Beatles cross-national music ready for a 'Happy Christmas' on Fandalism

Richard Trudeau, one of the major producers of upcoming 'Happy Christmas'

Carol Forsloff---Fandalism is a place where music that can make a difference, as the "Beatles"remains a major interest of many, with fans and music who have grown up with it now older and refined musically by their years of practice.  Like the Beatles group musicians admire, those on Fandalism have the originality, creativity and talent that brings the world music that lasts and that music is made contemporary with an extravaganza soon to be released in anticipation of Christmas

Some months ago three musicians from Fandalism, Remco, Yvalain and Glenn,  were able to fuse their talents in such a way that it brought out the abilities of each one of them. Their album, like that of the Beatles, has diversity of theme, beat, and messages, the kind of music that crosses over to a wide audience because of that. The music is reminiscent of some of the more famous groups, like the Beatles, the Everly Brothers and others throughout music history. That's because there is an accent on originality that makes the difference between a group that will be listened to for decades vs one that is forgotten.  The Beatles, however, remains a particularly favorite group because they represent the decades of music.

But the value of the Internet, and the enduring power of the music of the Beatles, combined with many talents is bringing an even greater mix of music in the coming days with an arrangement inspired by Mark Taylor of the United States and Richard Trudeau of Canada respectively.

The value of the Internet can be witnessed in seeing and hearing people from diverse backgrounds working together as some of the best groups have throughout history.  But those groups we have enjoyed over the years, like the Temptations, the Beatles, the Beachboys, the Everly Brothers and many others were able to meet personally and practice.  With the advent of the digital era, however, people from across the world can join talents and create something wonderful in combination with one another.  

That's the case with the musicians on Fandalism.  Many of the performers have formed collaborations, as Remco, Yvalain and Glenn did some months ago with their music, representing as they did the Netherlands, the United States and France.  Now with the broader range of talent present for the Christmas project, the Beatles music for Christmas is likely to be an exciting event. That type of collaboration of skill and quality of music is enjoyed by a wide audience, with collaboration the key to the success of the site.

The greatest collaboration Fandalism has had will be its Christmas special, now just days away.  For fans of the site, and fans of individual musicians, it is important keep abreast of the activities to come, for a "Happy Christmas" will be soon. The music will be at your door of the Internet on November 27 with a cast of some of the best musicians from around the world.  Join the cast and all their fans as they celebrate the Beatles song of generations and more and wish the world the best of the holiday season.

Peter Evans brings example of humanitarian and historical benefits of music

[caption id="attachment_22462" align="alignleft" width="336"] Peter Evans[/caption]

Carol Forsloff------Among some of the unsung heroes in any culture are many musicians who write original music and offer their work freely, in dedication to helping others.  In a world where music is sometimes treated with cynicism, and where competition and focus is much on the young and often the transient, older performers who have tasted life in its abundance can convey feelings and bring attention to social needs.  That's the initial summary of the music of Peter Evans.

Evans steps out of the ordinary and the mundane to speak about the needs of the homeless.  In that way he joins the seasoned troopers like Willie Nelson, Barbra Streisand, Herb Alpert, and Bono from U-2 fame in being generous with this time, as they are generous with large sums of money.  To offer music is a step up to help others, for music carries a message in a different way than advertisements and speeches.

In addition to using music to call attention to social problems, like homelessness, those who bring this type of music elevate the music itself and become part of the history of it that reflects how it has been used to call attention to issues, to relate events and to become the repository of what happens today that people can learn about for all time.  Like books that stay with us, music that is part of that history, stays with us as well.

Honoring people who care for others through music is a reminder that service is important, and that every person has a role to play in service.  Some may work in the soup kitchen, others go out on the streets and render aid to the poor and the homeless.  Others, like Peter Evans, shine a light like a beacon of attention and hope that can raise our consciousness while offering the beauty of music itself.

Evans is a popular musician on a site called Fandalism, a man respected for his kindness and support of others and for his charitable giving by way of his original music.

Filling a human need by a 'Songbird' of hope offers example for others

Kathy Songbird and the homeless man

Carol Forsloff----In virtually every city around the world, homeless people are part of the landscape, with many people thinking there is nothing they can do or that some organization should take care of the problem instead.  And then there are the negative folks who believe, and so express, that homeless people are there because they choose to be, not working and living on the dole.  But the facts belie these assumptions, and the act of one person reflects what we can all do to take responsibility for caring for the most helpless among us.

Kathy Songbird is known for her great music on Fandalism and other music sites, like SingSnap.  She has a voice that accompanies the angels on earth, which will likely be heard in heaven as well, for it soars to the heights of beauty every time she performs.  Songbird is her professional name, and the one by which she is known widely among fans and friends.  It is, however, the heart of the woman that offers an example of what we can all do to help others, even in frustrating circumstances, and potentially make a difference.

In the tradition of musicians around the world, Songbird knows she can make a difference.  It is not belief but knowledge, integrated with her devotion to faith and ethics that suggest, "I think, therefore I am."  That means she translates thoughts into action, as many musicians take their concerns about others and write songs to engage listeners and educate them about the needs of others.  Many musicians have done that, highlighting helping others in the songs they create.  That view, and behavior, are supported by musicians on Fandalism, following in the tradition of the big music stars that host concerts to help the hungry or the victims of tragedies around the world.

For several days, Songbird featured on her Facebook page her concerns about a homeless man, thought to be autistic, who has lived on the streets for an undetermined time.  In response to Songbird's entreaties for help, she heard there was nothing authorities could do or that they already knew about the man, in a fashion that indicated there had been a history of trying to help the man that either had failed or the help refused.  It was likely that, as often Songbird found the man somewhat uncooperative in providing either information or advancing the notion of going to some shelter for assistance.  Instead he remained on the street, as Kathy sought to find help for the man, whose inability to express himself in a way to be understood could at times be frustrating.

Songbird's goal was to find good friend or family who might reach out, recognize the man and take responsibility for ongoing help.  She did not stop with that, however, but brought him food, clothing and the warmth of friendship, every day, including the holidays with the support of her husband, Dean.

Presently the man seems to have disappeared, as he is no longer at the same location where he had been for a long time.  No one knows if he received help or not, but those facts will be found as Songbird learns through her consistent asking and involvement with the authorities in her town in Missouri.

If the homeless man Songbird has been helping is found on the streets again, this publication will focus on his situation, together with close-up photos to give an opportunity for people to see the man and possibly locate family.

This example of one person's caring for another in a direct way highlights the truth that one man can make a difference.  Yes, it takes work, thought and reaching out in many ways; but that's what love is all about in Kathy's world and the world of humanitarian affairs. And if you don't want to do it Kathy's way, here are 35 other ways you can.

Behind the veil, a song reflects the most beautiful love of Christmas

Kathy Songbird

Carol Forsloff---Many of us are familiar with the singing duos of the famous deceased singers with their relatives, still alive, like Elvis Presley and his daughter Lisa, or Nat King Cole with his daughter, Natalie, or Frank Sinatra and his daughter Nancy.  But seldom do we see that combination between friends on Facebook or on other social media sites.  In the case of a December musical offering, it is the very example of how many ways love is shared at the holidays and other times.

The musician known as Kathy Songbird posted a song that indeed is a reflection of one person's love for another that goes beyond the ordinary.  She had met an elderly gentleman on SingSnap, a musician's site where performers sing to recorded instrumentals.   Kathy had performed the song "I've Got a Crush on You"with Jack, that elderly gentleman, some time before he died last week.  As a memorial, she has again performed the song, this time using his voice with hers in harmony.

Most of these videos on SingSnap are individually made through the site, and at various times singers combine their talents.  The result of Kathy's performance with Jack becomes a message of love that will brings tears to the eyes of those who learn the backstory of the song's production and the heart that brings it to all of us now.

Kathy Songbird is one of the more popular and beautiful songstresses of Fandalism, another site that attracts musicians throughout the world, and that includes those who play their own instruments, and those who don't, those who sing and those who don't, but all who perform music to share with everyone.  Her soaring soprano touches hearts many times. It is, however, the heart of the woman that goes beyond all that to bring this special Christmas gift.  For indeed it is a gift, to reach through the veil of death and return life to a voice we can all share, while she shares it in song.

The song is here, embedded in this article, as one of those moments that at holidays, or any day when we want to soar with the love of goodness, the song "I've Got a Crush on You" that most people could never hear again after this without thinking of how the song was made and why.

Enjoy for today and tomorrow the song, and the message of how one life touches another beyond death and across the digital world to offer all of us the highest example of what love means in all its beautiful ways.

Musician brings inclusive message as Christmas for everyone

[caption id="attachment_22011" align="alignleft" width="480"] Good people[/caption]

Editor---Many songs about Christmas focus on the birth of Jesus, Santa Claus, or elements of both, and happy times together with shared beliefs.  But there are those who simply do good and believe in good, and in those ways Christmas belongs to them as well as others who embrace that something wonderful in the world that is message of joy and goodwill the world over.  Yvalain, whose music productions are among the most beautiful of all and who has collaborated internationally in music for many years, has a song that unites us all in the understanding and caring for all peoples at this season.

This song transcends sectarian beliefs.  Indeed it reminds us that the universal message of love, the kind taught by Christ, is one that moves over borders and through various faiths, and even in the hearts of those who may not believe in God, to take root in the hearts of many. The song is on Fandalism here and can also be found on YouTube, both places where this musician's musical messages of hope, love and peace are shared.

A smile is a guitar in the hands of Franck Szypura

[caption id="attachment_21842" align="alignleft" width="300"] Franck Szypura[/caption]

Carol Forsloff---The smile draws you in.  The music keeps you.  It's Frank Szypura, a Frenchman of the singular skill of making everyone feel good the instant his face appears, along with the trusty guitar that makes blues the king of music wherever he plays.  An interview with this fine musician gives us some insight on how he came to be the delight he is to fellow musicians and fans alike.

Szypura is French and says he struggles a bit with English.  But his answers in this interview offer the flavor of the man, the tasty flavor that can only come from his own style, so it is left here as he writes in his own English.  That smile remains part of the flow of his language, in the way it spreads to everything he does, including the notes of the guitar.

1. When did you begin to perform music? At what age did you start singing or playing an instrument?

I start to play a guitar in 1997.

2. Did you learn music by having lessons or did you learn on your own?

I learn by myself

3. Who encouraged you the most in learning and performing music?

A friend of mine who took her guitar lessons, encouraged me and showed me one thing,
the pentatonic scale, from here everything is open for me.

4. Have you been primarily a soloist or member of a band?

I Never play in band or made a gig, Hard to find a band to play only improvisations.  LOL

5. Are you a fan of some of the television programs like “The Voice” or “America's (or your country)
Got Talent”or American Idol or any of the other programs that present contests

I like "The Voice" because, is good to judge by the voice that the look of the person!
Voice make the music, not the Look.

6. What motivated you initially to be involved in music?

Maybe the fact to create something artistic without wanting to copy.

7. What are your personal favorite music genres? Who are some of your favorite performers?

Big question.   I'll try to be brief, I love much style of music, Rock, Pop, Funk (old school), Soul, some Few Rap, Classical music, Hard rock, and many others.  But he who rises above all is unquestionably the Blues, it was like a revelation for me.

Before I was listening without really paying attention, as you listen to a song that comes on the radio while doing something else.  Then this friend who was taking guitar lessons and showed me the pentatonic scale, was a fan of Blues, he has made me listen Blues song, Classical Tittles and made ​​me love him as I love him and now even more.

The Blues grabbed me and never let go of me.  everything was said about the Blues for sure! For me, the Blues is more than music, it is a second language. The Blues and guitar are Married, make one! In the Blues The guitar is like a voice. For sure much Music use Guitar but it is often there to support, to the rhythm and let the place to the singer. Sure great rock solo part too!! But he's not like the Blues! A Blues Solo is really Different that a Rock Solo! In how to make and play. It's what I think.

When I take a guitar, and when I play a Blues Impro, often I don't know the backing where I play on.  Or in just  20 seconds, I discover it along the time that I play on it.

Like that the Feel is pure, you see, nothing previous before. I always play like that, and I like to play like that. With a free spirit, free mind.

It's important for improvisation.

I think about nothing, and I play, just play! and nothing else. And let the feel make what he want!
The Blues permits that! As I saw in a comment on my Song "Directly from your heart to your fingers, to our Ears!" and it's so true.

It's why I love the Blues, Don't Follow the standard musical code, or just a little, get on track, but occasionally do not take, without lose them views.
Is like that, that iIdon't like to make cover, just to say "hey you see, I know to play this song"   Because it's not yours.   Ok,  you play on it, but is not yours.

My favourite performer is Stevie Ray Vaughan. He's my maestro! My guitar god! If I play guitar it's because of Him.  The first time I listened to him it was like a slap, that got my attention.  So I said to myself, "Wow!! Ok we can do that with a guitar."

And it was more exciting when I saw Stevie Vaughan  in a video, for the first time. One of my big musical "slap" that I ever had.  It really got my attention.

After Stevie Vaughan my favorites are Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Albert King, Freddie King, David Gilmour and many other blues guitarists . Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Joe Bonamassa in the young generations guitarists are among my favorites.

Mark Knopfler is another favorite.  I discover the guitar world with him when I listen to "Private Investigation of Dire Straits.  It was like a spark in my imagination.

8. Do you compose music?

No, because my musicals knowledges is really limited.
I composed some instrumental songs but nothing extraordinary.

9. Do you have other family members who play music?

Yes.  My Father Played a Diatonic Bandoneon, like in the Argentine Tangos.
Astor Piazzola is his god!

10. Are you active in a music group of any kind?

No.

11. How often do you play music, including for your own recreation?

As often as I can. Every day at this time.

12. What barriers have you found in the music business? What do you think might improve the music business?

Now the music industry is based on the profit over the artistic statement. Let's say the two go together, but the first incentive has become the greatest.  I don't know exactly what can we do to improve the music business, may be post at the right place the good persons!
I am more of an artist than a banker.

13. Are you active in any music organizations such as ASCAP or BMI?

No.

14. Would you encourage a young person starting out to seek music as a career?

I don't know. I don't have the knowledge to do that. But if I could say something, I would tell him to open the right doors, and even if it is good, to be careful.  I would say not to hurry and rush head first into anything.

15. Where do you see the future of music?

I think music will always be present.  It will continue to evolve. Music has always been here, and I think it always will be.

I can't imagine a world without music.

And we can't imagine a world without Franck Szypura and his music.  And you can find him here, like many of his fans, and smile along with Franck.  (http://fandalism.com/skylismo)

 

Jason Yates brings the music dream past personal pain to achievement

Jason Yates, internationally popular musician

Carol Forsloff---For some people music is that arena of discovery, of making new journeys and developing pathways for improving performance and for achieving a level of excellence that brings fellow musicians to look at the achievement as a model for their own. Jason Yates is one of those who offers an example of the best, for that is the level of his skill.

This journalist has known Jason for more than a year, listened to many of his solitary performances, collaborations, original music and productions and has observed how he interacts with fellow performers in a musicians community known as Fandalism. Jason is one of the most respected musicians on the site for his talent and also for his interpersonal relationships. 

An interview with Jason allows that window to the mind and soul of a true artist, one who like many of exceptional talent, knows the meaning and price of the artistry. That price can sometimes be personal pain, the kind that allows a depth of understanding that is forged into the music to communicate to others the feelings many people share. It provides the avenue of communication that enlightens while entertains. Jason Yates is someone who shares his feelings through music and thereby embraces many people with his words and melodies in ways that others might not be able to do because of his life experiences.

The following narrative is a response to questions Jason has answered that allows us to understand the challenges he has faced along his music path and how he has managed to achieve and create great music in spite of early personal pain. It is the mark of the man that he extracts from his experiences the best of learning, that patience and perseverance can make a difference.

My first performance was at the age of 12 in a band of 4 lads, but I first picked a guitar up when I was 5 years old and got hooked. The lead guitarist in the band taught me some chords, and then I taught myself from then on, so I had a little instruction and then continued to teach myself the basics. 

In my early years as a musician I really had to be self motivated, no one seemed to be in the slightest bit interested in my music. Later in life the examples of long-time performers became an inspiration. Gordon Haskell, for example, who has been writing excellent music for years and who falls under the radar a lot has been one of those who has inspired me. 

I have been in various bands over the years as a bass guitarist, rhythm guitarist, lead guitarist and vocalist,.but in recent years I have been a solo performer, which I find very rewarding and far easier to arrange rehearsals. Presently I am rehearsing with my friend Alex for us to perform as a duo. 

With respect to music reality shows, I started watching these type of programs many years ago, but soon felt that it was a cattle market for singers. Most of my friends who are really into music have no time for it and neither do I. I can't help feel that it is more about promoting the presenters more than anything else. 

In childhood I had no natural bond with my mother. She suffered from schizophrenia and rejected me from birth, and I think music became my way to emotionally connect with myself and others. I soon fell in love with beautiful chords and sounds. They made me feel whole. 

I love acoustic music, soft rock, jazz, blues, and classical music genres. I also love Latin American music. In particular I enjoy listening to Justin Currie, a great songwriter who used to front the band, Del Amitri. He is solo now and writes meaningful songs with a passion. I am particularly fond of my songwriting partner, Darcy Jeavons and especially enjoy listening to her singing.

If I am not working on composing a new song, I get “withdrawal” symptoms. It's almost like a drug for me. My late Father and late step mother were both opera singers, so music is virtually in my blood. 

These days I am involved with several groups that involve music uploads, but because there are so many of them my time gets very limited. In fact I can I go through a set of guitar strings in a week. I listen to other music when I can, from some of the groups I am involved with and also a radio channel called AVR from Indiana who is one of my sponsors. 

In todays world of music I think one of the barriers is what I would call a type of “fashion police.” This is where we are told what you should be liking by way of music, and other forms of entertainment, instead of being allowed to make up our own minds. A song with a certain type of beat sells, so we get a proliferation of these types of songs. This might be changing soon, however, because of the many Indie internet radio stations appearing. 

I think the music business would benefit from appreciating the music first and foremost instead of a "package" including age and looks. When I was a kid, music was about the ears. With the ears you can appreciate all good music. With the package you are confined to the package. 

I am with PRS, Performing Rights Society to be part of the traditional music community and protect my work. I would also encourage people with their music but advise them not to pin all their hopes and dreams on it. It's important to be able to earn a living just in case those dreams don't come true. I would also tell them, 'There are some amazingly talented people who are never noticed, so don't think that that couldn't be you too. 

Music will always be here for all of us, and it will change as it has always done. No one can predict the future. We have gone from three generations listening to the same music to music changing every five years or so. Only time will tell where it takes us. 

My goals are simple. I want to get better at what I do. I want to perfect my craft to the best of my ability. I want to connect with people on an emotional, meaningful level, and just try to get my music heard and known. Then perhaps one day one of my music creations might be used for a film or some other great, creative venture. But no matter what,I love what I do.

Find Jason Yates on a variety of music sites like his page on Fandalism and his webpage at jasonmarkyates.com

How music impacts the brain, changes and reflects moods

[caption id="attachment_16914" align="alignleft" width="300"] Musicians from Fandalism perform a Perfect Day, an optimistic song[/caption]

Carol Forsloff---Parag Chordia is a musician and researcher who has examined the impact of music on those who perform it and those who listen. “Most of us are musicians or deeply touched by music,” he tells us, as he offers information on how music actually impacts the brain.

Chordia is the director and founder of the Music Intelligence Group at the Georgia Institute of Technology, which is partly funded by the National Science Foundation, that asks questions according to Chordia as: “How is sound pro­duced, how can it be manipulated—and, also, how is it perceived?” “How does the brain organize sound, and why does it elicit the types of responses and emotions that it does?”

“We said, okay, when a person is hap­py, their speech sounds different than when they’re sad,” he explained. A sad person speaks softly, slowly, often mumbles, and has a darker tone; a happy person speaks more quickly and brightly. “We started to wonder, is music bootstrapping off of the same processes? In other words, are those fundamental acoustic cues being used to signify happiness and sadness in music?”

His research has established that people do perceive music differently according to its pitch. Pitch does assist in establishing the emotion one feels in music, so the lower pitch is identified as sad and the higher pitch as happy. Chordia says, “I think what’s really interesting about music is that it plays off of both these things,” said Chordia, who has studied this phenomenon through computational and statistical modeling of music’s structure. “One of the ways that we describe music is ‘safe thrills.’ It’s like a roller coaster. On the one hand, you know nothing really bad is going to happen, but there are all these pleasant surprises along the way. A lot of music is like that: you set up a pattern and expectation, and then you play with it.” That might mean slightly varying the drumbeat, changing the chord pattern, or add­ing or removing instruments. “Those little surprises, it turns out, can be very pleasurable.” 

In Chordia's research the type and pitch of the music was selected for the subjects. Psychologists have found that when people select their music they also do so according to their moods. So the happy person will select a song that is upbeat, and the depressed person will select music that is sad.

Music is also a way for people to cope with their surroundings or to achieve a desired emotion. We often will pick a song that brings about the emotions we want to have at any given time, so those who want to feel energetic will select music with a strong and lively beat. And it can calm an individual who is stressed or angry. Music indeed soothes the savage beast.

Listen to the 'Songbird' of music to a voice you won't forget

[caption id="attachment_20819" align="alignleft" width="160"] Kathy Songbird[/caption]

Carol Forsloff-----In a world of competition for who’s the best, there are those yet undiscovered major talents that provoke many of us to say to ourselves, “That person is so talented she should be on a national stage.”  This is often said about Kathy Songbird, a vocalist whose singing soars above almost anyone and who surely should be among those who have attained great fame.

Kathy Songbird is the stage name for Jan Jackson who combines physical attractiveness with a voice that stuns her listeners.  She is one of the outstanding performers on a site called Fandalism, where she has numerous fans.  Along with musical talent, Kathy is also known for her kindness and sensitivity for the welfare of others that she often expresses in friendly mail and chats with friends.

An interview with this could-be, should-be Broadway talent brought additional insight into the musical background, interests and musical attitudes that go with being the kind of woman anyone would want as a friend and the kind of musical skill that any producer would embrace.

1.       When did you begin to perform music? At what age did you start singing or playing an instrument?

I started singing in church at age 7. I have been singing since I was 4 according to my Mom

2.       Did you learn music by having lessons or did you learn on your own?

I took piano lessons from my grandmother and took voice lessons at the Conservatory of Music   in Kansas City for a time.

3.       Who encouraged you the most in learning and performing music?

My grandmother loved to hear me sing and she would play piano while I did. She felt I had a gift and I am thankful to her for her support as well as my family.

4.      Have you been primarily a soloist or member of a band?

I sang with the Rocky Rockwell Band as lead singer and also with the Bill Woody Combo band as lead singer. I also did many gigs by myself playing keyboard and singing.        

5. Are you a fan of some of the television programs like “The Voice” or “America's (or your country) Got Talent”or American Idol or any of the other programs that present contests?

I do enjoy watching the Voice and American Idol...love to see the talent that is out there.

6.  What motivated you initially to be involved in music?

I have loved music from as long as I can remember. Singing along with music on the radio from a very early age. Music is my love.

7. What are your personal favorite music genres? Who are some of your favorite performers?

I love blues, ballads, Broadway, the classics from days gone by...even country Barbra Streisand is my all-time favorite vocalist.

8.  Do you compose music?

I have tried writing some songs...I hear the melody in my head but have never done it seriously.

9.  Do you have other family members who play music?

My father played piano by ear, my grandmother on the piano, and my brother plays guitar. 

10.  Are you active in a music group of any kind?

I presently am with KC Cabaret...a great group of talented singers.

11.   How often do you play music, including for your own recreation?

I am always singing, even if I don't post a song publicly. I play my keyboard often also. 

12.   What barriers have you found in the music business? What do you think might improve the music business?

It is very hard to find places to perform and so many places only want certain styles of music and people of a certain age. It would be wonderful if there were ways to find out what is available in the city you live in.

13.   Are you active in any music organizations such as ASCAP or BMI?

I am not active in any music organization at the present time. 

14. Would you encourage a young person starting out to seek music as a career?

I would strongly recommend any young person who has an ambition to put their music out in the world to find out where and how they can go about that. I hear young singers/musicians and I pray that someone will discover them. 

15.   Where do you see the future of music?

Music will be around forever....it is the one thing that can touch even the hardest heart. It makes us cry, laugh, feel emotions that we may have been hiding. Without music the world would be a very sad place

16.   What are your personal music goals?

I do wish I could get with someone and we could perform music for people, be it a band or maybe someone to just play piano for me. Love seeing the smiles on people's faces when I sing for them...money isn't important, it is just the love of music I have in my heart and I love spreading that joy around. God gave me a gift and I thank Him each day for it. 

And as Kathy thanks God for the gift of her voice there are many people who thank Him and Kathy as well for the voice of an angel many people love, that you will too, once you have a listen at the following sites:

http://www.youtube.com/user/songbird18MO?feature=watch

https://soundcloud.com/kathy-songbird

http://fandalism.com/kathysongbird

 

Social networks for musicians: Are they real or what's the deal?

Angelo Marinosci, Jr.--One of the ways to be noticed, in business or the arts, is to join a social network.  But what are the pitfalls and problems in the social networks for musicians and how do these networks influence behavior and interactions while helping people become connected and share their talents?

Eight months ago I was invited (more or less) onto a Social Network for musicians and then another and then another...and so forth.  I'm really not much of a joiner in any regards,  but I found my curiosity paid off to a certain extent.  Before long I was recording some of my favorite cover tunes and then my own material.  The Networks allow all sorts of interaction as well.  There's chatting, commenting, private messages, voting in different forms etc.  For me, the ability to share my music, my guitar playing and singing, and of course, my original material was a nice thing and fairly convenient too.

Regardless of the premise of any Social Network,  be it music, art, photography,  no matter what it's agenda, there are always other forces at work as well.  At some point there may be undercurrents and collision courses and even some head butting.  A Social Network by definition is a diverse glob of people with some commonality but mostly a pluralism that prevails throughout the goings on.  There are other languages, cultures, mores, sexual preferences, big age differences, national character, religions, politics,  rockers, folkies, the list goes on.  The very thing that makes these Social Networks so interesting and inviting also sets up all sorts of chain reactions that are waiting to go off,  some with hair triggers and some with slow fuses.

Even when folks are on their best behavior (according to themselves)  you can see the ripples of different approaches to music, conversation and social norms manifesting themselves.  Much of what Americans think and think of themselves is the result of the intolerant middle-class mindset.  We wear our contradictions like shining badges of courage... always eager to assert what we think, and how we do just about everything.  We're not alone in this regard,  but I'm better qualified to speak about the groups with which I have the most experience.  Personally, I don't really much care how other people live or what their preferences are in most regards and probably only react when I feel the intellectual walls moving in on me. I try to practice the old, Live and let live principle,  but sometimes that gets lost in the fog.

The music I post is for the most part, folk, blues, folk-rock and a touch of country blues. It is for the most part, simply recorded and posted in the most honest and direct form I can manage, and there is little or no use of props, borrowed video material or appropriated photos.  It's me playing and singing into a lens and doing the best I can at entertaining.  I've done fairly well for myself as a gray-haired old beatnik with little or no gimmicks to offer.  I am not naked.   I do not dance naked .  I do not have long, lovely legs, firm young breasts or sexy smiles to offer.  I have just me and my music.  I do have some great looking guitars; and I did have still images of my wife (then my fiancé) from the rear, seated in gentle and delicate nude pose, a visual on a few of my early audio posts but was discouraged from continuing that practice even though the photographic print was exhibition quality.

As part of each and every site that I have posted music there always seems to be  great latitude for what one might find.  The degree of sexuality is stretched to the limits, and though they are not "pornographic" in the strict legal sense, they dance on the outer edge of good taste and often distract from the music content itself.  Perhaps the message is "Hey, if you like big breasts (or buttocks, or long legs or whatever) you'll love my music too!"  Suffice  to say, that seems to blur the messages of most other music on the site and often intensifies the vast differences between some of the cultures represented within the framework of each site.

I'm a painter and a photographer and work in other related fields of art.  I've worked with all sorts of models, nudes, and nudity most of my adult life. This is a very different subject and vehicle.  I really don’t like telling other people how to live their lives or what choices to make or what to watch, look at or read,  but in this case, the use of female sexuality often resembles those hip and kinky calendars they used to give out with wrench sets, or special additions for bathing suits. There have also been mumbles in the hallways that some of the young pretties involved in this claiming that they might be a part of porno-rings or prostitution  or all sorts of colorful other activities.

Personally, I don’t want to research other peoples’ lives.  I have no interest in what they may be doing in front of their cameras, or their boyfriend’s cameraas, or for spare money;  but I do feel that a music site might be better served primarily with music.  This conversation is a lot like the debates about what’s on T.V.   I stopped watching all commercial and cable T.V. about 7 years ago.  If you don’t like what’s on, don’t watch it.  If you don’t like a certain book, don’t read it.  If a movie offends you, don’t go watch it so you can announce how offended you now feel.  The difference in this instance is that on a music site it’s a little bit like being on board the same long distance bus ride and having to ignore what is going on all around you; it’s right there and there’s no place else to go accept off the site completely.

I have no regrets about joining the music sites that I belong to;  but you need to know that a music site is a big blob of people from all over the world, and that’s what you have to survive and adapt to,  true diversity.  Some folks might even have to tolerate you.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Angelo Marinosci is a writer, artist and musician, with experience and talent in all three areas of the arts.  He is one the most active and respected musicians with his sites on Fandalism and on YouTube.  He is known for his acoustic guitar skills and his ability to compose music on the fly.  His opinion, and perspective, have value because of his decades of experience in the arts and his perception of fairness.

Song video masterpiece captures the Christ message for folks of all faiths

Carol Forsloff — When Gandhi was asked about his religion, he gave a list of them, including Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, etc, and said he was all of those and more, as representative of the notion that all love and sacrifice that is meaningful comes from the Creator. With that premise, comes a different look at the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ and its depiction in a song video of much significance.

Today I listened and watched a song video that for me tells the story of great sacrifice and the ultimate message of all loving spirits, that the poor, the oppressed are the ones who suffer most, illustrated in the crucifixion and made even more illustrative by the death of the Christ, who told us to focus on those in pain, and a resurrection that reminds us of eternal hope. The song's performer, in my opinion, has given us all a great gift.

Melody Dawn Town belongs to a community of musicians called Fandalism. Much of her musical offerings are her original compositions, and her covers more modern music than the older or more classical. But today she brings to us her rendition of her Messiah, in a way that is astounding, that reinforces that teaching about sacrifice, love and hope.

The video has visions of the crucifixion that are disturbing, but in watching and listening I thought of those who suffer in poverty, ignorance, pain, loneliness in every part of the world. While the world itself focuses on the ephemeral, the moment, the glib and the trappings of faith, as opposed to its substance, it reminds us of our essential humanity. And it reminds us of Christ's message and concern for the poor and those in the most mental and physical pain.

Torres would want this article to focus on the video and its subject and not her, however the heart of one who creates such a masterpiece must have some understanding of its purpose and its gift. Town has indeed created an eternal gift, a piece of art, the kind of which people whisper of in awe, or who listen in appreciation for excellence in every way.

As the Easter season opens for many, the season is not one honored by all the world, where different religions flourish. The song, however, is not just of Easter, but one that gives everyone, regardless of faith, or even those with none in those established religions,  the beauty of its creation and the performance that is in itself miraculous.

It is here for all the world to savor, and may you who do be blessed with its eternal message and reminder of for whom Christ's life---and death — was all about. It is here: http://fandalism.com/melodydawndisc0queen/bWUi

 

Music the fruit of love, understanding from French musician

[caption id="attachment_18166" align="alignleft" width="180"] Yvalain[/caption]

Carol Forsloff — Music transcends borders and as Shakespeare once said, it is the fruit of love. It is also the vehicle for understanding and communication that can bring people together from many parts of the world, as is done by Yve Alain Debodinance, known as Yvalain by his friends and fans. Yvalain is one of many thousands of musicians on a site called Fandalism, sharing his music, most of which is original, with people around the world. I asked him a number of questions in order to highlight for others what he has done to elevate his own music as an example to others, improve his own performances, and how he developed his unique and special skills in music. The following are the questions and answers from the interview:

When did you start playing music and why?

I started to play guitar when I was 15. My best school friend was a huge Beatles fan. Thanks to him I discovered a magic universe of sounds, voices and instruments. The Beatles broke up one year ago. Until that moment I did not know too much music but some French hits and some classical music that my father sometimes played at home. I then requisitioned the family turntable and installed it in my bedroom. Little by little I listened to a wide range of pop-music from Jimi Hendrix to Pink Floyd, not forgetting Mike Oldfield, Queen, Supertramp and at least a thousand more…

What types of music genres do you favor?

I used to worry that I need two "legs to walk" and in the field f music I need pop-rock (in a very wide understanding) and classical music. I still love the Beatles and most of their solo works, I admire Paul McCartney who is still a fantastic creator despite his age. I still love everything I listened to in my teen years. John Lennon once said that our discoveries during our adolescence impregnate our spirit deeply. I agree with that. There is always some special magic when I listen today the stuff I enjoyed when I was young. The early Mike Oldfield is still great to my ears. All Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones, The Who, the Kinks, Manfred Mann, Wishbone Ash but also Muse, American folk singers such as CSN&Y, Dylan, Hendrix of course, Randy Newman, Bruce Springsteen… On the classical side I can’t live without JS Bach, Sir Henry Purcell, Haendel and Vivaldi besides great other classical masters.

Where do you get your music inspiration?

I guess like many other composers I want to express myself through music: emotions, ideas, stories, good or bad experiences. My elder son told me that there are two races of musicians: the creators and the experts. I’m definitely among the first group. I like to play guitar and bass but my pleasure is not to practice hours everyday. Instead I use them as simple instruments to express my need to create. It could be pots or sticks…

What have been some of your special music experiences? Have you performed professionally and if so in what type of venues?

I started a band with my schoolfellows. Of course, our aim was to be as famous as the Beatles. Soon I played bass. That was my temperament at that time (express something but not too under the spotlight). We played several years, improving slowly But it happened that I realize we would never be good enough to earn our life with music, not speaking to be as good as the Beatles. So I had to keep my energy to have a good job and create a family. The dream was over. We made some disastrous public performance. Not a very good memory. Well, after nearly 30 years I started a new band with other musicians. That was a lot of fun. We made several great concerts (we were not too bad this time). But in 2008 I decided to keep my free time for composing and I left the band. Since then I made the equivalent of 10 albums with my small home studio.

What does it mean to be successful in music? What counts as success? Money? Fun?  Meeting new people? Self satisfaction? Creative outlet?

I guess the answer depends on what age we have. In my case my answer would be very different when I was a dreamy adolescent. Of course, now, I believe that the most important is to have fun and give pleasure to the audience. Personally my best pleasure is when I accomplish a new work and when I’m satisfied with the result. I never think of what other people will say of my song, if they’ll like it or not. It would be paralyzing to me to think that way. I started to make music on my own, playing all instruments and programming those that I can’t play. My experience of composing with my band was not very satisfying as I realized that my need to compose something original was not shared. The other members preferred to cover well-known hits. But soon I found it very agreeable to invite other musicians to play some parts of my songs, joining their talent to my ideas. That was certainly a good operation to have great singers and soloists with me. Thanks to the Internet I could play with people from various places in the world.  I shared my songs on Jamendo for nearly 4 years. Then I discovered Fandalism. The feedback of listeners was great,  and it surprised me a lot. Whether they are simple listeners of music experts, I have a great satisfaction in saying how my works are welcome.

Shakespeare once said music is the fruit of love. What does that mean to you?

I agree with that when it comes to the point of sharing my music with other people. In my case it’s always a gift. That happens to when some collaborators help me make some new song. When I receive their parts I always receive it as a great gift and I’m grateful for that. I respect what I’m given and all new ideas are very welcome. In my case I would like to add that music is made with our life, our emotions, our pains and our joys. I can’t make a music that means nothing to me.

What are your future ambitions when it comes to music?

I just want to continue to create new songs and I hope they will be better than everything I’ve already made. I often dream that I manage to break my own limits and create surprising original pieces in different styles than ordinary. I also have some ambition in the field of classical music. I have several baroque pieces that I hope I’ll be able to play in a better way that what I could do previously. Where do you see the future of music?

Sometimes I’m pessimistic when I state that in today’s world the music is slaved to profits at various times by the music industry. Fortunately sometimes a great original artist or band can appear despite the race to the bottom. Sometimes I’m rather optimistic considering the huge amount of original artists who expressed themselves in the domain of free music. Probably what we’ve known during the 20^th century will end: huge artists making a lot of money through disks and TV shows. We don’t have to wait that somebody tells us what to listen (unless we’re slave of commercial music industry and medias). We can find a lot of free music with an incredible quality. But I have no solution to the problem of how to allow an artist to live correctly with its creations; otherwise I would apply it to myself.

What advice would you give young people starting out with the idea of having a career in music?

So many young people want to become stars! I can understand that, as I was young too. I think the whole paradigm will change a lot, it’s already changing. I would not be the one to shower the heat. After all I did not succeed myself. And who knows, circumstances, meeting the right person, a great idea could bring fame… Obviously everything is done in the economic system to prevent new real talent to emerge. Of course there are exceptions… That feeds the dream...

You perform a lot with other musicians. What do you look for in collaborations? How can people learn from these and what are the value of them? The basis is humility: I don’t pretend to be a great musician, but I still want to do something that sounds good to my ears! Despite incredible tools that are given to amateur musicians I still favor the warmth and the richness to have real instruments and good vocals in my songs. When I started to ask for help I was very afraid that I would receive negative answers or laughs! But instead I had only good experiences and the results were always beyond my expectations. Well, sometimes singers are real divas, very hard to satisfy. Today I can’t imagine not asking for external contributions to make new song. I always learn from others. I’m often dazzled by their work and their ideas. Then I’m very happy to promote our common work and my best pleasure is to read a compliment for my partner(s).

Offer a few anecdotes about yourself. What makes you the musical you?

When I was a young boy I already created songs that I sung or myself, in my head. But I did not realize that. I remember that I used to go to the grocery store with a list of things to purchase for the family dinner, every evening after school. I watched the other boys screaming, playing soccer in a field. I thought to myself “what kind of boy am I, what makes me different than others?” I had only negative words with which to answer, the same that I heard at home. Now I know: I was preparing my future passion, that irrepressible need to express myself in the best way, I mean to show some beauty from inside me to those who did not believe in me.

Yvalain's music can be found here: http://fandalism.com/yvalain

Find your new direction through music, and help build a harmonious world

Robin Rendell, songwriter and musician

Carol Forsloff — So you've retired with time on your hands, like to sing, play an instrument and be part of something wonderful. Or you are a young person who has learned a few new tricks and want to share them.  Maybe you are one of those old folk singers who believe your music has long since past, or you are a rocker and wonder if the general public will find and love you. Well, folks there are places that will remind you that you can at any age find your musical direction, have fun and make friends, and maybe even rediscover yourself or develop new talents.

Robin Rendell is that mature fellow who has lived long enough to have experienced much of the world. He is that traditional folk artist, the kind many of us revered in our youth. Yet he plays that eternally loved music, writes and makes wonderful musical masterpieces that can only delight people of all ages. And he is part of the Fandalism community, a community where ageism, sexism, national bigotries and all go by the wayside as people forge new bonds in music. Robin is one of those people who leads folks through his collaborations and creations.

But Robin isn't alone.  Michelle Baker, a young housewife from the South, learns, grows, and fits music into those everyday household responsibilities. Yet she brings her wit, charm and warmth to this site called Fandalism and for a few moments in her day, she is a star, shining brightly and appreciated by a world of fans.

Dan'l Young shows off his wonderful, extensive family and his music as well.  Another senior, in those years some folks think is the end of a music career, Dan'l doesn't have that off button some think needs to be used at that "certain age." Instead he proves that certain age is no barrier in having fun and being appreciated.

All over the world people are finding their new direction in music. Whether you are an Amadea or an Ivana Fisher from Eastern Europe or a French composer of infinite skill, such as Yvalain LePoste, or a country singer from Arkansas, like James Rice  in those mid-life years of trying to find one's ultimate purpose,  or the time you think you ought to be hanging up your boots but instead are a country singer with the continuing enticement that comes from doing it well, or a show tunes diva like Kathy Songbird, there's a place for you on Fandalism, touted as the site of the world's greatest musicians.

And some of the world's greatest may yet be found by the general public, and you, good reader, may be one of them, whether you are from India, Canada, or some island in the Pacific, with a direction that at the very least will bring you a measure of joy and the good health that comes from the music of the world.

International music collaboration: a model for national, internationalcooperation

[caption id="attachment_16914" align="alignleft" width="300"] A Perfect Day, music collaboration[/caption]

Carol Forsloff — On a perfect day, the topic of perfection in working together reflects itself beautifully on an international site called Fandalism with a message of hope and love. Appropriately, the title of a video is A Perfect Day, with the embedded performances that represent some of the best talents on the site. An idea conceived, produced and directed by "Sticky Sugar" Hopkins, it demonstrates how people of diverse backgrounds and talents can put together that something wonderful that is indeed the height of human experience. Perhaps politicians might learn from musicians how give and take in good ways can bring out the best in everyone.

A Perfect Day is a song written by Lou Reed, with separate parts originally done by some of the great names in music.  This same song is made stunning by singers from many countries on Fandalism, put together by a performer - arranger of great talent, Sticky Sugar Hopkins, whose abilities move across the music board from country to classics.

To organize and develop separately and together the various voices on the video is a technological feat. While America and Greece teeter economically and need serious planning and collaboration within their countries, using that same critical ability to give others an opportunity to shine, to have their ideas heard, and to consider the talents of everyone is the very definition of solving complex problems. It is what music allows in a collaboration like Perfect Day.

May we all have A Perfect Day, as this music is offered here as that antidote to political turmoil, a statement that says we can be co-workers, each in our own way, with the heavens in making the world a better place.

It includes the voices of Nancy Burridge, Sticky Sugar Hopkins, Darcy Jeavons, Joey Vaughn, Patrick Collard, Ray Cullen, Adela Zanchetti, Remco Heemskerk, Jason Yates, and Carol Forsloff.

Vocalist Nancy Burridge consoles and reminds us of what Feels Like Home

[caption id="attachment_16829" align="alignright" width="259"] Nancy Burridge[/caption]

Carol Forsloff — If a thing of beauty is a joy forever, than we can consider a recent piece of music on Fandalism will be with us for a long time.

Nancy Burridge has a voice that is recognized as special for its beauty. Combine that voice with the instrumental knowledge base of Sticky Sugar Hopkins, Remco Heemskerk,  Dave Rodrieguiz, Fred Jam and Grammy Award winning Master Audio Engineer offering information and support, and the song becomes a top favorite on the international music site, Fandalism. Burridge brings beauty through this song to new heights in a vocal range that stuns the listener.

The song is called Feels Like Home, a music masterpiece that can bring tears to the eyes of anyone who thinks of the essential things of beauty. The offering is especially poignant at a time when many people along the Eastern seaboard of the United States have lost their homes in the devastating Super Storm, Sandy.

The song is a special tapestry that weaves through the mind and gives the listener that moment of reflection, of what home is for each of us, that inside something or that place in our hopes, our dreams or are realities, that always helps us feel loved and safe. Randy Neuman, the writer of the song, gave the world a gift of this music, one that comes wrapped in infinite beauty with the lustrous voice of Nancy Burridge.

It is here for all those who a moment of beauty today, the kind that can be that joy forever.

Staffan Fenander: On finding your way in music

Staffan Fenander creates repository of world's folk and standard tunes on Fandalism

Carol Forsloff — If you wanted to learn everything you could about the world of music in the past five decades or so, where would you look?  Most folks might think it would be America, but indeed the repository of great information on a variety of music styles is a man from Sweden, Staffan Fenander, whose delightful performances demonstrate his great knowledge of the world's folk and standard tunes.

I interviewed Fenander, one of the many musicians on Fandalism, an international music community. The following are his responses to a set of interview questions about how he started in music and how he came to amass such a large storehouse of songs over the years.

Q: How did you get started with your interest in music?

To me , as for so many others of my generation (born in 1947),  it all started with Rock´n´Roll, my big sister was an Elvis Presley fan and I can vividly remember King Creole, Heartbreak Hotel, and all those other great rock songs. She bought singles and EP's and brought them home to our old radio-grammo-phone. Like others our age, when our parents were away we played them loudly She also liked the calypso and folk songs of Harry Belafonte and so gave me my first American folk songs and West Indian influence.

In Sweden at that time, middle 50s, there were only two, state-controlled radio channels; no commercial radio and no TV at all! (TV was introduced in the late 50s...) One of the channels played only classical music and the other had sermons, documentary programs, talk shows, and sometime light entertainment music. The only program that featured rock´n´roll was a program about cars and this was the highlight of the week when the guy played the rock song of the week, and there only was one! No wonder it made some impact on us starved kids.

I started buying records in the late 50s and have done so ever since , got a good collection of records with all kinds of music. I heard my first Bob Dylan song, my first blues song and my first Duke Ellington song..hooked for life.

Q: What styles do you particularly like and when did you start playing?

I started playing blues and folk guitar and discovered that I had a knack of learning song lyrics very quickly, don´t know why but I come from a family where literature was a natural art form, my mother worked in a book-shop and both my sister and I became librarians, so poetry and the written word have always been very important to me. In the early 70s, I once sat down and counted how many songs I knew at that time and the figure was around 700 songs. Today I do not dare start counting.

I learned to play guitar as a teen, then played at parties and at friends houses, around the campfires music appropriate for that occasion, which made a great atmosphere for swapping and learning songs  I went to London in the 60s for many musical trips, seeing groups like Pink Floyd, John Mayall, King Crimson and many others, folk singers like Sandy Denny, Bert Jansch etc. In this way, I picked up songs everywhere. In 1971, I started playing as a busker/street-singer , hitch-hiking in Europe . And along the way I made some money. I learned to entertain an audience, sing with volume and how to present a song and realized that I could make money on my music. A couple of years later, I started playing in pubs, student places, hospitals etc. First alone, then in a duo, and finally in a 5-piece band, “The Hot Rats”, that existed on a semi-professional level for 5-6 years. That was a great experience, learning to play with others, singing 3-part harmony etc. Our music included a variety of styles and our own inventions.

Q: You seem to have a sophistication with music around the world. How did you acquire it and remember the lyrics and the music?

The secret of learning different types of songs is just to pick up and play everything you like, from all genres, play them obsessively, study them, find the sheet music or the lyrics, read them and learn! I've never stopped learning playing and singing ... keeps your brain working!

All genres appeal to me; but since I grew up in the 50s and 60s, the music from these decades will of course always be closest to my heart.

A good story or good poetry and a good chorus are invaluable for remembering a song, if you get inside a story and feel it you never forget it. The music comes along free.

Q: How would you advise a young person to get started?

Don't rely on trends, commercials and talent programs on television.     I would advise someone starting out today to play, play, play and listen, listen, listen to all kinds of styles. Find your own voice and stay true to your ideals... skip the rock dream and engage in your music instead.

Q: What do you get out of being a part of a musical community such as Fandalism?

Fandalism and other communities like it offer communication and sharing , seeing and hearing others and being seen and heard. For me it has been a really rewarding experience to experience what others are doing and sharing my kind of music. It has pushed me into learning new songs, arrange and present my old songs in a new way, and get feedback from other Fandos.

Q: What are your personal choices for Top Ten Songs?

That is impossible. There is a lot of new music that I like. But there is music I can't stand in the music world of today. When rock music started, it was a rebellion music, rebellion against conventions and strict, petty morals. But gradually the music industry incorporated this, unarming the music and making it slick and predictable. New generations try to revive these feelings and express their music in new ways, punk and hip-hop are later examples of this; but again the music and artists quickly got eaten up by the industry.

The 80s and 90s were not fun for rock music, many like me gave up listening to rock  But with new social media like the Internet, smaller record labels, and more place for live music etc, the situation has improved vastly. Influences from other music forms have enriched the new music, we now have a lively world music scene. Kids study and play jazz in new ways, incorporating electronica and rock elements and acoustic musicians. Different forms of production and distribution frees the music from the dependence on large corporations and labels. Now you don't have to have a hit record at all.

My advice to new musicians is stay out of the big business, don't look towards trends and hit records. Play your music and listen to many varieties. Look at the unconventional music and dig deep in the past, there is so much good, powerful music there, and find new ways, experiment, and don't worry! If your music is good, it will come out.

Q: Who are some of your favorite  performers and types of music?

Music goes in cycles. We are now seeing lots of different types of music. There has been a return of roots music because there is always a need for that kind of authentic voice and sound.

My personal choices include Lennon/McCartney for their amazing melodic quality, their ability to compose in all kinds of styles and for their willingness to experiment; Joni Mitchell for her original strength to use unusual tunings and harmonies in her music; Chuck Berry for giving us teenagers a new and own language in the 50s; and Bob Dylan for expanding poetry to rock.

Q: Tell us about your own music career and how music fits in your life?

My music career has been a long and winding road!  Apart from a period of maybe 10-15 years in the 70s and 80s when music was a welcome extra income for me I have always had music as an engaging hobby and have been very satisfied with that. I can vividly remember a period when I had played in pubs and other places several times a week for a year or so, then got a little fed up with music and didn't touch my guitar for a couple of months. I have not used music as a sole occupation so I could concentrate on my family. I have no ambitions other than refine my technique, learn more songs and chords, maybe more instruments... to have fun and satisfy myself..  I am real happy to see and hear that people like what I am doing.

International collaboration brings music magic to the world of love

[caption id="attachment_16692" align="alignleft" width="180"] Robin Rendell, songwriter[/caption]

Carol Forsloff — The poet/playright Shakespeare told us, "If music be the fruit of love, play on," and he must have been thinking of how that love can be found in many ways, as it does in collaborations that take place in international music communities.  The Internet, for all of his faults and and fanciful things, has serious elements of virtue, and that is the collaboration that can take place among musicians of different nationalities, including one today.

Fandalism is that international music community, set up originally to shine a light on the best of the world's music and to allow musicians from different areas of the world to meet one another and bring for each other musical harmony and support. An example has recently taken place, something that sharing may make your day. It surely made mine.

Remco Heemskerk is from Holland. Folks who have heard him know he has significant skill in playing the guitar. He plays in the "James Burton" way, of finding unique delivery styles and capitalizing on these styles by interacting with all sorts of musicians. In other words, Remco can do country, blues, jazz, semi-classical, and folk. It is that view of many, and the learning from others, that brings quality to his performances. It is  his interest in supporting other musicians and finding talent in them that helps make his music magic when he offers one of these performances that brings out the best in everyone.

[caption id="attachment_16693" align="alignleft" width="300"] Remco Heemskerk[/caption]

Robin Rendell is a master storyteller in words and music. His is the kind of music that can endure forever. He writes of the common and the uncommon, but in a fashion with which we might all relate. Rendell is from France, but he might as well be your next-door neighbor when it comes to building relationships and learning to appreciate the music and culture of others. Peter Paul and Mary and the Topic Folk Club in Bradford were his musical influences, but he has a way of infusing the old and the new in ways other musicians find especially entertaining.

Lee-Zette has a range of vocal abilities, from ballad to Bach and back. She is originally from South Africa and lives now in Texas. Nine years of musical training in the classics has brought a high level of skill to someone, who open-hearted  and talented as she is, offers music magic in collaborations with musicians from around the globe.

[caption id="attachment_16694" align="alignleft" width="180"] Lee-Zette, Vocalist[/caption]

Today is a day to enjoy, a day that some would simply say, "that God has made" and that poets extol when music is in the air, as Shakespeare wrote, that brings love. And here is an example of that kind of music, from three of Fandalism's finest.

http://fandalism.com/brems/bu94

Lisa Gill: Singer of stature and beauty from the inside out

[caption id="attachment_16549" align="alignleft" width="267"] Lisa Gill and Roger Chandler shown here on Fandalism[/caption]

Carol Forsloff---Once in awhile we happen upon a musician that stands out dramatically.  There is something special, something hauntingly beautiful that attracts the listener.  Then there is a quality from the soul outward through the voice, bringing magic to all who listen.  That is Lisa Gill.

I met Lisa on a site called Fandalism, a site  we both belong to for musicians all over the world, created by Philip Kaplan. But it is that magic of Lisa, something deep within her that reached out to me, and a voice that struck me as special early on when I first heard her sing.  As a journalist, my first loyalty is to other people, whose talents bring them to that place where my pen---now transformed into computer keys---becomes impatient with offering the gift.  And the gift is being able to write about someone so extraordinary that no one would want to miss her performances.

I asked Lisa a series of questions to get her take on the world of music, what led her to music herself and what obstacles she had in finding that music style that tugs at the heart in special ways.



Q:  How did you get started in music? Who motivated you in your family or friends or others along the way and how? What were your earliest activities in music? Did you get involved as a child or later?

A:  My music roots began in a Southern Baptist Church located in the small town of Roachdale, Indiana. This is the place that our student minister leader would sing old-time hymns. His delicate touch of his guitar playing, and his beautiful voice touched me. I'd find myself crying during his performances, at age 5, I had no idea the things that were happening to me inside however I knew that music moved me emotionally and spiritually.

My motivation to sing came from the influence of my family, my mama had a beautiful high soprano voice, daddy had a good baritone voice, and picked up his guitar a time or two. My parents felt that I had a gift at an early age of 5 and encouraged me to sing in Church, I began to sing solos at 6 years old. and also joining an adult trio singing alto. A funny memoir at age 6 was singing " Lighthouse on the Hillside", and in the middle of the song, I had forgotten that I had chewing gum in my mouth, so I stopped everything and  stuck the gum on a pew, it was not a classy move, but I was just a little girl.

I would be painfully shy at times, my family would want me to sing a song and I would sit at the top of the stairs singing "The Carpenters" with the door cracked, or sing a  song like " Delta Dawn", I didn't want them to watch me, however when I was in church it came easily for me to sing in front of a crowd. It didn't even phase me, anywhere else I would freeze up and nearly cry. Once I became comfortable with my voice, around 6 years old, you really couldn't stop me singing, my parents would have a gathering, and before you knew it I would crawl on top of the kitchen table and turn the focus on me.

I sang very little during my teenage and early adulthood, with an exception of some weddings and at church, or in the musical "Annie Get your Gun" performing as Annie Oakley. Although I would sing on my own at home, I seemed to have let my vocals slip away. The focus of my life at the time was on sports and college friends, parties and social gatherings.

Q:  You have a voice that is good for many types of music. What are your personal favorite types? What type of entertainers touch you these days?

A:  Thank you Carol, my favorite personal types are blues, rock, soul, and anything that has a haunting feel to it. I love to sing all genres as each genre has a special quality to the music. I cannot narrow it down to one, as I do sing them all.

I grew up in a strict religious family, the music we listened to in our household were of old-time gospel, Johnny Cash, John Denver, and "The Carpenters". Although my sister and I would listen to Donna Summer, the Bee Gees and Sean Cassidy in our bedrooms. Often I would imitate Donna Summer when I played a song.

I had a big imagination, one day I packed my suitcase at age 8, pretending I was heading to Hollywood to be a star, and I would start walking down our long gravel road singing "California here I come "...I was likely a sight to see for folks around me at the time.

My personal favorite songs are ones with depth, it can be with any artist, for me to sing a song has to touch me in some kind of profound way, true feeling and emotion can only be emitted from the heart.  These artists include Damien Rice, Jeff Buckley, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Ed Sheeran, Marianne faithfull,Stevie Nicks, Johnny Cash,Billie Holiday, Bob Seger and BB King.

My favorites among the modern performers include Coldplay, Stain'd, Radiohead, Eddie Vedder, old REM.   I am also inspired by the French Cellist Jorane.   Many days during recovery from an accident, I would listen to her play and she touched me in so many ways. Another favorite is "The Dave Matthews Band", his live performances are some of the best I've ever seen.

Q:  What obstacles have you found along the way in life and with your music? How do these obstacles impact your music?

A: I found music again after I was involved in a terrible car crash on 9/2/2001, so although physically and emotionally there were many obstacles along the way, I suffered for many years, as I was in and out of hospitals having surgeries to repair me. I was a "Train wreck" to say it mildly, accumulating 70+ surgeries along the way.  Being under the knife was just a part of my life. I decided that I would not return to "Corporate America" and focus on the things that made me happy throughout my youth and adulthood. I later joined a site called " Sing Snap" in which I decided to pursue singing again.  Many years had lapsed since I picked up a microphone to sing a song prior to this, as being in a high-paced business world, I had little time to enjoy life outside an office. Sing Snap actually built my confidence up as a vocalist,  and my musical journey became the second most important of my life, after my family and daughter.

4.  You belong to an international community of musicians?  What attracted you initially to this site and the activity there?  You are popular on the site.  What do you personally think is the reason for that attraction?  You are beautiful.  Do you think there is a bias towards good-looking women?  You seem to go beyond looks to create your music so well.  What have you learned about this you can share?

I belong to "Fandalism" a site created by Philip Kaplan, I have heard some of the best musicians, and vocalists in the world with over 500k sharing their love of music. I discovered the site in a Google search. I explored other sites like Reverb-nation, however the place I felt home to was "Fandalism". After I posted my first song I was overwhelmed by the number of people that loved my sound. The warmth and friendliness, true sincerity of those I encountered along the way, inspired me to continue and help me realize that my dream as a child, never was lost, or forgotten, but restored in the realization that this is what I should be doing in my life and it's never too late to pursue your dream.

I think perhaps I am popular on this site because I take the time to listen, and encourage. My comments are truly heartfelt My part in this industry is to aspire and inspire and give kindness to others.

I don't look at myself as others see me, and although I have had some say to me, " I was attracted to a picture and it made me come to your site", then they focus on my music and say things such as, " I was expecting a mediocre singer and you blew me away". For me personally I don't care what one looks like, I am there to listen and enjoy a gift we all have in some way.

Q:  Sometimes you author or help author music. What kind of subjects tempt you?

A: Each song is a story to be told, I need relevance in a song,  life events we all can relate to, whether it is love, pain, anger and abuse.

Q:  What types of songs seem to attract you when you do a collaboration?

A: I have several people I collaborate with, it truly depends on the genre of the song. I love the blues, and anytime I can jam with someone it's very special, like Roger Chandler of Canada, Franck Szypura of France, Célio Werneck of Rio de Janero. These are incredible guitarists that can take my song and make it a masterpiece. They are a few of many that inspire me to go beyond my limits.

When it comes to something jazzy, pop or soft in keys, Nick Rowe of  Australia is always my pianist. I have also collaborated with Papa Angelo Marinosci of Rhode Island, US, whom we all love, and inspires us so much. In the near future you will also hear my poems collaborated with the sounds of "Simon Paul England" of the UK, something new and exciting to bring to Fandalism.

Q:  What are your future plans for music? Where do you think the world of music is going? How can it be improved? What can people do to foster music quality?

A: I have had several band opportunities since I have joined Fandalism.   I am unsure if that is the route I want to take at this time as I see myself more as a " Solo Artist", I plan to produce a personal album in the near future and also have plans on doing some gigs at some of our local Jazz and Blues clubs.

The music world persuades our youth, what is heard on the radio is not as profound as our earlier generations of music. Everyone has his/her taste in music, and all music is art; but we tend to forget the late greats that set the standards of high quality music. This is lacking in our generation today.

Things seem to be improving, festivals that focus on folk, rock, jazz, blues will certainly broaden one's taste in music. I see more festivals today, than as in earlier years as a family bringing our children to such events will help our children and friends appreciate the true beauty of style, not just one.

A woman of substance in music and in life offers a perspective that is hopeful, yet challenging. If you want to listen to the heart and soul of music, you have it in the palm of your hand in a world of music, where Lisa Gill is a standout among many.

When I Fall in Love becomes video sensation from great musical combo

[caption id="attachment_16431" align="alignleft" width="180"] Kathy Songbird[/caption]

Carol Forsloff — If you love great show tunes, the songs that made a hit on Broadway, the great singers like Judy Garland and Julie Andrews, well here's your chance to find that same magic at the tip of your finger. A video that stands out as not just an ordinary video but a magic of song and the talents of two performers whose wedded talents would make any critic beam.

Kathy "Songbird," as that is her professional name,  has a vocal range that makes folks shiver in anticipation the moment she opens her mouth to sing. She can hit the high notes with ease while reaching to the lower registers with aplomb. And she does it with feeling. This is a singer who knows how to interact with an audience so delightfully that those who listen feel they are in her living room, sitting on a fine, easy chair with all the captivating visuals that one could ever want for atmosphere.

The video has Kathy's voice and the masterful instrumentals of "Sticky" Sugar Hopkins, also known as Yawroc. This producer is able to make visual artistry at a level seldom seen on ordinary videos. He takes color, animation, ideas and images, and connects and weaves these with the sounds of his guitar, and other instruments he either plays or provides in electronic form, to create a masterpiece digitally every bit as great as artists capture on canvas.

"When I Fall in Love" is a song made famous by Nat King Cole. That love song brings memories to many of the kind of love people dream they might experience. The doorway to the song on this video is filled with magical images, of the fireplace, the snowy day, the lights and candles, the  greenery mixed with the white landscapes and the beauty of man and woman in love.

This journalist asked Hopkins how this great collaboration occurred. Both are members of Fandalism, a site for more than half a million musicians and counting. So there is an abundance of talent on the many musical sites, of artists from around the world. Still the video and the music of Hopkins and the Songbird, stand out as a masterpiece among many masterpieces of collaboration taking place on this site. It was created for that purpose certainly, and that activity has brought joy to the many musicians eager to find each other and seek new adventures in music. So it was important to learn just how these two separately fine artists collaborated to achieve this astounding piece of work.

Hopkins told me:  "I have always been a die- hard fan of Nat King Cole, the warm feeling it brings to me when listening to this man's voice.. When I fall in Love has always been a particular and special piece to me. When I first heard Kathy's voice I was absolutely knocked sideways, I just could not believe that a lady with a voice as she has is not a top star on Broadway because that is where she should be right now! It is not just her singing ability that shines through for me, she does not just sit in front of a camera and sing, she interacts with the audiences that are looking in.  For me she is an all around great vocalist and performer."

[caption id="attachment_16430" align="alignleft" width="226"] Producer, Musician, Sticky Sugar Hopkins/Yawroc[/caption]

Hopkins goes on to speak of his excitement in finding Kathy, that it could be Kathy on that hilltop singing "The hills are alive with the Sound of Music. I suggested to Kathy one day to allow me to make a video to make her voice and song shine through, something nice and real special.  I was listening to the radio one day, and Nat King Cole was singing, "When I Fall In Love." This was a message to me to take that song and do something with it, and I knew right away that was a place for Kathy. "

For Kathy, the decision was easy. She observes, "Sticky is the kind of producer and musician who should have great recognition. He is a true genius in putting this video together. I was thrilled to be a part of it."

And you, good reader, will be likewise thrilled when you hear the voice of Kathy Songbird in the frame of Sugar "Sticky" Hopkins/Yawroc in a video that is sure to remain in your memory for a long, long time. It is here for your enjoyment.