Eurovision, Rykka and Me

A couple of weekends back, I had the pleasure to accompany my friend and musical compadré, RYKKA to the Swiss Eurovision Finals. It was very exciting for me to see my good friend up there on stage looking like a million bucks and singing for Switzerland. She composed the song "The Last of Our Kind"  specifically for the Eurovision Song Contest, and it won for Switzerland. You can see her fabulous performance "here." Rykka (Christina Rieder) and I have been friends for a long time, we met almost a decade ago at a music conference around 5am singing together in a circle of music makers of all kinds, instruments jamming along spontaneously on the penthouse floor of a hotel filled with music industry people from all over. We were friends from the moment our voices melded!! Little did I know that our future lives would parallel each other as she too would be spending her time between Canada (B.C) and Switzerland (Zurich.)

Rykka_and_I_backstage_pre_performance

Some of you may be wondering why I am writing about Rykka's performance and not my own? That is a fair question, seeing as I am also a Singer and Song-writer. I have, in the past auditioned for Ireland's Eurovision (did not make it, obviously) and a couple of years ago, I auditioned for Canada's Got Talent. A few years back, I even auditioned for Cirque De Soleil. So I have been down those "audtition" roads and am clearly not cut out for such things. People ask me if I get nervous, well the most nervous I have ever been is during the auditioning process. I can sing for a crowd made up of hundreds, even thousands, but when four people are there, judging me, I clam up. Anyway, more RYKKA!!! My friend has been VERY busy since winning for Switzerland, but she managed to answer a few questions I had... So here they are!

1) What are your hobbies?

R: Whenever I am not making music, I am making something. If it's not one thing, it's another. I Love to make costumes, if it's like Christmas holidays, I Love to bake. I'm in Love with making! Haha.

2) How do you find happiness?

R: I think that being in nature is a great way to find happiness. My favourite place is in the mountains, or in the forest near my house. I relate happiness to being centered and at peace. A few nights ago, I couldn't sleep because my head was buzzing and I pictured myself floating over a blue lake. It totally worked and I could clear my mind and I fell asleep.

3) What was the name of the first song you ever wrote and what was the chorus?

R: When I was 16 my boyfriend was 21 haha...my parents were cool with it actually. But anyway, he was so lazy. I wrote a song called Runaway for him, telling him that he is missing out on life by just sleeping and being lazy all the time.

4) What would you do if you saw someone litter?

R: When I see someone litter I'm like "Hello! It's 2016 not the '80's!" Who didn't get the memo? I just can't get into the mind frame of not caring about abruptly littering. Here in Switzerland people are really good about recycling, when I see someone throw a plastic bottle in the garbage, I freak out haha.

5) What is one of the most important things for you to do to prepare for Stockholm?(Stockholm is where the Eurovsion final will take place)

R: I'm mentally preparing myself. I'm also working to make my voice stronger. I'm taking voice lessons for the first time in years and really fine tuning them.

Rykka_and_I_after_the_win_with_Prosecco

Of course we could go on and on with more questions, and perhaps after Stockholm we will do an update. IN the meantime, keep your eyes and ears open for my girl here, you will be hearing more, for sure! 

Thanks for reading,

Love

Lindsay

Facebook

Last night I woke up with the questions again. What to write about today? I rarely have a good idea about what to say in this blog, and really just go on "faith" that the words/thoughts will come. Two nights ago I came up with a perfect topic (in the wee hours) but didn't write it down, so now I have no idea what that was. It happens a lot, great ideas come to me in between sleeps and I say it over and over in my head, really believing that this last time I WILL remember, but rarely do. When will I ever learn to just write it down -my phone (in airplane mode-does that REALLY make a difference??) is right beside my head on my bedside table, it shouldn't be that difficult to just write it down!  Anyway, last night an idea came to me and stuck... I thought about taking a break from Facebook and really, truly thought that today would be the day to press pause, for a spell. Maybe a week without??? Of course, upon sitting down this morning, sipping my coffee, and scrolling through Facebook, I thought better of it. I must be addicted. Are we all addicted??? Maybe if I made a promise to stop after a certain time in the day, that could be enough, but am I strong enough? When I think about it, it reminds me of how I felt when I would prepare myself or ponder quitting smoking (almost five years in as a non-smoking-smoker!)  Sheesh, is FB really as bad as smoking?? Some would say so. It is difficult to stand-up for FB when someone is really, really against it. Some people (who, obviously are not on FB) will say all sorts of things about how bad it is. Big Brother is watching! Time stealer/waster etc.... Somehow, I know all about this. Just like I always knew that smoking was bad, I still did it!! Yes, I can use the argument that I need FB to promote my music, and/or gigs.... but I also learn SO much from the people on my feed. I don't watch or read the news, so I get it all from FB (just writing that down makes me feel a bit ashamed) but there are some pretty smart people on my feed!! Like, how would I have ever found out that Hitler had a small penis?? Actually, that is one of the big reasons for my idea to cut back. Seeing stuff like that makes me cringe. Also, when I go to sleep at night and I see the SCROLL in my mind and it is actually scrolling, well, I guess that kind of scares me too. But if I didn't have Facebook then I wouldn't have seen all the LOVE I got from this poster (posted yesterday!)

My_name_on_Ottawa_Bluesfest_Roster_Poster

...and I wouldn't have been able to share this beautiful photo of my brother Jeffrey and his kitties, Biskup and Tique. My brother lost his precious girl kitty, Tique (sister to Biskup) on Monday. I will miss that girl, she was always up for a cuddle (unless she wasn't!!) 

Biskup_Jeffrey_Tique

Oh, and I wouldn't have been privy to listening to NEW Music from my friend Andrea Simms-Karp, who is going under the stage name of "NAVIGER." Her new 7 song album is really good, you can have a listen here : Naviger-Barn Raising. And I wouldn't be able to share the new podcast that I prepared for you yesterday, either! You can listen to "Ramblings/Hamburgers" any time, and there are other podcasts at my Soundcloud site as well as three full albums to listen to.... What would I do without the Social Media Platform that is Facebook?? Perhaps I do need a cleanse for a spell. I just don't know how! Any thoughts on that?? I know that it isn't the most important thing EVER, I really do know that, Somehow, though, it makes me feel more connected to the people... and... and... and..... Ahhh... what to do, what to do?? 

Love,

Lindsay xo

This Bird's Eye View of Switzerland

Once upon a time, I was looking for Love. I looked and looked and looked and got sooooooo close, but it wasn't until I stopped looking when I found it. I always had a faith in Love and knew deep down that I would, one day, find him. What I didn't know was that I would have to leave my home and native land of Canada to find a new life in Switzerland. 

Swiss_Flag_meets_Canadian_Flag

We have been traveling back and forth between the two countries since we met in Canada, in 2010. It has been hard to decide where to ultimately settle down and I suppose we will have to eventually come to a decision, but living in Canada is great for so many reasons and living in Switzerland also has many wonderful reasons to stay. Both places have their similarities but there are vast differences, of course!

Lindsay_drinking_wine_on_a_bus

Let's start with WINE! Well, you can go to the local grocery store (here it is called COOP - pronounced coh-ope) and you can purchase a tasty bottle of Chardonnay for three Swiss Francs. My favourite is the Rioja, and it is eight Swiss Francs a bottle (or chf for short, that's right, there is no money symbol like we have in Canada $) In any case, wine is NOT expensive and it IS delicious. There's no such thing as "Dep" wine or Depanneure wine, the stuff you can buy at the corner store in Quebec does not exist here (PHEW!) AND you can drink wherever you want, on the bus, on the train, you can even drink in the car. Yes, open bottles are allowed in a moving vehicle. Even the driver is allowed to drink ONE beer, should he or she desire it to be so.

Architecture_in_the_city_of_Luzern

Every where you look, it just looks different. Even in the forest, it is different. Sometimes if I am in the deep woods, I can imagine that I am in British Columbia, but you know you are not in Canada. The houses are different, the landscape, the architecture is really incredible. If you look up when you are wandering around in a city in Switzerland you will be amazed. They (in some cases) paint designs under the lip of of the roof. I sang at a house concert the other day in a house that was built in 1552, initially as a tanning house, where they would take care of skins and leather. There were still iron hooks coming out of the ceiling and there was a tower at the top of the house, which you had to enter via the skinniest (sketchiest) staircase I had ever climbed. I guess I could never play in a place like that in Canada. 

Local_area_mountian_range_Nünenen_and_Gantrisch

Yes, the view here is much different. I was raised in the County, big sky and flat! You can literally ski down our back yard here, or toboggan! The mountains in this photo are our local area peaks, this view is about a ten minute drive from where I live. We live in a valley so you can't see any peaks from our windows. It's okay though, the hills are alive around here!  In the Spring, the farmer brings his Sheep to graze on the grasses around us. They wear bells, so there is always harmony of sound outside. It's quite pretty! The cows also wear bells but the sound is MUCH much lower, as the Cow bells are much bigger than the Sheep bells! At the end of each Summer, when the farmers bring their cows down from the mountain tops (in some areas, they graze in the Summer a way up high in the mountains) it is a big and beautiful celebration. All the cows are honoured and dressed up with flower tiaras. It is a very loud and beautiful display!

Decorated_cows

An Easter tradition here is also a little different. Where WE paint and colour eggs -in my Canadian family, anyway- They decorate eggs here too, but instead of blowing out the insides (for pancakes and waffles!!) they are hard-boiled and eaten later. They make a game of it actually, to see who has the strongest egg, they are knocked together and the one that smashes last, wins. They are boiled in tea/coffee/onion skin and/or beet water but only after they have been decorated with leaves and flowers (held on with the help of a nylon stocking, while being boiled. Yes, the eggs are wrapped up and boiled in tights!) My sister-in-law (or Schwager Schwester as they say here) bakes Zöpf, a delicious braided bread and displays the egg on this. Very beautiful AND delicious! 

Dyed_and_decorated_Easter_eggs

 I guess this blog could go on forever. There are many things about living in Switzerland that are new to me, a Canadian. Perhaps I will dedicate another patch of writing to what is happening over here in the 'Land of Chocolate 'N Cheese!' But for now I will leave you with this: things are definitely more organized here. People seem to "follow the rules" too. As an example when you are going up or down the escalators, if you don't want to walk, you stand to the right, if you want to walk, you walk up to the left. It is rare to see any people blocking the way. Also, when you are on the train and you want to put your feet up on the seat across from you, you take off your shoes or if you don't want to take off your shoes,  you place a newspaper on the seat and the transit system runs pretty smoothly at a reasonable price (when you have a 'half-tax card!) The streets are clean,  it is rare to see litter and at a certain time of year, when there are decorations out and about (giant glass balls on trees, candleabras in restaurant window ledges etc) they don't get stolen! There really is a safer feeling to the cities.  Oh, and the cheese is just out of this world. At any given time, I have at LEAST five types in my fridge. YumMy!!

Sweet_Cheesus_Fondue

The people of Switzerland are kind people. They get a bad reputation for being reserved but really, they are just respectful of your privacy and in some cases, shy. In most cases though (as there is ALWAYS an exception to every rule) the Swiss people (I have in my life) are loyal and interested in living! There is a healthier mindset here, and outdoor activities prevail over indoor activities.

But to be sure, Canada, I am coming home!!! Soon...

Love,

Lindsay xo 

On Song-Writing

Lindsay_holds_her_Guitar

It all starts with....

Hmmmm.

There are many ways to begin writing a song.

Some days, I pick up my guitar and noodle around... Eventually hearing a satisfying  melody and  (hopefully) some random and enticing poetic line blasts out of thin air, and off I go! These compositions can take a long time to work out, but there are rare moments when a song comes along in its entirety, and fast.  

Sometimes, I have  to really work at getting into 'song-mode' and there has to be a ritual of sorts...everything has to be 'just right' so I have to clean the house first! I might then light some incense (Nag Champa) and light some candles, hoping to create the ultimate ambience for tapping into that 'precious musical flow.'  Composing a song is very connected to moods. Some days, I have to inspire myself to write, and I have to change my mood to get myself psyched to create, so a hike is great for that! It helps get my heart beating, my blood pumping and my brain flowing away from  the un-necessary, and into the right direction. At times, I really don't want to play at all, but I have to. I must practice and prepare but  have no desire to start. No desire to get the ambience in line, no desire to get outside for some fresh air for that new perspective...Sometimes I got nothing and have to start anyway.  But usually, within fifteen minutes of 'just doing the act itself' I find myself back in the groove of things and all is right with the world, musically. Yep, that's it, you just have to pick it up and there you are, right back where you left off.  

I usually come up with  a melody first. Things can get pretty dreamy up here and out here in the Music Stream. I start fiddling around unplugged (guitar fiddling around) and when I think I have something good, I'll plug in, turn on the reverb and from time to time, kick in some harmony vocals with my Harmony Singer Pedal, (This pedal somehow magically finds the right notes above and or below the note I am  singing and somehow 'hears' what the guitar is playing and  really comes up with some beautiful stuff!) I Love jamming out (rehearsing) in my own space, because the sound is set 'just right.' The sound outside, in a new room or music venue can be wonderful, but more often than not, it isn't and there's not much that can be done about it. Mostly, I have to stop being so critical of myself and let the flow FLOW! (don't we all!!)

With regards to lyrics. On one side, lyrics are extremely important to the music and on the other side, seemingly not so. For years I knew every word to my favourite songs, and it wasn't until much, much later that I would process just what those words actually meant. I can sit through an entire concert, never processing the lyrical content. The music, if it's good enough (to me) will just take me over.  That said, I still put value into each word that finds its way into one of my songs. Every word counts and every one is placed with exacting thought. The "the's" the "at's" the "too's" every one! Let's face it, a song with BOTH brilliant lyrics AND melody can be life changing, inspiring and profound. (I am working on it.!)

There most certainly is no "right" way to make music and/or to write a song, and truly no "one" fail safe method. Unless you count writing from the heart. If you write from there and from yourself; from that place down deep,  you will find a brutal honesty that  actually does prove to be fail safe. Now,  add a little melody (make it good) and write/sing/play about whatever you want. There is most certainly a freedom to music, never let anyone tell you differently. But make it good. Make it great!

Upon re-reading and editing what I have written here, I find myself thinking of Bob Snider's book on how to write a song called "On Songwriting" which you can find HERE. I read this book a few years ago and in it you will find all sorts of rules that were meant to be broken! It really is awesome and funny, just like himself and his music.

On another side note, a couple posts ago, I posted my newest song "Shut Eye" and in one post before that, a post to BONO you can hear the first song I ever wrote on guitar "Wide World"... Just scroll down if you like! 

Love,

Lindsay xo