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

(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

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-Two, “…Like a Rockstar”-

I’m doing something I haven’t done before-a Song in Your Box first. I am putting out an unfinished song. I won’t go into making excuses as to why it’s unfinished, suffice it to say that I think the song is good and I want to make it GREAT! I just need more time to do that and unfortunately time has been elusive this last week.

I’ll introduce the song and give you the 2 minutes that I have for it. Then next week or an upcoming week I will put up the whole finished product. It’s like a 2 part song!

I  don’t feel 100% comfortable doing it this way but sometimes it just has to be done. And the point of this project is getting me out of my comfort zone!:)

And the intro….

I’m sure you have all felt like rockstars before. You get a new haircut, meet a cute guy/gal, have a great night out with friends and feel like you are on top of the world, and that everything is going right. Those are the magical moments that are tapping into your inner rockstar.

I know I’ve definitely had those nights. And the song was going to be about “feeling” like a rockstar. But then the lyrics started changing and my sassy pants came on and I thought “what if I replace feel with a different F word? Can I do that?” And since it made me feel unsure and a little scared, I decided that “of course I can do that! Why the F not?”.

This subject might be a little bold (and the first thing that came to mind was my parents. Mom, Dad, forgive me-it’s the song, not me!;) but I felt excited by it so I’m going for it.  This project is meant to get me out of my comfort zone, try new things and be creative.

Not sure the song needs more introduction than that. It’s a sassy pants, fun, tongue-in-cheek, song that I hope you can relate to on some level. Even if it’s just being bold and saying things that you normally wouldn’t say.

Please let me know what you think. Did I go too far? Just far enough? How can I make it into a GREAT song? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks for listening!

Dana

(picture of the Met where I saw Rigoletto last week)

Week Thirty-One-”In Love with a Boy”

I know all of us-every single one of has loved someone. And with loving someone (regardless of whether they love you back or not) comes a lot of emotions, “good” and “bad”. (I don’t really believe that emotions can be characterized as good or bad. Emotions are just things you feel and some feel better than others but all of them are necessary. I’ll leave that discussion for another time: )

Back to love-it brings up emotions. Yearning, despair, doubt, hope, elation, etc. The emotions can be overwhelming. Many times, they can make you feel hopeless. And often, even the positive feelings can lead to disappointment. Not fun.

It’s hard to see the light or feel positive when you’re in that place, whether it has to do with love or not. When I feel that way, I remind myself that it’s an opportunity for me to learn and grow. That life goes on, man! That the Universe has your back and all you have to do is have faith in that. And continue to love not to get anything in return but just for the sake of loving.

This song, is about that place. About taking it as it comes and knowing that “this too shall pass”. And life definitely goes on even when it feels like it won’t. If you’ve ever been in that place, or are in it now, I recommend you listen to this song. Hopefully it’ll give you a new perspective.

And please let me know what you think. I love getting your feedback and comments.

All my love,

Dana

(view from my front steps in Philly)

Week Twenty-Nine-”Devil on My Shoulder”-

The snow has turned to rain and now it is muddy and sloshy in the streets of New York. But I gotta say-I’m not hating the winter! Is that crazy? I mean, sure it’s cold, and sometimes painful, but there’s also something nice about staying indoors, drinking red wine, and looking forward to spring/summer. I thought I was going to be a lot more miserable in the cold, but I’m doing OK:)

So this week was a crazy week. Two of my 4 shows got cancelled because of the “storm” (Philly only got 2 inches btw) but I got to have some quality (i.e.drinking) time with my mom which was lovely as always. That meant I had more time to write music than I thought I would.

This song, “Devil on my Shoulder”, is about hearing that devil voice in your head, and what you do about it. Do you listen? Ignore? Fight? Who is the voice? You? Your “evil” friend? Your  boy/girlfriend? I think it’s interesting when you start noticing that voice and realizing that you have a choice to either listen or not…but then you have to deal with the consequences.

It’s a topic we can all relate to. Do you listen? Do you even hear it? Hopefully the devil on YOUR shoulder isn’t too vengeful.

Thanks as always for listening,

Love,

Dana

(Behind the scene shots at my photo shoot. Got some great ones from Shervin Lainez)

Week Twenty-Seven, “Hello”

Moving right along into the second half of my project. There have been many points at which I wonder “Why the hell am I doing this?” and “Do I really need 52 songs?”…(the answers to which are “to work on my craft” and “no”). But I continue miraculously, churning out song after song and hoping for improvement and maybe even a little fun!

This week I started one song on the piano which I love the chorus to but could not for the life of me find the verse. So I wrote a different little number on the piano (if ever there was a ditty, it would be that one), and then picked up my guitar and wrote this one at the last minute! And so it goes. Sometimes you can plan to write a song (or make any other kind of plan) and life just gives you a whole nother (yes I know that’s not a word) song/plan/sandwich (insert noun that life might give you).

So I played with the rhythm of this song, and I love it. So much fun. I think trying new things, and getting out of my comfort zone,with my songs and in just general is crucial. So this song “Hello” is the final result.

I am super stoked to play Rockwood Music Hall next Wednesday February 6th at 9:00pm. All you New Yorkers, I’d love to see all your faces there. I need all the support I can get for my first big show in NYC! Then it’s off to Philly for a couple shows there!

Thanks as always for watching/listening.

All my love,

Dana

p.s. check it out! I am the featured artist in Pen’s Eye View. Really great blog and interview!

WEEK TWENTY-SIX- Can We Stop?

Holy shit, folks. Yeah that’s right. I said it. Holy shit! I am at the half-way point of my year of “Song in Your Box.” Twenty-six mother-lovin’ songs. It seems absurd that I started this in the summer, right after my big cross-country move and now it’s winter, I’ve been here 6 months and I have a boat-load of new songs.

I can’t tell you how much I’ve been learning, observing, absorbing with the move and with this project. It seems serendipitous that I started it at the time of a huge transition but I also know I did it that way for a reason. A reason I didn’t know at the time (and might not know for a while longer).

I decided that in honor of this half birthday I’d share a few things that I’ve learned along the way. I’m also going to put a few of my favorite songs from “Song in Your Box” after this week’s song.

A few things I’ve learned:
1. You cannot wait until inspiration “hits”. Writing/creating is the same as working out. You have to do it every day to strengthen the muscle. You wouldn’t work out one time and think you were fit… just like you can’t write every once in a while and produce your best stuff.

2.No matter how much time I have, I will usually always wait until the last minute. It is a habit I am still trying to break.

3. There are only 12 notes in the scale. Inevitably some songs are going to sound alike. There is no point in trying to avoid it. Just try to make each song its own.

4. Similarly to #3, you are not going to like every song/creation you make. That’s OK. Some are going to speak to you more than others. Some will speak to other people more than others. Your job is to be the vessel for the songs to come through. Which leads me to….

5. Do not try to edit the creation/work while you are creating it. Get it all down. Write pages of lyrics, record hours of ideas (or whatever your mode is). Let it sit for a day or two. Then go back and get the “red pen” out.
But first, write as if noone is going to ever hear/see it. (Some of the best advice I’ve ever been given).

6. Be flexible. Some things start out in one way and through the course of it’s run, things have to change. I started this project as a closed one, (only for people on my list), but decided to open it up because it was the best thing for “Song in your Box”. “Who’s the Boss?” You are!

7.. You can never learn/know too much. I am reading books about song/writing, taking guitar lessons, listening to new music. I am trying to be a sponge. Soak it all in.

8.Have fun! If it’s not fun, either make it fun, or don’t do it. Otherwise, what’s the point?

I know there are many more things I’ve learned. But 8 seems like a good number and I’m not done with this post yet. Yep it’s going to a long one folks.

So, on to this week’s song. “Can We Stop?”. It sounds like I’m asking you if we can stop this project! haha…well, I’m not. This song is one I’ve had for months. Haunting me. Taunting me. I love the chorus. I love the idea. Because I do want to stop for a second to remember some moments. It’s so easy to get caught up in things. To let moments pass you by. But life is just a collection of moments and you have to enjoy them once in a while. To be present and take them in.

So, I’ve been playing the chorus for months without a verse. I just couldn’t get it. But I sat down and worked through it and I figured it out. Of course, I related it to being in the moment with a boy. They’re just fun to write about and think about…so sue me. That first moment before you kiss is what I was thinking about.

And so without further ado, and before this post officially becomes a novel, here is “Can We Stop”?

Thank you so much for being here for the last 6 months. We have 6 more to go! If you have anything to add to my above lessons I would love to hear your take on it. What works for you? What doesn’t work?

All my love,
Dana

“Can We Stop?”

My top songs of Song in Your Box so far:

“Obsession”- Week 23

“Living in a Dream”-Week 15

“Talking to Myself”- Week 9