Music Connection / Kacey Musgraves love / FilmOn TV

I see-saw over whether or not to divulge details of my non-artist/songwriter life on this blog, but ultimately have decided that I wouldn't feel right withholding the facts. So, I guess you should know that I teach music once a week at a preschool in Walnut, CA. I really love it, even if it means being out there from 9:30 to 5:30 with just a 45-minute break.  I teach 5 classes and 9 private voice students. All that time, I am in awe of how open and enthusiastic young kids are, how viscerally music affects them, and how my heart melts a little when they call my name excitedly (I'm "Miss Alfa" to them).  Once in a while, like today, I'll get reports from a student or teacher who has stumbled on my videos on YouTube. The reaction usually hovers around fascinated-shocked-amused on the general reaction scale.

Anyway, since I was out there today, I wasn't exactly plastered to my phone and therefore was a little slow on the uptake: Music Connection Magazine, which had critiqued "World Go Blue" last month 8.0 out of 10, wrote a bit about my recent endorsement with Kawai, and NAMM, and Walden.  Of course, I thought this was pretty rad. It's crazy to think of everything that's happened since "World Go Blue" was released just a little over a year ago.  You can see the whole link here, and screen shot is below.

In other news, I've been falling in love with Kacey Musgraves' album. I remember driving through Iowa, Missouri and Tennessee last year and hearing "Merry Go Round" constantly on the radio. I thought the song was really great - still country, but with a melancholic, introspective touch any folk-influenced writer can appreciate. I got around to hearing the rest of it, and wow.  I wish the best for her - the album is extremely well-written and sophisticated in its production (what I mean by this is that it's not overproduced, but exercises brevity in instrumentation and arrangement). Her voice isn't standout - she's no Allison Krauss or Kelly Clarkson - but she works what she has, and what has materialized is a well-crafted album with great lyrics, melodies that sneak up on you when least expected, and great vocal delivery. Some of my favorites: "Merry Go Round," "Step Off," "Follow Your Arrow," "My House." Turns out that Marc Lacuesta, who produced my record, lives a few blocks on the same street, and has spoken to her at various Nashville parties.  This is right around the time I fight the urge to buy a plane ticket to go out there...  Anyway, check her album out - I have been Spotifying it on a daily basis.

I also did a TV appearance yesterday with FilmOn TV. Guess who hosted the show?  None other than Kato Kaelin, of OJ Simpson trial fame. He was way sweet, though, and not too slathered in L.A. sheen, believe it or not.  The show has an interactive chat feature that goes on-screen simultaneously with the show. This made for some laughs and awkward moments. Apparently it's a popular primetime station in U.K., so shoutout to the folks out that way.

The Post-NAMM

This weekend was the marvelous chaotic grandness that is The NAMM Show, aka the yearly convention for the National Association of Music Merchants. Word on the street is that it is THE convention of conventions - apparently the largest of US conventions. Doesn't surprise me. Based on my news feed alone, you'd think Stevie Wonder had cloned himself and was walking every inch of the exhibit hall, but I did not see him with my own eyes.  Same with handfuls of friends who had attended the convention, all of whom were pretty much untrackable to me.

NAMM is probably the only place where being an "Artist" is a disadvantage. The show isn't open to the public, and it's where some major deals get done by retailers and sellers large and small. But for us lowly musicians, it's a place where some endorsements can be had, and along with it, some validation, ease on the wallet, and important relationships that can carry a career onward. It was my first year with a Kawai badge, and I played a demo set with their beautiful $200,000 concert grand.  And although we spent the first 30 minutes scrambling for a PA system, all went well. Blue Microphones helped out and lent an enCORE 100, Walden gave us a stand, and my friend and fellow songwriter Matt Koelsch had one of my amps I'd lent him in his car, which was parked nearby.  Thank heavens, otherwise we wouldn't have had the opportunity for this cool panorama shot of the set:

I also had a badge from Walden (which would have been great to pass on to a friend if badges were transferable), my awesome guitar company from Nashville, who have always treated me well and even put my big face on their booth for the 2nd year in a row.

A new deal was struck with D'Addario, which is great news since guitar strings come and go, got dibs on an awesome piano stand prototype from Hamilton, and I can now grab an artist discount with Focusrite for one of their awesome interfaces.  Next phase: building up the artillery to make more music once touring is over in March.

While I am, for now, a simple indie songwriter upstart, I found myself dreaming big about the possibilities - NAMM is, after all, where you'll see big guys like Steve Tyler, Marilyn Manson and Adam Levine circumnavigating the same halls as student musicians, aspiring songwriters and freebie-hungry music fans. It's quite a thing.

Me and my friend/Singaporean indie rock princess Inch Chua before she interviewed me for Planet X.

After my songwriter friend Kevin So introduced me to Will Champlin, of  "The Voice" fame. The two go way back to Will's Berklee days.

Kevin invited me to the Hilton to play a song at a private party. Picture's a little dark, but here's me singing "War!" with Kevin on solo guit.