body, I still muster sympathy for the fact that it happened. My car was nearly totaled but I was okay. If anything proved to me the power of faith and that God truly is love, it was the moment that I realized the precious cargo of the woman that he created in me's life was spared.




Thankful that God kept me and I’m still here to talk about my testimony. Unfortunately, it is not the same for many others.

“The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conservatively estimates that 100,000 police reported crashes each year are caused primarily by drowsy driving and that such crashes result in more than 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in monetary losses" (National Sleep Foundation). The numbers are quite alarming to me. I know that it is said that every 4th car on the road is under the influence but, who would have thought that this number would include being under the influence of tiredness? Be careful when coming home from gigs because after putting all that energy into giving a great performance or any job that requires lots of effort and energy, you just never know what the result could be while driving tired and with drowsiness. Please be safe on those roads. 

Driver fatigue drowsy driving Anti Sleep Alarm System

This week from November 5 to 12th celebrates Drowsy Driving Prevention Week and because this is a subject I am very passionate about, I will dedicate this week’s episode of my radio show Jazz on the JNote to discuss ways to prevent falling asleep behind the wheel while driving because there are many that can spare the lives of those busy people who have no choice but to drive under the influence of exhaustion. 

I will stress that my show is not a talk show. It is jazz based and the music is non-stop. However I will discuss ways to stay alert on the road such as chewing gum, or using your hands free device to have a conversation with a friend among other ways to prevent drowsy driving, while playing songs that stress on these ideas. 

Please tune in this Sunday evening, November 5, 2017 at 7PM EST for Jazz on the Jnote. You can tune in by visiting http://www.theenglishconnectionmedia.com or http://mixlr.com/the-english-connection-media/ to tune in.

It’s not what you do but how it’s done and because we are rational by design, let’s weigh in the decision to drive safely and if you are tired, make the healthy decision of not getting behind the wheel. Have a blessed and wonderful week and please stay safe on the roads. Your life depends on it and so does everybody else who is on the road. 

Blessings! 

Haitian Culture Falls Fresh On Me Like Waters From the Saut

“When you have unity. Nothing is heavy” – dad

It is weird how things come into play. Somebody says, hey try this and you do or you don’t. That’s the way it goes. You might have your own way of doing things and choose your own path. But there are times you think, hey why not and the results are amazing.

So I tried something completely different. I was Ushered into a transformative moment by my folks to write a song about Saut D’Eau (Sodo), which is located about 60 miles north of Port au Prince. Saut D’Eau is also the French word for waterfall, with this area in the Mirabalais province of Haiti being known for the most beautiful and peaceful waterfall you could find in the world.

Every year in July, there is a wonderful feast celebrated on the 16^th of July known as the feast of Mount Carmel where hundreds gather to celebrate this wonderful day together. This is part of my culture. I am Haitian and was raised with knowledge of my background, traditions and the peoples from whom we came. I have been to the feast once while I was in high school and it was such a beautiful celebration. So many people. Such a great gathering of like-minded beautiful people that left me with such an amazing feeling.

I was asked to write a song about this very place. Usually, I am not one who needs direction. I write songs based on what is in my heart and that is it. But when my family asked me to do it, I did. Who knew that going with someone else’s inspiration would let the words and music shed out of me like water weight while on the treadmill at the gym.  A few hours later, the song, Saut D’Eau Song was born. I guess you can say the weight of the mission I was tasked with was not heavy because it was with my folks in mind.

I hope that you’ll check it out. It is mostly in English as my Haitian Kreyol is not the best, though I did add a few words of Kreyol here and there because I am Haitian and this song is about Haiti. Saut D’Eau Song was written and produced by Stephanie Jeannot. All lyrics, music and vocals are by Stephanie Jeannot.

  

Anyway, here is the link to the song: https://soundcloud.com/stephanay-jnote/saut-deau-song 

Thank you so much for checking out my blogpost. 

As Imperfect As I Am, I Still Did It My Way

“We all have dreams, hopes and insecurities” – David Hooper

It’s my season to indulge on something I realized this morning as I gathered with a beautiful family, memorializing their loved one who had recently passed.

The son of the departed spoke about the life his father lived and directly after that, I was requested to sing a rendition of Paul Anka, Jaques Revaux and Claude Francois’ English version of Giles Thibault’s “My Way.” The song an interesting one talking about the way that a person lived their life and even though they fell, made mistakes and had a full plate, they stayed in the race and did it their way. 

Kind of made me take a backward glance and think about all the legends that left us behind in 2016; Prince, Natalie Cole, Muhammad Ali, George Michael, Princess Leia, Paul Von Thadden, etc, and many family members of friends that are no longer in the land of the living. Yet, to think about the relationships that were built over time, even with those that were legendary that we only knew through television through their victorying and then the scandals and everything else that followed their lives. We loved them anyway. Then I look at myself and think of all my imperfections that some of the people I have lost over the years and then those who are still here that decided to love me anyway.

As Imperfect As I Am

We live our lives in the best way that we know how and folks in our lives still find ways to reflect on the best of us though we are still works in progress. Singing “My Way” for the first time and hearing the lyrics that were featured in this tune was a defining moment for me. Made me realize that the flaws are what people will miss. Made me realize that my imperfections are things that I should not look at as a reason to be angry at who I am because they are also worth loving. Who would think that a song like that would make me consider my own worth? The recently departed may be feeling his wings against the sky on his flight up into heaven, but his memory will forever live on. Even in his resting peacefulness, he inspired me.

I wrote a song that is similar to “My Way,” entitled “You Loved Me.” Lyrics and vocals by Stephanie Jeannot. Music by Mike LeShore. It is actually one of my many songs featured on Soundcloud. Please check it out here: https://soundcloud.com/stephanay-jnote/stephanay-jnotes-tracks-1

Let me know your thoughts on faults and imperfections.  

If you listened to the song, tell me what you think?  How can I improve it?

My Teacher Made Me Do It! Happy World Teacher's Day!

It wasn’t my fault that we got caught underneath the cover of the sky when the sun came and claimed it. 

We had been told many times to go out and face tomorrow, but it wasn’t our fault that it was already tomorrow. Early morning for that matter and time to go back and to do what we were used to doing routinely in the structure of our lives.

Some may have had genuine concern for us because we hadn’t slept. We never worried. We just jumped in the shower and went about our business. We were always  jittering with excitement about what was next on our agenda. We had learned to go with the flow of things since we had been doing these crazy things for quite a bit of time now. Um like forever! 

We never were in a position where we would be frozen by fear over not being able to accomplish the task for the day though we were almost on empty after we’d been running almost 48 hours without sleep. We owned the night and then we owned the day no matter what; even if our heads never hit the pillow and our hearts beat violently because our engine never rested.

But then you come to a point when you realize and accept with openness that you are not young anymore. It is sad, but I will admit that I am bathed with shame over the things my body can no longer withstand because I am no spring chicken. Sometimes I weep in the darkness over the fact that I must sleep in order not to overrun myself because I now get tired. And then I realized that relaxation and creativity go hand in hand.

It wasn’t my fault on the night when I decided to honor myself and give into the thousand count thread pillows that were calling my name. My energy was plummeting. How could I run like a sheep with no shepherd? I could hardly keep my eyes open to even see what was before me. And that is when I realized that everything must change like the season changes from summer to autumn. I must change with it. 

I have vivid memories of my childhood. I may have gone spinning out of control a bit. Okay, a lot but, it echoes in my heart because it was good. 

I shook my groove thang. I fell, and got up. I learned new things in the process. I wasn’t this delicate flower that fell to the ground because I was unable to shine my worth with true conviction in the sun. I was bold. I was tough. Yet still, I did not truly accept my own being or value the temple that was the whole of me then but I am different now. 

I know my purpose. I can smile triumphantly. I am victorious. And I am growing with strength for real because last year around this time and the years before that, I got depressed and cried a bit when my birthday was approaching and I knew the number of year would go up again. LML! But, my slant on life has changed. I have a broader perspective. I am at peace with myself. I feel purposeful. I can happily look back over my life and say triumphantly, "Je suis toujours La" and the joy that I now feel about that truth ain’t my fault!

Speaking of being Toujour La,  last year for my final project in my French class, my teacher made us do a presentation of our choosing completely in French. I could say thank God I am Toujour La after trying to complete such a difficult task. 

Yeah, I have Haitian roots and yes the official language of Haiti is French, but try to speak it in my home and I am told to speak in English. I am not the best at it., LOL! But I chose to write a song and entitled it "Toujour La."  I apologize to all you true French speaking people out there. I tried my best to complete an entire tune in French and it is on Soundcoud and I hope you will listen here: https://soundcloud.com/stephanay-jnote/toujour-la-by-stephanie-jeannot

I can only blame my teacher. She made me do it. SMH! She was the best of the best of teachers though. Happy world teacher’s day to you Dr Ruiz. You made me do it. I needed a grade. You gave me one. I passed my class. I graduated with high honors. I did it for the educational value. But in truth it wasn’t my fault.

April is for Jazz and Poetry Appreciation

The older I get, the faster life seems to speed by. 

I mean, can you believe it is April already?  It feels like only yesterday that I was on the dance floor at Trattorias in Purchase, NY, singing away 2015 on New Year's Eve, and here we are, four months later holding on with a tight grip, so we don't trip as the days fly by.

Photo Captured by EJ Haughton Photography

April has arrived; the fourth month of the year and also the rainy month, National poetry month and Jazz Appreciation Month. 

On a clear day like today, we have to be thankful that we had bright sunshine, though mother nature seems to be playing an April Fool's trick on us here in New York as she brings yet another chance of winter snow for our well-into-spring weekend. Might seem a bit depressing to think we might be cleaning wintry white from the concrete and the hoods of our cars this weekend but that is okay; nothing that beautiful poetry or jazz can't soothe, like a hot cup of coffee tends to do in the morning when sleep is still combating with wakefulness.

So while we are in the midst of my favorite season, I would like to wish to you, Harmony through it all. This is definitely a great season to allow that internal joy to peacefully uproot within and to blossom towards the light of the amazing sun. 

Happy April!  And to you, I dedicate a song that I wrote which was produced by a good friend of mine named Paul Garrod. The song is entitled "Harmony," and I hope that it brings you just that.  Here is the link: https://soundcloud.com/stephanay-jnote/harmony 

Thank you for reading my blogpost everyone. And as bassist Stanley Clarke would say, "Shanti, Peace, Paz, Shal!"

My Valentine

Valentine's Day has always been a day that we celebrate love. 

 

I am not one to start traditions but for the past few years, I have been making sure to give myself a valentine present and show myself some love which usually consists of a wonderful day of being pampered at the spa.

 

There is nothing like a hot stone massage that you can just lay back and enjoy the pressures of. I can truly say that after all the hustling and bustling through life,  those few seconds of elevated joy seem so necessary and the words ring true even after four years of her death, that Whitney Houston sang, I have been, "Saving All My Love For You."

 

Then there are the traditions of sharing time and giving gifts to others. I rather put a little bit of myself and my work and creative juices into a gift hoping that people will receive what to me seems a little bit more personal. Like a few years back when I wrote the song Valentino for my Valentine. We had been dating for about a year and I thought it was appropriate. You can check it out if you'd like on Soundcloud. Here is the link: Valentino by Stephanie Jeannot

 

 

Today, I vividly desire to bear fruits of love and connect with

you.  Celebrating life, love and breaking bread together with you

to tell you thank you for all your humble support. Shout out to all you

beautiful people out there who share with me your spiritual love.

 

Whether you enjoy a tryst under the shade of your roof or beyond, may you

be graced with a soothing song. May the reflections of love touch you and the

sweet air of music bring you calm.

 

And with that in mind and keeping with the harmony of Valentine's Day,

I dedicate this cover of My Funny Valentine to you. https://youtu.be/arfSAMsHyk8

 

 

Thank you for checking out my blogpost everybody and for allowing me to share my gifts with you!

With much admiration,

 

Stephanie Jeannot

Happy Thanksgiving

This year seems to be traveling at the speed of sound and incredibly, I still can't get over nature's song and dance.

It feels almost as if it were yesterday when I woke up from a second of sleeping wedged into a back of a truck with the metal of my own car before me looking as if it had been cut open by a can opener. But I survived it and am so blessed to be able to say that I am still here because God kept me. Yet, there is no denying all the wonderful blessings God has provided and I am very grateful.

I subscribe to a blog which delivers articles to my email on a daily basis and I came across a gratitude challenge.  The challenge was to write down three things daily in which we are thankful for and by the end of the year, we should have about a 1000 things on our list.

I had been with writer's block for a while unable to express myself in song. But come across a gratitude challenge and the words unraveled like a petal of a rose in the springtime. The words were down, and then shortly after, the melody and music; a song of thanksgiving inspired by the thankfulness challenge that I came across and thought was very appropriate as we are coming upon Thanksgiving Day.  And here we are,  giving thanks to God,  He is definitely worthy of it. Check it out if you'd like https://soundcloud.com/stephanay-jnote/thankful-rough-mix. The song is called "Thankful"  (A raw and rough draft)!

https://soundcloud.com/stephanay-jnote/thankful-rough-mix

I am definitely thankful that you took the time to check out this post and with even more gratitude to have each and every one of you in my life.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Harmony

There is something about harmony that I just love!

Stacked up waves of beauty all intermingling together beautifully to create one beautiful sound.  And when you take harmony in, it just soothes.

That was the idea I had when writing the song "Harmony."

In my opinion, there is nothing greater than singing and music. What I love to do most is to be on the stage and performing before a crowd. These are the things that bring harmony to my life. These are the things for me, that bring peace.

And so, when speaking of music and how music itself is the subject of most of my original material,  there is always an essence of instrumentation, melody and/or all things that pertain to music when I write. 

True, "Harmony" is the title and it is a love song, but love in itself can also be an harmonious thing if it is right. And so, here we have it; the song that I was speaking about that I'd like to invite you to listen to.  It is currently on my SoundCloud account and here is the direct link to it. https://soundcloud.com/stephanay-jnote/harmony

If you are interested, I have several songs on SoundCloud besides "Harmony" which can be accessed by visiting https://soundcloud.com/stephanay-jnote Follow me and I'll follow back. You can also put your SoundCloud link in the comments below if you'd like for me to visit just in case I missed it.

Thanks a million for stopping by and for checking out my post.  Please enjoy the rest of the weekend and blessings for the week ahead.

How to Smell the Roses

I am one with nature and definitely learning how to smell the roses. Each new day a new blessing. Each new blessing, something to not only be thankful for but to build on and also learn from. 

Thankful for fresh opportunities that break me out the box and transform me just a little bit more. I feel just like the roses when you shed your light on me and enable me to stand tall and lift my face unto your beauty. Thank you Lord for loving me as softly as a morning sunrise.

God is good!!! (EVERYDAY) 

I Know you love me Lord because even as imperfect as I am, you loved me. 

Please check out my original tune "You Loved Me" on Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/stephanay-jnote/stephanay-jnotes-tracks-1 on SoundCloud

The Many Hats We Wear to Breakthrough

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Philippans 4:7

I'm guilty of letting my doubts take over my body and killing my spirit and motivation, almost like a disease. But sometimes, it is the human way, when we forget to acknowledge all the goodness God has already done in our lives. 

We as a people wear so many hats. 

We are our gender, our children's parents, our parent's children, our sibling's sibling, our friend's friends, our spouse's spouse, our 9 to 5, our responsibilities, and our passions. With so many things, we often have little time to remember how strong we have been built and often tend to break under pressure. 

I'm inviting you today to understanding. Here are some things  to consider. 

- Broken crayons still color. 

- The fish could not handle Jonah's praying and spit him out

- Even a bud must face the sun to take root

- God is not through with me yet

- Faith is the most powerful weapon you can carry and utilize

- No matter what you are going through, God can fix it for you

With that in mind, I wrote this song entitled "Breakthrough" which is an inspirational tune about the wonderful grace of God. Here are a few links to the audio version and/or live footage. If you are interested, please feel free to check them out and enjoy. 

Soundcloud Studio Recording

https://soundcloud.com/stephanay-jnote/breakthrough

YouTube live footage with Ladeez in the House Band 

http://youtu.be/dmNCdoHp-Lc

Thank you for checking out my blogpost everyone. 

Stephanie Jeannot