Rehearsal Modes of JNote: Just A Sittin' And- a-Rollocking

Trying out my new camera I got for my computer. The C270 HD Webcam to be exact. I set it up and now just checking to see how useful it really might be to me.

So, why not try it out the best way I can; with my web series Rehearsal Modes of JNote.

This is the 17th edition. I never tried it live before so, this was a trial run.

Would you please watch it and tell me your thoughts. I love criticism because it is helpful for my furtherance.

I practice singing more than piano. I guess I always have. But I liked playign piano; especially for songwriting. I used it to produce my original tune

"Wherever You ARe." If you have never heard it, you can check out my tune here:

I'm not use to all this piano stuff but it's coming to me more and more because I was really using it mainly for writing songs prior to this.

Join my rehearsal and give me some feedback. I take lessons every now and again but this is my practice session one-on-one with my creative space, airing out my musical roar.

Hope you enjoyed this episode.

God bless!Check out my website for more http://jnotemusic.com

When Performing My Own Song

One thing I never get tired of as an artist who writes songs and sings, is getting into the groove of my own song.



I have been singing ever since I was just a tiny itty bitty person and there's a great feeling when I get to sing and I am sharing the lyrics and melody of a song that I wrote. But then to see folks singing back with me is always a great experience as it was recently at Essence Bar & Lounge where I got a chance to share my song and like every other time singing my song, it was a moment that I enjoyed a lot. You can check out the performance here: https://youtu.be/b25wTmICfNw 

There is no doubt that I love to sing. It is a passion of mine and one of my favorite things to do in this world. I want to share my passion with you all and so, if you are free and have time to come and celebrate my life and birthday with me, I would so love it if you would join me on Sunday, December 8, 2019 from 3PM to 7PM 

It will be held at the Russian Samovar located at 256 West 52nd Street between 8th and 7th Avenue in Manhattan. It is an open jazz jam and will feature myself on vocals, Danny Dalelio on keys and Donald Nicks on bass. I also invite all singers and musicians to come and join into the musical fun. Bring your instrument and heart to do what is in your heart. Hopefully I'll see you there.

It's sagg season and I'm excited to have been kept another year and I am looking forward to celebrating. God is so awesome!

On The Art of an Artist

Just thinking about the artists and their artistry as a whole. We spend our lives trying to find ourselves and our voices. We spend our lives trying to perfect trying to sing other people's songs, even though we have our art. We know the lyrics and music to a million songs but our own, we tend to not even practice singing them to remember the nuances to share it in a live setting.

We take our art personal. We give birth to the sounds that come from us and sharing is not always the easiest thing because people would be more inclined to enjoy hearing someone sing someone else's intellectual property as opposed to the ones that we take our time and effort to create. Or people will complain because you sound nothing like the artist that sang the song you covered. Or you feel hurt inside because you never feel like you did good enough just being who you are and you always feel this insecurity just to do what you love to do the most.

But then, when you actually do come up with your own melodies and sing them, you are not searching for your voice at all because it is right there in the song you created. You didn't try to be the sound someone else created. You were there being exactly who God fearfully and wonderfully created, even if you did draw inspiration from someone you admire.

So weird that we tend to search for things that are right there in front of us. And then you take a pause to think about it.

Nobody knows that you have art if you don't share it, even if after you do share it people

accuse you of being narcissistic or thinking that you are all that because you are saying "look at me". But then, nobody knows that you have your own voice if you don't let your own voice be heard.

The movie Us even shows the image of people trying to kill themselves to find themselves and doing all these experiments on our own selves just to be the image of what we think we should be, when we were right there all along, peering at who we are.

I am a singer/songwriter and I love music more than I like to eat; and I'm no skinny chick as you can tell. I write songs and I want to share one of them with you. Hopefully you will take the time to listen to my tune, "Gotta Go" here: https://youtu.be/vnsqyqGqpJU.  It's all about getting away from all the drama and the mysteries and the confusions that life holds so you can get back to being whole again. 

Thank you for checking out my blogpost! 

Songs For the Valentine Hearts

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.

If you decide to stay home and enjoy an evening together with the love of your life, I have got a music playlist apropos for that special night of romance. Here is the link: https://open.spotify.com/user/22hsqdduuzk6igxvrtw5l6iiq/playlist/3MvhWFSkCtZUVL8sqhX3iO?si=NaDDzHA_QByjptBXgBy_8g

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.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

On Reading Michelle Obama's "Becoming"

I am on a good start in trying to finish my 25 books by the end of the year.

That is only two books a month which is not so much of a demand, though it requires me to get the ball rolling on the reading thing. I mean, we are already in month two of the year. But I think I can do it.  

I finally finished reading Becoming by Michelle Obama and must say that it is an excellent book. 448 pages of words that are both engaging and inspiring as she talks about her life, her family, and being a part of the first black family to ever be situated in a presidential role. 

I laughed at times. Sometimes even found myself surprised at her remarks. Her words are edgy, provocative and motivating; especially for woman like me. Perhaps it would be a great book for young school aged girls to read as they journey into their purposes in this world. 

My favorite thought in the book was, “If we belong than so too can many others. I’m an ordinary person who found herself on an extraordinary journey. In sharing my story, I hope to help to create space for other stories and other voices to widen the pathway to who belongs and why” (Michelle Obama).

You can check out the book here if you are interested: "Becoming" by Michelle Obama.

"Becoming" by Michelle Obama

The audio book is even better because it’s read by the author who reads and projects different emotions and nuances with her voice, as the story unfolds. Love, Love, Love it!!! I listened as I drove, cooked in the kitchen or did cleaning around the house. The book never got boring and kept me interested in listening more and more. 

If you are interested in checking it out on Audible, join now and you can get this and 

another book for free for joining. Here is the link: Click Here To Join Audible

If you decide to read or listen to the book, I hope you  enjoy the read as much as I did. For me. it is an excellent book worth engaging in. What are your thoughts on this publication? 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog. 

Disclaimer: I am an Amazon Affiliate and may earn an fixed advertising fee if you are anyone should click on this link and become an audible member. 

Z is For Zwazo Ki Chante

So here we are at the end of the A to Z Challenge Cycle.

I think it pushes me to write more and to go from different angles trying to fulfill each letter and then learning new words because I definitely had not know many words that began with every single letter of the alphabet. I mean, who knew xu was a form of currency? But today because of the writing challenge, I like that it gives me the knowledge of new words. I look forward to soon starting from A again. 

MLK DAY

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr Day and his dream for freedom, I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes from the many zwazo de chante who inspire me as a chanteuse and songwriter to use my voice, the voice being the most powerful tool you own in your life. I mean, I am a songbird. Here are some quotes from some of the songbirds that I love a lot.  

“I could stand on the stage, facing the audience, 
knowing I was dancing down the barriers between us”

 (Sammy Davis Jr)

“Being a singer is a natural gift. 
It means I’m using to the highest degree possible the gift that God gave me”

(Aretha Franklin)

“Breathing, of course, is very important for singing. 
And while singing is exhaling, 
the inhaling process can make a huge difference to the sound of your voice”

(James A Cohen)

“Soul is the ability to make people feel what you’re feeling”

(Aretha)

“I am history, I am the future. I was and still am, 
because I always was and still am the truth”

(Anthony “AZ” Cruz)

I was thinking of Dr Martin Luther King Jr’s dream and the latter quote. AZ said that "[he is] history." Our history is a part of us. He fought for us to be able to experience the freedoms that we have today. We are the future that Martin spoke about though we still have a long way to go when the denial of basic human rights is less of a human crisis than some of God’s other children seeking survival from hunger for themselves and their children that they are not getting beyond the invisible wall.

Why is it that if we do not get our way sometimes, we feel so emasculated that we have to put up a tantrum?  I bet we will never see El Capitain looking through a lens of better

understanding of Mother earth that all of God’s children 

dwell on, on Twitter because toddlers with tantrums want what they want now; sometimes they even cry to have what they want. Why isn't humanity the eye candy?  

I wish time would have permitted 

us to see  a “Dr Martin Luther King Jr” reaction video to 

today’s modern world on YouTube. Would have been 

interesting to hear his thoughts.

I HAVE A DREAM

With his dream in mind, it started me thinking about my own dream of becoming better at video editing. What better day than today when it is like 2 degrees outside to stay inside and practice on building up my video editing skills.

 I created this video for my song "Love No Limit." Music by Paul Garrod. Lyrics by Stephanie Jeannot. Tell me what you think about my editing for this video I made in honor of Dr Martin Luther King Jr's dream of equality and fight for freedom for us. https://youtu.be/WcL9ZVr9nwU

Happy Martin Luther King Day everybody! God's blessings upon you!

Y is for Yonderward Into The World Of Speaking Kreyol

I am well yonderway into the world of speaking Haitian Creole and because it is one of my goals for 2019, I have this yird-hunger to conquer what I can of my family's language.

Click Here To Buy This Book

I am done with the yesteryears of hearing people tell me speak English because my Kreyol speaking is not on point.  This year is the year I will yauchle as a Kreyol speaker. 

And so, crazy me coming up with new ideas like I always do, thought it would be easy to learn if I try singing in Kreyol and I attempted to translate a Michael Jackson classic, "Heal the World," into my translation of it from English to Kreyol. 

I am thinking I am getting a better grasp at the pronunciations of the words but that is to be determined. Hopefully I will be even better as the days of 2019 roll along. But it sure is fun yiddling my vocal cords to better my understanding of this language and I feel yagiment because of it!  

LOL! Tell me what you think?