So far 2019 seems to be seamlessly attached to 2018, in that nothing has slowed down for about 24 months.
Tomorrow Simon Darlow and I start shooting the video for our soon to be announced project. The publicity for the soon to be announced project starts in two weeks.
Mixes done, factories booked……. we are ready to GO!
Already the autumn/winter of 2019 and even the spring of 2020 has projects in the diary.
In between all the writing, concerts, soundchecking, doing press I am managing to sneak into quiet corners and practice my new love…… the Keyboard!
More later on this, as I believe if I was allowed to learn as a child my life would have greatly improved.
An astrologer once told me I would retire at the age of 66. This has always fascinated me because this astrologer also told me, on my 22nd birthday, about the success to follow 12 months later…. he was right.
There’s a predictability about telling a 22 year old in 1980 that she will retire at the age of 66 of course, but it has also served as a pre-warning, going off like a little alarm bell in my head for the odd 38yrs not to let this prediction happen!
I can only hope he meant this “retirement” is purely practical……66 being the age I start a pension rather than my being forced by outside factors, because my feelings about retirement contains the words “bollocks” and “pile of” in some sort of readable order. There is still so much to do. And so far nothing is slowing down ….and 66 is only 5 and half years away for me. Apart from the singing/performing I am totally in love with my lessons presently and I want to go further into certain areas educationally, to study art and computer art.
Fripp can’t prize me away from my keyboards, I am in love with the process of all the jumble of experiences in my head falling into place as I realise the chords I am playing in my lessons resemble other people’s work.
Mid-lesson I realise the Am scale I am working on relates to so many songs I love……this may sound ludicrous to a musician but I have instinctively got through life and now I want to understand how things work.
I have come to the conclusion there is no such thing as a unintelligent human being…….in fact there is no such thing as an unintelligent life form.
Animals, Plants, Humans… we are all potential.
We might do ill informed things from time to time, might be lazy, might be lacking in confidence to build our own dreams….but none of us are lesser in intelligence than the other and anyone who claims otherwise is simply a bad person in my view.
The fact is I have co-written about 28 albums in my life time (also 2 books) and I have somehow managed to survive in this industry because of sheer willpower while all the time being bricked in by dyslexia, my aim this year is to tackle this head on, so I am having lessons and I am practicing in all the areas I feel “locked in.”
A great teacher can change your life no matter who, what, where you are. Whatever age you are. We all need them.
Last month I started to take piano lessons to simply deal with my worrying frustration of not being able to communicate with musicians on a deeper level.
What I didn’t expect from the process was to find the info was already in my head (why shouldn’t it be, I’ve been writing for 42yrs) but the big BIG revelation is I needed the lessons to connect all the rampaging ideas/facts/ knowledge racing around in my head to my external body, mostly with my hands.
I have often mentioned dyspraxia, but I thought that meant all avenues of learning were closed to me. It is completely the opposite. I HAVE LEARNT, I HAVE BEEN LEARNING ALL THE TIME… IT’S ALL THERE, THE LINKS NEEDED TO BE BUILT…. the piano lessons are unlocking the knowledge, giving me control and expression and I am experiencing great joy knowing this as everything is falling into place like a life-long jigsaw puzzle.
My teacher lives on my street, a hugely respected keyboard performer/composer with an enviable knowledge of music theory, he also has experience with teaching people with dyspraxia and autism AND within three weeks he has me playing with both hands, reading music and is accompanying me as I play top chords and bass lines…. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THERE, I JUST NEEDED SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THE PROBLEM TO SHOW ME HOW TO FIND THE WAY, step by step with no negative imprinting.
Negative imprinting is a big no no in my life.
My mother was an artist at it.
Example: “eat that cake you will get fat” or “why do want to learn piano when you know you will never play”……I could go on.
I don’t allow people in my life who negative imprint. We all have them, the type who tell you how to experience your own life/ a meal/ the garden/ your home/ a song……… why?
Explaining this to my hubby the other day… (who constantly needs reminding how wonderful and privileged his life is).. I only want to hear my own voice in my head, the true instinctive voice that comes from deep within the subconscious and not the bad news mongers because imprinting is modern day control.
Because of this I feel strongly music theory and instruments must be taught in all schools, it hardwires the brain to deal with life.
It doesn’t necessarily have to mean you want to become a musician but it does mean, like Math, you can use your own knowledge and resources to get through life with confidence…..I am convinced.
I believe music is there for a reason and that is it helps us be introspective in the very best way.
AND perhaps children could have better futures if they where allowed and encouraged to experience music this way… God knows it has helped me get through life but to actually understand it at a deeper level is life changing.
So far 2019 seems to be seamlessly attached to 2018, in that nothing has slowed down for about 24 months.
So far 2019 seems to be seamlessly attached to 2018, in that nothing has slowed down for about 24 months.