So dreamers, it is officially our last night here at BOOTCAMP. Not that we’ve adhered much to the things night usually signifies. We are well on our way to becoming nocturnal….or rather something that is insomniac by true nature. I walked out to the back field on our break today. Every step saw the blades of straw erupt in a storm of tiny locusts….crickets…grasshoppers. In the shade of tall pines I sang for the snakes. As I mentioned in the video from the previous post we were challenged to write a song with a hook born from the title “Last Night” . My apocalyptic take on it being that night has ended and creatures of darkness have been forced underground to live out the rest of their days is now a complete song! Well, there are always changes to form and arrangement on the table at this early stage of creation but, nonetheless, the song exists! Tonight we all perform or share the recordings of our new singles; all titled “Last Night”.
Here are the lyrics for my lil’ apocalypse:
Deep underground with our nocturnal hearts
Our cataract stares search for a new start
There is no breath you can breathe below ground
No room for the echo of travelling sounds
The dust in our lungs and the dirt in our eyes
We’d ask God for mercy but we can’t see the sky
Since the last night,
the moon’s all but gone.
Since the last night,
the sun’s always shone.
A prayer is a song that you sing in the wind
But here underground all our songs sink in sin
We must breach the surface
We must face the light
That our people may be heard and our souls may survive
Since the last night,
the moon’s all but gone.
Since the last night,
the sun’s always shone.
There is no breath we can breathe below ground
No room for the echo of all of our sounds
We will take the light from out of the sky
We will hold the fire and watch it die.
See you soon Vancouver.
The real work begins tomorrow….
There really seems to be a lack of night around here….as everyone seems to be up 24hours at a time. Sure the dark comes, but it is no longer an accurate indicator that a day has ended. Our minds are blurry, beautiful, melody ridden, info laden, hungry, lil’ monsters! (not of the Lady GAGA variety).
Somewhere in amongst all this deconstruction of time we were presented with a challenge. Yes, this project is full of challenges. We were challenged to write a song wherein the title, “Last Night”, would e featured prominently in the chorus. Folks are working, literally around the clock to record their shiny new hit singles that they have made with all their talented new friends. It’s amazing how much music people have inside of them! Some people work at an impressively rapid speed. I on the other hand, work slowly, but with quiet enthusiasm and subtle coaxing of the air for the next line or melody. I might not finish my tune before I leave this place but I have definitely enjoyed the exercise.
Hello Dreamers,
It’s pouring rain! It’s pouring music, confetti and dreamy smiles! …but we’ll get to all that in a minute…
First things first, BOOTCAMP is demystifying the industry! Everyday the curtain gets pulled back a lil’ more and we are treated to useful tip after useful tip. I should pretty much be a folk noir super hero by the end of this process.
Swaying from stage to stage armed with savvy smiles and sultry melodies, meandering my way from town to town with the hopeful melancholies. In my pocket I now have tips and tricks on music licensing for film and television, radio tracking, grant writing, social networking, and publicity. It’s overwhelming in the most spectacular way. The PEAK, MUSIC BC, and our incredible FACULTY are literally handing us keys to the industry playground so that we can access the slides and the monkey bars even after dark. We are all, if I may be so bold as to speak for us all, elated, and thankful.
I performed last night for the mutual appreciation society that is the current population of ROCKRIDGE CANYON RESORT. I have never been so nervous to perform in my life, which in retrospect seems so absolutely hilarious as everyone is so kind, enthusiastic and passionate about music. Folks back home may be wondering if we are acting out competitive snickers and good reality show slander behind the scenes but we are just not that good for ratings. We really just want to hang around hugging, humming and basking in the glow of one anothers “X-FACTOR” (industry term for “STAR POWER, what the french call je ne s’ais quois….you know).
Tonights showcases proved that even further. From the moment Said the Whale blasted us with confetti and shiny lil’ stars, through the zen, mountain tales of Vince Vaccaro and the anthemic stompers of THE YES, NICE to the closing song of the evening where Aidan Knight had us singing with abandon and our “deepest sorrows”.
The rains came today and my heart, quite literally, swelled with joy. Especially since the sun came around too, and together they presented us with a double rainbow. Just above the lake, between the mountains peaks, across from “smokers rock” a rainbow stretched and reminded me to breathe. I am overwhelmed in the most elated sense of the word. Such an unbelievable amount of beauty is ever present here at the Peak Performance Project BOOTCAMP; but don’t get me wrong, we certainly aren’t spending our days staring at double rainbows.
At present we have already concentrated our energy on improving our performance techniques, interview abilities, communicating with sound techs, and articulating our own stories. In amongst it all we also find time to eat, play and brave things like zip lines…..just one of the tempting dare devil experiences on the plate up here at Rock Ridge Canyon. I have yet to commit myself to experiencing it, entirely, but, parts of me are leaning closer to the possibility. I do so love birds and what a feeling it would be to fly!
As you can imagine the music is ever present. To my right, as I type an accapella techno jam just broke out. It appears that after our evening showcase everyone is inspired to get down to the passion that brought us all together. MUSIC!!!
I look forward to the late night jams with all my new friends but alas, I showcase tomorrow and my sleepy heart says ” Go to sleep, lil’ baby. Go to sleep lil’ baby. Your voice will go astray if you party late today. Go to sleep, lil’ baby.”
I’ve arrived.
One happy drive to the sounds of The Beatles with my Pa has led me to an incredible vista and a movie production house level of hospitality. Right now I am sitting at the MAC station in the amazing, enormous wooden loft with panoramic windows writing you a letter while dozens of folks flit about readying this place for the arrival of musicians, publicists, engineers, producers, stylists and a variety of other industry professionals. I’m at band camp. I will try to refrain from using that phrase henceforth….but forgive me if a “One time at BOOTCAMP” slips past my fingers onto your screen.
This is already completely surpassing any expectation I had. I am sitting at a table where 10 shiny MAC’s are equipped with CAKEWALK midi keyboard controllers so that throughout our time here at BOOTCAMP we can indulge some demo making and digitally jot a thing or two down. Tables are being set for a banquet style lunch. The mountains are hugging us from every direction and there are fish jumping in the lake.
Keep an eye trained here as I will be posting regularly while I am away. Pictures coming soon!!
It’s that time again. Time to buff up the tour calendar. Her Royal Radness, Ms. Rad Juli and I are busily hatching plans on how to stretch my heart strings clear across the country and thus far it seems the easiest way to do that is to jump on the car and hit the highway, bleeding heart in hand, a trail of droplets to lead the way back home.
Tell me where to find you! Where do you go for the kind dreamy nights we walk home moonstruck from? I want to sing you the lullaby that leads you to Morpheus.
Until then though we’ve got some special dates to share with you:
August 21st – Summer Dreams Literary Arts Festival 5pm by Lumbermans Arch
September 9th – My Peak Performance Project showcase performance!! I will perform a 40 minute set at 8pm sharp at the RED ROOM. The show is FREE!!!
September 12th – I’ll be at the Capers Whole Foods Health and Wellness Market on Robson.
This month will also see me making my Zombie Glam debut with The Zombie Swingers at HORROR NIGHT on August 14th at The Princeton Pub. BOOTY MUSIC FOR ZOMBIE SWINGERS is the brain child of dark poet, camp fan, prolific workaholic, modern day renaissance man CJ LEON. You can download it FREE here -
CJ wrote and recorded the whole darn thing in the basement this past winter/spring. For the live show I’ll be taking the role of his hands and playing electric guitar. Come shake a bloody limb with us!!! $7 or $5 in costume.
Ooo that’s a long dreamy list….any longer and it’d be a nightmare.
Time to wake up!
Here I am at the CBC this past Wednesday. NXNW is hosting concerts there every weekday from noon to 1pm. It’s likely the best way, in the entire city, to spend your lunch hour.
Tomorrow I’m off to Langley with a whole host of good friends to attend The Hot Rods and Burn Outs BBQ. I’ve got myself a red and white polka-dot dress with a sweetheart style top to wear for the occasion. I’m told by my pal Bill that the event is really something unbelievable so I’ll be dragging my camera along. Stay tuned for pics!
Enjoy the weekend beautiful dreamers! If you’re off to BASSCOAST get a dance in for me.
Ex- Vancouverite Stebs started my Vancouver street team years ago with his friend Awmber and together they spread the word of my shows to East Van pedestrians and cyclists. Stebs now calls the good ol’ state of MA his home but still manages to find ways to share my music with the world.
Stebs is spreading the word via floods and coffee shops.
Tomorrow I will be spending the day at the Vancouver Mini SteamCon.
A day of good and beautiful shopping, opportunities to learn how to use swords, dance old dances and make like steam is the highest, most modern form of technology known to man.
September 9thPEAK PERFORMANCE PROJECT SHOWCASEat The Red RoomDoors @ 8pmShow @ 9pm (we are on first!) Sept. 22nd
with Shiloh Lindsay
at The Railway Club
9pm
