WHAT IS YOUR SONG?

Dear Friend, how has your year been? If you could make it a song, what shape would it take? A light and bright number like the twinkling of Christmas lights or a slow, thoughtful or even darker mood? Would it be a prelude to another song -like an introduction to a new chapter, or the beginning [or continuation even] of a full-on orchestral movement? 

I love how the gift of music and songwriting can help unlock emotions and enable us to be honest. I love how there are no boxes surrounding it. If I could describe my year in song, in the main it would take on the form of a steady pace, in a consistent major key, probably as nice background music. I have had a good year -nothing spectacular, thankfully no tragedy, good family and chill-out times, with a sense of my foundations continuing to be strengthened. It would probably have an interesting bridge section as September arrived and my youngest started school (!) -the song would definitely take on a new shape here as things were pretty up and down for a while! But it would even out again with more energy than at first, as I have definitely been a lot busier. Opportunities have continued to increase with new friends being made along the way and new openings have come into my life in other ways, too. As we approach Christmas and thankfully for myself- a sense of winding down, it has been good to take a moment to review and contemplate my year! My prayer for you is that however your year has been, may you know hope and faith in ever increasing measure. 

A SPECIAL 'ANCHOR': A new EP, a new website, a new track video, some wonderful appointments [gigs] and a fantastic new bass player… There have been some 'anchor-type' moments (as I like to call them) over the years and my recent aquisition of a bass player is one of those moments I'd like to share with you.

April... I pick up my husband's book to see what he is reading. I don't normally look at what his latest digest is, but I just happened to one particular morning. He was reading the biography of Pete Townshend from The Who. I remarked to myself how I wouldn't mind reading it myself (one day, once I have got through the myriad of other books awaiting my attention!).  Later that afternoon, I open my emails and find I have an email from... a Pete Townsend! I look -I stare -and think "no -it can't be…!" 

I was right.. It wasn't Pete Townshend from The Who, but Pete TOWNSEND from Nuneaton! -A town in the historic county of Warwickshire well known for being awarded 'Best Market Attraction in Britain', by the National Association of British Market Authorities in 2010 (rock on :))

Pete was asking me if I was still after a bass player. I had forgotten I had even posted an advert!! But yes -blessCross Rhythms- I had put an ad on their forum and he had got in touch after stumbling across it. This made me take notice that perhaps I am meant to continue in this music venture after all… 

Pete is an amazing bass player, but so much more. He is a support in all ways one would hope for. He is a husband to Ruth, a dad to his grown up kids and also an author -very comedic at that! Please visit his websitewhen you have a moment and get to know this remarkable man. I feel a book coming on… :) 

So... Pete joined myself and my husband Ween on my first solo recording project, my ep entitled "Trinity". 

A Brief Note On My Spiritual Side

You may hear me mention Tall Trees on occasion.. Well if you do, it is with reference to the tall trees mentioned in the book of Isaiah of The Bible. It may seem bizarre, but the metaphoric character of these great immortals I aim to model my life upon. They are characteristics of a Godly person; Strength, valour, dependability and the list goes on. Trees I learn from. Humanly speaking, my greatest model is the man Jesus, whom I also believe in as The Saviour Of The World -The Christ.

'Touch The Air': Explained

I guess my first thought I want to share, is how I am learning to be a song-writer. Yes I can say I have been penning for many years now, but I still have lots to learn.

One has to find the balance, I find, between what certain reviewers are looking for and who I am trying to be. Yes I want to convey a message, but sometimes I do want an air of mystery about some of the lyrics I write so the listener can chew on what perhaps the meaning is.

I do think a storyline is important and whilst I do my best to communicate this properly within a song there may be the odd track which seems disjointed in it's story -such as Touch The Air for example. I realise that most song titles appear in the track itself but Touch The Air, is a concept and on this occasion, does not.
These are the lyrics:

He's tangible, beyond physical
As real as your skin and mine
He's spiritual and material
like the gravity your feet find

The first two lines I think are quite clear, but perhaps not the next two lines as such..
I have linked spiritual and material (another form of invisible and visible) to gravity (another form of the seen and unseen [eg throw an apple, we see it come down]). That which your feet finds -I liken to simply stamping my feet. My foot is in the air -it finds gravity and ends up on the floor. Our feet need to find gravity otherwise we would be floating -like on the moon.

He's oxygen, like the air we breathe
Invisible but known to all
As the source of our existence
Who can deny lest we fall?

"He's Oxygen" yes, this may be a reference one has heard about God many times, but it fits with the whole concept of the reality of the unseen -which is what this song is about. Who can deny oxygen? No one can. If we deny ourselves of it, we fall. We die. This here talks about this life as we know it and the invisible life that lies beyond death of our mortal bodies.

The next part of the song I give special importance to this aspect.

Then you find a slower mid-part of the song which seemingly talks about a completely unrelated topic. The lyrics are:
Show me the way I should go
Your hand will guide me
Not [necessarily] in the way I think
Your ways are higher

This is essentially about faith and faith, according to the book of Hebrews in the Bible (chapter 11 v1) is about believing in the things you hope for, being certain of what you cannot see. So in my mind, this section fits with the theme of Touch The Air, for the person cannot see the way forward. She is experiencing a battle of faith and substance:- "I cannot see -but I will trust your unseen hand to guide me" (which in the end, things become seen as things unfold). This battle we experience in the song when the style changes and the pace quickens, coming to a resolute end -hence come in the trumpets as the sound of victory, as they bring the battle to an end. She has come to a place of peace.


It is a two-fold message this song: One to the unbeliever to reach out and believe and one to the Christian who in a different way, may need to reach out and believe.

I have to learn to let go of my natural ways of thinking and be open to a new thing, a new way, a new mindset and attitude which, coming from God, is higher than mine.

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