I'm Having a Crisis...

I am facing a major decision today --- whether or not to renew my membership to TAXI - an independent A&R vehicle that can assist in placing songs. The renewal fee is $199 until the end of today, then it goes up to about $249.

Here is my predicament. In one year of membership, I have not gotten a single "forward". That means, for the 50 or so submissions I made over the course of the year, Taxi's screeners did not find a single one of my songs worthy of passing along to the next level....which is usually the producer or label A&R rep for the artist in question.

It wasn't like I was going for A-list people every time, either. I know that they're EXTREMELY picky for a blue chip artist, and understandably so. But Taxi's screeners didn't even think my songs were worthy of being listened to by new artists (or their reps) or even by music libraries. It's enough to almost make you question why the heck you're doing this at all.

On my own, apart from Taxi, my songs were accepted by 2 music libraries, and were even placed a couple of times.

So...since a year and $250 got me a big fat NOTHING, so I go for it again? Or do I try alternative ways of getting my music heard and placed? I'll let you know by the end of the day.

Confused and a little discouraged...
xo
~lis~

New AR Video

Cassidy, Kristen and Cathy of Antigone Rising answer some interesting questions about the music business, and perform "Wings". Love it.

Eagles are awesome

Just - wow.

My head is NOT a launching pad!!!

People who live with birds need a lot of patience. My birds have their own bedroom, converted to an aviary....but four of them, for some strange reason, come downstairs at night to sleep near me. It is like they need to watch over me like little guardian angels. Very little angels. Who are sometimes more like devils.

Like this morning. They are not supposed to land on my head. They know this. But Harley and Speckles got very playful this morning and took turns landing and taking off. I can handle maybe three minutes of this fun, but after 20, my scalp starts to feel like a gravel pavement, and I lose my patience.

Thus, as I uttered the title of this post (and I didn't use my indoor voice) they all took off for the aviary. Sometimes Mom means business.

Early Music Obsessions

Music, and more specifically, certain songs, resonated with me at a very early age. The first obesession was Tommy Roe's "Sheila". I made my parents play it over and over again, as I sang it at the top of my lungs. I couldn't have been more than two or three years old. And I had neither "Blue eyes" nor a "pony tail", but the song made me want them, dammit! In my mind, I WAS "sweet little Sheila".

Then came The Beatles. My BFs Diane and Gwen Grumman and I used to swing on our swingset in Colonia, NJ, singing "Close your eyes, and I'll kiss you, tomorrow I'll miss you" - oh yes, we knew every song on that first Beatles record. I was a George girl, but most of my friends loved Paul.

As a pre-teen, my first obsession was The Cowsills. I had a Playtape Player (the first portable, carry-around tape cartridge player), and the first cartridge that I was given for Christmas was "The Rain, The Park and Other Things". It didn't hurt that The Cowsills were all over Tiger Beat magazine...I wanted Barry as a boyfriend or I wanted to be Susie. Man, they were da bomb.

I quickly graduated to Bobby Sherman, David Cassidy & The Partridge Family, and then, The Osmonds. By seventh grade I was in full-fledged Donny Osmond love. That didn't last long, though. Elton John came along, and remained my biggest musical obsession until Fleetwood Mac in 1977. I knew how to play every Elton song on the piano, and he became my greatest writing inspiration.

The late 70s were pretty much a Fleetwood Mac and Elton whirlwind. As the 70s came to a close, I started getting into the great songwriters like Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, Dan Fogelberg, Todd Rundgren, and Crosby Stills Nash & Young. I think I quoted Hall & Oates in my high school yearbook!

The love affair has never ended for me. I remain as obsessed with music as that little two-year-old singing "Sheila" was. And I'm still inspired and amazed every day by all of the talent out there.

Thanks for the memories, ya'll!

xo
~lis~

Namaste Yoga

My favorite yoga "class" is on TV. FitTV, to be exact (channel 256 in Atlanta). It's called Namaste Yoga, and was developed and narrated by Kate Potter. It's on three times a day, so there is literally no excuse not to get your 30 minute workout in.



Awesome. Namaste.

Deseo

One of the little-known facts about me is that I am a fragrance addict. Since I was about 15, there has never been a time that I wasn't obsessed with one fragrance or another.

The current object of my adoration is the latest offering from Jennifer Lopez Beauty. It's called Deseo (which means "desire" in Spanish). Even before it was released here in the States (last weekend), I had received a tiny sample vial from Canada (thanks, Nathalie), and quite simply, fell in love with it. The inspiration came from Jennifer's garden...just after a storm. It's earthy and green and fresh...not at all sweet or cloying. Love it!

A Week of Super-latives

What an interesting, exciting week. Starting with the Super Bowl (yaaaaaaay, the Giants won, in one of the biggest nail-biters in recent history)...moving into Super Tuesday (gonna be a "super" close race right down to the conventions, I think) - and today we are dealing with "super" tornadoes and storms here in the South. When somebody asks how I am today, I think I will just say, "SUPER!". It's fitting, don't you think?


On that note, go listen to "Supergirl" by Saving Jane. It's, well, Super!

Supergirl Demo

Ciao babies,
xoxo
~lis~