Tuesday, February 19, 2008

More Josiah Leming...

He's being interviewed on the Ellen DeGeneres show today, Tuesday, and will also being playing a song he wrote. You can see a portion of the interview and the song on her website...

I've been listening to his music all week since I bought the full EP on his myspace page... love it!!!

http://ellen.warnerbros.com/

Stifled and Stagnant

My mother always told me I was the best and always gave lip service to ideas that she had that I could do. I wasn't the best. In highschool there were 10 people ahead of me. Not a bad place to be, but not good enough for a full scholarship. At 39 years old, I stand here stifled, unable to move forward. I don't have anyone telling me I am the best anymore and honestly I don't think that was it exactly helpful. Perhaps it would've been helpful if there was training or classes to support becoming the best or becoming better at something but there weren't. My oldest sister was supported and given opportunities to become the best at what she wanted to do. I never thought I was jealous. I still don't think I am. I didn't see things that way. I took care of myself and did what I could do personally to achieve my goals. But, looking back now, there is a level of support that my sister received that I did not and I think it's mostly because my sister is very verbal and able to express what she needs and wants whereas I did not. My Mom figured since I was taking care of myself already, I must not need anything, I guess. She did at one point ask my stepfather to pay for ice skating lessons but rather than pick someplace nearby, she asked for the moon (lessons in DE where Olympic figure skaters train) and he, of course, said no. She didn't tell me this until many years later. It seems that I am unable to move from the point where I am at now. Doing the Artist's Way at the end of last year, I did feel a certain momentum but I have rolled to a complete stop. I don't know how to move forward and I don't even know where forward is.

Certain career paths, interests come into focus, as witnessed in this blog, but as easily as they present themselves they also quickly flutter away. Am I capable of sustained interest in any one thing?

Same old story, different day.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

OK, so Josiah Leming is selling his songs directly...

from his MySpace Page. I love it. I had commented on his you tube that I thought he should bypass trying to get signed by a record company and sell his songs himself. I visited his MySpace Page and while there weren't links to buy songs at first, now there are. Apparently he has about three separate EP's available. I seriously think bypassing huge multi-million dollar music companies the wave of the future or at least part of the future. I mean, he'll probably make more money this way due to his AI exposure than he would if he was signed. Who knows? Granted, without AI he wouldn't have the exposure but I wonder what other avenues exist for artists to gain exposure without being signed?

Here's a link to his MySpace...

http://www.myspace.com/josiahleming

And, yeah, I downloaded his songs.

Josiah Leming, Not America's Next Idol?

This kid was cut and I almost feel, like, Thank God, because he is so much better than American Idol. I googled his name and here he is singing a song he wrote. His lyrics are deeper than your typical pop fluff and he sounds like he could be on the radio tomorrow. His style, too, is one that could be played on a few different style radio stations. I think perhaps that the Idol judges recognized the fact that he will go further by not signing with American Idol. He's too original for AI. See for yourself...

Here's a link to his myspace where songs of his play in the background... utterly amazing...

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Succumbing to a Meme...

I didn't realize julie had tagged me until today, so here goes...



Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. (No cheating!)
Find Page 123.
Find the first 5 sentences.
Post the next 3 sentences.
Tag 3 people.

You may know these two people, but this should be completely fictionalized. 800 words.

In her wonderful mixture of memoir and novel, Sigrid Nunez creates a seraing portrait of a German mother and an American daughter (whose father is Chines but grew up in Panama).

I tag...
Jodi, Dan, and Kim

New to Me Obama Fact...

He grew up in Hawaii. I can't tell you how much this tells me in regard to how he will function or could function in the world arena. As a person who lived in Hawaii for a year growing up and visited there again in 6th grade, Hawaii feels very different than living in your typical continental state. There is a very large international population living there as well as native Hawaiians. When I went to public school in Hawaii, the Hawaiian language was a part of what we were taught along with Greek mythology and my sister was taught Japanese in her private school. We had Japanese neighbors and actually shared a home with a Korean family for part of the time. I don't think one could grow up in Hawaii without having a better sense of the world at large. That's not to say that the US isn't a melting pot, but in Hawaii the ingredients in the pot are still recognizable as different and unique.

Definite food for thought.

American Idol and the Presidential Election

Thoughts regarding the election have occupied my mind and countless others over the past few months. I've watched youtube videos, did some reading and have even filled out a few of those "choose the right candidate" for me surveys. Of course, when I do the surveys I end up having unknown candidates pop up near the top with a Libertarian/Republican leaning. For the past year, I thought I'd throw my support behind Ron Paul because he just says a lot of things that represent true change. Some of his ideas are radical but if he had a chance, I'd vote for him because I think radical ideas are needed to get the congress as a whole to move toward changing laws in our country. But, ideas are only ideas and what has occupied my mind even more is which presidential candidate will fare the best in the international arena? Which candidate has the charisma and wisdom needed to be able to work as a team with other countries without neglecting US interests altogether? I personally don't think Clinton or McCain or Paul have that "wow" factor that make people listen to what you have to say or make you want to follow them. That same "it" factor that Simon mentions in regard to which contestant has the where with all to win American Idol. Barack Obama has it. He is also eloquent and seems to possess a certain amount of intelligence that has been lacking in other presidents. Perhaps having the "it" factor shouldn't be a deciding factor in choosing a presidential candidate but I think it may be what I base my vote on this time around.