" A Reason To Believe"

Hello Everyone:

Hope you are well! I recently saw two legends perform live, Stevie Nicks and Rod Stewart.  These artists worked hard to achieve the success they have and still continue to be passionate.  I took a break from writing and recording to see if I still have a desire for it and it turns out that I do.  I may not ever find the success that I would like but I will never give up on a dream that I have longed for since I was a young girl.  In recent weeks, I have begun to write again and hope to record and upload these songs soon.  It turns out that there may be a ' reason to believe'.

" Is it Only a dream?"

I am wrapping up this month's postings in regards to the songwriting of Stevie Nicks.  She is able to take you on a journey through her songs and most of them sound like poetry.  It is a beautiful gift to try to take people on a journey and create a place of escape if only for three to four minutes. " Rhiannon" is a song that she wrote after reading about a Welsh Witch.  The way that song is crafted and the catchyness of it makes it a classic. " Leather and Lace" is a great song that incorporates imagery, emotion and a sense of vulnerability.   I hope her influence has rubbed off on my songwriting.  I don't think there is any proven method of songwriting that leads to success but most songs coincidentally have a rhyme scheme.  I do think that success depends on how the lyrics fit to the music.  I  recently began posting some of my lyrics on a few boards again in the hope that I will get some constructive feedback.  Ultimately,  I think when I record a vocal demo of these songs I will see how they fit together with the melody and work out the kinks.  I try to write my feelings and leave a little mystery so people can relate them to whatever they are going through.  I don't believe that you have to spell out the topic all the time but I do believe that from time to time it can be a good thing.  I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and are enjoying the holiday season!!

Sarah

" A Thanksgiving Message"

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving.  It is a wonderful time for family to gather around the table and appreciate all that they have in life.  I would like to thank family and all the wonderful friends that I have.  When I was younger, my mom reminded me that as you grow older it is not about the material things that you own that are important, but the wonderful friends and family and the memories that you will cling to.  So on this Thanksgiving, I wish you all a Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving and thank you for your friendship and love.

Sarah

" Taking Stock in What Matters"

" I've been afraid of changing,
cause I built my life around you,
but time makes you bolder,
children get older and I'm getting older too"- Stevie Nicks " Landslide"

Life is a precious gift and every once in a while you are reminded of how precious it is.  I was recently reminded of this and have been taking stock in what is necessary to have in life and what is not. 

In my opinion, Stevie Nicks is an incredible singer- songwriter.  She writes from the heart and uses her voice to convey the emotion she is trying to deliver.  Stevie is a poet whose message has transended the test of time.  She wrote " Landslide" when she was around the age of 28.  "  Silver Springs" is a powerful song about living through a breakup and Stevie delivers a haunting vocal.  Her solo career took off with " Edge of Seventeen" which has a catchy quality to it.  I have been lucky enough to see her twice live, once with Don Henley and with Fleetwood Mac.  Stevie has influenced many of the other artists that I listen to like Sheryl Crow. She says exactly what she feels and it is refreshing.  It is nice to know that when I sent in my songs to a website that they compared my songs to Stevie. 

I am doing a lot of writing lately and it is helping to release some of the feelings I have been experiencing.  I think it will be a lot of writing during this stage and if there is time I may be able to record one song at a time whenever I get the chance.  I hope that you are all well. 

" Was It Just A Dream?"

" Songwriting is about getting the demon out of me." - John Lennon

John Lennon wrote about his emotions and poured them out in songs that would become some of the most important, influential and powerful ones in history.  For all the success he achieved in life, the pain he endured is described in detail.  His songwriting was his therapy and he looked for ways to achieve his dreams.  His drive to succeed was influenced by his father abandoning him, his mother's death, his aunt raising him and meeting Paul McCartney.  I can understand why John said that quote about songwriting.  Sometimes you let so much emotion build up inside that you feel that you need to release it.  There is nothing more gratifying than to write and record a song and have people relate and express feeling the same way.  That is what gives people hope.  It is important that we continue to support each other and be kind to each other. 

I have uploaded two more songs "Imperfections" and " Underneath".  I would appreciate if you took some time to listen and leave feedback on them as well as the three that I uploaded last week.  There is a lot going on lately and it should come through in my lyrics.  I do think that I am developing as a singer songwriter and have made some progress compared to a year ago.  I hope you enjoy the music and the entry.  Hope you are all well!

An update on my songwriting progress

Hello Everyone-

Just a brief note to let you know that I have three new songs uploaded on my pages.  Hope you enjoy them and feel free to leave feedback.  Looking forward to recording a few more songs in the coming weeks.  Hope everyone is well!

Sarah

" And We All Shine On, Like the Moon, the Stars and The Sun"

John Lennon's music revolved around important moments in his life.  " Julia" is a song that describes how he felt about his mother and dealing with the loss of her at such a young age.  John wrote so many great songs: "Instant Karma", " War is Over", " Power to the People", " Imagine", " Just Like Starting Over" and " 9 Dream" are some of my favorites.  The message that comes through John's songs is love, peace and that anything is possible.  He was just a lad from Liverpool with a dream... to become a successful musician.  His journey gives hope to everyone who has ever dreamt of making it big and coming from nowhere.  His message still lives on thirty years after his death. 

As for my progression, I had a recent bout of laryngitis and I am slowly getting my voice back.  Writing is going well and hope to still maintain my deadline of having some new songs recorded and uploaded by the end of the month.  I have also been looking into sending some songs to underground radio stations for some feedback and exposure.  I do hope to play a couple of open mic nights in the near future.  Hope all is well with everyone.