Moving from blogger

It's been a few years that I've been hear at Blogger, though much of that time I have been rather silent due to life circumstances.

However, I am coming back to life, and getting back into the swing of things.  If you'd like to stay connected, please come by my new blog site:

http://lilycblog.wordpress.com

Hope to see you there!

Cheers,
Lily

Getting Out of The Gate

Creative Commons License:  The Hacker Way

I want to do things perfectly.  I want every song, every performance, every picture, every blog entry, every breath I take, to be awesome.  Unfortunately, I am human.  This gets in the way of my pursuit of perfection.  I get pimples, I forget things, sometimes, when I'm nervous, I strum the wrong chord.  I wish there was some sort of photoshop for life that could edit out all my blunders and imperfections.  Maybe if I lived via a holographic projection that would be possible, but until then...I must wrestle down my desire for perfection and make it a goal for myself to GET OUT OF THE GATE!

Last night I watched Taylor Swift's incredible performance at the 2012 Grammy Awards that proved without a doubt that she can sing.  Rewind to the 2010 Grammy Awards and her vocal performance in a duet with Stevie Nicks garnered a backlash of harsh criticism for being pitchy (especially from music industry critic Bob Lefsetz!).   Why has this redemption inspired me so much?  I think it's because I'm inspired to keep moving forward and not allow myself to be crippled by everything that is less than perfect.  This applies to my music, my performances...and my website!  This does not mean I will not continue tweaking and improving upon what I've done.  It only means that I will not allow a lack of perfection to stop me from moving forward.  If Taylor Swift can release Grammy worthy music without having nailed down her ability to sing on pitch under pressure, why can't I allow the same room for growth in my own journey as an artist?

www.lilyc.com

Diving into Chapter 3 of "Music Success in 9 Weeks," I had this grandiose vision, I will REDESIGN my website, it will be epic, it will sing, it will dance, there will be fireworks!  And then, life came knocking on my door.  Work deadlines, hosting gigs, and family commitments to name a few of the many distractions that took away from the vision of losing myself in Wordpress for a week.  And then I took a look at my existing website.  I already have google analytics set up, and I already have a player embedded to hear a sample of my music.  Why fix what isn't broken?

So, instead of investing 5 days of programming time I spent 5 hours tweaking.  I added a few snazzier looking social media icons, included my newest personal pitch and rejigged things, along with changing the homepage photo.

Am I completely satisfied?  Of course not.  But I accept that insatiable perfection monster that lives in my artist heart and will allow it to prompt me towards future growth in development.  In fact, I just registered for a class on HTML and CSS from the fantastic non-profit, Ladies Learning Code.  I will keep improving upon where I am at.  One day, my website may be able to brew a cup of coffee for my fans, but until then, I am happy to let myself GET OUT OF THE GATE!

Pitching From The Heart

This is me, enjoying my music at "The Dunk."

The problem with approaching Week 2 is that the concept of building the perfect pitch is so business oriented, hence far removed from the happy place in my heart where my creative spirit resides.  I can craft pitches for projects and plans that have nothing to do with me.  But to carve out time to treat myself like a business...well that's a new muscle I'm learning to flex.  What I've learned in the process of putting together this pitch is that, even though the business side of things reflects our outer journey as an artist, in order for these things to go the distance, they need to resonate and connect with our inner journey.

The idea of an Elevator Pitch is that one day, I might find myself in an elevator with Clive Davis and get to ride 12 floors with him, which means I would have approximately 15 seconds to tell him what I do, and what I'm about.  "Hi Clive, I'm Lily C. I'm a Singer/Songwriter," probably wouldn't cut it.  But, how do I write something that doesn't sound too much like a desperate sales pitch?  As with goal-setting in Week 1, I realized that the tasks set out in this challenge actually require us to go deeper within ourselves, to discover our unique inherent value (which I believe everyone possesses) and vision, which also means battling any inner demons we might be carrying along the way.  In order to deliver a great pitch, I have to believe in what I am pitching.  That alone can be a great hurdle for any person who has struggled with self-esteem or self-worth.

And then, I had a serendipitous breakthrough.  I had the chance to perform in PEI at a groovy outpost called "The Dunk."  People drive for miles to come to this cozy farmhouse where music is celebrated and enjoyed by all.  And when I say enjoy, I mean ENJOY.  People laugh, cheer and dance!  What a reminder of what music can do, of what my music can do!  In finding the joy of sharing my songs, I had the courage to proceed to crafting my pitch.  As an artist, I think it is important to keep putting yourself out there.  Sometimes we get drowned by life events, work, and tasks that can confuse us into doubting the gift we possess.  There is no better way to experience the wonderfulness of who you are then sharing it with others!

With an inner breakthrough, I was finally able to proceed with the task at hand.   Karyn Ellis from the Challenge community suggested putting together a survey (which you can still partake in by CLICKING HERE).  The survey helped to get the process started, along with the wonderful website suggested by Ariel Hyatt, www.15secondpitch.com.

And so, here is my pitch, drum-roll please....

My name is Lily C.  I'm a singer/songwriter spreading positive vibes with Happy Pop. My music is a fresh combination of Jewel & Nelly Furtado. You will be refreshed and revived. Check me out at: www.lilyc.com

After hearing watching Ariel's videos, and reading some of the pitches of my peers, I think a shorter pitch would be more suitable for on-line branding.  So, here's my mini pitch:

Lily C spreads positive vibes with a fresh pop sound, like Jewel jamming with Nelly Furtado.

Let me know if this works, or doesn't work for you.

Until next time...

The Challenge Begins...Moving Forward After Temporary Derailment

 This train captures how I felt towards the end of last year!
Photo by:  Cian Ginty

Life gets in the way...and it's okay if the curve balls you are thrown derail you from your desired path.  I do believe that with each unplanned tangent, there are always things we can learn and grow from, that will help us when we have time and space to return to the charted path.

This is what I must believe for this is where I find myself.  Many of my goals were taken off line when family situations and grief derailed me.  As a Type A, it's been difficult to find myself at the end of my rope...to be unable to muster energy to be productive.  That is how I felt in the last quarter of 2011.  Exhausted with no creative energy to envision something else.

And then...2012 began with a great catalyst.  One that I happen to have the chance to champion on behalf of my work at the Songwriters Association of Canada.  I helped to launch the Canadian Songwriters Social Media Challenge (otherwise known as The Blogging Challenge), whereby I will be following the advice doled out generously by Ariel Hyatt in her book, "Music Success in 9 Weeks," alongside 60 songwriting peers across Canada who are also looking for a breakthrough.

To be honest, I even had to push through resistance just to crack the book open.  How many times have I set goals and been disheartened when I failed to bring them to completion.  At the same time, how many times did I achieve progress and negate it by focusing on all that I hadn't done.  Luckily, the book met me exactly where I am at.  It reminded me to celebrate my successes, recognizing that goal-setting can be an ever changing process.  My goals are not etched in stone, but they can serve as a compass to direct my time and efforts until they change, at which point, my compass will also readjust.

So I have a slew of goals on hand, some technical, some business, some personal...all of them, well most of them quite achievable if I can focus on taking action steps regularly - 6 of them in fact everyday.  That's the magic number Ariel says is achievable for most people.  So here I go...

Week 1 of the challenge wasn't so hard.  It was an invitation to spend some time with my heart to define where I want to go in the days, weeks and months ahead.  I am happy to say, "I did it!"  I celebrate the success of this, my first blog entry in the challenge.

Pursuing the elusive "hit song,"...or not...

We've all heard the phrase, "it's the journey, not the destination that counts."  At the same time we live in a society that worships glorified destinations.  Hollywood and the world of sports, epitomize the golden crown so many wish to achieve.  For those without artistic or athletic dreams, the values instilled by media affect how we view ourselves, our bodies and deeply affect how we choose to spend hard-earned resources.  For those with acting, music or sports on their hearts, the final destination can become a prison rather than a playing field, especially when success, as defined by society at large, can often be elusive.

For the past few years of my life, I have wrestled with the desire to create music.  This has at times been inspirational and hopeful, leading me to meet incredibly talented and passionate people whom I would never have met, had I not embarked on this journey.  Other times, it can seem like a black hole that sucks up all my time, resources, and energy.  During the harder moments, I often try to remind myself - it's about the journey.  However, sometimes these reminders ring hollow as I look to find a result or a breakthrough.

Lately, I experienced a supernatural shift in my perspective, for which I am deeply grateful.  This shift has brought a new hope, and a new peace to how I approach what I am doing.  The shift comes from the knowledge that each of us is gifted a unique way that is meant to be a contribution to this world.  Paul Williams, President of ASCAP proclaimed at the 2011 "I Create Music" Expo, "The world deserves to hear your song!"  While I'm not sure that entire world needs to hear my songs, I'm certain there are people out there who will find encouragement and resonance with what I represent.

For many songwriters, life is about the pursuit of writing a "hit."  If you measure yourself against this goal, anything short of a "hit" could be deemed a failure.  I think this is a cruel form of self-punishment.  Rather, I choose henceforth, to open my hands with gratitude for the songs that I've been given and choose to honour these gifts by continually finding creative ways to share my unique perspective on life.  Having hosted open mics for a few years now, including the Songwriters Association of Canada's Toronto Regional Writers Group, it always strikes me how each songwriter has a personal style that is like a fingerprint, completely one-of-a-kind.  I too have my fingerprint that cannot be replicated in this world.

In my mind, I see a picture of myself opening the window and setting a cage of doves free to take flight.  I can't wait to see my songs fly...stay tuned...

The journey begins...again...

This picture is how I feel right now...like an open suitcase, disheveled inside, waiting to be transported.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing.  There is a rawness and humility that comes when you choose to walk the path unknown.

I have some ideas and inklings as to how to proceed, but no concrete path...yet...

The whole blogging/tweeting/status updating life has not been a priority for me these past few years, mostly because I've had to walk through a lot of deep discouragement.  Partially from having to start my life from scratch again in Toronto, and partially from witnessing my mother's battle with ALS.

I'm getting ready to launch out, which is why the suitcase is the perfect image to capture this.  I'm not sure where I'll be launching, or even how, I just know there's a gust of wind coming...

Just birthed a new website: http://ping.fm/UDuhg

Lily is preparing songs and stomach space for this weekend's Song Crib Potluck...YUMMMY!

She is preparing to Swing into Christmas, Please come to the Assembly Hall Friday night at 7:30 for a Jolly Good Time! http://ping.fm/fiCTq

she's killing monsters: http://ping.fm/xTRuN

I am testing Ping.fm...will this broadcast everywhere?

in Toronto...

I've been on a spiritual sabbatical of sorts these days...

I'm contemplating my next move in terms of life direction as I continue to accompany my mom on this very difficult path of ALS.

Laughter and sunshine can feel like somewhat of a memory, but we still manage to find some jewels.

stay tuned...

Mama's Got a New Toy

For the past few months my mom has been reluctant to leave the house because of fatigue and not being able to move independently. More recently, my mom's highlight each week was going to Walmart where scooters (personal mobility devices) are provided for shoppers. She would zip around the aisles and often disappear. I once had to walk around a Super Walmart almost 3 times in order to find my mom who was happily shopping away.

After witnessing the joy of independent mobility, we decided to invest in a "toy" for my mom and as you can see from the look on her face, it has brought her great freedom. I am grateful for all the wheelchair accessible places we have visited - even hiking trails!

Although there is much that remains uncertain about the future and the path and progression of this illness is painful and difficult to accept, we try each day to embrace what we have.

Lily in the Song of Love

What am I doing in all these crazy outfits and why is there someething glued to my face? For the past few months I was in rehearsal to be in a musical that was performed at the end of December at Sun Yet-sen Memorial Hall. The name of the play was Song of Love and it was the story of Madame Chang-Kei Shek set to music. http://meiling.allmusic-mag.net/

What an adventure! At first I was very insecure for several reasons. Firstly I've never been in a musical before. Secondly, the play was mostly in Chinese, hence I was afraid I would not be able to do my part effectively. Thirdly, I was in the chorus and was afraid I would not be able to overcome my ego to enjoy being part of the group.

I am so glad that I persevered and learned through the process. I took a workshop on broadway performance in the summer which was my introduction into the world of musicals. I had no idea there was such a cult following of musicals and I met a lot of interesting friends there. It was very hard work to be in the musical. We had almost nightly practices for 2 months and I had a lot to work on in terms of vocals and pronounciation. At first being one of the chorus made me feel very insecure because I'm using to standing in the spotlight. But after wrestling with my ego, I started to enjoy the process of being in the group. In fact I was grateful because I didn't have the pressure of learning too many songs and I didn't have all the attention on me.

It was very humbling because I saw that I have a long way to go in terms of area for improvement. I'm used to singing my own songs, but not songs written by others. It takes even more skill because it's not written for your range necessarily. The singers in the play, both chorus and lead actors were all super talented. Their vocal range and stability in how they sang was inspiring and again very humbling. I am excited that I found an excellent vocal coach whom I have begun studying with and I have confidence that I will grow a lot under her. As the saying goes, when the student is ready the teacher appears, and I am ecstatic to have such an excellent teacher willing to train me from scratch.

This reminds me of the stories of Tiger Wood relearning his stroke to make a breakthrough in his golfing. He had to forget everything he learned and went into hiding to work on everything piece by piece. That is what I'm doing (though I wasn't as good as him to begin with). My lessons comprise of singing single notes and three notes in a row over and over again and my coach works with me to refine every tiny breath and placement. It is exhausting and so fulfulling! I am excited to resume lessons when I return to Taiwan (as I am currently visiting my family in Canada right now).

I was also happy that I got a chance to contribute lyrics to the opening song of the play. The quality of music in the play was surprising to me. I think the music was touching and professionally produced. It truly was an privilege to witness such dedication and talent to the craft.

Being in the chorus was so much fun. I got to play an American school girl, a geisha girl, part of the Red Guard in China, a woman attending a formal party, as well as a Chinese peasant. The costume changes were rapid and challenging. Sometimes we had to run and undress backstage to get to our scene change on time. Luckily all the people backstage were super helpful. I was touched by my fellow castmates who were all so willing to help me with my pronounciation and singing. They gave me a lot of encouragement and grace.

I hope I can do another play this year...but for now I'm going to continue working on my singing!

Life is such an adventure. I never dreamed I'd be in a musical, never mind performing at Sun Yet-Sen Memorial Hall. I did vocal exercises at the centre of stage when nobody was around one morning and it was thrilling. I hope one day I can have the ability to stand in the center and sing my heart out to a full audience!

For more pictures: http://www.wretch.cc/album/lilycblog

11月17日 (五) 9pm Lily C 在 小客廳

Lily C & 新鮮空氣即將帶給大家一個新鮮的享受!
Something fresh is in the air…

星期五晚上來放輕鬆! 保證給你新的活力及好心情. 我們很榮幸有兩位非常有才華的樂手. 我們的音樂有一股新的力量，也有新歌和大家分享! Kick off the weekend with a relaxing night of music. We've got tunes to inspire and a new jazzy groove that will make you move! We are excited to welcome two super talented new band members to the mix adding a new energy. Look forward to some new takes on old songs as well as a new song preview.

New song preview新歌發表: “I am a bee” & “beware”
混合bossa, funk, afrikaan 及歐式民搖的輕鬆曲風
“I am a bee, I am a butterfly, I am a bird taking flight…”

歡迎新團員!
Roger王洛詰 – 知名爵士鼓手及老師
Martijn - 比利時爵士鍵盤及貝斯手

小客廳THE LIVING ROOM
11月17日 (五) 9pm Fri. Nov. 17
NANJING EAST ROAD, SEC. 5 No. 8, 3rd Fl.
小客廳: 南京東路五段8號3樓
Tel:8787-4154

For more information: www.lilyc.com, www.livingroomtaipei.com

Lily C & 新鮮空氣 即將帶給大家一個新鮮的享受!

Lily C & 新鮮空氣 即將帶給大家一個新鮮的享受!

Something fresh is in the air…

讓我們在週日夜來放輕鬆，好開始新的一週 ！保證給你新的活力及好心情我們很榮幸有兩位非常有才華的樂手加入我們讓我們的音樂有一股新的力量，也有新歌和大家分享！Come and relax before the week begins. We've got tunes to inspire and a new jazzy groove that will make you move! We are excited to welcome two super talented new band members to the mix adding a new energy. Look forward to some new takes on old songs as well as a new song preview.

New song preview　新歌發表 : "I am a bee"
混合 bossa, funk, 及 afrikaan 的輕鬆曲風
"I am a bee, I am a butterfly, I am a bird taking flight…"

歡迎新團員 !
Roger 王洛 – 知名爵士鼓手及老師
Martijn - 比利時爵士鍵盤及貝斯手

河岸留言 RIVERSIDE 11 月5日( 天) 9:30pm Sun. Nov. 5, 9:30pm
羅斯福路3段244 巷2號 B1Roosevelt Rd.. Sec. 3, Lane 244, No. 2, B1
Tel: 2368-7310

一個藍天的下午 An afternoon under the blue sky

我上週有機會和朋友去國父紀念館寫歌。 天氣很奇怪，有大太陽但同時有一陣一陣的毛毛雨而有一個角落有烏雲
Last week I had the time to sit down for an afternoon with a friend and write some songs at Sun Yet Sun Memorial Hall. The weather was very strange. Mostly it was sunny with sudden spurts of rain and a cloudy corner in the sky.

我通常都是一個人在家或在練團室寫歌。難得走出去。 坐在外面讓我感覺好像時間便慢了特別是我們沒有很明確的目標。 很輕鬆。
I usually write music alone in my room or in the band practice room where there are no windows. It was my first venture outside. It struck me that time feels very different when you are sitting outside without a fixed agenda. I felt very relaxed (a rare feeling in Taipei for me).

那天下午有兩個畫面讓我很感動。第一個是看到兩個老先生放又大又精采的風箏。 他們不是為了陪孫子而是自己在享受。 我從來沒看過老人家自己放風箏!
There are two images that shall remain fixed in my mind from that afternoon. Firstly, was the image of two old men flying extravagant kites. They were not taking care of their grandchildren, they were there alone, enjoying the wind and their kites. I never knew this could be a hobby for the elderly.

你上次放風箏是什麼時候? 我這幾個禮拜希望可以回味一下放風箏的樂趣!
When is the last time you flew a kite? I think that it's a goal of mine to do so in the next few weeks!

第二個讓我感動的畫面是在天空最黑的角落出現的美麗彩虹。 讓我想到有的時候生命最珍貴的禮物都是再我們的黑暗時期出現。 好天氣就很難有彩虹。 這提醒我要尋找我生命的彩虹在過去很艱難的一年。
The second image that remains fixed in my mind is a beautiful rainbow that suddenly appeared in the greyest and darkest corner of the sky. It was a very dramatic image and reminded me that sometimes the most beautiful things appear in the darkest parts of our life. Rainbows generally do not appear in perfectly clear weather. So for me, this is a reminder to find the rainbow in my life, even though it has not been an easy walk this past year.

你有看到你深命的彩虹嗎?
Did you see the rainbow in your life?

武陵農場的好心情

我這幾天很開心可以到美麗的武陵農場. 我每天可以看到美麗的山, 水, 樹, 及花. 更讓我開心的是每天晚上有機會和許多遊客分享我的音樂, 夢想故事, 和我的心. 認識了很多很可愛的阿媽和阿公. 我很喜歡他們純浦的心. 他們對我音樂和分享的反應也讓我很感動!

昨天一個人走到魚池有機會看到一些正在逆遊的櫻花鉤吻鮭. 他們的努力鼓勵到我很多! 在走夢想的路總覺得好像必須跟社會的價值觀逆遊. 社會教我們要注重錢和成就甚過於夢想和愛. 但看到這些魚不斷的被水退下去而繼續前進就再一次提醒我,我選的這條路本來就是難走的. 同樣也會被大浪退下去,但我可以像那些魚繼續堅持. 它們知道必須克服這個難關才可以完成它們生命的使命. 這是我想學習的精神.

有些觀眾問我如何可以保持他們看到的熱情和樂觀. 我說這不是我的本性而是我必須每天努力學習的. 這裡路邊有很多花. 早上時他們都向著太陽的方向, 很可愛. 我們也可以從這些花學習把心和思考轉到樂觀的方向. 每天有許多的負面消息及聲音像瀑布般沖, 特別是現在的媒體文化. 所以要正面更是需要花一些努力和力氣. 很重要的是必許有一些有同樣的想發的好朋友, 彼此兼顧,彼此鼓勵才不會那麼辛苦. 你們所給我的鼓勵我很重視, 也很需要!

謝謝大家! 我們可以一起加油!

Lily and Dancing Grannies Pictures

What will you be like at 85?

What will you be like at 85?
你希望如何過八十五歲的生活？

I had the chance to do a concert at a family event last week at the Water Conservation Park. It was a lot of fun, even though it was very hot. The highlight of the show was getting encored and having a group of “older ladies” come up and join me in dancing to my newest dance song “Zoom Zoom”. These ladies could really move. The most inspiring one was the woman with the blue shirt. She couldn’t get enough dancing, even when her daughter tried to get her to sit down to rest. She stubbornly refused and kept dancing to the beat.

我有機會在自來水管的活動表演。 真的很好玩雖然很熱。 特別讓我感動是被encore 及有一群“婆婆”和我一起跳舞。 這些女人真會跳! 特別是穿藍色上衣的那位。 他不斷的跳雖然家屬想把他拉回座位。 他不願意而繼續發揮。

I was amazed to find out that she was 85 years old! I don’t know about you, but I picture 85 to be a time of rest and perhaps frailty. I certainly don’t picture someone who is lively and willing to get up and dance in front of a crowd. She really inspired me. Hopefully I’ll be just as crazy when I’m 85…maybe even when I’m 120!

不可相信他已經八十五歲了! 我以前認為八十五歲的人因該很氨的人因該很安靜，需要多休息，也許有點脆弱。 想像不到八十五歲還可以風俇地在觀眾前發揮活力。 他真的讓我感動。 希望我八十五歲，甚至120歲也可以像他一樣風俇!