Week Forty-Two, “Your Old T-Shirt”

I know I say this every time but I seriously cannot believe that “Song in Your Box” is at week 42! That’s 10 more songs. It’s kind of amazing for many reasons. One is that time goes by so effing fast and another is that when you start a project like this, you never really think the day will come that it’s finished. It’s like “yeah yeah, in far away land, I’ll have 52 new songs”. Well far away land is now 10 weeks away.

So this week, I am officially off the party train. I had a good run with my west coast trip and then my birthday but I’m back on the juice  (green juice that is) and off the cerveza (beer that is). It’s quite obvious but not always easy to remember how amazing you feel when you are clear-headed and treating yourself well. I don’t like to be too strict but it’s definitely time for some good self- loving. (insert joke here)

Anywho, I mention it just as a reminder to give yourself some good self lovin’ too!:) It also helps with creativity and inspiration when your head is clear-headed. Go figure!

For this week’s song I had the challenge from a friend and myself to stay in one key. For all you non-musicians reading I won’t go into it but basically I have the tendency to “borrow” chords from different keys, and/or go to different keys completely. Not all the time but a lot of the time. It’s just what my ear likes to hear. It makes things a bit more interesting.

So this week, I stayed in one key and I wrote a song I really like! Woohoo! The story of the song is true in most ways. What I really wanted to express is how smelling is the sense that can bring back so many memories! Have you ever walked around and smelled the honeysuckles that remind you of your backyard and you’re just 10 years old again? Isn’t is just the best???

Well, I think it’s pretty cool and I love that when I smell an old t-shirt all the memories come flooding back. I hope you enjoy it too.

With the end of Song in Your Box near, I’m going to need some help from you! I would love to know which songs spoke to you the most and why so please make a note of your favorites. Also any comments and thoughts are always appreciated!:)

Thanks as always for listening and for being on this journey…

Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

All my love,

Dana

Haven’t thought about you, I’ve been living without you for some time

But then you pop in my head, while I’m making my bed once in a while

I can’t help but wonder if

(my birthday pic!)

Week Forty-One, “Here I Go Again”

Oh My Gosh, what a week! I really don’t even know where to begin. Aside from getting back in the grind of the city after vacation, it was mine and my roomie/friend (I like to say roomfriend or friendmate:) Kevin’s birthday celebration on Saturday night. (My bday is tomorrow, his was Saturday)

We had the BEST time!!!! My friends new and old came to celebrate as did my brother and sister. We danced the night away and didn’t leave until 3am! I haven’t had a night like that in quite some time. Needless to say, I am still pretty tired and am finding myself needing to heed some of my own advice.

Advice such as: You can’t wait for inspiration to hit. You just have to do it anyway. And: it doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be good enough to put out. Read: stop being so damn critical/hard on yourself! It’s really not easy for me to follow but really easy for me to say. I haven’t been feeling as inspired as I know I can be and have been finding myself putting things off that I know I have to do. But I know from experience that you just have to DO them. Motivation and Inspiration don’t “hit”. (Well, maybe they do sometimes but you can’t WAIT for them to hit.)

So this week’s song is….what I came up with:) It’s a catchy little number that I quite enjoy playing. It’s about repeating old patterns and habits- something I’m sure we can all relate to.

What do you do when you find yourself unmotivated? Any techniques that work for you? Please share them in the comments below.

Thanks as always for listening! (with headphones:)

My birthday love,

Dana

If you want to give me the ultimate birthday present I would LOVE it if you tell ONE friend about this project and have them sign up for my list! Or send them your favorite song. NOTHING would make me happier!:)

You got me swimming

In the calm of your deep sea

And now I’m sinking

Cuz I’ve forgotten how to breath

You’ve got me hooked onto your line

I get distracted by the shine

Here I go again here I go again

You got me running

Running right over to you

You got me loving

All the things you want me to

You got me blinded by your light

I think it’s different this time

Here I go again, Here I go again

You’d think that I would learn my lesson

But I don’t pay that close attention

You got me thinking

About the things that we could do

And now I’m drinking

To get my mind off of you

I wish that I could change my mind

I think it’s different this time

Here I go again, Here I go again

I’m addicted

to the possibility

it’s self-inflicted

And now it’s got a hold on me

I can’t see clearly sometimes

I get distracted by the high

Here I go again, Here I go Again

(Me and my girls after dinner at my favorite Mexican place!)

Week Forty, “Every Little Thing”

I am writing this from 35000 ft. How cool? I am on my way back from my west coast trip. I had the best time in Los Angeles and San Francisco seeing all my friends and eating Mexican food for almost every meal!:)

But I am excited to get back to New York and write some songs after being so inspired and not having that much time to write. I can feel that it’s just going to pour out of me so I look forward to that.

I’m also going to write a post about the ASCAP expo. I took away quite a lot but I need a bit more time to gather my thoughts and put it down. So keep a look out for that:)

So since I was away, I actually gave myself permission to use an older song so I could enjoy my week fully.

This song is called “Every Little Thing.” I wrote it a while ago but never recorded it or played it out much. Not sure why because I love it:)

I actually wrote it for a songwriting workshop I was in. The “assignment” was to write a song in response to an already written well-known song. I chose sting’s song ” Every Little Thing she Does is Magic” . It didn’t turn out to be a direct response but that’s where I started from.

I love that songs can start out with one intention and then turn into something you never could have imagined. So here it is!

Thanks as always for listening and reading! It’s the final stretch!!!:)

 
Love,
D

Every little thing I do
Leads me to you
Every little thing I say
Is one step behind the truth

I’m sorry what else can I say?
I’m sorry, didn’t know I’d end up this way

Every little thing I touch
Turns into dust
Every little thing I kiss
Doesn’t turn into my prince

I’m sorry what else can I say?
I’m sorry, didn’t know I’d end up this way

So why don’t I start to try something new?
And why don’t we keep on reaching for more?

Every little thing I doubt
Turns me inside out
Every little tear I cry
Has its own reason why
And every little step I take
Might be a mistake

I’m sorry what else can I say?
I’m sorry, I didn’t know I’d end up this way

So why don’t I start to try something new?
And why don’t we keep on reaching for more?

(me and my roomies at the ASCAP EXPO)

I’m writing from LA on a Monday morning. What an action packed few days! I am here for the ASCAP expo ( a music conference), the 3rd one I’ve attended. It was great as usual-I learned a lot and got really inspired.

In particular I loved this one “panel” with Darrel brown who brought people up from the audience, had them play a song and then gave AMAZING feedback.
It was so awesome to see how he heard the changes and he was so genuinely interested in helping and making them better!

The other thing that stood out was some of the more well known artists that were there. Katy perry surprised me with some of the things she said. I didn’t realize how much of a hand she has in the writing of the songs. She also seemed really grateful to be where she is.

And that’s the theme of what I heard. Most people up there from Ne-yo to Big Sean to Stargate to Mike Posner (he was the sweetest of them all) were all so humble and just grateful to be doing what they’re doing. It was nice seeing good people succeed. Very inspiring.

On to this week’s song….it  is about perspective. I sometimes think about how we never really know what another person experience is. The lens through which they go through life. There are so many different filters.

My red could be someone else’s blue or what I taste as pizza could be someone else’s Chinese food.  We use the same words but they could be describing two different things.

Anyway, that’s what this song is about. Different perspectives. And really understanding that its a huge aspect in accepting and understanding other people. I think a lot of times we try to make people understand our point of view and sometimes even change it. But that never works. And why would we want it to? It’d be so boring if we all saw things the same way!
In my opinion, we just have to accept it. You see what you see, I see what I see and that’s the beauty of being a unique individual.

So without further ado, here is Sun and Moon. do you like this song? Share it with your friends!

Thanks as always for listening!

Dana

If your green was my blue
Would you still wear suede shoes?
If your lies were my truth
The story would be a little skewed

It’s your point of view, it’s what you see
You can only be you, and me only me

If your sun was my moon
What would we do at noon ?
If your march was my June
What would I wear for you?

It’s your point of view, it’s what you see
You can only be you, and me only me

If your rough was my smooth
It would hurt to get close to you
If your peach was my prune
I don’t think you would like my juice

It’s your point of view, it’s what you see
You can only be you, and me only me

Week Thirty-Eight, “The One Who Got Away”

So I was recording the video for this song and planning for my trip to LA tomorrow when I heard about the explosions during the Boston marathon. There is nothing really to say, is there? It’s all been said. It’s all so very sad. It’s just beyond comprehension.

Now everything I was planning, all the little odds and ends that seemed so important seem silly in light of what happened. But the world keeps turning and we are here to turn with it.

It feels and seems that we are helpless. But I don’t think that’s the case. We have a responsibility to ourselves and to each other. And that is to be our best. To be kind. To be forgiving. To shine our brightest. Because when we shine bright, we allow others around us to do the same. And if we all shine our brightest then perhaps it will reach the dark corners of the souls who live in fear and who commit such acts to demonstrate their fear. This is what I truly believe….

So, on a semi-lighter note, this week’s song is called “The One Who Got Away”. I wrote it a while ago but worked on it and fixed it up a bit because it wasn’t quite right.

I think the topic is pretty self-explanatory:) I’m keeping this one short today. My prayers are with everyone in Boston.

All my love,

Dana

p.s. I am going to the West Coast on Wednesday and will be playing a show in San Francisco next Monday April 22nd. If you are there or have friends and family please spread the word.
It’s at Osteria on Sacramento and Presidio and is from 7-10pm To make a reservation call 415-771-5030.

*If you like this video please share with your friends!

So I’ll be the one who got away

(My Saturday with bro and sis-perhaps the reason I was feeling Blue Sunday?:)

Week Thirty-Seven, “Blue to Gold”

Finally, it’s really beginning to feel like spring in New York. It’s an exciting time. Flowers are in bloom, winter coats are put away (although I’m pretty sure I jinxed it and next week will be 30 degrees again), and love is in the air.

Well, almost. I’m only human and some days are not so love-filled. In fact they can be quite the opposite. Where everything bothers me, everyone annoys me and all I want to do is sit in my room and watch netflix. (Actually I think it’s for the benefit of others that I want to do that but luckily I have the decency not to impose these days on friends, families or even strangers.) 

So the other day, I was having one of those days, trying to write a song and I texted my friend Maeghan (shout out! Hi Maeghan!:) and I was like “I’m in a mood. Tell me something good!” To which she responded with some hilarious stories about her nephew and said,  ”I hope your blues turn to gold”.

A bell went off pretty immediately and I thought now there’s a great title/theme/idea for a song. And so…I wrote one.

The idea behind it is whether feeling blue is something we can control…I know there are some days where I would say yes, and some days an emphatic no! When I’m in such a mood, I go through the rolodex, so to speak, of why I might be feeling that way. Sometimes it’s as easy as just putting my sneakers on and going for a run but that doesn’t really make for an interesting song.:)

Other times, I watch the Notebook and allow myself to feel what I’m feeling. And even more times, I write a song about it that goes something like this….

I’ll stop talking so you can hear for yourself! What do you do to change your blues to gold??? Would love to hear in the comments below!

All my golden love,

Dana

If I could go back in time I’d pay attention to all the signs

I’m not sure where I’d be. But I imagine a different version of me

And maybe if I stayed on the road

All these blues would turn into Gold

If I stopped the fantasy,  and saw what’s in front of me

I could change my point of view

And this time it wouldn’t include you

And maybe if I start to let this go

All these blues would turn into Gold

If I opened up my eyes

all the paintings would come to life

If I listened up real close, I’d hear

the melody starts on my favorite note

And maybe if I start with what I know

Then I could turn my blues into Gold

Week Thirty-Six, “What am I Waiting For”-

I remember specifically at the beginning of this project wondering what I would feel like around week 36. It’s kind of in the thick-of it, you know? Not quite 3 quarters through but past the half -way mark.

What I’m feeling is that it’s just turned into a part of my life. I love it. I hate it (sometimes). But mostly I love it and I can’t imagine what I’d be doing with my time if I wasn’t doing it. I realize that nothing compares to the feeling of writing a song you love. Seriously, ah-maze-ing. And you have to get through quite a bit that you’re not so crazy about to get to the great ones but it’s always worth it. In other words, hard work, pays off!:)

So this song, is one of the songs I love most, if not THE most out of the whole project so far. Bold statement I know. But there’s just something about this one. It just feels right. Everything about it expresses what I’m trying to say. And I can’t stop playing it. Over. and Over. Again.

I’m sure it’s a subject we can all relate to. What are the things in your life that you’re waiting for? Sometimes, I have this moment of clarity where I realize life is just too short. There is no time to wait!

And so here it is, Week 36, “What am I waiting For?”  The lyrics are below the video if you want to read along.

 

 
My friends think I’m crazy
Same old story yet again

The one where I dream about you
But always leave you in my head

When you walk into the room, I don’t know what to do
Everything starts to get blurry except me and you

And I’ve been wondering, what I’m waiting for

I couldn’t take it, if you were to break my heart, oh no
so I’ll just fake it, until I make it, even though you’re what I want

When you walk into the room how it starts to move
Everyone else is in grey and you’re in blue

And I’ve been wondering, what I’m waiting for

I anticipate the day, when you look at me that way and I know
That everything I dreamt for us, weighed us down it messed it up, and you GO

Sometimes, when you’re near me
I could swear you feel the same

But then you’re gone and I’m alone
No evidence remains

When you walk into a room how it starts to move
Everything else is pretend only you’re the truth.

I’ve been wondering, what we’re waiting for.
 

(me and my new friend Rachel-my work bff)

Week Thirty-Five, “Sexual Chocolate”

I am starting to realize what they mean when they say New York is the city that never sleeps. I feel like I’m wasting time when I sleep-I could be getting so much stuff done:)

But there is definitely an energy to this city that is both exhilarating and overwhelming. I am trying to find the sweet balance between the two.

This week is a song I wrote with my guitar teacher and friend Tim Shipman, as an exercise. It’s a very rough version which I debated putting up but I’ve come to the conclusion that in a project where I’m writing a song a week (and also doing a million other things), sometimes the quality will not be 100%. It’s a lesson in life too. Not to wait until things are “perfect” because you’ll be waiting forever. And really that was the reason I started this project. I have plans to clean it up, and get the highest of qualities so just you wait!:)

So, Tim and I wrote a song together. It was awesome because as an exercise we didn’t pour over it for hours. The idea was to pick a subject, pick some chords, and write a song. Easy Peasy, no big deal.

My roommate Ambyr (shout out!:) was there that day, and so we were like “Ambyr-give us a topic”. To which she replied “Sex and Chocolate”. Thanks a lot Ambyr! A song about sex and chocolate. Okay, here we go!

I actually think it came out pretty well considering it was written within one lesson and is about sex and chocolate. It of course made me think of “Coming to America” and the band whose name was sexual chocolate. Anyone remember that? Bueller? Anyway, it’s hilarious and so I had to name the song that.

I love doing things that are different. If any of you has an idea for a song you want me to write, shout it out! I have a few songs I’m co-writing with people that I LOVE and I can’t wait to share them. Soon, my loves!:)

Here it is: Sexual Chocolate

love,

Dana

Week Thirty-Four, “How Long?”

One of the things I love about song-writing is it allows you to express yourself in a way that maybe you wouldn’t be able to while just speaking. And sometimes when you can’t find the “right words” in a song, it doesn’t really matter because there are no right words. It’s just a feeling. A sentiment. An idea.

That goes for the listener as well. Sometimes you have this feeling inside and you don’t know how to get it out or what to do with it and then you listen to a song and it expresses perfectly how you feel. So then you listen to it over and over again:) (At least that’s what I do) Oh, the power of music…

This song is about not being able to tell the difference between what your heart and your head are saying. There have been periods in my life where this dilemma has been at the forefront. I realize know that I knew what my heart was saying but I wasn’t listening. I remember feeling so confused and unsure of which body part was saying what and it got to the point where I was like “How Long can this go on?-How long can I ignore my heart?”

And I wondered if I made the decision to listen to my head, would it be enough to silence my heart? That’s where the line-”Maybe if I push it deep inside, it will go. And I can live my life feeling it’s not right” came from. In other words, the answer is no. You can listen to your head, but you will feel that something isn’t right and eventually your heart will lead you in the right direction.

What do you have to say about this subject? Have you had times when you listened to your head only to turn around down your heart’s path? I’d love to hear about it.

Thanks so much for listening to my heart,

Dana

Week Thirty-Three, “Pooh’s Lament”

Hello lovers,

How is everybody doing? I am busy as all getup these days! Which is totally amazing, a little overwhelming and exciting all at the same time. Somehow through it all I still find the time (read: make the time) to write songs:)

Last week I wrote a song with 2 friends of mine that I am totally in love with but it’s not ready yet so I had to write something on my own. As I sat down to write by myself I realized how much I actually want to write with other people. It was so cool. Having more minds and more experiences to draw from made it such a different experience. I learned so much about the writing process and being open just in one session.

So, I was having a hard time feeling inspired by myself and I got an email from my work. It said that the new cocktail is called “Pooh’s Lament”. The manager then went on to say something about how she thinks it’s because Pooh would be sad if he only had one…or something like that.

I was then inspired to write about Winnie the Pooh being sad. What would you say to a sad Pooh Bear? Of course I tried to make it funny but it came out in the usual Dana style:)

It was a fun exercise. Probably not a song I will put in my repertoire but my niece and nephew might enjoy it! I hope you do too. Let me know what you think:)

Lots of Pooh Love,

Dana