December Blue Moon

High on my list of achievements in 2009 is the completion of my CD, “Honestly“. Not only is it a new genre, (singer/songwriter with a splash of folk and dab of country), it follows an intimate journey of my life over the past few years laid bare for the world to hear. The coming months will involve the exploitation – otherwise known as marketing – of my life, which is somewhat unnerving.

Susan Boyle took a huge chance when she stepped onto the stage of Britain’s Got Talent. I was among the millions of people who watched the YouTube segment of “I Dreamed a Dream” and was overwhelmed with the shear beauty of her performance. She had everything to loose, but when she shared her gift we took notice. Every once in a while it happens – someone finds the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Sometimes I get stuck inside construed boundaries and allow expectations I have for my life to get cemented under their walls. Standing still is not the answer. The mortar has not hardened. Not only can I rearrange the bricks, I can redesign the wall to include a new opening – a different vantage point. I know anything is possible, and sometimes all that is required is a shift in my attitude.

Today as I look forward to 2010 and beyond, I do so with hope. Tonight I will look to the sky, beyond the clouds, and count all the lucky stars that celebrate with me and this rare December moon.

Happy New Year.

Sunshine After Rain

It’s amazing how a sunny day can lift spirits and make a person feel alive! This summer has been perhaps the most rainy on record, and on more than one occasion, it has left me feeling as sluggish as a bog. I use bad weather as an excuse not to get out for walks and fresh air, and of course, these are probably the two things that would help shift a dull mood naturally. This year, having two days of sunshine in a row is great cause for celebration, and I can’t wait to get outside and soak up some much needed vitamin D.

Thankfully there are still many ways to be productive and find inspiration on ‘house-bound’ days. Last week I decided to put together a medley of songs with a rain theme – if I can’t control the weather, I might as well find a way to embrace it. There’s an massive list of rain related songs, and I found at least a dozon that I either already know or would like to learn. Here they are:

• I Love a Rainy Night – Eddie Rabbit
• I Can See Clearly Now – Johnny Nash
• Listen to the Rhythm of the Falling Rain – The Cascades
• Have You Ever Seen the Rain – Credence Clear Water Revival
• Fire and Rain – James Taylor
• I’m a Believer – Monkies
• My Little Runaway – Del Shannon
• It Never Rains in California – Albert Hammond
• It’s Raining Again – Supertramp
• Rainy Days and Mondays – The Carpenters
• In the Early Morning Rain – Gordon Lightfoot
• Here Comes the Rain Again – Eurythmics

An observation I’ve made about rain songs is that they also often make some reference to the sun! So most of the songs I’ve compiled could also be added to a “songs about sunshine” list. Eddie Rabbit sings, “Shadows wash all my cares away, I wake up to a sunny day”. “Rain won’t you tell her that I love her so, please ask the sun to set her heart aglow” is the plea made by the Cascades, and my favorite line from a very familiar standard, “I can see clearly now the rain has gone. I can see all obstacles in my way”.

This rainy day activity proved to be beneficial in a number of ways. First, I got to learn a few new tunes. Finding the lyrics and chords for songs is so much easier with an internet connection, but it is still an excellent way to do some ear and voice training. Secondly, I got to pull out some old songs that I hadn’t played in quite a while. It always surprises me how quickly I am able to recall lyrics and chord progressions. Thirdly, it made me sing! Singing is a fantastic way to make yourself feel better. It produces ‘feel-good’ endorphins, increases oxygen levels and can even help tone body muscles! It’s almost impossible to sing and feel stressed out at the same time. Try it! You really can ‘sing the blues away’!

What’s your favorite ‘rain’ song? Share it here!

Isabel Designs festival booth

This past weekend, Isabel Designs found herself exhibiting in Marlbank, Ontario at the Red Roof Women’s Festival. Our booth was made of things old, new, borrowed and blue. Not that we were headed to the alter, but it was the first time we took Isabel on the road, and our little store actually did contain all of these things. We had old drawers for shelves, an old screen door, and a well loved trellis for flaunting our wares. We borrowed a table from Dad and covered it with a blue tablecloth. A fancy banner, made by Noella, hanging under the canopy constituted our something new. All in all, I think we looked like seasoned experts – even if I do say so myself!

Sue and I had been – not so secretly – working on a few new products to introduce at the festival. After about an hour of selling, we realized we should have produced more pieces, so thank goodness we brought our tools and supplies with us! We even made custom jewelry and gifts on the spot for a few customers! To say that we were surprised and delighted by the reception we received over the weekend would be an understatement. 

Thank you to all our new customers for supporting our work and Ovarian Cancer Research. And thank you to the Red Roof Festival organizers for putting on such a great event! (I was also a performer at the festival and had a blast sharing the stage with so many talented women. See my facebook for photos).

As soon as I catch my breath, I’ll be updating the website with new jewelry and gifts. For now, I’ll leave you with photos of our weekend and a peak at our new products: SunDrops TM, Heart Catchers TM, and Garden Whispers TM. 

SunDrops TM

Heart Catchers TM

Garden Whispers TM

Eileen, Nancy & Chris on stage

Great crowd & amazing sunshine all weekend

Pat Pattison, Jonnell, Nancy Beaudette & Graham Greer in Nashville

Friend and mentor Pat Pattison is a songwriting professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. He teaches seminars on the craft of songwriting all over the world, and was recently interviewed on New Zealand television. 

Just as a skilled craftsman builds an extraordinary piece of furniture by manipulating the tools in the workshop, the songwriter must hone and refine songwriting skills too. In this interview Pat states that, “it (writing) starts to be art when it stops being arbitrary”. When done successfully, the marriage of melody and lyric leaves the listener filled with emotion. Watch the interview here

I have worked with Pat on numerous occasions and filled my ‘songwriters’ toolbox’ with many new tools. ‘Stable vs. unstable emotions’, ‘motion creates emotion’, and ‘writing from a title’ are just three of the valuable seminars he teaches, and I highly recommend any of Pat’s classes.

Visit Pat Pattison’s website for more information about seminars and online songwriting classes at Berklee.

The Williamstown Fair, the oldest fair in the province of Ontario, is perhaps still my favourite of all time. It has thrill rides and great food, along with terrific entertainment (I have performed on the ‘Centre Stage’ many times), horse shows, antique machinery & car displays, highland dancing and caber tossing, and so much more. The vendors are always top notch – especially the Sign It Signs & Design booth where you’ll always see carving and painting demonstrations, and even get to try some of the techniques yourself!

Nancy Performs at RRWF

This year I’m being introduced to a new weekend event – The Red Roof Women’s Festival. I’ll be performing there on Sunday, July 19th along with other songwriters and performers who will be taking the stage all weekend. My sister-in-law Eileen will be accompanying me on viola for a few tunes too. And Isabel Designs will be setting up a booth! We’ve signed on to be vendors all weekend, bringing our creations ‘off-line’ so to speak. Maybe I’ll see you there! (You can hear some of my songs and get more info about my music here).

Another festival not to be missed in Eastern Ontario is Cornwall’s Lift Off Balloon Festival. The line up this year is incredible, including Amanda Marshall as the headliner, and my good friend Graham Greer as the opening act for her. 

There’s no excuse to stay home this summer. Get out and experience the local flavours of festivals and fairs in your neighbourhood!

Nancy & Lauren

For me, the question isn’t so much about seeking out the next great thrill, – even though I still have a desire to bungee jump and sky dive – rather it’s about not standing still.  A couple of months ago I met a fellow songwriter at an afternoon workshop. She has a passion, energy and expertise  for the craft that is inspiring. (Check out Lauren Passarelli). Doing something for the first time can mean you have to step out of your comfort zone. In this case, I had to put my fear aside and ask Lauren if she would be interested in a collaboration. She said yes! We started working in the studio together to record one of my songs, and I believe there’ll be co-writing in our future as well. That’s momentum. 

So now I’ll ask you, “when is the last time you did something for the first time”? Maybe sharing a story in this blog will be your answer!