Music and Friends

It's stuff like this that makes me sad that I will only be at Purchase for two more days.



A little song that Miss Laurie Anne Creus and I collaborated on. Laurie wrote the melody and tagalog words and I added harmonies and the English translation.
:)

Rediscovering Love

The joy of performing was reawakened in me this weekend.

For so long I have felt forced. I have been so focused on healing and finishing my work that I had forgotten how much I love what I do. How much I love music. I love hearing it, feeling it and giving it to people. The most amazing thing about any art form is that it has the ability to reach so many people at once, and it means something different to each individual. No two people hear a song, or see a painting or dance in the same way, and in a performance, when I'm up there I get the chance to speak to every audience member uniquely. I can carry countless messages, messages that I don't even know I'm sending out. I become a vessel for something bigger than myself. 

I am so lucky to be able to create music every day, to live an inspired life. 

Downtown Cabaret was last night. It made me remember why art is so important. It connects strangers, shoots straight to the heart and lifts us from reality for a little while.

Here's a clip of one of the songs that shoots straight to my heart. My Mama used to sing this to me as a lullaby when I was little.

Downtown Cabaret

This weekend is Purchase College's Annual Downtown Cabaret. I am very excited to be a part of it this year.
The Cabaret is a two night festival that takes place at Gallery 151, a funky art gallery in Manhattan's lower east side. Music starts at 7:00 PM and continues until Midnight on both April 29th and 30th. The lineup is an eclectic mix of singer/songwriters, bands, choirs (gospel and acapella), jazz bands and sound design. Student artwork will be featured in the gallery and there will be two collaborative dance performances. One of the dances is going to be set to my song "Alice Unraveled". I will be singing live while Breegan Kearney dances a solo. I am very excited to see what she has choreographed, we are supposed to meet this Wednesday and rehearse.
I am also performing a set on Saturday night at 10:30 PM. Joe Endozo will be accompanying me on guitar. He always plays the right licks, he has a great ear for counter melodies. It's so fun performing with him.
Here's a sneak peak of one of the songs I will possibly be performing this Friday!

Hope everyone had a Happy Easter weekend!

Back to work

Well, spring break is over, I'm back at school and hopefully ready to get some work done. I had a nice break. I love being home and I tried to give myself as much of a rest as I could. I still am exhausted though. I have a massive energy deficit that is probably going to take most of this summer to fix, but that is what summer is for I guess. Now, however I have to get some projects finished.

I've got my album with James of course, which needs to be done by early May. That doesn't give us much time at all. We still have so much to do, recording instruments, I have to do more vocal takes and parts need to be written. Yikes. I can not believe how quickly the year is moving.

I also need to get more work done on the "Alice Unraveled" project. It's just so much transcribing, and I am miserably slow. I'll just have to chip away at it.
Mike's been hard at work on the arrangements. He sent me a demo of the song "Rose Petals" a few days ago and it is absolutely haunting. I'm really liking the direction the music is taking. Mike and I make an interesting team, we have very different styles and ways of approaching music but I think they are meshing into a really unique sound. His beautiful, dark arrangements give me momentum and keep me excited about the project.

All this plus my regular classwork seem to be endlessly piling up around me, and I've got my health to worry about.
I am happy to say though that my new paleo diet has been going excellently. I've had about six pain free days in a row which is pretty incredible. I have been slowly gaining strength and energy and I am really enjoying red meat! This diet has opened up a whole new palate of flavors to play with.

Recording Session and Scallops in my dorm room?

My recording session last week went very well! This project is going to be so cool and different. I finally feel like it is taking a direction and becoming more cohesive. Now we just have to follow our instincts and interpret the music as best we can.
It's amazing how songs come to life in the studio. Arrangement ideas kept popping up while we were recording, and I left feeling energized and inspired. I want to really experiment texturally with this album, using layering of timbres instrumentally and vocally. I think it could really end up having a neat sound. (Yes neat seemed like the most appropriate adjective.)

Now for the scallops.

I made this delicious delicious lunch in my microwave! (Pardon the crappy cell phone image, this poor college kid doesn't have a camera.)

Scallops with Plantains, onions, spinach, broccoli and Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos

Here's the Recipe: (very simple)

-1 serving of frozen bay sea scallops (however many you want depending on your hunger)
- 1 medium plantain sliced into rounds
- Some frozen/fresh broccoli florets (I think I ate about a cup)
- A few slices of white onion
- A bunch of spinach
- 1 T Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos (A coconut based sauce that can substitute for soy sauce. I personally like the flavor even better than soy sauce.)
- Olive oil to drizzle

1. Add your frozen scallops and plantain to a microwavable bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and steam for 2-3 minutes.
2. Now add in the broccoli and steam another minute.
3. Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix so the veggies, plantains and scallops are covered in the Coconut Aminos and oil.
4. Cover the bowl once more and steam for 1:30.
5. Enjoy!

Voila! A tasty, healthy meal in less than 15 minutes. That's what I call convenience food at it's best.

The Good, The Bad, (and The Bloated.)

I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while, it's been sort of a stressful year. Don't get me wrong there have been lots of great things happening, but my health has been questionable lately and it's hard to juggle classes and homework along with taking care of my food issues. Anyway, here's a little update on what's been going on in my life over the past few months, I'm sure I will elaborate on it all in the future.

The Good:
I really have been having a good year despite all the ups and downs. I love my classes, especially my master class. I always leave totally inspired and in a good mood. I love my friends, I have a great roommate and I feel like I'm learning a lot.

I've been working with a great friend of mine, Mike Hart, who has been helping me arrange the music for my original musical "Alice Unraveled". Mike is a super talented composer who usually works writing film scores and epic metal pieces. (You should check out his blog!) He brings a really cool point of view to the project, as he comes from a completely different musical background than I do, but his ideas are great and add so much life and color to my songs. Our collaboration is causing both of us to stretch creatively, and I can't wait to see how the show will unfold.
I'm planning on putting "Alice Unraveled" on next year as my senior project. I have so much to organize for it and am still searching for a director, actors, designer, etc. I know it will all come together eventually though, one thing at a time.

In addition to all that I have been working with James Perella (another great friend and excellent producer) on my Junior CD. We're planning on recording ten-ish songs this semester with full arrangements and the whole shebang. It's going to be nice to have a new cd out. I haven't done a full album since "Under the Lens" which I recorded my senior year of high school. It'll be great getting into the studio again.

The Bad (and the Bloated):
As you know if you've read my other posts I struggle with multiple food intolerances. I discovered my intolerances to gluten, casein and soy this summer before my junior year of college. Unfortunately, the intolerances just keep piling on. It seems that if I eat too much of a particular food I develop an intolerance to it. I am now having trouble with eggs, corn, all grains, nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, etc) and possibly legumes and almonds along with my preexisting intolerances. Needless to say it's been very difficult to deal with. I have to cook all my meals in my dorm (with just a microwave) and have increasingly limited options. So that has been worrying me a bit.
Recently as I was searching celiac forums for advice I stumbled upon something called Lectin intolerance. I still don't know too much about it and there is not a lot of information about it online but it does seem to fit my symptoms. A lot of people have discussed it on celiac forums and it seems to be more common than doctors think. Unfortunately the only advice I am finding is to eliminate the foods that trouble you and possibly try to reintroduce them in the future. Right now I'm living on vegetables, fruit, coconut, fish, turkey, turnips and sweet potatoes basically. But I'm pushing through it and hoping that this limited diet will help me. Honestly I just want my energy back. I can deal with a limited diet as long as I can be healthy and happy again.

If you're interested in reading about lectin intolerance here are a few links:
http://www.krispin.com/lectin.html
http://www.allergy-details.com/food-allergy/allergy-lectin/
http://www.gfreefoodie.com/what-are-lectins-and-could-i-be-allergic-to-lectins/

Well that's all my ranting for now! I'll be posting again real soon :)

Readapting and Alice Unraveled

Well, I am back to college, still getting used to it.

This year is different because I have to cook all my meals for myself in my dorm room. 

My micro-fridge and blender are my best friend. I spend a lot of time preparing food so that I have lunches ready during the week because I don't have much time between classes. I don't mind though, I love to cook and It's definitely pushing me to be creative with the food I have in my fridge.

Today was a clean up day. I had some leftover beans that needed to get eaten.

Here's what I made:

Tahini Beany Tacos!

Tahini Beany Spread:

Ingredients:

-1/2 c Great Northern Beans 

-2 tsp Tahini

-2 T gluten free oats

-1 T water

-spices: chipotle powder, cumin, cinnamon, salt, pepper

Directions:

Pulse the oats in a blender until they form a powder. Add in the beans, tahini, water and spices (to taste). Pulse until all the beans are ground up into a paste. (You may need to stop in between pulses to stir occasionally.)

Spread over two gluten free corn tortillas and top with some cooked spinach and homemade salsa!

It was really delicious! Beats school food that's for sure!

I've also been busy writing lots of music. When I'm at school I feel like my mind doesn't stop. I am constantly running to a sheet of paper to scribble down a lyric or phrase. My classes are really inspiring, especially my master class. I really like my professor and the other students in the class, they are all very talented.

This Thursday in master class I brought in the title song from the musical I wrote called "Alice Unraveled". The show is loosely based on Lewis Carrol's "Alice in Wonderland" but it is not a children's story. It depicts one young girls struggle to regain control in her life after a sexual assault. Through the course of the play she is thrust into a chaotic, disturbing world, much like a nightmare. It's a story about growing older, and moving forward through difficult times.

I am trying to arrange the music from the show now and wanted some ideas on instrumentation. The people in my master class gave me some really interesting advice that I can not wait to test out in the studios!

Here's a video of me singing the song "Alice Unraveled" with a few pictures from the show. 

I've fallen in love with writing for stage. There's a second musical in the works!!

Weight Loss and a Song

So I hadn’t really noticed how severe my weight loss was until my Dad showed me this video he took of me performing last summer.

My face is so much fuller in this footage, my arms look thicker and there is a glow in my eyes that I haven’t seen in a long time. I forgot I used to look like this.

I guess since it all happened so gradually I never even noticed my body changing. Sure, I knew I seemed a little thinner, my jeans were looser and my chest was smaller, but I never saw how drastically different I look now. I can see why my family was so concerned when they picked me up from college. The video really startled me. But it was a good reason to treat myself to a little coconut chocolate ice cream. Yum!

This song is called "October Snow". I wrote it my freshman year of college. The song was inspired by the custodian who cleaned my hallway. I'm an early riser, so I got to know the cleaning staff pretty well. I was always up when they were mopping the bathrooms. Our custodian was a very sweet woman who would always smile and say good morning to me but she had a deep sadness seeded in her face, a heavy tiredness. I wrote "October Snow" hoping to bring out what seemed to be her story, a story of loneliness and isolation. I think sometimes we overlook people, people who work hard, just because they are foreign. So many immigrants feel secluded because they are not always respected in the way that they should be. People are just people, we all go through hardship, and we all feel joy. We are all basically the same. I hope this song is a relatable, human narrative.

"October Snow" Lyrics:

The girl with the brown paper bag kicks the leaves on the ground

To watch them separate like the waves of Sinaloa

Her shoulders slouch and round and fold her body inside out

As October snow collects on her scalp

And weaves it’s frozen fingers through her hair

She wears her powdered sugar crown

A little less often now

A little less often now

Feeling two-dimensional she wraps her arms around herself

And tries to squeeze the noise out of her ears

Stuck in a Chinese finger trap the more she moves the more the world reacts

And tightens its grasp

She runs her frozen fingers through her hair

And stares into the sky

Stretching with her eyes, she wishes that her feet weren’t anchored down

And she sees angels dressed n ragged clothes

Hanging on a laundry line

Their flimsy angles frantically flip in the wind

Pinched by clothespins

And she says “even they aren’t free to fly when they please

Tethered to that twisting string

If I were an angel I would wear my wings like a shawl on these cold autumn days

Cause Mexico seems so far away

So far away”

The girl with the brown paper bag kicks the leaves on the ground

To watch them separate like the waves of Sinaloa

Her eyelids trace the ground

A refuge for her doubt

She wishes that her feet weren’t anchored down

And weaves her frozen fingers through her hair

She weaves her frozen fingers through her hair

She wears her powdered sugar crown

A little less often now

A little less often now