I just wanted to take a moment to wish my friend and Producer, Jarome Matthew, a very Happy Birthday today !  I have known Jarome for about 18 years or so.  We first met and became friends when we were both working at Sam The Record Man on Seymour St. in Vancouver.  That job was a lot of fun, and we both knew ( even back then ) that our interest in music would not end after that job.

     Jarome is one of the most hardworking, dedicated individuals I know, and his creative talents seem unlimited.  I thoroughly enjoy working with him – he makes it not even feel like “work “.  Being in the Studio with him is just such a wonderful experience, and he has a way of knowing how to bring out each artist’s individual best.  He is a positive, encouraging, kind and thoughtful person, and he never gives up until things are just right.

     I feel very fortunate to be working with him after having lost contact for several years, but more importantly, I am so glad to have his continued friendship in my life. 

     Jarome, thankyou for being so much fun to work with, and thanks for being such a caring friend!  I always know that I can count on you – and that means a lot to me.  You are an awesome person, and I wish you much happiness today, on your special day, and in the years to come !!!

     Happy Birthday, Jarome !!!  ( and no working today, o.k. ? )

     As I mentioned in my blog post ” Trip To Vancouver ” we made plans to meet up with some close friends that I used to work with, later in the evening, back in Vancouver.  Everyone thought it would be fun to go to Karaoke, since many of us love to sing.

     A lot of people hear the word ” Karaoke ” and automatically have visions of drunk people who can’t carry a tune in a paper bag stumbling up to the stage, slurring their words, and literally making you despise a song you may have once loved.  O.k., sometimes this is fairly close to the truth, but it is really unfair to imply that this is always the case.  I have been to many, many Karaoke nights at a lot of different clubs and pubs all over this country over the years, and there are a lot of people who can really sing.  I’ve heard a lot of good singers, and quite a few great singers.  More importantly, if people enjoy singing ( as in, it brings them real joy ) Karaoke is the perfect opportunity for them to get up and do something that makes them happy.  You don’t have to pay musicians, or pay for a rehearsal space, and you get an audience, and experience, every time you do it.  Most people that go are very down-to-earth, kind, supportive people who encourage pretty much everyone, whether they are experienced singers, or not.

     This night was no exception.  We met up with my friends at the pre-arranged time, spent some time chatting and ” catching up “, and got right to looking at the Karaoke Book.  We started making our lists early on, as the guy running it mentioned it was a Long Weekend, and therefore, would be packed.  He wanted to make sure everyone got a chance to sing, who wanted to.

     Some of us ladies were asked to get up and do a group number with some gals from the next table, so we happily obliged.  That was a good way to get over any nerves, and to get a feel for the crowd.  It was a lot of fun, and the audience was very nice to us. 

     A couple of my friends had their turns at singing, and both did really well.  These are both people I feel should be sharing their wonderful voices more often with others – they have real talent.  ( and, lucky for them , neither of them is shy )

     Once my name was called, I started my night with a song I feel very comfortable with – Jo Stafford’s version of ” You Belong To Me “, which just happens to be the version I recorded on my 1st CD .  I always like to start with a song I know well, as that helps me relax a little.  I was amazed when the noisy crowd settled down, and some couples came up to dance – it made me feel really good.  I received a lot of positive response afterwards, ( thanks in part to my loyal friends/cheering section ) and it just reminded me how much I really do love to sing.  As hard as it may be to go up there, once you are singing, it just feels amazing.

     My friends got up and sang some more, and wowed the crowd, and we all just enjoyed hanging out together again, after several months apart.  It was so good to see everyone.  There were some really entertaining vocalists in the crowd, and the pub was full of energy.  By the time I sang my last song, it was way past my bedtime, and one of my friends gave me his “spot”, telling the guy in charge that I was from “out of town “, so I was allowed to take his place.  ( that was very sweet !!! )  I sang a Madonna Ballad from the 80’s, which is another song I know quite well, and another genre I adore.  Again, the crowd was very kind to me, and for that, I am very grateful.

     It was a great night – we got to spend a lot of time with our close friends, we supported each other when we sang, we met some really nice people, and we were reminded that Karaoke can be a lot more fun than most people think.  I enjoyed being there with so many good friends – thankyou all for making our time in town so special !  It was so good to see you – I love you and miss you all, but as I’m well-known for saying: ” Time and distance can’t change a real friendship “, and I absolutely know we will not lose touch.  You guys are the best !

    Many of you have been asking me lately when you will be able to purchase my latest song.  I thank you for your interest, and really appreciate your patience while things were getting set up.  I have just been informed that my new single, ” (Keep Feeling) Fascination ” is now available online on various sites.  If you visit my MUSIC page, you will find direct links to all the sites where you can download the song.

     Whichever site you go to, there will likely be an area where they ask you to Rate and/or Review the song.  Please take a moment to do this, as it will not only let others know what you think, but it will provide me with feedback, as well, which is both helpful, and important to me.

     Thankyou again to all of you for your support and encouragement thus far – I really couldn’t do this without you !

     On our recent trip to Vancouver, to record the 80’s Ballad, we were able to fit in many things in a few short days.  Our first stop when we arrived in the city was my former workplace.  I worked with a lot of wonderful people over the years, and that is the one thing that has been a little bit difficult about the move – I miss seeing my good friends and co-workers on a regular basis.  Even though you may not enjoy your job, at least there are always people there that make it more tolerable, make you laugh, help you get through the day… or most importantly, are there to give you a big hug when you need it most .  I am so grateful that I was able to call so many of my former co-workers real friends of mine.  So, we made a point of stopping in for a visit, saying ” Hi ” to everyone, chatting, and getting lots of hugs.  It was great to see everyone. 

     In my last post, ” Back In The Studio Again ” , I talked about the next part of our day – going into the Studio to record, and going out for dinner with my Producer and his Wife.  It was a really good day, and night.

     The following day, we had a few errands to run, then we spent some time visiting with my Family.  We stayed for dinner with them, so we’d have a chance for a good visit.  It was lovely to see them.

     We headed back to Vancouver that night to meet up with 6 of my former co-workers ( who also happen to be some of my dearest friends ) for an evening out.  I’ll tell you more about that in another  post …

     On Friday, we made a trip into Vancouver so that I could record my next song – the 80’s ballad.  I hadn’t been back to town for close to 3 months, and wasn’t sure if it would feel strange, after so much time away.  Once we arrived, it felt totally normal, since we had lived there for so many years before – the only thing that really stuck out for us was the traffic and noise – we don’t get as much of that stuff up on The Sunshine Coast.

     I arrived at the Studio late morning, and Jarome and I took a bit of time to ” catch up ” on each others’ lives, before getting to work on the song.  It was great to see him, and hear all his news.

     We got right to recording after that, and things went really well.  I absolutely love this particular ballad, and I believe that helped a lot in terms of what I was able to “give” to it.  I find it makes a huge difference when you are doing a song that you absolutely adore – things sound so much better when you are able to just ” let go “, and give it real emotion.  Jarome was incredibly encouraging and supportive ( as always ) and let me know when things sounded especially good to him.  His patience and calm demeanor always help me reach my ” comfort zone ” more quickly each time I work with him.  That’s when the good stuff comes out, and the power in the voice emerges, after the initial nerves fade away.

     We worked on the melody for quite a while, then took a much-needed break for lunch.  After re-fuelling, I wasn’t sure how much more work we’d be able to do, ( having just eaten – not  the best time to sing, obviously ) but, amazingly, some of the best stuff was recorded after our break.  I think just having taken the time to sit and relax, chat about the project etc. got me into an even better, more comfortable place.  This song has a lot of harmonies and back-up vocals which, in the original, were done by other people, but I absolutely wanted to attempt all the parts myself, and had practiced them all, so we decided to see how it went.  We were both very happy with the results …

     Later in the evening, my husband and I met up with Jarome and his lovely wife Felisha, and the 4 of us went for a wonderful dinner together.  It was awesome to be able to spend some time with both of them again, after being away for several months. 

     All in all, it was a productive day in the Studio, and a relaxing evening spent with good friends, sharing good food, and laughter.  It was the perfect ending to an already amazing day.