Sunday, September 06, 2009

The Black Crow

The Black Crow that died on my trellis

Current mood:  enlightened
Category: Music
Several nights this week, I walked under the light of the full moon, listening to the sounds of all the creatures. There is something so incredible about walking in the moonlight. I imagine that when there was no electricity, how excited people must have been to get the giant flashlight turned on every month.

Crazy things have been happening to me. In my last blog, I wrote about a Bear siting. I’ve had lots of other animal sightings. Fortunatly, I’ve had several witness’ with many of the visits. Thank goodness, because if not, I would have thought I had gone CooCoo for CoCo Puffs. In the spring, I kept having this one particular wild winged beast perched in different places in my yard watching me. One time I opened my bedroom blinds, and there it was, GIANT eyed……looking right at me through the window……and it flew up to the next branch and continued staring. I googled the superstition of this animal giving me a stair-down, and the Native Americans had the best explanation. Then my friend told me about a book called Animal Speaks. The Book has been very insightful. It says that if you continually see a certain animal in your life, the Universe is trying to tell you something. Another kind of spotlight, like the moon, shining down from the heavens to lead the way.

Two weeks ago I had the most unbelievable siting of all. It involved a Black Crow. The Natives said this was wonderful luck. With this particular siting, I was a little freaked as the black crow had gone to the other side, but left himself hanging in a position I could not miss, on a road in my yard to a special place I write songs. I ended up asking one of my spiritual gurus in Atlanta for her take on this crows misfortune. She said that the crow was INDEED good luck, and it was sent to remind me to focus on my spirit, not on my physical body, and that my life was about to give birth to something great.

I do sense the guru is right! At my last show on August 29th, I lost my stage fright going into the second verse of the first song, I actually played along with my guitarist on a fast song, and it sounded terrific. Then on Friday I met with a new guitarist I am going to be working with. I felt something amazing in the room, that was just indescribable. Then yesterday, I wrote another blues song, and the guitar sounded incredible, with an awesome rhythm beating away behind those strings. It has felt like I’ve entered into a new dimension musically.

With all these realizations, information, illuminations, and transformations….. I just can’t wait to see what kind of new music I give birth too. I’ve decided to tell that body of mine to chill out, and go with the flow…. Ya Know! I am just so thankful for the light of the moon, reminding me to pay attention to all the spotlights that lead the way in this life. Until we meet again, I hope your spirit SOARS. Thank You so much for stopping by. If you get a chance……. go listen to my song “Singing To The Moon”, in my music player. I wrote that song 18 years ago, when my music was a big secret. Funny how now it’s one of the major spotlight’s of my life.

Make sure to scroll down to check out the pics.

Love,
Lex

PS: One more thing….. my daughter thinks I should go on tour with the Black Crows to have this all make sense. If you know them….. please tell them I would love to open for them, and settle my babies confusion!

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Bears, Honey, and The Blues
Current mood:  blank
Early yesterday morning, a giant black bear jogged across the road in front of my car… I have never seen a wild one in my life…. and there it was…. right before my eyes!!!!!! I’m real into Native American symbolism. In the book Animal Speak, they say that if you see a bear, “you must go within to awaken the power, but only by bringing it out into the open, and applying it, will the honey of life be tasted.”

I thought summer was going to be a bummer, because my dream of going on tour did not happen……but after a month of quiet meditation, and observing lots of artist performances, I am real excited about what my future holds!!! After returning home from a 20 hour 2 day road trip….. I decided to upload several songs from my live performances.

Mathew Smith is the incredible guitarist backing me, on “I Need Water” and “Gone, Gone, Gone”, both with hands and voice. At the beginning of the year, my goal was to work with lots of musicians, but after working with him, I actually forgot about the goal I had set. I was just blown away by his skill, professionalism, and dedication to music. He has encouraged me to play my guitar publicly, given me confidence when it lacked, and helped me to achieve things I never imagined I could… You can check out his music at www.myspace.com/number99 . I hope we continue to work together in different capacities for many many years to come…..

To me there is nothing better than singing live….. The energy I feel from the people that come to listen, just overwhelms me…. I am usually sick to my stomach before a show…. and then during the show, this thing happens where part of the time I am singing, and thinking about it, and then all the sudden I am detached watching myself and will think things like “how in the world did I just hit that note”, and “I wonder how long it will be held”….. and I have this little conversation with myself and then I plop back into thinking about the song again…. It is strange, but when it is over, I just feel this peace I can’t explain!!!!!!!!!

There are several things I would like to do this fall. I would like to get back in the studio to record my new songs. One of my new favorites is called “Tribute To The Blues”. I can’t wait to share that song with you. It was inspired by a spectacular blues guitarist in Atlanta, who introduced me to the most beautiful chords my fingers have ever played!!!! Also, I would love to be hired to help stumped musicians. Sometimes artist get stuck in this dry spell, and I have this ability to put others thoughts into words, and help them get unstuck…… and it is sooooooooo much fun to write with someone else!!!!!!!!! Please contact me if you are interested in helping me accomplish either of these goals!!!!!!

Lastly, I am getting ready to fulfill the goal set at the beginning of the year. I have a performance on August 29th at 10:00pm @ Smith’s in the Atlanta room. Mathew was already booked, so I had to set out on the journey to find new people to work with. This is very exciting for me, but I am scared to death!!!!! All is cool though, because the things that scare me the most with this music, usually bring me the greatest reward!!!!!!!!

I hope you love the new Live songs…… and I hope that you and I can both taste and enjoy that sweet honey of life………

Love,
Lex

Currently listening:
Now It’s Tomorrow
By Randall Bramblett
Release date: 2008-08-19

Sunday, July 26, 2009

A Sliver Of The Moon
Current mood:  thankful
Category: Music
Friday night I found myself sitting on a lawn chair, surrounded by the most beautiful Sculptures I’ve ever seen, with flowers everywhere, in perfect bloom. Focusing on the stage ahead of me, I looked up, and found a sliver of a moon hanging from the sky. I started to wonder if this was reality, or if I had gotten lost in one of the fairy tales I was reading to my neighbors children the night before. Then Bruce Hornsby took the stage, and I realized that indeed I was fortunate enough, to be the guest of some dear friends at Atlanta’s Botanical Garden!!!!! It was just an awesome concert…. One I will never forget.

Bruce spoke about Jerry Garcia a lot during the evening. I took a particular interest in this, because Jerry keeps popping up on my ipod. I usually walk for an hour a day, and I have this little game I play, as I pound the pavement….. I set my ipod to random, and ask the universe to send songs, to give me insight on what is weighing on my heart….. It is amazing how often I get answers to my question through the songs(lyrics) that pop up. For the last several weeks “Till The Morning Comes”, has popped up over and over again. It was strange because I have never had a song continually pop up over and over again….. Still not sure what the message is from that song, but it was fun for Jerry to pop up once again, and to hear Bruce’s love for Jerry!!!!!!!!!!!!

I didn’t think the weekend could get much better, but then last night, some how, we ended up in the best seats in the house at Chastain Park, watching Chris Isaaks perform. He is just something else…… He walked into the audience and sat down with the people and sang….. I’ve never seen a show like this…. It was just so much fun….. but my heart was blown away by his opener, Michelle Branch. Michelle delivered an incredible performance, but what really got me was her daughter.

Michelle’s daughter sat behind us…… She was so adorable…. about to turn 5. When her mom came out on stage, she started clapping her hands with such excitement, and she lit up like the brightest light bulb in the world. I got a tear in my eye….. Then at the top of her lungs, she yelled Daddy…. (Michelle’s Husband is the bass player) He looked over at her and just gave her the greatest smile….. he pretty much watched her, and smiled at her through out that entire song, and several more……. Then Michelle sang a song she wrote for her sweet baby!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just felt so blessed to see the tenderness of this family……

People often seem to think that you can’t have a normal life being a musician……I think that is hog wash!!!!!! Nothing in this life is truly normal, but to have the ability to chase your dreams, and have your children be an active part of that, is one of the greatest gifts you can give your children and it is just miraculous to witness !!!!!!! Last night confirmed my hypothesis………

I started the weekend with a heavy heart, without a plan, and then I ended up surrounded by music, receiving answers to questions I’ve been pondering……everything tying together piece by piece. I realized that if you do what you feel called to do, and ask for guidance with faith…… it is pretty much like the ipod set on Random……. the answers do come slowly but surely, if you really listen!!!!!

I am so thankful for The sliver of the moon hanging from the sky, the beautiful flowers, incredible friends, the child’s smile, The tenderness of two loving parents, Bruce’s insight of Jerry, Chris Isaak’s stage performance, always being surrounded by music, and just getting to live in one of the most exciting beautiful cities in the United States. Thanks for visiting……. Hope you try the ipod thing….. It is a real trip!!!!!!

Love,
Lex

Currently listening:
Soul’s Core
By Shawn Mullins
Release date: 1998-09-15

Friday, July 17, 2009

Rhythm and Freedom
Current mood:  inspired
Category: Music
I am just out of my skin tonight, I can’t sleep because I am just so excited. They say that the right teachers will come, at the right time, when your heart is open to it…. And guess what…… It is really, really true, I just didn’t know I was this ready and open!!!!!!

When I was 11 years old, I took dance lessons. In the lesson, when everyone would go to the left, I would go to the right, and one day I accidentally kicked this girl in the face…..She was Mrs. J’s best student. I am severely dyslexic, and back then I didn’t know it. It was a real bummer… With the teachers advice, I moved on to other hobbies,  although alone in my basement I would still boogie! :0)  When I got to college…. after a few cocktails, I would interpretive dance..My friends told me I was pretty good… I was never sure about that… but I did love to loose myself in the music!(smile)

At the beginning of this year, I became obsessed with rhythm!!! I have always heard the rhythm in my head, and in my voice, but not in my body. Beating to my own drum was most comfortable….. But that kind of wild disorderly rhythm, doesn’t work with strumming that guitar, or hitting those keys…. So I started doing everything I could, to find a consistent rhythm with in myself, that could guide me and those hands of mine.

This spring I started taking this hip hop dance class with Latin infusion…..My teacher is incredible, and I really am having a blast.. I have been strumming along with videos, with my favorite British guitar teacher… I also just started taking garage band lessons at the mac store, to learn how to work with drums….. and then…. it happened…. I got a new guitar teacher…. Crazy how he came into my life, but that’s for another blog!! :0) Anyways, he started working with me on moving my hand like a pendulum ……and it actually really worked… I got the bounce and everything… I actually really got a seriously nice consistent beat in that hand of mine….. Then today he taught me the most magnificent thing…

Today I learned Theory in a way that made everything make sense…. I learned about Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, and Locrian, and the different scales using 5 of the modes, so no matter what fret I end up on, or what notes I hit, I can find many other chords very quickly. With this new information, and this new rhythm I’ve found, I just can’t wait to see what flows out of me…. It’s like this was the missing piece that ties everything else I’ve learned together….

I can’t tell you how much fun this is……. If your looking for a good book on this information, there is one called “Ear To Mind: The Path to Musical Freedom, by Matt Maher”….(Amazon.com) I just always have to know why or how something works in detail…. and this book really paints a beautiful picture of theory……….

Thanks so much for visiting, and I hope we both find that path to some kind of freedom!!!!!! But most of all…. I hope that incredible teachers continue to show up in our lives, and teach us all kinds of different rhythms that make learning and life so much more fun and exciting!!!!!!

Sweet Dreams to You!!!!!!!!

Love,
Lex

Currently listening:
Learning to Fly
By Tom Petty
Release date: 1991-01-01

Saturday, June 27, 2009

BumpaBumBumBumpaBumBum…..ChooChoo
Current mood:  smitten
Category: Music
Sooooooooo Last night I went out to dinner with a friend…… First we went to this Brewery and we ordered the quail as an appetizer….after we had each eaten a piece, we realized it was accidentally served to us raw……..Disgusting………UGGGG…Quail TarTar is enough to put me over the edge!!!!! We couldn’t wait to get out of that place…… so we left and went to JTC Kitchen…..

We sat upstairs on the balcony outside, and listened to these two guys sing and play guitar….. I actually got up and sang one of my favorite Black Crowes songs with them. It was so cool!!!!! As the night progressed many trains kept coming by…. Every time the musicians would start to get into performing there music, another train would blow by…… and beep on it’s horn….. I kind of lost myself in the moment, and started imagining how much fun it would be to attach a mattress to the top of one of those box cars, get in my sleeping bag, buckle myself into the mattress…….. and see just where I would end up…. Imagining myself traveling so fast, with all that wind blowing against my face……. To wake up in a completely different state…… location unknown….

When reality woke me from my moment…….I decided to call it a night. As it would turn out, I got lost going home….On the train tracks , somewhere in the actual city of Atlanta, but seeming as remote as the desert…….Without my GPS!!!!!!! I could see nothing, but these big open warehouses, with ropes hanging from the ceiling….. Very trippy…….. I ended up on Hollywood Avenue and Boulton Avenue….. Funny little joke the Universe was playing on me…….

I finally made it home, and got ready to go to sleep. As I was waiting for my mind to rest……. I started thinking how life is a train ride into the unknown already, and how every decision we make is like jumping onto a different box car…… We don’t know for sure where we are going to end up…… But one thing I realized as I was waiting for the silence is…… It is more fun to have an end destination in mind….

For years and years I was riding the train everyone told me I should ride….. believing they new my best destination…. It was usually fun for them, but not for me….. I couldn’t understand why I wasn’t enjoying myself…. I felt like a real buzz kill!!!!!

Then I realized how with my music……. I have been on the best train ride of my life….. Strapped to the top of that boxcar with the wind, and beautiful air engulfing me……. This boxcar is a real keeper……I have met some of the coolest people in the world…… Have had so much fun learning something new everyday….. and can teach my kids a little something about riding trains. Incredible………. I haven’t made it to my destination yet though!!!!!!!!!! Not even close….. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can’t wait until my train visits Red Rocks, or the Gorge Amphitheater….. and Paris…… and just EVERYWHERE. It will be a blast when I play my guitar and piano in front of all those people in the audience. I especially can’t wait to see who I meet and work with at all the destinations. I love meeting other musicians….. and I love to travel….. And I don’t mind the occasional disappointing destination, because it makes me cherish the good ones even more….. I would prefer not to stop at a place serving Quail TarTar though…… but then again….. we would not have ended up at JCT Kitchen and I wouldn’t have written this blog……. And just maybe on the way home last night, I wasn’t lost at all….. Just maybe I was suppose to be exactly where I was…. I mean maybe there was a message in that Hollywood street sign…. maybe my boxcar is getting ready to take me for a visit to California and was giving me a little teaser?????????? I can’t wait to find out!!!!!!

I hope you love the boxcar you are riding on, and are finding your way to the most extravagant destination your mind can even conceive. And if you don’t like the train your on….. take it from me…… It is worth searching for a new one!!!!!! Maybe at some point ……..you and I will meet at a junction and we can celebrate!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for visiting!!!!!!!!!!

Choo Choo Choo………… SHWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Love,
The Lexers (SMILE)

Currently listening:
Peaceful World/In Our Lives (U.S. 7 Inch Vinyl 45)
By John Mellencamp