Posted August 16, 2010 at 10:44 am

So I had an outstanding demo session in studio yesterday. Four new songs, three of which, actually, I have a very strong intuition about.. namely their ending up on the record.

Right now recovering a bit and debating whether I want to take ballet this semester, as I am in L.A. doing the record. I already took one dance class this summer, so this would be a good way to keep going and keep getting my chops back.

I am also slowly getting back into leaning Chinese. As long as I do a little bit every day, I figure I am in good shape. And then have one hour or so of conversation per week, eventually (when I *can* have conversation).

But if you add into the mix the record.. and the fact that we are going to be getting my live set together in a number of ways – visually and otherwise – and that I am going to be spending more time getting comfortable with the looping station, and also exploring some other technological gadget whatchamacallits I would like to take advantage of for live performance.. This makes for a rather packed thing. That actually makes ballet less of a priority.

Hmmm…

And, post record (in November), I want to get to London, finally, and play a couple of shows. I know I have missed all the good weather, but whatever.

Posted August 14, 2010 at 4:32 am

I am in love

I subscribe to a blog – well, a few of the select ones, actually, and this painter/artist's work came up. He is not widely known. I can't find anything of value about him on the internet. And I am in love. His name is Alexandr Kosteckij.

I am wanting to get all his paintings, print them out on huge canvases, hang them all over the walls – of my, hopefully, new office/studio space I have been looking at and salivating over for the last hour, in photographs – and then write music to his art. I think I have found a visual muse.

His name is Alexandr. Could he be Russian?

By the way, someone called me a Musical Apothecary the other day. What do you think of that?

Source: Grammatarium.com

This morning these paintings, and the sun outside on the brilliant green, made me think of Rumi, who I love so..

.. We are sweeping the road to the sky. Your joy is here today, what remains for tomorrow?
The armies of the day have chased the army of the night,
Heaven and earth are filled with purity and light.
Oh! joy for he who has escaped from this world of perfumes and color!
For beyond these colors and these perfumes, these are other colors in the heart and the soul.
Oh! joy for this soul and this heart who have escaped
the earth of water and clay,
Although this water and this clay contain the hearth of the
philosophical stone.

(Rumi)

Posted August 13, 2010 at 10:29 am

songs

I am demo'ing some new songs this weekend. In order for me to finish them, I had to abscond to a house that belongs to friends.. it's an old Spanish one, in West LA, small, cozy and full of antique things and history. They are gone for the week. I love their old upright piano, in a womb-like bedroom. It makes my Russian, non-California soul-particle resonate and vibrate, so I can write lyrics that are true and achy: both in painful and good ways.

My album tracking starts in two weeks.

I got stopped by a policeman yesterday, for not wearing a seat-belt. Guilty, as charged. And, apparently, my brake light was out. He was sympathetic, though, and decided to let me off with a warning. He did say he would give me a fix-it ticket for the brake light, but he did not, for some reason. I was waiting for it, when he got back into his car and left. Strange. Well, blessings to you, Mr. Policeman. May your weekend be sweet and full of good food and homey pleasure.

This morning is gloomy. I am about to go back to the other house and work, after running some errands. But most importantly, it rained in Moscow! It rained! And it is cooler.

What shall today bring?.. I have been feeling a bit like this:

Tim Walker

Posted August 13, 2010 at 3:28 am

la-di-da-do-re-mi

well, this picture by none other than Tim Walker again, does encapsulate how I am feeling right now about days to come and prospects awaiting.

I know I am a changeable one – but hey, I am an artist, and a girl.. and Russian, too. What did you expect?

Off to sing more Vaccai. It is a classical repertoire thing. I have received the CD in the mail, so now I can practice the vocalises ( very pretty Italian vocal exercises) and pretend like I have a personal accompanist.

Posted August 11, 2010 at 12:53 pm

inspiration

When I get overwhelmed, I go to the NASA website and look at the photos. It helps me put things in perspective. The interesting thing is that if you do it side by side with National Geographic pictures, there are some that work very well together. So the two sites are my go-to places in the cyber-world. They ground me, but also inspire me to fly..

Andromeda Galaxy